Private Equity Is Coming for Your 401(k) Savings
Thanks to Donald Trump’s support and Joe Biden’s failure to intervene, private equity is inching ever closer to tapping into the trillions of dollars sitting in Americans’ retirement savings plans.
79 Articles by: Katya Schwenk
Katya Schwenk is a reporter with the Lever based in Phoenix, Arizona.
The Rise of the French Fry Cartel
After decades of consolidation, just four firms now control at least 97% of the $68 billion frozen potato market. A new spate of antitrust lawsuits accuses them of brazen price-fixing.
Private Equity Is Set to Profit Off a Border Crackdown
As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, with plans for mass deportations and heightened surveillance of undocumented immigrants, the private equity firms that make money from immigration enforcement stand to profit handsomely.
Kamala Harris Didn’t Defend Lina Khan
Kamala Harris stayed silent during the election as big Democratic donors attacked chief antitrust regulator Lina Khan — at the same time Khan’s agency launched an investigation into the employer of Harris’s brother-in-law and top advisor.
Private Companies Will Cash In on Trump’s Immigration Policy
Now that a Trump White House is on the horizon, private prison companies and corporate interests are anticipating a return on their lobbying efforts to place millions of immigrants under electronic surveillance.
Trump Wants an Airline Lobbyist to Be Transportation Chief
Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Transportation, Sean Duffy, is a former airline industry lobbyist who has voted to make it harder to impose safety regulations on airlines. The industry is already celebrating his nomination.
Political Betting Platforms Have a Friend in Trump
Political betting markets, which facilitated more than $3 billion in total election-related bets during this election season, are poised to win big from Trump administration ties and policies.
Will the Next President Help Banks Trap Customers?
Wall Street CEOs are courting both the Trump and Harris campaigns. If their effort succeeds, a new rule that makes it easier for customers to change banks will almost certainly be on the chopping block.
Dark Money’s Plan to Sabotage a Key Transparency Law
Last year, Arizona voters passed a ballot measure that requires dark money groups funding political advertising to reveal the source of their money. Now it has become the target for corporate interests trying to limit campaign finance laws.
The GOP Scheme to Let Trump Pick His Own Ethics Chief
Republican senator Mike Lee is blocking the appointment of the head of the Office of Government Ethics until after Inauguration Day. The tactic is meant to give Donald Trump the power to handpick his own ethics overseer if he wins the election.
Elon Musk Could Secure a Huge Tax Cut If Trump Wins
If Donald Trump wins the election and keeps his promise to appoint Elon Musk to a prominent government position, Musk could reap one of the largest personalized tax breaks in US history — on top of the massive tax cuts Trump wants to give billionaires.
Bail Bond Insurers Are Lobbying to Keep People in Jail
The for-profit bail industry is behind a new federal effort to criminalize charitable efforts designed to help people who can’t afford to post bail. The legislation is part of a national wave of attacks on bail reforms.
Amid Hurricane Milton, GOP Reps Are Blocking Climate Action
As Hurricane Milton bears down on their districts, two Republican representatives backed by fossil fuel companies are pushing legislation that claims the climate crisis is a “false emergency.”
The Regulatory Loophole That Keeps Poisoning Atlantans
This week, a Georgia chemical plant suffered yet another accident, releasing toxic fumes into an Atlanta suburb for at least the fourth time. The plant falls into a yawning regulatory loophole that chemical industry lobbying has kept open for years.
Lawmakers Aren’t Disclosing Their Private Equity Millions
The wealthiest members of Congress from both parties — including vice presidential candidate J. D. Vance — have millions invested collectively in private equity funds. In many cases, they are not required to disclose details about these investments.
Families Are Paying Millions in School Lunch Junk Fees
One of the world’s largest payment processing companies is charging parents exorbitant fees to load money into students’ meal accounts. The operation is now facing federal scrutiny.
Texas Has Set Up a System of Oil-Friendly Business Courts
Texas is about to open its business courts, a new legal system backed by Big Oil that is expected to have immediate impacts on environmental cases in the state. The courts’ judges were handpicked by Gov. Greg Abbott, a major recipient of oil industry cash.
Leonard Leo’s Plan to Suppress Voters in Swing-States
A cadre of lawyers tied to conservative activist Leonard Leo is spearheading a series of legal attacks on voting rights in critical swing states. The operation aims to suppress voters, with the potential to tip the scales during the election this fall.
J. D. Vance Wants to Gut Biden’s Consumer Protections
J. D. Vance has cosponsored 24 GOP attempts to gut Biden administration consumer protections, from air quality standards to cracking down on junk fees. His voting record offers a glimpse of what’s to come under a potential second Trump administration.
Airlines Still Want to Cheat You Out of Your Money
The airline industry’s top lobbying group, Airlines for America, is pushing back against the Biden administration’s rule requiring that consumers get automatically refunded for flights that are delayed or canceled.