As T and S noted this week many people are not smarter than us just more evil ...

Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh piled up credit card debt by purchasing Nationals tickets, White House says WaPo. If “… takes a bizarre turn….” isn’t in there, it should


American Democracy in Crisis: The Challenges of Voter Knowledge, Participation, and Polarization – PPRI – Alex Vandermaas-Peeler, Daniel Cox, PhD, Molly Fisch-Friedman,Rob Griffin, PhD, Robert P. Jones, PhD, 07.17.2018

IT’S TIME THE GLOVES CAME OFF: Politics is Marketing

Tyrants Aren’t Smarter Than Democrats, Just More Evil

by Thomas R. Wells

Tyrants like Vladamir Putin and Kim Jong Un seem to win a lot of their geopolitical contests against democratic governments. How do they do it?

A common explanation is that these tyrants are better at playing the game. They are strategic geniuses leading governments with decades of experience in foreign affairs and characterised by single-mindedness and a long-term horizon. Of course they are going to make better geopolitical moves than democratic governments riven by political factionalism and only able to think as far ahead as the next election.

‘They Will Die in Tallinn’: Estonia Girds for War With Russia Politico

America’s president is Russia’s pawn Boston Globe

Trump says ‘Germany totally controlled by Russia’ through gas supplies TASS

Nevis: how the world’s most secretive offshore haven refuses to clean up Guardian

‘White and Wealthy’ Colleagues Called Out in Letter to DCCC Demanding Intern Pay Roll Call

License to Clip Marshall Project

7 Fast-Food Chains to End ‘No Poach’ Deals That Lock Down Low-Wage Workers NYT

Ajit Pai finalizes vote to limit FCC reviews of customer complaints Ads Technica. The deck: “Real change or not, the FCC won’t rule on complaints unless you pay $225.” Outrageous.

Americans aren’t using up their vacation days Treehugger

Major Shareholder Wants Tesla To ‘Concentrate’ On Performance After Elon Musk Twitter Rants International Business Times

I’ve spoken to hundreds of voters in “flyover country.” Socialism is an easy sell. Vox

Been Down So Long It Looks Like Debt to Me Baffler

Silicon Valley’s cautionary tale shows what can go wrong when charities get obsessed with growth The Conversation

Press freedom in Turkey is under attack (again). One of our newest members, Pelin Ünker, and her newspaper Cumhuriyet are being sued over their Paradise Papers reporting.

Ünker’s stories exposed the offshore financial dealings of some of Turkey’s most powerful people. This type of fearless investigative reporting is dangerous in a country dubbed the “world’s biggest prison for professional journalists.” The ICIJ network is watching the case closely as it goes through court this week.

The determined work of our members is also highlighted in our monthly Meet the Investigators. We speak with Kristof Clerix, from Belgium, about the similarities between spies and investigative reporters. Clerix is a massive supporter of collaborative journalism and has worked on several ICIJ investigations.  Another player in the Paradise Papers was U.S. President Donald Trump’s Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. Our reporting revealed a company partly owned by Ross had Russian business ties. In response, Ross said he would divest his holdings, but it was later revealed he shorted the stock - after reporters told him about the pending story. The tide of criticism has continued, with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics claiming “omissions and inaccurate statements” in the ethics agreement Ross signed prior to joining cabinet undermined the public’s trust. Now a Democratic senator is requesting a criminal investigation. Still in the U.S., a new report has slammed the Internal Revenue Service for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a new initiative to crackdown on tax dodging, but then taking “limited or no action.” Until next week! Amy Wilson-Chapman ICIJ's community engagement editor