April 25, 2018 - Pensito

— White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, quoted by the New York Times.

It’s a real house of cards that Donald Trump has built,
And he’s playing the innocent falsely accused to the hilt.
But by playing hide the salami
With FBI Director Comey,
The lawyers say Trump demonstrated “consciousness of guilt.”

Trump Tax Break Gives $40 Billion to Corporations

April 25, 2018 Buck Banks

$40.2 billion

A congressional report finds the wealthiest Americans will benefit the most from President Trump’s tax deduction for owners of “pass-through” businesses, NBC News reports. “The deduction, which ranges up to 20 percent, will shower $40.2 billion in tax breaks on owners of pass-throughs — largely businesses owned by an individual or a partnership, or those ‘S’ corporations that kick income and losses to shareholders for tax purposes — in 2018, the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated. The provision was included in the larger overhaul of tax rates enacted in December.”

Day: April 25, 2018

With Mulvaney, Money Talks

“We had a hierarchy in my office in Congress. If you’re a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn’t talk to you. If you’re a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.”

— White House budget director Mick Mulvaney, quoted by the New York Times.

Signs of Consciousness

Trump Tax Break Gives $40 Billion to Corporations

$40.2 billion

Poetic Justice

Verbatim

“They’ve invested heavily in AI labs. They’ve invested heavily in data centers. So, the first family has a financial stake in this industry, and as a result, the president of the United States is compromised.”

— “Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) on Monday said President Trump will likely not heed calls from technology leaders to implement guardrails on the development of artificial intelligence because of his family’s investments in the industry,” NewsNation reports.

— Jane Haman

“We’re working through some political issues in Israel. I think we agree with them on the end state. They just have a crazy election, and that makes them a little irrational in certain regards.”

— Jared Kushner, quoted by CBS News, on the lack of progress in Gaza.

Numerati

470

Reuters has documented at least 470 targets of retribution under Trump’s leadership – from federal employees and prosecutors to universities and media outlets. The list illuminates the sweeping effort by the president and his administration to punish dissent and reshape the government.

$184 million

50%

38%

31%