New York Times

Materials released by the Justice Department revealed that leading business and political figures had enduring relationships with the disgraced financier.

Jacob Kornbluh, a former lox-slinger with no degrees, became an unlikely fixture in New York politics. Now he is chasing the story of a lifetime, inside the new City Hall.

This is a presidency that is, by any measure, failing.

His introspective memoir tries to challenge the conventional wisdom about his upbringing, explores his marriages and airs a little dirty laundry — but says relatively little about politics.

All have amassed enormous war chests, new filings show, making them the financial wild cards of this year’s midterm elections and feared political spenders.

Wealthy buyers and tourism entrepreneurs are acquiring abandoned European villages — school, church and bar included.