The Monks in the Casino
https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-monks-in-the-casino
#HackerNews #Monks #Casino #Gambling #Culture #Spirituality #Stories
…If the destruction of the #EastWing is a shock, the #money that’s paying for it might be even more of a #scandal. The #WhiteHouse, eager to assure Americans that their tax dollars have not been diverted for a #vanity project, has emphasized that the #ballroom is being financed by individuals & major #corporations. Instead of going through a process to obtain & disburse federal funds, #Trump simply asked companies his admin is supposed to be #regulating to write checks [ #bribery / #extortion].
The list of donors released by the #WhiteHouse includes the usual deep-pocketed #Republicans, such as #casino magnate #MiriamAdelson & private-equity mogul #StephenSchwarzman, but also a host of companies whose leaders have huge incentives to maintain good relations with an often vindictive head of state. They include #telecom giants & the #railroad giant Union-Pacific—which needs the #Trump admin’s sign-off on a proposed $85 billion merger with Norfolk Southern.
First leg (actually the second, but I couldn’t find the Regionale 12286 Taggia Arma – Ventimiglia) of my trip to #WHY2025:
Ventimiglia – Nice Ville
#Träwelling#WHY2025trip (@ LAC / VIN ➜ Nice Ville) #NowTräwelling#WHY2025triphttps://traewelling.de/status/5613029
Il faut. Étape obligatoire 👀🤪
(c’était trop de temps que je ne parlais pas Français, je suis terrible)