Russian Domestic Hacking Hoists Kremlin on Its Own Petard
Wall Street Journal
Russian domestic politics are being roiled by hacking tactics like those Russia is accused of using to weaken its foreign opponents. Leaked documents, which fueled anti-corruption protests, came from a shadowy group called Anonymous International—also known as "Shaltai Boltai." That's Russian for Humpty Dumpty. Trump's Newest Wall Street Watchdog Sidesteps Ethics Scrutiny
Bloomberg
The Trump administration did a quick two-step to skirt Senate vetting and install a lawyer representing banks as a powerful banking regulator. Keith Noreika was made "first deputy" at the Comptroller of the Currency, first in line for the top job once it opened. Which he got when the administration ousted the boss. Teachers Can't Afford to Live in San Francisco
San Francisco Chronicle
Etoria Cheeks is a high school math teacher in San Francisco making $65,000 a year. But she's homeless because of the city's astronomical housing costs. After two months in hostels, she was forced to sleep in an emergency shelter. "I was there for a night, and I was so freaked out," she said. "I didn't let anyone at the school know." Raising the Gas Tax Is No Longer Taboo In Many States
Governing.com
Twenty-two states have increased fuel taxes in the past five years, suggesting it's perhaps not the political risk it used to be. Washington has not raised the gas tax in 23 years, and that has helped persuade state officials that they must act on their own to shore up funding for roads, bridges and other projects. New State Waivers Could Greatly Expand Medicaid Treatment for Addiction
STAT News
Waivers from arcane federal rules have dramatically expanded options for treating opioid addiction under Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. Virginia is now the fourth state to get such a waiver, after California, Massachusetts and Maryland. Already Medicaid pays for about a quarter of all substance abuse treatment. Stephen Fry Under Investigation in Ireland for Blasphemy
Irish Independent
Irish authorities are investigating comedian and writer Stephen Fry for blasphemy under a 2009 law. In a 2015 television interview viewed online 7 million times, he was asked what he might say to God at the pearly gates. Fry replied: "How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? ... It's utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?" | 
