“A former senior campaign and transition aide to President Donald Trump recently inked a deal to help a Russian oligarch’s conglomerate shed sanctions the Trump administration slapped on them last month. Bryan Lanza, who is in regular contact with White House officials, is lobbying on behalf of the chairman of EN+ Group, an energy and aluminum firm presently controlled by Oleg Deripaska, according to several sources. ” More …
Month: May 2018
Trump Moscow: The Definitive Story of How Trump’s Team Worked the Russian Deal During the Campaign
“On the day of the third Republican presidential debate, Trump personally signed the letter of intent.” More …
The Rise of Silicon China
“Key features of Chinese history and culture have put it in a position to become the global leader in artificial-intelligence technologies, surpassing even the tech giants of Silicon Valley. But to do so, China will need to overcome economic hurdles – both at home and abroad – that could stand in its way.” More …
Mortgage rates hit 7-year high as ultra-cheap era ends
““Mortgage rates this week jumped to their highest level since 2011, signaling a shift from a period of ultracheap loans to a higher-rate environment that could slow home price appreciation and squeeze first-time buyers.” More …
The princes, the president and the fortune seekers
“After a year spent carefully cultivating two princes from the Arabian Peninsula, Elliott Broidy, a top fundraiser for President Donald Trump, thought he was finally close to nailing more than $1 billion in business…. The cache of emails reveals a previously unreported meeting with the president and provides the most detailed account yet of the work of two Washington insiders who have been entangled in the turmoil surrounding the two criminal investigations closest to Trump.” More …
Trump administration plan to scrap hunting rules condemned as ‘new low’
“The Trump administration is attempting to repeal a rule that bans the shooting of bear cubs, use of dogs and bait to hunt bears, and killing caribou from motorboats in Alaska’s federal wildlife refuges.” More …
Guide for Digging Through Trump’s Financial Disclosures
Tips and tricks for finding noteworthy items buried in Trump’s latest 92-page disclosure. More …
‘Too inconvenient’: Trump goes rogue on phone security
“President Donald Trump uses a White House cellphone that isn’t equipped with sophisticated security features designed to shield his communications, according to two senior administration officials — a departure from the practice of his predecessors that potentially exposes him to hacking or surveillance… The president, who relies on cellphones to reach his friends and millions of Twitter followers, has rebuffed staff efforts to strengthen security around his phone use, according to the administration officials.” More …
Trump vs. the “Deep State: How the Administration’s loyalists are quietly reshaping American governance.
“In Trump’s first nine months, more than seventy-nine thousand full-time workers quit or retired—a forty-two-per-cent increase over that period in Obama’s Presidency… ” More ….
‘Trump’s son should be concerned’: FBI obtained wiretaps of Putin ally who met with Trump Jr.
“The FBI has obtained secret wiretaps collected by Spanish police of conversations involving Alexander Torshin, a deputy governor of Russia’s Central Bank who has forged close ties with U.S. lawmakers and the National Rifle Association, that led to a meeting with Donald Trump Jr. during the gun lobby’s annual convention in Louisville, Ky., in May 2016, a top Spanish prosecutor said.” More …