A remarkable Epstein exchange, an action-hero president, and more from The Lever this week.
Season two of Master Plan is here. Start listening.
This is Lever Weekly, a recap of our work from the past week. If you only read one email from us all week, this should be it.
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Here’s what The Lever published this week:
LEVER DEEP DIVE OF THE WEEK
**The Philosopher And The Pedophile.**Jeffrey Epstein’s associates insisted they were ignorant. An extraordinary email suggests a more complicated — and troubling — reality.
LEVER SCOOPS OF THE WEEK
**How ICE Could Buy Its Way Out Of State Oversight.**Trump’s immigration enforcers are considering buying private detention centers — a move that could shield facilities from state oversight and lawsuits over abuse.
**How OpenAI Hacked The Military-Industrial Complex.**The company behind ChatGPT recruited Washington’s war insiders — then turned their connections into Pentagon contracts.
**The Clickbait Candidate Who Forgot To Vote.** Mallory McMorrow assumes voters will never look to see how — or whether — she actually used her influence.
**Inside Apollo’s Labor Problem.** Workers say Apollo-owned firms spied on organizing efforts, fired union supporters, and targeted immigrant employees.
**Your Tax Return Got DOGE’d.**The IRS is letting megacorporations fly under the radar while staffing cuts threaten to bury your tax season.
**The Quiet Fortune Of NYC’s Top Anti-Tax Democrat.** A New York City lawmaker standing in the way of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed wealth tax is exploiting a disclosure loophole to obscure her family’s multimillion-dollar fortune.
**Klarna Sued For Buy Now, Pay Later Racket.** The lending app is accused of targeting vulnerable borrowers with non-underwritten loans and predatory autopay.
**“Affordable” Care Gets Pricier Under Trump.** After Republicans sunsetted extended federal subsidies, Obamacare enrollees owe 57 percent more for their monthly premiums.
THIS WEEK ON LEVER PODCASTS & EVENTS
**THE KINGMAKERS, Ep. 3: President Rambo.**Before Trump’s war in Iran and invasion of Venezuela, there was Reagan’s Iran-Contra scheme.
**Why Congress Won't Stop Hijacking Air Travel**. America's aviation crisis didn't happen by accident. Bill McGee, one of the country's leading aviation watchdogs, explains who broke the system — and why nobody's fixed it.
**LIVE EVENT REPLAY: Pam Bondi Fired — Ro Khanna On The Ongoing Epstein Coverup.** David Sirota and Rep. Ro Khanna discuss Pam Bondi’s firing and why this story isn’t over.
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Every week, our paid subscribers receive a newsletter full of policy wins, environmental victories, and social initiatives improving their lives.
A taste of **this week’s good news**:
- Congress defunds Trump’s immigration crackdown
- Colorado gives corporate surveillance the boot
- ICE data finally sees the light of day
- Legal protections extended for Haitian refugees.
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LEVER IN THE NEWS
**Drugwatch** — The legal website featured our recent story on how bad medicine makes it to market, which was also the subject of its recent podcast episode: Big Pharma Behind The Scenes.
**The Time Of Monsters With Jeet Heer** — David Sirota appeared on The Nation’s podcast to discuss Master Plan Season 2.
- Sirota also discussed the new season of the investigative audio series on **Matt Lewis Can't Lose** and **My History Can Beat Up Your Politics**.
**Streetsblog USA** — The outlet covering the movement to end car dependency referenced our reporting on Uber’s campaign to curb crash lawsuits.
**Inside Philanthropy** — The outlet focused on nonprofits and philanthropy highlighted our coverage of an $11 million pledged AIPAC donation from OnlyFans founder Leonid Radvinsky, who passed away last month.
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