Harvey Weinstein's Decades of Sexual Harassment
New York Times
A New York Times investigation finds previously undisclosed allegations of sexual harassment against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein stretching over nearly three decades, including from actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan. Weinstein has reached at least eight settlements with women, the Times reports. Fallout from the Times article was immediate, with Weinstein apologizing for some of his behavior, taking a leave of absence from his company and signaling a legal and public-relations counteroffensive. Recriminations are already being heard over who looked the other way in the film industry, media and Democratic Party. Lists of Weinstein's donations to Democrats and his visits to the Obama White House can be found here and here. John Kelly's Personal Cellphone Believed Compromised
Politico
White House officials believe that chief of staff John Kelly's personal cellphone was compromised, possibly as long ago as December. The discovery raises concerns that hackers or foreign governments may have had access to data on Kelly's phone while he was secretary of Homeland Security and after he joined the West Wing. Breitbart, Milo and Hateful Ideas
BuzzFeed News
Stephen Bannon has insisted that "there's no room in American society" for neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates, and the KKK. But documents and emails obtained by BuzzFeed News belie that. Among other things, the article cites parts of online passwords for Bannon ally Milo Yiannopoulos: "Kristall," apparently for Kristallnacht, and "LongKnives1290," apparently referring to a deadly Nazi leadership purge, and to 1290, the year King Edward I expelled the Jews from England. When Military Gear Goes AWOL En Route to the Cops
RealClearInvestigations
Now that the Trump White House has reauthorized the Pentagon to give leftover bayonets, grenade launchers, and other military gear to police, officials hope that this time around the cops won't misplace the goods or hock them on the black market. It's a recurrent problem. Nonprofit Schools Game Tax Dollars Off Dropouts Who Rarely Drop In
ProPUblica/USA Today
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has argued that school choice through charters and for-profit education can lower absenteeism and dropout rates. But a ProPublica-USA Today investigation finds otherwise. At one nonprofit charter high school in Ohio, dropouts rarely drop in. Such schools recruit as many students as possible, and sometimes count them even after they stop showing up -- meaning taxpayer money for empty desks. Apple's War on the 'Qualcomm Tax'
Bloomberg Businessweek
Cell phone manufacturers call it "the Qualcomm tax," the royalty they have to pay the semiconductor firm to avoid patent grief. And they don't like it -- especially Apple. Here Bloomberg Businessweek explores power dynamics in one of the world's largest industries, which bear out the adage, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Apple apparently got rival Samsung to bring regulatory heat on Qualcomm and lower its prices. But hold the phone: The fun has just begun. JPMorgan Accused of Paying Fine With Phony Mortgages
Nation
As part of settlements for its role in the 2008 financial crisis, JPMorgan Chase moved to forgive the mortgages of tens of thousands of homeowners. The feds, in turn, credited these canceled loans against penalties due. But in many instances, JPMorgan was forgiving loans on properties it had already sold to third parties. "JPMorgan, it appears, was running an elaborate shell game," the Nation says. The case is now in court.
Death at a Penn State Fraternity
Atlantic
Tim Piazza, a sophomore at Penn State University, died after falling down a flight of stairs during a fraternity hazing event. Unlike previous similar incidents, Piazza's death was thoroughly documented by security cameras, allowing the Atlantic to take an in-depth look at the episode. A grand jury recommended 1,098 criminal charges against 18 former members and the fraternity itself. And Penn State banned the frat permanently. Plastic Surgeons' Hijinks in the O.R., on Snapchat
Lifehacker
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons is looking to crack down on face-lifters and tummy-tuckers abusing social media. On Snapchat, one doctor, "Dr.Bfixin." dances to pop songs with his staff during operations. Another, "Dr.Miami," also used social media to gain celebrity status, but he agrees someone should yell "Cut!" on video shenanigans in the operating room. |
