Wednesday Briefing: Trump’s worrisome business deals
Good morning. We’re covering Donald Trump’s business ties to foreign governments and U.S. war games with an eye on China. Plus, what happened to repatriated art in Benin.
Trump’s business could create conflicts if he’s re-electedDonald Trump is cashing in on a variety of new ventures as he seeks a second term. But unlike in his first term, when he halted new international deals and hired an outside ethics adviser, he is making no promises to rein in his company’s freewheeling ways. This year alone, his business struck real estate deals in countries that are central to American foreign policy interests: Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Doing business overseas with government entities, not just traditional corporations, creates an ethical minefield where both those governments and Trump family business interests could benefit from U.S. foreign policy, experts said. Such conflicts aren’t new for Trump, but there are more of them now. If he were to win, there would be little ability to curb them, legal and ethics experts said. Your questions: We asked Theodore Schleifer, who covers campaign finance, this question from a reader. I am surprised that Elon Musk is allowed to offer (big) money in return for signing a petition or register to vote. Doesn’t it defeat the purpose of a petition? Could that be considered as voting bribery? — Marie-Pauline Desset, New South Wales, Australia Theodore: Musk is arguing that he is not offering money to register to vote — only to sign the petition. The catch though is that the petition is only open to registered voters, and so some legal critics think that it is effectively an inducement to register to vote. The precise purpose of the petition is not totally clear, to be honest. Musk is collecting data on hard-core supporters of his political agenda, perhaps giving him a refined universe of voters to target for Trump on Election Day. Is this all just to get some earned media? Or maybe he’d want to use that data in a future operation? We don’t totally know. For more: Theodore and my colleagues have reported on a warning from the Justice Department to Musk that he might be violating federal law. The Philadelphia district attorney sued him for setting up what amounted to an “unlawful lottery.”
An Israeli strike killed dozens in GazaAn Israeli strike on a residential building in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, killed at least 55 people, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense. Gaza’s health ministry said at least 93 people were killed, including 25 children. It was the third time the town had been attacked in a week. The Biden administration said it had contacted the Israeli government to ask about what a spokesman called a “horrifying incident.” Many of the structures still standing in Gaza are heavily overcrowded, with many families sheltering in the fewer and fewer buildings that remain. Other Middle East news:
The U.S. Army is preparing for war with ChinaThe big and cumbersome U.S. Army is trying to transform itself so it can deploy quickly to Asia. The Army has spent the past two decades fighting the Taliban and other insurgents, but a war with China would be very different — for one thing, China has satellites that can spot troop movements from the sky. Such a war would be fought on the ground, at sea, in the air and in space. So the Army is practicing for exactly that.
Sports
The members of the Chinese band Varihnaz are both farmers and rock stars. They see the land and their music as inseparable, and their lyrics dwell on pesticides and poultry rearing. They offer music fans a refreshing break from the country’s hyper-commercialized popular entertainers and the intense competition of modern China. Lives lived: Teri Garr, a star of 1970s and ’80s movies who earned an Oscar nomination for her role in “Tootsie,” died at 79.
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The Benin Bronzes are home. Now what?In the prizewinning documentary “Dahomey,” the French-Senegalese filmmaker Mati Diop filmed the emotional return home of the Benin Bronzes in 2021. Art historians hailed the return of the 26 artworks, looted by France in the 19th century, as a groundbreaking move that would pave the way for a steadier flow of repatriations. It was the most significant return to date of artworks from a former colonial power to an African country. But three years after the cameras stopped rolling, the artworks are once again off limits to Benin’s public, and plans for a new museum to showcase the treasures have stalled.
Cook: This quick salmon dinner is inspired by the beloved flavors of bagels and lox. Shop: Small, women-founded brands are gaining recognition for their takes on the simple T-shirt. Watch: These Halloween shows will take you where the world appears to be out of control. Read: The healer in Scholastique Mukasonga’s novel “Sister Deborah” inspires a Black feminist uprising. Heal: Antibiotics can wreck your gut. Here’s what you should eat to encourage recovery. Play: Spelling Bee, the Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here. That’s it for today. See you tomorrow. — Gaya Theodore Schleifer contributed to this newsletter. P.S. Take a look at our lineup for this year’s DealBook Summit. We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at briefing@nytimes.com.
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