• During his brief tenure as Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson made enemies of two powerful allies in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Persian Gulf states were upset over Tillerson’s efforts to mediate the Saudi led blockade against Qatar.
(“Saudi Arabia Planned to Invade Qatar Last Summer. Rex Tillerson’s Efforts to Stop It May Have Cost Him His Job,” The Intercept, Aug. 1, 2018)
• In the weeks after Hurricane Maria decimated Puerto Rico, inmates at the Bayamon connectional facility were cut off from water, electricity, and isolated from family members for weeks.
(“After Maria, Puerto Rico to Move 3200 Inmates to Arizona,” Guardian, Aug. 7, 2018)
• Billionaire Steve Cohen’s hedge fund company SAC Capital, plead guilty to insider trading charges in 2013 and paid $1.8 billion in penalties. But Cohen, who eluded criminal charges himself, now runs a private fund with $11 billion in assets. After his son served in Afghanistan he’s taken an interest in veterans’ health care issues, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder.
(“Steve Cohen Is Spending Millions to Help Veterans. Why Are People Angry?,” ProPublica, Aug. 3, 2018)
