[dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith all the talk about Russian influence in U.S. elections, it's easy to overlook the pervasive foreign influence over our system exerted through paid lobbyists. Nations such as Russia and Ukraine hire U.S. lobby firms to push their interests on Capitol Hill, in the news media, and to publish their talking points in op-eds. It's not always clearly disclosed that these narratives are being driven by foreign countries.
Our cover story this week highlights the case of some U.S. vets who were offered an all expenses paid trip to Washington D.C. They claim they had no idea Saudi Arabia was picking up the tab and that they were being used in an intensive campaign to lobby against a U.S. law. It's a fascinating story that gives a lot of insight into how Washington really works (something we love to expose here on Full Measure).
[hr]Preorder Sharyl's new book: "The Smear: How Shady Political Operative and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think and How You Vote."[hr]
Joce Sterman reports on a surprising use of the U.S. Postal Service: to deliver illegal drugs. It turns out the USPS lacks tracking controls that FedEx and UPS have. As a result, drug traffickers have figured out the postman can be an easy way to move drugs.
And we'll profile the original Washington DC reality TV: C-SPAN. I'll sit down with founder Brian Lamb and ask if today's media environment is driving more viewers to C-SPAN in search of unbiased, unfiltered information.
Watch Us, Follow Us, Like Us! Sunday on Full Measure.
[hr]Preorder : "The Smear: How Shady Political Operative and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think and How You Vote."
