Time for Three Strikes and You're Out for Banks?

On May 20, five of the biggest banks in the world pleaded guilty to charges of interest rate manipulation and agreed to pay $2.8 billion in fines for the felonies they committed. Two of the banks, J.P. Morgan Chase and Citigroup, are U.S.-based. Each has a long rap sheet of recent settlements for their corporate misdeeds, and each has paid large fines and settlements -- nearly $35 billion in the case of JP Morgan Chase. But otherwise, these businesses go on with no reduction of rights or privileges and with no decision makers being sent to prison.

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"I Am Suffocating Under a Pile of Student Loan Debt"

Student loan debt is now the largest contributor to our country’s overall debt burden. The total amount of student loan debt is now more than $1.2 trillion, and on average, students graduate with $30,000 of debt, which can take 20 years or more to pay off.

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Fracking and Water: It’s about more than Contamination

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) recent study on the connection between fracking and water contamination made headlines earlier this month, with environmental groups seeing it as proof that fracking threatens drinking water and industry using it to argue that fracking is safe.

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To Better Protect Workers, We Need More Wage Inspectors and Stronger Enforcement

Cities across the country have voted to increase the minimum wage, ensure workers can take paid sick days, and offer workers paid parental leave.

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This Small Infrastructure Investment Can Increase Bicycle Ridership by 75 Percent in Just One Year

While all eyes are on our national infrastructure funding plan (or lack thereof), something remarkable is happening across the country. Local governments are building innovative transportation systems to respond to 21st century problems. One new trend that stands out is an increase in protected bicycle lanes.

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Justice Shouldn’t Be Blind to the Importance of Financial Disclosure

Our nation’s court system depends on trust and impartiality. Judges are supposed to recuse themselves from cases in which they have a conflict of interest. But because of outdated disclosure standards in our nation’s court system, the public too often lacks the information necessary to make sure that potential conflicts are appropriately dealt with. As a result, confidence in our court system is less than it could or should be.

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A Third New York County Passes a Toxic-Free Toy Bill

Suffolk County became the third county in New York State to pass a bill limiting toxic substances in children’s toys. The Toxic Free Toy Act passed unanimously on Tuesday and now goes to County Executive Steve Bellone for approval.

The bill sets limits on six heavy metals linked to serious health and developmental issues:

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Long-awaited EPA Study Shows How Fracking Contaminates Drinking Water

UPDATE (June 24, 2015): Last week, the University of Texas at Arlington released a study finding widespread contamination of drinking water from fracking. The study examined 550 drinking water wells located near fracking operations on the Barnett shale in northern Texas.

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"No" to Fast Track – Secret, Undemocratic Trade Deals Are Not About Trade

A decade ago, U.S. trade negotiators began to discuss a sweeping international agreement between the United States, China, Japan, and nine other Asian nations. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will establish the rules that govern 40 percent of the world’s economy. It is commonly referred to as a trade deal, but trade is a small portion of the pact. Trade rules constitute just five of the treaty’s 29 chapters.

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Can a Proposed EPA Rule Save the Bees?

For the past ten years, honeybees have been dying off at astonishing rates, drawing the attention of environmentalists and even the federal government. Bees are critical to a healthy environment because they transfer pollen between plants. This cross-pollination helps one-third of the plants our food system depends on to produce fruit and seeds.

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