U.S. Contractors Employed Taliban: After a year-long investigation, a Senate panel has found that the mostly Afghan force of private security guards the U.S. military depends on to protect supply convoys and bases in Afghanistan is rife with criminals, drug users and insurgents. The Wall Street Journal reports that the report alleges that some local warlords who have emerged as key labor brokers for private security firms are also Taliban agents.
Thanks, Supreme Court! The New York Times reports that the overriding theme of this year's midterm election campaign is money, lots of money. The explanation for how interest groups have become such powerful players this year includes not just the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Citizens United case that struck down restrictions on corporate spending on elections, but also a constellation of other legal developments since 2007 that have gradually loosened strictures governing campaign financing and the regulation of third-party groups.
Meet the New Boss: Pete Rouse, the man picked to succeed Rahm Emanuel as White House chief of staff, has a much lighter touch than his predecessor, Politico reports. Where Emanuel was a whirlwind of on-the-spot decision-making, his replacement is more focused on organization and long-term planning. And the low-key Rouse is less prone to spouting opinion, signaling his intentions through pointed questions, the same Socratic technique favored by President Barack Obama, the paper reports.
Well Done, Mr. Ewing: Larry Hagman, the ex-'Dallas' star at the center of the "Who shot J.R.?" incident, won an arbitration decision that requires Citigroup to pay the 79-year-old actor $11.5 million in damages following a dispute involving several of his accounts. The New York Daily News reports that the award includes $10 million in punitive damages Citi must pay to charities selected by Hagman, as well as $1.1 million in compensatory damages. A Financial Industry Regulatory Authority arbitration panel also ruled that Citi must pay about $440,000 for Hagman's legal fees and other costs.
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