RealClearInvestigations' Picks of the Week
Oct. 21 toOct. 27 Featured Investigation They're still pledging allegiance at colleges and universities - but instead of the flag it's now to diversity, equity and inclusion. As Max Diamond reports forRealClearInvestigations, professors applying for tenure-track positions at many schools - including UCLA, UC Riverside, UC San Diego and UC Berkeley -must write a statement showcasing their commitment to diversity. Vassar College, for example, requires tenure-track job candidates to write about their contributions to social justice. Both VanderbiltUniversity and the University of Pennsylvania provide guides on how to write an effective statement. Diamond reports: Some professors see this requirement as a threat to free speech, open inquiry and debate. "They're looking for an ideological sieve to weed out people who don't comport with the reigning moral orthodoxy," said Peter Boghossian, a philosophy professor at Portland State University. "Universities could potentially be liable for First Amendment violations if they make hiring decisions based on political beliefs or associations that might be revealed by these diversity statements," said Lawrence Walters, a First Amendment attorney. But requiring statements helps faculty recruiters "learn more about candidates' pedagogical skills for creating inclusive classroom environments," said Mark Kendall, director of news and strategic content at Pomona College, which has required tenure-track candidates to submit diversity statements since 2013-2014. "We see inclusive classrooms as helping all and in no way antithetical to diversity of thought." Ricardo Vazquez, a spokesman for UCLA, agreed. "Requesting that applicants submit an EDI [equity, diversity, and inclusivity] statement will not compromise academic freedom," he said. Read Full Article The Trump Investigations: Top Articles DOJ Ties a Trump FISA Release to Obstruction
RealClearInvestigations
Forget "compromising sources and methods." The Department of Justice now has a more powerful excuse for opposing the release of classified material relating to the Russia probe: It would interfere with the work of Special Counsel Robert Mueller. As Lee Smith reports for RealClearInvestigations, the DOJ made this argument explicitly for the first time in arguing against a Freedom of Information Act request seeking documents on the surveillance of Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Smith reports that this move makes it harder for Trump to expose suspected wrongdoing by the DOJ and FBI: The clear implication is that Trump would open himself to criminal charges of obstructing the Mueller probe. Papadopoulos Denial of Collusion Left Off FISA Warrant, The Hill
Developing: The Politically Charged Mail Bomb Probe Lone Fingerprint Led to Bomb Suspect's Arrest, Wall Street Journal
Ex-Stripper, Pro-Trump Loner With a Rap Sheet, Associated Press Other Noteworthy Articles and Series China's Internment Camps Stock Tear Gas, Tasers, Textbooks
Agence France-Presse
The Chinese claim their internment camps for Muslims are education centers that allow residentsto brush up on their job skills and pursue hobbies. But earlier this year, one of the local government departments in charge of such facilities made several purchases that had little to do with education: 2,768 police batons, 550 electric cattle prods, 1,367 pairs of handcuffs, and 2,792 cans of pepper spray. An AFP examination of more than 1,500 publicly available government documents -- ranging from tenders and budgets to official work reports -shows the centers are run more like jails than schools. This story amplifiesRichard Bernstein's reporting for RealClearInvestigationsabout Chinese re-education camps for Muslims. When Cops Are Suspects, Feds Take Years to File Charges
Washington Post
Justice slows to a crawl and then usually disappears when the alleged perpetrator is a sworn law enforcement officer. A Washington Post review of more than 50 recent civil rights cases found an average of three years elapsed between the time of the incident and the day charges were filed. Those are onlythe cases with charges filed. A study of more than 13,000 misconduct cases submitted to the Justice Department over 20 years, conducted by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in 2016, found that no charges were filed in 96 percent of them. The Army Stymied Its Own Study of the Iraq War
Wall Street Journal
The U.S. Army began what it hoped would be a thorough and public of the re-examination of the Iraq war. Today, half the mission is complete - the 1,300 page document has been praised as honest and insightful. The second half of the mission remains up in the air, with broad distribution held up by bureaucratic obstacles, changing priorities and fears that some members of the senior brass do not come off well. Russians and Chinese Listen to Trump's Calls
New York Times
President Trump likes his personal iPhone. So do the Chinese and Russians, who are believed to be eavesdropping on his personal calls. Although the president uses his secure landline for most official business, there is concern that he could mention classified information while yakking on the other phone; he may also be providing enemies insight into how he thinks about the world. The President thinks not: He tweeted that this story was "soooo wrong!" NY: Bidders Cry Foul at Cuomo Donor's $1B Contract
New York Post
One of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's biggest donors has landed a $1 billion-plus contract to develop land surrounding Nassau Coliseum on Long Island, raising new ethical questions for the embattled governor widely expected to cruise to a third term in November. The donor, Scott Rechler, is also a major contributor to Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. Cuomo says he had nothing to do with the decision, which was made by Nassau County officials. Undercover Agents Funded Fla. Gov. Hopeful's Broadway Trip
Tampa Bay Times
An undercover FBI agent posing a contractor paid for Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum's hotel room and his ticket to the Broadway musical "Hamilton" during a 2016 trip to New York City.Gillum, who is the Democratic nominee for Governor, has maintained that his brother arranged for the tickets, but text messages appear to contradict that story. More expense irregularities involving the candidate and the agent emerged later. Lucrative Exits at Google for Execs in Sex Cases
New York Times
Andy Rubin - who is credited with designing the Android operating system - left Google in 2014 to a hero's sendoff. What the company didn't say was that he was leaving because of credible charges of sexual misconduct, including forced sex. Google also didn't say that itcould have fired him and paid nothing, but decided instead to give Rubin a $90 million parachute. This article reports that Rubin was one of three executives that Google protected over the past decade after they were accused of sexual misconduct. A 'Sugar Date' Gone Sour
New York Times
The world's oldest profession is all you'd expect - money for sex - only now, the New York Times imparts, they call it "sugar dating" between a "sugar baby" (usually a woman or gay man) and a "sugar daddy." This sympathetic story focuses on a poor "sugar baby" who was cheated by a "sugar daddy" who, believe it or not, was not who he said he was. Imagine! | 
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