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 JARED
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31.07-07.08.2020
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 INTERNATIONAL EDITION
JULY 31 - AUGUST 07, 2020 _ VOL.175 _ NO.03

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The Utility Banned in
Player Beijing
President Trump has asked his Hollywood has been quietly
COVER CREDIT
Photo Illustration by Gluekit for Newsweek;
son-in-law Jared Kushner to placating communist censors
Kushner by Zach Gibson/Getty handle everything from the to get movies shown in China.
wall to the West Bank. How’s Will rising tensions with the
that been working out? U.S. put an end to that?
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Richard blazed for four days before it
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A u g u S t 0 7, 2 0 2 0
C LO C K W I S E F R O M R I G H T: A N D R E J I S A KOV I C /A F P/G E T T Y; A N D R E I P U N G OVS C H I /A F P/G E T T Y; C A R L D E S O UZ A /A F P/G E T T Y
 RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL BUCHAREST, ROMANIA BELGRADE, SERBIA

Space Oddity Free Us COVID Clash

Brazilian accountant Tercio Galdino, On July 12, a woman Protesters battle with police in
66, and his wife Alicea walk along prays during a protest front of Serbia’s National Assembly
Copacabana beach wearing against the Romanian building in Belgrade on July 8 during
protective suits on July 11. Galdino, government and its a demonstration against a weekend
who has a chronic lung disease, measures against the curfew announced to combat a
made the protective gear at home coronavirus pandemic. resurgence of COVID-19 infections.
using suits used by health profes- Cases of COVID-19 have Chaotic scenes rocked the capital
sionals. He says that, in addition to been rising significantly after thousands of people streamed
protection against the coronavirus, and the blame has into the city center to protest the
the couple also wear the suits for been placed on the president’s announcement that
fun. He and his wife have a huge easing of restrictions authorities would reimpose a round-
interest in astronomy, he says. in recent weeks. the-clock weekend lockdown.
→ CARL DE SOUZA → ANDREI PUNGOVSCHI → ANDREJ ISAKOVIC

NEWSWEEK.COM 9
Periscope NEWS, OPINION + ANALYSIS

GUIDANCE
The Supreme
Court has given
conservatives
detailed guidance
on how to prevail
in the future.

10 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 “Less than an hour later, I was fighting for my life” » P.16

OPINION

Wait Til’ Next Year

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Why the Christian right’s Supreme Court batting average

this term was a lot better than you thought.

it is understandable if americans feel like from “swing for the fences” legislation and court
they have a bad case of whiplash given the arguments, and toward an incremental approach
Supreme Court’s recent rulings on a string of culture that will both preserve the court’s legitimacy and
war cases. In June, the conservative-dominated court ensure them victory over the long-term.
ruled in favor of LGBTQ rights, and two weeks later In June Medical Services v. Russo, conservative
it struck down a restrictive abortion law. Progres- Chief Justice John Roberts provided the final vote
sives heralded the rulings, and social conservatives necessary to strike down Louisiana’s restrictive
were disoriented, not knowing what to make of the abortion law. He also, however, made clear that he
court that Donald Trump had promised to deliver did not want to vote to strike the law down. Instead,
to them. In July, however, the two sides switched he was compelled to do so by the court’s ruling in
places. In a string of three cases, the court has most a case four years earlier—a case where he voted to
recently announced that parents can use state uphold a very similar law but was outnumbered. In
money to send their kids to religious schools, that explaining his decision, he bends over backwards
religious employers can be exempted from employ- to stress that states can continue to incrementally
ment-discrimination claims, and that employers can regulate abortion so long as such regulations don’t
deny contraceptive coverage to their employees for clearly decimate abortion access.
religious or moral reasons. In writing the majority opinion in Bostock v.
While at first glance this looks like a 3–2 record Clayton County, Trump appointee and social con-
for Christian conservatives in this year’s Supreme servative Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that sexual
Court, a closer examination shows that their appar- orientation is protected under the federal Civil
ent losses are likely only temporary Rights Act. He also, however, stresses
setbacks. The Supreme Court has the importance of “preserving the
given them detailed guidance on BY promise of the free exercise of reli-
how to prevail in the future. In both gion enshrined in our Constitution.”
losses, conservative court justices are JOSHUA C. WILSON & Thus, while LGBTQ activists have won
guiding right-wing Christians away AMANDA HOLLIS-BRUSKY here, social conservatives can return

NEWSWEEK.COM 11
Periscope OPINION

in future disputes arguing that the burdens the exercise of religion.” under-the-radar approach that relies
court needs to deliver on this promise. The common theme here is that the on state laws to chip away at abortion
As the most recent rulings show, the court majority in these cases only sees rights. Within the Christian right, an
court has already begun to do just that. one right at stake: the right to freely elite set of legal organizations have
The three Christian right court practice religion. In the cases where become prominent by being attentive
victories all focus on religious lib- progressives prevailed, the court to these cues given by the justices.
erty. In the religious schools case, the majority saw competing rights claims, The Christian conservative legal
court determined that Montana’s as well as the limits set by past rulings. movement is a collection of litigators
prohibition on parents using state The task, then, for cultural con- and institutions related to, but distinct
scholarships at religious schools servatives moving forward is to con- from, the secular conservative legal
unconstitutionally discriminated tinue to develop an expansive version movement popularly understood
against religion. In the employment of religious liberty and return to an through the Federalist Society. Its early
discrimination case, it argued that incremental politics of abortion—an years were defined by its insistence
allowing courts to make decisions on making legal arguments rooted in
about who an organization decides religion’s perceived special status and
is a “minister”—even if it is a teacher, “The task, then, for for an all-or-nothing approach to liti-
and not a minister as commonly con-
ceived—would unduly risk “entan- cultural conservatives gation. But its most effective organiza-
tions have come to learn that the best
glement in religious issues.” Finally, moving forward is to strategy for winning cases is to pay
in the contraception case, the court continue to develop an careful attention to what the Supreme
ruled that requiring such cover-
age against an employer’s moral or expansive version of Court has signaled in its rulings.
Pragmatic litigation organizations
religious objections “substantially religious liberty.” like Becket and Alliance Defending
Freedom have established their repu-
tations as patient, pragmatic and thus
highly successful litigators. While they
and others in the Christian conser-
vative legal movement undoubtedly
wish that they had a clearer string of
victories this summer, we can expect
to see them back in the court soon.
What’s more, one should expect that
the next time they appear in court,
they will demonstrate through their
legal arguments that they have lis-
tened to the justices. In turn, they
should expect that the justices will
listen more attentively to them.

→ Joshua C. Wilson is an associ-

ate professor of political science at
B R EN DAN S M I A LOWS K I /AF P/G E T T Y

the University of Denver. Amanda

Hollis-Brusky is an associate pro-
fessor of politics at Pomona College.
They are co-authors of the forthcom-
ing separate but faIthful: the
chrIstIan rIght’s radIcal struggle
SCHOOLED? The Christian right has come to learn that the best strategy for winning cases is to transform law & legal culture
to pay careful attention to what the Supreme Court has signaled in its rulings. (oxford unIverIsty press).

12 NEWSWEEK.COM A u g u S t 0 7, 2 0 2 0
CONTENT FROM COUNTRY REPORTS GREECE

The summer you deserve is here

The beautiful South Aegean is one of This approach is to be expected from a region
that has dedicated itself to serving the needs of vis-
the safest places to travel to in 2020 itors. “In the South Aegean, we breathe tourism.
We produce one third of all Greece’s tourism in-
With its Dodecanese and Cyclades islands sparkling in the dazzling Aegean come and 97 percent of our local gross domestic
Sea, traditional blue- and white-painted seaside towns, glorious year-round product is linked to the sector, which has always
climate, fabulous beaches and famously warm hospitality, the South Aegean been our number one priority. We are looking
Islands Region has long been known as one of the most welcoming and forward to hosting our guests again and I am sure
beautiful regions in Europe. that, this year, our smile will be bigger than ever
George Hatzimarkos
This year, it is also one of the safest places in the world to enjoy a stress- Governor, South before,” states Hatzimarkos.
free vacation. Having taken swift measures to limit the impact of coronavirus Aegean Region Lucky passengers flying into to the region’s
on its shores, “The South Aegean Islands have emerged from this crisis as a five international airports will discover the vaca-
White Region on the global COVID-19 map, with the lowest numbers of tion of their dreams on one of 50 inhabited islands, each of which has its
cases at the national and European level. We have recorded only 10 positive own distinct personality. These include its “Star Islands” with plenty of 5-star
incidents and zero fatalities,” says the region’s Governor George Hatzimarkos. facilities, like Santorini with its unbeatable views, glamorous Mykonos, the
During Greece’s two-month lockdown, the regional administration’s number medieval Rhodes and Kos, home to unending beaches. But the region also
one priority was to protect human lives. That continues to be the case now that includes many lesser-known, low-key gems such as Naxos and Patmos, which
the islands are opening up to international visitors again, with all employees in is a perfect destination for walkers. “Whatever you might be looking for, you
the tourist sector having received extensive training in new health and safety can find it in the South Aegean. Historical sites, secluded areas, natural gems,
protocols in order to keep both themselves and their guests safe. cosmopolitan resorts—the choice is yours,” he says. If, understandably, choos-
ing just one option in the region is too difficult, you can take advantage of over
100 ports in the region to hop between islands by boat.
The South Aegean is the perfect place to enjoy
your freedom, connect with the sea and nature, Whichever island you visit, you will enjoy an amazing cuisine that contains
and be with people you love. a wealth of flavor-packed and authentic recipes, which are expertly prepared
from locally grown and freshly caught ingredients. So unique, diverse and in-
George Hatzimarkos, Governor, South Aegean Region
spiring are the food and wines of the South Aegean Islands that it was named
European Region of Gastronomy in 2019. According to Hatzimarkos: “This
year, more than ever, travelers from around the world deserve to experience a
Greek summer and it is here, in the South Aegean. Our islands are here for
you to enjoy—as beautiful as always and safer than ever, the South Aegean is
the perfect place to enjoy your freedom, connect with the sea and nature, and
be with people you love.”

www.aegeanislands.gr
www.country-reports.net
 GREECE CONTENT FROM COUNTRY REPORTS

Adonis Georgiadis Kostas Karamanlis Georgios Filiopoulos Panos Papazoglou Stavros Mitsis George Kormas
Minister of Minister of CEO, Enterprise Managing Partner in Managing Director CEO, Piraeus Real
Development Infrastructure Greece Greece, EY Mitsis Hotels Estate and Executive
and Investments and Transport GM, Piraeus Bank
Group

Greece marches forward

The dynamic economy shows signs of a rapid rebound after coronavirus

This month, construction began on Athens’ €8-billion Hellinikon Proj-

ect, Europe’s largest urban redevelopment scheme that “symbolizes the
new Greece,” according to Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Mitsotakis’ new Greece is a country of optimism. Prior to coronavirus’
emergence, his government’s reforms had reignited the economy after a de-
cade of financial crisis. Confidence was high, with foreign direct investment
(FDI) and exports seeing double-digit growth rates. That confidence has risen
with Greece’s impressive management of coronavirus. The government rap-
idly introduced decisive measures to limit its spread, resulting in one of the
lowest number of COVID-19 cases in the European Union. It also quickly
announced a €24-billion stimulus package for its economy, which is expected SHUTTERSTOCK / AERIAL-MOTION AERIAL-MOTION

to bounce back with 5 percent growth in 2021. in implementing large investment projects that showcase our valuable tourist
By 1 July, Greece could safely welcome back tourists. Tourism is a vital assets, modern products, quality services and unique experiences. We are de-
sector that supplies nearly 21 percent of the economy and one of the few that termined to carry on investing in new infrastructure, sustainability, advanced
expanded during the financial crisis, as visitors enjoyed diverse, year-round technologies and improved services to constantly add value for our guests.”
experiences. “Greece has so much to offer beyond its sun and beaches. It has Mitsis Hotels and Hellinikon’s Lamda aren’t the only ones investing right
wonderful mountains, an incredible mainland and rich cultural heritage, for now, and Minister of Development and Investments Adonis Georgiadis pre-
example,” Mitsotakis enthuses. “Greece is also one of the safest places to travel dicts more investors will join them soon: “Just as we made the positive surprise
to,” adds George Hatzimarkos, governor of the South Aegean Region. Minis- in the health sector, we will do so with the economy.” Georgios Filiopoulos,
ter of Tourism Harry Theoharis agrees: “Greece has gained control of the virus CEO of Enterprise Greece, the one-stop shop for investors and exporters that
and introduced many initiatives to uphold health standards to ensure that we is helping to make Greece a more investment-friendly destination, explains
don’t put our population or visitors in harm’s way.” why: “Greece’s underlying investment story remains intact and there is strong
“Our guests’ health and safety is top priority at Mitsis Hotels,” confirms international interest in our privatizations and planned infrastructure projects.
Stavros Mitsis, managing director of the country’s largest family hotel chain Sectors ranging from exports to property, energy, tourism and logistics remain
with 17 hotels and 11 spa and thalassotherapy centers. “The crisis caught attractive, and asset prices in Greece are still undervalued. Moreover, some of
Mitsis Hotels on the rise. We have worked intensively over the last three years Greece’s unique assets, like a sophisticated life sciences sector, highly educated

“We leave our mark

in the new era of the
construction industry”

3
CONTENT FROM COUNTRY REPORTS GREECE

Stefanos Vlastos Petros Souretis Ioannis Foteinos Costis Frangoulis Panos Kirnidis Ioannis Chiotopoulos
CEO, Hellenic Public CEO, Intrakat Founder and CEO Founder and CEO CEO, Palau VP Regional Manager
Properties Company Salfo and Associates Franman International Ship South East Europe,
Registry Middle East and Africa,
DNV GL Maritime

workforce, well-developed tech sector, and health and wellness ecosystem, are road construction scheme and a €60-million broadband infrastructure expan-
significant advantages as the world emerges from this pandemic.” sion,” he reveals. Intrakat’s wider interests include operating an integrated pas-
Panos Papazoglou, managing partner in Greece for EY—the worldwide senger information and fleet management system for Athens’ public transport
leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services—provides more rea- and a solid waste management plant, as well as developing renewable energy.
sons: “We’ve seen reforms during the crisis, around digitalizing services, which Greece’s most significant infrastructure is probably its ports, such as Pi-
have cut bureaucracy. Greece is much more business friendly.” In collaboration raeus and Thessaloniki, which are part of the global maritime industry’s most
with NCSR Demokritos, EY is creating a Center for Excellence in Artificial influential cluster. “Greece is shipping’s capital due to its location, heritage and
Intelligence in Greece to promote further digital transformation and leverage expertise. Its fleet is the world’s biggest. That’s why I established our European
talent in new technologies. It is also supporting companies through the crisis. headquarters in Piraeus,” says Panos Kirnidis, CEO of Palau International
“Resilience is key today, not only because of coronavirus. Companies and
countries need to think about the ‘now’, the ‘next’ and the ‘beyond’. ” Stefanos Greece has so much to offer beyond its sun
Vlastos, CEO of Hellenic Public Properties Company (ETAD) that manages and beaches. It has wonderful mountains, an
and exploits the state’s real estate portfolio agrees that red-tape has reduced: incredible mainland and rich cultural heritage.
“We are heavily investing in IT and tackling processes much faster.” Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister
Greece’s real estate sector has boomed in recent years and Piraeus Real
Estate (PRE) CEO George Kormas offers two of his many insights into coro-
navirus’ impact on the property ecosystem: “Tourism has been behind the Ship Registry (PISR). The Pacific Ocean republic of Palau’s SMART.Registry
extraordinary recent increase in demand and we foresee more buyers as inves- has international backing and is the fastest-growing ship registry. “PISR is
tors ‘ride the wave’ of a COVID-safe country. Prime locations will also remain tomorrow’s leader. We have a global presence and blend traditional support
unharmed in terms of value and revenue production.” Involved in some of with online, innovative technologies to deliver customer-centric services fast-
the highest profile Greek projects, PRE is a subsidiary of Piraeus Bank Group er, more efficiently and for the best possible value for money,” he states. Top
and services that group’s vast array of properties across the country. “The main classification organization and advisor DNV GL is another important part of
principal of PRE is to de-consolidate from real estate, we guarantee that every- the cluster. “Our research department develops cost-efficient solutions to make
thing is as it should be and eliminate risk for our counterparties. Sustainable, clients’ lives easier and improve cost-benefit ratios, while our academy prepares
responsible investing is an urgent present-day obligation,” states Kormas. them for new regulations,” says Ioannis Chiotopoulos, VP regional manager
This view is shared by Ioannis Foteinos, founder and CEO of Salfo and As- South East Europe, Middle East and Africa, DNV GL Maritime.
sociates, one of the world’s top engineering companies that offers cutting-edge Greece’s shipowners have successfully transformed operations to meet
services for infrastructure, energy and IT projects: “The most effective invest- the International Maritime Organization’s 2020 sulfur cap on fuels. “IMO
ment at this moment is in public infrastructure. Governments need to inject 2020 changed the industry but highlighted the work needed for the next
money to ensure that is developed.” Greece is doing just that. “In the next milestones. By working closely with makers, yards and shipowners, we have a
five years, we aim to create €10-12 billion of high-quality infrastructure and good understanding of new sustainable and digitization technologies to guide
transport projects,” says Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Kostas Kara- customers,” notes Costis Frangoulis, founder and CEO of Franman, a global
manlis. “These investments are vital because we have seen a systematic gap in leader in shipping services like ship-
investment that translates to a €13-billion shortfall in the last decade. Intrakat, building equipment, parts, repairs,
as a leading Greek construction company, is determined to play a major role servicing, consulting and security
in Greece’s infrastructure plans,” asserts Petros Souretis, CEO of the firm that that represents 132 international
is part of the Intracom Holdings group and works throughout the Balkans. corporations in Greece. Frangoulis
“We focus on high added-value projects that we execute with consistency, is confident that the nation will re-
reliability and quality,” Souretis says. A recent illustration of Intrakat’s work is main shipping’s number-one power:
the upgrading of 14 Greek airports, plus the design and construction of their “Greece is stronger, with an excellent
extensions, which were carried out in parallel and with the facilities continuing government. I am very positive about
to function. “Among other projects, we are also working on a €54.3-million the future.”

www.country-reports.net 4
Periscope

O PINIO N

Egyptian
Women’sBrave
“MeToo”
Moment
Journalist Lara Logan’s rape and assault
in Cairo in 2011 made headlines, but far away
from media attention women in Egypt
continued to suffer. That may be changing

InsIde the tent the aIr was But the boy stopped in a dark spot
close and electrifying. Hosni not far from the big tent where I could
Mubarak had just resigned, ending barely make out any people until my
an era in Egypt that had seemed as eyes adjusted. What I saw was familiar,
permanent and unassailable as the a group of women huddled together,
water flowing forever along the banks many of them older, sitting on the
of the Nile. The regime’s ground with their bod-
collapse, seen from the ies and faces covered also an invaluable guide to under-
streets that night in 2011, BY
in the traditional black standing the revolution as he had
was spectacular. chador (robes) so only been at the center of it from the start.
Next to me in the tent LARA LOGAN their eyes were visible. The mother and I spoke for some
filled with men, a young @laralogan I crouche d down time and I will never forget that when
Egyptian boy captured with the boy and met his I stood up, I turned to my translator
my attention, constantly interjecting mother, speaking through our trans- and said: “I see freedom for Egypt does
as I sat interviewing his father. He was lator. This translator was an incredi- not yet mean freedom for women in
anxious for me to meet his mother. ble young Egyptian student who was Egypt.” He looked at me, alarmed, and
As soon as our 60 Minutes cameras said: “You don’t want me to translate
stopped rolling, he pushed into my that do you?” I shook my head no. He
hand a folded Egyptian banknote—a was smart and kind and I let him off
relic of the regime—that he told me the hook—and I would never have
to keep so I would remember this said that to these women anyway.
moment when Egypt changed. Less than an hour later, I was fight-
Then he took my hand and led me ing for my life in the dirt as I was
from the tent, excited. I still have that gang-raped, sodomized and beaten
note today. Outside in Tahrir Square it by a mob of 200 to 300 men, not far
was dark, parts of the square were lit and
thousands of people were celebrating
and cheering. I’ve always said it made TURNING OF THE TIDE Above: a woman
in Cairo’s Tahrir Square in 2011 after
me think of crowds celebrating right President Hosni Mubarak said he would
after their team just won the Super Bowl. step down. Lara Logan was also there.

16 NEWSWEEK.COM A u g u S t 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 the U.S. than ever in our history.
I have no doubt that I was one of
many women raped and sexually
assaulted in Tahrir Square that night,
and that most of those victims were
Egyptian and those attacks did not
make headlines across the world. I
know there were other African women
raped over this time in Cairo because
they wrote to me and their stories
were horrific and live with me still.
Seeing that the women of Egypt
have recently taken to social media
for their own “Me Too” movement,
speaking out about their experi-
ences of sexual assault and com-
ing together online to support
one another, fills me with hope.
This female uprising prompted
authorities to investigate and ultimately
charge an Egyptian student with three
counts of indecent assault. It shows
us that the Egyptian women’s voices
are having an impact, as they should.
I know that every time I meet any-
one from Egypt, especially men, they
from that tent in Tahrir Square, while
that young man—my translator—
“Less than an hour later, are at pains to apologize and assure me
that all Egyptian men are not “like that.”
screamed for help with all the power I was fighting for my life My answer is always the same and I
in his lungs and strength in his body. in the dirt.” mean it—I know that good and bad
Later still, I would read an aca- exists everywhere, and I don’t blame
demic study that opened my eyes to Egyptians, who are wonderful people.
sexual assault, violence and rape in I have never had a moment of anger
Egyptian society and how these terri- only safe space was the inside of their in my heart. But I do have hope that
ble crimes were used as a weapon of car as they drove to class in Cairo the tide is turning in Egypt for those
social control to suppress women. every day—but once they reached who live with this injustice and abuse.
I would discover that for many their university’s parking lot, that was I have hope that brave women
women in Egypt, going outside the home no longer enough to protect them. standing up against norms that have
without a man present was not only dis- Of course, I learned about the defined generations know that they are
couraged, it was an unpleasant experi- burden of blame put on Egyptian not alone and that it is worth the fight.
ence that justified discouraging them. women by the state, the police, the And I know with certainty that it takes
For unskilled female workers from faithful and the family. I read about people of courage, men and women
countries like Sudan, taking public the posters on the streets reminding alike, to fight and stand together.
C H R I S H O ND RO S/GE T T Y ( 2 )

transport in Cairo was traumatic, run- women of their duty to dress appro-
ning the gauntlet of sexual harassment priately so as not to encourage the → Lara Logan is the host of FOX Nation’s
and attacks every day with no power to wrong attention—a familiar theme Lara Logan has no agenda and is an
fight back and no expectation of jus- of “blaming the victim” that echoes Emmy award-winning investigative
tice of any kind. I would learn about across many societies, including this journalist. All views expressed in this
young female students for whom the one, but thankfully much less so in piece are the writer’s own.

NEWSWEEK.COM 17
Periscope

) 5 2 0  / ( ) 7  3 ( 7 ( 5  '$ = ( / ( <ʔ* ( 7 7 <  '$ 1 , ( /  $& . ( 5 ʔ % /2 2 0 % ( 5 * ʔ* ( 7 7 <

OPINION

The Endof the

Prison-Industrial Complex?
+RZZHFDQDEROLVKIRUSURɿWMDLOVIRUHYHU

18 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 Onscreen, One Of us pOrtrayed dollars are spent to house prisoners correct and restore those who have
a prisoner. In real life, one of us each year. Non-violent offenders served their penance to the commu-
was actually a prisoner. (especially drug addicts), and those nity. Our modern-day prison system is
In the dictionary, “justice” is who simply can’t afford bail for minor designed to entrap people, and entan-
defined as just behavior or treat- charges, get swept up in an unjust sys- gle them in webs they can’t escape.
ment: a concern for peace and genu- tem and the American people foot Even worse, our government has
ine respect for people. “And genuine the hefty bills for their incarceration. done next to nothing to fix this. As the
respect for people” sends ripples There are more viable, sustainable Black Lives Matter movement gains
through our conscience. The very options that can come at a minimal recognition and support, we cannot
notion of a for-profit prison is inher- cost to taxpayers, but the modern-day lose this moment to enact real and
ently against such a thing. prison system in this country is built substantial policy reform to overhaul
As Black men, we both have expe- on making profit. Let that sink in. As our criminal justice system.
rienced the impact of the country’s tax-paying citizens, we would much We are here to say we have the
prison-industrial complex in some rather someone suffering from addic- power to fix this mess. People power.
way, shape or form. It is a corrupt tion be put into a non-profit, state- We can abolish private, for-profit
system that profits from pain and funded drug rehabilitation program, prisons. They hold 10 percent of
imprisonment. or a program that specializes in men- America’s prison inmates, and
For private prison companies to tal health than some expensive, over- three-quarters of all immigrant
make money, they need commodities crowded for-profit prison. detainees. Private prisons spent $64
of value, and the com- Now, do some peo- million dollars lobbying our govern-
modities they are trading ple break the law and ment over the past decade, and when
are human beings. The BY d e s e r ve to b e h e l d you consider they earned $6 billion
allowance of prisons to accountable? Of course. dollars in revenue from our tax dol-
become privatized busi- OMAR EPPS & But the prison system lars, that most certainly should raise
nesses is the downside DESMOND MEADE should also work to concern. Imagine a world where we
of capitalism run amuck.
Using human beings as commodities
to make money is akin to pre-Civil War
slavery. It is disgusting, deplorable, “Our government should work for you and
and the mere thought of such a thing your family. Join us, and together, we can
should make your stomach queasy.
We want everyone who reads this
make real change. Change that puts the
to see the images in the mirror we are power back into the hands of the people.”
holding up to society in a clear unbi-
ased way.
Overall crime has been going down
for years, yet America has around 2.3
million people locked behind bars.
If nothing changes, one out of every
17 white men, one out of six Latinos,
and close to one out of four Black men
born today will end up in jail at some
point in their lives.
An absurd amount of our tax

COMMODITIES The allowance of prisons

to become privatized businesses is
the downside of capitalism run amok;
a privately run facility in Mississippi.
Periscope O P I NI O N

WHO PROFITS? Corrections officers and

bail bondsmen, the authors say. Meanwhile,
taxpayers are footing the bill; prisoners
from the Weott facility in California.

organization). Desmond sits on the

board. The Anti-Corruption Act
would ban gifts from lobbyists to
politicians, close the revolving door
between Congress and the prison
industry, and enfranchise even more
voters—so politicians actually repre-
sent we, the people.
Time and again, average citizens
think they can’t make a difference,
but they can. Desmond has proved
it is possible. After he served time in
prison, he led a grassroots campaign
that brought conservatives and pro-
gressives together to win back voting
rights for 1.4 million felons in Florida.
The Florida Rights Restoration Coali-
tion effort began with the collection
of more than 760,000 signatures
from citizens and ended with the pas-
sage of Florida Amendment 4, which
could spend this money actually reha- using cheap prison labor instead of was supported by Democrats and
bilitating people, investing in improv- hiring paid workers. Inmates cleaned Republicans alike.
ing lives, investing in communities, up the BP oil spill, making pennies on Our government should work
breaking the school to prison pipeline. the dollar, in Louisiana, where compa- for you and your family. Join us, and
We can enact bail reform. People nies can earn a $2,400 tax break for together, we can make real change.
sitting in jail often have not been every inmate used. Corporations not Change that puts the power back into
convicted of a crime, but simply can’t only save money on prison labor—they the hands of the people.
afford bail. Many lose their jobs and directly profit from those tax credits!
apartments while waiting for trial. We can do all of this, and the Amer- → Omar Epps is an award-winning
Who benefits from this system? Cor- ican people support it. So, what’s American actor whose film roles include

JA NE T YSK A / M E D I A NE WS G ROU P/T H E M E RCU RY N E WS /GE T T Y

rections officers and bail bondsmen. standing in our way? Juice, HigHer Learning, tHe WOOd,
Meanwhile, you and I are footing the Special interests—prosecutors, in tOO deep and LOve and BasketBaLL.
bill. It makes no sense. police unions, drug companies, lob- He co-starred on the critically-acclaimed
We can change the way we pick byists. On this issue, just like so many FOX medical drama, HOuse, for which
judges. Many are elected by voters. others, special interests have a grip on he received an NAACP Image Award
Research shows that to keep their jobs, our elected officials, and they stymie for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a
judges are more likely to hand out the progress we so critically need. Drama Series” in 2007. Desmond Meade
harsher sentences as they approach A path to putting power back in the is President and Executive Director of the
Election Day. They get campaign dona- hands of everyday Americans exists Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a
tions from lawyers, lobbyists, and right now. States across the coun- Floridians for Fair Democracy Chair-
business interests who have a vested try are passing the provisions of the man, a TIME 100 honoree, a RepresentUs
interest in keeping the system just the American Anti-Corruption Act cham- board member, and an attorney. In 2018,
way it is. We call this corruption. pioned by RepresentUs (the nation’s he led a historic victory to restore voting
We can ban corporations from leading right-left anti-corruption rights to 1.4 million inmates in Florida.

20 NEWSWEEK.COM A u g u S t 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 Knowledge
is power.
Understanding what cancer
clinical trial options
are available to
you and your
loved ones
can make all
the difference.
CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER
Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador

Photo By
JEFF KATZ

WATCHING MY MOTHER GO THROUGH HER CANCER DIAGNOSIS

TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF CLINICAL TRIALS.
When my mom was diagnosed with uterine cancer, I knew that I wanted her to have access to
the best treatments available. The journey taught me about the importance of learning all that
you can about the options available to you. I want all people diagnosed with cancer to have
access to the treatments that can help them become long-term survivors.

Cancer clinical trials may be the right option for you or a loved one. The more information you
have about clinical trials, the more empowered you will be to seek out your best treatments.

Learn more at StandUpToCancer.org/ClinicalTrials

Stand Up To Cancer is a division of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
6 2 8 5 & (  , 0 $* (  %<  : , 1  0 & 1 $ 0 ( ( ʔ* ( 7 7 <
 T r u m p h a s a s k e d Jared Kushner T o h a n d l e e v e r y T h i n g
from The Wall To The WesT Bank . hoW ’s ThaT Working ouT?

by Bill Powell
photo illustration by GlueKit

A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0 NEWSWEEK.COM 23
 hy would somebody 37 years old, prime force behind initiatives like criminal justice
with no diplomatic experience, take reform; and now, increasingly, a critical adviser to
on the job of making peace in the Mideast? “My a struggling re-election campaign. He is, in fact, the
father-in-law asked me to do it,” Jared Kushner says. most influential presidential relative—first ladies
Never mind that Henry Kissinger, James Baker and aside—since Robert F. Kennedy served as attorney
Bill Clinton, among others, had failed to resolve the general for his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict. President Donald Trump Kushner differs far more from Trump than the
told Kushner to get it done, so that’s what Kushner intense RFK did from his elder brother, known more
set out to do. He spoke to experts and negotiators for his cool reserve. Trump and Kushner are in many
from previous administrations. One was Aaron David ways an odd pairing. He is reserved, thoughtful and
Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment disciplined (traits no one associates with Trump).
for International Peace. When Kushner told him Trump is bombastically bumptious. Kushner is quiet-
what he was up to, a dumbfounded Miller spoke for ly sure of himself. He does his homework. He reaches
sons-in-law everywhere: “Wow, I wish my father-in- out for different points of view—including to Dem-
law had the kind of faith in me that yours has in you!” ocrats. And though criticism comes his way, and it
When the history of Donald Trump’s tumultu- frustrates him and his friends, he doesn’t vent about
ous time in the White House is written—and that it in public or seem to feel sorry for himself in private.
may be sooner than later—it will show one thing The RFK analogy is not a reach. As with Bobby ALL IN THE FAMILY
for certain: His most influential adviser, by far, was Kennedy, Kushner has been portrayed by much of Kushner (seen here, top
Jared Kushner. Now 39, Kushner has been a de facto the press as an entitled rich guy who lacks the prop- left, in the White House
SUHVV EULHɿQJ URRP LQ
chief of staff, influencing the hiring and firing se- er experience for the job he’s been given. He got to April) is his father-in-law
nior White House aides; an important architect of where he is now only because of nepotism. Or, as his 'RQDOG 7UXPSŠV PRVW
Trump’s foreign policy, including the renegotiation friend Adam Boehler, whom Kushner brought in to trusted adviser—a role that
5REHUW .HQQHG\ IDU ULJKW
of the North American Free Trade Agreement; he be- work on the coronavirus response in March, puts played when his brother
came a key member of the coronavirus task force; the it, “The myth of the son-in-law who hasn’t earned it.” John was president.

24 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 POLITICS

It’s true that Kushner had no government or politi- think about the fact that for all his efforts, President
cal experience before coming to Washington (though Trump may well lose an election that six months
he did run his family’s large real estate company). “He ago his team was supremely confident of winning?
and his wife [Ivanka] aren’t even basically qualified Newsweek interviewed Kushner himself twice,
for the sensitive positions they hold on the White at length—by phone because of the pandemic—
House payroll,” wrote one outraged Washington Post as well as dozens of people inside and outside the
reader after a columnist dared to say something nice White House, to examine how he’s handled the
about Kushner in print. The view that his power and most important, high-profile assignments he’s
influence in the Trump White House is the product taken on. What we found doesn’t always jibe with
of nepotism is accurate—as far as it goes. RFK got the caricature of the entitled failure. There have
precisely the same heat nearly six decades ago. been failures, to be sure. But there also have been
The criticism, Kushner insists, doesn’t bother some successes, and efforts that fall somewhere in
him. His role as Senior Adviser to the President— between. And through it all, he has been loyal. Here
his official White House title—is, in his view, are a few of the notable projects he’s worked on,
straightforward: “I’m a utility player,” Kushner and how he and others see the results.
tells Newsweek. “I can give [Trump]
a point of view on the severity of a
given problem, I can give him some
diagnoses and a prescription.” “The thing that guided me was,
On issues as different as the Mid--
east and criminal justice reform, his
I didn’t want to do what had FAILED in the past.”
approach was similar: Ask experts,
study previous efforts—and then
do something different. “The thing that guided
me was, I didn’t want to do what had failed in the
past,” he says. That willingness to blow things up is
a technique he shares with Trump. “The president’s
very good at eliminating the status quo,” he says.
Unlike his father-in-law, though, Kushner seems
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a pragmatist more than a political animal, proud of

being someone who simply gets things done. “Take
the Wall,” he says. “This isn’t what I came to do. But
[John] Kelly and [Kirstjen] Nielsen failed. And by the
end of this year we’ll have over 200 miles out of 450
built...I feel I’ve been able to take on challenges, I
feel like I know Washington better, and I’ve been ef-
fective…I have the ability to build relationships and
have trusted dialogues, and the president knows
they won’t leak.” Adds Anthony Scaramucci, who
served briefly as White House Communications Di-
rector, “That is the president’s bottom line: loyalty.”
If filial devotion were all that mattered, though,
Eric Trump would be Senior Adviser. So it’s fair to
assume that Kushner brings something else to the
job. What, more than three years in, has he accom-
plished? Has he been bouncing from one import-
ant issue to another, diving into things he doesn’t
really understand? Why did he take on the issues
that he did? And what, at the end of the day, does he
 POLITICS

The Pandemic
Kushner had hoped—believed, actually— Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in
that by now the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic 2018. Boehler in turn asked health care entrepre-
would be behind the nation, “that by July we’d be neur Brad Smith, an executive at insurance giant
rocking again as a country,” as he put it in a mid- Anthem, to join. They brought in several Wall
June interview. That hasn’t happened: Even as the Street and private equity executives to work on
virus has receded everywhere from east Asia to the three key problems.
western Europe, cases are soaring in the United Critics questioned why a bunch of relatively
States. In late June and early July, Kushner was young health care and finance types—the junior
more involved in the re-election campaign, partic- varsity, in other words—was suddenly in the mid-
ularly after the president’s poorly attended rally in dle of things that the Federal Emergency Manage-
Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20. He conferred more ment Agency (FEMA) would normally handle. But
frequently with campaign manager Brad Par- press reports about general chaos brought on by
scale—which for him was not a good sign: Amidst Team Kushner were overwrought, Kushner’s people
worsening poll numbers, Parscale was demoted insist. They say the stories of crossed wires between
and replaced on July 15. Kushner, aides say, has agencies were exaggerated, and that the people they
also been trying to get the president to focus more brought in had skills and industry contacts—the
consistently on the campaign. But as the number of ”big Rolodex,” as Kushner says—to help in a crisis.
virus cases rises, he’s been drawn back in, fielding Take testing. Kushner, Boehler and Smith round-
frequent phone calls from governors who in many ed up private sector companies such as Walmart
cases now need more PPE and medical personnel. and CVS to participate in setting up drive-through
The coronavirus crisis showcased both the pres- sites. “I never really had a problem working with
ident’s reliance on his son-in-law and Kushner’s Jared’s team,” says Admiral Brett Giroir, an assistant
modus operandi. In early March, it was clear that secretary at the Department of Health and Human
the virus, which Trump downplayed for weeks, was
spreading. It had seeded far more widely on both East
and West coasts than the administration understood.
Kushner met in the Oval Office with Trump and other
advisers to thrash out a decision on shutting down
“There were some very, very dark
travel from Europe. As the meeting ended Trump and daunting days.
asked Kushner to wait. “He then asked me to drop
everything I was doing and work with Vice President I didn’t always feel necessarily that
Pence on the coronavirus task force,” Kushner says.
Kushner’s status as a family member would often
we would meet the challenge.”
irk senior administration officials. But the standard
jealousy receded a bit, according to multiple sources,
because of the magnitude of the crisis. Says Kushner:
“The gap was quite great between what we needed to
do versus what we were doing…I attribute it to the
fact that [the virus outbreak] was unprecedented. It
was as if we were standing on a beach watching a
tsunami coming. There were some very, very dark
and daunting days. I didn’t always feel necessarily
that we would meet the challenge.”
With Pence’s approval, he focused on three key
areas, PPE supplies, ventilator production and test-
ing, all of which were huge problems and showed
just how unprepared the U.S. was for the crisis. He
recruited his friend Boehler, a former health care
executive whom Trump had put in charge of the

26 NEWSWEEK.COM
 up for senior people.” Look at the net results, he says:
“we got the PPE, and we didn’t get defrauded.”
Kushner was effective at negotiating. For exam-
ple: he got involved in a dispute between the gov-
ernment of China and U.S. multinational 3M, which
manufactured masks at a factory in Shanghai at a
rate of 50 million a month. The Shanghai govern-
ment had expropriated the factory. The U.S. need-
ed masks, the sprawling health bureaucracy was
ill-suited to figure out how to make that happen
quickly, and U.S.-Sino ties were deteriorating rapidly.
Kushner called Cui Tiankai, China’s ambassador to
Washington, and told him, “this is a time when a lot
of people are saying a lot of things. If we can’t get
masks from the 3M plant in Shanghai this will not
play well [with the American public].” Twelve hours
later, Kushner says, his team had a deal with 3M.
Meanwhile, Kushner worked closely with Dr.
Deborah Birx of the White House COVID-19 task
force,to prevent a crisis in ventilators, she says.
Some state governors, most notably New York’s An-
drew Cuomo, feared they wouldn’t have enough ma-
chines to prevent mass casualties. The White House
shared the concern. A senior official says one internal
estimate showed that the U.S. might need 130,000
Serivces and a physician who was in charge of decid- new ventilators by May 1. At the time the Centers for
ing where the sites should go and setting them up. Disease Control’s Strategic National Stockpile had be-
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Still, when Trump announced the plan in the Rose tween 12,000 to 13,000 ventilators. Kushner helped
Garden on March 13, it was widely derided. The an- persuade Trump to invoke the Defense Production
nouncement was premature, to be sure. The com- Act in April to kickstart more production. His team
panies were nowhere near ready. But Boehler says worked with the six companies involved in manufac-
there are now more than 3,000 of the drive through turing, and Kushner got on the phone with governors.
testing sites, and overall testing now exceeds 600,000 “We tried to force discipline on them,” he says. “How
per day, compared to less than 15,000 per day in mid- many [ventilators] do you have, what’s your utiliza-
March. The administration still insists one million tion rate? Some governors were quite competent, oth-
tests per day will be available by the fall, but lines er governors literally didn’t know how many they had.”
are lengthening for tests now in hot spots as demand Kushner says he had a good working relationship
surges. The administration also didn’t anticipate the with Cuomo, and quickly came to share the gover-
Procuring ventilators lags in processing test results that are now hamper- nor’s view that ventilators didn’t need to be supplied
(above, partially as- ing efforts to do effective contact tracing. throughout the country simultaneously. They need-
sembled ones in New Kushner’s crew faced the same criticism in its hunt ed to go to hot spots, like New York—and then sent
York City) was one
of Kushner’s earliest for PPE: that he brought in cronies not suited to the elsewhere once the need dissipated. That is what the
pandemic tasks. Says task. That’s wrong, Boehler insists, saying Kushner’s White House strategy became, and Cuomo praised
HHS assistant sec- team played an important role in finding supplies. Kushner for it. It is fair to say Kushner played a role
retary. Admiral Brett
Giroir, who was in “There are thousands and thousands of offers coming in averting what could have been a ventilator crisis.
charge of setting up in at crazy prices from random traders in China,” Boe- By early summer, after three months of frantic
coronavirus testing hler says. “You don’t know what’s real and what’s not. work, Team Kushner thought the worst was behind
sites, “I never really
had a problem work- People who source deals for investment firms, like the them. But as COVID-19 cases spike in states including
ing with Jared’s team.” people we brought in, go through offers and tee them Texas, Florida, Arizona and California, spot shortages

NEWSWEEK.COM 27
SWAB ON THE GO
Kushner worked with
private sector companies
like CVS and Walmart
to set up drive-through
testing sites for COVID-19
aross the country. Here, an
aerial view of one such site,
as cars line up to wait their
turn at the Ellis Davis Field
House in Dallas on July 2.

TO M P EN NI N GTO N /G E T T Y

28 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
POLITICS

of PPE are flaring, according to the American Med-

ical Association. In Fort Worth, Texas, Kathryn
Mandal, a physician at Continuum Pediatrics, says
her office was just able to order a box of protective
gloves for the first time in a month, and they paid five
times what they used to pay pre-COVID-19. Kushner’s
team and HHS say that PPE supply chains should be
able to withstand the current increases in cases. But
it’s clear that premature economic reopenings—
urged by Trump, who downplayed the importance
of mask-wearing while insisting “we’ve got to get the
country open again”—contributed to the surge, un-
dercutting Kushner’s efforts.
The resurgence now might lay waste to Kushner’s
summer plans. Instead of focusing on his father-in-
law’s floundering re-election campaign, he is find-
ing himself in the medical supplies business again.

Prisons
criminal justice reform is not an issue
associated with Republicans. But few in Washing-
ton were surprised when Jared Kushner took it up
in early 2018. After all, the whispers about the pol-
itics of Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, have
been consistent: “You know, they’re really New York
liberals.” Although the couple had donated to Dem-
ocratic candidates in the past, Kushner disputes
these characterizations. Instead, this is an issue he’s
passionate about for personal reasons. The passage
of the First Step Act, as the reform legislation was
known, is Kushner’s clearest success to date.
In 2004, Kushner’s father, Charles, was convicted
of federal election law violations, tax evasion and
witness tampering. Kushner cut a plea deal with
then-New Jersey U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, and
was shipped off to a federal prison in Montgomery,
Alabama. (He served 14 months before being sent to
a halfway house.) While visiting his father in pris-
on, Kushner says, “I met a lot of good people who
didn’t have the same chances that I had, that my
father had. That really struck me. It was something
that I knew intellectually, but to meet people who
were good people who had just made one mistake,
it hit home. People need a second chance.”
His first task was to convince Trump. Kushner
says he walked the president through the numbers,
showing, for example, that without training and
education programs in prison, recidivism rates are
higher. “What are these people going to do when

NEWSWEEK.COM 29
 POLITICS

they get out?” Kushner says. “They are going to com- to their families, got rid of the “three strike” rule
mit crimes.” He also showed his father-in-law how mandating life in prison for a third conviction and
many people—particularly young African American increased funding for in-prison education.
men—were in jail because of minor drug offenses. “After it passed I met Matthew Charles, one of the
Trump gave the okay to push for legislation. first guys let out of prison under the bill,” Kushner
Kushner began working with a bipartisan group says. “Hearing his story when he came by my office,
in both the House and Senate. There were skeptics, it was like having a shot of espresso.”
of course, like Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Says Jackson: “Everything [Kushner] said he
Cotton. “They thought we were just all about letting would do, he did. Van and I still sort of shake our
murderers and rapists out of prison. It wasn’t true,” heads about that.”
Kushner says. He never got Cotton’s support—the By all accounts Trump was serious about trying
senator thought the bill would make Trump look to boost his share of the Black vote from 8 percent
soft on crime—but Kushner did gain a key ally: for- in 2016 to 13 percent or more in 2020. His cam-
mer Obama administration official and CNN com- paign believed, pre COVID-19, that the record low
mentator Van Jones, who had started #cut50, which unemployment rate among Black Americans (5.5
was billed as a bipartisan organization aimed at percent in December), plus rising wages, plus the
pursuing criminal justice reform. criminal justice bill would give him a case to make.
In 2018, Kushner invited Jones and organization Now, of course, that hope is largely gone. The
co-founder Jessica Jackson to the White House. “I deep pandemic-driven recession has driven Black Kushner’s interest in
criminal justice reform
was very skeptical,” says Jackson. But when Jackson unemployment back up to 16.7 percent, and the kill- grew after father Charles
heard Kushner speak about his father, she sympa- ing of George Floyd and other African Americans by went to prison in 2004;
thized: When she was 22, her then-husband was police has prompted widespread outrage and social below, the two at a 2012
event for Ivanka Trump’s
convicted on a drug charge. “They threw him in a unrest. Trump’s law-and-order rallying cries and fashion line. Working on
cage for three and a half years,” she says. Hearing support for Confederate symbols haven’t helped. Mideast peace reunited
Kushner out, she became convinced “he was in it Asked if he still thought his father in law could Jared with Israeli Prime
Minister Benjamin
for the right reasons.” She and Jones agreed to work still increase his share of the African American vote, Netanyahu (right), a
with Kushner “though we were doubtful he would Kushner says, “Maybe. Maybe not.” Kushner family friend.
get it done, even if his heart was in the right place.”
The Jones/Jackson endorsement showed Demo-
crats that Kushner might be serious. Jackson acknowl-
edges that she and Jones took some grief. “People were
calling us saying, how could you do this, how can you
do something that might give Trump a win?”
Kushner set about working his right flank. He
says he called “Hannity [Fox News’ Sean] and Laura
[Ingraham] and [radio host] Mark Levin” to pro-
mote the bill. Another conservative skeptic, radio
chat show host Hugh Hewitt, got three phone calls
to go over details. In the end Kushner got an initial-
ly skeptical Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority
leader, to schedule a floor vote. At Kushner’s urging,
Trump had lobbied McConnell himself. “Jared was
persistent, worked the issue hard, and persuaded
me of the bill’s merits,” McConnell tells Newsweek.
On December 18, 2018, the Senate passed the
First Step Act, 87-12; the House followed and Trump
signed. The bill discharged thousands of prisoners
from federal jails—including first-time offend-
ers—relocated thousands more to prisons closer

30 NEWSWEEK.COM
 Peacemaking
succeeding in a bitterly divided washington is
hard enough, and then there’s the Mideast. Kushner
says his effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian con-
flict was done in good faith—that it was not a plan
designed to spotlight Palestinian intransigence so
that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a
longtime Kushner family friend, could do whatever
he wanted on the West Bank.
“I understand that people are going to criticize,”
he says. But “it’s okay to take on hard challenges. I’d
rather spend time on harder things.”
Kushner went about the task with his charac-
teristic mix of earnestness and self-assurance. He
studied previous deals and met with Middle East
experts and former negotiators—Miller at the Car-
negie Endowment, Clifford May, the head of the
Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and
several others. All describe him as respectful per-
sonally but dismissive of previous
efforts to resolve the conflict. “A lot
of the former peace negotiators
told me the goal is to give hope, it’s
not to actually make a deal,” Kush- “I have the ability to build relationships
ner says. “I said the goal is to make
a deal and finish this thing.” He did
and have TRUSTED DIALOGUES,
not want to go down the road off and the president knows they won’t leak.”
past negotiations only to fail again.
(Robert Satloff, executive director
of the Washington Institute for
Near East Policy retorted, “Oh, so you want to fail in Satloff, this was Kushner’s real estate background
a whole different way!” Kushner, he says, laughed.) poking through. “It was like a landlord trying to
) 5 2 0  / ( ) 7  3$7 5 , & .  0 & 0 8 / / $ 1 ʔ* ( 7 7 <  ) /2 5 , $ 1  * $ ( 57 1 ( 5 ʔ 3 + 2727 + ( . ʔ*( 7 7 <

Kushner also insisted he wasn’t going to be guid- entice a tenant to get out of a building because he
ed by “the history of the conflict, and the history wants to put up condominiums: You give him 25
of the peace process—those are traps.” To which cents on the dollar now if he takes the deal, but if
Miller replies, “But the history is the conflict.” he waits two weeks he only gets 10 cents.”
Kushner did have one thing going for him. Anyone The deal died almost as soon as it was unveiled
in the Israeli government or the Palestinian Author- but Kushner is unapologetic. “Does it make Israel
ity knew that when you were talking to Kushner, you more secure? Yes. Does it lead to Palestinians living
were talking to Trump. “That is how it was for Baker, a better life? Yes,” he says. He blames the Palestinians
when he was Secretary of State under Bush 41,” says for the plan going nowhere. “They say they want to
Miller, who worked for Baker. “There was no daylight.” compromise, but they are never willing to get into
Kushner’s problem was the plan itself. It did put the technical discussions that are going to lead
forth a two-state solution. But it required the Pales- somewhere.” He says much of the rest of the Arab
tinians to forgo control over exit and entry into the world is fed up with the Palestinian Authority. “They
proposed new state, and allow Israel to oversee its view them as an uncapped liability,” he says.
internal security. “In other words, it takes away the Along with others in Washington, Miller believes
most basic functions of a nation-state,” Satloff says. that domestic political considerations—“Trump’s
Kushner coupled that with economic incentives for desire to be the most pro-Israel president in his-
the Palestinian Authority that shrank over time. To tory”—shaped the plan. He had already fulfilled

A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0 NEWSWEEK.COM 31
a campaign promise by moving the U.S. Embassy
from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. A lopsided deal favoring
Israel would solidify his support among evangelical
Christians and conservative Jews. Kushner denies
politics drove the peace effort, but concedes the
plan “was very popular with the president’s base.”

The Prince
kushner is not wrong to suggest that much
of the Middle East is exasperated with Palestinian
leadership. The Trump administration, including
Kushner, has encouraged the Gulf states to move
closer to Israel. Kushner has been involved in the
reorientation of U.S. policy away from Iran and back
toward traditional allies, most importantly Saudi
Arabia. This wasn’t his baby, the way criminal justice
reform was. Other key members of the administra-
tion—then National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster
and Defense Secretary James Mattis—broadly sup-
ported the policy, and so have their successors. But
Kushner was important, not least because of his rela-
tionship with Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS, the
controversial Crown Prince and de facto ruler of the “To meet people who were
House of Saud. And when that relationship proved
troublesome, Kushner stood by the Saudi prince. good people who had just made
Riyadh was delighted by Trump’s campaign
promise to junk Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran
ONE MISTAKE, it hit home.
and urged an early meeting after the inauguration. People need a second chance.”
Kushner had never met the Crown Prince, but

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the two began communicating; Trump’s visit in
May 2017 was his first overseas trip as president.
During their meetings, MBS told Kushner what rather than alienate Riyadh while they were break-
the son-in-law would later relay to the president: ing off the Iran deal.
“he had very ambitious goals,” Kushner says. “He Kushner still defends MBS—and his own de-
wanted to modernize his society. But he said he cision to stand by the prince. He says MBS has
needed space and time. ‘Let me do this in my time.’” cleaned out some of the most radical Imams in
Trump’s circle viewed the 2017 Saudi trip as a tri- the mosques and tamed the notorious religious
umph, the elation captured by a photo of Kushner police. The new foreign policy maven speaks like a
high-fiving McMaster on the tarmac in Riyadh. hardened “realist” when talking about MBS and the
But in October of the following year, Washing- Saudis. If Team Trump had to bear some unpleas-
ton Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a vocal critic antness in the pursuit of broader goals with the CAST OF CHARACTERS
Kushner views Saudi
of the Saudi monarchy, was killed and dismem- Saudis, so be it. “There have been a couple of mis- Arabia’s Crown Prince
bered in the country’s Istanbul embassy. It was steps,” he says, “but they’ve been a very good ally.” Mohammed bin Salman
a high profile-—and brutal—assassination; the Kushner’s close relationship with MBS proved (above) as a key ally in
the Middle East; (right)
CIA told the White House that it believed MBS useful earlier this year. Moscow and Riyadh were Kushner, with Vice
had signed off on it, and the administration was engaged in a ruinous oil price war, wreaking havoc President Mike Pence and
taking serious heat over the murder. But Kushner on the U.S. energy sector. Demand was plummeting Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo, listens as Trump
and other advisers including Bolton and Secretary because of the COVID-induced economic coma. But and Netanyahu talk in the
of State Mike Pompeo urged Trump to hang tough the two largest foreign producers, the Saudis and 2YDO2IɿFHHDUOLHUWKLV\HDU

32 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 POLITICS

the Russians, were not cutting production in or- which Parscale, who ran digital and data strategy
der to boost prices. Instead, they were increasing in the 2016 campaign, will continue to oversee.
the flow. Kushner called MBS several times asking “We’re message-testing what will make [voters]
the Saudis to halt. He and Energy Secretary Dan like Trump more, and Biden less. We have a big
Brouilette also lobbied Moscow. Finally, the two su- war chest, our operation is clicking. We have an
perpowers called a truce. Critics say the administra- eternity of time.” Kushner recently signed off on
tion should have pressured the Saudis earlier and a tough new ad tying Biden to the rise in crime in
harder. Kushner deflects the criticism. “Ultimately, cities like Seattle, Minneapolis and New York in
we got it done,” he says. “That’s what matters.” the wake of the George Floyd murder.
The public polls that show the president trailing
Presidential Politics badly are “all bullshit,” Kushner says. “I’m not a politi-
the campaign could be the loyal son in law’s cal strategist but I know what the message is: He may
final task. Joe Biden has been pulling ahead, COVID not be the politically correct one, but he gets things
-19 cases are soaring, and Republicans around the done.” The fact that Trump has not yet laid out a vi-
country are increasingly nervous about the race. sion for a second term also doesn’t faze Kushner. “The
If Kushner is nervous, he doesn’t let on publicly. strategy side matters more in the last 90 days,” he says.
But the mid-July demotion of former campaign To anxious Republicans, Kushner’s assessment
manager Parscale in favor of Bill Stepien, the for- sounds divorced from an increasingly grim reality.
mer White House political director and Parscale’s The “eternity of time” is slipping away, as Trump’s
deputy, was a bow to reality. Parscale had been a poll numbers drop on the economy and the virus
Kushner ally but campaign insiders say his fate seems to be killing him politically. If Kushner has
was sealed by the horrible optics of the Tulsa rally. doubts, he doesn’t share them with a reporter. But
It’s unclear if Kushner tried to talk Trump out of it’s unclear how he can help overcome the harden-
demoting him. ing perception that Trump’s handling of the pan-
As recently as mid June, Kushner was prais- demic has been a disaster.
ing the campaign team he helped build. He had Dutiful and discreet, Jared Kushner has done
brought back Jason Miller and Brian Jack, two whatever his father-in-law has asked of him. The
veterans of the 2016 run. (Miller focuses on cam- question is, what has that earned him? Kushner
paign strategy, while Jack runs the White House’s wants to see his father-in-law re-elected, and hopes
office of political affairs.) The campaign, he boasts, his work helps. But neither Kushner nor anyone else
has a $60 million, state-of-the-art data operation, around the president can undo the damage from the
early, shambolic response to the virus, which helped
produce a summer of rising cases and renewed eco-
nomic shutdowns—a lethal political combination.
Nor does he control Trump’s Twitter feed, which
continues to be a source of self-inflicted wounds.
The White House, Kushner included, loved Trump’s
July 3rd speech at Mt. Rushmore and the patriotic
themes it struck. But Trump then stepped all over
the message by tweeting criticism of NASCAR for
banning Confederate flags , and of Bubba Wallace,
the African American driver who Trump said had
taken part in a “hoax” regarding the noose found
in his team’s garage. It was as tone deaf as anything
Trump has said as president and at a time when mil-
lions of Americans are confronting racial injustice.
It’s lucky for Kushner that he likes big challeng-
es. Getting Donald Trump re-elected may not be as
tough as achieving Mideast peace. But it’s close.

NEWSWEEK.COM 33
 Kushner
Gets
Candid
trump’s son-in-law
on what he’s learned,
how he operates and
the challenges of
‘playing with live ammo.’

JARED KUSHNER SPOKE TO NEWSWEEK’S

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34 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 THE

INTERVIEW

GRQH,IHHO,ŠYHEHHQDEOHWRWDNHRQ $UDEVKDYHWRKDYHDFFHVVWRWKHPRVTXH On Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince

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and the subsequent outrage and un-
rest, can you increase Trump’s share
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NEWSWEEK.COM 35
 For years Hollywood has been quietly placating
COMMUNIST CENSORS to get their movies shown in China.
Will the growing tension between the U.S. and China put
t a stop to that
t?

BY Paul Bond ILLUSTRATION BY Alex Fine

36 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
NEWSWEEK.COM 37
7
 SHOW BUSINESS

or hollywood, china is a big opportunity war and now charges and counter-charges about
and maybe a bigger headache. The opportunity is that COVID-19, Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong and
it is an enormous movie market, expected to soon its ambitions in the South China Seas have only in-
become the biggest in the world. As Tuna Amobi, an creased the temperature.
entertainment analyst with investment research firm Meanwhile, although public discussion of Chinese
CFRA, says. “Every studio understands that to be suc- censorship remains taboo for the big studios, some
cessful internationally, the growth lies in China.” filmmakers have been increasingly willing to com-
The headache is that if Western producers want plain and even, in a few cases, resist. This spring, Con-
to show—or make—a film in China they must first gressional conservatives proposed legislation that
deal with an army of bureaucrats who decide what would punish American producers for censoring
Chinese audiences can see. Their names are appro- their films to satisfy Beijing. Exhibit A? Tom Cruise’s
priately Orwellian: the State Ethnic Affairs Commis- jacket. As Texas Republican Ted Cruz asked from
sion; the State Administration for Religious Affairs; the floor of the U.S. Senate this May, “What message
the Publicity Department of the Central Commit-
tee of the Communist Party of China; the Ministry
of State Security and Safety and many more. Their
jobs are to make sure not only that China is always
portrayed favorably, but also that some subjects
are never mentioned, Chief among them are the
three T’s: Taiwan, Tibet, Tiananmen. Also off limits:
president Xi Jinping’s attempt to extend his term

)5207237202+,522+680,ʔ%/2 20%(5*ʔ*(7 7<%5 , $ 1  6 2 .2 / ʔ* ( 7 7 <  3$ 5 $ 0 2 8 1 7  3 , &7 8 5 ( 6 ʔ$ 5 & + , 9 (  3 + 272 6 ʔ* ( 7 7 <

of office indefinitely; the detention and torture of
13 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs and Turkish Muslims;
the suppression of Christianity in China and the ha-
rassment of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong.
Hollywood has mostly gone discreetly along
with that since China began opening to the west-
ern movie business in a big way in the 1990s (for a
look at some of the films that have been censored,
see page 41). Last summer Paramount Pictures, for
instance, released a trailer for Top Gun: Maver-
ick, its upcoming sequel to the 1986 blockbuster,
co-produced with Chinese internet giant TenCent.
(Originally set for release this June, the pandemic
has pushed the film back to December.) One shot
features Tom Cruise, as the now middle-aged title
character, putting on what looks like the brown
leather jacket he wore in the first film. In 1986, the
jacket had commemorative Navy exercise patches
featuring the flags of Taiwan (which split from
mainland China in 1949) and Japan (China’s bit-
“WHAT Message DOES IT SEND
terest regional rival). In the new trailer, the jacket THAT MAVERICK, AN AMERICAN ICON,
looks the same, but the flags are gone. Paramount
declined to talk about it with the press. IS APPARENTLY AFRAID
There are some small but real signs, however,
that the days of studios quietly tailoring Ameri- OF THE CHINESE COMMUNISTS?”
can movies for China are numbered. U.S. relations
with China have grown tense across the board.
The change began with President Trump’s trade

38 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 about $20,000 a film. A nominal fee, but the alter-
native was surrendering to rampant piracy and
getting nothing. By the 1990s, China was allowing
a few U.S. films into China every year on a reve-
nue-sharing basis, including hits like Warner Bros’s
The Fugitive, Paramount’s Forrest Gump and Dis-
ney’s The Lion King, according to the book China’s
Encounter with Global Hollywood (University Press
of Kentucky, 2016) by Wendy Su. But the dollars for
Hollywood were still small, with studios only get-
ting about 13 percent of ticket sales, according to
Chris Fenton, a production executive who has done
business with China for more than two decades.
Since a deal was struck in 2012, China now allows
34 foreign films into the country annually and the
studios get 25 percent of the box office with the rest
going to Chinese firms, including government-owned
does it send that Maverick, an American icon, is distributors China Film Group and Huaxia Film Dis-
apparently afraid of the Chinese communists?” tribution Co.. But movie industry insiders, speaking
Paramount, Universal Pictures, Disney, 20th Cen- on condition of anonymity, say 34 is more a floor
tury Fox, Sony Pictures, MGM and Warner Bros. de- than ceiling, especially since studios can co-produce
DIFFERENT LOOKS clined to speak to Newsweek about their China strat- with a Chinese company and thus avoid having their
Top: Moviegoers in 3D egies. Newsweek, however, spoke to dozens of current movie classified as “foreign.” That was the case with
glasses in Beijing. Left: and former movie industry insiders, all of whom said The Great Wall which featured Matt Damon and a cast
a Tibetan Buddhist nun
detained by Nepali police censorship is the primary impediment into breaking of Chinese and western supporting actors, in 2016,
at a pro-Tibet protest into the Chinese market in any meaningful way. and the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick.
outside the Chinese “The fact that major American blockbusters have
embassy in Kathmandu in
2008. Below: Tom Cruise Staggering Potential been casting Chinese film stars, or even filming
in 1986’s Top Gun. A before coronavirus shuttered theaters scenes in China, as a way to capture their moviego-
trailer for the forthcoming worldwide, China was on track to become the plan- ers’ attention is extremely telling,” says Jeff Bock, a
sequel contained a
VLJQLɿFDQW FKDQJH WR WKH et’s biggest movie market in 2021, with $11.2 billion senior analyst with Hollywood data firm Exhibitor
hero’s signature jacket. in box office receipts compared to $10.9 billion for Relations Co. “While studios don’t receive as large a
the U.S, according to Pricewater- cut from the box office in China as they do domes-
houseCoopers. At the end of 2019, tically or in other territories, the growth potential
China boasted 69,000 movie is staggering and worth the risk.”
screens, up from just 9,700 a year Jamie Chen, a Shanghai-based senior analyst at in-
earlier, according to The People’s vestment firm Third Bridge Research, agrees, point-
Daily, a mouthpiece for the coun- ing out that while about 1,000 films are produced an-
try’s ruling Communist party. nually by China’s domestic film industry only about
CFRA analyst Amobi, says, “2020 400 of them are deemed worthy of theatrical release.
is a lost year, but there’s no ques- Even prior to COVID-19, “the vacancy rate in Chinese
tion China will regain its promi- cinemas was huge,” Chen says. That leaves a large void
nence probably in 2021.” for U.S. studios to fill—if they are willing to play ball.
Hollywood has been chasing Those considering not playing have long had the
Chinese revenues since 1971 example of Richard Gere to consider. On the red
when President Richard Nixon carpet outside the 1993 Oscars, Gere, then near his
ended a two-decade trade embar- A-list star peak, protested China’s “horrendous” oc-
go and allowed studios to license cupation of Tibet. Gere has said his continuing stand
their films to China, usually for on Tibet seriously damaged his career as the Chinese

NEWSWEEK.COM 39
BEIJING DIDN’T LIKE THE WAY TARANTINO PORTRAYED Bruce Lee IN ONCE UPON A TIME ...

market grew in size and importance. In 2017, Gere, The film was a box office success, earning $530 mil-
who declined to speak to Newsweek, told an industry lion worldwide, $153 million coming from China.
trade publication, “I recently had an episode where For Disney’s 2013 Iron Man 3, state-owned China
someone said they could not finance a film with me Film Group wanted a hospital scene to be filmed in
because it would upset the Chinese.” (Similarly, Brad one of its then-new sound stages in Beijing. Producer
Pitt’s role in 1997’s Seven Years in Tibet reportedly Chris Fenton was at time president of Beijing-based
landed him on China’s do-not-cast list for a while, DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group which
though in 2013 World War Z was allowed to open in released the film in China. He’s now CEO of Media
Hong Kong where it earned a modest $5.5 million). Capital Technologies and the author of Feeding the
Since then Hollywood filmmakers have gotten Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing
used to Chinese interference over things big and Hollywood, the NBA & American Business, which Post
little. Producer Jerry Molen, who has produced Hill Press will release on July 28. Fenton says, “The
several Steven Spielberg movies including Schin- floors were made of faulty, cracked bricks that slowly
dler’s List, says often the meddling is about trivia. disintegrated into dust as the crew and equipment FIELDS OF BATTLE
“The Chinese will ask for everything expecting to moved over them, The bricks coughed up more and Top left: Forrest Gump was
among the big American
get something,” he says. “Sometimes, it’s an actor more dust to the point where we all needed to wear movies permitted in
or scenes filmed in China. It doesn’t mean you have masks in order to breathe.” Ultimately, most of the Chinese theaters during
to show Shanghai, Beijing and The Great Wall in all hopelessly foggy hospital footage was unusable. the 1990s. Top right:
Bruce Lee in 1971’s Fists
their glory, but you can never show them in a bad A Chinese requirement for co-productions with of Fury. Right: President
light.” In 2018, Molen was executive producer on foreigners is that there be only one version shown Trump with Chinese
The Meg, a co-production of Warner Bros. and Chi- worldwide, effectively allowing Chinese censors to president Xi Jinping at an
event for business leaders
na Media Capital about an enormous prehistoric decide what international audiences can see. Pro- at Beijing’s Great Hall
shark. The hero scientists in the movie are Chinese. ducer Matthew Malek, who has helped get multiple of the People in 2017.

40 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 SHOW BUSINESS

U.S. movies into Chinese theaters says, “Even when

the Chinese tell you they just want control over
what’s seen in China, the contracts they send over
have a clause that the China version becomes the MADE TO ORDER
master version. They don’t admit that, but I’ve seen Movies
s that were changed
g to suit Chinese authorities
it enough times. There’s no way around it, unless
you’re a giant studio that’s created a movie know- The Mummy: Tomb of Iron Man 3
ing what the Chinese want from the beginning.” the Dragon Emperor 2013
Sometimes the requirement can be finessed. On 2008 'LVQH\ŠV0DUYHO6WXGLRV
Iron Man 3 in 2013, Disney appeased Beijing by add- &HQVRUVLQVLVWHGWKHQDPHVDNH UHOHDVHGDGLIIHUHQWYHUVLRQRI
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World War Z starring Brad Pitt was released. In Max The Karate Kid World War Z
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NEWSWEEK.COM 41
 SHOW BUSINESS

insisted only one version be released worldwide. the Cultural Revolution and any criticism, implicit
Of the major studios, insiders say, Disney is the or otherwise, of Chairman Mao or the Communst
most successful at doing business with China, as party’s actions during those agonizing years.
the studio’s ability to manage the authorities on Last year, China blocked Quentin Tarantino’s
Iron Man 3 shows. The company has successful- Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood over its portrayal
ly partnered with the government on its theme of martial arts legend Bruce Lee. In the film, Lee,
parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong, even replacing played by Mike Moh, is depicted as a preening
trademark attractions like Space Mountain with blowhard who is fought to a draw by stuntman
spectacular only-in-China rides at the insistence Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt. Lee’s family didn’t
of authorities. Last year the studio’s Avengers: End like it and neither did Beijing, which insisted it be
Game became the biggest grossing film in history, cut from the film. Tarantino, the rare director who
hauling in $2.8 billion worldwide, with $614 mil- is able to insist on final cut, refused.
lion, or about 22 percent, coming from China.
Similarly, Disney has high hopes for its upcom- Wakeup Call?
ing live-action version of Mulan, based on the Chi- if the push and pull between hollywood and
nese folk tale of a young woman who poses as a China has mostly been played out in offices and
man to take her ailing father’s place in the army. editing rooms, it has now begun to move to a much
When a teaser trailer for the film noisier arena. On May 21, Sen-
Left: Ted Cruz wants to
went online last year, 52 million ator Ted Cruz introduced a bill punish U.S. studios that
people in China watched it in the dubbed SCRIPT (“The Stopping go along with Chinese
first 24 hours. But last summer in Censorship, Restoring Integri- censors. Right: The
Dalai Lama with actor
the midst of a growing crackdown ty, Protecting Talkies Act”) that Richard Gere at a 2007
on dissent in Hong Kong, actor would cut off the help studios ceremony at the U.S.
Liu Yifei, who plays the title char- receive from the Department of Capitol. Below: A young
fan tries out his repulsors
acter, tweeted her support of the Defense if they censor films to at a Beijing promotional
Hong Kong police. The backlash placate the Chinese. event for Iron Man 3.
was swift and loud and spawned
an ongoing campaign to boycott
the movie when it opens. After
Liu’s tweets, Twitter suspended
about 1,000 accounts boosting the hashtag #Sup-
portMulan, saying they were Chinese state-backed
bots designed to undermine “the legitimacy and
political positions of the protest movement.”
While studios like Disney have worked hard to
get along with China, some filmmakers have spo-
ken out. Speaking on a panel at the 2014 Beijing
International Film Festival director Oliver Stone
said he had tried and failed three times to com-
plete co-productions with Chinese film companies
due to meddling from authorities. One project
was an adaptation of the memoir Red Azalea (first
published by Pantheon Books in 1994) by Anchee
Min, a lesbian love story set during the Cultural
Revolution of the 1960s. Same-sex relationships are
forbidden by Chinese censors. 20th Century Fox
cut all references to Freddie Mercury’s homosexu-
ality from Chinese prints of its 2019 hit Bohemian
Rhapsody. Even more sensitive is any discussion of

42 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 money they want from the Chinese film market.”
Hollywood is not taking Cruz’s bill very seriously.
Producer Chris Fenton thinks it should. “Whether
this particular bill gets momentum should not be
the focus...Surveys have shown voters are wary of
China, and it’s an election year,” he says.
Meanwhile Wisconsin Representative Mike Gal-
lagher, a Republican, is lobbying U.S. studios to dis-
close when their films are presented—at every stage,
from screenwriting through completion—to Chi-
na’s censors. What Gallagher has in mind is a notice
in the credits like the “no animals were harmed in
the making of this film” disclaimer many films carry.
A particularly egregious example of Hollywood
appeasement of China, Gallagher tells Newsweek,
is the 2012 remake of Red Dawn, produced by
the small studio Film District along with MGM
and Sony. When principal photography was over,
the film was about a bunch of small-town Amer-
ican teens fighting off an invasion by China. In
post-production, though, MGM and Sony digital-
ly altered it so the invasion came from North Ko-
rea. Gallagher says he doesn’t see any pro-Chinese
Communist Party ideology in that kind of move by
Hollywood, just a desire to make money. He says,
“Filmmakers aren’t waking up each morning think-
ing about the nature of the CCP, but it’s fair to say
) 5 2 0  / ( ) 7  $ / ( ;  : 5 2 % / ( :6 . , ʔ* ( 7 7 <  :$ 1 *  = + $2ʔ$ ) 3ʔ* ( 7 7 <  0 $ 5 .  5 ( ,1 67 ( , 1 ʔ& 2 5 % , 6 ʔ* ( 7 7 <

they haven’t woken to the threat it poses, either.”

“Hollywood has difficult decisions to make

“HOLLYWOOD HAS 'LIɿFXOW DECISIONSS TO MAKE

BETWEEN THE BOTTOM LINE AND THE VALUES IT STANDS FOR.”
between the bottom line and the values it stands
“Hollywood companies have learned that China for,” says Gallagher. “Hollywood certainly has no
censors American films, so they often change their reservations about preaching to Americans, and
films in advance of submitting them to the Chinese there’s no shortage of movies portraying America
market,” Cruz tells Newsweek. “Chinese censors con- as evil, bad and racist. But it certainly seems it’s on
trol not just what Chinese audiences see, but also the wrong side when it comes to China, which is
what American audiences see.” Cruz, one of three engaged in ideological warfare.”
U.S lawmakers recently barred by Chinese officials, This is the same ideological battle that the Soviet
says his bill is a “wakeup call” to Hollywood and Union fought and lost when it tried to keep West-
would also prevent the FBI and the Department of ern movies, music, books and ideas out during the
Homeland Security from helping studios that sub- Cold War. The Chinese learned an important lesson
mit to Chinese censors. Cruz says the point is forc- from that failure and decided not to ban Western
ing producers “to choose between the assistance culture. Instead, they have worked hard—and for
they need from the American government and the the most part successfully—to co-opt it.

NEWSWEEK.COM 43
Culture HIGH, LOW + EVERY IN BET

GETTY

NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
44
 T

Vacation
InaGlass:
CocktailsAround
theWorld
Dreaming of exotic escapes? While travel may be limited this summer, a
creative cocktail hour doesn’t need to be. You can sip your way around
the world from Tokyo to Mexico City to Maui. From a smoky mezcal-
roasted coffee Negroni in Milan to a blue algae-gin drink served on
driftwood in Vancouver, these drinks will give you a taste of somewhere
else. Visit Newsweek.com for the recipes. —Kathleen Rellihan

Photog raph b y D I N A B E L E N K O NEWSWEEK.COM 45

Culture

01 Rob Roy
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EODFNEHUU\WRVZHHWHQLWXS

46 NEWSWEEK.COM A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0
 07 Sailor’s Neegroni
Milan
%LWWHU ERR]\ DQG EROG WKH
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09 Gothic and Lolita

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SWEEK.COM 47
Culture

P A R T ING SHOT

KermittheFrog
the muppets have been entertaining audiences since the 1950s, After such an impressive
and now, nearly 70 years later, they’re back and “working without a Hollywood career, what makes
script” on Muppets Now, a brand-new show on Disney+. It’s a mostly impro- Muppets Now different from
vised talent show with lots of special guests, not to mention tons of surprises. your other projects?
“We’ve got something for everyone,” Kermit the Frog says about the show. )RU WKH ɿUVW WLPH HYHU WKH 0XSSHWV
But one familiar thing audiences can expect is the return of Kermit’s on-again, DUH ZRUNLQJ ZLWKRXW D VFULSW ,W LV
off-again love. “Miss Piggy and I have always had a great working relationship, WRWDOO\ VSRQWDQHRXV DQG LPSURYLVHG
and on Muppets Now it really shines through. This is the real us, in the here and
now, with no filters.” Newsweek reached out to Miss Piggy for her response to What sort of things can we expect?
working with Kermit again. “Kermit and I have cleared up a lot of things and :HŠYH JRW VRPHWKLQJ IRU HYHU\RQHŜ
now we get along better than ever. You might say, we’ve come to an understand- FRRNLQJ FHOHEULW\ LQWHUYLHZV
ing,” she said. Considering Kermit’s popularity, he could do anything, even run VFLHQWLɿF EUHDNWKURXJKV ZLOG JDPH
for office, but Kermit is committed to Muppets Now. “I’m just happy being your VKRZV LQGHSWK SURɿOHV $QG ZDLW
everyday singing, dancing, talking amphibian.” XQWLO \RX VHH WKH FHOHEULWLHVŜ5X3DXO
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“I’m just
happy What famous roles do you regret
turning down?
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everyday D VKRRLQ IRU WKDW SDUW EXW WKH\

singing, GHFLGHG WR JR ZLWK VRPHRQH VOLJKWO\

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dancing, KDV GRQH D UHDOO\ JUHDW MRE, DOVR
talking WKRXJKW ,ŠG JHW WKH SDUW RI <RGD

a
amphibian.” EXW , FRXOGQŠW PDVWHU WKH GLDORJXH
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KLP *UHDW MRE WRR KH GLG

You’ve always had a way of

bringing people together. Have
you ever considered running
IRU RIɿFH"
CO U RTE SY O F D I S NE Y

1R 6XUH WKH\ VD\ :DVKLQJWRQ LV D

VZDPS EXW , VWLOO GRQŠW WKLQN SROLWLFV
LV IRU IURJV 2K DQG WKDWŠV DQRWKHU
JUHDW WKLQJ DERXW Muppets Now: No
SROLWLFV -XVW ODXJKV —H. Alan Scott

A U G U S T 0 7, 2 0 2 0