Trump Corruption

Bloomberg News reports: The Trump administration is adding four essay questions to applications for civil service jobs, asking applicants about their favorite executive orders and their commitment to government efficiency. The essay requirements apply even to relatively lower-level jobs starting at the GS-5 pay scale or above — positions that can begin at base salaries as low as $32,357. Those …

NBC News reports: A federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary order blocking the Trump administration’s revocation of Harvard’s ability to enroll international students. The extension came after the Trump administration said it would give the university 30 days to challenge the revocation, according to a letter attached to a Wednesday night court filing. The court document states that the …

Bloomberg Law reports: The board that issues the Pulitzer Prize can’t use Donald Trump’s own ability to claim immunity from civil litigation while president to stop him from suing over alleged defamation, a Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday. The Pulitzer Board members argued that presidential prerogative to seek stays of litigation against them while serving should also prevent the officeholders from …

Hartford’s NBC affiliate reports: Trump has pardoned former Connecticut Gov. John Rowland, who was convicted in two federal criminal cases. In July 2004, Rowland resigned less than halfway through his third term as governor rather than testify before a special House Committee of Inquiry, after a ruling by the state Supreme Court. Once the nation’s youngest governor, Rowland was elected …

The Washington Post reports: Despite claims by the Defense Department to the contrary, legal teams representing the U.S. and Qatari governments have not finalized an agreement for transferring the luxury Boeing 747-8 jetliner that President Donald Trump wants for Air Force One amid outstanding requests by Qatar for Washington to clarify the transaction’s terms, said officials familiar with the matter. …

The Wall Street Journal reports: A month into negotiations between Paramount Global and President Trump to settle his lawsuit against CBS News, the parties remain far apart on terms. Paramount Global in recent days has offered $15 million to settle, according to people familiar with the situation. Trump’s team wants more than $25 million and is also seeking an apology …

The Washington Post reports: An advisory committee of diverse historians helps ensure that the record of America’s history — especially classified and covert actions — remains unbiased, transparent and thorough. President Donald Trump just fired all of the members of the committee. These advisers help oversee the exhaustive publication series called the Foreign Relations of the United States — or …

The Washington Post reports: Janet Zamora never had the chance to visit D.C. with her husband. They talked about it, longing to meander down the National Mall and see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial up close. But he was too sick to travel, she said, riddled with illness from exposure to Agent Orange during his five years with the Air Force …

NOTUS reports: President Donald Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, the infamous former gang leader from Chicago, according to a White House official. Hoover, the co-founder of Chicago gang Gangster Disciples, has been serving multiple life sentences since the 1970s. He has multiple state and federal convictions, including for murder and founding a criminal enterprise. Hoover has been …

The New York Times reports: President Trump announced Wednesday that he would nominate Emil Bove III, the polarizing and widely feared top Justice Department official responsible for strong-arm tactics in enacting Mr. Trump’s immigration agenda, to be a federal appeals judge. Mr. Bove, 44, is a former criminal defense lawyer for Mr. Trump. He would fill a vacancy on the …

Spectrum New York reports: President Donald Trump issued a full pardon on Wednesday to former Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm. The Republican lawmaker, who represented Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn in Congress from 2011 to 2015, pleaded guilty in December 2014 to aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return. He served seven months in prison, one …

CNBC reports: The Trump administration on Wednesday relaxed barriers in 401(k) plans to buying cryptocurrency and related digital assets like NFTs and meme coins. The Labor Department rescinded guidance put in place by the Biden-era Labor Department in 2022 that aimed to safeguard 401(k) investors from such digital assets. At the time, the Biden labor officials cautioned employers to exercise “extreme …

The Daily Mail reports: President Donald Trump snapped at a reporter after getting a “nasty” question about “chickening out” by repeatedly threatening tariffs only to relax or postpone them. A reporter asked Trump about a new acronym making the rounds on Wall Street about the “TACO trade,” which stands for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” The president has made a habit …

“Trump Media and Technology Group, that is the parent company of Truth Social, said it would raise $2.5 billion dollars from institutional investors to invest in Bitcoin. So they’re moving away from their social media play originally, and they’re moving into a financial services and crypto play. “Now Trump Media’s largest shareholder is President Trump. They’re gonna raise $1.5 billion …

The Palm Beach Post reports: President Donald Trump is escalating his ongoing battle with Harvard University. The fierce fight has led to questions about Trump’s personal history with the university. For example, some have wondered whether Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump’s son Barron Trump, 19, was rejected from the university. No. According to the first lady’s office, he …

Mediaite reports: Wall Street traders have developed a biting new acronym for a strategy that’s become surprisingly lucrative for President Donald Trump’s whiplash-inducing trade policy: TACO – “Trump Always Chickens Out.” Reportedly first coined by Financial Times columnist Robert Armstrong, the term has quickly gained traction among investors who are profiting from what they say is a predictable pattern: Trump …

Reuters reports: On Tuesday, President Donald Trump said Canada can either pay $61 billion to be covered by the proposed U.S. “Golden Dome” missile defense system or become the 51st state and be covered for free. The president posted on Truth Social, “I told Canada, which very much wants to be part of our fabulous Golden Dome System, that it …

The New York Times reports: A federal judge on Tuesday ruled that President Trump’s attempt to punish an elite law firm associated with his political opposition was unconstitutional and directed the government not to enforce an order Mr. Trump signed in March that had threatened its business. Siding with WilmerHale, which sued to block the president’s order, Judge Richard J. …

Newsweek reports: On Tuesday, Margo Martin, special assistant to President Donald Trump, posted a video on X of the president calling Savannah Chrisley regarding the announcement of his pardon of her parents, Todd and Julie Chrisley. Todd and [his beard] Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality TV series Chrisley Knows Best, gained fame for showcasing their lavish lifestyle and tight-knit …

The Daily Beast reports: If you want a private audience with President Donald Trump, be prepared to pay. Trump has been offering one-to-one conversations in exchange for a hefty donation to MAGA Inc., a super PAC founded in 2022 that raises funds to support the GOP President, The New Yorker reported. The price is a cool $5 million, according to …