InfluenceWatch Podcast Capital Research Center

Journalism is changing, with nonprofit outlets, especially on the left, playing an increasing role in how information gets to the people. Just this week, the press has praised States Newsroom, the Arabella Advisors-seeded network of DEI-focused state-level journalism outlets, and a senior editor at the government-and-Big-Philanthropy-funded National Public Radio has published an article detailing how the outlet shifted from orthodox-liberal in outlook to a radical vanguardist Everything Leftism with a commitment to esoteric identity politics. Soon Capital Research Center will publish a special issue of our magazine focusing on nonprofit journalism and other ideological media projects; joining me to discuss that are my colleagues Ken Braun and Parker Thayer. 

Links: 

I’ve Been at NPR for 25 Years. Here’s How We Lost America’s Trust.

States Newsroom (Newsroom Network)

Press Forward


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It is increasingly well known, including through the work of our Capital Research colleague Parker Thayer exposing the Voter Registration Project, that left-wing billionaires and institutional interests use what are supposed to be charitable organizations to help win elections. But an Executive Order by President Joe Biden putting federal agencies into the voter-registration game has people asking whether federal taxpayers are now being dragooned into this “nonpartisan” electioneering. Joining us to discuss Executive Order 14019 is Stewart Whitson, legal director of the Foundation for Government Accountability. 

Links: 

Behind Massive Mail-in Ballot Push Is a Little-Noticed Executive Order

Legal Director Stewart Whitson on the Glenn Beck Program: Biden’s DOJ Is a “Threat” to State Election Integrity

Corrupt Voter Registration Scheme Persists: VRP’s Activity in 2022 and Beyond

Demos

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Have you ever wondered how and why Big Labor became such a driving force in American politics, and how it’s come to be associated with the American left and the Democrat party? Many may be surprised to learn that in the Trump-era – for lack of a better expression -- some conservatives have begun embracing labor unions, and unions have, in return, begun openly donating to Republican politicians. But when one learns the history of the public and private labor union sector in this country, it’s immediately apparent that Big Labor has always been all over the map ideologically, and that political twists and turns are actually the norm rather than the exception. I’ll be interviewing the regular host of this podcast today, who also happens to be our labor expert here at CRC, Michael Watson, on a five-part history of Big Labor he recently published at our website. Sitting third chair today is CRC Special Projects researcher Robert Stilson, who will have a few questions of his own.

Links: 

Big Labor’s Decline and Left Turn: A New Power Rises

The Turn at the Millennium: Why Big Labor Switched Sides on Immigration

Democracy Alliance (DA)

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Congressional debate over the social media app TikTok has brought the subject of China’s influence operations into sharp focus for many Americans who might have known China was a geopolitical adversary but may not have known just how close they are to home, that they may have been quite literally in their child’s pocket as they sent them out the door.But TikTok is really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what China has been up to stateside, much of it in conjunction with lobbying and currying influence with American legislators, many of them at the state and local level. Fortunately, a new organization called State Armor was formed in January to counter these influence operations and give states quote “the tools they need to thwart Chinese Communist Party influence operations and comprehensively protect residents and state assets.” State Armor founder Michael Lucci joins us today to discuss his organization and their goal of using federalism to protect national security.

Links: 

State Armor

TikTok Is The CCP

To Combat China's Infiltration Of The US We Must Start With The States

Select Committee Unveils CCP Influence Memo, "United Front 101"

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Wind power sounds lovely; supposedly free, indeed infinite “renewable” clean energy from the predictable patterns of moving air. Except it isn’t quite so simple. Turbines catch fire with disquieting frequency. The amount of land needed to produce electricity is quite high. And there’s a political protection racket keeping even clean-generating rivals out of the market and wind generators on the government dole. Here to explain is our colleague Ken Braun, who follows the energy and environmental issues for Capital Research Center. 

Links: 

Italian Energy Giant Invades America: The Cheapest Way to Make Expensive Electricity

Wind Turbines Produce Drama, Cash, and Some Electricity: Big Trouble at Biglow Canyon

Wind Turbines Produce Drama, Cash, and Some Electricity: Support for Anti-Nuclear Nonprofits

Opposition to Nuclear Energy

Climate Alarmists Hoover Up Corporate Welfare: The Rocky Mountain Institute

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In 2022, Patagonia outdoors-wear brand owner and self-described socialist Yvon Chouinard and his family transferred ownership of the company to Holdfast Collective, an LLC that controls 98 percent of the shares, and the Patagonia Purpose Trust, an entity that holds two percent of the shares and allows Chouinard’s family to retain effective control of Patagonia. Holdfast Collective was announced as an environmentalist project, with Chouinard claiming, “Earth is now [Patagonia’s] only shareholder.” But Americans for Public Trust found something curious in some FEC filings: Holdfast Collective is using some nonprofit groups it created and manages Arabella Advisors-style to make contributions to Democratic Super PACs, and the paperwork is questionable. Here to explain is Caitlin Sutherland, the executive director of Americans for Public Trust, which filed a complaint asking the Federal Elections Commission to investigate.

Links:

Major outdoor clothing company quietly operating liberal dark money group hit with FEC complaint

FEC Complaint

Patagonia

Holdfast Collective

Yvon Chouinard

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