22 h. ago Democrats introduce bill to restrict private donations for Trump’s $300M ballroom

‘Americans shouldn’t have to wonder whether President Trump is building a ballroom to facilitate a pay-to-play scheme for political favors,” Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said

Politics

46 h. ago It's not even built yet ... but Dems have declared they will TEAR DOWN $300m White House ballroom

Democrats are licking their lips at the idea of tearing down or repurposing President Donald Trump's gilded ballroom.

Events

8 d. ago Musk is paid $1tn. Nvidia’s worth $5tn. Yet America’s poor are struggling to eat | Steven Greenhouse

We may be in a golden age for the super-rich – but it doesn’t feel that way for the 42 million Americans who use SnapIt seems like an understatement to call this the New Gilded Age. Perhaps we should instead call it the Obscenely Over-the-Top Gilded Age, considering that Tesla shareholders just approved a $1tn pay package for Elon Musk and the market value of chipmaker Nvidia has rocketed above $5tn.Not only that, the 10 richest billionaires in the US saw their collective wealth soar by $698bn over the past year, while Google’s former CEO, Eric Schmidt, reportedly paid $110m for a 123-room mansion in Los Angeles to host events. And then there’s our billionaire president, who – when his family isn’t raking in tens of millions of dollars through crypto – is obsessed with building a $300m, gilded-to-the-hilt ballroom, funded by fellow billionaires.Steven Greenhouse is a journalist and author, focusing on labor and the workplace, as well as economic and legal issues Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago The food stamp fight signals an era of unprecedented cruelty in America | Katrina vanden Heuvel

US leaders have long shown some responsibility to help poor people meet basic nutritional needs. That era appears overIn October, millions rallied across America to remind Donald Trump that this nation obeys no kings. Last week, however, a scene worthy of Versailles unfolded: While Trump built his $300m ballroom, the US prepared to face widespread hunger.With Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) funding scheduled to run dry due to the government shutdown, the Trump administration not only refused to prevent the crisis – it fought in court to deprive 42 million Snap recipients of their grocery money. Thankfully, a federal judge ruled against the government and ordered that Snap payments proceed. On Monday, the administration said it would fund just half of recipients’ typical benefits. And 2.4 million people soon risk losing their benefits nonetheless, as the $186bn Snap cuts in Trump’s benighted budget bill begin taking effect.Katrina vanden Heuvel is editor and publishe...

Politics

2 w. ago The luxury gap: Trump builds his palace as Americans face going hungry

Schmoozing the super-rich to fund a $300m ballroom while cutting food aid for those on low incomes threw the president’s architectural folly into sharp reliefIt was a feast fit for a king – and any billionaire willing to be his subject. From gold-rimmed plates on gold-patterned tablecloths decorated with gold candlestick holders, they gorged on heirloom tomato panzanella salad, beef wellington and a dessert of roasted Anjou pears, cinnamon crumble and butterscotch ice-cream.On 15 October, Donald Trump welcomed nearly 130 deep-pocketed donors, allies and representatives of major companies for a dinner at the White House to reward them for their pledged contributions to a vast new ballroom now expected to cost $300m. That the federal government had shut down two weeks earlier scarcely seemed to matter. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago White House withheld names of some donors to Trump’s $300M ballroom, report says

A list of donors released by the White House omitted more than three dozen contributions and names of individuals and companies who are backing the project, the report claims

Politics

3 w. ago Senate Democrats demand list of donors to $300m Trump ballroom

Letter warns White House of ‘blatant corruption’ risk from contributing companies with business before governmentUS politics live – latest updatesSenate Democrats, led by Adam Schiff of California, are calling for full disclosure on how Donald Trump’s planned White House ballroom is being financed.The effort follows the release of a donor list showing that wealthy individuals and corporations, many with business before the federal government, have contributed to the project. Democrats argue that without transparency, the financing of the ballroom could become a channel for improper influence within the administration. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago What is the White House East Wing and why has it been torn down in Trump’s renovation plans?

President Donald Trump is adding a $300m ballroom to the White House – but that plan has come at the cost of the historic East WingEast Wing of White House reduced to rubble as part of Trump’s ballroom constructionIt was confirmed on Friday that the East Wing of the White House has now been completely destroyed, days after construction started on the planned $300m (£225m) ballroom that Donald Trump is adding to the historic building.The demolition marked a reversal of Trump’s earlier promise in July that none of the White House’s existing infrastructure would be torn down during construction of the ballroom. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago East Wing of White House reduced to rubble as part of Trump’s ballroom construction

Despite president’s promise to preserve it, the eastern section of the building is now completely destroyedThe East Wing of the White House has now been completely destroyed to pave way for Donald Trump’s $300m planned gilded ballroom, just days after the administration announced it would happen and contradicting Trump’s earlier promise that the existing building would not be touched.Satellite images on Friday showed the historic building’s eastern section reduced to rubble, to the outrage of historians, former White House officials and much of the public. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Seth Meyers on Trump’s White House ballroom: ‘This couldn’t be any more of a bait and switch’

Late-night hosts discussed the president’s demolition of the East Wing to make room for a huge $300m gilded ballroomLate-night hosts mocked Donald Trump’s demolition of the East Wing of the White House and the corporate sponsors of his $300m gilded ballroom. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Amazon, Apple and Google are helping to pay for Trump’s $300m ballroom as donor list revealed

Big Tech giants helping to bankroll president’s $300m White House project, full list of sponsors reveals

Politics

3 w. ago Amazon, Apple and Google are helping pay for Trump’s $300m ballroom as donor list revealed

Big Tech giants helping to bankroll president’s $300m White House project, full list of sponsors reveals

Politics

3 w. ago Trump news live: White House releases list of who’s paying for $300M ballroom as poll reveals Americans deep unhappiness with demolition

The White House’s gold-plated addition is now estimated to cost a whopping $300 million

Economics

3 w. ago Trump to demolish entire East Wing of White House to make space for $300M ballroom: Latest

President Donald Trump promised that he would ‘not interfere with the current building’ despite the fact that he is currently tearing down the East Wing

Politics

3 w. ago Trump now says his ballroom will cost $300M and the entire East Wing of the White House will be demolished to make space

Trump admitted the price of his gold-plated 90,000 square-foot ballroom was likely going to cost $100 million more than the initial price tag

Politics