Dear Reader (Particularly those of you who put the oo mau mau back into my smile,  child),

Let’s start with a rare G-File legal explainer. 

In the wake of the Georgia indictments, a lot of people didn’t understand that “predicate acts” in a racketeering case don’t have to be illegal by themselves. Let’s say, to expand on David and Sarah’s analogy, the staff of The Dispatch decides to get into the kidnapping business. At an “editorial” meeting I bark out orders: “Okay Drucker, you get the duct tape. Isgur, you find us a good nondescript getaway car. Hayes, just keep eating cheese curds until we find something for you to do.” 

Drucker gets the duct tape, Sarah gets a sweet AMC Pacer with a tricked-out engine. Hayes provides encouragement. And then we head out to kidnap George Will and hold him for ransom. (“He’s a national treasure! People will pay for his release!”)