RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
Sept. 17 to Sept. 23
Featured Investigations
Two bombshells this week bolster the view that the Trump-Russia investigation is uncovering an Obama administration scandal.
CNN reported this week that investigators "wiretapped former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort under secret court orders before and after the election” in connection with his alleged ties to Russia. The network noted that it was “an extraordinary step involving a high-ranking campaign official now at the center of the Russia meddling probe.”
It is not clear whether this means trouble for Manafort and Trump, whose conversations with Manafort may have been picked up. In theory, a wiretap could only have been obtained if the government convinced a judge there was probable cause of criminal activity. Manafort has called on the Justice Department to release transcripts of all intercepted communications he may have had with foreigners.
The revelation raises questions about seemingly definitive denials from former Obama officials last March when President Trump tweeted that his “wires” had been tapped at Trump Tower. And it could reflect poorly on those at mainstream news outlets who tended to dismiss Trump’s accusations.
Meanwhile, Fox News reported this week that Obama’s ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, was “unmasking” the identities of American citizens captured in foreign intercepts “at such a rapid pace in the final months of the Obama administration that she averaged more than one request for every working day in 2016 – and even sought information in the days leading up to President Trump’s inauguration.”
A spokesperson for Powers termed the report, based on multiple anonymous sources, as “false.”
Other Noteworthy Articles and Series
Manafort Offered Briefings on 2016 Campaign to Russian
Washington Post
Less than two weeks before Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign chairman Paul Manafort sent an email offering "private briefings" on the race to a Kremlin-tied Russian billionaire, according to people familiar with Manafort's emails. There is no evidence that anything came of the offer. But Trump-Russia investigators believe Manafort's outreach created a potential opening for Russians at the highest level of a U.S. presidential campaign.
Mueller Focuses on Trump Actions as President
New York Times
Special counsel Robert Mueller is seeking White House documents about some of President Trump's most scrutinized actions since taking office, including the firing of his national security adviser and F.B.I. director, White House officials say. Mueller's inquiry is about Russian election meddling, but now much of it is focused squarely on Trump's behavior in the White House.
Facebook Silences Rohingya Reports of Ethnic Cleansing
Daily Beast
Rohingya activists say Facebook, a vital means of communications in Burma, has been removing their posts documenting the ethnic cleansing of their brethren. Amnesty International said there appears to be a targeted campaign in Burma to report Rohingya accounts to Facebook and get them shut down.
Public School Teachers Chronically Absent
Washington Free Beacon
Here's the key finding in a report from the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a think tank that Wikipedia calls conservative: "The percentage of teachers in traditional public schools who take more than ten sick and personal days is almost four times higher than the percentage of employees in other industries who take at least ten sick days—despite the fact that teachers have significantly fewer work days than employees in other industries."
Your Stolen Identity is Surprisingly Cheap Online
Bloomberg
When criminals sell stolen credit cards or personal information online, they often do so for as little as $9 a pop. The market for verified credit cards, preferably corporate cards with no spending limits, is more generous and may run as high as $20 a card. Dell Inc.'s Secureworks reports that hackers sell "fullz," complete sets of personal information needed to commit fraud, for $10.
Rotting Beef? Steak Aging Gets Extreme
Wall Street Journal
The hottest menu item at New York restaurants may be a plate of rotting beef: steaks that have been aged anywhere from 90 to 180 days, well beyond the typical 21 to 45 days. Chefs say the added time allows for greater tenderness and depth of flavor. But some are not crazy about a $380 slab of funky cow.
