Longreads

Two California men use conspiracy theories to fuel a massive tax-fraud scheme:

"The Old Quest presenters told Trinidad every time he used his social security number as part of a financial transaction, he was 'creating money,' and that when he signed a loan document, the bank received nine times the amount he borrowed. They warned attendees to not try the OID process themselves because its complexity would get them into trouble. 'Leave it to the experts,' they said.

"About a week later, the pastor went to Wilson's Costa Mesa home, where she calculated the balance on his mortgages and credit cards that would be claimed as withheld income. Trinidad wrote a $2,500 check that day.

"The presenters made it sound as though Old Quest was working with lawyers and accountants. 'Who in their right mind would think lawyers would do fraudulent things?' Trinidad told investigators."

Once in Venezuela, other teams were put up in nice hotels, but the Iranian team, at the insistence of its country's officials, was forced to stay in military barracks. Abedi was in a room with his brother's best friend, Asgari. Quietly in the showers or in private moments between matches, Abedi began sharing his intentions with a few teammates. Two other wrestlers, both named Abbas, confirmed that they, too, would not return.

Birth of an Obsession - With her strong will, busy travel schedule and breathless blogging, Laguna Niguel dentist Orly Taitz has become the most controversial figure in the effort to prove that President Barack Obama is foreign-born