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Profitable Companies, No Taxes: Here’s How They Did It

Patricia Cohen The New York Times
Among the report’s key findings: 100 companies enjoyed at least one year in which their federal income tax was zero or less, 24 companies paid zero taxes in four out of eight years, 18 companies paid no federal income tax over the eight-year period, Collectively, the 258 corporations enjoyed $513 billion in tax breaks over the last eight years. More than half of those tax breaks, $277 billion, went to just 25 of the most profitable corporations.

Autopilot Economy Tracker

Economic Policy Institute
Benchmarks to beat in order to claim policy-driven improvements to American wages and employment

Federal Court Rules Three Texas Congressional Districts Illegally Drawn

Laurel Wamsley NPR
Nina Perales, vice president of litigation for MALDEF, explains that not only does the court's decision lay the groundwork for changes to the state's current redistricting plan, but it may also be a step toward Texas being ordered back under federal supervision of its elections, as a remedy for intentional discrimination in its redistricting plan.

New Anti-Protesting Legislation: A Deeper Look

Traci Yoder National Lawyers Guild
Trump’s three executive orders on policing, the large number of state legislatures dominated by Republicans, the pro-policing and pro-business attitude of the current administration, and the constant and growing spontaneous demonstrations protesting Trump all combine to produce an atmosphere in which many powerful interests have a stake in suppressing mass dissent.

Trump’s Firing of New York U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara Evokes ‘Billions’

Cynthia Littleton Variety
Bharara was in part the inspiration for the Rhoades character who holds the same job in the Showtime drama “Billions.” Paul Giamatti plays the oh-so-intense federal prosecutor in the much-praised series, which is now in its second season and was renewed earlier this week for season three.

Right-Wing Billionaires Have a Project Going to Rewrite Our Constitution

Thom Hartmann Alternet
Their goal appears to be to put into the Constitution specific prohibitions against any programs (from Social Security to Medicare to food stamps) that they've always viewed as "unconstitutional socialism," and to permanently enshrine in the Constitution the "right" of corporations and billionaires to own politicians and spend unlimited monies to influence elections and ballot measures. I

Former Koch Agents, Staffing Trump's Federal Agencies

Steve Horn DESMOG
As DeSmog has previously reported, the Trump transition team was loaded with Koch-tied operatives, many from the Institute for Energy Research, a Koch-funded group which helped carve out the Trump White House's energy policy. Mike Catanzaro, a former Koch lobbyist, serves as Trump's top White House energy aide.