April 21, 2010

Greens Back Halter in Arkansas Senate Race

Photo by aflcio, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/labor2008/4473475051/">via Flickr</a>.


The League of Conservation Voters officially came out in support of Arkansas Democratic Senate candidate Bill Halter on Wednesday, a primary endorsement in what is expected to be one of the most contentious Democratic races in 2010. The group had already anti-endorsed incumbent Blanche Lincoln, adding her to their annual “Dirty Dozen” list of top candidates for electoral defeat.

Here’s Tony Massaro, the League’s senior vice president for political affairs, on why the group is endorsing Halter:

He understands that Washington has not been working for Arkansas families and he is willing to step up and fix it. Bill Halter believes a Senator should serve the people, not special interests, and the League of Conservation Voters could not agree more. That’s why, as we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we are proudly endorsing Bill Halter for the U.S. Senate.

Without a doubt, Halter is the best candidate for Arkansas when it comes to fixing the failed energy policies of our past. He understands that we need to take control of our energy future in order to curb harmful carbon pollution, enhance our national security, and create a new foundation of economic prosperity. That’s exactly the kind of leadership that Arkansas needs in the U.S. Senate.

The group is also fundraising for Halter through its website.

More Mother Jones reporting on Climate Desk

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

“This could be the first time a corporation would be held criminally liable for forced labor in their own supply chains,” according to a retired special agent we talked to.

Wow.

And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

About that: It’s unfathomably hard in the news business right now, and we came up about $28,000 short during our recent fall fundraising campaign. We simply have to make that up soon to avoid falling further behind than can be made up for, or needing to somehow trim $1 million from our budget, like happened last year.

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