The Lever - We Were Built For This Moment

First thing last Wednesday, we called an all-hands meeting to begin our work covering the coming Trump presidency. 

We were ready for this moment. Since we launched in 2020, we’ve been building a newsroom uniquely designed to expose corporate greed, political corruption, and regulatory capture. Judging from what we already know about the incoming administration, the need for this work could soon be unprecedented.

Every member of our staff has stepped up to the challenge. In the coming days, you will see our first reports on the corporate dealings already taking place — and we’re just getting started.

Here are some of the issues we’re investigating:

• Conflicts of interest and other ethical concerns related to Trump’s appointees.
• Consumer-protection rules that Trump could wipe out once he’s in office.
• Government favors granted to big election donors and the industries they lead in the months ahead.
• Cryptocurrency-friendly policies that could put consumers and the greater financial system at risk.
• Climate policies and environmental protections that could soon be on the chopping block.
• Health care programs that could be further corporatized — and who stands to gain.
• Anti-labor efforts that could negate wins for unions and workers over the past few years.

Here’s a breakdown of the team we’ve put in place to cover Donald Trump’s presidency, and the topics we hope to investigate. You can help shape our coverage by funding our work — and if you have story tips for us, you can submit ideas here or reach out to any of the journalists below.

I cover a wide range of stories that touch on political corruption and corporate wrongdoing; over the last year, I’ve written about everything from alleged fraud at Boeing to corporate landlords buying up single-family homes. I’m particularly interested in stories about how money and corporate profiteering are influencing our courts and the criminal legal system. I’d love to hear any tips about corruption, industry lobbying, and powerful companies that you think need to be uncovered. Contact me here.

I am particularly interested in covering how corporate greed impacts health care, from drug pricing to insurance coverage. I also cover environmental health issues, such as how regulatory loopholes endanger people after natural disasters and I have tracked the power and influence of dark money over this past election cycle. I’m looking for tips about health care privatization and regulatory failures, along with dark money’s influence on federal, state, and local politics. Contact me here.

I’ve spent years reporting on widespread issues regarding the cryptocurrency industry and how it impacts consumers, regulators, and politicians. I also cover corporate influence and industries like Big Tech and the military-industrial complex, and how these industries are lobbying lawmakers, regulators, and the judiciary. If you work in these fields or have any information that I should dig into, contact me here. 

I’m interested in investigations that find connections between stories that initially appear distinct, with an eye toward inequality. At The Lever, I’ve explored how the artificial Intelligence boom is costing consumers, as well as the macroeconomic risks posed by climate change — including how states regulate homeowners insurance and the financial repercussions of increasing hazards like landslides. I’ve spoken to sources inside federal agencies, from NOAA to the EPA, about the influence of corporate interests and reported on the death toll of ignoring science. As Trump takes office, I’m looking for tips on extractive industries like fossil fuels and mining, how the changing environment is impacting human health, and regulatory failures in the insurance industry and beyond. Contact me here.

I don’t have a traditional beat. In my time at The Lever, I’ve covered everything from health care and powerful lobbying groups to extremist soccer hooligans and pro-gambling sports mascots. As a features writer, I aspire to write compelling character-driven stories that can help illuminate any given issue. The topics that I’m particularly interested in currently include the housing crisis, the state of the labor movement, and the United State’s ongoing support for Israel’s assault on Gaza. I’m also open to anything related to corporate profiteering or the ways in which politicians are lobbied and influenced. Really, ultimately, if you have a story that you think needs to be told, I’m all ears. Reach me here.

I’m the senior producer and co-host of our weekly podcast Lever Time, which covers business, politics, and the intersection of money and power. I’m interested in stories and topics that illuminate the relationship between private wealth and our government and how those relationships influence day-to-day life for many people. On Lever Time, I’ve covered issues like how the sports betting industry successfully spent hundreds of millions to lobby states to legalize gambling, the wealthy donors behind Project 2025, and how the deregulation and financialization of Hollywood made it harder for political films to be produced. I’m particularly interested in hearing people's stories of how their lives have been changed due to corporate policies or government programs. Reach me here.

I edit and fact-check our stories on political corruption and corporate malfeasance. I also occasionally report on topics like environmental regulation and other instances of corporate influence that undermine public safety, particularly the issues that arise in the wake of natural or manmade disasters. Many of our best ideas come from people concerned about the price of goods, monopoly issues, labor violations, and regulatory gaps that are harming their communities — since chances are there’s a company profiting off the problems and a politician letting it happen. I want to hear from you here. 

I help coordinate The Lever’s investigative coverage and editorial plan. I’m interested in the big picture: How are government failures tied to corporate profiteering, and how do these tangled webs of influence and corruption harm people? If you have tips that can help us connect the dots, contact me here.