November 7, 2011

Inspector General to Review Keystone XL Process

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The State Department’s Inspector General has agreed to investigate the department’s handling of the Keystone XL review, after members of Congress and environmental groups have raised concerns about conflicts of interest.

In a Nov. 4 memo that went public on Monday, IG Harold W. Geisel says he will review whether State and other agencies followed federal laws and regulations in their consideration of TransCanada’s request to build the 1,661-mile pipeline.

Last week, President Obama said he will make the final determination about whether the pipeline is approved. But the allegations that State mishandled the consideration have made an already contentious debate even more so. On Sunday, thousands came to the White House to protest the pipeline. After a rally in Lafayette Park, the protesters locked arms and formed a circle around the White House. Here are some photos from the event:

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WE CAME UP SHORT.

We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

Because the bottom line: Corporations and powerful people with deep pockets will never sustain the type of journalism Mother Jones exists to do. The only investors who won’t let independent, investigative journalism down are the people who actually care about its future—you.

And we hope you might consider pitching in before moving on to whatever it is you're about to do next. We really need to see if we'll be able to raise more with this real estate on a daily basis than we have been, so we're hoping to see a promising start.

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