THREAD: A deeper look at Jared Kushner, and investments he has made with his Saudi-backed $3 billion fund. Let's walk through a few of them. First, here is the story we published giving an overview. Story with @jonathanvswan @maggieNYT nytimes.com/2024/04/09/us/… The story looks at how Kushner’s firm has so far made 10 “growth” investments in companies that are generally past the startup phase, but looking to increase revenues/profits. He has placed $1.2 billion so far, in chunks of $100 million to $500 million. He is slated to get 20 percent of any profits earned on these investments. And already is receiving about $40 million a year in management fees.

NEW: Trump's Doral resort in Miami this weekend will host another LIV Golf tournament--meaning the Saudi-backed league is again paying the Trump family, as Donald J. Trump runs for president. NYT takes a deep look at how Trump golf has surged, with Saudi help. with @maggieNYT @jonathanvswannytimes.com/2024/04/04/us/… The barrage of recent court filings and tax appeals in the world of Donald Trump has given us an extraordinary window into the details of Trump company operations--if you dig deep enough into the docket. I did that. Here is some of what I found, to back up this story...Come along for the ride

THREAD: As a NYT reporter, I've been investigating Trump family international deals since 2016. India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Panama. I have never seen anything like the Oman deal, re the potential for a conflict of interest. Let's take a look nytimes.com/2023/06/20/us/… Trump has sold his name to real estate developers in spots around the globe. But in Oman, a partner in this giant deal is the government of Oman itself. Here is Eric Trump in Oman in Feb. 2023, meeting with Oman government officials, as his dad is running for re-election

THREAD: A technological revolution is underway in warfighting. It is a very big deal. The leading edge of this shift is on display now in Ukraine-even as 20th century weapons are handling the bulk of the fight. Who wins/who loses future wars at stake nytimes.com/2023/05/21/us/… The Pentagon, in our story from today, is struggling to figure out how to rapidly acquire these new warfighting & surveillance tools. It's stuck with a 1950s era contracting system-built around giant prime contractors that generally don't innovate as fast as Silicon Valley types

I travel a fair amt as a NYT reporter, walking into other people's lives. This stop really hit me. Meeting families who live across highway from giant petrochemical plants--breathing in toxic fumes discharged during mishaps. Made me think of my own kids. nytimes.com/2023/05/05/us/… The United States has made significant progress over the last three decades cleaning up air pollution, mostly as a result of coal-burning power plants going offline, or scrubbing their emissions. It still has work to do on cancer-causing toxic chemical emissions.

NEW: From the front lines of toxic America, we visit the families who live across from largest petrochemical complex in the United States. They both earn their living from these plants but also worry about toxic harm to their children. What's that like?. nytimes.com/2023/05/05/us/… Great to be able to work with the tremendously talented @MeridithKohut, who took such power photos of these families. She is such a hard working photographer. You don't stop until you find the story.

NEW: We just posted a piece on Trump's new financial disclosure, forced under law by the fact that he's running for president again. Here are a few tidbits. @MichaelCBender @MattGoldstein26 @kenbensinger @SteveEder nytimes.com/2023/04/14/us/… 1) Trump is not making nearly as much money on his social media company as he expected. @MattGoldstein26 is the expert on this.

NEW: A billionaire Israeli diamond dealer sanctioned by the U.S. over corrupt Dem Rep of Congo mining deals has enlisted a surprising ally to squeeze President Biden to roll the sanctions back: The President of Dem Republic of Congo. nytimes.com/2023/04/02/us/… @dionnesearcey This story illustrates how Wash DC so often becomes the focal point for international lobbying campaigns. There has been a rapid-fire succession of lobbying appeals in recent weeks by all sides of this fight over billions of $$ of mine oil, gold, copper and cobalt mines in Congo

For those tracking, International Seabed Authority council wrapped up two weeks of meetings today--without solving key question of what it will do in July if environmental regulations are not finalized. Will it still accept/act on applications to start mining? Instead it passed this attached "way forward" memo that says negotiations on this question will continue until next council meeting in July. This is a victory of sorts for Metals Co, and its plan to start seabed mining soon. Enviros were unable to get commitment to hold up mining

The US isn't ready-if a war with China were to break out. Perhaps most worrisome: The US cannot manufacture enough precision missiles, a key weapon in any fight. In fact, US would run out of some in about a week. NYT takes a deep look at how this happened nytimes.com/2023/03/24/us/… One particular weak point in the supply chain for the U.S. war machine? There are only two major rocket motor companies that supply almost all the major missile systems--for offensive and defensive missiles. One of them recently had a fire at a supplier. Assembly line backed up.

NEW: Tensions flare at International Seabed Authority as it moves closer to getting first industrial-scale mining bid for EV battery metals in Pacific. Germany accuses SecGen at ISA of interfering in debate as Germany tries to slow move to mining nytimes.com/2023/03/19/us/… The dispute emerged after Sec. Gen Michael Lodge warned Seabed leaders that "it would be dangerous to disturb this balance" as Authority considers a proposal to change the way it handles applications to start seabed mining, giving more power to delegates from sponsoring nations.

This is a disgrace. The federal gov's FOIAonline database (even though it never had very good search functionality) is being shut down. Agencies posted all FOIA responses here, allowing public/reporters to benefit from massive federal labor involved with producing responses. SAD! And yes, I am doing queries on FOIAonline at 11 p.m. on a Friday night.

THREAD: The Navy has a ship building problem. Part of it is the extraordinarily challenging task of building a brand-new class of warships. They're so complex. The Littoral Combat Ship is an unfortunate case study. Let’s take a look (Free link NYT story)
nytimes.com/2023/02/04/us/… The Littoral Combat Ship was conceived back in 2001, when the Navy moved to merge demands of frigates & patrol ships into a new type of fast vessel to hunt submarines/enemy mines/small boat threats. A Macgyver of the seas. Here are some early plans. int.nyt.com/data/documentt…

NEW: In face of growing threat from China, the Pentagon is moving to retire ships that won't help much in wartime. What happens when lobbyists step in to protect ships that bring military contractors billions in repair contracts? A NYT investigation. nytimes.com/2023/02/04/us/… Admiral Gilday: “The U.S. Navy cannot outpace an increasingly capable PRC by retaining platforms that are decreasingly relevant in modern naval warfare….the Navy’s first obligation is to deliver a ready, combat credible fleet”

Was in Miami to visit with the in-laws and stopped by Pérez Art Museum Miami. Super impressed with the range of shows and the beautiful building. Huge addition to Miami, which continues to become a more cosmopolitan hotspot. Exhibits of Argentine conceptual artist Leandro Erlich. Another exhibit of Cuban artist Mariano Rodríguez b. 1912, Havana; d. 1990)

Live Updates: House Committee Meets Privately About Releasing Trump’s Taxes @charlie_savage and a team of others from The NYT nytimes.com/live/2022/12/2… When Donald J. Trump needed money in 2016, he engineered a sudden financial windfall: more than $21 million in what experts describe as highly unusual one-off payments from Vegas hotel he owns with casino mogul Phil Ruffin. @susannecraig @russbuettner nytimes.com/live/2022/12/2…

War in Ukraine. A belligerent Russia. Growing concerns about a threat from China. A push to arm Tawain. How do they add up? A giant wave of new federal dollars headed to U.S. arms makers. Tens of billions of dollars @michaelcrowley @johnismay @ESCochrane nytimes.com/2022/12/18/us/… US military spending--if Congress approves plan agreed to by leadership--will reach a high not seen since the 2008-11 peak of US wars in Iraq/Afghanistan, and the second highest in inflation-adjusted dollars since 1947. Data from Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments

Homepage of The NYT is a marvel right now. A showcase of such extraordinary journalism, starting with this investigative dive into Putin's war. Most important reconstruct of the war published to date; 34 reporters/visual journalists/translators involved nytimes.com/interactive/20… Another deep dive on an unknown character from the FTX scandal: Restaurateur, Political Donor, Tipster: The Many Roles of FTX’s Ryan Salame. The co-chief executive of an FTX. By @MattGoldstein26 @yaffebellany @kenvogel nytimes.com/2022/12/17/bus…

WASHPOST: The meth was expensive. The federal agents were running out of money. They had been buying loads of drugs in undercover operations, trying to trace the pipeline of fentanyl into this sleepy city of retirees, out-of-town hikers & Mormon churches washingtonpost.com/investigations… Super important, well-reported, compelling series by The WashPost. Some great journalism here.

THREAD: A NY state @SenatorHarckham has drafted a bill to curb the intense marketing of "free bets" by sports betting companies. They are use to entice new customers, calling this practice predatory. Cites reporting by NYT's @RebeccaRuiz nysenate.gov/legislation/bi… In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly was asked about NYT reporting on the sports betting bill that passed in Kansas this year. Here too a move to reconsider sports betting legislation, including a provision setting aside 80 percent of tax revenue to a stadium fund. with @kenvogel

THREAD: It was just a few years ago that major American electric utilities were secretly funding what they called Utility Air Regulatory Group--which repeatedly intervened in fed court to block climate change/air pollution rules. The rollcall of donors, once secret. UARG, backed by these electric utilities, was unrelenting in its efforts to stop Clean Power Plan, and many other air pollution and health rules, such as the cross-state air pollution rule and EPA mercury rule, to curb emissions of a toxic poison emitted by coal-burning plants