Telling landlords to not accept black applications, to the extent of being sued by the DoJ and which identified a superintendent put the letter 'C' on applications of people of color so the office would know to reject them. source 2
Central Park 5 - repetitive accusing them of being criminals 12-17 years after DNA led to exoneration, all as justification for death penalty and police becoming more violent
Tried to buy out the Ground Zero Mosque "not because I think the location is a spectacular one [because it is not] but because it will end a very serious, inflammatory, and highly divisive situation that is destined, in my opinion, to only get worse."
Repeatedly accusing Obama of not being born in this country
Calling Obama Kenyan/Muslim not just at first in 2011, but again in 2016 after claiming he himself deserved credit for getting Obama's birth certificate released
Trump says Abraham Lincoln 'did good' for the Black community but that 'the end result' is "questionable"
Stated that Minneapolis has "suffered enough" for having Somalian refugees
Will not allow Hurricane Dorian refugees from the Bahamas because because they are full of “very bad gang members.”
Muslim ban (yes it was, it treated people differently based on religion)
Pardoning Joe Arpaio who was convicted of racial discrimination, expressly broke the law to target hispanics, arrested people for being hispanic without an actual criminal charge, and kept them in brutal prison conditions
Charlottesville apologetics of the neo-nazis - first said the problem was the left then "both sides" etc
Tweeted calling for the death penalty for Sayfullo Saipov, the Muslim who killed 8 with a truck along a Manhattan bike path. Yet he never said it for Dylann Roof, who killed 9 in a Charleston church even when Nikki Haley linked the rhetoric to him.
“I’ve got black accountants at Trump Castle and at Trump Plaza. Black guys counting my money,” Trump said, according to the 1991 biography. “I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.” ... “I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.”
“You’re not gonna support me even though you know I’m the best thing that could ever happen to Israel”...“And I know why you’re not going to support me. You’re not going to support me because I don’t want your money”...“You want to control your own politician.” and “Is there anyone in this room who doesn’t negotiate deals? Probably more than any room I’ve ever spoken.” source
Repeating conspiracies about George Soros being behind various movements and attacks
Tells Jewish voters at IAC they are "brutal killers" and "not nice people"
[Effortpost 6 of 15] Donald Trump's History of Bigotry
Based on the rhetoric of the 2016 Trump campaign, numerous racially charged tweets, anti-immigrant policies, and even the lack of diversity within his own staff, it doesn't seem surprising to say that Donald Trump is a bigot. Bear in mind that this will be quite long. It'll be broken down into three categories: pre-presidency, 2016 candidacy, and presidency. I should note that this post won't contain everything, so at the end I'll add other compilations of his remarks towards different groups.
The ads came from a grassroots anti-gambling group called the New York Institute for Law and Society created and run by longtime Trump friend and consultant, Roger Stone.
He claimed that it would be similar to President Eisenhower's "Operation Wetback" initiative, which deported 1.5 million illegal immigrants by bus, truck, and boat and dropped them off at remote parts of the US-Mexico border.
The capitalization of "TRAIL" refers to the Trail of Tears, an act of ethnic cleansing which forcibly relocated Native Americans and resulted in thousands of deaths.
2019 - Trump fired a series of tweets directed at Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, claiming they are “from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe” and that they should "go back."
Stop AAPI Hate, an organization dedicated to tracking self-reported hostile anti-Asian instances since late March, says it has received over 2,000 reports since the project began. The group says it saw a surge in reports after Trump began using this rhetoric.
The group found that many anti-China comments were frequently associated with verbal and physical assault.
Welcome to Lost in the Sauce, keeping you caught up on political and legal news that often gets buried in distractions and theater… or a global health crisis. Figuring out how to divide the COVID-19 content from the “regular” news has been difficult because the pandemic is influencing all aspects of life. Some of the stories below involve the virus, but I chose to include them when it fits into one of the pre-established categories (like congress or immigration). The coronavirus-central post will be made again this Thursday-Friday; the sign up form now has an option to choose to receive an email when the coronavirus-focused roundup is posted. House-keeping:
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Let’s dig in!
MAIN COURSE
Congress passes stimulus
Last week started out with a Republican-crafted stimulus bill that was twice-blocked by Senate Democrats, who objected to the lax conditions of aid to corporations, too little funding for hospitals, and a $500 billion “slush fund” for big companies to be doled out by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin with no oversight. Conservative-Democrat Joe Manchin (WV) even criticized the GOP bill:
“It fails our first responders, nurses, private physicians and all healthcare professionals. ... It fails our workers. It fails our small businesses… Instead, it is focused on providing billions of dollars to Wall Street and misses the mark on helping the West Virginians that have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.”
Through negotiations, Democrats shifted the bill in a more-worker friendly direction. The version that passed includes the following Democrat-added provisions: expanded unemployment benefits, $100 billion for hospitals, $150 billion for state and local governments, direct payments to Americans without a phase-in (ensuring low-income workers get the full amount), a ban on Trump and his children from receiving aid, and oversight on the “slush fund” (see next section for more info). Senate Democrats also managed to remove a provision that would have excluded nonprofits that receive Medicaid funding from the small-business grants.
Further reading: After Senate Democrats blocked the Republican-crafted bill, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led the House Democrats in releasing their own version, a best-case scenario of their dream coronavirus stimulus bill. It is interesting to contrast what the Democrats prioritized to what the Republicans focused on: “How the House Democrats' stimulus plan compares to the Senate's”
Echoing sentiments expressed during debate on the previous coronavirus bill (the second, for those keeping track), Republican senators derided the $600 a week increase in unemployment payments as “incentivizing” workers to quit their jobs. Sens. Ben Sasse (Neb.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Tim Scott (S.C.) and Lindsey Graham (S.C.) delayed passage of the bill in order to force a vote on an amendment removing the extra unemployment funding. "This bill pays you more not to work than if you were working," Graham said. Fortunately for American workers, the amendment failed and the improved bill passed the Senate and the House.
Note: In 2009 only three Republicans helped Obama pass his stimulus bill in his first month in office.
The giveaways in the bill
While Senate Democrats were able to add worker-friendly provisions, the bill still required bipartisan support to pass the chamber and some corporate giveaways remained in the final version.
NYT: “Senate Republicans inserted an easy-to-overlook provision on page 203 of the 880-page bill that would permit wealthy investors to use losses generated by real estate to minimize their taxes on profits from things like investments in the stock market. The estimated cost of the change over 10 years is $170 billion.”
NYT: “...if a company owns multiple hotels, even if the overall hotel or restaurant chain has more than 500 employees — the limit to qualify for treatment as a small business — it will still be able to take advantage of the small-business benefits offered in the rescue package. ...The provision could benefit the Trump Organization, which operates a relatively small chain, with six hotels in the United States in cities including New York, Washington and Chicago.”
“A provision for the FDA to approve ‘innovative’ sunscreens—which would benefit L’Oreal, which has operations in Kentucky—appeared in the bill, which was steered in the Senate by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.”
“The $25 billion allocated in loans and loan guarantees for the airlines will also benefit eligible businesses "approved to perform inspection, repair, replace, or overhaul services, and ticket agents.” The last two words — ‘ticket agents’ — mean that travel agents who book flights will also be able to apply for a piece of the $25 billion.”
“The credit reporting industry got a win by defeating a total ban on negative credit reports during the crisis. Instead, a watered down version made it into the final bill: Consumers wouldn't get a negative credit report if they have an agreement with a lender to delay payments or make partial payments.”
Trump’s signing statement
While signing the latest coronavirus relief bill, the president also issued a signing statement undercutting the congressional oversight provision creating an inspector general to track how the administration distributes the $500 billion “slush fund” money. The newly-created inspector general is legally required to audit loans and investments made through the fund and report to Congress his/her findings, including any refusal by the executive office to cooperate. In his signing statement, Trump wrote that his understanding of constitutional powers allows him to gag the special IG:
"I do not understand, and my Administration will not treat, this provision as permitting the [inspector general] to issue reports to the Congress without the presidential supervision required" by Article II of the Constitution.
The signing statement further suggests that Trump does not have to comply with a provision requiring that agencies consult with Congress before it spends or reallocates certain funds: "These provisions are impermissible forms of congressional aggrandizement with respect to the execution of the laws," the statement reads. While some have said that Congress fell short in this instance, one Democratic Senate aide told Politico that Congress built in multiple layers of oversight, including “a review of other inspectors general and a congressional review committee charged with overseeing Treasury and the Federal Reserve's efforts to implement the law.” Legal experts have pointed out that a signing statement is “without legal effect.” But that ignores the fact that oversight is not equal to enforcement. The problem, in my opinion, isn’t that Congress won’t be notified of any abuses of power by Trump. The problem is that congressional Republicans and the judiciary have largely failed to hold him accountable and enforce our laws even after learning of his abuses.
Concerns about the IG
Another potential weakness in the oversight structure is the inspector general position itself. The special inspector general for pandemic recovery, known by the acronym S.I.G.P.R., is nominated by the president and confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate. As we’ve seen from Trump’s previous nominees, particularly judicial, many unqualified individuals have been confirmed. The Democrats will not have the power to stop the president and Mitch McConnell from jamming through a loyalist to fill the SIGPR role.
Former inspector general at the Justice Department Michael Bromwich: “The signing statement threatens to undermine the authority and independence of this new IG. The Senate should extract a commitment from the nominee that Congress will be promptly notified of any Presidential/Administration interference or obstruction.”
You may recall that Trump has already proven that he’s willing to interfere with the legally-mandated work of an inspector general. When the Ukraine whistleblower filed a complaint last year, the IG of the Intelligence Community, Michael Atkinson, investigated and determined the complaint to be “urgent” and “credible.” Atkinson wrote a report and gave it to Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire to hand over to Congress. However, the White House and DOJ interfered and instructed Maguire not to transmit the report to the Senate and House Intelligence Committees. Chairman Adam Schiff had to subpoena Maguire to turn over the report and testify before his committee. Further, there are already five IG vacancies in agencies that have a critical role in responding to the pandemic. The Treasury itself has not had a permanent, Senate-confirmed IG for over eight months now, and Trump hasn’t nominated a replacement. The Treasury Dept. has taken a lead role in the coronavirus response, with Secretary Mnuchin handling most of the negotiating with Congress on Trump’s behalf. The fact that the lead agency doesn’t have IG oversight should be troublesome in itself; replicating the situation with a special IG doesn’t seem to be a promising solution.
The other four coronavirus-related agencies without a permanent IG: Department of Health and Human Services’ IG has been vacant for nine months, Department of Defense’s IG has been vacant for four years, Department of Education’s IG has been vacant for one year, and Office of Personnel Management’s IG has been vacant for four years. Overall, there are twelve IG vacancies in the 37) presidentially-appointed offices.
UPDATE: The nation's inspectors general have appointed Glenn Fine, the Pentagon's acting IG, to lead the committee of IGs overseeing the coronavirus relief effort.
This is one of several oversight mechanisms built into the new law. They include: A committee of IGs (now led by Fine), a new special IG (to be nominated by Trump), a congressional review panel (to be appointed by House/Senate leaders)
Direct payments
Included in the stimulus bill is a $1200 one-time direct payment for all Americans who made less than $75,000 in 2019 (less than $150,000 if couples filed jointly). More details can be found here. I have read that the Treasury will use 2018 information for those who have not filed yet this year, but I am not 100% sure that’ll happen. Mnuchin has said that Americans can expect to receive the money within three weeks, but many experts expect that timetable to be pushed into late April. Additionally, that only applies to Americans who included direct deposit information on their 2019 tax returns. Those who did not include their bank’s information will have to be sent a physical check in the mail… which could take anywhere from two to four months. Other options are being discussed, including partnering the Treasury Dept. with MasterCard and Visa to deliver prepaid debit cards. Venmo and Paypal are reportedly lobbying the government to be considered as a disbursement option. Future payments? House Speaker Pelosi is already planning another wave of direct payments to Americans, saying that the $1,200 is not enough to mitigate the economic effects of the pandemic: “I don’t think we’ve seen the end of direct payments.” Republicans, meanwhile, are taking a ‘wait and see’ approach, using the next couple of weeks to measure the impact of the $2 trillion bill passed last week.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy: “What concerns me is when I listen to Nancy Pelosi talk about a fourth package now, it’s because she did not get out of things that she really wanted...I’m not sure you need a fourth package...Let’s let this work ... We have now given the resources to make and solve this problem. We don’t need to be crafting another bill right now.” For the fourth legislative package, Democrats have said they would like to see increased food stamp benefits; increased coverage for coronavirus testing, visits to the doctor and treatment; more money for state and local governments, including Washington, D.C.; expanded family and medical leave; pension fixes; and stronger workplace protections.
Trump’s signature Normally, a civil servant signs federal checks, like the direct payments Americans are set to receive. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Trump has told people that he wants his signature to appear on the stimulus checks.
THE SIDES
War on the poor continues
Amid the coronavirus crisis, Trump has defended his continued support of a Republican-led lawsuit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which would result in 20 million Americans losing health insurance if successful. The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the case this fall. Contrasting with his position that the ACA is illegal, Trump is considering reopening enrollment on HealthCare.gov, allowing millions of uninsured individuals to get coverage before potentially incurring charges and fees related to COVID-19. Joe Biden called on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading the charge against the ACA, and President Trump to drop the lawsuit:
“At a time of national emergency, which is laying bare the existing vulnerabilities in our public health infrastructure, it is unconscionable that you are continuing to pursue a lawsuit designed to strip millions of Americans of their health insurance and protections under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including the ban on insurers denying coverage or raising premiums due to pre-existing conditions.”
The Trump administration is also pushing forward with its plan to kick 700,000 people off federal food stamp assistance, known as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The USDA announced two weeks ago that the department will appeal Judge Beryl Howell’s recent decision that the USDA’s work mandate rule is “arbitrary and capricious." Additionally: The Social Security Administration has no plans to slow down a rule change set for June that will limit disability benefits, the Department of Health and Human Services still intends to reduce automatic enrollment in health coverage, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development will continue the process to enact a rule that would make it harder for renters to sue landlords for racial discrimination.
Lawmakers’ stock transactions
The Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission are beginning to investigate stock transactions made ahead of the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. CNN reports that the inquiry has already reached out to Senator Richard Burr for information. “Under insider trading laws, prosecutors would need to prove the lawmakers traded based on material non-public information they received in violation of a duty to keep it confidential,” a task that won’t be easy. Sen. Burr is facing another consequence of his trades: Alan Jacobson, a shareholder in Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, sued Burr for allegedly using private information to instruct a mass liquidation of his assets. Among the shares he sold were an up to $150,000 stake in Wyndham, whose stock suffered a market-value cut of more than two-thirds since mid-February.
Environmental rollbacks
Using the pandemic as cover, the Trump administration has begun to more aggressively roll back regulations meant to protect the environment. These are examples of what Naomi Klein dubbed “the shock doctrine”: the phenomenon wherein polluters and their government allies push through unpopular policy changes under the smokescreen of a public emergency. On Thursday, the EPA announced (non-paywalled) an expansive relaxation of environmental laws and fines, exempting companies from consequences for pollution. Under the new rules, there are basically no rules. Companies are asked to “act responsibly” but are not required to report when their facilities discharge pollution into the air or water. Just five days before abandoning any pollution oversight, the oil industry’s largest trade group implored the administration for assistance, stating that social distancing measures caused a steep drop in demand for gasoline.
Monday morning update: In an interview with Fox News this morning, Trump said he was going to call Putin after the interview to discuss the Saudi-Russia oil fight. A consequence of this "battle" has been plummeting prices in the U.S. making it difficult for domestic companies (like shale extraction) to turn a profit. It's striking that the day after Dr. Fauci told Americans we can expect 100,000 to 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 (if we keep social distancing measures in place), Trump's first action is to talk to Fox News and his second action is to intervene in an international tiff on behalf of the oil and gas industry.
Gina McCarthy, who led the E.P.A. under the Obama administration, called the rollback “an open license to pollute.” Cynthia Giles, who headed the EPA enforcement division during the Obama administration, said “it is so far beyond any reasonable response I am just stunned.” The EPA is also moving forward with a widely-opposed rule to limit the types of scientific studies used when crafting new regulations or revising current ones. Hidden behind claims of increased transparency, the rule would require disclosure of all raw data used in scientific studies. This would disqualify many fields of research that rely on personal health information from individuals that must be kept confidential. For example, studies that show air pollution causes premature deaths or a certain pesticide is linked to birth defects would be rejected under the proposed rule change. Officials and scientists are calling upon the EPA to extend the time for comment on the regulatory changes, arguing that the public is unable to express their opinion while dealing with the pandemic.
“These rollbacks need and deserve the input of our public health community, but right now, they are rightfully focused on responding to the coronavirus,” said Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Other controversial decisions being made:
A former EPA official who worked on controversial policies returned as Administrator Andrew Wheeler’s chief of staff. Mandy Gunasekara helped write regulations to ease pollution controls for coal-fired power plants and vehicle emissions in her previous role as chief of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. In a recent interview, Gunasekara, who played a role in the decision to exit the Paris Climate Accord, pushed back on the more dire predictions of climate change, saying, “I don't think it is catastrophic.”
NYT: The plastic bag industry, battered by a wave of bans nationwide, is using the coronavirus crisis to try to block laws prohibiting single-use plastic. “We simply don’t want millions of Americans bringing germ-filled reusable bags into retail establishments putting the public and workers at risk,” an industry campaign that goes by the name Bag the Ban warned on Tuesday. (Also see The Guardian)
Kentucky, South Dakota, and West Virginia passed laws putting new criminal penalties on protests against fossil fuel infrastructure in just the past two weeks.
The Hill: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Friday that it will extend the amount of time that winter gasoline can be sold this year as producers have been facing lower demand due to the coronavirus. It will allow companies to sell the winter-grade gasoline through May 20, whereas companies would have previously been required to stop selling it by May 1 to protect air quality. “In responding to an international health crisis, the last thing the EPA should do is take steps that will worsen air quality and undermine the public’s health,” biofuels expert David DeGennaro said.
NYT: At the Interior Department, employees at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been under strict orders to complete the rule eliminating some protections for migratory birds within 30 days, according to two people with direct knowledge of the orders. The 45-day comment period on that rule ended on March 19.
WaPo: The Interior Department has received over 230 nominations for oil and gas leases covering more than 150,000 acres across southern Utah, a push that would bring drilling as close as a half-mile from some of the nation’s most famous protected sites, including Arches and Canyonlands National Parks… if all the fossil fuels buried in those sites was extracted and burned, it would translate into between 1 billion and 5.95 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide being released into the air. That upward measure is equal to half the annual carbon output of China
Court updates
Press freedom case Southern District of New York District Judge Lorna Schofield ruled that a literary advocacy group’s lawsuit against Trump for allegedly violating the First Amendment can move forward. The group, PEN America, is pursuing claims that Trump “has used government power to retaliate against media coverage and reporters he dislikes.” Schofield determined that PEN’s allegation that Trump made threats to chill free speech was valid, providing as an example the White House’s revocation of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press press corps credentials:
”The threats are lent credence by the fact that Defendant has acted on them before, by revoking Mr. Acosta’s credentials and barring reporters from particular press conferences. The Press Secretary indeed e-mailed the entire press corps to inform them of new rules of conduct and to warn of further consequences, citing the incident involving Mr. Acosta… These facts plausibly allege that a motivation for defendant’s actions is controlling and punishing speech he dislikes.”
Twitter case The president suffered another First Amendment defeat last week when the full 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals declined to review a previous ruling that prevents Trump from blocking users on the Twitter account he uses to communicate with the public. Judge Barrington D. Parker, a Nixon-appointee, wrote: “Excluding people from an otherwise public forum such as this by blocking those who express views critical of a public official is, we concluded, unconstitutional.” Trump-appointees Michael Parker and Richard Sullivan authored a dissent, arguing the free speech “does not include a right to post on other people’s personal social media accounts, even if those other people happen to be public officials.” Park warned that the ruling will allow the social media pages of public officials to be “overrun with harassment, trolling, and hate speech, which officials will be powerless to filter.” Florida’s felon voting U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ripped into Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s administration for failing to come up with a process to determine which felons are genuinely unable to pay court-ordered fees and fines, which are otherwise required to be paid before having their voting rights restored. “If the state is not going to fix it, I will,” Hinkle warned. He had given the state five months to come up with an administrative process for felons to prove they’re unable to pay financial obligations, but Florida officials did not do so. The case is set to be heard on April 28 (notwithstanding any coronavirus-related delays).
ICE, Jails, and COVID-19
ICE One of the most overlooked populations with an increased risk of death from coronavirus are those in detention facilities, which keep people in close quarters with little sanitation or protective measures (including for staff). Last week, U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee ordered the federal government to “make continuous efforts” to release migrant children from detention centers across the country. Numerous advocacy groups asked for the release after reports that four children being held in New York had tested positive for the virus:
“The threat of irreparable injury to their health and safety is palpable,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers said in their petition… both of the agencies operating migrant children detention facilities must by April 6 provide an accounting of their efforts to release those in custody… “Her order will undoubtedly speed up releases,” said Peter Schey, co-counsel for the plaintiffs in the court case.
On Tuesday, 13 immigrants held at ICE facilities in California filed a lawsuit demanding to be released because their health conditions make them particularly vulnerable to dying if infected by the coronavirus. An ACLU statement says the detainees are “confined in crowded and unsanitary conditions where social distancing is not possible.” The 13 individuals are all over the age of 50 and/or suffering from serious underlying medical issues like high blood pressure.
“From all the evidence we have seen, ICE is failing to fulfill its constitutional obligation to protect the health and safety of individuals in its custody. ICE should exercise its existing discretion to release people with serious medical conditions from detention for humanitarian reasons,” said William Freeman, senior counsel at the ACLU of Northern California.
Meanwhile, ICE is under fire for continuing to shuttle detainees across the country, with one even being forced to take nine different flights bouncing from Louisiana to Texas to New Jersey less than two weeks ago. That man is Dr. Sirous Asgari, a materials science and engineering professor from Iran, who was acquitted last year on federal charges of stealing trade secrets. The government lost its case against him, yet ICE has had him in indefinite detention since November.
Asgari, 59, told the Guardian that his Ice holding facility in Alexandria, Louisiana, had no basic cleaning practices in place and continued to bring in new detainees from across the country with no strategy to minimize the threat of Covid-19...Detainees have no hand sanitizer, and the facility is not regularly cleaning bathrooms or sleeping areas…Detainees lack access to masks… Detainees struggle to stay clean, and the facility has an awful stench.
Jails State jails are making a better effort to release detained individuals, as both New York and New Jersey ordered a thousand people in each state be let out of jail. The order applied only to low-level offenders sentenced to less than a year in jail and those held on technical probation violations. In Los Angeles County, officials released over 1,700 people from its jails. A judge in Alabama took similar steps last week, ordering roughly 500 people jailed for minor offenses to be released to lessen crowding in facilities. Unlike in New York and New Jersey, however, local officials reacted in an uproar, led in part by the state executive committee for the Alabama Republican Party and Assistant District Attorney C.J. Robinson. Using angry Facebook messages as the barometer of the community’s feelings, Robinson worked “frantically” to block inmates from being released.
Reuters: As of Saturday, at least 132 inmates and 104 staff at jails across New York City had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus… Since March 22, jails have reported 226 inmates and 131 staff with confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to a Reuters survey of cities and counties that run America’s 20 largest jails. The numbers are almost certainly an undercount given the fast spread of the virus.
Tribe opposed by Trump loses land
On Wednesday, The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs announced the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s reservation would be "disestablished" and its land trust status removed. Tribal Chairman Cedric Cromwell called the move "cruel" and "unnecessary,” particularly coming in the midst of a pandemic crisis. Rep. Bill Keating (D-Mass.), who last year introduced legislation to protect the tribe's reservation as trust land in Massachusetts, said the order “is one of the most cruel and nonsensical acts I have seen since coming to Congress.” The administration’s decision is especially suspicious as just last year Trump attacked the tribe’s plan to build a casino on its land, tweeting that allowing the construction would be “unfair” and treat Native Americans unequally. As a former casino owner, Trump has spent decades attacking Native American casinos as unfair competition. At a 1993 congressional hearing Trump said that tribal owners “don’t look like Indians to me” and claimed: “I might have more Indian blood than a lot of the so-called Indians that are trying to open up the reservations” to gambling. More than his past history, however, Trump has current interests at play in the Mashpee Wampanoag’s planned casino: it would have competed for business with nearby Rhode Island casinos owned by Twin River Worldwide Holdings, whose president, George Papanier, was a finance executive at the Trump Plaza casino hotel in Atlantic City.
In the Mashpee case, Twin River, the operator of the two Rhode Island casinos, has hired Matthew Schlapp, chairman of the American Conservative Union and a vocal Trump supporter, to lobby for it on the land issue. Schlapp’s wife, Mercedes, is director of strategic communications at the White House.
Vacant Trump Plaza casino in Atlantic City to be demolished
This is the best tl;dr I could make, original reduced by 50%. (I'm a bot)
Atlantic City Mayor on Thursday announced that plans to implode the entire Trump Plaza have been submitted by Icahn Enterprises, the company which now owns the building, NJ.com. Small has been pushing for the Trump Plaza to be demolished, NJ.com. A month after it shuttered, Trump sued to have his name removed from the Plaza building. Billionaire assumed ownership of Trump's former casino company - Trump Entertainment Resorts - from bankruptcy in 2016.The outlet reported that debris and panels have fallen off from as high as the 34th floor, even hitting the boardwalk. Trump formerly owned three casinos in Atlantic City.The Trump Plaza is the last one remaining since the other two properties are now operating under new names, NJ.com. Former Trump Marina is now the Golden Nugget and Trump Taj Mahal is now the Hard Rock.The Trump Taj Mahal sold for $50 million in March 2017 - a fraction of the original $1.2 billion cost to build.
Summary Source | FAQ | Feedback | Topkeywords: Trump#1Small#2Plaza#3Atlantic#4build#5 Post found in /politics. NOTICE: This thread is for discussing the submission topic. Please do not discuss the concept of the autotldr bot here.
Trump / Russian Timeline - The Most Prominent Players and Places
Trump / Russian Timeline - The Most Prominent Players and Places This is a WIP. As such here is the currently published google doc as you can keep up with any changes and additions, to which there will be many. Also the aforementioned google doc contains foot notes for each individual link as well, something i have not been able to figure out how to copy from its current formatting over to here, I apologize. This isn't about swaying anyone from right to left or vice versa. This is simply to lay out the facts as they are known in a concise manner and allow for individuals to form their own opinions on such. I have attempted to avoid conjecture or opinion whenever, and wherever, possible as to avoid in impartiality or bias in this manner. That being said, I will say this - I do not believe that this is a left or right issue. I do believe that, even if treated as a hypothetical, the questions that arise from this information and the possible answer that is generally arrived at due to such are damning, and in no small extent terrifying in their implication. Bellow is an outline of the most prominent people and places involving, or surrounding, Donald Trump and suspected ties to both the Russian government as well as the Russian mafia. This is not in alphabetical order, but rather in an attempt to be both a timeline of events as well as a collection of stated relevant information. This is a work in progress and as such will be updated regularly and the information is prone to change at any time. Any changes will be noted.
Suspected base for money laundering. Believed to have been built with mob money. Possibly used to shelter Russianmoney. Meeting place for suspected Trump / Russian conspiracy regarding the 2016 United States election. Supplemental reading regarding Trump Tower - 1, 2, 3
Soviet Ambassador from 1986 to 1990. Met with Donald Trump at a New York luncheon in 1986. Possibly responsible for Trump wishing to travel to The Soviet Union, for the first time, with the interest of both meeting then sitting president Mikhail Gorbachev and look into the possibility of Russian real estate deals. Supplemental reading - 1
Former soviet lawyer and First Chief Directorate...of the KGB. Believed to be responsible for Donald Trump’s first trip to Moscow. Believed to be possibly responsible for the first attempt at turning Trump to a Russian asset. Supplemental reading - 1
Donald Trump has declared 6 of his businesses bankrupt since 1991. Taj Mahal, bankruptcy declaredin 1991. Trump Castle declares bankruptcy in 1992. Trump Plaza Casinos declares bankruptcy in 1992. Trump Plaza Hotel declares bankruptcy in 1994. Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts declares bankruptcy in 2004. Trump Entertainment Resorts declares bankruptcy in 2009. Supplemental reading - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
“The Donald Risk” (Mid 1990s)
Due to a series of questionable business decisions Donald Trump found himself largely unable to obtain loans from banks located in the United States. Concerns arise regarding Donald Trump’s $916 million lossfrom his 1995 tax returns. Supplemental reading - none at this time.
Trump / Russian Timeline - The Most Prominent Players and Places
Trump / Russian Timeline - The Most Prominent Players and Places This is a WIP. As such here is the currently published google doc as you can keep up with any changes and additions, to which there will be many. Also the aforementioned google doc contains foot notes for each individual link as well, something i have not been able to figure out how to copy from its current formatting over to here, I apologize. This isn't about swaying anyone from right to left or vice versa. This is simply to lay out the facts as they are known in a concise manner and allow for individuals to form their own opinions on such. I have attempted to avoid conjecture or opinion whenever, and wherever, possible as to avoid in impartiality or bias in this manner. That being said, I will say this - I do not believe that this is a left or right issue. I do believe that, even if treated as a hypothetical, the questions that arise from this information and the possible answer that is generally arrived at due to such are damning, and in no small extent terrifying in their implication. Bellow is an outline of the most prominent people and places involving, or surrounding, Donald Trump and suspected ties to both the Russian government as well as the Russian mafia. This is not in alphabetical order, but rather in an attempt to be both a timeline of events as well as a collection of stated relevant information. This is a work in progress and as such will be updated regularly and the information is prone to change at any time. Any changes will be noted.
Suspected base for money laundering. Believed to have been built with mob money. Possibly used to shelter Russian money. Meeting place for suspected Trump / Russian conspiracy regarding the 2016 United States election. Supplemental reading regarding Trump Tower - 1, 2, 3
Soviet Ambassador from 1986 to 1990. Met with Donald Trump at a New York luncheon in 1986. Possibly responsible for Trump wishing to travel to The Soviet Union, for the first time, with the interest of both meeting then sitting president Mikhail Gorbachev and look into the possibility of Russian real estate deals. Supplemental reading - 1
Former soviet lawyer and First Chief Directorate...of the KGB. Believed to be responsible for Donald Trump’s first trip to Moscow. Believed to be possibly responsible for the first attempt at turning Trump to a Russian asset. Supplemental reading - 1
Donald Trump has declared 6 of his businesses bankrupt since 1991. Taj Mahal, bankruptcy declaredin 1991. Trump Castle declares bankruptcy in 1992. Trump Plaza Casinos declares bankruptcy in 1992. Trump Plaza Hotel declares bankruptcy in 1994. Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts declares bankruptcy in 2004. Trump Entertainment Resorts declares bankruptcy in 2009. Supplemental reading - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
“The Donald Risk” (Mid 1990s)
Due to a series of questionable business decisions Donald Trump found himself largely unable to obtain loans from banks located in the United States. Concerns arise regarding Donald Trump’s $916 million lossfrom his 1995 tax returns. Supplemental reading - none at this time.
Trump lied to Congress that he was not meeting with any Indian casino executives when documents and sworn statements show he was.
Trump testified under oath that he is willing to claim success on something even when he knows his claim is false.
Deutsche Bank concluded Trump net worth at $788 million when he was publicly claiming (and told bank) he was worth multiple billions.
Trump said under oath that he determines his net worth based on how he feels.
While Trump suggests he has an MBA from prestigious Wharton graduate school, only attended undergraduate program for 2 years. Has no MBA
Trump’s first project, given to him by his dad, lost money, according to state records. Trump has publicly lied that it made money.
Trump’s second project was a Broadway show. It bombed, closing after 96 performances. He lost his investment.
Trump’s claim that his dad gave him only $1m is a lie. His trust fund was $1 mill. Dad gave $10.4m for a bogus consultant job guaranteed $70 m loan, got him $35m credit line, laundered $3.35mill 2 Don in illegal casino deal, loaned $7.5m more (never repaid.)
As Trump claimed great success, tax returns showed not. In ‘78 lost $1.5M. In ‘79, lost $11.4m. No bankruptcy cause dad gave him more $
When Trump built Taj Mahal, testified under oath to NJ he'd only use bank loans, not junk bonds. No bank would lend. Used junk bonds
Trump’s 3 casinos all competed with each other, which is why no banks loans. Taj took business from his other 2 casinos, crippling all.
Trump spent huge sums on airline, promising top elegance. People w/ airline experience said it couldnt work. It never turned a profit.
After Trump’s top casino execs died in accident, Trump took over running them. Large numbers of execs quit because of his management.
When Trump about to default on interest payment for casino, his dad/he broke law by having dad launder $3.35 mill through casino.
Dad gave Trump another $150,000 loan next day, unreported to banks, in violation of bank agreement.
Rules breaking in financing (money laundering from dad etc) resulted in sanctions against him from NJ casino commission.
Trump banks were forced to make deal with him after bankruptcy of casinos because he personally guaranteed loans. If they went after personal guarantee, entire Trump empire would collapse and banks would lose billions. Banks loaned him tons more to save him.
Trump was $3.5 bill in debt. Later, when banks bailed him out, he claimed in books he was $9.5bill in debt to make recovery look better.
Trump admitted under oath that, when he claimed he was $9.5 bill in debt in his books, it was a lie and he knew it.
No banks will lend to Trump except Deutsche Bank. In 2008, he defaulted on a $640 mill construction loan to them.
List of Trump failures: TrumpMortgage, TrumpFinancial, Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts, Trump Shuttle, GoTrump.com, Trump Vodka, Trump Steaks, Trump Taj, Trump Castle, Trump Plaza, Trump Dubai, Trump University, Trump Toronto, Trump Hollywood..I could go on many more tweets listing Trump's business failures. It'd be easier to list the Trump businesses that haven't failed.
In Trump University, Trump claimed to “personally select” teachers who would teach real estate secrets. He did not, they did not.
Unable to get bank loans because of his terrible record as a businessman, Trump began selling his name 4 use on other ppl’s projects.
Trump marketed projects of other developers as his own. Only those who read dense legal agreement’s fine print learned it was a lie.
Trump sold his name 2 incompetent developers whose projects collapsed, costing people who paid deposits millions while he made millions.
When condo buyers sued Trump for falsely claiming projects of other developers were his, he said they should have read the fine print.
Trump testified he did a favor to the condo buyers who lost millions by trusting him, because they avoided the real estate collapse.
In 1990, one of Trump’s lieutenants told me ““The thing you don’t understand about Donald Trump is that he’s mentally ill.”
I wrote about Trump 4 New York Times. First time we spoke, he lied to me in his first sentence. He told three more lies in 5 min call.
Trump lied that to WashPost in '87 that he knew stock market crash was coming and sold all his stocks. SEC filings prove it.
To escape liability for fraud, Trump argued that a “development by Donald Trump” is different than “a Donald Trump development.”
Trump wrote “Bill Clinton was great president,” denied it under oath then said wrote it be4 knowing of Lewinsky scandal of 10 yrs before
In 2008, Trump wrote, “I know Hillary, and I think she would make a great president." Testified in 2016 he wrote it without thinking.
Asked under oath identities of professors at Trump U (there were none) Trump said “I know names, but I don't know the identities.”
After saying under oath he knew the names of professors at Trump U (none existed) Trump could not name any.
When sued for saying other developers buildings were his, Trump said truth wasn’t in ads because there wasn’t enough room 4 the words.
Trump claimed to own 50% of a project when he owned 30%. His explanation under oath: “I always felt like I owned 50%.”
Trump said he was paid $1m for speech when paid $400,000. Under oath, he agreed he was paid 400, but said $1mill was still correct.
Trump has never released a real medical report. His father had alzheimers, which is genetic and could hit at about Trump’s age.
In 2007, Trump said his favorite book was his own, The Art of the Deal. Once he started running 4 president, he said it was the Bible.
When asked to give his favorite words from the Bible, Trump cited an Old Testament phrase that was the only one repudiated by Jesus.
When testifying under oath, Trump refused to answer questions 97 times about infidelities and suspected mistresses.
Trump has called for US military to commit 3 different war crimes. When told military would refuse, he said theyd do what he commanded.
Trump has directly insulted leaders of four allied countries, while offering effusive praise to Vladimir Putin.
Trump has refused to release the letter sent by the IRS to prove he is under audit, despite dozens of requests from many reporters.
An investigation of Trump’s partners reveals an enterprise with deep ties to global financiers, foreign politicians and even criminals.
Trump’s business interests run in direct conflict with the national security interests of the United States.
Trump revealed none of his partners or dealings with overseas entities in his financial disclosure to the FEC.
Trump receives $8 million a year from South Korea business w/ interests in nukes. He has called for SK to have nukes.
Trump’s efforts in India were first shot down by politicians. His business partner is now under investigation by police.
Trump’s conflicts in India are irreparable, and in issues with Pakistan, his financial interests lie solely with India.
Trump’s business partner in Turkey has been arrested for fraud.
Turkey’s president has told associates he will not allow US to use an airbase key to the battle against ISIS if Trump is president.
Trump’s first business partners in UAE were indicted on charges of fraud.
When a member of Saudi royal family criticized Trump, Trump attacked him as “dopey” and said he wants to control America w/ “daddy’s $”
Trump tried to strike a deal Libyan Investment Authority under Qaddafi, and offered murdering Libyan dictator a place 2 stay at his home
The father of Trump’s business partner in Azerbaijan is govnt official who US intelligence says launders money for the Iranian military.
Trump’s statement he would avoid conflicts by placing his company in a blind trust is a lie; what he describes is not a blind trust.
Trump told GOPrs at debate that he never pushed Jeb Bush for casino deal in Florida. Under oath a few years earlier, he said he did.
In 1999, Trump’s company secretly violated Cuban embargo. Months later, in 1st run for president, Trump said he never would.
Trump officials were advised to hide the payments spent in violation of Cuban embargo as being related to charity work.
edit: adding more
Trump calls for return to American steel. Yet he secretly used Chinese steel on his last 2 developments projects 2 increase his profits
Trump opted out of using steel on many buildings, instead purchasing concrete from businesses controlled by Genovese crime family.
To hide the ultimate source of his Chinese steel, Trump purchased it through a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands.
Money paid to the Chinese steel manufacturers went to repay loans from Chinese banks, which are arms of the state.
Trump has said he has been forced to use China to manufacture his clothing line because no one makes such things in USA. That’s a lie.
For Trump Chicago building, Trump obtained financing from George Soros. (Means nothing, but it terrifies conserv conspiracy theorists.)
During his time buying Chinese steel, Chinese companies were dumping steel on US market. That cost many steelworkers their jobs.
Trump hides his taxes, but we know: He lost $ in ’78-’79, paid no taxes from 91-93, lost $1B in ’95 and likely never paid taxes since.
Trump read manufactured, bogus Russian propaganda at a rally within hours of it appearing on the internet.
After promising to salvage precious artworks on a building for the Met, Trump had them jackhammered instead to save $32,000.
To explain his destruction of art, Trump posed as spokesman “John Barron” and lied that appraisers had called the works worthless
If Trump had simply invested $ he received from his dad in a mutual fund, he’d be worth far more than he is, a sign of bad business.
Trump regularly cheats at golf, even revising scorecard after a match 2 transform defeat into victory, according 2 ppl who play w/ him
Trump persuaded an elderly couple who ran an antique store to let him “try out” 2 valuable pieces, then refused to return or pay 4 them
Trump bought jewelry in Manhattan, then colluded with the store to ship empty boxes out of state so he could dodge New York sales tax.
Trump told a “friend” whom he sued over several years that he did so because the friend hadn’t given him enough praise.
When business execs came to his office, Trump bragged about his wife, Melania & showed them nude photographs of her from modeling days.
Trump reneged on a family-wide commitment to pay medical bills for his nephew’s severely sick baby because he was mad.
Trump engaged in a civil conspiracy to defraud union pension funds by hiring undocumented Polish workers, a court found.
There are currently nine casino hotels operating in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The former Showboat Casino has been converted into the Showboat Hotel, the former Trump Plaza Casino and former Atlantic Club Casino are both awaiting development. Ballys Atlantic City (609) 340-2000 1900 Pacific Avenue Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa (609) 317-1000 1 Borgata Way Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino (609) 348-4411 2100 Pacific Avenue Golden Nugget Atlantic City (609) 441-2000 600 Huron Avenue Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (609) 449-1000 1000 Boardwalk Harrahs Resort Atlantic City (609) 441-5000 777 Harrah’s Boulevard Ocean Resort Casino (609) 783-8210 500 Boardwalk Resorts Casino Hotel (609) 344-6000 1133 Boardwalk Tropicana Casino and Resort Atlantic City (609) 340-4000 2831 Boardwalk Atlantic City Casino list provided by Airport Chariot® Car Service and Limo via https://www.airportchariotcarservice.com/list-current-atlantic-city-casinos/ Airport Chariot® Car Service and Limo provides car service,airport shuttle and limousine transportation to/from the Atlantic City, NJ area and all airports and destinations. www.airportchariotcarservice.com
We stayed at Trump Plaza Casino for a few days for our wedding anniversary in July. Compared to where we stayed last year (Caesar's) it definately wasn't in the same 'class' of casino hotels BUT that being said, we are always comped for rooms at any Harrah's or Trump property so I am not complaining, and as I type this, my review probably won't matter much seeing as many of the AC casino's are ... Trump Plaza Hotel Casino in Atlantic City is shown in an Oct. 12, 2010 file photo. Atlantic City's mayor wants to demolish the vacant casino. AP Bidding War to Demolish Trump Plaza "You're fired!" These are the famous words outgoing-President Donald Trump loved to say and loathes to hear. But the self-proclaimed "King of Debt" had to reckon with the bankruptcy and closing of all Trump's Atlantic City casinos. And now, the final firing is ready to take place: the demolition of Trump Plaza. The 39-story main tower of the former Trump Plaza hotel-casino on the Atlantic City, N.J., boardwalk, sold to investor Carl Icahn in 2016, will be imploded in February by a Philadelphia general ... Trump Plaza (a casino and hotel) was Trump's first and more successful business venture in Atlantic City. Trump Plaza would grow to have 906 hotel rooms. The casino contained over 86,000 square feet of gaming space. Breaking ground, then filling it, then breaking it again Trump seized upon the opportunity during the height of the casino boom in Atlantic City. He struck a deal with the Holiday ... Trump Plaza, the home of a former Trump casino and hotel in Atlantic City, will be torn down after the building's owner, billionaire Carl Icahn, submitted plans for demolition to local government ... The impending implosion of the former Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino is attracting a lot of attention for Atlantic City these days.. And, for good reason. The city recently announced a public auction where some lucky winner (or winners) will be a part of history and press the button to implode the building.. The kicker? Proceeds from the highest bid will go to the Boys & Girls Club of Atlantic City. Trump Plaza Hotel Casino in Atlantic City is shown in an Oct. 12, 2010 file photo. Atlantic City's mayor wants to demolish the vacant casino. AP Trump Plaza in Atlantic City is Being Demolished, Tower Will Be Imploded Next Year Demolition work was seen underway Wednesday at the Atlantic City casino, which Donald Trump opened in 1984. Browse 1,322 trump plaza hotel and casino atlantic city stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore ... Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks in front the shuttered Trump Plaza casino on the boardwalk of Atlantic City, NJ, on July 06,... Woman plays the slot machines at Trump Plaza Casino September 15, 2014 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The Trump ...
Abandoned Trump Plaza Casino LAST LOOK scheduled to be DEMOLISHED Atlantic City PA ... Flagship Resort Atlantic City NJ - Duration: 1:02. Heaven&ElijahAnythingCanHappenHere Heaven 274 views. 1:02 ... Just a short video on the now closed Trump plaza casino in Atlantic city NJ 2017 I will follow up with a more detailed video soon. Saying goodbye to Trump Plaza part 3 - Duration: 6 ... 1990 Michael Jackson attends the Grand Opening of Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort - Duration: 2:22. wendyluvsmj 139,378 views. 2:22. Donald ... Abandoned Trump Casino last look JOIN Abandoned Finds https://m.facebook.com/groups/1787402438180438?tsid=0.4861342272223176&source=result In April 1990, Donald Trump opened what he called “The Eighth Wonder of the World” when he cut the ribbon on the Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, N.J... http://www.harvestarmy.org- - SUBSCRIBE FOR PREDICTIONS THAT MAY AFFECT YOU - -NEWS REPORTS9.9.14 http://www.my9nj.com/story/26486708/trump-casinos-file-cha... I am so sad when I heard the news that my favorite hang out in Atlantic City; Trump Plaza Casino is closing! I am one of the lucky ones that was able to capt... Please watch: "SCARIEST ABANDONED TUNNEL IN AMERICA! (HEARD SCREAMS!)" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYDscwnoJJY --~--Today we travel to the gambling capit... Trump Plaza Latest Casino to Announce Closing - Duration: 4:35. NJTV News 17,992 views. 4:35 . Atlantic City, New Jersey April 2017 - Duration: 7:29. Vacation Kitty Recommended for you. 7:29 ...
![The 900+ Room Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino. Vacant since 2014 - Atlantic City, NJ [OC] [4896x3264]](https://b.thumbs.redditmedia.com/tlK0xibdOMIUMi6gPQanxBbC2y0oIf5PihOjHDFIN1c.jpg "The 900+ Room Trump Plaza Hotel & Casino. Vacant since 2014 - Atlantic City, NJ [OC] [4896x3264]")
