The Department of War accepted a $130 million anonymous donation from billionaire Timothy Mellon on October 23, 2025, to help pay U.S. service members during the government shutdown. Trump announced the donation at the White House, describing Mellon as a ‘great patriot’ and ‘friend …
Timothy MellonTrumpDepartment of DefensePentagonoligarchyprivatizationconflicts-of-interestinstitutional-capture
CoreCivic, a private prison company, secured nearly $300 million in new ICE contracts to add 5,700 detention beds across California, Kansas, and Oklahoma, effectively doubling agency capacity by 2026. The contracts include $130 million annually for California City Correctional Facility, $60 million …
One Big Beautiful Bill provides $45 billion for building new immigration detention centers, with overwhelming majority going to private companies contracted to build and run facilities. Represents 308% increase over ICE’s FY2024 detention budget, creating capacity for 125,000 beds operated by …
Donald TrumpDepartment of Homeland SecurityICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement)Private prison contractorsprivatizationimmigration-detentionprivate-prisonsmass-incarcerationgovernment-contract+1 more
The Trump administration proposed a $6 billion cut to NASA’s budget in 2025, strategically redirecting $1 billion towards Mars exploration while eliminating multiple ongoing scientific missions. This move aligns with Elon Musk’s SpaceX interests and represents a significant shift in …
Donald TrumpTrump AdministrationNASA LeadershipSpaceXElon Muskkleptocracybudget-cutsspace-explorationnasatrump-administration+1 more
Stephen Gardner, Amtrak’s CEO since 2022, was forced to resign by the Trump administration following public pressure from Elon Musk to privatize the national passenger rail service. Despite Amtrak achieving record ridership of 32.8 million customer trips in 2023, the administration signaled …
Donald TrumpStephen GardnerElon MuskSean Duffykleptocracyprivatizationinfrastructuretransportation
Erik Prince, founder of military contractor Blackwater and brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, met with Putin ally Kirill Dmitriev in Seychelles to establish back channel between incoming Trump administration and Kremlin. George Nader told Dmitriev that Prince “is designated by Steve …
Erik PrinceKirill DmitrievGeorge NaderSteve BannonJared Kushner+1 morebackchannelprivatizationdiplomatic-bypassrussian-connectionsblackwater+1 more
Hurricane Katrina became the largest implementation of ‘disaster capitalism’ in U.S. history, with corporate interests using the crisis to advance privatization agendas previously blocked. Within 10 days of the levees breaking, .4 billion in no-bid contracts were awarded to four major …
Dick CheneyHalliburtonBechtelShaw GroupFluor+1 morehurricane-katrinadisaster-capitalismno-bid-contractsprivatizationdisplacement
The IMF mandates comprehensive structural adjustment policies for affected Asian countries, including Indonesia, South Korea, and Thailand. These policies involve privatization, trade liberalization, and financial deregulation, fundamentally transforming local economic structures to benefit …
The North American Free Trade Agreement officially takes effect on January 1, 1994, the same day that 3,000-4,000 indigenous campesinos of the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation) launch an armed uprising in Chiapas, Mexico, declaring NAFTA a “death sentence” for indigenous …
EZLN Zapatista ArmyMexican GovernmentIndigenous CampesinosBill ClintonMexican Farmersnaftazapatista-uprisingindigenous-rightsprivatizationtrade-policy+3 more
In 1977, Charles Koch (chairman and CEO of Koch Industries), Ed Crane, and Murray Rothbard founded the Cato Institute, establishing a libertarian think tank that would become central to promoting deregulation, privatization, and reduced government oversight across all sectors of American society. …
Charles KochEd CraneMurray RothbardKoch Industriesthink-tank-infrastructurekoch-networklibertarian-movementderegulationprivatization+1 more