Neo-liberalism

‘The Country Is Not Trump’s to Liquidate’: New Report Details Depths of Presidential Corruption and Grift

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Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

US President Donald Trump holds a rendering of the White House South Terrace balustrade view as he speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One on March 29, 2026. (Photo by Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

“Americans know they’re being ripped off and are demanding accountability.”

The American Economic Liberties Project and Groundwork Collaborative on Wednesday released a joint report detailing how President Donald Trump’s unprecedented corruption is padding his own pockets at the expense of US taxpayers.

The report—titled “The Price of Corruption: How Trump’s Pay-to-Play Administration is Driving Up Costs for Working Families”—explains how Trump isn’t just using the presidency to enrich himself, but leaving ordinary Americans to foot the bill for his corrupt dealings.

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The report notes that the TrumpRx website, which purports to offer Americans deep discounts on drugs, is actually a scheme for funneling even more money to large pharmaceutical companies.

“When Trump rolled out TrumpRX earlier this year, the administration claimed it was a way for Americans to access more affordable prescription drugs,” the report states. “Instead, the platform fails to disclose information about less expensive generic alternatives and, in some instances, charges consumers more for products that are available for less elsewhere.”

Rather than providing real relief, the report charges, TrumpRx “serves as free advertisement for Big Pharma and may be lining the pockets of the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., who is on the board of prescription drug platform BlinkRX, which stands to benefit from the administration’s promotion of direct-to-patient medicine sales.”

The report also highlights the way that Trump has used his tariffs, which raise the cost of imported goods for US consumers, as a personal self-enrichment tool, such as when he slashed tariffs on Switzerland “just a few days after Swiss business leaders presented him with a personalized gold bar worth more than $130,000 and a Rolex desk clock.”

Trump levied tariffs against Brazil last year in retaliation for that country convicting a political ally, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, of plotting a coup to illegally stay in power after he lost an election to current President Luiz Inácio Lula Da Silva.

“Americans paid the price for Trump’s international allies breaking the law,” states the report, “as coffee imported from Brazil surged to a 40% increase in price.”

One particularly egregious instance of Trump’s corruption, the report explains, comes from the president’s unprecedented number of pardons of political allies, including hundreds of rioters who violently stormed the US Capitol on his behalf on January 6, 2021.

Beyond the high-profile rioter cases, the report shines a spotlight on a number of white-collar criminals who have received presidential clemency, including Paul Walczak, “a nursing home executive convicted of tax evasion” who was pardoned “three weeks after his mother donated $1 million to Trump at a Mar-a-Lago fundraiser,” and cryptocurrency mogul Changpeng Zhao, who received a pardon months after helping boost the Trump family’s crypto venture.

The report notes that the Trump administration has also stacked regulatory agencies in ways that directly benefit the business interests of the president’s family members, most prominently in the realm of online prediction markets tied to Donald Trump Jr.

“Over the past year, Donald Trump Jr. has served as a strategic advisor to Kalshi and a large investor in Polymarket, while the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC)—the agency overseeing these firms—has acted as their ally, rather than their watchdog,” the report says. “Both firms had actively lobbied Trump’s CFTC to block states from regulating prediction markets in the same way they regulate gambling companies.”

Morgan Harper, director of policy and advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project, called the report on Trump’s corruption “a reminder that we cannot afford to look away or pretend that any of this is normal.”

“The country,” Harper added, “is not Trump’s to liquidate.”

Molly Claflin, senior fellow at Groundwork Collaborative, made the case that Trump’s corruption and the economic pain being felt by Americans are inseparable.

“As working families buckle under the weight of Trump’s high prices, the president is further driving up costs by abusing his position to direct taxpayer-funded kickbacks to his family and political allies,” said Claflin. “His erratic policymaking is making daily life more expensive. Americans know they’re being ripped off and are demanding accountability.”

Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue Reading‘The Country Is Not Trump’s to Liquidate’: New Report Details Depths of Presidential Corruption and Grift

Voters in California City Become First in US to Approve Permanent Ban on Data Centers

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Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Anti-data center protest signs pepper front yards in a nearby residential neighborhood in Monterey Park, California on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.  (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“We hope that other communities will use the model set by residents here… as inspiration to stop data centers from encroaching in their backyard,” said a Monterey Park city councilmember.

Voters in Monterey Park, California on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a permanent ban on data centers within city limits, becoming the first city in the US to prohibit the power-hungry facilities via a ballot initiative.

In total, the anti-data center resolution passed with 86% voter support, with only 14% of voters opposed. The resolution’s text said that a ban was necessary to “protect air quality, drinking water resources, and public health” and “prevent impacts to electricity and water rates.”

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Steven Kung, a leader of the local initiative, told ABC 7 Eyewitness News that the result was “a landslide victory.”

Kung listed multiple reasons why residents in the city resoundingly rejected building data centers in their community.

“The noise pollution, the air pollution, the rise in the electricity rates,” he said, “the deal just didn’t make sense and it doesn’t make sense for most, if not all, cities data centers go to.”

In an interview with Politico, Monterey Park Mayor Elizabeth Yang predicted that her city would be far from the last to pass data center bans, noting data center projects have spurred protests across the country.

“A lot of the other cities that are facing data center proposals are going to follow suit,” said Yang. “There’s [a] bad reputation across the board, across the country, from other data centers that have been built in neighborhoods.”

Monterey Park city councilmember Jose Sanchez expressed a similar sentiment, telling The Guardian that he hoped his city would become a inspiration to others.

“We hope that other communities will use the model set by residents here in Monterey Park,” said Sanchez, “as inspiration to stop data centers from encroaching in their backyard.”

Data centers have become political lightning rods in recent months, as residents across the country object to their massive resource consumption, which is leading to a major spike in utility bills, as well as the noise pollution they generate.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) earlier this year introduced a bill that would impose a nationwide moratorium on AI data center construction “until strong national safeguards are in place to protect workers, consumers, and communities, defend privacy and civil rights, and ensure these technologies do not harm our environment.”

A poll released on Wednesday by Public First showed US residents more opposed to data center construction than any nation in the world, with just 26% of Americans registering support for building more data centers.

This opposition isn’t merely abstract, as it has caused major headaches for Big Tech firms that have been scrambling to increase their AI models’ compute power.

As The Financial Times reported on Thursday, “dozens of projects collectively worth at least $156 billion have been blocked or stalled since 2025” thanks to local opposition to their development.

Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Continue ReadingVoters in California City Become First in US to Approve Permanent Ban on Data Centers

Over 80% of All US Voters Support Ending Dark Money’s Grip on Democracy

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Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Attendees hold signs during a rally calling for an end to corporate money in politics on January 21, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

“The public’s conception of what has gone wrong goes far deeper than super PACs or White House ballrooms or even slush funds. To them, it is a system that is fundamentally misfiring.”

The Brennan Center for Justice on Tuesday published a poll showing that American voters believe the country faces a serious corruption problem, and supermajorities support taking major action to end the role of dark money in US politics.

The poll, which surveyed 2,000 registered voters across the country, found 79% support “a constitutional amendment to restore limits on money in elections.” The proposal would essentially overturn the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, which opened the door to unlimited corporate spending in US elections.

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The poll further found that 85% of Americans support “mandatory disclosure for all federal campaign contributions and spending”; 81% support “the creation of a new federal ethics enforcer”; and 69% support “a constitutional amendment limiting the president’s pardon power.”

Support for these anti-corruption measures was widespread across both political parties, with 84% of Democrats and 75% of Republicans backing the amendment granting government the power to regulate and limit campaign spending. The proposed mandatory disclosure law drew even more widespread support, with 88% of Democrats and 85% Republicans registering approval.

The poll found Republican voters far less inclined to support proposals that would specifically limit presidential powers, but even in those instances, a majority of Republicans favored a law limiting presidential pardon powers and a law that would let the US Congress and state governments sue the president for alleged violations of the Constitution’s emoluments clause that bars presidents from receiving foreign gifts.

Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice, wrote that he was struck by Americans’ widespread support for the poll’s proposed reforms, noting that “it’s hard to find a set of proposals with a wider bipartisan appeal.”

Waldman also noted that voters see corruption as why the government has become unresponsive to key voter concerns about housing and affordability.

“Policymakers should understand that the public’s conception of what has gone wrong goes far deeper than super PACs or White House ballrooms or even slush funds,” he wrote. “To them, it is a system that is fundamentally misfiring. A government that is not performing. And there is a willingness to name names and assign blame.”

Article by Brad Reed republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn't bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Fuhrump says that Amerikkka doesn’t bother with crimes or charges anymore, not being 100% Amerikkkan and opposing his real estate intentions is enough.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingOver 80% of All US Voters Support Ending Dark Money’s Grip on Democracy

Pro-Palestinian activists disrupt German Armed Forces Day events in Munich, Unna

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

People gather at Neptunbrunnen Square to show solidarity with Palestine and protest against Israel, marching to Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany on June 06, 2026. [Halil Sağırkaya – Anadolu Agency]

Pro-Palestinian activists on Saturday disrupted German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) Day events in the cities of Munich and Unna, staging protests against Germany’s military support for Israel and arms exports, Anadolu reports.

“Supporters of ‘Peacefully against Genocide’ staged peaceful protests today in Unna and Munich on German Armed Forces Day,” organizers said in a statement sent to Anadolu.

They said military equipment displayed during the events was primarily manufactured by Rheinmetall, a German defense company that supplies weapons and ammunition to Israel and “plans to open a new factory RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BERLIN in July.”

READ: German firm Bosch closes artificial intelligence, research and development center in Israel

Video footage shared on social media showed activists climbing onto a tank and unfurling a banner reading “Genocide with German weapons.”

One activist, identified as Hannes, said the demonstrations were intended to draw attention to the use of German-made weapons in conflicts abroad.

“Here on Bundeswehr Day, equipment and weapons are put on display. The Bundeswehr is celebrated; killing machines are glorified. And all this while the weapons on display here are exported to kill,” Hannes said.

“By supplying weapons to the Israeli state, the German federal government and arms industry are complicit in every crime Israel commits,” he added.

READ: Israeli strike on tent sheltering displaced Palestinians kills 6 in Gaza City

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingPro-Palestinian activists disrupt German Armed Forces Day events in Munich, Unna

Lebanese president condemns killing of 3 soldiers in Israeli strike

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Presidential Place on November 30, 2025 in Beirut, Lebanon. [Stringer – Anadolu Agency]

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday condemned the killing of three Lebanese soldiers in an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon, calling it a “flagrant violation” of the country’s sovereignty and international law, Anadolu reports.

The Israeli army acknowledged targeting a Lebanese military vehicle and said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the strike.

In a statement, Aoun condemned what he described as an Israeli attack on a Lebanese army patrol on the Khardali-Nabatieh road that killed two officers and a soldier.

He said the attack was part of the ongoing Israeli escalation that threatens stability and security in southern Lebanon despite diplomatic efforts and ongoing talks in Washington aimed at ending Israeli attacks.

Aoun urged the international community to assume its responsibilities, stop repeated attacks on Lebanon and ensure respect for relevant international resolutions.

Earlier Saturday, the Lebanese army said an Israeli strike targeted a military vehicle on the Kfartebnit-Khardali road in the Nabatieh area, killing a brigadier general, a captain and a soldier.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the strike as “a crime” and an attack against Lebanon and all Lebanese people.

READ: Israeli strikes in Lebanon kills 10 people, including 3 Lebanese army members

In a separate statement, Hezbollah condemned the attack as a deliberate crime and accused Lebanese authorities of making concessions that encouraged further Israeli actions.

Following the incident, the Israeli army said it had identified a vehicle moving suspiciously toward its forces near Kfartebnit in what it described as an active combat zone.

The army claimed it had received a warning about gunfire directed at its troops in the area and said intelligence indicated extensive Hezbollah activity there.

It said the vehicle was targeted because it was considered a threat to Israeli forces.

According to the army, an initial review showed that two Lebanese officers and a soldier were inside the vehicle.

The strike came despite a fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 17 and extended by Washington until early July amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to prevent renewed hostilities.

At the conclusion of four rounds of talks in Washington on Thursday, the US, Lebanon and Israel announced a declaration of intent that includes a complete halt to Hezbollah fire and the withdrawal of the group’s fighters from areas south of the Litani River.

However, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the outcome of the talks, saying they were unacceptable to broad segments of the Lebanese population.

Israel has intensified its military campaign in Lebanon since March 2 amid the regional conflict linked to the war with Iran. According to Lebanese figures, the attacks have killed 3,558 people and injured 10,870 others, while displacing more than one million people.

READ: Netanyahu says no agreement currently in place with Lebanon

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/

Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won. He's challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Strait of Hormuz despite saying on 7 March 2026 that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. He’s challenged with the claim that he lies as much as the IDF.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingLebanese president condemns killing of 3 soldiers in Israeli strike