Walton Foundation releases 2010 education donations, a third for ‘shaping public policy’

Charter school champion The Walton Foundation has released its 2010 giving breakdown for the group’s education donations. Seven geographic areas received money: Albany, Denver, East and South Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Newark and Washington, D.C. Though the city of New Orleans received roughly $5 million of the Wal-Mart-related organization’s More…

Pro-voucher group spent $730,000 in Wisconsin for 2010, mostly on behalf of GOP

The American Federation for Children’s insistence that it is a bipartisan education group took a hit today when it was revealed to be one of three school choice advocacy organizations raising $3.36 million dollars for mostly Republican candidates during the 2010 Wisconsin legislative season.

Wisconsin Democracy Campaign determined More…

Is DHS’s ‘If You See Something, Say Something’ campaign helpful or burdensome?

The message “If you see something, say something,” will be plastered on television and posters throughout the Staples Center this weekend at the NBA All-Star game as part of a recent partnership announced Tuesday between the National Basketball Association and the Department of Homeland Security. Officials said the campaign partnership More…

Carve-Outs, Carve-Outs Everywhere

Two days from now, the conference committee reconciling the House and Senate versions of financial regulatory reform should be done and the bill will be set. That means there are only two days for conferees to push their exemptions and carve-outs, as well as bolstered measures, into the bill. The More…

Stay Home if You Have Swine Flu, Unless You Work at Wal-Mart

During the summer, when swine flu was not yet a widespread reality in the United States, giant retailer Wal-Mart made the news for being in talks with the government about possibly distributing the swine flu vaccine through its extensive network of stores.

But now the swine flu has Wal-Mart More…

Wal-Mart Agrees to $11 Million Settlement in Iowa Class-Action Suit

From The Iowa Independent:

A Clinton County District Court judge gave final approval Tuesday for a deal that resolves a class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and ends with the retail giant paying up to $11 million.

The suit, which was started in 2001 by workers Sally

More…

Union Mounting Broad New Push to Organize Wal-Mart Workers

As workers around the world participate in May Day celebrations of the labor movement’s past achievements, Paul Demko of TWI’s sister site, The Minnesota Independent, reports on a new campaign to simultaneously build nationwide support for the Employee Free Choice Act and organize workers More…

Lincoln Hearts Wal-Mart (Again)

Just days after Sen. Blanche Lincoln made headlines for amending the Democrats’ budget plan to include a $10 million estate tax exemption, the moderate Arkansas Democrat is back in the news for becoming the first Senate Democrat to officially oppose the Employee Free Choice Act — the union-friendly card More…

A Day of Idealism, and Free Cosmetics

I know, I know: It’s a time of national service today, and of growing excitement about Tuesday’s historic events. But The Consumerist can’t help noting that Tuesday morning also marks a massive cosmetics giveaway by major department stores, beginning when the doors open in the morning for business.

From More…

Family of Trampled Man Sues Wal-Mart

People love to attack trial lawyers, but here’s a lawsuit that sounds worthwhile: the family of the 34-year-old temp worker who was trampled to death on “Black Friday” by a mass of ravenous bargain-hunters on Long Island has sued Wal-Mart for failing to protect him from the clamoring crowd. More…