Jared Kushner learned how to shake down a target from his father and his father-in-law.
His father went to federal prison for tax evasion and witness tampering. His father-in-law was a protégé of legendary mob attorney Roy Cohn. Now Jared is running the family playbook on Middle Eastern governments. Six months after Trump left office, he scored $2 billion from the Saudi government, a deal the Saudis’ own investment advisors rejected before their crown prince personally overruled them. Kushner pocketed $157 million from that deal and returned zero profits. Now he’s raising another $5 billion from the same Gulf royals who’ve been setting American gas prices for half a century.
The Senate Finance Committee has already concluded that Jared’s investors may be motivated only by “the opportunity to funnel foreign government money to members of President Trump’s family.” Despite that, his father-in-law made him America’s lead negotiator in the Middle East, without Senate approval, during a war. While Jared negotiates for the country, he’s raising money for himself.
Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis said Kushner is “not subject to Senate confirmation and not subject to oversight,” and that putting him in charge “doesn’t make any sense.” Call your representatives and demand a full investigation into why a private citizen with billions paid by foreign governments is negotiating for the United States.
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EXTREMISM
1. Man who rammed truck into Michigan synagogue with 140 children inside had lost four family members in an Israeli airstrike on Lebanon the week before. - MLive
FOREIGN RELATIONS
2. Cuba confirms talks with U.S. as the island faces economic collapse after Trump cut off Venezuelan oil supplies and threatened a “friendly takeover.” - CNBC
3. World Anti-Doping Agency moves to bar Trump and all U.S. officials from the LA Olympics and World Cup over $7.3M in unpaid dues. - The Associated Press
WAR
4. All six crew members aboard U.S. refueling plane that crashed in Iraq during Iran war are confirmed dead, bringing American military deaths to 13. - UPI
5. Defense Secretary Hegseth claims Iran’s supreme leader was “wounded and likely disfigured” in opening strikes, providing no evidence, as Pentagon announces heaviest day of bombing yet. - Military Times
6. U.S. strikes military sites on Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub, deploys Marines discussed as uranium seizure force, as missile hits inside U.S. Baghdad embassy compound. - The Associated Press
ECONOMY
7. Trump signs executive orders directing agencies to review housing and mortgage regulations, offering no new funding or specific policy changes ahead of midterm elections. - Reuters
COURTS
8. DOJ drops prosecution of veteran who burned flag near White House after judge ordered inquiry into whether the case was political retaliation for protected speech. - NBC News
9. Federal judge orders VA to restore collective bargaining, ruling Secretary Collins violated the First Amendment by retaliating against the largest federal employee union. - Government Executive
10. Federal judge quashes DOJ subpoenas of Fed Chair Powell, finding the investigation’s primary purpose is to pressure him into lowering interest rates or resigning. - Courthouse News Service
11. Federal judge temporarily blocks termination of deportation protections for more than 1,000 Somalis, days before the status was set to expire. - NOTUS
12. More than 30 state attorneys general resume Live Nation antitrust trial Monday after rejecting DOJ’s settlement, as judge allows employee “gouge” chats as evidence. - The Verge
13. Texas jury convicts eight protesters of providing material support to terrorists for ICE facility ambush, the first trial convictions under Trump’s Antifa terrorism designation. - WFAA Dallas
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
14. DOJ charges man with selling stolen gun to convicted ISIS supporter who killed ODU ROTC instructor, five years after ATF investigated the seller and issued only a warning. - WVEC Norfolk
IMMIGRATION
15. Federal order seeks to expand proposed Arizona ICE detention center 50% beyond its 513-person capacity, as immigration detention deaths hit highest level since 2004. - Pinal Central Arizona
OVERSIGHT
16. State Department cuts fee to renounce U.S. citizenship by 80%, dropping cost from $2,350 to $450, three years after promising the reduction. - The Independent
17. Trump’s seized oil tankers are costing millions as one ship runs up $47M in maintenance on a $10M vessel, undercutting claims of a financial windfall. - The New York Times [gift link]
ARTS
18. Grenell steps down as Kennedy Center president, replaced by facilities VP Trump has been calling personally to discuss paint colors, seating, and marble. - Axios
GRIFT
19. Jared Kushner solicits $5B from Middle Eastern governments for his private equity firm while serving as Trump’s envoy negotiating with those same governments. - The New York Times [gift link]
20. TikTok investors paying Treasury $10B for Trump’s role in keeping the app alive, a nearly unprecedented fee for a government arranging a private transaction. - The Wall Street Journal
FIGHTING BACK
21. Rhode Island’s Revolution Wind starts powering 350,000 homes and businesses after suing to overturn Trump’s suspension of five offshore wind leases. - WPRI Providence
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