Scandals

• The author draws parallels between the current political climate and the 2006 midterm elections, noting a recurring pattern of Republican scandals involving figures like Max Miller and Cory Mills. • Key similarities include an unpopular Middle East conflict, the White House pursuing doomed legislative priorities, and a GOP-led Congress struggling to deliver tangible results. • This comparison suggests a systemic vulnerability for the GOP, as similar conditions in 2006 led to significant losses for the party during the president's second midterm cycle.

Platner, whose campaign was hit by series of negative headlines, to face Susan Collins in key midterm contest Graham Platner, a Marine veteran, oyster farmer and progressive activist, has scaled a mountain of personal controversies to win the Democratic nomination for the US Senate in Maine.Victory on Tuesday caps a remarkable rise for a candidate who has never held elected office and whose campaign was shadowed by negative headlines that might have ended a more conventional political career. Continue reading...

Interim vice-chancellor tells senate estimates of ‘very significant’ effect on donor pipeline and enrolmentsFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA series of high profile scandals and governance failures has cost the Australian National University $100m in reputational damage, the interim vice-chancellor, Rebekah Brown, has told a parliamentary committee.Fronting senate estimates on Friday – a day after a scathing audit report found the ANU approved a controversial $250m cost-cutting program without clear evidence – Brown acknowledged it had been a challenging time for the university. Continue reading...

• Two municipalities in Brussels are currently embroiled in serious governance scandals, sparking concerns over local political accountability. • The cases have emerged this week, highlighting systemic failures in the administration of Belgium's capital region. • These developments matter as they raise critical questions regarding the transparency and integrity of municipal leadership.

• Fenerbahce club officials have condemned the EuroLeague following "unacceptable organization scandals" during the Final Four event in Athens. • Thousands of fans reportedly faced significant logistical issues and organizational failures before the game even began, overshadowing the team's defeat. • The situation highlights critical failures in event management and fan safety during one of the most prestigious stages of European basketball.

Ohio State is grappling with sexual abuse allegations and questions over donor influence as financial pressures mount across higher educationWhen Rocky Ratliff transferred to Ohio State University in Columbus to study political science and wrestle for the college in the mid-1990s, he soon found himself being sexually abused by a prominent member of the university athletic department’s medical staff.At the time, Dr Richard Strauss, who is believed to have abused hundreds of student athletes over a period of decades at Ohio State, and who killed himself in 2005, would subject young men to intense abuse, including rape. Continue reading...