A representative for the foundation dismissed the substance of the allegations as unfounded.

"Time after time, the Clinton Foundation has been subjected to politically motivated allegations, and time after time these allegations have been proven false," Craig Minassian said in a statement to CNN. "The Clinton Foundation has demonstrably improved the lives of millions of people across America and around the world while earning top ratings from charity watchdog groups in the process. There are real issues in our society needing attention that the Clinton Foundation works hard to solve every day. So we're going to stay focused on what really matters."

The world, he says, is actually getting better.

In an editorial in Time, Bill Gates notes many trends — ranging from the rates of child mortality to the number of countries now offering protections for gays and lesbians — are heading in a positive direction. We just don't hear much about them, because of the focus on negative news.

"These events — as awful as they are — have happened in the context of a bigger, positive trend," Gates writes. "On the whole, the world is getting better."

Among the developments he points to are: