Meet the ex-Googler who’s exposing the tech-military industrial complex
Sean CaptainOct 2021
Formed by Jack Poulson and other Silicon Valley dissidents, Tech Inquiry uncovers the tech industry’s role in weaponry and surveillance. Read the full story here. Jack Poulson has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of how tech companies are evolving into military
Environmental activists’ email blast disrupted White House communications over two days: report
Rachel FrazinOct 2021
An email blast from environmental justice advocates reportedly disrupted emails between White House officials for two days in August. Read the full story here. Politico reported on Tuesday that the blast from advocates resulted in more than 5,600 messages that
Tensions erupt between environmental justice leaders and White House
Zack ColmanOct 2021
Grassroots activists disrupted the Biden administration’s communications with a massive email blast in August in a symbol of what some see as a deteriorating relationship. Read the full story here. Members of the environmental justice movement sent an email blast
What Is the Federal Reserve and Why Does It Matter?
Vasudha Desikan and Tracey LewisSep 2021
This op-ed argues that the Fed could be turned into an institutional force for economic progress. Read the full story here. Imagine if your city could buy up vacant houses and rent them to community members at a reasonable price.
Big Tech Has Made Billions Off the 20-Year War on Terror
Edward Ongweso Jr.Sep 2021
A team of researchers have published a new report detailing how Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Twitter have profited from the global campaign of violence. Read the full story here. On Thursday, researchers from advocacy and research groups Little Sis,
In Chicago, Controversy Mounts Over the Use of Gunshot Detection Sensors
Jim DaleyAug 2021
The city quietly renewed its multi-million dollar contract with ShotSpotter. But a growing body of evidence suggests the technology is ineffective and activists say it leads to deadly over-policing. Read the full story here. On a humid afternoon in late
Activists to U.S. Treasury: Use Federal Aid for Pandemic Relief, Not Debt
Shruti SinghAug 2021
Grassroots groups are imploring federal officials to make sure local governments get relief to those most in need, rather than banks. Read the full story here. Dozens of community organizations from across the U.S. want Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to issue rules
Cities Want to Use Federal Rescue Funds to Pay Off Bank Debt
David DayenAug 2021
Activists and local progressive officials don’t want to let them. Read the full story here. When Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) in March, he framed it as an effort to “giv[e] people in this
Should Chicago End Its Contract with ShotSpotter?
Aug 2021
Listen to the podcast episode here. ShotSpotter is a technology that’s meant to detect the sound of gunfire and deploy police to that location. But reports from Northwestern University’s MacArthur Justice Center and Vice found errors in the technology’s reporting.
Chicago Should Cancel ShotSpotter Contract After Report Shows Police Influence On Technology, Activists Say
Mauricio Peña and Justin LaurenceJul 2021
ShotSpotter is touted by police for its real-time gunshot detection technology, but recent reports have cast doubt on its reliability. Read the full story here. Gathered near the alley where police fatally shot 13-year-old Adam Toledo months ago, activists from