RealClearInvestigations Newsletters: RCI Today
RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
March 19 to March 25
Featured Investigation
Book Exclusive: "The Despot’s Guide to Wealth Management” - RealClearInvestigations
Crooked leaders have been robbing their people blind since the dawn of time. Notions of honor among thieves and the concept of national sovereignty have long allowed other nations to turn a blind eye to even the most egregious kleptocracies. But that has begun to change, as Cambridge Professor J.C. Sharman details in his new book, “The Despot’s Guide to Wealth Management.” Drawing on journalistic exposés, whistle-blower accounts and his own investigative work, Sharman explores the rise of anti-corruption efforts in Britain, Switzerland, Australia and the United States. But the gunshoes’ work is far from done, as illustrated by this excerpt on swanky American lawyers, bankers and realtors more than willing to serve tinpot despots.
Other Noteworthy Articles and Series
White House Installs Political Aides to Watch Cabinet Secretaries - Washington Post
The White House has installed political appointees at Cabinet agencies to track secretaries' loyalty to President Trump and his agenda, according to unnamed officials. Under the unusual arrangement, which has created tensions within the administration, White House aides sit in on meetings and report to White House deputy chief of staff Rick Dearborn.
Tax Prep Companies Spent Millions Lobbying Against Prefilled Filings - ProPublica
The makers behind TurboTax and other large tax preparation companies, including H&R Block and Intuit, have spent millions lobbying the government against legislation that would offer taxpayers the option to fill out prefilled tax returns.
At Veterans Affairs, Delays Even Plague Suicide Hotline - Wall Street Journal
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ internal watchdog says the agency's suicide crisis hotline "sometimes leaves veterans on hold so long that they simply hang up." The VA had said it would end long delays and fix other problems by September 2016. But according to the new investigation, that didn't happen.
Sex-Harassment Claims Against a ‘She-E.O.’- New York Magazine
Until this month, Miki Agrawal was the self-styled She-E.O. of Thinx, a company with a feminist mission that makes “period underwear.” Now she is accused of repeatedly touching an employee’s breasts and asking her to expose them, sharing nude photos of herself and others, and conducting videoconferences while in bed, apparently unclothed. And women who worked there say were exploited by low pay and lousy benefits.
The Strange, Spectacular Con of Bobby Charles Thompson - Washingtonian
Bobby Charles Thompson, a prolific Republican donor who claimed to be a retired naval commander, was the public face of a Washington nonprofit called the United States Navy Veterans Association. But federal authorities soon discovered that everything about Thompson – including his name and his group's status as a legitimate fundraiser – was a lie.
Mistranslated Word Led to Fake News in NY Times About Life on Mars - FiveThirtyEight
Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli claimed to see channels – "canali" – on the surface of Mars when observing the planet in 1877. When the word was mistranslated into English as "canals," newspapers, especially the New York Times, ran wild with stories claiming that their presence proved the existence of life on the red planet.
