105 Days, But Who’s Counting?

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.

Here’s what The Lever published this week:

Workers Overheated And Died Under Trump’s Workplace Safety Nominee. As David Keeling led companies’ safety operations, workers fell ill and died amid extreme temperatures. Now he could dismantle federal heat protections.

The Tech Companies Fighting To Sell Your Data. Companies accused of exposing consumers to fraud and trickery want Trump to let them freely buy and sell your personal information.

For This Insurer, Breathing Now Comes With A Catch. Blue Cross Blue Shield just made it harder for many patients to get vital asthma and allergy medications — all while channeling more profits toward a PBM-affiliated pharmacy.

Supercharging Musk’s Space Monopoly. Trump regulators could boost the power and number of SpaceX satellites, buttressing a space armada that’s suppressing competition, blinding telescopes, and endangering spaceflight.

How Shareholder Payouts Fuel Corporate Profiteering. A new Federal Reserve study says record corporate profit increases are “driven by an increase in the dividends rewarding shareholders.”

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There Goes Your Neighborhood Babbling Brook. In a bid to gut environmental law protecting the nation’s wetlands, Trump’s EPA is relying on a new definition of water.

Project 2025 Is 28 Percent Complete, Thanks To Trump. The president said he had nothing to do with the right-wing plan to dismantle the federal bureaucracy. Now, Project 2025’s authors are celebrating just how much of their agenda Trump has achieved.

From Harvard To The Humane Society: How Trump Could Weaponize The IRS Against Tax-Exempt Groups. The president is eyeing rescinding the tax-exempt status of nonprofit groups he disagrees with.

How To Get Out Of Jail For (Almost) Free. Former Wells Fargo executives convicted in a $3 billion fraud scheme will get off the hook for pennies after the bank donated to Trump’s inauguration.

TAX REVOLT, Part Three: The Broken Promise That Changed America. A president took a stand on taxes. It radicalized the Republican Party.

Are You Ready For The Tax Revolt? As Trump’s new tax bill advances, The Lever is releasing a four-part miniseries revealing how the anti-tax movement came to dominate Washington.

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Not yet reading Lever Daily? You’re missing out on news like this:

🛒 Everything is a bank now, even the grocery store. A shockingly high number of Americans are using “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) services to pay for groceries, and late payments are rising. A recent survey reveals that half of all U.S. consumers aged 18 to 79 have used BNPL to pay for things, including 25 percent of respondents who have used it to pay for groceries. Big grocery stores and food delivery platforms are actively promoting this option by striking partnerships with BNPL lenders, integrated into their online apps. The Lever previously reported that the government’s minimal rules for BNPL platforms are facing vehement pushback from the industry — even as the country’s most vulnerable consumers sink further into debt.

🚗 Tesla evades crash transparency. Tesla’s stock rose nearly 10 percent last week after regulators announced a rule change allowing partial self-driving vehicles — like Elon Musk’s Teslas — to skip crash-reporting requirements in minor collisions requiring tow trucks, even though these requirements apply to other, fully autonomous vehicles, like those produced by Tesla competitor Waymo. Meanwhile, Tesla has more accidents than other automobile brands, and more than 800 of 1,040 self-driving vehicle crashes reported in the last year involved a Tesla.

🧠 ChatGPT brain for all. Last week, President Trump signed an executive order directing what’s left of the Department of Education to integrate artificial intelligence into the country’s K-12 education system. In addition to creating a Task Force on AI Education, the president ordered the department to prioritize grants for programs funding AI-derived teacher training and AI certification courses for high schoolers. This comes as House Education Committee Republicans move to cut more than $330 billion from the education budget to fund tax cuts they stand to benefit from. Recent research found that the more college students relied on ChatGPT to complete their assignments, the worse their grades and memory, and the more they procrastinated.

Every week, our paid subscribers receive a newsletter full of policy wins, environmental victories, social initiatives improving your life, and more. 

A taste of this week’s good news:

• Data centers will foot their own bills.
• One city leads the crusade against online gambling sites.
• The West Coast breathes (and runs on) fresh air.
• International students caught in the ICE crossfire are free.

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“The Lever is my eyes and ears. I want to see and hear as accurately as possible, especially facts and connections that are not brought into awareness by other news organizations.”

Futurism — The newsroom referenced our reporting on EPA’s recent elimination of its chemical-risk tracking tool.

Investigative Post — The nonprofit newsroom featured our story on the growing cracks in the GOP’s decades-long anti-tax movement.

The Revolving Door Project — The watchdog group featured our story on the EPA shuttering its chemical-risk management tool.

The Daily Beast — Katya Schwenk and Luke Goldstein joined The New Abnormal podcast to discuss their story on the cottage industry helping companies exploit Trump’s tariffs.

The Daily Beast — David Sirota also joined The New Abnormal podcast to discuss Trump’s chaotic first 100 days in office.