Politichaos

Resolving the Ruckus

Fact Checking

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While most fact check sites have some sort of bias, often expressed by checking more facts of one side versus the other, the following are generally a good source of info:  

The Cabinet of the United States

News Sources - Some Good, Some Bad

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It's hard work to be informed. If you see a 'news' article on social media, be sure to check the source before sharing. Use this great resource to see if the site is known to spread conspiracy theories and/or fake news:

False, Misleading, Clickbait-y, and/or Satirical “News” Sources  © 2016  by Melissa Zimdars

Below are some suggestions for news sources (ordered alphabetically), though bear in mind many have a bias - they reportedly share the truth, but may frame it in a way to influence you to react one way or the other.

Trump Promises for First 100 Days

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Donald Trump’s Contract with the American Voter

What follows is my 100-day action plan to Make America Great Again.

It is a contract between myself and the American voter — and begins with restoring honesty and accountability, and bringing change to Washington.

On the first day of my term of office, my administration will immediately pursue the following:

Six measures to clean up the corruption and special interest collusion in Washington, DC:

★ FIRST, propose a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on all members of Congress.

★ SECOND, a hiring freeze on all federal employees to reduce the federal workforce through attrition (exempting military, public safety, and public health).

★ THIRD, a requirement that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated.

★ FOURTH, a five-year ban on White House and Congressional officials becoming lobbyists after they leave government service.

★ FIFTH, a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying on behalf of a foreign government.

★ SIXTH, a complete ban on foreign lobbyists raising money for American elections.

Seven actions to protect American workers:

★ FIRST, I will announce my intention to renegotiate NAFTA or withdraw from the deal under Article 2205.

★ SECOND, I will announce our withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

★ THIRD, I will direct the Secretary of the Treasury to label China a currency manipulator.

★ FOURTH, I will direct the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative to identify all foreign trading abuses that unfairly impact American workers and direct them to use every tool under American and international law to end those abuses immediately.

★ FIFTH, I will lift the restrictions on the production of $50 trillion dollars’ worth of job-producing American energy reserves, including shale, oil, natural gas and clean coal.

★ SIXTH, lift the Obama-Clinton roadblocks and allow vital energy infrastructure projects, like the Keystone Pipeline, to move forward.

★ SEVENTH, cancel billions in payments to U.N. climate change programs and use the money to fix America’s water and environmental infrastructure.

Five actions to restore security and the constitutional rule of law:

★ FIRST, cancel every unconstitutional executive action, memorandum and order issued by President Obama.

★ SECOND, begin the process of selecting a replacement for Justice Scalia from one of the 20 judges on my list, who will uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution.

★ THIRD, cancel all federal funding to sanctuary cities.

★ FOURTH, begin removing the more than two million criminal illegal immigrants from the country and cancel visas to foreign countries that won’t take them back.

★ FIFTH, suspend immigration from terror-prone regions where vetting cannot safely occur. All vetting of people coming into our country will be considered “extreme vetting.”

Middle Class Tax Relief and Simplification Act

An economic plan designed to grow the economy 4% per year and create at least 25 million new jobs through massive tax reduction and simplification, in combination with trade reform, regulatory relief and lifting the restrictions on American energy. The largest tax reductions are for the middle class. A middle-class family with two children will get a 35% tax cut. The current number of brackets will be reduced from seven to three, and tax forms will likewise be greatly simplified. The business rate will be lowered from 35% to 15%, and the trillions of dollars of American corporate money overseas can now be brought back at a 10% rate.

End the Offshoring Act

Establishes tariffs to discourage companies from laying off their workers in order to relocate in other countries and ship their products back to the U.S. tax-free.

American Energy and Infrastructure Act

Leverages public-private partnerships, and private investments through tax incentives, to spur $1 trillion in infrastructure investment over ten years. It is revenue neutral.

School Choice and Education Opportunity Act

Redirects education dollars to give parents the right to send their kid to the public, private, charter, magnet, religious or home school of their choice. Ends Common Core and brings education supervision to local communities. It expands vocational and technical education, and makes two- and four year college more affordable.

Repeal and Replace Obamacare Act

Fully repeals Obamacare and replaces it with Health Savings Accounts, the ability to purchase health insurance across state lines and lets states manage Medicaid funds. Reforms will also include cutting the red tape at the FDA: there are over 4,000 drugs awaiting approval, and we especially want to speed the approval of life-saving medications.

Affordable Childcare and Eldercare Act

Allows Americans to deduct childcare and eldercare from their taxes, incentivizes employers to provide on-site childcare services and creates tax-free dependent care savings accounts for both young and elderly dependents, with matching contributions for low-income families.

End Illegal Immigration Act

Fully-funds the construction of a wall on our southern border with the full understanding that the country of Mexico will be reimbursing the United States for the full cost of such wall; establishes a two-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering the U.S. after a previous deportation, and a five-year mandatory minimum federal prison sentence for illegally re-entering for those with felony convictions, multiple misdemeanor convictions or two or more prior deportations; also reforms visa rules to enhance penalties for overstaying and to ensure open jobs are offered to American workers first.

Restoring Community Safety Act

Reduces surging crime, drugs and violence by creating a task force on violent crime and increasing funding for programs that train and assist local police; increases resources for federal law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors to dismantle criminal gangs and put violent offenders behind bars.

Restoring National Security Act

Rebuilds our military by eliminating the defense sequester and expanding military investment; provides veterans with the ability to receive public VA treatment or attend the private doctor of their choice; protects our vital infrastructure from cyber-attack; establishes new screening procedures for immigration to ensure those who are admitted to our country support our people and our values.

Clean Up Corruption in Washington Act

Enacts new ethics reforms to drain the swamp and reduce the corrupting influence of special interests on our politics.

On November 8th, Americans will be voting for this 100-day plan to restore prosperity to our economy, security to our communities and honesty to our government.

This is my pledge to you.

And if we follow these steps, we will once more have a government of, by and for the people.

* According to speech in Gettysburg on October 23, 2016. Also at donaldjtrump.com/contract

post script: Here is the link of accomplishments at https://www.donaldjtrump.com/100

Statue of Liberty

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Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

  • Emma Lazarus’ sonnet, New Colossus

What Donald Trump Owns

  • The Trump Organization was founded in 1923 by Elizabeth and Fred Trump as Elizabeth Trump & Son
  • Donald Trump started working there in 1968, given control in 1971
  • 515 subsidiaries and entities with 264 of them bearing Trump's name and another 54 including his initials

Holdings

  • real estate including
    • Trump Intl Hotel & Tower Chicago, IL - license
    • Mar-a-lago Club, FL - own
    • Trump Grand Sunny Isles, FL - license
    • Trump Towers Sunny Isles, FL - license
    • Trump Hollywood, FL - license
    • Trump Plaza New Jersey, NJ - license, cancelled?
    • Trump Intl Hotel Las Vegas, NV - joint venture with Phil Ruffin
    • The Estates at Trump National, CA
    • 610 Park Avenue, NY - development fees
    • Trump Intl Hotel & Tower New York, NY - development fees
    • Trump Palace, NY - license
    • Trump Parc, NY - own 19 units
    • Trump Parc East, NY - license
    • Trump Park Avenue, NY - own 23 units, license
    • Trump Park Residences Yorktown, NY - license
    • Trump Place, NY
    • Trump Plaza New Rochelle, NY - license
    • Trump Soho New York, NY - partnership with Bayrock Group
    • Trump Tower at City Center Westchester, NY - license
    • Trump Tower New York, NY - own
    • Trump World Tower, NY - own
    • Trump Parc Stamford, CT - license
    • Trump Intl Hotel & Tower Waikiki Beach Walk, HI - license
    • international propoerties
      • Trump Towers Istanbul, Turkey
      • Trump Ocean Club, Panama
      • Trump World, South Korea
      • Trump Intl Hotel & Tower Totonto, Canada
      • Trump Tower at Century City Makati, Philippines
      • Trump Tower Mumbai, India
      • Trump Towers Pune, India
      • Trump Tower Punta del Este, Uruguay
      • Trump Intl Hotel & Tower Vancouver, Canada
    • commercial properties
      • 1290 Sixth Avenue, NY - 30 % stake
      • 555 California Street, CA - 30 % stake
      • 40 Wall Street, NY - own
      • Trump Tower Rio de Janiero, Brazil
    • Beverly Hills estate - own
    • 2 Palm Beach homes - own
    • Seven Springs estate, NY - own
  • Vornado Realty Trust portfolio - stakeholder
  • Trump Vineyard Estates, VA - unclear
  • Central Park Carousel, NYC - management
  • Wollman Rink, NYC - management
  • Trump Golf
    • 17 courses
  • Trump International Realty - residential brokerage
  • Trump Model Management
  • Trump Productions
    • The Apprentice, TV show
    • Celebrity Apprentice, TV show
    • Pageant Place, TV show
    • The Ultimate Merger, TV show
    • Miss Universe Pageant
    • Miss USA Pageant
    • Miss Teen USA Pageant
  • Books
  • Donald J Trump Collection - clothing, eyewear, accessories
  • Trump Home - Furniture, bedding, lighting, mirrors, chandeliers
  • Trump Natural Spring Water
  • Success by Trump - fragrance
  • Sentient Jets - jet time sharing
  • as developer, but not owner
    • Riverside South, NY
  • Parker Adnan - 17.2% stake
  • Restaurants in Trump Tower: Trump Buffet, Trump Catering, Trump Ice Cream Parlor, and Trump Bar

Defunct

  • a number of real estate projects
  • Trump Entertainment Resorts
  • Trump Entrepreneur Initiative aka Trump University
  • Trump Ice
  • Trump Financial - mortgage firm
  • Trump Sales and Leasing - residential sales
  • GoTrump.com - a former online travel search engine
  • Select By Trump - a line of coffee drinks
  • Trump Drinks - an energy drink for the Israeli and Palestinian markets
  • Donald Trump The Fragrance
  • Trump Magazine
  • Trump Chocolate
  •  Trump Institute
  • Trump: The Game - 1989 board game with a 2004 re-release version tied to The Apprentice
  • Donald Trump's Real Estate Tycoon - a business simulation game
  • Trump Shuttle,
  • Trump Mortgage
  • Trump Vodka
  • Trump Steakhouse
  • Trump Steaks

Investopedia Wikipedia

Definition : Genetically Engineered Foods

Genetic engineering is the process of changing the genetic material of a living organism to produce some desired change in that organism’s characteristics. This process is often used to develop new plant and animal varieties that are later used as sources of foods, referred to as GE foods. For example, genetic engineering is often used to improve a plant’s resistance to pests or to allow a plant to withstand the use of pesticides. Some of the most common GE crops include varieties of corn and soybeans. In 2011, 88 percent of all corn and 94 percent of all soybeans produced in the U.S. were grown from GE seeds. Other common GE crops include alfalfa, canola, cotton, papaya, sugar beets, and zucchini. In addition, GE crops are used to make food ingredients (such as high fructose corn syrup) that are often included in processed foods (meaning foods that are not raw agriculture crops). According to some estimates, 40 percent to 70 percent of food products sold in grocery stores in California contain some GE ingredients.  

source: CA Secretary of State

Definition : Independent Expenditures

As it relates to campaign spending: Money spent to communicate support or opposition of a candidate or ballot measure generally is considered an independent expenditure if the funds are spent in a way that is not coordinated with (1) a candidate or (2) a committee established to support or oppose a candidate or a ballot measure. For example, developing a television commercial urging voters to “vote for” a candidate is an independent expenditure if the commercial is made without coordination with the candidate’s campaign. Current law does not limit the amount of money individuals, groups, and businesses may spend on independent expenditures. These expenditures, however, must be disclosed to election officials.

source: CA Secretary of State