Political Corruption

In this audiobook, William L. Riordan, one of the "muckracker" journalists, records Plunkitt's take on politics in Plunkitt's own words - as delivered from the bootblack stand at the New York County Courthouse, Plunkitt's only office. His take on life, politics, and morality is as delightfully frank as it is astonishingly cynical. Enjoy!

The Twentieth Century was widely known the “American Century.” The United States of America led the world economically, militarily, and even morally. Her families and communities were strong, her currency was sound, and her military was second to none. But as the new century opens, America staggers from one crisis to another and her leaders squabble rather than lead. Her enemies openly mock her around the world and brazenly attack her vital interests. At home, her citizens are divided against one another more than they have been in generations. The culture war rages and every passing ...

Since 1945, the US has justified numerous wars, interventions, and military build-ups based on the pretext of the Russian Red Menace, even after the Soviet Union collapsed at the end of 1991 and Russia stopped being Red. In fact, the two biggest post-war American conflicts, the Korean and Vietnam wars, were not, as has been frequently claimed, about stopping Soviet aggression or even influence. And now the specter of a Russian Menace has been raised again in the wake of Donald Trump's victory.

The Phantom of the Pavilion by K. A. Wijeratne In the crumbling cricket ground of Maduwila, whispers from the past refuse to fade. When jaded sports journalist Laki Perera stumbles upon a half-forgotten scandal buried beneath the lush spin of Sri Lankan cricket, he finds himself haunted—literally—by the ghost of Ranjith "Rana" Abeysekera, a prodigious spinner whose mysterious death decades ago was written off as disgrace. As Laki joins forces with his estranged daughter Madhavi and fiery investigative reporter Shyamali Peiris, the trio uncover a tangled web of match-fixing, political ...

The Article V movement has been crushed and the Convention of States that it spawned has been dissolved. The organizers of the movement have been rounded up by Homeland Security or driven underground. Any chance for a peaceful redress of grievances from the federal government is over. As any hope for political reforms of the Washington leviathan fade, the Sons of Liberty take matters into their own hands and renew their Ultimatum. If the terms of the Ultimatum to rein in the tyranny are not enacted by ballot, then they will be by bullet. With an isolated, out-of-touch president coasting ...

In the complex world of international politics and power struggles, the line between right and wrong often blurs. "Shadow Allegiance" takes you on an adrenaline-fueled journey through the murky underbelly of political corruption, where loyalties are tested, secrets exposed, and the power to shape nations hangs precariously in the balance. When an unclassified FBI document implicating the U.S President in a five-million-dollar bribery scheme with a Ukrainian natural gas company surfaces, it sends shockwaves through the country. As the President’s son, serving on the company's board, also ...

Mr. Gobscheit has a finger in every pie-until one bites back. Jack Gobscheit, a smooth operator with influence in high places, thinks he's got the world dancing to his tune. With money flowing and global leaders in his pocket, nothing seems out of reach-until a new frontier opens in the scramble for rare earth elements. Enter Mark Jamison, tasked with uncovering the murky interests behind a surge in demand for these vital resources. From the US to the icy edges of Greenland, Mark follows a trail of political tension, environmental controversy, and shadowy deals-where Gobscheit, of course, ...

Mathis Cross, the hard-driving police commissioner, cleaned up a corrupt city and a more corrupt police force. Taking Gen. Patton’s advice to heart, his motto is ‘lead me, follow me, or get the hell out of my way’. Given that the mayor appoints the police commissioner--not surprisingly, Mathis has a keen interest in the upcoming mayoral election. As do the wealthy politicos accustomed to running the city and determined to get rid of Mathis Cross once and for all. As her sneering detractors declare, Gracie D’Amico hasn’t so much as run for prom queen, much less mayor. Her shy ...

As Alabama’s governor, our economy improved; our strides in education gained national attention; I rallied voters, expanded my base and held the line against Republican dominance. As Southern Democratic Governors Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter before me, I was ready to jump into the race for president. I just needed to win reelection in 2002 to launch my challenge to George W. Bush in 2004. That’s when forces of the Bush White House swarmed into Alabama and, in that instant, Alabama become a brutal political battleground.

Nightsveil has fallen. Humankind is reeling. It is the start of a war between planes. The Primeval Demon, Belzu, continues to wreak havoc throughout the Human Lands. Saffron Merryster shall try to gather the Greater Vampire Families against this threat, Edithe Dawnrise will work to unite her broken company after the company war, and Daniel Song will finally brave his way into Elutra. All of them working separately to tackle Belzu. But Salvos only has one goal: grow stronger.

Beneath the glamour, beyond the wealth, a shadow lurks... In the world of high society, appearances are everything but behind the luxury lies a web of deception. When a scandal threatens to shatter the pristine image of the elite, secrets that were meant to stay hidden come creeping into the light. As a determined investigator delves deeper into the mystery, the façade of elegance begins to crack, revealing dangerous alliances, forbidden affairs, and a truth too powerful to ignore. In a society where silence is currency and reputation is king, will justice prevail, or will the shadow of ...

Seamus Bruner and the Government Accountability Institute have spent years cataloging the widespread conflict-of-interests of the D.C. political class. They have found massive self-enrichment and political bias at the highest levels of government—including the Justice Department and the FBI. Indeed, the nation's most important law enforcement agency has become so compromised that every major investigation should face intense scrutiny from the public, the media, and from Congress.

Does the eradication of genetic diversity cleanse a society of crime and political corruption? Following the devastating Race Wars, the ruling order concluded that only by eliminating differences could further bloodshed be prevented. After witnessing a brutal murder, clone Hal LK2154 joins a shadowy organization to apprehend the mutants supposedly responsible for such crimes. With increasing knowledge of the group’s police-state tactics, Hal learns that the roots of human violence grow deeper than the public suspects.

In the era of Watergate and rising feminist awareness, reporter Pam Zekman was queen of the muckrakers. Her biggest investigation: buy a bar, document the inevitable city department shakedowns and bribes, and publicly document Chicago’s institutionalized corruption. Her epic story changed Chicago and also raised serious questions about the future of journalism.

The history and future of our democracy's ultimate sanction, presidential impeachment, and a guide to how it should be used now. To End a Presidency addresses one of today's most urgent questions: when and whether to impeach a president. Laurence Tribe and Joshua Matz provide an authoritative guide to impeachment's past and a bold argument about its proper role today. In an era of expansive presidential power and intense partisanship, we must rethink impeachment for the 21st century.

Representative democracies in the US and around the world are in trouble. Due to the political divide and political party extremism, people are upset, and looking for a government that better serves them. Books and articles are rife with blame, but no realistic, actionable solution has been put forth. Minor changes have been proposed such as term limits and multi-voting. However, no one has examined the root cause of the problem, much less developed a practical solution to toxic, destructive politics that incite hate and violence. Until now....

Would you kill someone to be with your family? When the unexpected deaths of a local minister and his wife send shockwaves through Orvin, Kelly Sage finds herself entangled in the middle of a troubled family's secrets. Meanwhile, Cole Sage is kept on the sidelines, unaware that an even darker web is being spun around him. Where is his traditional role as the crime solver? Meanwhile, government regulations and prejudice have left Native American veteran Michael Blackbear alone and desperate. His Iraqi wife and son have been torn from him by distance, bureaucracy, and the war he fought to win...

QUAND TOUT LE SYSTÈME EST POURRI. AUTANT JOUER SELON SES PROPRES RÈGLES. Denny Malone est le roi de Manhattan North, le leader charismatique de La Force, une unité d élite qui fait la loi dans les rues de New York et n hésite pas à se salir les mains pour combattre les gangs, les dealers et les trafiquants d armes. Après dix-huit années de service, il est respecté et admiré de tous. Mais le jour où, après une descente, Malone et sa garde rapprochée planquent pour des millions de dollars de drogue, la ligne jaune est franchie.

From a highly regarded feminist cultural critic and professor comes a polemic arguing that the stifling sense of sexual danger sweeping American campuses doesn't empower women, it impedes the fight for gender equality. Feminism is broken, argues Laura Kipnis, if anyone thinks the sexual hysteria overtaking American campuses is a sign of gender progress.

Mafia-crats of New York A Detective’s Costly Crusade Against Mob-Inspired Corruption What happens when the real enemy isn’t just on the streets—but in city hall? In the shadows of New York’s political machine, where the lines between government and organized crime have long been blurred, one detective dares to push back. Mafia-crats of New York tells the gripping story of an anti-corruption investigator who risks everything to expose the mob’s enduring grip on local politics—and the quiet complicity of those sworn to uphold the law. Haunted by a turbulent past and targeted by ...