It figures that the good political stories were posted immediately following the Sunday links being posted. A secret ledger being discovered in the Ukraine by an anti-corruption team is certainly big news and even bigger when it might impact the office of the President of the United States.
Anyway, it’s Wednesday which means that it’s time for the links. Since we missed her Olympic appearance, here is Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau found a secret ledger showing $12.7 million in payments from then-President Viktor Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party to now Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort. Manafort was a paid consultant for Yanukovych’s own Presidential campaign. (New York Times)
Coincidentally, Trump had advocated for a stronger US stance against Russia until recently softening his tone. Many people are saying this and the previous link are connected. (Politico)
And at the same time as that report came out, Ivanka Trump, daughter of the Republican Presidential nominee and one of his closest advisers, was on vacation with Vladimir Putin’s reported girlfriend. (Galore Magazine)
Reports say that the Trump campaign has asked foreign elected officials for donations. Foreign donations to an American election campaign is illegal under American election laws. (Politico)
In what he claims was misspeaking and what is a well-timed distraction from the Trump campaign’s above noted ties to Russian interests, Rudy Giuliani claimed that there were no terrorist attacks in America before President Obama took office. Rudy Giuliani said this. Rudy Giuliani who was mayor of New York on 9/11 and nine months from being elected mayor of New York when the WTC was bombed in 1993. (Politifact)
The Harper Canada legacy continues. The Canadian government website revamp approved in March 2015 is six-times budget with less than half of it done. (National Post)
A new study theorizes that humanity’s large brains are a result of handling social situations. (Psy Post)
Athletes for the big sports are staying up late in Rio because NBC wants them live in US primetime. NBC is paying so much that they will get their wish granted by the IOC. (CBC News)
The recently released Sausage Party was reportedly made for $20 million. The reported reasons for why they could make it for that little are infuriating. (Dorkly)