RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
Feb. 18 to Feb. 24
Featured Investigation It's an understatement to say that many doubt the Steele dossier both for its provenance (anti-Trump opposition research paid for by Democrats) and its veracity (largely "salacious and unverified," according to former FBI Director James Comey). Also doubted is the truthfulness of its author, ex-British spy Christopher Steele; FBI agents abruptly stopped using him as an informant in late 2016 after concluding that he had lied to them. Nevertheless, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is continuing to use the controversial 35-page document as a "road map," sources familiar with his investigation say. As Paul Sperry reported for RealClearInvestigations, the sources also say that Mueller's team is using questionable fruits of the dossier: information gleaned from wiretaps on former Trump adviser Carter Page and others, secured by citing dossier material. Sperry reports that it is hard to determine precisely how Mueller is using the information because the House Intelligence Committee - so as to not impede Mueller's work - agreed not to seek"documentsor information post-dating the appointment of the special counsel in May 2017."Sperry reports: That means that much about Mueller's work, and the extent to which it continues work begun underComey'sFBI, could be kept out of the public eye, including details of his investigative leads and personnel. The latter include a senior investigator, PeterStrzok, and lawyer, Lisa Page -- who both worked on the email investigation that exonerated Hillary Clinton and had to be removed from the Mueller probe after text messages revealed their anti-Trump, pro-Clinton bias. Read Full Article Other Noteworthy Articles and Series School-Choice Foes Called In Feds, Called Shots Behind Scenes
RealClearInvestigations
Documents reveal that a four-year Justice Department inquiry into Milwaukee's school voucher program was sparked and practically run behind the scenes by liberal opponents of the program, who coordinated media strategy with the feds and submitted questions that Justice turned around and posed nearly verbatim to Wisconsin education officials. While the influence of corporate lobbyists on legislation has long raised red flags, less attention has been paid to the influence of interest groups on public policy. Eco-Billionaire Steyer Gave Big to Mayor's Pet Project Before Oakland's Oil Suits
Daily Caller
In another case of a powerful interest seemingly influencing government action behind the scenes, anti-oil billionaire Tom Steyer poured half a million dollars into one of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf's favorite educational programs shortly before the city announced lawsuits against energy companies. Putin Ally Spoke to Kremlin, Syria Before His Militia Hit U.S. Forces
Washington Post
Do you think this development might be a stretch to fit into a Trump-Russia collusion narrative? A few weeks back, Russian mercenaries attacked U.S. troops and their allies in Syria. It now emerges, from U.S. intelligence reports, that the Russian oligarch believed to control them was in close touch with Kremlin andSyrianofficials in the days before and after the assault. Not only that, the oligarch,YevgeniyPrigozhin, has just been indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller for Russian "information warfare." Among the names of others charged was neither that of Donald Trump nor any other American. Florida Shooter Always in Trouble, Never Expelled
Miami Herald
Nikolas Cruz's behavior was troubling long before he killed 17 students at his Florida high school. He kicked doors, cursed at teachers, fought with and threatened classmates and brought a backpack with bullets to school. But he was never expelled from Broward schools. Legally, he couldn't be. Under federal law, Nikolas Cruz had a right to a "free and appropriate" education at a public school near him. Just like the schoolmates he killed. ‘Financial-Storm Forecaster' Agency Does Little, for $500 Million
Wall Street Journal
After the 2008 financial crisis, Congress created the Office of Financial Research to act as a National Weather Service for the economy. Almost a decadelater this veritable Financial Storm Tracker Fed has accomplished little. One of its most ambitious initiatives—developing a database for recording financial contracts—has progressed no further than a 16-page paper that came out strong for "information gathering sessions." It has, on the other hand, spent nearly $500 million. The Poopy Streets of San Francisco
NBC Bay Area
About half of San Francisco's street-cleaning budget - about $30 million - goes toward cleaning up feces and needles from homeless encampments and sidewalks. Nevertheless, a survey of 153 blocks of downtown San Francisco revealed trash littered across every block; 96 of the blocks had piles of feces and 41 blocks were dotted with needles, creating possible exposure to HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, and a variety of other diseases. The Virus Hunter
Stat
Clarence James Peters, 77, plied his trade during the golden age of virus hunting, when scientists often acted first and asked permission second, if they asked at all. Peters travelled the globe to study the spread ofBolivian hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever, and a host of virusesincludingZika, Ebola and SinNombre.Before the imposition of strict handling and shipping rules,scientists were known to bringhome viral trophies surreptitiously; they called this flying "VIP," for "vial in pocket."This short profile is filled witharresting detail from a bygone era, includingthe time Peters found himself driving through suburban Washington, D.C., with five plastic-wrapped monkeys, their frozen corpses teeming with Ebola viruses, in the trunk of his car. | 
