CURRENT EVENTS

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You can argue that, since losing the battle over school integration and segregation in public facilities, many white conservatives since the 1970s have been doing just the opposite - segregating themselves from mainstream America as much as possible via "Christian" private schools, homeschooling, creating right-wing Evangelical colleges and universities, their own TV "news" networks like Fox which show them only what they want to see and hear, conservative accrediting agencies for schools and colleges, and so on. So it fits that we have finally reached the end point at which some whites are just going to ensure they don't have to live with minorities by creating legal whites-only neighborhoods again. So we've come full circle, in a sense.
 
The FBI has raided John Bolton's home...The raid comes just days after the former Trump appointee criticized his former boss over his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

inch by inch, step by step

 
The FBI has raided John Bolton's home...The raid comes just days after the former Trump appointee criticized his former boss over his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska.

inch by inch, step by step

I know this is supposed to bother me, but…
 
Trump seems determined to cut and paste that last one every day or two, regardless of what's actually happening. It's the essential definition of gaslighting.

That said, it does appear to be true that Trump's "an ebbing tide sinks all boats" approach to economics and foreign policy is causing at least as much pain and chaos abroad as it is here. So I guess it's possible we are "hotter" than most countries, relatively speaking. But only because Trump and MAGA have shat all over the entire world.
 
After years of underperformance, European and Chinese stock markets have outperformed the US in 2025, despite the US going from being a dead country to the “hottest” country in the world.
 
Bolton is a loudmouth that lovers war...but, still...the Gestapo actively as the hand of retribution. Disturbing.
with apologies to Buffalo Springfield...

There's something happening here
And what it is is very clear
There's FBI over there
Telling Bolton he better beware

I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down?

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
Step out of line, Trump's men come to take you away

I think it's time we stop
Children, what's that sound?
Everybody look, what's going down?
 
Justice Friedman's perfect description of lawfare:

"Plainly, [James'] ultimate goal was not 'market hygiene'...but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump's political career and the destruction of his real estate business. The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. The bench today unanimously derails her effort to destroy his businesses."
 
I'd be curious to know your background as it relates to commercial real estate lending. I worked for over 20 years for one of the largest CRE lenders in the country and have originated in the billions of dollars of loans. The reason for the laws against fraud isn't because nobody was hurt in this particular case or because the lenders are "big boys". The reason is if every borrower was allowed to provide fraudulent information then when there is a downturn those flaws would make the downside correction even worse. Think about the great financial crisis in 2008 - mortgage fraud where buyers simply lied on their applications and the "big boy" banks didn't care because they were getting bonuses (and in many cases offloading the risk through MBS) made the crisis much more acute.

If borrowers feel emboldened to lie about their financials and lenders look the other way because they are getting fat bonuses it creates systemic risk for all of us.
No background in commercial lending; however, my wife is a commercial real estate attorney who's been involved in numerous multi state commercial closings so I have a general familiarity with commercial closings. Also, I have represented individuals and entities in civil litigation arising out of the mortgage fraud crisis in 2008 so I'm aware of the abuses in the system.

I'm not advocating for false and misleading disclosures in the lending process. What I am saying is that what Trump did in "puffing" his financial statements is not unusual and large commercial institutions are well aware of this and thus, conduct their own inquiry and investigation concerning the borrowers' assets and loan collateral. Trump was singled out by James for selective prosecution when his case was not an egregious case since the lender suffered no damages and even wanted more of Trump's business. The bank even testified that they did not rely on Trump's disclosures in making the loan approvals.

I would ask you what about what James is being investigated for: lying on mortgage applications in order to secure better financing? Lying that her father was her husband and misrepresenting the number of units of an apartment building? Isn't that just as bad as Trump's case - and she's an AG not a private citizen?
 
Justice Friedman's perfect description of lawfare:

"Plainly, [James'] ultimate goal was not 'market hygiene'...but political hygiene, ending with the derailment of President Trump's political career and the destruction of his real estate business. The voters have obviously rendered a verdict on his political career. The bench today unanimously derails her effort to destroy his businesses."
NEW YORK — A New York appeals court on Thursday threw out the massive financial penalty a state judge imposed on President Donald Trump, while narrowly upholding a finding he engaged in fraud by exaggerating his wealth for decades. The ruling spares Trump from a potential half-billion-dollar fine but bans him and his two eldest sons from serving in corporate leadership for a few years.

So the court essentially ruled that Trump is a fraud but let's not punish him too much for being a fraud😕
 
Correct me if I'm wrong but my understanding is that this is neither the final word on either this fine or whether or not a different fine is imposed. This merely suggests this one is inappropriate but that he's still guilty as hell.
 
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