James Henry on HSBC, Mary Bottari on Scott Walker (Online Only)

This week on CounterSpin: two stories featuring bad news, but good journalism. First up: HSBC is a recidivist criminal actor, so how exactly is it still the second-biggest commercial bank in the world? The latest revelation–thanks to a whistleblower working with a number of media outlets–-is that HSBC has been helping millionaires and billionaires hide money from tax authorities. What’s the impact of HSBC’s actions and–once more with feeling–what will it take to put a banker in jail? We’ll hear from journalist James Henry on that.

Scott WalkerAlso on the show: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said it was just a “drafting error” that led to his proposed budget calling for the evisceration of the central philosophy guiding the state’s university system, along with $300 million in cuts. Reporters and activists showed that to be a falsehood, and Walker’s proposed changes look like a revealing peak at the agenda of the man who wants to be the next president. We’ll hear from a key player in that story, Mary Bottari from the Center for Media and Democracy.

LINKS:

–“HSBC: A ‘Pervasively Polluted’ Culture” (Tax Justice Network, 7/17/12)

–“Why Aren’t Big Bankers in Jail?: Why Ask Why, Say Their Enablers in Financial Press,” by Janine Jackson (Extra!1/14)

–“Walker Strikes Truth and Wisconsin Idea from UW Mission in Budget,” by Jonas Persson and Mary Bottari (PR Watch2/4/15)


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