Public Policy & NGOs
Here's a look at documents from public policy and non-governmental organizations
Public Policy & NGOs
Featured Stories
UnityPoint Health Names Dr. Samuel Schroeder Medical Director, Radiation Oncology
WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 31 -- UnityPoint Health issued the following news release:
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UnityPoint Health Names Dr. Samuel Schroeder Medical Director, Radiation Oncology
Oct 30, 2026
UnityPoint Health has named Samuel Schroeder, MD, Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, as of November 1, 2026.
In this systemwide role, Dr. Schroeder will provide physician leadership for radiation oncology services across UnityPoint Health. He will focus on quality, collaboration and consistent care while continuing to practice at John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines.
"Sam brings strong clinical expertise, ... Show Full Article WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 31 -- UnityPoint Health issued the following news release: * * * UnityPoint Health Names Dr. Samuel Schroeder Medical Director, Radiation Oncology Oct 30, 2026 UnityPoint Health has named Samuel Schroeder, MD, Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, as of November 1, 2026. In this systemwide role, Dr. Schroeder will provide physician leadership for radiation oncology services across UnityPoint Health. He will focus on quality, collaboration and consistent care while continuing to practice at John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines. "Sam brings strong clinical expertise,a collaborative leadership style and a clear commitment to improving care for patients," Gregory Kennedy, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology Service Line said. "His leadership will help connect our radiation oncology teams and build on the high-quality care already happening across UnityPoint Health."
Dr. Schroeder joined John Stoddard Cancer Center as a radiation oncologist in 2020 and has served in a radiation oncology medical director role there. He is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology in radiation oncology. His clinical experience includes conventional radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, brachytherapy, radiopharmaceutical therapies and participation in National Cancer Institute clinical trials.
"I am excited to collaborate across UnityPoint Health to help patients access high-quality radiation oncology care close to home," Dr. Schroeder said.
Dr. Schroeder earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and completed his radiation oncology residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He also holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.
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"Sam brings strong clinical expertise, a collaborative leadership style and a clear commitment to improving care for patients. His leadership will help connect our radiation oncology teams and build on the high-quality care already happening across UnityPoint Health."
Gregory Kennedy, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology Service Line
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Original text here: https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/press-releases/unitypoint-health-names-dr-samuel-schroeder-medical-director-radiation-oncology
[Category: Health Care]
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UnityPoint Health Names Dr. Samuel Schroeder Medical Director, Radiation Oncology
Oct 30, 2026
UnityPoint Health has named Samuel Schroeder, MD, Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, as of November 1, 2026.
In this systemwide role, Dr. Schroeder will provide physician leadership for radiation oncology services across UnityPoint Health. He will focus on quality, collaboration and consistent care while continuing to practice at John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines.
"Sam brings strong clinical expertise, ... Show Full Article WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 31 -- UnityPoint Health issued the following news release: * * * UnityPoint Health Names Dr. Samuel Schroeder Medical Director, Radiation Oncology Oct 30, 2026 UnityPoint Health has named Samuel Schroeder, MD, Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, as of November 1, 2026. In this systemwide role, Dr. Schroeder will provide physician leadership for radiation oncology services across UnityPoint Health. He will focus on quality, collaboration and consistent care while continuing to practice at John Stoddard Cancer Center in Des Moines. "Sam brings strong clinical expertise,a collaborative leadership style and a clear commitment to improving care for patients," Gregory Kennedy, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology Service Line said. "His leadership will help connect our radiation oncology teams and build on the high-quality care already happening across UnityPoint Health."
Dr. Schroeder joined John Stoddard Cancer Center as a radiation oncologist in 2020 and has served in a radiation oncology medical director role there. He is board-certified by the American Board of Radiology in radiation oncology. His clinical experience includes conventional radiation therapy, stereotactic radiosurgery, stereotactic body radiation therapy, brachytherapy, radiopharmaceutical therapies and participation in National Cancer Institute clinical trials.
"I am excited to collaborate across UnityPoint Health to help patients access high-quality radiation oncology care close to home," Dr. Schroeder said.
Dr. Schroeder earned his medical degree from the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and completed his radiation oncology residency at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He also holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas.
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"Sam brings strong clinical expertise, a collaborative leadership style and a clear commitment to improving care for patients. His leadership will help connect our radiation oncology teams and build on the high-quality care already happening across UnityPoint Health."
Gregory Kennedy, MD, PhD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology Service Line
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Original text here: https://www.unitypoint.org/news-and-articles/press-releases/unitypoint-health-names-dr-samuel-schroeder-medical-director-radiation-oncology
[Category: Health Care]
Protect Our Care Statement: This Open Enrollment, Families Face Another Double-Digit Premium Hike Thanks to GOP's Unrelenting Health Care Crisis
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news:
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STATEMENT: This Open Enrollment, Families Face Another Double-Digit Premium Hike Thanks to GOP's Unrelenting Health Care Crisis
October 30, 2026
Washington, D.C. - This Sunday, open enrollment begins, and millions of families across the nation will begin signing up for coverage. For the second year in a row, families will be staring down double-digit premium hikes thanks to the GOP's unrelenting health care crisis, which has driven costs through the roof and kicked 8 million people off their Affordable Care Act (ACA), ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: * * * STATEMENT: This Open Enrollment, Families Face Another Double-Digit Premium Hike Thanks to GOP's Unrelenting Health Care Crisis October 30, 2026 Washington, D.C. - This Sunday, open enrollment begins, and millions of families across the nation will begin signing up for coverage. For the second year in a row, families will be staring down double-digit premium hikes thanks to the GOP's unrelenting health care crisis, which has driven costs through the roof and kicked 8 million people off their Affordable Care Act (ACA),Medicaid, or CHIP coverage.
Last year, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress ignited a full-blown health care crisis when they ripped away the premium tax credits that over 22 million Americans relied on to see a doctor, to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Since then, families have been forced to make impossible choices to hang on to their coverage, including cutting back on essentials and skipping doctors' appointments. The uninsured rate has climbed to 11.2% -- the highest since the ACA took effect over a decade ago. Republicans have put care at risk for countless seniors, sick kids, and moms, and things will only get worse as care is put further out of reach for millions.
Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
"Thanks to Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress, who sold out working families' health care for billionaire tax breaks, millions of families will face yet another brutal sticker shock when they log on for open enrollment. Families are already living through an unprecedented cost of living crisis and the last thing they need is for their premiums to go up again. Already, over 8 million Americans have lost the coverage they relied on because Republicans let the ACA premium tax credits expire. Now even more people will be forced off of the life-saving coverage they need and deserve as costs skyrocket and blow a hole in budgets across the nation. Working families are sick of this crisis and they are sick of paying more and getting less. It's no wonder that this election is a healthcare election, and in just a few days, they will get the chance to voice their outrage and demand change."
BACKGROUND
* Premium Disaster Watch (https://www.protectourcare.org/premium-disaster-watch/)
* Faces of the GOP Health Care Crisis (https://www.protectourcare.org/faces-of-the-gop-health-care-crisis/)
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/statement-this-open-enrollment-families-face-another-double-digit-premium-hike-thanks-to-gops-unrelenting-health-care-crisis/
[Category: Health Care]
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STATEMENT: This Open Enrollment, Families Face Another Double-Digit Premium Hike Thanks to GOP's Unrelenting Health Care Crisis
October 30, 2026
Washington, D.C. - This Sunday, open enrollment begins, and millions of families across the nation will begin signing up for coverage. For the second year in a row, families will be staring down double-digit premium hikes thanks to the GOP's unrelenting health care crisis, which has driven costs through the roof and kicked 8 million people off their Affordable Care Act (ACA), ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 -- Protect Our Care issued the following news: * * * STATEMENT: This Open Enrollment, Families Face Another Double-Digit Premium Hike Thanks to GOP's Unrelenting Health Care Crisis October 30, 2026 Washington, D.C. - This Sunday, open enrollment begins, and millions of families across the nation will begin signing up for coverage. For the second year in a row, families will be staring down double-digit premium hikes thanks to the GOP's unrelenting health care crisis, which has driven costs through the roof and kicked 8 million people off their Affordable Care Act (ACA),Medicaid, or CHIP coverage.
Last year, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress ignited a full-blown health care crisis when they ripped away the premium tax credits that over 22 million Americans relied on to see a doctor, to fund tax breaks for billionaires and big corporations. Since then, families have been forced to make impossible choices to hang on to their coverage, including cutting back on essentials and skipping doctors' appointments. The uninsured rate has climbed to 11.2% -- the highest since the ACA took effect over a decade ago. Republicans have put care at risk for countless seniors, sick kids, and moms, and things will only get worse as care is put further out of reach for millions.
Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach issued the following statement:
"Thanks to Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress, who sold out working families' health care for billionaire tax breaks, millions of families will face yet another brutal sticker shock when they log on for open enrollment. Families are already living through an unprecedented cost of living crisis and the last thing they need is for their premiums to go up again. Already, over 8 million Americans have lost the coverage they relied on because Republicans let the ACA premium tax credits expire. Now even more people will be forced off of the life-saving coverage they need and deserve as costs skyrocket and blow a hole in budgets across the nation. Working families are sick of this crisis and they are sick of paying more and getting less. It's no wonder that this election is a healthcare election, and in just a few days, they will get the chance to voice their outrage and demand change."
BACKGROUND
* Premium Disaster Watch (https://www.protectourcare.org/premium-disaster-watch/)
* Faces of the GOP Health Care Crisis (https://www.protectourcare.org/faces-of-the-gop-health-care-crisis/)
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Original text here: https://www.protectourcare.org/statement-this-open-enrollment-families-face-another-double-digit-premium-hike-thanks-to-gops-unrelenting-health-care-crisis/
[Category: Health Care]
FFRF Action Fund: 12 'Theocratic' Bishops Pray in the Oval Office Ahead of the Midterm Elections
MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
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12 'theocratic' bishops pray in the Oval Office ahead of the midterm elections
October 30, 2026
FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrats of the Week" are 12 Catholic bishops who recently prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office.
They asked for "God's blessing upon the president and our nation" at a meeting that the White House Faith ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * 12 'theocratic' bishops pray in the Oval Office ahead of the midterm elections October 30, 2026 FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrats of the Week" are 12 Catholic bishops who recently prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office. They asked for "God's blessing upon the president and our nation" at a meeting that the White House FaithOffice and the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025, put together. Archbishop James Golka of Denver prayed for the Holy Spirit "to surround our country to protect us against any influence of evil."
The meeting was reportedly originally arranged for the bishops to speak with Trump about Catholic priorities such as abortion, immigration and private school vouchers. Regardless, after the meeting, White House officials used a clip of the bishops praying over Trump in promotional social media posts, a move that comes in the final stretch before November's midterm elections. The posts sparked substantial public backlash, and several prelates walked back their involvement, saying they had been misled about the public use of the gathering.
The Catholic prelates present included: Archbishop Golka; Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee; retired Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan.; Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas; Bishop James Wall of Gallup, N.M.; Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham, Ala.; Bishop Thomas Hennen of Baker, Ore.; Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland, Calif.; Bishop Scott Bullock of Rapid City, S.D.; Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa; Bishop Francis Kalabat of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Detroit; and Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.
Mario Enzler, a "Catholic liaison to the bishops" in Washington, D.C., who works at the Heritage Foundation, was also present. Bullock, one of the bishops in attendance, revealed to the National Catholic Reporter that a Heritage Foundation representative had personally invited him to the Oval Office meeting, though he didn't know how many other bishops had been invited through the foundation. (The Heritage Foundation told Religion News Service, though, that it did not help organize the meeting.)
Bullock also rejected the notion that the meeting was intended as a political endorsement of Trump or the Republican Party ahead of the midterms: "It really was not intended to be a political meeting per se; we weren't advocating for any candidates or anything." He described the Oval Office gathering as an opportunity for the bishops to engage with the White House on Catholic priorities, namely abortion, in vitro fertilization and religious school vouchers. Bullock argued that the spectacle of bishops praying over Trump was motivated by Scripture, not electoral politics, citing St. Paul's exhortation in the First Letter to Timothy to pray for those in authority. "I'm going to work pretty hard to divorce it from the midterm elections because that's not why we went there," Bullock said.
"There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in responding to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' distancing itself from the gathering and its emphasizing of its nonpartisan position ahead of the midterms. Rogers also claimed that Trump has "stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation's children, and protected parents' rights."
Tensions between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church have steadily escalated over the past two years, particularly over immigration enforcement, the treatment of migrants and Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV. Recent surveys have noted a decline in support among Catholics for Trump and the Republican Party.
A professor of law and theology at Boston College, Cathleen Kaveny, described the bishop gathering in the Oval Office so close to the midterms as "a highly imprudent act." She argued that the timing and circumstances distinguished it from other instances in which Catholic leaders pray for government officials, traditionally offered for judges and legal professionals, and pray for the well-being of the broader community and the common good.
Archbishop Grob claimed that the White House "manipulated" the meeting into a "political photo opportunity" and apologized for "any damage my actions have caused." He said the meeting was meant to be private and that he attended to "discuss matters of importance to the Church." Grob asserts that the bishops were not asked for their permission to share photos of their prayer and they were not aware that a video was taken.
The FFRF Action Fund urges the participating Catholic prelates to consider the nature, timing and possible implications of future White House meetings before attending. Churches should not endorse, or bolster, political parties and candidates.
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FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/12-theocratic-bishops-pray-in-the-oval-office-ahead-of-the-midterm-elections/
[Category: Sociological]
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12 'theocratic' bishops pray in the Oval Office ahead of the midterm elections
October 30, 2026
FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrats of the Week" are 12 Catholic bishops who recently prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office.
They asked for "God's blessing upon the president and our nation" at a meeting that the White House Faith ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * 12 'theocratic' bishops pray in the Oval Office ahead of the midterm elections October 30, 2026 FFRF Action Fund's "Theocrats of the Week" are 12 Catholic bishops who recently prayed over President Trump in the Oval Office. They asked for "God's blessing upon the president and our nation" at a meeting that the White House FaithOffice and the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025, put together. Archbishop James Golka of Denver prayed for the Holy Spirit "to surround our country to protect us against any influence of evil."
The meeting was reportedly originally arranged for the bishops to speak with Trump about Catholic priorities such as abortion, immigration and private school vouchers. Regardless, after the meeting, White House officials used a clip of the bishops praying over Trump in promotional social media posts, a move that comes in the final stretch before November's midterm elections. The posts sparked substantial public backlash, and several prelates walked back their involvement, saying they had been misled about the public use of the gathering.
The Catholic prelates present included: Archbishop Golka; Archbishop Jeffrey Grob of Milwaukee; retired Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kan.; Bishop Edward Burns of Dallas; Bishop James Wall of Gallup, N.M.; Bishop Steven Raica of Birmingham, Ala.; Bishop Thomas Hennen of Baker, Ore.; Bishop Michael Barber of Oakland, Calif.; Bishop Scott Bullock of Rapid City, S.D.; Bishop William Joensen of Des Moines, Iowa; Bishop Francis Kalabat of the Chaldean Catholic Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle in Detroit; and Bishop Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Catholic Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon of Los Angeles.
Mario Enzler, a "Catholic liaison to the bishops" in Washington, D.C., who works at the Heritage Foundation, was also present. Bullock, one of the bishops in attendance, revealed to the National Catholic Reporter that a Heritage Foundation representative had personally invited him to the Oval Office meeting, though he didn't know how many other bishops had been invited through the foundation. (The Heritage Foundation told Religion News Service, though, that it did not help organize the meeting.)
Bullock also rejected the notion that the meeting was intended as a political endorsement of Trump or the Republican Party ahead of the midterms: "It really was not intended to be a political meeting per se; we weren't advocating for any candidates or anything." He described the Oval Office gathering as an opportunity for the bishops to engage with the White House on Catholic priorities, namely abortion, in vitro fertilization and religious school vouchers. Bullock argued that the spectacle of bishops praying over Trump was motivated by Scripture, not electoral politics, citing St. Paul's exhortation in the First Letter to Timothy to pray for those in authority. "I'm going to work pretty hard to divorce it from the midterm elections because that's not why we went there," Bullock said.
"There has never been a greater president for Catholic Americans than President Trump, and his strong record proves it," White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in responding to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' distancing itself from the gathering and its emphasizing of its nonpartisan position ahead of the midterms. Rogers also claimed that Trump has "stopped the weaponization of the federal government against Christians, proudly defended and expanded our religious rights, pardoned pro-life activists, stopped the chemical mutilation of our nation's children, and protected parents' rights."
Tensions between the Trump administration and the Catholic Church have steadily escalated over the past two years, particularly over immigration enforcement, the treatment of migrants and Trump's criticism of Pope Leo XIV. Recent surveys have noted a decline in support among Catholics for Trump and the Republican Party.
A professor of law and theology at Boston College, Cathleen Kaveny, described the bishop gathering in the Oval Office so close to the midterms as "a highly imprudent act." She argued that the timing and circumstances distinguished it from other instances in which Catholic leaders pray for government officials, traditionally offered for judges and legal professionals, and pray for the well-being of the broader community and the common good.
Archbishop Grob claimed that the White House "manipulated" the meeting into a "political photo opportunity" and apologized for "any damage my actions have caused." He said the meeting was meant to be private and that he attended to "discuss matters of importance to the Church." Grob asserts that the bishops were not asked for their permission to share photos of their prayer and they were not aware that a video was taken.
The FFRF Action Fund urges the participating Catholic prelates to consider the nature, timing and possible implications of future White House meetings before attending. Churches should not endorse, or bolster, political parties and candidates.
* * *
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/12-theocratic-bishops-pray-in-the-oval-office-ahead-of-the-midterm-elections/
[Category: Sociological]
FFRF Action Fund: 'Secularist' Awardee Abdul El-Sayed Defends the Constitution -- and All of Us
MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news:
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'Secularist' awardee Abdul El-Sayed defends the Constitution -- and all of us
October 30, 2026
The FFRF Action Fund names Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed as its "Secularist of the Week" for his stellar defense of the U.S. Constitution -- including his shoutout to the nonreligious.
During a recent town hall in Caro, Mich., a man ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * 'Secularist' awardee Abdul El-Sayed defends the Constitution -- and all of us October 30, 2026 The FFRF Action Fund names Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed as its "Secularist of the Week" for his stellar defense of the U.S. Constitution -- including his shoutout to the nonreligious. During a recent town hall in Caro, Mich., a manwho identified himself as Tommy asked the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan whether he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed said "absolutely," and then asked the man what prompted the question.
The man replied that the Muslim Brotherhood is "a terrorist group" and that he had not heard El-Sayed disavow it. El-Sayed said that the question implied that he would have "dual loyalties" and "some higher order allegiance than to the Constitution" as a U.S. senator.
"You assume, Tommy, that because I am Muslim, that somehow I would have some allegiance to something that is not our Constitution," El-Sayed remarked. He compared the question to one John F. Kennedy faced before becoming the first Catholic president: whether he would have allegiance to the pope. El-Sayed said that Kennedy's answer was that he was not running to be a Catholic president, but to be a president who happened to be Catholic.
"I'm not running to be a Muslim senator; I'm running for U.S. Senate and happen to be Muslim," El-Sayed emphasized. El-Sayed added that he will swear an oath to the Constitution, which guarantees him "the right to pray as I choose to pray or not pray at all."
He asked the man about his own faith, and the man replied that he is a Christian and tries to live by Christian doctrine. "I'm never going to tell you what faith you can or can't practice," El-Sayed said. He then perceivingly asked whether the man would disavow "any attempt to read any religious doctrine into the laws of our country," to which the man answered, "I do not."
"I think it's you who needs to understand the Constitution, not me," El-Sayed responded. "Bye, Tommy."
El-Sayed is running to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. In one recent poll, El-Sayed held a narrow lead over his Republican opponent Mike Rogers 45.6 percent to 41.4 percent among likely voters. El-Sayed is an American epidemiologist, public health administrator, professor and politician. He served as executive director of the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017 and as director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services from 2023 to 2025. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate.
The FFRF Action Fund salutes El-Sayed for his precise defense of the U.S. Constitution and its firewalls against any religious doctrine that seeks to dictate the laws of our secular democracy.
* * *
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/secularist-awardee-abdul-el-sayed-defends-the-constitution-and-all-of-us/
[Category: Sociological]
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'Secularist' awardee Abdul El-Sayed defends the Constitution -- and all of us
October 30, 2026
The FFRF Action Fund names Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed as its "Secularist of the Week" for his stellar defense of the U.S. Constitution -- including his shoutout to the nonreligious.
During a recent town hall in Caro, Mich., a man ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, Oct. 31 -- FFRF Action Fund, an organization that says it develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, posted the following news: * * * 'Secularist' awardee Abdul El-Sayed defends the Constitution -- and all of us October 30, 2026 The FFRF Action Fund names Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed as its "Secularist of the Week" for his stellar defense of the U.S. Constitution -- including his shoutout to the nonreligious. During a recent town hall in Caro, Mich., a manwho identified himself as Tommy asked the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Michigan whether he would disavow the Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sayed said "absolutely," and then asked the man what prompted the question.
The man replied that the Muslim Brotherhood is "a terrorist group" and that he had not heard El-Sayed disavow it. El-Sayed said that the question implied that he would have "dual loyalties" and "some higher order allegiance than to the Constitution" as a U.S. senator.
"You assume, Tommy, that because I am Muslim, that somehow I would have some allegiance to something that is not our Constitution," El-Sayed remarked. He compared the question to one John F. Kennedy faced before becoming the first Catholic president: whether he would have allegiance to the pope. El-Sayed said that Kennedy's answer was that he was not running to be a Catholic president, but to be a president who happened to be Catholic.
"I'm not running to be a Muslim senator; I'm running for U.S. Senate and happen to be Muslim," El-Sayed emphasized. El-Sayed added that he will swear an oath to the Constitution, which guarantees him "the right to pray as I choose to pray or not pray at all."
He asked the man about his own faith, and the man replied that he is a Christian and tries to live by Christian doctrine. "I'm never going to tell you what faith you can or can't practice," El-Sayed said. He then perceivingly asked whether the man would disavow "any attempt to read any religious doctrine into the laws of our country," to which the man answered, "I do not."
"I think it's you who needs to understand the Constitution, not me," El-Sayed responded. "Bye, Tommy."
El-Sayed is running to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Gary Peters. In one recent poll, El-Sayed held a narrow lead over his Republican opponent Mike Rogers 45.6 percent to 41.4 percent among likely voters. El-Sayed is an American epidemiologist, public health administrator, professor and politician. He served as executive director of the Detroit Health Department from 2015 to 2017 and as director of the Wayne County Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services from 2023 to 2025. If elected, El-Sayed would be the first Muslim member of the U.S. Senate.
The FFRF Action Fund salutes El-Sayed for his precise defense of the U.S. Constitution and its firewalls against any religious doctrine that seeks to dictate the laws of our secular democracy.
* * *
FFRF Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that develops and advocates for legislation, regulations and government programs to preserve the constitutional principle of separation between state and church. It also advocates for the rights and views of nonbelievers, endorses candidates for political office, and publicizes the views of elected officials concerning religious liberty issues.
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Original text here: https://ffrfaction.org/secularist-awardee-abdul-el-sayed-defends-the-constitution-and-all-of-us/
[Category: Sociological]
Earthjustice: Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release:
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October 30, 2026
Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
Colosseum Mine operations to remain closed as lawsuit proceeds
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Los Angeles, CA -- A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks Conservation ... Show Full Article SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: * * * October 30, 2026 Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve Colosseum Mine operations to remain closed as lawsuit proceeds - Los Angeles, CA -- A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks ConservationAssociation v. Department of the Interior. Today's ruling upholds its August decision, rejecting requests by the Department of Interior and Dateline Resources to suspend the injunction.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this year to challenge the Department of Interior's decision to allow the Australian company to proceed with industrial mining activities at Colosseum Mine on national park land, in violation of federal laws that protect America's national parks from mining impacts.
Dateline Resources has been working to reopen the Colosseum Mine, decommissioned in 1993, increasing industrial development at the site prior to the preliminary injunction order. This activity has already caused documented damage to the national park landscape, with areas stripped of vegetation, new road construction and expansion, and restricted public access.
As the court stated, the preliminary injunction "was entered to protect the public interest in preventing irreparable environmental injury," and it has stopped further grading, new drilling activity, bulldozing of sensitive habitat, and road development. The injunction will remain in effect while the lawsuit continues. The court rejected the mining company's arguments about possible discovery of minerals, calling them "speculation."
Mojave National Preserve was established by Congress in 1994 and protects one of the largest desert preserves in the world. Covering 1.6 million acres of diverse desert habitat, the national park site is the third-largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States.
Statement from Chance Wilcox, California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association:
"Our national parks are not places for industrial mining. They are irreplaceable landscapes shared by the American people and deserving of protection. The court has reaffirmed that bulldozing, drilling, and grading cannot destroy Mojave National Preserve while this lawsuit continues, and that is now very clear. Our parks were never meant for private profit, and that's a legacy worth defending."
Statement from Greg Loarie, Earthjustice attorney:
"This ruling reinforces our conviction that the Trump administration has failed to uphold federal laws written to protect our national park lands for the public to enjoy. Drilling and bulldozing of sensitive habitat must remain on hold while this case proceeds."
* * *
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
* * *
Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/court-rules-to-keep-block-on-destructive-mining-development-in-mojave-national-preserve
[Category: Environment]
* * *
October 30, 2026
Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve
Colosseum Mine operations to remain closed as lawsuit proceeds
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Los Angeles, CA -- A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks Conservation ... Show Full Article SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: * * * October 30, 2026 Court Rules to Keep Block on Destructive Mining Development in Mojave National Preserve Colosseum Mine operations to remain closed as lawsuit proceeds - Los Angeles, CA -- A federal district court ruled late yesterday to maintain the block it put on new mining operations in the Mojave National Preserve by Dateline Resources Ltd. The preliminary injunction was granted in August to the National Parks Conservation Association, represented by Earthjustice, in National Parks ConservationAssociation v. Department of the Interior. Today's ruling upholds its August decision, rejecting requests by the Department of Interior and Dateline Resources to suspend the injunction.
The lawsuit was filed earlier this year to challenge the Department of Interior's decision to allow the Australian company to proceed with industrial mining activities at Colosseum Mine on national park land, in violation of federal laws that protect America's national parks from mining impacts.
Dateline Resources has been working to reopen the Colosseum Mine, decommissioned in 1993, increasing industrial development at the site prior to the preliminary injunction order. This activity has already caused documented damage to the national park landscape, with areas stripped of vegetation, new road construction and expansion, and restricted public access.
As the court stated, the preliminary injunction "was entered to protect the public interest in preventing irreparable environmental injury," and it has stopped further grading, new drilling activity, bulldozing of sensitive habitat, and road development. The injunction will remain in effect while the lawsuit continues. The court rejected the mining company's arguments about possible discovery of minerals, calling them "speculation."
Mojave National Preserve was established by Congress in 1994 and protects one of the largest desert preserves in the world. Covering 1.6 million acres of diverse desert habitat, the national park site is the third-largest unit of the National Park System in the contiguous United States.
Statement from Chance Wilcox, California Desert Associate Director at the National Parks Conservation Association:
"Our national parks are not places for industrial mining. They are irreplaceable landscapes shared by the American people and deserving of protection. The court has reaffirmed that bulldozing, drilling, and grading cannot destroy Mojave National Preserve while this lawsuit continues, and that is now very clear. Our parks were never meant for private profit, and that's a legacy worth defending."
Statement from Greg Loarie, Earthjustice attorney:
"This ruling reinforces our conviction that the Trump administration has failed to uphold federal laws written to protect our national park lands for the public to enjoy. Drilling and bulldozing of sensitive habitat must remain on hold while this case proceeds."
* * *
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
* * *
Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/court-rules-to-keep-block-on-destructive-mining-development-in-mojave-national-preserve
[Category: Environment]
Earthjustice: Court Denies XAI's Motion to Dismiss Air Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk's Company
SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release:
* * *
October 30, 2026
Court Denies xAI's Motion to Dismiss Air Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk's company
There are no exceptions that would allow this major source of air pollution to evade the law, and citizens have the right to defend themselves in Court against illegal pollution
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GREENVILLE, Miss. -- On Friday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi denied xAI's motion to dismiss a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought against the company by the NAACP. The lawsuit seeks to hold ... Show Full Article SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: * * * October 30, 2026 Court Denies xAI's Motion to Dismiss Air Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk's company There are no exceptions that would allow this major source of air pollution to evade the law, and citizens have the right to defend themselves in Court against illegal pollution - GREENVILLE, Miss. -- On Friday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi denied xAI's motion to dismiss a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought against the company by the NAACP. The lawsuit seeks to holdthe tech company accountable for its continued operation of an illegal, unpermitted power plant that supports its Colossus 2 data center. The ruling comes shortly after the Court denied a similar motion from the U.S. Department of Justice.
"This decision is another important victory in our effort to hold xAI accountable. The courts have repeatedly rejected attempts by xAI and the DOJ to dismiss the NAACP's Clean Air Act case, affirming our right to pursue justice for communities impacted by pollution. Our position has been clear: xAI cannot operate gas turbines without the required permits. Now that the motion to dismiss has been denied, we look forward to continuing to defend our position in court," Abre' Conner, NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice said.
In its motion to dismiss, xAI claimed that citizen suits--which give communities the right to defend themselves from unlawful pollution--were unconstitutional. The court rejected this argument, finding that "because citizen suit plaintiffs sue on their own behalf, in their own name, and seek penalties that redress harm to themselves, they are not exercising the federal government's executive power."
The tech company also argued that the dozens of unpermitted gas turbines running at its illegal power plant were somehow exempt from the Clean Air Act. The Court rejected this argument, making it clear that methane gas turbines, even so-called 'temporary' turbines, are subject to the Clean Air Act and require air permits. The Court held that "because the Plant is not a 'mobile source' according to the federal regulations...the Plant was not (and is not) exempted from permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act."
"The Clean Air Act promises that communities that have been failed by federal, state, and local leaders have the right to go to court to protect themselves from illegal pollution, and this ruling makes it clear that this right cannot be tossed aside simply because a massive corporation finds it inconvenient," Kym Meyer, Litigation Director for the Southern Environmental Law Center said. "This decision is a victory for communities across the nation, but especially for those in South Memphis and North Mississippi that have been forced to breathe the unlawful air pollution being spewed from xAI's unpermitted power plant. We will continue to fight to hold the tech company accountable in court."
"There is no massive loophole in the Clean Air Act that will allow Elon Musk's company, xAI, to avoid accountability for illegally pumping pollution into its neighbors' backyards," said Laura Thoms, Director of Enforcement for Earthjustice. "We're glad the judge will move forward with this case so we can continue to pursue the relief the surrounding communities so desperately need."
xAI's gigantic, unpermitted power plant in Southaven, Mississippi is one of the largest sources of air pollution in the region--illegally pumping out tons of pollution. These gas turbines can emit more than 5,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx), 400 tons of fine particulate matter, and 47 tons of formaldehyde each year. These harmful pollutants are tied to increases in asthma, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, cancer, and premature death.
The NAACP is represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice in this case. The Court has yet to rule on NAACP's motion for a preliminary injunction.
* * *
The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation's most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region's air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 250, including more than 160 legal and policy experts, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. selc.org
* * *
Earthjustice is the premier environmental law organization in the U.S., and the legal backbone of the domestic environmental movement. For over 50 years, we have been fighting in the courts, in legislatures, and in the court of public opinion to stop the climate crisis, create healthy communities free of pollution, safeguard our precious lands and waters, and expand environmental legal frameworks to achieve these goals. Earthjustice.org
* * *
Additional Resources
* Related case documents & news (https://earthjustice.org/library?_case=xai-caa-enforcement)
* * *
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
* * *
Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/court-denies-xais-motion-to-dismiss-air-pollution-lawsuit-against-elon-musks-company
[Category: Environment]
* * *
October 30, 2026
Court Denies xAI's Motion to Dismiss Air Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk's company
There are no exceptions that would allow this major source of air pollution to evade the law, and citizens have the right to defend themselves in Court against illegal pollution
-
GREENVILLE, Miss. -- On Friday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi denied xAI's motion to dismiss a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought against the company by the NAACP. The lawsuit seeks to hold ... Show Full Article SAN FRANCISCO, California, Oct. 31 -- Earthjustice issued the following news release: * * * October 30, 2026 Court Denies xAI's Motion to Dismiss Air Pollution Lawsuit Against Elon Musk's company There are no exceptions that would allow this major source of air pollution to evade the law, and citizens have the right to defend themselves in Court against illegal pollution - GREENVILLE, Miss. -- On Friday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi denied xAI's motion to dismiss a Clean Air Act lawsuit brought against the company by the NAACP. The lawsuit seeks to holdthe tech company accountable for its continued operation of an illegal, unpermitted power plant that supports its Colossus 2 data center. The ruling comes shortly after the Court denied a similar motion from the U.S. Department of Justice.
"This decision is another important victory in our effort to hold xAI accountable. The courts have repeatedly rejected attempts by xAI and the DOJ to dismiss the NAACP's Clean Air Act case, affirming our right to pursue justice for communities impacted by pollution. Our position has been clear: xAI cannot operate gas turbines without the required permits. Now that the motion to dismiss has been denied, we look forward to continuing to defend our position in court," Abre' Conner, NAACP Director of Environmental and Climate Justice said.
In its motion to dismiss, xAI claimed that citizen suits--which give communities the right to defend themselves from unlawful pollution--were unconstitutional. The court rejected this argument, finding that "because citizen suit plaintiffs sue on their own behalf, in their own name, and seek penalties that redress harm to themselves, they are not exercising the federal government's executive power."
The tech company also argued that the dozens of unpermitted gas turbines running at its illegal power plant were somehow exempt from the Clean Air Act. The Court rejected this argument, making it clear that methane gas turbines, even so-called 'temporary' turbines, are subject to the Clean Air Act and require air permits. The Court held that "because the Plant is not a 'mobile source' according to the federal regulations...the Plant was not (and is not) exempted from permitting requirements under the Clean Air Act."
"The Clean Air Act promises that communities that have been failed by federal, state, and local leaders have the right to go to court to protect themselves from illegal pollution, and this ruling makes it clear that this right cannot be tossed aside simply because a massive corporation finds it inconvenient," Kym Meyer, Litigation Director for the Southern Environmental Law Center said. "This decision is a victory for communities across the nation, but especially for those in South Memphis and North Mississippi that have been forced to breathe the unlawful air pollution being spewed from xAI's unpermitted power plant. We will continue to fight to hold the tech company accountable in court."
"There is no massive loophole in the Clean Air Act that will allow Elon Musk's company, xAI, to avoid accountability for illegally pumping pollution into its neighbors' backyards," said Laura Thoms, Director of Enforcement for Earthjustice. "We're glad the judge will move forward with this case so we can continue to pursue the relief the surrounding communities so desperately need."
xAI's gigantic, unpermitted power plant in Southaven, Mississippi is one of the largest sources of air pollution in the region--illegally pumping out tons of pollution. These gas turbines can emit more than 5,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides (NOx), 400 tons of fine particulate matter, and 47 tons of formaldehyde each year. These harmful pollutants are tied to increases in asthma, heart disease, respiratory illnesses, cancer, and premature death.
The NAACP is represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center and Earthjustice in this case. The Court has yet to rule on NAACP's motion for a preliminary injunction.
* * *
The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation's most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region's air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 250, including more than 160 legal and policy experts, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. selc.org
* * *
Earthjustice is the premier environmental law organization in the U.S., and the legal backbone of the domestic environmental movement. For over 50 years, we have been fighting in the courts, in legislatures, and in the court of public opinion to stop the climate crisis, create healthy communities free of pollution, safeguard our precious lands and waters, and expand environmental legal frameworks to achieve these goals. Earthjustice.org
* * *
Additional Resources
* Related case documents & news (https://earthjustice.org/library?_case=xai-caa-enforcement)
* * *
About Earthjustice
Earthjustice is the premier nonprofit environmental law organization. We wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change. We are here because the earth needs a good lawyer.
* * *
Original text here: https://earthjustice.org/press/2026/court-denies-xais-motion-to-dismiss-air-pollution-lawsuit-against-elon-musks-company
[Category: Environment]
Better Markets Analysis: Standing Up to the Lawless Crypto Industry
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, issued the following analysis:
* * *
October 30, 2026
Standing up to the Lawless Crypto Industry
For years now, too many leaders on Wall Street and Washington either looked the other way or unquestioningly supported the crypto industry as it worked relentlessly to infiltrate our financial system and rewrite the laws and rules to benefit their special interests. Tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions and ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, issued the following analysis: * * * October 30, 2026 Standing up to the Lawless Crypto Industry For years now, too many leaders on Wall Street and Washington either looked the other way or unquestioningly supported the crypto industry as it worked relentlessly to infiltrate our financial system and rewrite the laws and rules to benefit their special interests. Tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions andlobbying fueled this effort. Much of this lobbying originated from too many current and former public officials who leverage their government service to engage in influence peddling. Leaders who should have known better simply accepted the pixie dust of "innovation" and the fairytale of crypto riches, best exemplified by policymakers' wrongheaded embrace of Sam Bankman-Fried in the lead-up to the spectacular collapse of FTX. While many came to their senses after Bankman-Fried's arrest and conviction, the lure of crypto money has proven resilient among policymakers even after massive hacks, scams, and bankruptcies.
Better Markets has stood up against crypto special interests and their multi-fronted attacks on consumers, investors, and the financial system. Crypto is rewriting the rules governing investments and trading to serve their interests at the SEC, while simultaneously working hand-in-glove with the Commission to drop successful enforcement actions. Crypto cheerleaders have taken over the CFTC. They are retooling derivatives rules at the expense of traditional commodities businesses like farmers and ranchers. The crypto industry has also won a law enforcement standdown at the Department of Justice and is promoting their preferred legislation in Congress.
Better Markets' resources track, highlight, and oppose these harmful and aggressive actions and continue to stand up against the crypto tidal wave of money that threatens to overwhelm vital consumer and economic protections.
Regulatory Agencies
* The SEC's order allowing unregulated exchanges to "tokenize" and make available for trading U.S. stocks, as discussed in our October 26, 2026 Substack and our October 22, 2026 press release.
* The OCC's final rule implementing the GENIUS Act, as discussed in our October 21, 2026 press release.
* The SEC's proposal to substantially weaken investor protections for crypto securities offerings, as discussed in our October 20, 2026 press release.
* The CFTC's proposal to bless vertically integrated market structures, as discussed in our October 6, 2026 press release.
* The CFTC's intention to establish rules to give itself jurisdiction over crypto transactions, as discussed in our October 5, 2026 press release.
* The SEC's proposed rules allowing investment advisers to self-custody crypto assets, as discussed in out October 1, 2026 press release.
* The Fed's stablecoin proposal to implement the GENIUS Act, as discussed in our September 24, 2026 press release.
* The SEC's "innovation exemption" to facilitate tokenized stock trading would imperil investors, as discussed in our September 18, 2026 press release.
* The Federal's Proposal would divert deposits from Main Street banks and provide special-purpose payment accounts to certain nonbank financial firms, including crypto firms, as discussed in our July 27, 2026 comment letter.
* The NCUA's proposal to bring stablecoins into the credit union system would bring significant risks. See our July 17, 2026 comment letter.
* The FDIC's reckless GENIUS Act proposal would import all the volatility and illicit finance risks of the crypto market into the United States' federally insured banking system without the strong rules necessary to apply prudent standards to these risky products, as we demonstrated in a June 9, 2026 comment letter.
* The CFTC's approval of perpetual futures provides an important cautionary tale: a feeble process collided with regulatory capture to enable the introduction of exotic financial products with little concern for public feedback on risks or fair competition, writes Amanda Fischer in a June 4, 2026 Substack.
* The CFTC continues to show that it will give the crypto industry and the prediction markets industry anything they want, as it did when the CFTC approved Kalshi's perpetual futures contract on spot bitcoin despite perpetual futures being one of the most dangerous crypto products for retail investors. See our statement. (5/29/2026)
* Policymakers at the banking agencies and on Capitol Hill pay a lot of lip service to community banks, but their actions tell the true story: cake for big banks, crypto banks, and fintech; crumbs for community banks, as described in our May 28, 2026 fact sheet.
* The SEC's anti-investor shift, with its crypto industry giveaways, is bad for everyone, as Dennis M. Kelleher wrote in an April 23, 2026 Substack.
* The DOL's proposal to facilitate the inclusion of risky assets like private credit, private equity, and cryptocurrencies in the 401(k) accounts on which Americans depend for their retirement savings puts the interests of alternative asset managers and the crypto industry first and the interests of investors and retirement savers last, as we detail in our March 30, 2026 statement.
* The SEC's refusal to treat crypto assets as securities endangers investors everywhere, as we described in our March 17, 2026 statement after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued its interpretation of how the federal securities laws apply to crypto assets.
* Our amicus brief in support of the State of Nevada's authority to regulate Crypto.com and other so-called "prediction markets," which are nothing more than illegal sportsbooks, argued that Congress never intended to unleash nationwide gambling, overrule the gambling laws in all 50 states, or have the CFTC oversee gambling and sports betting in all 50 states. (3/10/2026)
* The OCC is continuing its attempt to rewrite its own policies and contradict the law to benefit the crypto industry, with recent proposals that would ensure that crypto banks can be established, thrive, and compete directly with real banks. This goes directly against the OCC's core mission of chartering real banks that support the real economy and promoting the safety and soundness of the banking system. See our February 11, 2026 comment letter.
* We called Fed payment accounts a "giveaway to the crypto industry" in a February 6, 2026 comment letter.
* Five years after GameStop, regulators have allowed the dangerous gamification of investing to proliferate. The same risks that manifested in the GameStop trading frenzy have replicated and amplified themselves in crypto, prediction markets, and calls for 24/7 trading, as we describe in our January 27, 2026 fact sheet.
* One year after President Trump's executive order on digital assets: the results are repeatedly proving to the American people just how much damage can be done in a year, and how broad that damage can be. Read our January 23, 2026 statement.
Other Resources
Video: Crypto Misconduct, Regulatory Arbitrage, and the Future of Policy (10/23/2026)
The New York Times: From Foe to Ally: The S.E.C. Is Now Writing Crypto-Friendly Policies (3/30/26)
* + Top financial regulators are "prioritizing the crypto industry's interests above literally everything," said Dennis Kelleher, who runs Better Markets, a financial reform group. "The signal to the industry is whatever you want, you're going to get."
Release: CFTC Collaborates with the Industries It Should Be Regulating (8/20/26)
Fact Sheet: SPACs + Crypto = Buyer Beware (7/24/2025).
Fact Sheet: The Most Dangerous Product in Crypto Is Coming Onshore (Perpetual Futures) (6/27/2025)
Release: SEC Completes Transformation Into Washington's Crypto Cheerleader, Drops Lawsuit Against Binance & Executives (5/30/2025)
Release: The SEC Under Chair Atkins Will Be the Crypto Industry's Chief Cheerleader (5/20/2025)
Release: SEC Again Leaves Investors Unprotected from Crypto's Risks (5/15/2025)
Release: Our team explained that the SEC made another critical mistake by approving Spot Ether ETPs (4/9/25)
On Friday, March 21, the Securities and Exchange Commission's Crypto Task Force held its inaugural roundtable, "How We Got Here and How We Get Out - Defining Security Status."
* + Benjamin Schiffrin, Better Markets' Director of Securities Policy, is a member of the Task Force and took part in the roundtable, where he emphasized the importance of consumer protections for retail investors.
Barron's Op-ed: Trump's Crypto Plan Is Neither Strategic Nor a Reserve (3/21/25)
LA Times Op-ed: Why the Trump administration is easing up on crypto crime at exactly the wrong moment (3/12/25)
Testimony: Shayna Olesiuk, our Director of Banking Policy, testified at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on debanking today. Shayna emphasized the importance of regulators considering crypto risk in their work to protect Main Street. (2/6/25)
Release: Our team spoke out against the SEC's decision to rescind SAB 121, which provided that companies holding crypto assets for customers face unique risks and should therefore reflect those assets as liabilities on their balance sheets. (1/24/25)
Amicus Brief: Our team filed a brief in the high-profile crypto case, SEC v. Ripple. The case will determine whether investors are protected under the securities laws against the fraud, manipulation, and hidden information that has characterized the crypto markets since their inception. (1/23/25)
The Atlantic: The Great Crypto Crash (1/7/25)
* + "The countdown clock on the next catastrophic crash has already started," Dennis Kelleher, the president of the nonprofit Better Markets, told me."
Amicus Brief: We argued that the SEC's new rule requiring more firms to register as dealers was critical to protecting investors from the threats of crypto. (7/11/24)
Report: Our team explained why crypto should be regulated by the SEC under the Howey Test to protect investors. (7/26/24)
Comment Letter: We explained why approving Spot Ether ETFs would hurt investors, consumers, and financial stability (5/15/24)
The New York Times: U.S. Approves Investment Product Tied to Popular Cryptocurrency Ether (5/23/24)
* + 'The S.E.C. failed to live up to its mission to protect investors and the markets,' Benjamin Schiffrin of Better Markets, a nonprofit that fights for stricter financial regulations, said in a statement.
Release: The SEC's approval of spot Ether ETPs endangers investors and financial stability. (5/23/24)
Release: Better Markets noted the growing winning streak for the SEC after the ruling against Terraform (4/5/24)
Comment Letter: Our team opposed ether-based ETPs (1/12/24)
Bloomberg TV: Dennis Kelleher on Why Bitcoin ETFs Will Harm Investors (1/11/24)
Reuters: US SEC approves bitcoin ETFs in watershed for crypto market (1/11/24)
* + Dennis Kelleher, CEO of investor advocacy think tank Better Markets, warned that bitcoin was still vulnerable to crypto fraudsters and said approving the ETFs was a "historic mistake."
"The SEC's action today has changed nothing about this worthless financial product: bitcoin and crypto still have no legitimate use," he said.
Read our Statement on the SEC's approval of Bitcoin ETFs (1/10/24).
Comment Letter: Better Markets opposed Bitcoin ETP applications and the potential danger they could cause to investors and the entire financial system. (1/5/24)
Politico: A bitcoin breakthrough (1/4/24)
* + In Morning Money, Dennis Kelleher shares that approval of Bitcoin ETFs will give the crypto a veneer of legitimacy despite its record of criminality & lawlessness.
American Banker: FDIC draws bright line between insured and uninsured (12/22/23)
* + "The FDIC deposit insurance is the gold standard for trust, confidence, and protection, which is why too many in the crypto industry want to misleadingly, if not falsely, suggest to crypto investors that their money is protected by the FDIC. That false comfort not only harms investors, but also the insurance program, insured banks, and the broader banking system as people lose faith in the FDIC [and] that's what today's rule aims to stop."
Comment Letters: Better Markets asked the SEC to reject proposed rule changes filed by national securities exchanges to list and trade shares in spot bitcoin-based exchange traded products (8/9/23)
Crime & Fraud
Substack: Learning the Hard Way: What the Binance Hack Teaches Us About Regulation (10/30/26)
Press Release: Is Senator Gillibrand Being Bribed by the Crypto Industry and a Hypocrite on Trump Corruption? (7/6/26)
Fact Sheet: Crypto Lending Poses Huge Risks for Retail Investors (7/17/2025)
Fact Sheet: Boom Times for Crypto Crime (5/6/2025)
Fact Sheet: Crypto's Predatory Targeting of Minority Communities (10/24/24)
Fact Sheet: Standing with Crypto Means Standing with Fraudsters (9/18/24)
Wall Street Journal: Founder of Binance, World's Largest Crypto Firm, Sentenced to Four Months(4/30/24)
* + "He and a bunch of others at Binance should have been charged with substantive violations, not what is a minimalist charge almost akin to a record-keeping violation," said Dennis Kelleher, head of Better Markets, a group that advocates for tougher financial regulation.
Memo: Our team outlined why the Department of Justice must do more to hold CZ accountable for his stunning crimes. (4/29/24)
Associated Press: Regulators and law enforcement crack down on crypto's bad actors. Congress has yet to take action (11/22/23)
* + "The lawlessness, if not criminal activities of crypto will continue and increase until all prosecutors, regulators and elected officials force the industry to act like all other law-abiding people and firms in the financial industry," said Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, a nonprofit that works to "build a more secure financial system for all Americans," according to its website.
Fact Sheet: Our Fact Sheet explains how crypto is an important tool used for criminal and terrorists, including Hamas. (10/25/23)
Congress & Legislation
* The current fight between banks and crypto companies has the potential to devastate our economy. Crypto companies want to maintain their ability to offer interest on so-called stablecoins (which should really be called unstablecoins), which was allowed under a massive loophole in the GENIUS Act passed last summer. That could attract a lot of depositors away from banks, which would do real harm to the economy, especially Main Street Americans. We explain in our March 4, 2026 fact sheet.
* The terms of the tokenization debate must not be dictated by the crypto industry, which wants tokenized securities to be exempt from some of the rules that govern stock trading. However, there is no reason to exempt tokenized securities from those rules, and there is no reason to equate crypto with tokenization. They are not the same, as we detail in our March 24, 2026 fact sheet.
Other Resources
Statement: House Passes Legislation Deregulating Crypto, Enabling the Next Financial Crisis (7/17/2025)
Fact Sheet: Buyers' Remorse? Key Questions to Consider in Crypto Legislation (7/14/2025)
Press Release: Senate Banking Democrats Shamefully Pick Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's "Key Ally" and House Republicans' Witness for a One-Sided Pro-Crypto Hearing (6/23/2025)
Statement: Senate Passing Industry-Friendly GENIUS Act Puts Economy at Risk (6/17/2025)
Testimony: Amanda Fischer, Policy Director & COO, testified before the House Financial Services Committee on the CLARITY Act (6/6/25)
Fact Sheet: Don't Be a Dummy: GENIUS Act Changes Fail to Make a Bad Bill Better (5/16/2025)
Fact Sheet: The GENIUS Act: Allowing Big Tech to Control Our Money
Fact Sheet: Stablecoin Legislation: Why Nothing is Better Than Something (5/7/2025)
Open Banker Op-ed: Forget Myths: The Stablecoin Reality (3/20/25)
Fact Sheet: Our team outlined the pressing questions lawmakers must ask as they consider (Un)Stablecoin Legislation. (2/26/25)
Fact Sheet: Ahead of a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled "A Golden Age of Digital Assets: Charting a Path Forward" we released a new fact sheet explaining why Congress must should actually be focusing on crypto's long criminal record, which has ripped off millions of Americans. (2/10/25)
Our fact sheet outlines the key issues policymakers should consider as the crypto industry attempts to buy Washington. (11/15/24)
Fact Sheet: Seven Questions on the Pro-Crypto, Anti-SEC Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT 21) (6/11/24)
Op-ed: Congress must ask tough questions about crypto industry favored legislation (6/11/24)
Fact Sheet: We raised serious questions about a crypto market structure bill moving through the House of Representatives. (5/22/24)
Fact Sheet: We raised important questions over a Congressional Review Act Resolution that would repeal SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 121, which provides that companies holding crypto assets for customers face unique risks and should therefore reflect those assets as liabilities on their balance sheets. (2/27/24)
Press Release: Our team put together 10 reasons why Congress shouldn't pass the industry's special interest bailout bill. (11/29/23)
Fact Sheet: Our fact sheet argues that Congress must carefully consider the track record of stablecoins, and their impact on the financial system before adopting measures that would legitimize this dangerous corner of the crypto market. (5/17/23)
Press Release: We called on Congress to know the facts before considering legislation putting the underfunded CFTC in charge of the crypto Industry (11/21/22)
Influence Peddling
* The crypto industry, its lobbyists, and supporters in the administration have been pushing false claims and deceptive "analysis" to support the crypto position, but policymakers must stick to the facts and thoughtful analysis and reject their efforts for the benefit of the economy, argue Phillip Basil and Chris Appel in an April 16, 2026 Substack.
* After Politico reported that "Crypto billionaire among dozens to back startup from Gillibrand's son," we released a statement condemning the close relationship between Congress and the crypto industry. (7/9/2026)
Other Resources
Press Release: Crypto Industry Juices Latest Polls to Falsely Claim Broad Support among U.S. Voters (7/14/2025)
NPR: How President Trump is sparking a crypto revolution in America (5/19/2025)
* + "History is going to show this will be a disaster courting a catastrophe for the rest of the country and especially for Main Street Americans, who are going to get stuck with the bill cleaning up after the next financial crash," says Dennis Kelleher, a prominent crypto critic at advocacy group Better Markets
The Economist: The crypto industry is suddenly at the heart of American politics (5/15/2025)
* + "It's the most brute force display of money and power in the legislature I have ever seen," says Amanda Fischer, chief operating officer for Better Markets.
San Francisco Chronicle Op-ed: What the crypto industry didn't say in its deceptive -- and effective -- campaign ads (11/7/24)
NPR: The crypto industry won big this election. It has several implications (12/16/24)
* + "I talked to Dennis Kelleher, the head of the nonpartisan watchdog Better Markets. He points out that with Republicans controlling the White House, and likely Congress, there just won't be as many guardrails on the crypto industry.
DENNIS KELLEHER: And unfortunately, that means more scams, frauds and criminals running amok, with those regulators and prosecutors mostly ignoring it all.
ASPAN: Kelleher also points out that whatever your feelings on crypto, there's not a lot of evidence that it's why people voted the way they did. Many of the campaign ads the crypto industry bought didn't even mention crypto. They highlighted other issues to help get crypto-friendly lawmakers elected."
The American Prospect: The Crypto Bros Are Taking Over Politics (9/10/24)
* + Needless to say, the crypto industry hasn't left everyone agog with wonder. "It's a lawless industry with a business model that is basically 'catch us if you can' [with lawsuits], and before you can do that we'll buy enough politicians to get a special law passed that has the appearance of regulation with the reality of deregulation," Dennis Kelleher, CEO of the financial reform nonprofit Better Markets told The American Prospect back in April; he has also written for the Financial Times discouraging Harris from caving to the industry.
CNBC: Dennis Kelleher joined CNBC's Crypto World with Brandon Gomez to discuss why Vice President Harris should reject the crypto industry's massive influence campaign and focus on issues that matter to Main Street.
Lever News: Welcome To The Crypto Election (7/31/24)
* + "The crypto industry is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to distract policymakers and the public from its long rap sheet of criminal convictions, predatory conduct, illegal behavior, bankruptcies, lawsuits, and scandals," said Dennis Kelleher, president of consumer advocacy group Better Markets. "These crypto PACs are looking to make the crypto industry's work in Congress even easier by trying to defeat elected officials who put the public interest first and are not crypto-lackeys."
Financial Times op-ed by Dennis Kelleher: Kamala Harris should not cave to overtures from the crypto crowd (8/15/24)
BBC News: Dennis Kelleher Talked Crypto and the Election on BBC News (7/25/24)
New York Times: How Crypto Money Is Poised to Influence the Election (6/17/24)
* + "A single relatively small industry is literally trying to buy enough politicians to hijack the public agenda," said Dennis Kelleher, the president of Better Markets, a financial reform advocacy group. "It's pretty breathtaking."
Bloomberg: Trump Mugshot NFTs Highlight Crypto's Arrival on Campaign Trail (5/16/24)
* + To Kelleher, at the crypto-critical Better Markets group, there's another meaningful number of people to consider: All the voters who have been turned off by the long list of crimes and scandals associated with the asset class.
'It's hard to believe that there are going to be many people who conclude that voting in favor of a bunch of criminals and predators is somehow in their interest,' he said.
Financial Times: Crypto lobbyists are on manoeuvres -- and we should be worried (3/28/24)
* + "And this week Dennis Kelleher, head of Better Markets, another non-profit, and crypto critic, wrote that 'a crypto industry dark money group...with the Orwellian name 'Fairshake' raised nearly $80mn in just the last three months of 2023'. Kelleher says this is being used to attack politicians who have expressed reservations about crypto, such as the Democrat senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown. Indeed, the campaign has already helped to knock out one anti-crypto voice, Katie Porter, who recently lost a Californian primary."
Bloomberg: Crypto Titans Threaten to Unleash War Chest on Hostile Lawmakers (3/15/24)
* + "They know the public views crypto like kryptonite - it turns off more voters than it turns on," said Dennis Kelleher, president and chief executive officer of Better Markets, a group that pushes for greater market oversight. But "you can bet that wherever crypto spends a penny, they will claim they have influenced the outcome and expect the winners to pay them back."
CNBC: Mysterious crypto 'dark money' group ramps up lobbying efforts ahead of 2024 election (1/8/24)
* + "What we're going to see in 2024 is a massive ramp up in crypto-funded 'dark' money campaigns against anybody who isn't a crypto shill," Kelleher said. "By the end of the year, when it's all added up, I think the crypto industry is going to put hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in trying to defeat people who want to actually represent the voters, rather than represent crypto."
FTX
Bloomberg TV: Dennis Kelleher Talks SBF, Lawless Crypto Industry, & the 2024 Campaign on Bloomberg Crypto (4/2/24)
Statement: We applauded SBF's 25 year sentence but noted that SBF is not an outlier, but rather a representation of the crypto industry. (3/28/24)
Memo: We outlined why SBF deserves a very long sentence for his egregious crypto crime spree. (3/26/24)
Press Release: SBF's Conviction was an important step, but others who contributed to crypto's lawlessness must be held accountable. (11/2/23)
Dennis Kelleher Explains How Better Markets Stood up to FTX in New Bloomberg Documentary (10/26/23)
Fact Sheet: Setting the record Straight on Crypto, FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried, and Financial Regulators (3/8/23)
Press Release: Ahead of a Senate Agriculture hearing on CFTC Oversight Better Markets released key questions for the CFTC Chair to answer about the agency's role in crypto oversight and regulation. (3/7/23)
Report: In a examination of the SEC's work on crypto, our team details the facts of what the #SEC has actually done and why it has been as effective as possible under the circumstances. (1/24/23)
Blog: Our team examined the stunning impact of the revolving door between the CFTC and FTX. (12/26/2022)
Letter to Senate Agriculture Committee: We raised numerous concerns over an FTX endorsed crypto bill that would jeopardize investor, consumer, and financial stability protections. (1/10/23)
Fact Sheet: Before the Senate Agriculture hearing on a crypto bill that was FTX's main priority, we asked the CFTC and Members of Congress to consider 10 key questions about the legislation. (11/30/22)
Press Release: We called for an investigation of the CFTC's FTX Failures and push for crypto-friendly legislation (11/15/2022)
Press Release: Our statement criticized the CFTC for failing to properly regulate or supervise FTX (11/14/22)
Fact Sheet: Before a CFTC roundtable on FTX's application, we outlined the key questions that both the CFTC and FTX should address as they considered the company's application. (5/24/22)
Letter: Our letter to the CFTC urged the agency to have a "transparent, robust, and meaningly inclusive" process for evaluating FTX's application. (6/16/22)
Comment Letter: Better Markets Criticized FTX's proposal before the CFTC, noting the threats posed to customer protection and systemic stability by cryptocurrency investments. (5/11/22)
* * *
Original text here: https://bettermarkets.org/analysis/setting-the-record-straight-on-crypto-ftx-sam-bankman-fried-jamie-dimon-the-sec-and-cftc-and-the-revolving-door/
[Category: Financial Services]
* * *
October 30, 2026
Standing up to the Lawless Crypto Industry
For years now, too many leaders on Wall Street and Washington either looked the other way or unquestioningly supported the crypto industry as it worked relentlessly to infiltrate our financial system and rewrite the laws and rules to benefit their special interests. Tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions and ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (TNSLrpt) -- Better Markets, an organization that says it promotes pro-market, pro-business and pro-growth policies to help build a better financial system, issued the following analysis: * * * October 30, 2026 Standing up to the Lawless Crypto Industry For years now, too many leaders on Wall Street and Washington either looked the other way or unquestioningly supported the crypto industry as it worked relentlessly to infiltrate our financial system and rewrite the laws and rules to benefit their special interests. Tens of millions of dollars in campaign contributions andlobbying fueled this effort. Much of this lobbying originated from too many current and former public officials who leverage their government service to engage in influence peddling. Leaders who should have known better simply accepted the pixie dust of "innovation" and the fairytale of crypto riches, best exemplified by policymakers' wrongheaded embrace of Sam Bankman-Fried in the lead-up to the spectacular collapse of FTX. While many came to their senses after Bankman-Fried's arrest and conviction, the lure of crypto money has proven resilient among policymakers even after massive hacks, scams, and bankruptcies.
Better Markets has stood up against crypto special interests and their multi-fronted attacks on consumers, investors, and the financial system. Crypto is rewriting the rules governing investments and trading to serve their interests at the SEC, while simultaneously working hand-in-glove with the Commission to drop successful enforcement actions. Crypto cheerleaders have taken over the CFTC. They are retooling derivatives rules at the expense of traditional commodities businesses like farmers and ranchers. The crypto industry has also won a law enforcement standdown at the Department of Justice and is promoting their preferred legislation in Congress.
Better Markets' resources track, highlight, and oppose these harmful and aggressive actions and continue to stand up against the crypto tidal wave of money that threatens to overwhelm vital consumer and economic protections.
Regulatory Agencies
* The SEC's order allowing unregulated exchanges to "tokenize" and make available for trading U.S. stocks, as discussed in our October 26, 2026 Substack and our October 22, 2026 press release.
* The OCC's final rule implementing the GENIUS Act, as discussed in our October 21, 2026 press release.
* The SEC's proposal to substantially weaken investor protections for crypto securities offerings, as discussed in our October 20, 2026 press release.
* The CFTC's proposal to bless vertically integrated market structures, as discussed in our October 6, 2026 press release.
* The CFTC's intention to establish rules to give itself jurisdiction over crypto transactions, as discussed in our October 5, 2026 press release.
* The SEC's proposed rules allowing investment advisers to self-custody crypto assets, as discussed in out October 1, 2026 press release.
* The Fed's stablecoin proposal to implement the GENIUS Act, as discussed in our September 24, 2026 press release.
* The SEC's "innovation exemption" to facilitate tokenized stock trading would imperil investors, as discussed in our September 18, 2026 press release.
* The Federal's Proposal would divert deposits from Main Street banks and provide special-purpose payment accounts to certain nonbank financial firms, including crypto firms, as discussed in our July 27, 2026 comment letter.
* The NCUA's proposal to bring stablecoins into the credit union system would bring significant risks. See our July 17, 2026 comment letter.
* The FDIC's reckless GENIUS Act proposal would import all the volatility and illicit finance risks of the crypto market into the United States' federally insured banking system without the strong rules necessary to apply prudent standards to these risky products, as we demonstrated in a June 9, 2026 comment letter.
* The CFTC's approval of perpetual futures provides an important cautionary tale: a feeble process collided with regulatory capture to enable the introduction of exotic financial products with little concern for public feedback on risks or fair competition, writes Amanda Fischer in a June 4, 2026 Substack.
* The CFTC continues to show that it will give the crypto industry and the prediction markets industry anything they want, as it did when the CFTC approved Kalshi's perpetual futures contract on spot bitcoin despite perpetual futures being one of the most dangerous crypto products for retail investors. See our statement. (5/29/2026)
* Policymakers at the banking agencies and on Capitol Hill pay a lot of lip service to community banks, but their actions tell the true story: cake for big banks, crypto banks, and fintech; crumbs for community banks, as described in our May 28, 2026 fact sheet.
* The SEC's anti-investor shift, with its crypto industry giveaways, is bad for everyone, as Dennis M. Kelleher wrote in an April 23, 2026 Substack.
* The DOL's proposal to facilitate the inclusion of risky assets like private credit, private equity, and cryptocurrencies in the 401(k) accounts on which Americans depend for their retirement savings puts the interests of alternative asset managers and the crypto industry first and the interests of investors and retirement savers last, as we detail in our March 30, 2026 statement.
* The SEC's refusal to treat crypto assets as securities endangers investors everywhere, as we described in our March 17, 2026 statement after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued its interpretation of how the federal securities laws apply to crypto assets.
* Our amicus brief in support of the State of Nevada's authority to regulate Crypto.com and other so-called "prediction markets," which are nothing more than illegal sportsbooks, argued that Congress never intended to unleash nationwide gambling, overrule the gambling laws in all 50 states, or have the CFTC oversee gambling and sports betting in all 50 states. (3/10/2026)
* The OCC is continuing its attempt to rewrite its own policies and contradict the law to benefit the crypto industry, with recent proposals that would ensure that crypto banks can be established, thrive, and compete directly with real banks. This goes directly against the OCC's core mission of chartering real banks that support the real economy and promoting the safety and soundness of the banking system. See our February 11, 2026 comment letter.
* We called Fed payment accounts a "giveaway to the crypto industry" in a February 6, 2026 comment letter.
* Five years after GameStop, regulators have allowed the dangerous gamification of investing to proliferate. The same risks that manifested in the GameStop trading frenzy have replicated and amplified themselves in crypto, prediction markets, and calls for 24/7 trading, as we describe in our January 27, 2026 fact sheet.
* One year after President Trump's executive order on digital assets: the results are repeatedly proving to the American people just how much damage can be done in a year, and how broad that damage can be. Read our January 23, 2026 statement.
Other Resources
Video: Crypto Misconduct, Regulatory Arbitrage, and the Future of Policy (10/23/2026)
The New York Times: From Foe to Ally: The S.E.C. Is Now Writing Crypto-Friendly Policies (3/30/26)
* + Top financial regulators are "prioritizing the crypto industry's interests above literally everything," said Dennis Kelleher, who runs Better Markets, a financial reform group. "The signal to the industry is whatever you want, you're going to get."
Release: CFTC Collaborates with the Industries It Should Be Regulating (8/20/26)
Fact Sheet: SPACs + Crypto = Buyer Beware (7/24/2025).
Fact Sheet: The Most Dangerous Product in Crypto Is Coming Onshore (Perpetual Futures) (6/27/2025)
Release: SEC Completes Transformation Into Washington's Crypto Cheerleader, Drops Lawsuit Against Binance & Executives (5/30/2025)
Release: The SEC Under Chair Atkins Will Be the Crypto Industry's Chief Cheerleader (5/20/2025)
Release: SEC Again Leaves Investors Unprotected from Crypto's Risks (5/15/2025)
Release: Our team explained that the SEC made another critical mistake by approving Spot Ether ETPs (4/9/25)
On Friday, March 21, the Securities and Exchange Commission's Crypto Task Force held its inaugural roundtable, "How We Got Here and How We Get Out - Defining Security Status."
* + Benjamin Schiffrin, Better Markets' Director of Securities Policy, is a member of the Task Force and took part in the roundtable, where he emphasized the importance of consumer protections for retail investors.
Barron's Op-ed: Trump's Crypto Plan Is Neither Strategic Nor a Reserve (3/21/25)
LA Times Op-ed: Why the Trump administration is easing up on crypto crime at exactly the wrong moment (3/12/25)
Testimony: Shayna Olesiuk, our Director of Banking Policy, testified at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on debanking today. Shayna emphasized the importance of regulators considering crypto risk in their work to protect Main Street. (2/6/25)
Release: Our team spoke out against the SEC's decision to rescind SAB 121, which provided that companies holding crypto assets for customers face unique risks and should therefore reflect those assets as liabilities on their balance sheets. (1/24/25)
Amicus Brief: Our team filed a brief in the high-profile crypto case, SEC v. Ripple. The case will determine whether investors are protected under the securities laws against the fraud, manipulation, and hidden information that has characterized the crypto markets since their inception. (1/23/25)
The Atlantic: The Great Crypto Crash (1/7/25)
* + "The countdown clock on the next catastrophic crash has already started," Dennis Kelleher, the president of the nonprofit Better Markets, told me."
Amicus Brief: We argued that the SEC's new rule requiring more firms to register as dealers was critical to protecting investors from the threats of crypto. (7/11/24)
Report: Our team explained why crypto should be regulated by the SEC under the Howey Test to protect investors. (7/26/24)
Comment Letter: We explained why approving Spot Ether ETFs would hurt investors, consumers, and financial stability (5/15/24)
The New York Times: U.S. Approves Investment Product Tied to Popular Cryptocurrency Ether (5/23/24)
* + 'The S.E.C. failed to live up to its mission to protect investors and the markets,' Benjamin Schiffrin of Better Markets, a nonprofit that fights for stricter financial regulations, said in a statement.
Release: The SEC's approval of spot Ether ETPs endangers investors and financial stability. (5/23/24)
Release: Better Markets noted the growing winning streak for the SEC after the ruling against Terraform (4/5/24)
Comment Letter: Our team opposed ether-based ETPs (1/12/24)
Bloomberg TV: Dennis Kelleher on Why Bitcoin ETFs Will Harm Investors (1/11/24)
Reuters: US SEC approves bitcoin ETFs in watershed for crypto market (1/11/24)
* + Dennis Kelleher, CEO of investor advocacy think tank Better Markets, warned that bitcoin was still vulnerable to crypto fraudsters and said approving the ETFs was a "historic mistake."
"The SEC's action today has changed nothing about this worthless financial product: bitcoin and crypto still have no legitimate use," he said.
Read our Statement on the SEC's approval of Bitcoin ETFs (1/10/24).
Comment Letter: Better Markets opposed Bitcoin ETP applications and the potential danger they could cause to investors and the entire financial system. (1/5/24)
Politico: A bitcoin breakthrough (1/4/24)
* + In Morning Money, Dennis Kelleher shares that approval of Bitcoin ETFs will give the crypto a veneer of legitimacy despite its record of criminality & lawlessness.
American Banker: FDIC draws bright line between insured and uninsured (12/22/23)
* + "The FDIC deposit insurance is the gold standard for trust, confidence, and protection, which is why too many in the crypto industry want to misleadingly, if not falsely, suggest to crypto investors that their money is protected by the FDIC. That false comfort not only harms investors, but also the insurance program, insured banks, and the broader banking system as people lose faith in the FDIC [and] that's what today's rule aims to stop."
Comment Letters: Better Markets asked the SEC to reject proposed rule changes filed by national securities exchanges to list and trade shares in spot bitcoin-based exchange traded products (8/9/23)
Crime & Fraud
Substack: Learning the Hard Way: What the Binance Hack Teaches Us About Regulation (10/30/26)
Press Release: Is Senator Gillibrand Being Bribed by the Crypto Industry and a Hypocrite on Trump Corruption? (7/6/26)
Fact Sheet: Crypto Lending Poses Huge Risks for Retail Investors (7/17/2025)
Fact Sheet: Boom Times for Crypto Crime (5/6/2025)
Fact Sheet: Crypto's Predatory Targeting of Minority Communities (10/24/24)
Fact Sheet: Standing with Crypto Means Standing with Fraudsters (9/18/24)
Wall Street Journal: Founder of Binance, World's Largest Crypto Firm, Sentenced to Four Months(4/30/24)
* + "He and a bunch of others at Binance should have been charged with substantive violations, not what is a minimalist charge almost akin to a record-keeping violation," said Dennis Kelleher, head of Better Markets, a group that advocates for tougher financial regulation.
Memo: Our team outlined why the Department of Justice must do more to hold CZ accountable for his stunning crimes. (4/29/24)
Associated Press: Regulators and law enforcement crack down on crypto's bad actors. Congress has yet to take action (11/22/23)
* + "The lawlessness, if not criminal activities of crypto will continue and increase until all prosecutors, regulators and elected officials force the industry to act like all other law-abiding people and firms in the financial industry," said Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, a nonprofit that works to "build a more secure financial system for all Americans," according to its website.
Fact Sheet: Our Fact Sheet explains how crypto is an important tool used for criminal and terrorists, including Hamas. (10/25/23)
Congress & Legislation
* The current fight between banks and crypto companies has the potential to devastate our economy. Crypto companies want to maintain their ability to offer interest on so-called stablecoins (which should really be called unstablecoins), which was allowed under a massive loophole in the GENIUS Act passed last summer. That could attract a lot of depositors away from banks, which would do real harm to the economy, especially Main Street Americans. We explain in our March 4, 2026 fact sheet.
* The terms of the tokenization debate must not be dictated by the crypto industry, which wants tokenized securities to be exempt from some of the rules that govern stock trading. However, there is no reason to exempt tokenized securities from those rules, and there is no reason to equate crypto with tokenization. They are not the same, as we detail in our March 24, 2026 fact sheet.
Other Resources
Statement: House Passes Legislation Deregulating Crypto, Enabling the Next Financial Crisis (7/17/2025)
Fact Sheet: Buyers' Remorse? Key Questions to Consider in Crypto Legislation (7/14/2025)
Press Release: Senate Banking Democrats Shamefully Pick Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried's "Key Ally" and House Republicans' Witness for a One-Sided Pro-Crypto Hearing (6/23/2025)
Statement: Senate Passing Industry-Friendly GENIUS Act Puts Economy at Risk (6/17/2025)
Testimony: Amanda Fischer, Policy Director & COO, testified before the House Financial Services Committee on the CLARITY Act (6/6/25)
Fact Sheet: Don't Be a Dummy: GENIUS Act Changes Fail to Make a Bad Bill Better (5/16/2025)
Fact Sheet: The GENIUS Act: Allowing Big Tech to Control Our Money
Fact Sheet: Stablecoin Legislation: Why Nothing is Better Than Something (5/7/2025)
Open Banker Op-ed: Forget Myths: The Stablecoin Reality (3/20/25)
Fact Sheet: Our team outlined the pressing questions lawmakers must ask as they consider (Un)Stablecoin Legislation. (2/26/25)
Fact Sheet: Ahead of a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled "A Golden Age of Digital Assets: Charting a Path Forward" we released a new fact sheet explaining why Congress must should actually be focusing on crypto's long criminal record, which has ripped off millions of Americans. (2/10/25)
Our fact sheet outlines the key issues policymakers should consider as the crypto industry attempts to buy Washington. (11/15/24)
Fact Sheet: Seven Questions on the Pro-Crypto, Anti-SEC Financial Innovation and Technology for the 21st Century Act (FIT 21) (6/11/24)
Op-ed: Congress must ask tough questions about crypto industry favored legislation (6/11/24)
Fact Sheet: We raised serious questions about a crypto market structure bill moving through the House of Representatives. (5/22/24)
Fact Sheet: We raised important questions over a Congressional Review Act Resolution that would repeal SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) 121, which provides that companies holding crypto assets for customers face unique risks and should therefore reflect those assets as liabilities on their balance sheets. (2/27/24)
Press Release: Our team put together 10 reasons why Congress shouldn't pass the industry's special interest bailout bill. (11/29/23)
Fact Sheet: Our fact sheet argues that Congress must carefully consider the track record of stablecoins, and their impact on the financial system before adopting measures that would legitimize this dangerous corner of the crypto market. (5/17/23)
Press Release: We called on Congress to know the facts before considering legislation putting the underfunded CFTC in charge of the crypto Industry (11/21/22)
Influence Peddling
* The crypto industry, its lobbyists, and supporters in the administration have been pushing false claims and deceptive "analysis" to support the crypto position, but policymakers must stick to the facts and thoughtful analysis and reject their efforts for the benefit of the economy, argue Phillip Basil and Chris Appel in an April 16, 2026 Substack.
* After Politico reported that "Crypto billionaire among dozens to back startup from Gillibrand's son," we released a statement condemning the close relationship between Congress and the crypto industry. (7/9/2026)
Other Resources
Press Release: Crypto Industry Juices Latest Polls to Falsely Claim Broad Support among U.S. Voters (7/14/2025)
NPR: How President Trump is sparking a crypto revolution in America (5/19/2025)
* + "History is going to show this will be a disaster courting a catastrophe for the rest of the country and especially for Main Street Americans, who are going to get stuck with the bill cleaning up after the next financial crash," says Dennis Kelleher, a prominent crypto critic at advocacy group Better Markets
The Economist: The crypto industry is suddenly at the heart of American politics (5/15/2025)
* + "It's the most brute force display of money and power in the legislature I have ever seen," says Amanda Fischer, chief operating officer for Better Markets.
San Francisco Chronicle Op-ed: What the crypto industry didn't say in its deceptive -- and effective -- campaign ads (11/7/24)
NPR: The crypto industry won big this election. It has several implications (12/16/24)
* + "I talked to Dennis Kelleher, the head of the nonpartisan watchdog Better Markets. He points out that with Republicans controlling the White House, and likely Congress, there just won't be as many guardrails on the crypto industry.
DENNIS KELLEHER: And unfortunately, that means more scams, frauds and criminals running amok, with those regulators and prosecutors mostly ignoring it all.
ASPAN: Kelleher also points out that whatever your feelings on crypto, there's not a lot of evidence that it's why people voted the way they did. Many of the campaign ads the crypto industry bought didn't even mention crypto. They highlighted other issues to help get crypto-friendly lawmakers elected."
The American Prospect: The Crypto Bros Are Taking Over Politics (9/10/24)
* + Needless to say, the crypto industry hasn't left everyone agog with wonder. "It's a lawless industry with a business model that is basically 'catch us if you can' [with lawsuits], and before you can do that we'll buy enough politicians to get a special law passed that has the appearance of regulation with the reality of deregulation," Dennis Kelleher, CEO of the financial reform nonprofit Better Markets told The American Prospect back in April; he has also written for the Financial Times discouraging Harris from caving to the industry.
CNBC: Dennis Kelleher joined CNBC's Crypto World with Brandon Gomez to discuss why Vice President Harris should reject the crypto industry's massive influence campaign and focus on issues that matter to Main Street.
Lever News: Welcome To The Crypto Election (7/31/24)
* + "The crypto industry is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to distract policymakers and the public from its long rap sheet of criminal convictions, predatory conduct, illegal behavior, bankruptcies, lawsuits, and scandals," said Dennis Kelleher, president of consumer advocacy group Better Markets. "These crypto PACs are looking to make the crypto industry's work in Congress even easier by trying to defeat elected officials who put the public interest first and are not crypto-lackeys."
Financial Times op-ed by Dennis Kelleher: Kamala Harris should not cave to overtures from the crypto crowd (8/15/24)
BBC News: Dennis Kelleher Talked Crypto and the Election on BBC News (7/25/24)
New York Times: How Crypto Money Is Poised to Influence the Election (6/17/24)
* + "A single relatively small industry is literally trying to buy enough politicians to hijack the public agenda," said Dennis Kelleher, the president of Better Markets, a financial reform advocacy group. "It's pretty breathtaking."
Bloomberg: Trump Mugshot NFTs Highlight Crypto's Arrival on Campaign Trail (5/16/24)
* + To Kelleher, at the crypto-critical Better Markets group, there's another meaningful number of people to consider: All the voters who have been turned off by the long list of crimes and scandals associated with the asset class.
'It's hard to believe that there are going to be many people who conclude that voting in favor of a bunch of criminals and predators is somehow in their interest,' he said.
Financial Times: Crypto lobbyists are on manoeuvres -- and we should be worried (3/28/24)
* + "And this week Dennis Kelleher, head of Better Markets, another non-profit, and crypto critic, wrote that 'a crypto industry dark money group...with the Orwellian name 'Fairshake' raised nearly $80mn in just the last three months of 2023'. Kelleher says this is being used to attack politicians who have expressed reservations about crypto, such as the Democrat senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown. Indeed, the campaign has already helped to knock out one anti-crypto voice, Katie Porter, who recently lost a Californian primary."
Bloomberg: Crypto Titans Threaten to Unleash War Chest on Hostile Lawmakers (3/15/24)
* + "They know the public views crypto like kryptonite - it turns off more voters than it turns on," said Dennis Kelleher, president and chief executive officer of Better Markets, a group that pushes for greater market oversight. But "you can bet that wherever crypto spends a penny, they will claim they have influenced the outcome and expect the winners to pay them back."
CNBC: Mysterious crypto 'dark money' group ramps up lobbying efforts ahead of 2024 election (1/8/24)
* + "What we're going to see in 2024 is a massive ramp up in crypto-funded 'dark' money campaigns against anybody who isn't a crypto shill," Kelleher said. "By the end of the year, when it's all added up, I think the crypto industry is going to put hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in trying to defeat people who want to actually represent the voters, rather than represent crypto."
FTX
Bloomberg TV: Dennis Kelleher Talks SBF, Lawless Crypto Industry, & the 2024 Campaign on Bloomberg Crypto (4/2/24)
Statement: We applauded SBF's 25 year sentence but noted that SBF is not an outlier, but rather a representation of the crypto industry. (3/28/24)
Memo: We outlined why SBF deserves a very long sentence for his egregious crypto crime spree. (3/26/24)
Press Release: SBF's Conviction was an important step, but others who contributed to crypto's lawlessness must be held accountable. (11/2/23)
Dennis Kelleher Explains How Better Markets Stood up to FTX in New Bloomberg Documentary (10/26/23)
Fact Sheet: Setting the record Straight on Crypto, FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried, and Financial Regulators (3/8/23)
Press Release: Ahead of a Senate Agriculture hearing on CFTC Oversight Better Markets released key questions for the CFTC Chair to answer about the agency's role in crypto oversight and regulation. (3/7/23)
Report: In a examination of the SEC's work on crypto, our team details the facts of what the #SEC has actually done and why it has been as effective as possible under the circumstances. (1/24/23)
Blog: Our team examined the stunning impact of the revolving door between the CFTC and FTX. (12/26/2022)
Letter to Senate Agriculture Committee: We raised numerous concerns over an FTX endorsed crypto bill that would jeopardize investor, consumer, and financial stability protections. (1/10/23)
Fact Sheet: Before the Senate Agriculture hearing on a crypto bill that was FTX's main priority, we asked the CFTC and Members of Congress to consider 10 key questions about the legislation. (11/30/22)
Press Release: We called for an investigation of the CFTC's FTX Failures and push for crypto-friendly legislation (11/15/2022)
Press Release: Our statement criticized the CFTC for failing to properly regulate or supervise FTX (11/14/22)
Fact Sheet: Before a CFTC roundtable on FTX's application, we outlined the key questions that both the CFTC and FTX should address as they considered the company's application. (5/24/22)
Letter: Our letter to the CFTC urged the agency to have a "transparent, robust, and meaningly inclusive" process for evaluating FTX's application. (6/16/22)
Comment Letter: Better Markets Criticized FTX's proposal before the CFTC, noting the threats posed to customer protection and systemic stability by cryptocurrency investments. (5/11/22)
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Original text here: https://bettermarkets.org/analysis/setting-the-record-straight-on-crypto-ftx-sam-bankman-fried-jamie-dimon-the-sec-and-cftc-and-the-revolving-door/
[Category: Financial Services]