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I’ve been doing campaign finance research since 1997. The bad news is that the influence of big money on our political system has not waned. The good news is that, with the right training, it is easier than ever to access public information about who is trying to buy influence.
With the midterm elections approaching, I’m pulling back the curtain on the research methods I’ve developed over nearly 30 years. I am hosting a webinar that will cover:
Exactly how money will flow into the 2026 midterm elections.
How to efficiently and accurately identify what corporations and individuals are donating to any candidate or cause.
When and where new information will become available as election day approaches.
The tactics that powerful people and corporations use to try to hide their spending.
In the second half of the webinar, I’ll answer questions directly from the audience. The webinar will take place Friday, June 5 at 1 p.m. Eastern.
This webinar is open to all paid subscribers of Popular Information. Upgrade to paid to attend the webinar — and support accountability journalism that puts rigorous research methods to use every week.
Whether you’re a citizen trying to understand who is influencing a local race, an activist researching corporate political spending, or just someone who wants a better understanding of how the political system really works — this session will give you tools you can use immediately.
After upgrading, you will immediately be sent an email with the registration link. Information is power.
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A large network of prominent regional newspapers have posted thousands of low-quality articles promoting gambling and prediction markets — and pretending it’s journalism.
A Popular Information investigation found that Advance Local, which owns The Oregonian, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Star-Ledger, and several other award-winning newspapers, has quietly published more than 17,000 online articles since 2022 pushing promo codes for sports books, online casinos and, more recently, prediction markets.
The Patriot-News, for example, won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for its landmark reporting on the sex crimes of Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and publishes online at PennLive.com. On May 9, The Patriot-News published an article headlined, “Kalshi promo code PENNLIVE: UFC 328 Preview.” The piece noted that UFC 328, scheduled for that evening, was “an awesome opportunity for new users to grab the Kalshi promo code PENNLIVE and get a $10 bonus when they trade $10+.” Special Correspondent Christopher Feery then detailed the five steps required to “claim the Kalshi promo code and land a bonus in a flash.”
Feery published a nearly identical article about UFC 328 for The Star-Ledger, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2005 and 2011. He described the bout as “a fantastic time for new users to claim the Kalshi promo code NJCOM and receive a $10 bonus when they trade $10 or more” and outlined the five steps to claim the promotion in “mere minutes.” Another similar version of the UFC 328 piece with Feery’s byline appeared on the website of the The Birmingham News, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 and 2018.
According to the “Gaming Policy“ that appears on all three websites, Feery’s article about Kalshi and UFC 328 meets “the highest journalistic standards.” It was also purportedly “reviewed by an experienced editor for adherence to editorial protocol and accuracy.” Each piece, according to the policy, is “unique“ and “created specifically” for the website where it appears.
The UFC 328 article is one of more than 17,000 pieces published across Advance Local’s network of news websites in less than five years. An analysis of the websites’ archives reveals the promotional articles for sports books began appearing on Advance Local sites in 2022, accelerating dramatically beginning in 2024.
In 2025, the Advance Local network added online casinos and this year, it added promo codes for the prediction markets Kalshi and Polymarket. At the current pace, the award-winning outlets in the Advance Local network will publish more than 14,000 pieces of gambling-related slop in 2026.
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In response to a request for comment, Advance Local’s Executive Director for Communications, Christine deWit, said that the company considered everyone who produced this gambling-related content a journalist. DeWit also maintained that it was accurate to describe each piece of content as “unique” to each website.