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The Criminalist and the Coerced Plea

Former criminalist Rhonda Reyna once testified for prosecutors in homicide cases. Years later, she says the same justice system ignored exculpatory evidence, pushed her into a no contest plea, and helped separate her from her daughter. Part one of Riptide’s investigation into California’s broken public defense system.

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Two Buildings, Two Standards: How Congress Made Itself the Law’s Blind Spot

Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van Dyke faces decades in prison for insider trading, having profited from classified information following a military operation. Meanwhile, Congress, despite overwhelming evidence of insider trading, has never prosecuted its members under the STOCK Act. This disparity highlights a selective application of enforcement in America’s political system.

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The Brand Gap: How Congress Learned to Sell Family While Living Something Else

In a span of ten days, two Congress members, Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales, resigned amid personal conduct revelations, while David Trone faces scrutiny over a decade-long affair that contradicts his family-oriented political persona. This trend highlights politicians’ reliance on crafted identities that, when exposed, undermine voter trust and accountability.

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THE ADVOCATE’S COLLAPSE

Justin Fairfax built a second act exposing institutional failure. But his role in the Donovon Lynch case, a collapsing legal fight at home, and mounting personal pressure tell a more complicated story—one that ended in irreversible tragedy.

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DOJ Dumps 35 Million Pages in Epstein Case — Transparency or Tactical Overload?

The U.S. Department of Justice has released 35 million pages of documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, which raises concerns about true accountability and transparency. Critics argue that mere volume obscures clarity, emphasizing the need for meaningful summaries and clear indexing to effectively address victims’ questions and rebuild public trust.

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Collateral Damage — Suicide, Stigma, and the Military Parent Crisis

The Thunder Report highlights the alarming suicide rates among U.S. service members, linking prevalent family separation and administrative stress to mental health crises. Despite significant data showcasing these trends, the Pentagon fails to connect family advocacy outcomes to suicide prevention, resulting in institutional negligence that leads to tragic losses.

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A Department in Decay: How Prince George’s County Police Became a Case Study in Institutional Failure

Prince George’s County’s police department sits at the uneasy intersection of race, power, and accountability — a majority-Black force in a majority-Black county still haunted by decades of corruption and cover-ups. From the $20 million William Green shooting settlement to this month’s $2.35 million verdict for whistleblower Mohamed Magassouba, the pattern is clear: misconduct isn’t the exception, it’s the expense of doing business. “A Department in Decay” traces how internal retaliation, political favoritism, and taxpayer-funded damage control have replaced real reform — and why even honest cops are paying the price.

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The Records They Wouldn’t Release — and the Mother They Jailed

The case of Giselle Smiel highlights significant issues of transparency and jurisdictional failures in California’s justice system. After a May 2025 incident involving alleged child abduction, Smiel faced six felony charges despite having no criminal history. Denied access to public records and effective legal representation, she remains in jail, raising concerns over systemic accountability and due process.

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“I Don’t Care”: The COVID Hospital Incident They Tried to Bury

In August 2021, retired officer Lane Schlesinger violated COVID-19 protocols at North Shore Hospital, disregarding warnings and masks. Despite documented misconduct and referrals to the Attorney General’s office, no action was taken against him. Schlesinger’s case highlights systemic failures in law enforcement accountability, leading to unequal treatment under the law.

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