Property, golf, and crypto: the Trump family strikes deals in the Middle East

Summary

Apple News Today: Property, Golf, and Crypto—The Trump Family Strikes Deals in the Middle East

Released on May 13, 2025, hosted by Shemitah Basu

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1. President Trump's Strategic Middle East Tour

Overview: President Donald Trump embarked on his first significant foreign trip of his second term to the Middle East, aiming to secure substantial economic deals with key Gulf nations. His itinerary included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Key Points:

• Saudi Arabia Investment Forum: Trump attended an investment forum where Saudi Arabia pledged to invest $600 billion in the U.S. over four years. However, the kingdom's substantial budget deficit raises questions about the feasibility of this commitment.

• UAE's Massive Investment: The UAE has committed to a staggering $1.4 trillion investment in the United States over the next decade, highlighting the deepening economic ties between the two nations.

• Qatar's Luxurious Gesture: Qatar offered Trump a $400 million luxury jet, potentially serving as a new Air Force One. There are reports Trump plans to retain the jet post-presidency by transferring it to his presidential library.

Notable Quote:

"Their large budget deficit will make that a hard promise to deliver on."
— Shemitah Basu, [00:20]

2. The Trump Family’s Expanding Business Ties in the Middle East

Overview: While President Trump negotiates on a national level, his family members are actively forging significant business deals in the Middle East, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest.

Key Points:

• Jared Kushner's Sovereign Funds: Jared Kushner secured over $3.5 billion from both the UAE and Qatar for his private equity ventures, alongside funding from Saudi Arabia.

• Dubai Residential Project: The Trump Organization announced a major new residential complex development in Dubai, marking a significant expansion into the region's real estate market.

• Cryptocurrency Investments: An Abu Dhabi investment firm pledged $2 billion to the Trump family's cryptocurrency company, indicating diversification into digital assets.

• Doha Golf Course Deal: Eric Trump signed a deal to develop a prestigious golf course in Doha, further cementing the family's footprint in the Middle Eastern leisure sector.

Notable Quote:

"Any one of these large deals would have been a scandal in most other administrations."
— Elliot Brown, Wall Street Journal Reporter, [02:49]

Ethical Concerns:

• The intertwining of Trump's official duties with his family's business interests blurs the line between policy and personal gain. The Trump Organization's new ethics plan claims profits from foreign deals will be donated to the U.S. government, a move met with skepticism from accountability groups and Democrats.

3. Sean "Diddy" Combs’ High-Profile RICO Trial

Overview: Music mogul Sean Combs faces a landmark criminal trial under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, facing serious charges that could result in a lifetime imprisonment.

Key Points:

• Charges: Combs is charged with racketeering, sex trafficking, kidnapping, arson, drug distribution, bribery, and obstruction, spanning a period of 20 years.

• Prosecution’s Stance: The prosecution aims to prove that Combs orchestrated a criminal enterprise involving coercion and exploitation.

• Defense Strategy: Combs' defense acknowledges his flawed character but denies the trafficking allegations, emphasizing consensual relationships and questioning the credibility of witnesses.

Notable Quote:

"The jury is not here to judge him for his sexual preferences."
— Shemitah Basu, [02:18]

Expert Insights:

• Robin Nunn, Legal Analyst: Highlights the uniqueness of this case, noting the challenge of applying RICO, typically used for larger groups, to a single individual.

“These witnesses that they should be calling are really going to have to provide. I was involved. I saw this. This happened.”
— Robin Nunn, [06:35]

• Ellie Honig, CNN Legal Analyst: Predicts the defense will argue for consensuality and character assassination, leveraging existing civil suits to undermine prosecution claims.

“These were consensual relationships... the defense is going to say this is a pile on.”
— Ellie Honig, [07:15]

Trial Expectations: The trial is slated to last approximately eight weeks, with significant attention on the prosecution’s ability to establish a criminal enterprise.

4. Breakthroughs in Clean Energy: Battery Technology Revolutionizes the Grid

Overview: Advancements in lithium-ion battery technology are poised to transform the U.S. energy infrastructure, enhancing grid stability and supporting the transition to renewable energy sources.

Key Points:

• Increased Capacity: Battery storage capacity has quintupled in recent years, with 2025 projections showing nearly double the installations compared to 2024.

• Grid Stability: Batteries allow for the storage of electricity from renewable sources like solar and wind, mitigating the need for immediate consumption and providing backup during emergencies.

• Cost and Efficiency: Significant reductions in battery costs and improvements in energy density make this technology more accessible and efficient than ever before.

Notable Quote:

“They help allow some stability and redundancy to provide additional power when it's needed when parts of the grid have to go down.”
— Umar Irfan, Vox, [09:22]

Impact Example:

• Texas's Success: Last year, Texas saw unprecedented battery usage, which proved crucial during extreme heat waves by preventing widespread power outages.

Environmental and Economic Benefits:

• Cleaner energy storage solutions contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, addressing one of the largest contributors within the American power sector.
• Enhanced grid resilience decreases dependency on aging infrastructure, avoiding costly repairs and upgrades.

5. House Republicans' Medicaid Reduction Proposal

Overview: House Republicans unveiled a plan aimed at fulfilling President Trump's tax-cutting agenda by significantly cutting Medicaid funding, projected to reduce federal spending and insurance coverage.

Key Points:

• Financial Impact: The Congressional Budget Office estimates the proposal would decrease federal spending by $715 billion over the next decade.

• Insurance Coverage Reduction: The plan is expected to reduce the number of Americans with health insurance by at least 8.6 million by 2034 through tightened eligibility and stricter work requirements.

• Internal Republican Divisions: The proposal faces opposition within the party, with some members arguing it doesn't go far enough, while others, like Senator Josh Hawley, caution that deeper cuts could be morally and politically damaging.

Notable Quote:

"Big cuts would be, quote, morally wrong and politically suicidal."
— Senator Josh Hawley, The New York Times, [10:35]

6. President Trump’s Executive Order to Lower Drug Prices

Overview: In a bold move to address high prescription drug costs, President Trump signed an executive order mandating pharmaceutical companies to reduce their prices within 30 days.

Key Points:

• Global Context: The U.S. typically pays the highest prices for prescription medications, often three times more than other developed countries.

• Implementation Concerns: The executive order lacks specific enforcement mechanisms, relying instead on voluntary commitments to achieve price reductions.

• Previous Efforts: Earlier attempts to lower Medicare drug prices faced legal obstacles, including federal court blocks.

Notable Quote:

“For the first time in many years. We'll slash the cost of prescription drugs and we will bring fairness to America. Drug prices will come down.”
— Donald Trump, [11:32]

7. NBA Draft Lottery Shock: Dallas Mavericks Secure Top Pick

Overview: In a historic lottery upset, the Dallas Mavericks clinched the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, allowing them to select Duke's standout forward Cooper Flagg.

Key Points:

• Lottery Odds: The Mavericks entered the lottery with a mere 1.8% chance of securing the top pick.

• Record-Breaking Leap: They advanced 10 spots, marking the most significant jump by any team in lottery history, as reported by ESPN.

• Future Prospects: Cooper Flagg, regarded as one of the most promising players of the past decade, is expected to make a substantial impact on the Mavericks' future performance.

Notable Quote:

“It's the biggest jump by any team in lottery history.”
— ESPN, [11:40]

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Conclusion

This episode of Apple News Today delves into a spectrum of pressing topics, from the intricate balance between President Trump's international negotiations and his family's business dealings, to groundbreaking developments in clean energy storage technology. The high-stakes Sean Combs trial and significant political maneuvers within House Republicans add layers of complexity to the current political landscape. Additionally, groundbreaking moves in the NBA highlight the unpredictability and excitement within sports. Through insightful discussions and expert analyses, Shemitah Basu provides listeners with a comprehensive understanding of these multifaceted issues.

Notable Mention: Listeners can explore more stories, including an in-depth analysis of ChatGPT’s impact on higher education, by accessing the Apple News app and following Apple News Plus Narrated for further narrated articles.

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For a detailed listening experience and more engaging content, tune into the Apple News app.

Transcript

[Shemitah Basu]

Good morning. It's Tuesday, May 13th. I'm Shemitah Basu. This is Apple News today. On today's show, opening statements made as Sean Combs trial gets underway. The clean tech that could revolutionize our energy system. And House Republicans propose paring down Medicaid. But first, President Trump is in the Middle east for his first big foreign trip of his second term. He's in Saudi Arabia today and plans to visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well. His itinerary largely focuses on potential economic deals with the US he's attending an investment forum in Saudi Arabia today. Its government has promised to invest $600 billion in the US over the next four years, though the kingdom's large bud deficit will make that a hard promise to deliver on. The UAE has pledged to spend $1.4 trillion in the US over the next decade. And Qatar recently offered a gift that could be the most expensive in modern history, a $400 million luxury jet that Trump is reportedly considering to use as Air Force One and continue using even after he leaves office by transferring the plane to his presidential library. But while the president looks for deals to secure for the U.S. his family has been busy deepening their personal business ties with the region. And as Wall Street Journal reporter Elliot Brown told us, doing so while Trump is in office and seeking concessions from these same countries seems to blur the line between policy and personal interest.

[Elliot Brown]

The Trump Organization, his real estate and, you know, hotel and branding company, they said they wouldn't do foreign deals of any sort in the first term for the they've limited that to deals directly with foreign governments.

[Shemitah Basu]

That pivot has led to arrangements Brown described as ethically squishy.

[Elliot Brown]

Particularly, the UAE and Qatar have done a surprising number of deals with the president's family, with his close associates, with his son in law.

[Shemitah Basu]

Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, secured more than $3.5 billion worth of sovereign or royal funds from both countries, plus Saudi Arabia for a private equity fund that he runs. The Trump Organization recently announced plans to develop a major new residential complex in Dubai. An Abu Dhabi investment firm announced plans last week to contribute $2 billion to the Trump family's cryptocurrency company. And Eric Trump, the president's son, recently signed a deal to develop a golf course in Doha.

[Elliot Brown]

They are building a hotel with a private developer, but the private developer struck a deal with a Qatari state fund. And so then you have Eric Trump alongside a Qatari minister launching at public publicly. So basically any one of these large number of things noted in our article would have been a scandal in most other administrations, if not every other administration.

[Shemitah Basu]

The White House has said it's ridiculous to suggest the president is doing anything for his personal benefit. And earlier this year, the Trump Organization instituted a new ethics plan where the company says it will continue to donate any profit from foreign government patronage to the US Government. But government accountability groups, Democrats and others say they're concerned about conflicts of interest and how foreign governments could potentially use business deals like these to influence US Policy.

[Elliot Brown]

The sort of view of analysts and, you know, former diplomats is this can be another way of sort of pressuring the president to get what they want. And every country has something they want out of the U.S. the UAE, for instance, is really going big right now in pushing for an AI deal, chips.

[Shemitah Basu]

That are designed in the U.S. saudi Arabia is reportedly interested, too. In fact, that's expected to be a major topic of conversation during today's investment forum. If a deal is reached, it would mark another departure from the Biden administration, which had rejected striking similar AI chip deals over concerns that they could help give these countries with strong ties to China an edge over the US in future AI developments, particularly for military and surveillance applications. Now let's turn to one of the most high profile court cases of the year. As the opening statements for Sean Diddy Combs criminal trial got underway, the music mogul, whose Fortune forbes estimates at $400 million, has pled not guilty to charges of racketeering and sex trafficking for alleged crimes that took place over a 20 year period. If he is proven guilty, Combs could spend the rest of his life in prison. During opening statements, the prosecution told the jury that Combs accusations included kidnapping, arson, drug distribution, sex crimes, bribery and obstruction. While the defense conceded that Combs is, quote, very flawed, they denied that any of his behavior amounted to trafficking and that the jury was not here to judge him for his sexual preferences. Key to their case will be two women. The first, Cassie Ventura Combs ex girlfriend. Yesterday, Combs defense team admitted that he subjected her to domestic abuse, evidenced by 2016 footage played in court, but denied that she was forced or coerced into sex with male escorts. Prosecutors claim a second woman, known only as Jane, was forced into similar acts and say they have incriminating texts and videos they will present. Part of what is unique here is that Combs has been charged under the RICO Act, a law that was established to target the Mafia. Combs lead attorney Mark Agnifolo, a former federal prosecutor, was instrumental in broadening the use of the RICO act, that's the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act, so that it was applicable to street gangs. But now, as a defense lawyer, Agnifolo may argue that the law doesn't apply to Combs. Robin Nunn, a trial attorney and legal analyst, spoke to CBS about what makes this case different from typical RICO cases.

[Robin Nunn]

Ann usually in those cases you see a lot more defendants. It's not usually one solo person, like one individual. And in this case you don't see the 40 defendants that you would expect to see In a racketeering case. We have one person. So these witnesses that they should be calling are really going to have to provide. I was involved. I saw this. This happened.

[Shemitah Basu]

RICO's are complex cases which will require prosecutors to prove that Combs ran a sort of criminal enterprise. But it also expands the statute of limitations and therefore the scope of the case. Here's how CNN legal analyst Ellie Honig said the defense might play out.

[Ellie Honig]

So I think the first defense is going to be this was consensual. These were long term relationships. And even if these were abusive physical relationships, they that would be a state level domestic violence charge, but that would not necessarily be a federal racketeering conspiracy. Relatedly, I think you're going to see the defense go after the victims, the witnesses. They're going to say first of all, these were consensual relationships. Second of all, though, I think the defense is going to try to cast doubt on the motivations. They're going to point out the fact that all of these victims have civil suits against Sean Combs. And so I think the defense is going to say this is a pile on.

[Shemitah Basu]

The trial is expected to last around eight weeks. Let's turn now to a big development in American energy infrastructure, what Box calls the holy grail of clean energy. Because of the rise of lithium ion batteries. Our capacity to hold electricity in batteries that service our energy grids has increased fivefold in the last few years. And this year, new battery installations are posed to almost double compared to 2024. Vox's Umar Irfan explained for us why this is such a big deal.

[Umar Irfan]

The way our power grid works typically is that we have large centralized generators and then they send power along long transmission lines and then distribution networks to our homes, our offices and businesses. The main issue with that is that electricity has to be used pretty much as soon as it's produced. And so generators have to the demand instantaneously, minute to minute, second by second, in order to keep the power grid stable.

[Shemitah Basu]

But battery based energy storage is changing that and fast. It allows electricity from solar and wind to be stored and used when needed, or as backup power in emergencies when transmission lines are damaged. A big reason why this tech is advancing so quickly is because batteries have become a lot cheaper than they were a few decades ago. They're better at holding denser amounts of energy. Irfan cited a few other reasons.

[Umar Irfan]

It has a lot of benefits. It doesn't typically compete with generators directly because it stores energy. It doesn't generate electricity on its own, and oftentimes it charges up using electricity that would otherwise go to waste. And so essentially, a lot of times it's using electricity that's effectively free.

[Shemitah Basu]

The other good news here is this type of energy storage is cleaner than traditional methods. The American power sector is the second largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. It's also getting old and in need of expensive repairs.

[Umar Irfan]

And so batteries buy us some time. They help allow some stability and redundancy to provide additional power when it's needed when parts of the grid have to go down.

[Shemitah Basu]

Texas is a prime example of seeing this progress in action. Last year, batteries provided more power than ever before to the state. And it made a difference during some brutal heat waves when Texans didn't have to worry about limiting their for all of us, these advancements mean we could be entering a new era of energy usage, one where heat waves won't leave us without power for days. Before we let you go, a few other stories we're following. House Republicans published their proposal to deliver on Trump's tax cutting agenda with a bill that suggests substantial cuts for Medicaid. Analysis from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the plan would bring down spending by $715 billion over the next decade and, quote, reduce the number of people with health insurance by at least 8.6 million by 2034. Republicans plan to lower that number largely by tightening eligibility and work requirements. But internal divisions remain. Some House Republicans said this proposal didn't go far enough, while Senator Josh Hawley warned in the New York Times that big cuts would be, quote, March, morally wrong and politically suicidal. In other news, Trump signed an executive order demanding drug Companies lower their US prices within 30 days.

[Donald Trump]

For the first time in many years. We'll slash the cost of prescription drugs and we will bring fairness to America. Drug prices will come down.

[Shemitah Basu]

According to Reuters, the US Pays the most for prescription medicines in the world, often nearly three times that of other developed nations. But Trump's order didn't detail how the administration would enforce these changes, which it hopes to achieve through voluntary commitments in his first term, Trump attempted to reduce drug prices paid by Medicare, but was blocked by a federal court. And finally, the NBA draft lottery saw a shock first pick for the Dallas Mavericks, giving them the right to secure Duke's 6 foot 9 forward Cooper Flagg, one of the most coveted players of the last decade. The Mavs had just a 1.8% chance of winning the draft lottery and jumped 10 spots to grab the number one pick. ESPN calls it the biggest jump by any team in lottery history. The draft will be held in June. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. New York magazine has this grabby headline about ChatGPT and higher ed Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College. It examines the way that ChatGPT is, as one tech ethicist put it, short circuiting the learning process. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News plus Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.