Susie is a judge in a contest that decides which politicians were the year's "best" purveyors of public corruption, outlandish behavior, and betrayals of the public trust. This annual awards ceremony, sponsored by Talking Points Memo (talkingpointsmemo.com), is called the Golden Dukes, in honor of former US Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham, who epitomizes the iconic modern scandal. This year brings a bumper crop of crazy and unethical behavior by so many lawmaker "contestants" that the judges had a hard time picking who was the worst with so many to choose from.

Then, it's "What's New on Audible". Susie has a great title to recommend: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James, narrated by a full cast. The book won the 2015 Man Booker Prize, and Susie loves the audio version. The story travels from Kingston, Jamaica, in 1976, where Bob Marley's murder takes place amongst the slums, to the crack-filled streets of New York in the '80s, then back to a radically altered Jamaica in the '90s.

Have a question or news story for Susie? You can send your confidential queries and comments to susie@susiebright.com.[Episode 688, January 8, 2016]

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