Brett Brownell

"I Didn't Go There With a Grudge Against Romney"

| Thu Mar. 14, 2013 3:00 AM PDT

The secret is out. Six months after Mother Jones first released his video from Mitt Romney's private fundraiser, Scott Prouty has revealed his identity on MSNBC's The Ed Show. Earlier tonight, Prouty introduced himself as "a regular guy" with a "good moral compass."

In part one of the interview Prouty explained, "I didn't go there with a grudge against Romney. I was more interested as a voter." He also explained how David Corn's reporting on Mitt Romney's Chinese investments helped him conclude that Mother Jones was the right choice to release the video.

Prouty continued by recounting his decision to allow Mother Jones to release the entire recording, following Mitt Romney's press conference response to the video:

In part three, human rights activist Charlie Kernighan joined the interview to describe his influence on Prouty's decision to release the video:

Finally, Prouty joined Ed Shultz live in studio. He apologized to the company he worked for, but added "what was at stake was more important than my job."

Following the interview David Corn appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show to discuss Prouty's unveiling:

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WATCH: Investigating Major League Baseball's Second-Class System in the Dominican Republic

—By Brett Brownell

| Mon Mar. 4, 2013 4:02 AM PST

Read the full story, "Inside Major League Baseball's Dominican Sweatshop System," here.

WATCH: What's It Like to Land on an Aircraft Carrier?

—By Brett Brownell

| Tue Feb. 26, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Hurtling toward the USS Nimitz in a biofuel-powered ~~jet~~ airplane was just one of the adventures that Mother Jones environmental correspondent Julia Whitty had while reporting the cover story for the March/April 2013 issue of the magazine. Watch Julia talk about her adventures—and the US Navy's green makeover—here:

If you're in the Washington, DC, area, you can see Julia speak at the next Climate Desk Live event on Wednesday, February 27, at 9:30 a.m., where host Chris Mooney will discuss the Navy's charge toward energy independence with Dr. David W. Titley, retired naval officer who led the US Navy’s Task Force on Climate Change; Capt. James C. Goudreau, director of the Navy Energy Coordination Office; Dr. D. James Baker, director of the Global Carbon Measurement Program of the William J. Clinton Foundation and former administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) during the Clinton Administration; and Julia Whitty.

Event Details:

Date: February 27, 2013, 9:30 a.m.

Location: University of California Washington Center, 1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Please RSVP to cdl@climatedesk.org

WATCH: Newtown Parents Speak Out

Six minutes of searing testimony from the parents, educators, and first responders who confronted horror that day.

—By Mark Follman and Brett Brownell

| Fri Feb. 8, 2013 4:11 AM PST

Two months after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, America is embroiled in a fierce debate about guns. But apart from a few shell-shocked comments to news media, most Americans have not heard directly from those whose voices may matter most—parents of the deceased children, and educators, first responders, and doctors who confronted the horror that day. On January 30 at Newtown High School, the devastated community testified for six hours before Connecticut leaders. A mother explaining what her surviving daughter endured. An EMT describing the damage inflicted by a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle. An ER doctor pleading to tell his patients about the health risks of guns. A father recalling "the longest two hours of my life." Here we've assembled a short compilation of powerful moments from the hearing:

Video footage courtesy of Connecticut Network; see the full hearing here. Also visit our ongoing Letters to Newtown project, and read our full investigation into gun laws and mass shootings in America.

Testimonials, in order of appearance in the compilation:

Nicole and Ian Hockley, parents of Sandy Hook victim Dylan Hockley
David Wheeler, father of Sandy Hook victim Benjamin Wheeler
Peter Paradis, stepfather of Sandy Hook teacher's aide and victim Rachel D'Avino
Neil Heslin, father of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis
Scarlett Lewis, mother of Sandy Hook victim Jesse Lewis
Susan Ehrens, mother of Sandy Hook survivor Emma Ehrens
Dan O'Donnell, Sandy Hook parent
Laurie Veillette, volunteer EMT for Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps
Douglas Fuchs, police chief of Redding, Connecticut
Mary Ann Jacob, library clerk at Sandy Hook
Dr. William Begg, emergency room physician at Danbury Hospital and Newtown resident
Tom Swetts, teacher at Newtown High School
Darren Wagner, former police officer and father of a Newtown High School student

Research and additional production by Sydney Brownstone and Maggie Severns.

Local Natives' "Hummingbird" Sings on Stage

—By Brett Brownell

| Mon Feb. 4, 2013 4:06 AM PST

Local Natives' Taylor Rice at the Fox Theater.

Local Natives, the mesmerizing, harmonizing, Los Angeles-based four-piece, has successfully avoided the sophomore slump with the release, last week, of its second album, Hummingbird. It follows their bright and bouncy 2010 debut Gorilla Manor, which landed them tours with the likes of Arcade Fire and The National. In fact, The National's Aaron Dressner was so enamored with Local Natives that he decided to help them produce Hummingbird.

The night after the album's release, a sold-out crowd greeted Local Natives at Oakland's 2,800-seat Fox Theater. "This is a big night for us," vocalist/guitarist Taylor Rice said from the stage. "Our second record came out yesterday. This is the first time we've played Oakland. And this is the biggest show we've ever played." He was visibly humbled by the size and reaction of the audience.

[Read more in the Mixed Media blog]