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catebrown.bsky.social
Cate Brown
@catebrown.bsky.social
2K followers 96 following 39 posts
political investigations at @TheGuardian. formerly @WashingtonPost. power over/power to

tips: [email protected]
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catebrown.bsky.social
Cate Brown @catebrown.bsky.social · Aug 31
Months ago, I saw a slide deck that promised to "fundamentally transform" #Gaza into a manufacturing and tourism hub "at the crossroads" of a new trade corridor linking #Israel to the Gulf.

It showed AI-powered cities and electric vehicles, if someone cleared the debris.
catebrown.bsky.social
SCOOP: The NSA detected a phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump last spring.

Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
NSA detected phone call between foreign intelligence and a person close to Trump
Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 5:06 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
SCOOP: A US disaster response firm submitted a plan to White House officials that would guarantee 300% profits and a seven-year monopoly over a new trucking and logistics plan for #Gaza

@AramRoston and I report on the draft and its cash potential -->

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...
US contractor sent Gaza plan to White House that would secure 300% profits
Gothams LLC’s draft proposal, obtained by the Guardian, suggests seven-year trucking and logistics monopoly
www.theguardian.com
February 2, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Reposted by Cate Brown
bgrueskin.bsky.social
As this story notes, three executives charged by CEO Will Lewis with leading the Washpost's most-publicized revenue efforts have left the company in the past year.
Lewis’s leadership team has floated a lofty goal of attracting 200 million subscribers in meetings with senior Post editors. But Lewis’s proposals to fix the Post have not provided clarity or inspired confidence. In January 2024, he debuted his “Fix it, build it, scale it” approach, telling Semafor’s Ben Smith that “social, AI, and personalization are the next opportunities.” That spring, he rolled out a more formal plan, focused on diversifying revenue streams through flexible payment options to target “untapped audiences,” additional subscription tiers à la Axios and Politico (Post Pro, Post Plus, and Membership), and further integration of artificial intelligence into Post products. A new team led by chief communications officer Kathy Baird would focus on marketing the Post’s star talents. Baird left the Post a year later — part of a pattern of fits and starts for Lewis’s rebuilding project. In June 2024, Lewis announced the formation of a “third newsroom” focused on service journalism and social media, among other innovations. The third newsroom would be “an industry defining moment for us,” Lewis said. Some six months later that effort was formally introduced as WP Ventures, led by Krissah Thompson, a beloved newsroom leader. A year later, Thompson took a voluntary buyout. The Post then announced that Ventures would pivot, becoming a more commercial operation that would operate outside of the Post’s newsroom and focus on “creator-driven experimentation.” (It doesn’t help that Lewis’s business proposals are all encased in this sort of impenetrable corporate-speak.) Samantha Henig, a veteran in the journalism product space, would lead this new line of business. But in August 2025, the Post hired former Axios editor-in-chief Sara Goo to be the Post’s “President, Creator Network,” in which she’d be “building a new business with creators through an innovative commercial model.” In October, Henig left the Post.
January 28, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Cate Brown
drewharwell.com
From @benjysarlin.bsky.social:
Pretty simple story. The Post was primed to get a massive influx of subscribers and interest in the Trump 2 era — and they've produced major scoops consistently in this period — and then something very obvious stopped it all from happening.
January 28, 2026 at 5:42 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
Family members have been scrambling to learn the whereabouts of more than 200 people arrested during an immigration crackdown that's swept across Maine.

“#ICE came with the machinery in place to get people out of here as soon as possible."

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
Families in Maine scramble to halt ICE’s transfer of detainees out of state
Officials are quickly moving people they’ve apprehended out of state, making it difficult for loved ones to reach them
www.theguardian.com
January 28, 2026 at 4:26 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
SCOOP: UAE plans to bankroll the first “planned community” in Gaza.

Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where Palestinians submit biometric data to gain entry.

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
United Arab Emirates plans to bankroll first ‘planned community’ in south Gaza
Exclusive: Blueprints describe a ‘case study’ community where residents submit biometric data to gain entry
www.theguardian.com
January 23, 2026 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Cate Brown
bcfinucane.bsky.social
Pleased to speak with @johnphudson.bsky.social about the OLC opinion blessing the invasion of Venezuela.

“This view that international law and the U.N. Charter doesn’t bind the U.S. president is very significant and very dangerous.”

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Previously secret memo gave legal basis for U.S. mission to nab Maduro
The administration releases a redacted version of a previously secret memo that gave the legal basis for the U.S. mission to arrest Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 14, 2026 at 2:45 AM
catebrown.bsky.social
Exclusive: Dozens of artists, including @markruffalo.bsky.social @ilanaglazer.com have joined doctors and rights orgs to call for the restoration of medical care in #Gaza in a letter addressed to Israel and world leaders.

It goes to UK, EU parliament this week.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
Dozens of artists call for end to Israel’s ‘systematic attacks’ on Gaza hospitals
Actors, doctors and human rights leaders sign letter calling for restoration of medical care to ‘collapsed’ system
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Reposted by Cate Brown
sadknob.bsky.social
everything evil in our world comes down to this bullshit... everything.👇

'They’re trying to get rich off it’: US contractors vie to rebuild Gaza, with ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ team in the lead

(important reporting from @catebrown.bsky.social and aram roston)

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘They’re trying to get rich off it’: US contractors vie to rebuild Gaza, with ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ team in the lead
Exclusive: group behind notorious Florida immigration detention center created bid for reconstruction deal
www.theguardian.com
December 14, 2025 at 6:03 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
Israel's war on Hamas has expanded to the Gulf.
Here's a breakdown of their strikes across the region since Oct. 7, w/
@nihamasih.bsky.social

--> wapo.st/4m9I4Ac
September 10, 2025 at 1:23 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
Months ago, I saw a slide deck that promised to "fundamentally transform" #Gaza into a manufacturing and tourism hub "at the crossroads" of a new trade corridor linking #Israel to the Gulf.

It showed AI-powered cities and electric vehicles, if someone cleared the debris.
August 31, 2025 at 1:04 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
McNally Capital, a Chicago-based private equity firm, as well as its subsidiaries, positioned themselves to profit off contracts with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, now the main source of food in #Gaza.

A look at the shadowy network behind the GHF:

wapo.st/410qmqP
The for-profit companies behind Israeli-U.S. nonprofit Gaza aid plan
Now the primary vehicle for food distribution inside Gaza, the controversial U.S.- and Israeli-backed operation is an issue in ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
wapo.st
July 22, 2025 at 1:16 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
Marah Maher lost both her legs when an Israeli airstrike hit her home in Zeitoun, Gaza.

Months later, she’s living in Long Island learning to walk.

A gorgeous profile of one woman, and the resilience of Gaza’s pediatric amputees / www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/20...
Among a generation of young amputees from Gaza, one teen tries to move forward
Far from home, Marah Maher is learning to walk again. Every step brings her closer to an unimaginable future.
www.washingtonpost.com
July 10, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Reposted by Cate Brown
johnphudson.bsky.social
Scoop: The CEO of Boston Consulting Group apologized to staff and admitted “process failures” in the company’s decision to help design and run the controversial Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that supplanted the work of the UN to deliver aid to Gaza. W/ @catebrown.bsky.social
June 7, 2025 at 12:14 AM
catebrown.bsky.social
EXCLUSIVE: 198-pg planning doc reveals that architects of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation had early concerns that people would compare its planned food hubs and residential compounds with “‘concentration camps’”.

Full story —>
wapo.st/43p3Vfy
Sweeping overhaul of Gaza aid raises questions of morality and workability
Concerns raised in a confidential planning document appear prescient, with humanitarian groups, possible donors and some senior IDF officers questioning the plan.
wapo.st
May 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Cate Brown
matthewhaybrown.bsky.social
EXCLUSIVE Israel is planning to take control of and sharply reduce aid distribution in Gaza as a condition for lifting two-month blockade. It would use private U.S. security contractors Claire Parker Karen DeYoung Gerry Shih @catebrown.bsky.social report

www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...
Israel plans to control aid distribution in Gaza, use U.S. contractors
Aid agencies say the plan runs counter to humanitarian principles, is logistically unworkable and could put Gazans and workers at risk.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 4, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Reposted by Cate Brown
bcfinucane.bsky.social
Me making the obvious law of war point.

“African migrants locked up in a prison in northern Yemen are not a lawful military objective.”

Pleased to speak with @catebrown.bsky.social and be quoted alongside Christopher LeMon and Trevor Ball.

www.washingtonpost.com/investigatio...
Dozens killed in U.S. strike on purported detention center in Yemen, visuals show
The compound includes a migrant detention center and has at times served military functions, according to U.N. and human rights researchers.
www.washingtonpost.com
May 4, 2025 at 12:54 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
Israel is planning to subcontract with two American security groups to manage a new aid distribution system in southern #Gaza. I've been told that Palestinians may have to undergo facial recognition scans in order to access life-saving aid.

Our latest:
wapo.st/3EN85Wk
Israel plans to control aid distribution in Gaza with U.S. contractors
Aid agencies say the plan runs counter to humanitarian principles, is logistically unworkable and could put Gazans and workers at risk.
wapo.st
May 4, 2025 at 12:25 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
A typical meal at Taganrog was about four and a half spoonfuls of food...

New report from @manisha.bsky.social @shaunwalker7.bsky.social and team on the treatment of Ukrainian detainees at one of Russia’s most notorious prison compounds. #ViktoriiaProject

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...
Inside Taganrog: beatings, electrocution and starvation at prison where Ukrainians were tortured
Russia is holding an estimated 16,000 civilians in arbitrary detention at 180 separate facilities. Taganrog was the most notorious.
www.theguardian.com
April 30, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Reposted by Cate Brown
drewharwell.com
Incredible and haunting reporting by @catebrown.bsky.social, @osviz-jarrett.bsky.social, Catherine Belton, Anastacia Galouchka & others: “She took risks not for the sake of bravery or being recognized, but because she believed it was her duty" www.washingtonpost.com/world/intera...
She tried to expose Russia’s brutal detention system — and ended up dead
A consortium of international journalists continued the work of Viktoriia Roshchyna, who was investigating reports of torture and detention of Ukrainian civilians in occupied Ukraine.
www.washingtonpost.com
April 29, 2025 at 2:24 PM
catebrown.bsky.social
Ukrainian journalist Viktoriia Roshchyna set out to report on claims that Russia was operating a network of ad hoc detention centers in occupied #Ukraine. But in Aug '23 she disappeared into one herself...

Our investigation into Russia's notorious Taganrog prison #ViktoriiaProject
wapo.st/3YNw5PF
She tried to expose Russia’s brutal detention system — and ended up dead
A consortium of international journalists continued the work of reporter Viktoriia Roshchyna who was investigating what Russia was doing in occupied Ukraine.
wapo.st
April 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Cate Brown
aronlund.bsky.social
Istanbul protest image destined for book covers

📸 Ümit Bektaş, @reuters.com
March 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
catebrown.bsky.social
Cheers to @meghnadbose.bsky.social and co for this thoughtfully reported portrait of #MahmoudKhalil

www.dropsitenews.com/p/mahmoud-kh...
“First, They Came for Mahmoud Khalil”
Those close to him tell the story of a man whose journey took him from being a "double refugee" to scholar to political prisoner.
www.dropsitenews.com
March 24, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Reposted by Cate Brown
viktorija-ign.bsky.social
🔍 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 (𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀): www.bellingcat.com/bellingcat-i...
Bellingcat is Hiring: Open Source Investigator and Trainer (Conflict) - bellingcat
Bellingcat is hiring an open source investigator and trainer (conflict). Find out more about the role and apply within.
www.bellingcat.com
March 17, 2025 at 11:15 AM
catebrown.bsky.social
“My arrest was a direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza which resumed in full force Monday night,” #MahmoudKhalil said in a statement provided to @annabetts.bsky.social. Here/
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
‘I am a political prisoner’: Mahmoud Khalil says he’s being targeted for political beliefs
Exclusive: Palestinian activist and green card holder speaks out from Louisiana detention for first time
www.theguardian.com
March 18, 2025 at 10:34 PM