Staff Reporter
The Wall Street Journal
Washington, United States
Covered White House, high tech policy, financial crisis, business regulation, fiscal and tax policy, economy and personal finance, Congress, 9/11 attacks and aftermath. Served as The Wall Street Journal’s main tech policy reporter, leading the paper’s world-beating coverage of Big Tech’s growing troubles in Washington over privacy, anti-competitive practices, online harms to children and adults and national-security risks.Played a major role in bringing about the current tech backlash, producing revelatory scoops and the first features about online harms to young users, platforms’ lack of legal accountability and the companies’ privacy and antitrust problems. Reporting led to passage by Congress of the 2018 SESTA-FOSTA legislation making platforms liable for underage sex trafficking online, the only broad legislation so far to limit tech companies' powers. Produced major scoops on TikTok, including the first report that Biden was seeking to force its sale or shutdown. Served as the Journal’s main White House reporter during President Bush’s term, providing unparalleled access to his time on the global stage, concluding with the 2008 financial crisis.Produced a steady stream of White House scoops on topics ranging from financial and economic upheavals to national security to climate change, politics and administration personnel. Served as the Journal’s fiscal policy reporter, dominating coverage of the budget and taxes, and foreshadowing the 2008 financial crisis with prescient reporting on risks from overheated mortgage markets.Broke numerous major stories in the runup to the financial crisis on accounting irregularities surrounding use of derivatives at Fannie Mae, the giant government-chartered mortgage company, and its sister Freddie Mac. The resulting scandal eventually brought down both companies’ CEOs and foreshadowed the broader financial sector meltdown. Co-wrote one of the Page One stories in the Journal’s Pulitzer-winning 9/11 entry.