Russia/Ukraine Catapulted North Korea ICBMs
New York Times
Expert analysis and classified assessments conclude that North Korea was able to have successful missile tests because they purchased rocket engines from a Ukrainian factory on the black market. The factory has historical ties to Russia's missile program. China gets blamed for helping North Korea, but recent missile successes might have come after Russian support. Obama Warned In 2014 About Russian Interference
Politico
Politico reports that as early as 2014, the Obama administration received a report that quoted well-connected Russian sources as saying that the Kremlin was building a disinformation arm that could be used to interfere in Western democracies. The administration doubted Russia's ability to use their new tools in spite of multiple warnings from national security officials. Misdemeanor Defendants Routinely Denied Rights
ProPublica
Many poor defendants in Nashville facing misdemeanor charges that can carry jail time are not told they are entitled to a lawyer. This is one of the most routine constitutional violations taking place in U.S. courts every day, according to the American Bar Association. These defendants often accept plea deals from prosecutors that land them in jail without ever seeing a judge. Sex Trafficking Among Abuses at R.I. Group Homes
Providence Journal
Prostitution. Assaults arranged by a staff member. A clandestine overnight visit by a teenage girlfriend as the police searched for her. A paralyzing injury. Those are some of the abuses the Providence Journal uncovered while reporting on the 194 children of all ages and up to 21 who currently reside in 41 state-regulated group homes because of unsafe family arrangements. Cults Use YouTube for Recruitment
Vice
While you are binging the latest Netflix series, someone could be drinking digital Kool-Aid in the next room. Cults have taken to YouTube and use the site to recruit new followers. It is a lot easier to gain an audience when you can broadcast your ideas right into their phones and computers instead of relying on in-person meetings. The darker side of YouTube has decidedly fewer cat videos. Nabobs of Negativity No Longer Review Music
Wall Street Journal
Pans, take-downs and snarky deconstructions are becoming the golden oldies of music criticism, as reviewers lay down their poisoned pens to write glowing paeans. "It's actually news at this point when an album does get a bad review," says Dan Ozzi, a writer at VICE's music site, Noisey. | 
