Trump Adopts 'Invasion' Rhetoric Mainstreaming Great Replacement Theory Before Midterms

In the lead-up to the 2018 midterm elections, President Trump began routinely describing immigration as an ‘invasion,’ bringing white nationalist conspiracy theory language into mainstream Republican politics. The ‘invasion’ rhetoric is closely linked to the Great Replacement …

McKinsey Claims It's 'Horrified' After Saudi Dissident Report Made Public

McKinsey & Company issues a statement claiming it is ‘horrified by the possibility, however remote, that it could have been misused’ after The New York Times reports the firm’s 2016 report identifying three Saudi dissidents had been weaponized by Mohammed bin Salman’s …

AbbVie Humira Patent Thicket Delays US Biosimilars Until 2023 Despite 2016 Patent Expiration and European Competition

AbbVie reached settlement agreements with eight biosimilar manufacturers that allowed immediate biosimilar competition in Europe starting October 16, 2018, but delayed all US market entry until 2023—seven years after Humira’s original patent expired in December 2016. The settlements ended …

Trump Vows to Continue Raytheon, Lockheed Arms Sales Despite Khashoggi Murder and Yemen Atrocities

On October 11, 2018, just nine days after Saudi agents murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, President Trump declared on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that he would not cancel arms sales to Saudi Arabia despite the killing and mounting evidence of Saudi war …

Senate Confirms Kavanaugh 50-48 Despite Sexual Assault Allegations and Severely Limited FBI Investigation

On October 6, 2018, the Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court by a vote of 50-48, making him the first justice in modern history confirmed with credible sexual assault allegations pending and despite obvious temperament problems that raised serious questions about his fitness for the …

Amazon Raises Minimum Wage to $15 But Eliminates Bonuses and Stock Options

Amazon Raises Minimum Wage to $15 But Eliminates Bonuses and Stock Options

On October 2, 2018, one month after Bernie Sanders introduced the “Stop BEZOS Act,” Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced the company would raise its minimum wage to $15 per hour for all U.S. employees, effective …

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp Refuses to Recuse From Overseeing His Own Governor Election

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp refuses to recuse himself from overseeing the 2018 gubernatorial election despite being the Republican candidate, creating an extraordinary conflict of interest. While running against Democrat Stacey Abrams, Kemp maintains control over voter registration, ballot …

Christine Blasey Ford Delivers Credible, Emotional Testimony Alleging Kavanaugh Sexual Assault, He Responds with Partisan Rant

On September 27, 2018, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted her at a house party in 1982 when she was 15 and he was 17. Ford delivered four hours of credible, detailed, emotionally raw testimony …

Amazon's Anti-Union Training Video Leaked - Exposes Systematic Union Suppression Program

Amazon’s Anti-Union Training Video Leaked - Exposes Systematic Union Suppression Program

On September 26, 2018, Gizmodo published a leaked 45-minute union-busting training video that Amazon had distributed to Whole Foods team leaders, exposing the company’s systematic program to identify …

Cigna-Express Scripts $52 Billion Merger Approved: DOJ Greenlights PBM Oligopoly

The Department of Justice approved Cigna’s $52 billion acquisition of Express Scripts, one of the three largest pharmacy benefit managers, completing the deal announced in March 2018. Assistant Attorney General Makan Delrahim stated that after a six-month investigation reviewing over two …

CMS Administrator Seema Verma Spent $5 Million in Taxpayer Funds on GOP Consultants to Boost Personal Profile

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma spent more than $5 million in taxpayer funds on Republican-connected communications consultants to boost her personal profile, according to a July 2020 HHS Inspector General report. The 15-month investigation concluded that …

McKinsey Holds Lavish Corporate Retreat in Kashgar Four Miles from Uyghur Concentration Camps

McKinsey & Company holds a lavish corporate retreat themed ‘Connecting Together’ in Kashgar, Xinjiang from September 6-9, 2018, where hundreds of consultants ‘frolicked in the desert, riding camels over sand dunes and mingling in tents linked by red carpets.’ The retreat …

Bernie Sanders Introduces "Stop BEZOS Act" Targeting Amazon Wages

Bernie Sanders Introduces “Stop BEZOS Act” Targeting Amazon Wages

On September 5, 2018, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced the “Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies Act”—the “Stop BEZOS Act”—legislation designed to force large corporations like Amazon …

Michael Cohen Pleads Guilty to Campaign Finance Violations, Implicates Trump as "Individual-1"

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney and fixer, pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court to eight felony counts, including campaign finance violations that he stated were committed “in coordination with and at the direction of a candidate for federal …

Peter Thiel's Founders Fund Invests $15M in Carbyne, Connecting Epstein-Barak Surveillance Network to Erik Prince Operations

Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund led a $15 million Series B investment in Carbyne (formerly Reporty Homeland Security), the Israeli surveillance technology company founded by Unit 8200 intelligence veterans and previously funded by Jeffrey Epstein and Ehud Barak. The investment directly connected …

US-Made Bomb Kills 40 Children on School Bus in Yemen, Triggering International Outrage

On August 9, 2018, shortly before 8:30 AM, a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a school bus traveling through a crowded market in Dahyan, Saada governorate, Yemen, killing 40 children and 11 adults and wounding 79 others, including 56 children. The boys, aged 6 to 15, were on a summer school …

Rep. Chris Collins Indicted for Insider Trading

Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.), President Trump’s first congressional supporter, was charged with insider trading related to his position on the board of Australian biotechnology company Innate Immunotherapeutics. On June 22, 2017, while attending a Congressional Picnic at the White House, …

Brookfield takes 99‑year lease on Kushner's 666 Fifth Ave; role of Qatar-linked funds disputed

Brookfield acquired a 99‑year leasehold on the office portion of 666 Fifth Avenue from Kushner Companies, resolving a distressed financing situation. Public records and press accounts note that Qatar’s sovereign fund (QIA) was a major investor in Brookfield Property Partners, while Brookfield …

SEC Drops ExxonMobil Climate Investigation Under Trump Administration

On August 2, 2018, the Trump administration’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) dropped its two-year investigation into how ExxonMobil factors climate change regulations into its calculations of asset values. The SEC informed the energy giant in a letter dated Thursday that it would …

Trump Administration Expands 'Junk Insurance' Short-Term Plans to Undermine ACA

The Trump administration finalized regulations expanding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans from a maximum 3-month term (set by Obama in 2016) to 364 days with renewability up to 3 years total. These plans—derided by critics as ‘junk insurance’ and ’the Trump …

ACLU test reveals Amazon Rekognition misidentified 28 Congress members as criminals, showing racial bias

On July 26, 2018, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) released results of an independently verified test demonstrating that Amazon’s Rekognition facial recognition software incorrectly matched 28 members of Congress with mugshots from a database of arrest photos. The test, which cost …

Former Malaysian PM Najib Razak Charged in 1MDB Scandal

Malaysian authorities charged former Prime Minister Najib Razak with criminal breach of trust, corruption, and money laundering related to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sovereign wealth fund scandal. On July 4th, 2018, Najib appeared in the Kuala Lumpur High Court, pleading not guilty to …

Senate Votes 98-0 to Reject Putin's Request to Interrogate U.S. Officials in Bipartisan Rebuke of Trump

In a rare moment of unanimous Senate action, lawmakers voted 98-0 to approve a resolution rejecting Vladimir Putin’s proposal to interrogate U.S. officials—a direct and powerful rebuke of President Trump’s consideration of the Russian offer during the Helsinki summit. The vote …

EU Fines Google Record €4.34B for Android Monopoly Abuse Through Bundling

On July 18, 2018, the European Commission imposed a record €4.34 billion ($5 billion) fine on Google for breaching EU antitrust rules through three separate illegal practices involving its Android mobile operating system. The penalty was the largest antitrust fine ever imposed globally, exceeding …

Trump Claims He Misspoke "Would" Instead of "Wouldn't" in Implausible Helsinki Walkback Attempt

One day after facing fierce bipartisan condemnation for siding with Vladimir Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies, President Donald Trump attempted damage control with an implausible claim that he had simply misspoken a single word during the Helsinki press conference. The walkback was widely …

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Refers Sinclair-Tribune Merger to Hearing Over "Serious Concerns" About Sham Divestitures and Misrepresentation

On July 16, 2018, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced “serious concerns” about Sinclair Broadcast Group’s proposed $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune Media and referred the merger to an administrative law judge for a hearing—an extremely rare action that effectively killed the deal. …

FBI Arrests Maria Butina for Conspiring to Act as Russian Agent to Infiltrate Conservative Organizations

The FBI arrested Maria Butina in Washington, D.C. on July 15, 2018, charging her with acting in the United States as an agent of the Russian government without prior notification to the Attorney General, and conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. The arrest came after an 18-month …

HHS Inspector General Finds Tom Price Violated Federal Travel Rules, Wasted $341,000 on Private Jets

On July 13, 2018, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General released a report finding that former HHS Secretary Tom Price violated federal travel regulations on 20 of 21 trips reviewed, wasting at least $341,000 in taxpayer funds through improper use of chartered …

Tech Workers Coalition: Establishing Digital Resistance Infrastructure

In 2018, the Tech Workers Coalition (TWC) dramatically expanded its global presence, establishing 21 international chapters to create a systematic framework for technological resistance. This expansion built upon key organizing efforts from previous years, including the influential Google Walkouts …

Coal Lobbyist Andrew Wheeler Becomes Acting EPA Administrator After Pruitt Resignation

On July 9, 2018, Donald Trump named Andrew Wheeler as Acting EPA Administrator following Scott Pruitt’s resignation amid 14 federal corruption investigations. Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist who had represented Murray Energy—one of America’s largest coal companies—embodied …

McKinsey Agrees to Repay $74 Million to South Africa's Eskom After State Capture Scandal

McKinsey & Company reaches a settlement with South African power utility Eskom Holdings and a unit of the prosecuting authority, agreeing to return approximately R1 billion ($74 million) in fees earned on work for the electricity producer. Eskom had asked McKinsey to pay back the funds the …

EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Resigns Amid 14 Federal Investigations

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt resigned facing at least 14 federal investigations into corruption, ethics violations, and misuse of taxpayer funds. Scandals included: spending $43,000 on a soundproof phone booth, first-class travel costing over $100,000, using staff for personal errands like finding …

IRS Launches Virtual Currency Compliance Campaign Using Chainalysis

The Internal Revenue Service announces a Virtual Currency Compliance Campaign to address tax noncompliance related to cryptocurrency use, heavily relying on Chainalysis blockchain surveillance software. The IRS Cyber Crimes Unit (CCU), a five-year-old division of IRS Criminal Investigation, deploys …

Janus v. AFSCME - Supreme Court Strikes Down Public Sector Union Fees, Targeting Teachers' Unions

On June 27, 2018, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Janus v. AFSCME that public-sector unions cannot collect “fair share” fees from non-members to cover the costs of collective bargaining, overturning the Court’s 1977 precedent in Abood v. Detroit Board of Education. The decision, …

New York Times Discloses McKinsey's $20 Million ICE Contract: Employee Outrage and Internal Crisis

The New York Times discloses that McKinsey & Company has done more than $20 million in consulting work for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, triggering immediate outrage among McKinsey employees and alumni. The revelation comes on the same day that ICE announces an end to its ‘zero …

Peter Thiel Receives First Putin Meeting Invitation Through Russian Diplomat

At a lavish birthday celebration in Vienna, Russian diplomat Daniil Bisslinger, an attaché from the Kremlin’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, invited Peter Thiel to a private meeting with Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The invitation, later reported to the FBI, …

Trump Signs Executive Order "Ending" Family Separation After International Outcry

After weeks of international condemnation and bipartisan criticism, President Trump signed an executive order on June 20, 2018 ostensibly ending the family separation policy his administration had deliberately implemented. The order came after intense public pressure, including from many …

Amazon aggressively pitches Rekognition facial recognition to ICE during family separation crisis

In June 2018, at the height of the Trump administration’s family separation crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border, Amazon Web Services officials met with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) representatives in Redwood City, California to pitch Rekognition facial recognition technology for …

New York AG Sues Trump Foundation for "Persistent Illegal Conduct" and Coordinating with Campaign

New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed a comprehensive lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation, Donald Trump, and his three eldest children (Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka) alleging “persistently illegal conduct” spanning more than a decade. The lawsuit documented a …

Supreme Court Upholds Ohio's Aggressive "Use It Or Lose It" Voter Purge System

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 to uphold Ohio’s aggressive voter purge system—the most severe in the nation—that removes voters from registration rolls if they fail to vote in a single federal election and don’t return a mailed confirmation notice. Justice Samuel Alito’s majority …

Bayer Completes $63 Billion Monsanto Acquisition: Agricultural Seeds and Chemicals Consolidate Into Big Four Oligopoly

Bayer AG completed its $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto after receiving antitrust approval from U.S. and European regulators, consolidating the agricultural seeds and chemicals industry from the “Big Six” into a “Big Four” oligopoly controlling over 60% of global seed …

Northrop Grumman Acquires Orbital ATK for $9.2 Billion, Creating Solid Rocket Motor Monopoly

Northrop Grumman completed its $9.2 billion acquisition of Orbital ATK on June 6, 2018, gaining control of the premier supplier of solid rocket motors essential for missile systems and creating anticompetitive market dominance that the Federal Trade Commission warned would “reduce competition …

Trump Family Separation Policy Detains 5,500 Children in Cages

The Trump administration’s ‘zero tolerance’ family separation policy forcibly removed over 5,500 children from their parents at the border, detaining them in cages at facilities described as ‘concentration camps’ by historians. Children as young as 4 months were taken, …

European Court Finds Romania and Lithuania Hosted CIA Torture Sites, Orders Damages

The European Court of Human Rights issues rulings finding that Romania and Lithuania violated the European Convention on Human Rights by hosting CIA secret prisons where terrorism suspects were tortured. The court conclusively determines that Romania operated a CIA black site from September 2003 to …

China grants waves of Ivanka Trump trademarks as she serves in White House; ethics watchdogs flag conflicts

China’s trademark office granted final approval for 13 Ivanka Trump trademarks over three months in early 2018, and later provisionally approved 16 more in October 2018, according to AP reviews of official records. The brand said filings were routine defensive registrations; ethics groups …

Trump Signs Dodd-Frank Rollback Raising 'Systemically Important' Bank Threshold from $50B to $250B After Industry Lobbying Blitz

President Trump signs the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S.2155), dramatically weakening post-2008 financial regulations by raising the asset threshold for ‘systemically important financial institution’ (SIFI) designation from $50 billion to $250 …

Epic Systems v. Lewis: Supreme Court Allows Mandatory Arbitration Blocking Class Action Labor Claims

The Supreme Court rules 5-4 in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis that employers can require workers to sign mandatory arbitration agreements waiving their right to join class action lawsuits over wage theft, discrimination, or other labor law violations. Justice Neil Gorsuch—a Federalist Society member …

Michigan State University Agrees to $500 Million Settlement with 332 Nassar Survivors—Largest University Sexual Abuse Settlement in History

On May 16, 2018, Michigan State University agreed to pay $500 million to settle lawsuits brought by 332 survivors of Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse—the largest settlement ever in a sexual misconduct case involving a university, surpassing Penn State’s $100+ million settlement with Jerry …

Kansas City Fed Approves Reserve Trust Master Account After Alleged Intervention

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City reversed its 2017 denial and approved Reserve Trust Company’s master account application in May 2018, approximately nine months after former Fed Governor Sarah Bloom Raskin allegedly contacted Kansas City Fed President Esther George. The approval raised …

Seattle Passes Head Tax on Large Employers—Amazon Threatens Expansion Halt, Washington Post Editorial Aligns with Owner's Interests

Seattle’s City Council unanimously passed a “head tax” on large employers on May 14, 2018, taxing companies earning $20 million+ annually at $275 per full-time employee to fund affordable housing and homeless services. Amazon—with 45,000 Seattle employees and facing a $12 million …