Help Us Grow
With more public support, WhoWhatWhy can produce more great investigations, more often. To donate, click here. To help us raise funds, click here.
You Better Watch Out! Trump’s Cabinet is a Gift to Big Oil
This year, the US is getting coal in its stocking … and crude oil and natural gas produced by fracking. Lots of it.
It’s a Wonderful (Political) Life
Tis the season to be jolly! Follow me in merry measure! Yeah, whatever…let’s watch Prescott Bush.
Movies in the Trump Years
A major film critic questions the power of movies — or any art form — to move the needle of public opinion, for better or worse.
Classic Who: Iran Is Not the Biggest Nuclear Cheater — Guess Who Is
As Donald Trump and his team contemplate what to do about the Iran nuclear agreement and whether Iran can be trusted — they should be reminded of the US track record on the subject.
Berlin Truck Terror Suspect and the Curious Matter of ID Papers Left Behind
The suspect in the Berlin truck attack on a Christmas market left behind ID papers. And was previously known to authorities. This seems to be part of a pattern.
Trump and the Bushes — the New Guy and the Old Guard Dance
Trump famously claimed that he would “drain the swamp.” Yet some long standing swamp residents, such as the Bush Clan, don’t plan on being removed from their natural habitat.
How the World Press Saw Trump Electoral College Confirmation
Sometimes perspectives from afar tell us more than the chatter from Washington and New York. Here’s what some of the foreign media had to say about Donald Trump’s Electoral College triumph.
Is This How It Begins?
Echoes of World War I in the Ankara shooting of the Russian Ambassador. This one is deeply worrisome.
Who Will Speak Truth to Donald Trump?
Will any of the people advising Trump dare to speak truth to power? And if so, will the new president ever listen? If the answer to both questions is “no,” then Trump will rule more like a monarch than a president.
Open Letter to John Podesta: This Is Your FBI Wakeup Call
I get that John Podesta is frustrated with the FBI’s role in the recent election. But he should wake up. The FBI has always been a dangerously problematical institution. Time to pay attention, to the many examples we cite here.
Did the FBI Drop the Ball on Pearl Harbor?
Seventy-five years after the attack on Pearl Harbor, we still don’t know whether the Japanese strike could have been prevented because the FBI is refusing to release key documents. Is the Bureau hiding a huge intelligence blunder?
Religion, Sin, Identity Politics and the 2016 Election
Religious language and iconography, coupled with gender and identity politics may be the clearest lens through which to view what happened in this election.
Recounts Are Only as Good as They Are Allowed to Be
Americans have been told that they can trust the election system and that recounts of paper ballots are one way to ensure its integrity. But how valuable are recounts really when officials and courts at all levels throw up roadblocks that prevent an accurate count?
Is There Anything to an Electoral College Mutiny?
Anti-Trump forces are pinning their last hopes on a revolt in the Electoral College next Monday. Could that actually happen?
Some Voting Machines May Be Hackable After All
Early fears that voting machines had been hacked were initially assuaged by assurances that the machines were not connected to the outside world. Now we learn otherwise.