How Corrupt Is the Obama Administration?

A retiring prosecutor reveals just how unlawful the SEC is; the Netflix show “House of Cards” has helped China’s image in the U.S.; meanwhile, the long-term unemployment crisis must be resolved. These discoveries and more below.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

Retiring Obama Administration Prosecutor Says the SEC Is Corrupt The testimony and investigations show Obama to be astoundingly corrupt.

Putin’s Nightmare: Do Demographic Trends Indicate a Dire Future for Russia? Russia faces severe demographic challenges as birth rates for ethnic Russians are falling, with the only growth areas lying in predominantly Muslim regions.

Why Frank Underwood is Great for China’s Soft Power In depicting U.S. politics as just as vicious, if not more, sociopathic than its Chinese counterpart, House of Cards delivered a sweet Valentine’s Day gift to the Chinese government.

Looking For Tom Lehrer, Comedy’s Mysterious Genius Tom Lehrer is considered one of the most influential figures in comedy — despite a body of work consisting of just 37 pitch-black songs and a career that stopped abruptly when the counterculture he helped spawn eclipsed him.

US Contractor Greystone Denies Its ‘Mercenaries’ in Ukraine The Russian government today claimed there are more than 100 American “mercenaries” from a defense contracting company disguised as Ukrainian troops in the embattled former Soviet nation, a claim the American firm and top U.S. officials deny.

Mary Jo White, Tough on Torture Victims In a new piece, Time magazine (4/3/14) is trying to show that Securities & Exchange Commission chair Mary Jo White will be tough on crooked bankers.

College Is Still for Creating Citizens The fierce debate about the future of higher education in America has clarified some issues even as it has polarized national thinking on the question.

Students Can Transfer Knowledge If Taught How One psychologist described it as education’s holy grail.

How Companies Name New Products The name is important.

Campaign Finance and the Nihilist Politics of Resignation Most Americans want to take money out of government but don’t think it’s possible. Here’s a plan for overcoming our defeatism.

Israeli Institute Prepares Priests for Jerusalem’s Third Temple On April 10, at 5 p.m., hundreds of Jews will gather at the Maimonides rabbinical institution plaza in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood in Jerusalem and start learning the Jewish laws of Passover.

Military-Industrial-Academic Complex President Eisenhower originally included “academic” in the draft of his landmark speech on the military-industrial-complex.

Judge Again Rejects Feds Over Email Search A federal magistrate who has refused or modified a slew of search warrants for email records in recent months out of concerns that they were overly broad has shot down a Justice Department proposal which appeared intended to allay his worries.

If You Love Street Photography, This New Documentary Is a Must-See What if you spent your life creating a body of brilliant artwork — and nobody saw it until after your death?

America Needs to Solve Long-Term Unemployment Crisis Investing money now is not only humane but will also save on costs and help growth in the future.