New: Elon Musk, the world's richest man, has been unleashed on federal agencies. ProPublica is attempting to document who is working with him and what they are doing. propub.li/4gypkHN

NEW: This is a thread about a political influence project you’ve never heard of. It involves the man second in line for the presidency and an evangelical pastor who’s quietly forged close relationships with some of the most powerful men in the country.

New: Ethical concerns surround Sen. Joni Ernst’s romantic relationships with top military officials who lobbied her committee propublica.org/article/joni-e…

NEW: Behind closed doors, the Trump administration has mounted a “maximum pressure” campaign on a poor African democracy. The objective: push the country to help Elon Musk's Starlink business. w/ Brett Murphy Justin Elliott Alex Mierjeski propublica.org/article/trump-…

The Trump admin's spurious attacks on Voice of America mirror Joe McCarthy's in nationally-televised hearings in 1953. I trace the parallels and explain why VOA has been a perennial target: cjr.org/analysis/josep…

New: Trump Is Accusing Foes With Multiple Mortgages of Fraud. Records Show 3 of His Cabinet Members Have Them. propublica.org/article/trump-…

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer skips out on Bloomberg appearance. Anchors say they were prepared to ask the Sec’y about ProPublica revelations about her mortgages:

1/ The documents are clear: Lee Zeldin and his wife have two principal-residence mortgages, for properties in Long Island and Washington, D.C. We’ve got the records 👇 Long Island: legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/2608… D.C.: legacy.www.documentcloud.org/documents/2608…