Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why did Jared Kushner want a back channel with Russians?
News broke Friday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. What are the consequences for Kushner, President Trump, and the investigation into Russian meddling?
By Madeleine Brand • • 50m ListenPhoto: White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner listens during President Donald Trump's joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the East Room of the White House in Washington, March 17, 2017. (Jim Bourg/Reuters)
In this episode
5 storiesWill Jared Kushner lose his job?
News recently broke that Jared Kushner tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. The idea was to skirt established diplomatic channels of communication and the U.S. intelligence agencies that monitor them.
Read the story8 minThe history of back channels with Russia
John F. Kennedy and his brother had regular, secret communication with Russia. Historian Timothy Naftali writes, “The Kennedy brothers’ Russian conspiracy was designed not for personal benefit, and at personal risk, to test the limits of Soviet desire in avoiding the mutual annihilation that seemed so plausible at the time.”
Read the story8 minIn Tulum, who can afford Noma Mexico's $600 dinner?
Chef René Redzepi of Noma fame brought his latest pop-up experience to Tulum, Mexico. Reservations were coveted at Noma Mexico, where for $600 you could try the Russian caviar with coconut cream, green tomato mezcal, and ant larvae tostadas.
Read the story10 minWhy is sand vanishing from the world?
Sand is used to build almost everything, including our roads and buildings. Rapid development in China and India has made sand such a precious commodity that sand mafias have cropped up.
Read the story14 minDeveloper faces criminal charges for building $100 million home in Bel Air
Luxury developer Mohamed Hadid has spent years building a mansion in Bel Air. But it turns out that multiple parts are not built to code, like the IMAX theater hidden under the driveway. Hadid never got permission to build the estate, and now he faces criminal charges that could land him in jail.
Read the story8 min
