Monthly Archives: August 2018

Wells and Its Culture: A Dozen or So More Employees Fired for Violating Bank Expense Policy

There comes a point when those in charge at Wells must pause and wonder, “What’s up with this place?” As the bank trots through its rebirth (if the ads and billboards accurately reflect intentions), government sanctions, and board members ousted … Continue reading

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“How McCain Got the Last Word Against Trump”

Headline, New York Times, top-fold, p. A1. August 30, 2018. The story beneath it describes anti-Trump symbolism in Senator McCain’s planning for his funeral. There are some of us who, knowing that the last word rests with someone waiting beyond … Continue reading

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VW Has Miles to Go, As It Were, on Ethics and Compliance

Larry D. Thompson, the federal monitor for VW, issued an interim report on VW’s progress. Mr. Thompson’s April report indicated that VW had not taken sufficient action to hold executives accountable and reform its culture. Since that report, several executives … Continue reading

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The Ad in the New York Times Recruiting Catholics

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (a group of agnostics and atheists) had a full-page ad in the New York Times today (August 28, 2018, p.A5). The title line is, “It’s Time to Consider Quitting the Catholic Church.” The remainder of … Continue reading

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Coaches and Their Soft Hearts

Joe Paterno, former head football coach at Penn State. Michigan State University former gymnastics coach, Kathie Klages. Ohio State head football coach, Urban Meyer. The late Coach Paterno was told about the behaviors of now convicted child molester, Jerry Sandusky, … Continue reading

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In the Hollywood Hypocrisy Department . . .

Asia Argento, actress and director, was one of the first Hollywood women to accuse producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. Following her October 2017 revelations about Mr. Weinstein,a young actor maintains that she arranged for payments totaling $380,000 to him … Continue reading

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Mortgage Fraud: Boundless Creativity and Four Indicted

It seems that some folks were asleep during the mortgage crisis, thus failing to internalize the risk of mortgage fraud. This time, the alleged frauds involve commercial mortgage loans for rental properties. In order to pump up the perceptions of … Continue reading

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Google and the “Evil” Thing

Google’s code of ethics had an overarching theme in its early days, “Don’t be evil.” When Alphabet came along, the motto morphed to “Do the right thing.” Now, commentators are accusing Google of morphing further beyond its ethical roots by … Continue reading

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“The university accepts legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes that our training staff made on that fateful workout day of May 29.”

University of Maryland athletic director, Damon Evans, and university president, Wallace D. Loh, in a statement released following their meeting with the parents of Jordan McNair. In that meeting, Mr. Evans and Dr. Loh explained the findings of the university’s … Continue reading

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John Grisham Takes on Prosecutors

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, novelist John Grisham asks for consequences for prosecutors who have continued to receive a flood of exonerations because of the following misconduct: 1. Concealing evidence that would benefit defendants 2. Fabricating evidence to convict … Continue reading

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OJ Simpson “Fit” Test Arises Again: Can $60,000 in Cash Fit in a Ferragamo Bag?

Norman Seabrook, the former head of the corrections officers’ union in New York City, is on trial for corruption charges. The allegations are that Mr. Seabrook took $60,000 in cash in exchange for directing union funds into a risky hedge … Continue reading

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The Ethics of Scolding Relatives Publicly

Bobby Goodlatte, the son of U.S. Representative Robert W. Goodlatte (R. Va.), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, used Twitter to announce that he had donated the maximum amount to his father’s opponent in his district in rural Virginia. Bobby, … Continue reading

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The Bystander Effect in Chicago

They will not tell the police what they know. The friends, families, and neighbors of the Chicago shooting victims continue to remain sullen and mute. The no-snitching rule in Chicago is alive, well, and seemingly mandatory. Some say it is … Continue reading

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The West Virginia Supreme Court Impeachment: All Four Justices Charged

Last month West Virginia Supreme Court Justice Menis Ketchum entered a guilty plea to one felony count of wire fraud. A federal investigation found that now former Justice Ketchum used a state fuel credit card to purchase case for trips, … Continue reading

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