Avoid your eyes!mine sunday morning Look at incompetence, corruption and policy blunders:

• Russia leaks data like a sieve: Ukraine claims to have attacked Russian troops and spies, while hacker activists routinely leak private information about Russian groups. A wealth of information about the Russian state and its activities has been made public since Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border in late February. The data provides an unparalleled glimpse into the closed private institution that could be a gold mine for investigators, from journalists to those charged with investigating war crimes. Hundreds of gigabytes of files and millions of emails have been made public. (wired)

• ‘Hell or High Water Clauses’ Are Tormenting Small Business Owners Many entrepreneurs rent out their equipment. Then, if hurt by the pandemic, they face years of payments even if the equipment is faulty. (Wall Street Journal)

• McKinsey opens a door in the firewall between its pharma clients and regulators Internal records show the company had consultants advising drugmakers and their government watchdogs. “Who we know, what we know” is part of their pitch. (New York Times) see also Is McKinsey the root of all evil? Global consulting firm McKinsey has developed questionable strategies for companies ranging from Enron to General Electric. In fact, if you look around, somewhere in the world where financial disasters have occurred, somewhere in the background, McKinsey & Company is nearby. (big picture)

• The privatization myth: The in-depth history of the handover of public services to private companies over the past four years provides a striking picture of how not to govern. (American Prospects)

• Tesla-backed startup makes cheap electricity a debt burden for the world’s poorest Development banks, venture capitalists and Elon Musk back pay-as-you-go consumer financing to bring solar power to African villagers. It doesn’t work out like this (Bloomberg)

• Memphis may have the sweetest water in the world, but toxic waste could ruin it all In a group of low-income neighborhoods (mostly black), toxic dumps have toxic emissions that pollute aquifers and endanger the lives of residents. (protector)

• FDA’s Food Failure: Based on more than 50 interviews, the FDA found that the FDA failed to meet U.S. consumer expectations for food safety and nutrition. (politics) see also Our food systems are not ready for the climate crisis The world’s farms produce only a handful of bananas, avocados, coffee and other foods — making them more vulnerable to climate damage. (protector)

• People who believe in Russian disinformation It’s worth going back and thinking about the various audiences of Russian disinformation campaigns and examining where they work and where they don’t. (slate)

• How The Right Is Bringing Christian Prayer Back to Public Schools Conservative judges and lawmakers have redefined religious neutrality as anti-Christian bigotry. Today, school officials who force students to pray continue their offensive, claiming that any attempt to stop them from religious coercion is actually a persecution of their religious beliefs. Regulators, lawmakers and judges trying to protect children from indoctrination are being recast as anti-Christian bigots. (slate)

• Authoritarianism is not just a cult of personality The study of strongmen ignores the deeper causes of democratic collapse. (new republic)

Be sure to check out our Master of Business interview this weekend with Luana Lopez LauraCo-founder Karsh, has been approved by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as an Authorized Designated Contract Market (DCM). Kalshi operates a federally regulated exchange that allows investors to trade directly on the expected outcome of future events.

Coronavirus in the US: Where cases are rising and falling

source: National Geographic

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To understand how these readings are assembled on a daily basis, please see this.