Julian Mark
@julez.bsky.social
Business reporter at The Washington Post. Signal: jules.535
Money is pouring into MAGA lobbying firms amid a record surge in spending. Ballard Partners, which once employed Susie Wiles and AG Bondi, has become the most sought after shop for inroads into Trump’s orbit. W/ @federicacocco more here on where how that money is being spent: wapo.st/4nixqrd
MAGA lobbying firms are booming. This is where their money goes.
Business is booming for MAGA-aligned lobbyists in Washington.
wapo.st
October 25, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Money is pouring into MAGA lobbying firms amid a record surge in spending. Ballard Partners, which once employed Susie Wiles and AG Bondi, has become the most sought after shop for inroads into Trump’s orbit. W/ @federicacocco more here on where how that money is being spent: wapo.st/4nixqrd
Reposted by Julian Mark
For decades, the fed’l gov’t used data analysis - known as disparate impact - to ferret out discrimination, winning cases and reaching settlements in housing, education, policing and more. Now the Trump admin is unwinding those cases. w/
@julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
@julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Discrimination cases unravel as Trump scraps core civil rights tenet
The administration is dismissing cases and unwinding settlements built on "disparate impact," which holds that even neutral policies can lead to biased outcomes.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 1, 2025 at 5:45 PM
For decades, the fed’l gov’t used data analysis - known as disparate impact - to ferret out discrimination, winning cases and reaching settlements in housing, education, policing and more. Now the Trump admin is unwinding those cases. w/
@julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
@julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Reposted by Julian Mark
Former FTC officials say Trump's brazen firing of both Democrats on the commission is a bid to crush dissent that, if allowed to stand, could cost the agency its legitimacy. One called it "a big gift to corporate lawbreakers."
Gift link to today's Tech Brief: wapo.st/4hoPPzU w/ @julez.bsky.social
Gift link to today's Tech Brief: wapo.st/4hoPPzU w/ @julez.bsky.social
Analysis | Trump’s move to fire Democrats puts FTC’s independence in doubt
The firing of Democrats, bound to face legal review, poses uncharted challenges to the agency’s role as a business and tech watchdog.
wapo.st
March 20, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Former FTC officials say Trump's brazen firing of both Democrats on the commission is a bid to crush dissent that, if allowed to stand, could cost the agency its legitimacy. One called it "a big gift to corporate lawbreakers."
Gift link to today's Tech Brief: wapo.st/4hoPPzU w/ @julez.bsky.social
Gift link to today's Tech Brief: wapo.st/4hoPPzU w/ @julez.bsky.social
The gutting of a longstanding civil rights bulwark in the federal government has begun. In the 60s, civil rights reforms began with the federal government. Six decades later, so is their dismantling w/ @hannahnatanson.bsky.social and @danielleabril.bsky.social
wapo.st/43aVQg1
wapo.st/43aVQg1
Trump officials start gutting civil rights offices, as part of DOGE’s secret plan
Legal experts said that unwinding a civil rights-era bulwark designed to safeguard employees’ rights removes a crucial check on institutional power.
wapo.st
February 28, 2025 at 4:31 PM
The gutting of a longstanding civil rights bulwark in the federal government has begun. In the 60s, civil rights reforms began with the federal government. Six decades later, so is their dismantling w/ @hannahnatanson.bsky.social and @danielleabril.bsky.social
wapo.st/43aVQg1
wapo.st/43aVQg1
Reposted by Julian Mark
My colleagues and I have been working to break news + write stories holding powerful people accountable.
These are the top stories on our homepage right now, one of which I worked on.
Our newsroom work is continuing.
No one has ever told me what to write. If that changes, I’d speak out and leave.
These are the top stories on our homepage right now, one of which I worked on.
Our newsroom work is continuing.
No one has ever told me what to write. If that changes, I’d speak out and leave.
February 26, 2025 at 5:06 PM
My colleagues and I have been working to break news + write stories holding powerful people accountable.
These are the top stories on our homepage right now, one of which I worked on.
Our newsroom work is continuing.
No one has ever told me what to write. If that changes, I’d speak out and leave.
These are the top stories on our homepage right now, one of which I worked on.
Our newsroom work is continuing.
No one has ever told me what to write. If that changes, I’d speak out and leave.
Reposted by Julian Mark
X is blocking links to @signal.org, now widely used to discuss / report on Washington.
Same technique (flagging as 'potentially harmful') that X has used to block / throttle Bluesky, Instagram, NYT, Reuters & Substack.
When Twitter derailed links to Hunter Biden story, Musk called it "tyranny."
Same technique (flagging as 'potentially harmful') that X has used to block / throttle Bluesky, Instagram, NYT, Reuters & Substack.
When Twitter derailed links to Hunter Biden story, Musk called it "tyranny."
February 17, 2025 at 8:11 PM
X is blocking links to @signal.org, now widely used to discuss / report on Washington.
Same technique (flagging as 'potentially harmful') that X has used to block / throttle Bluesky, Instagram, NYT, Reuters & Substack.
When Twitter derailed links to Hunter Biden story, Musk called it "tyranny."
Same technique (flagging as 'potentially harmful') that X has used to block / throttle Bluesky, Instagram, NYT, Reuters & Substack.
When Twitter derailed links to Hunter Biden story, Musk called it "tyranny."
Reposted by Julian Mark
🚨 SCOOP: DOGE is seeking personal taxpayer data at IRS, sources tell me. 🚨
Trump admin is pushing IRS to agree to an MOU that would give DOGE access to granular data on every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country.
Trump admin is pushing IRS to agree to an MOU that would give DOGE access to granular data on every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country.
Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data, raising alarm at IRS
Musk’s DOGE seeks access to personal taxpayer data at IRS
www.washingtonpost.com
February 17, 2025 at 12:22 AM
🚨 SCOOP: DOGE is seeking personal taxpayer data at IRS, sources tell me. 🚨
Trump admin is pushing IRS to agree to an MOU that would give DOGE access to granular data on every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country.
Trump admin is pushing IRS to agree to an MOU that would give DOGE access to granular data on every taxpayer, business and nonprofit in the country.
Reposted by Julian Mark
Phenix Lumber was the deadliest workplace in America over the past five years. OSHA inspectors issued them more than 100 safety violations and millions in fines. Yet deaths and injuries continued.
It was the deadliest workplace in America. So why didn’t safety regulators shut it down?
OSHA issued over 180 citations and millions in fines to this Alabama sawmill, the deadliest workplace in America, but the mayhem didn’t stop.
wapo.st
February 16, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Phenix Lumber was the deadliest workplace in America over the past five years. OSHA inspectors issued them more than 100 safety violations and millions in fines. Yet deaths and injuries continued.
Reposted by Julian Mark
I obtained documents revealing DOGE’s private plans to soon eliminate at least hundreds of government workers and offices they somehow tag as related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Help us keep doing this kind of reporting: message me on Signal at (202) 580-5477.
wapo.st/4jVWqEd
Help us keep doing this kind of reporting: message me on Signal at (202) 580-5477.
wapo.st/4jVWqEd
Records show how DOGE planned Trump’s DEI purge — and who gets fired next
A DOGE team plans to fire federal workers who are not in DEI roles and employees in offices that protect equal rights, internal documents show.
wapo.st
February 16, 2025 at 2:58 PM
I obtained documents revealing DOGE’s private plans to soon eliminate at least hundreds of government workers and offices they somehow tag as related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Help us keep doing this kind of reporting: message me on Signal at (202) 580-5477.
wapo.st/4jVWqEd
Help us keep doing this kind of reporting: message me on Signal at (202) 580-5477.
wapo.st/4jVWqEd
NEW: Over the last few days, the Trump administration has moved to drop cases the EEOC had brought on behalf of transgender workers, some who allege they were groped at work and referred to as "it."
wapo.st/4b0Yc2S
wapo.st/4b0Yc2S
Trump administration moves to drop transgender discrimination cases
The EEOC, citing executive orders targeting gender identity, is aiming to dismiss half a dozen cases, marking a reversal in U.S. civil rights enforcement.
wapo.st
February 16, 2025 at 12:26 AM
NEW: Over the last few days, the Trump administration has moved to drop cases the EEOC had brought on behalf of transgender workers, some who allege they were groped at work and referred to as "it."
wapo.st/4b0Yc2S
wapo.st/4b0Yc2S
Here’s the full scope of DOGE’s purge of federal DEI and civil rights office workers: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Records show how DOGE planned Trump’s DEI purge — and who gets fired next
A DOGE team plans to fire federal workers who are not in DEI roles and employees in offices that protect equal rights, internal documents show.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 15, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Here’s the full scope of DOGE’s purge of federal DEI and civil rights office workers: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Reposted by Julian Mark
🚨NEWS: Massive layoffs are about to hit the IRS -- around 10,000 employees -- potentially in the middle of filing season.
Of particular interest to the DOGE: Cutting IRS enforcement capabilities.
-- with @jeffstein.bsky.social + Hannah Natanson
Of particular interest to the DOGE: Cutting IRS enforcement capabilities.
-- with @jeffstein.bsky.social + Hannah Natanson
Layoffs to hit IRS as DOGE targets tax collections
Several people briefed on the matter said cuts to the IRS cuts numbering in the thousands. One target is tax collections.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
🚨NEWS: Massive layoffs are about to hit the IRS -- around 10,000 employees -- potentially in the middle of filing season.
Of particular interest to the DOGE: Cutting IRS enforcement capabilities.
-- with @jeffstein.bsky.social + Hannah Natanson
Of particular interest to the DOGE: Cutting IRS enforcement capabilities.
-- with @jeffstein.bsky.social + Hannah Natanson
Reposted by Julian Mark
Clerked for Justice Scalia, member of the Federalist Society, picked by Trump administration last month
Danielle R. Sassoon, Manhattan’s acting U.S. attorney, resigned on Thursday rather than obey a Justice Department order that she drop a corruption case against New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, that she had championed, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.
Manhattan’s Federal Prosecutor Quits After Adams Case Is Ordered Dropped (Gift Article)
Danielle R. Sassoon, the interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, quit after the Justice Department told her to withdraw corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams.
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Clerked for Justice Scalia, member of the Federalist Society, picked by Trump administration last month
Reposted by Julian Mark
SCOOP: Elon Musk’s DOGE is feeding sensitive federal data from the Education Department into AI to target cuts.
DOGE was also responsible for placing 100+ non-DEI employees on leave for DEI www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
DOGE was also responsible for placing 100+ non-DEI employees on leave for DEI www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
February 6, 2025 at 5:36 PM
SCOOP: Elon Musk’s DOGE is feeding sensitive federal data from the Education Department into AI to target cuts.
DOGE was also responsible for placing 100+ non-DEI employees on leave for DEI www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
DOGE was also responsible for placing 100+ non-DEI employees on leave for DEI www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...
Reposted by Julian Mark
NEW: A half dozen Trump loyalists in and around the admin have told WIRED there’s a fissure emerging between Musk and Trump camps, following Musk’s DOGE takeover.
By @jakelahut.writes.news:
By @jakelahut.writes.news:
Elon Musk's Takeover Is Causing Rifts in Donald Trump's Inner Circle
“He’s getting too big for his britches,” says one Trump world source.
www.wired.com
February 5, 2025 at 7:56 PM
NEW: A half dozen Trump loyalists in and around the admin have told WIRED there’s a fissure emerging between Musk and Trump camps, following Musk’s DOGE takeover.
By @jakelahut.writes.news:
By @jakelahut.writes.news:
Reposted by Julian Mark
When President Trump announced his proposal for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza, he shocked even senior members of his own White House and government. His administration hadn't done even the most basic planning to examine the feasibility of the idea, people with knowledge of the discussions said.
Inside Trump’s Hastily Written Proposal to ‘Own’ Gaza
Although the president had been talking about the idea for weeks, there had been no meetings on the subject, and senior members of his government were taken by surprise.
www.nytimes.com
February 6, 2025 at 12:10 AM
When President Trump announced his proposal for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza, he shocked even senior members of his own White House and government. His administration hadn't done even the most basic planning to examine the feasibility of the idea, people with knowledge of the discussions said.
NEW: Fired NLRB board member is suing for her job back. Gwynne Wilcox alleges Trump is violated the law in removing her, but observers also say the case may tee up an opportunity for SCOTUS to expand presidential power. w/ @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Former National Labor Relations Board member sues Trump for her firing
Gwynne Wilcox’s lawsuit is the first to challenge the president’s ouster of several members of independent boards — moves that appear to contravene a 1935 Supreme Court ruling.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 5, 2025 at 4:57 PM
NEW: Fired NLRB board member is suing for her job back. Gwynne Wilcox alleges Trump is violated the law in removing her, but observers also say the case may tee up an opportunity for SCOTUS to expand presidential power. w/ @laurenkaorigurley.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
NEW: Diversity officers and professors sue to block Trump’s DEI orders www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Diversity officers and professors sue to block Trump’s DEI orders
The federal lawsuit contends the executive orders — which request potential investigations against large universities and corporations — are unconstitutional.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 4, 2025 at 12:45 AM
NEW: Diversity officers and professors sue to block Trump’s DEI orders www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Reposted by Julian Mark
Dozens of feds in non-DEI jobs are on leave. The purging suggests the Trump admin is not just seeking to eliminate DEI but also to remove people who expressed interest in or even took a single training on DEI.
w/ @laurameckler.bsky.social @julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
w/ @laurameckler.bsky.social @julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump’s DEI purge targets federal workers who did not work in DEI
Dozens of federal employees who didn’t work on diversity or inclusion issues have been placed on administrative leave following Trump's executive order.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 2, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Dozens of feds in non-DEI jobs are on leave. The purging suggests the Trump admin is not just seeking to eliminate DEI but also to remove people who expressed interest in or even took a single training on DEI.
w/ @laurameckler.bsky.social @julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
w/ @laurameckler.bsky.social @julez.bsky.social
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump’s DEI purge is targeting federal workers who did not work in DEI. Some merely had previous DEI experience or were members of affinity groups www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Trump’s DEI purge targets federal workers who did not work in DEI
Dozens of federal employees who didn’t work on diversity or inclusion issues have been placed on administrative leave following Trump's executive order.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 2, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Trump’s DEI purge is targeting federal workers who did not work in DEI. Some merely had previous DEI experience or were members of affinity groups www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...
Reposted by Julian Mark
Control tower at National Airport understaffed before deadly collision www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Control tower at National Airport understaffed before deadly collision
Two of Reagan National Airport’s air traffic controllers were doing double duty Wednesday night, according to a government report.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 31, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Control tower at National Airport understaffed before deadly collision www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
President Donald Trump has moved to fire Democratic members of two independent federal commissions, a break from decades of legal precedent that promises to hand Republicans control over boards that oversee swaths of U.S. workers, employers and labor unions.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Trump moves to fire members of EEOC, NLRB boards, breaking with precedent
The dismissals target two independent agencies that oversee swaths of U.S. workers, employers and labor unions.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 28, 2025 at 11:12 PM
President Donald Trump has moved to fire Democratic members of two independent federal commissions, a break from decades of legal precedent that promises to hand Republicans control over boards that oversee swaths of U.S. workers, employers and labor unions.
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Reposted by Julian Mark
China’s DeepSeek AI app sends U.S. tech stocks reeling www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
China’s DeepSeek AI app sends U.S. tech stocks reeling
The tech-heavy Nasdaq index lost nearly 4 percent in early trading Monday, with chipmaker Nvidia down nearly 12 percent.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 27, 2025 at 3:42 PM
China’s DeepSeek AI app sends U.S. tech stocks reeling www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
The newly signed executive orders to end “illegal discrimination” and restore “merit to government service” were so sweeping and aggressive that even conservative activists were shocked by their scope and intensity. @washingtonpost.com
wapo.st/3E8QVSo
wapo.st/3E8QVSo
In first days, Trump deals ‘death blow’ to DEI and affirmative action
The president moved to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the federal government with a flurry of executive orders, upending decades of policy.
wapo.st
January 23, 2025 at 6:15 PM
The newly signed executive orders to end “illegal discrimination” and restore “merit to government service” were so sweeping and aggressive that even conservative activists were shocked by their scope and intensity. @washingtonpost.com
wapo.st/3E8QVSo
wapo.st/3E8QVSo
Reposted by Julian Mark
Must-read from @julez.bsky.social, Taylor Telford and Susan Svrluga on DEI's 'death blow' by Trump. 'I can't believe he's going this far,' says one anti-DEI activist:
In first days, Trump deals ‘death blow’ to DEI and affirmative action
The president moved to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the federal government with a flurry of executive orders, upending decades of policy.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Must-read from @julez.bsky.social, Taylor Telford and Susan Svrluga on DEI's 'death blow' by Trump. 'I can't believe he's going this far,' says one anti-DEI activist: