Latest news with #TrumpInternationalHotel
Bloomberg
01-07-2025
- Bloomberg
Trump Hotel Pays $4.8 Million to Resolve Complaint Over Killing Fish in Chicago
By and Tom Maloney Save Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago will pay $4.8 million to resolve a complaint that it was killing fish in the Chicago River. A system used to cool the building by drawing in river water was sucking in thousands of fish and other organisms, the plaintiffs in the case said Tuesday in announcing the settlement. The complaint was brought in 2018 by the Illinois attorney general and state environmental agency, as well as the Sierra Club and a group called Friends of the Chicago River.
Newsweek
30-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Donald Trump's Properties Are Doing Better Than Ever
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. With the indirect sway of the presidency behind it, Donald Trump's real estate business is seeing greater success than ever during his second term. The Trump Organization, managed by his two eldest sons, was able to pay off its remaining debts on 40 Wall Street, the 932-foot-tall skyscraper commonly referred to as The Trump Building, as reported last month by Reuters. As the outlet noted, the ability to repay the estimated $114 million balance, despite the building's long-running issues with occupancy, underscores "how the business' fortunes have improved since Trump's re-election last year." A financial disclosure released in mid-June revealed that Trump was far from struggling prior to his second term, reporting more than $600 million in income—boosted by cryptocurrency ventures and royalties from Trump-branded products—and listed assets in excess of $1.6 billion. The filing did not specify the reporting period. Reuters said that details suggested it likely covered the 2024 calendar year. But it is the success of his businesses since reelection and inauguration that have raised questions from lawmakers and ethics watchdogs, who allege that this represents at best an appearance of impropriety and at worst an avenue for foreign influence over the executive branch and government policy. The sun sets on the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on March 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The sun sets on the Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on March 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada."Trump's second term has zero guardrails separating the Oval Office from Trump's board room," said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), a nonpartisan watchdog based in Washington. Amey cited the new hotels and resorts on which The Trump Organization has broken ground since his victory in November. Many of the projects are international, with deals struck for luxury resorts in Qatar, skyscrapers in Saudi Arabia and several Trump-branded office projects and residential buildings in India. The watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) calculated that The Trump Organization will have completed or embarked on at least 30 projects abroad by the time Trump's second term ends, covering more than a dozen countries and potentially yielding billions for the organization and the president's family. In May, Bloomberg estimated that since the start of his 2024 reelection campaign, the Trump brand has driven more than $10 billion in real estate projects worldwide while doubling the president's personal net worth to more than $5 billion. Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Trump International, Hung Yen resort and golf course project in Hung Yen province, China, on May 21, 2025. Eric Trump, son of U.S. President Donald Trump, speaks during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Trump International, Hung Yen resort and golf course project in Hung Yen province, China, on May 21, 2025. STR/AFP via Getty Images The success has drawn scrutiny, with many raising concerns about the potential conflicts of interest that arise when a sitting official's private enterprises appear to benefit directly from his public office. "Trump's willingness to use the presidency toward his self-enrichment—from peddling his own meme coin to selling access through glitzy dinners and accepting luxury aircraft from foreign nations—has diminished the office and will become a weak, golden pillar of his presidential legacy," said Mark Updegrove, presidential historian and author of Make Your Mark: Lessons in Character from Seven Presidents. Richard Painter, a former chief White House ethics lawyer under George W. Bush, told Newsweek that "the scale of the president's financial conflicts of interest is much greater in his second term." Painter, who was involved in a 2017 lawsuit against Trump for alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution's Foreign Emoluments clause, cited the president's entry into the crypto space as an especially concerning development in his second term. "The President is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself," White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told Newsweek. "President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public – which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media." "President Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children. There are no conflicts of interest," she added. Eric Trump, executive vice president of The Trump Organization and the U.S. president's son, attends a signing ceremony with Qatar's Diar and Dar Global in Doha on April 30, 2025. Eric Trump, executive vice president of The Trump Organization and the U.S. president's son, attends a signing ceremony with Qatar's Diar and Dar Global in Doha on April 30, 2025. Karim Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images Prior to Trump taking office in January, The Trump Organization voluntarily released a white paper outlining how the president would draw a separation between his public office and private businesses to allay some of the fears. It said that Trump would surrender any involvement in his real estate empire during his second term and that the company will "not enter into any new material transactions or contracts with a foreign government," with the exception of those "necessary for the normal and ordinary operations of the company's businesses." In May, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said it was "absurd for anyone to insinuate that this president is profiting off of the presidency." White House Communications Director Steven Cheung previously told Newsweek that "everything "President Trump does is to benefit the American people," while praising Trump for giving up "a life as one of the most successful businessmen in the world and a wildly successful media mogul." However, experts who spoke to Newsweek said that, far from surrendering the more lucrative opportunities in the private sphere, Trump's return to office has buoyed his family's business and set up the president for a financially comfortable transition once his second term ends. "He saw what happened when the Clintons left office, and he is cashing in now," Amey said. "Unfortunately, senior leaders who called out the Bidens are now sitting silent when all of Trump's business deals are likely steering domestic and foreign policy, national security affairs and regulations in a way that favors his business endeavors."
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial updates: SDNY to rest Tuesday; defense not calling witnesses
This story may contain accounts and descriptions of actual or alleged events that some readers may find disturbing. This is week seven of testimony in the trial of Sean "Diddy" 23, 12:51 PMJury reviews Combs' alleged texts about escorts, 'freak-offs' Through a combination of text messages, travel records, hotel receipts and other records, the prosecution showed the jury what they argue were the logistics involved in the alleged arrangements made for male escorts for Sean Combs to participate in sexual encounters.'Hey in NYC have entertainment for after midnight?' Combs wrote in a text message to a woman at a male escort service.'Will be there in ten mins with the cash,' one of Combs' bodyguards wrote in a message to 'Jane,' a former Combs girlfriend who testified under a pseudonym. "Jane" messaged back: 'OK great. Room 508. Do you have a key?' The jury was shown invoices from hotels where prosecutors said the alleged sexual encounters occurred. The jury saw one bill for $2,490.17 from the Trump International Hotel from a stay there in September one audio message, Combs allegedly said, 'There's no more baby oil.'The jury was shown records from 'Jane's' travel, including a car service and a Jet Blue flight arranged by a woman who handled travel for jury also was shown messages about IV fluids Combs and 'Jane' received to help them recover from the sexual encounters. 'Extra Benadryl,' Combs' former assistant, Brendan Paul, said in a text message. The IV drip also included sodium chloride, B12, zinc, vitamin C and amino acids, according to the messages presented by jury also saw a text to Combs from his then-chief of staff, Kristina Khorram, from September 2023. 'Next time you leave when you're randomly partying you have to tell us. Can't just uber lit with a guest. That's when bad s--- happens. You know this,' the message said. 'Puff, seriously that is reckless.'Combs responded in part, 'I love you to death, but you have to stop.'Federal prosecutors said they were able to identify more than 40 arranged sexual encounters with male escorts -- referred to at various times during testimony as 'freak-offs,' 'hotel nights' or 'wild king nights,' depending on the witness -- that allegedly took place between 2021 and 2024, including one prosecutors say happened just weeks before Combs' arrest in September 2024. Combs has maintained that all encounters were consensual. Jun 23, 10:15 AMSean Combs likely won't testify in his own defense Given that the defense said this morning that it will rest its case without calling witnesses, that likely implies that Sean Combs will not testify in his own is likely that Judge Arun Subramanian will ask Combs at some point to formally confirm the jury at Combs' trial is now seeing sexually explicit videos depicting him, his former girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym 'Jane,' and a male Security Investigations Special Agent Joseph Cerciello, a summary witness for the government, testified that he reviewed 'multiple hours' of explicit videosFederal prosecutors said they were able to identify more than 40 arranged sexual encounters with male escorts -- referred to at various times during testimony as 'freak-offs,' 'hotel nights' or 'wild king nights,' depending on the witness -- that allegedly took place between 2021 and 2024, including one prosecutors say happened just weeks before Combs' arrest in September 2024. Combs has maintained that all encounters were consensual. The jury was shown video excerpts along with travel records, hotel invoices and money transfers collected during the investigation. Federal prosecutors are hoping to convince jurors that the sexual acts depicted in the videos were the result of alleged coordinated criminal activity by Combs, his chief of staff, his assistants, his travel manager, his finance people and his bodyguards, all of which Combs has denied. Jun 23, 9:16 AMProsecution expects to rest Tuesday; defense not calling witnesses Federal prosecutors said Monday that they now expect to rest their case on Tuesday once special agent Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations concludes his defense said it plans to rest without calling any witnesses, only submitting some the revised schedule, the judge will hold a charging conference Wednesday followed by summations on Thursday. Jun 23, 8:39 AMProsecution expected to rest their case today Federal prosecutors in New York expect to rest their case against Sean "Diddy" Combs today, relying on the testimony of nearly three dozen witnesses and hundreds of exhibits to try to prove their contention that the hip-hop impresario ran a criminal conspiracy that trafficked women and transported final witness for the prosecution, Joseph Cerciello of Homeland Security Investigations, walked the jury through reams of travel records, hotel invoices and money transfers that prosecutors hope will convince the jury that Combs and his associates trafficked his ex-girlfriend, who testified earlier under the pseudonym 'Jane.'Combs' former assistant, Brendan Paul, who was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony, previously told the jury that he bought and carried drugs for Combs. Paul was arrested in March 2024 for cocaine possession while aboard a private plane with Combs.'Was the cocaine yours, Mr. Paul?' prosecutor Christy Slavik asked.'No,' Paul testified in response.'Whose cocaine was it?' Slavik followed up.'Mr. Combs,' Paul drug charges against Paul were dropped last year after he completed a pre-trial intervention criminal enterprise Combs is accused of operating committed drug offenses, according to federal prosecutors. Combs has conceded that he used illicit drugs but has denied running a criminal enterprise. He has pleaded not guilty to all of the government's also told the jury that Combs wanted his assistants to 'move like SEAL Team Six' and anticipate his every need. He testified that it was part of his job to buy a pound of marijuana every two months and to procure a powdery mix of ketamine and molly, known as tusi, that was 'dyed pink for the aesthetic.'Paul further testified that he set up hotel rooms for so-called "freak-off" sexual encounters, which he knew as 'wild king nights,' stocking items like lubricant and baby oil. The jury saw photos of the items arranged in Combs' Los Angeles cross-examination, Paul testified that he never noticed 'Jane' being hesitant or apprehensive about participating in what she called 'hotel night' sexual prosecutors rest their case, defense attorneys have said their case will likely take a day or two to present. Jun 23, 5:05 AMRead updates from week 6 Click here to catch up on everything from the sixth week of the Sean Combs trial. Click here to read the rest of the blog.
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial: Jurors see clips of 'freak-off' and explicit videos central to charges
The jury at Sean "Diddy" Combs ' sex trafficking trial got a glimpse Monday at some of the "freak-off" sex marathons at the heart of the case, with prosecutors showing excerpts of explicit videos that the hip-hop mogul recorded during the drug-fueled sessions. Prosecutors played portions of three sex videos recovered from a Combs-linked account on a cellphone that his former longtime girlfriend Cassie provided to authorities, giving jurors a close-up view of the encounters they've heard about repeatedly since testimony kicked off on May 12. 03:08 Gasps, Giggles & Shock: Courtroom SHOOK as Jury Watches Diddy's Graphic 'Freak-Off' Tapes One video was from Oct. 14, 2012, the same day prosecutors say Combs had a "freak-off" in New York City with Cassie and sex worker Sharay Hayes, known as "The Punisher." Before playing the clip, prosecutors showed jurors an invoice for an Oct. 14, 2012, stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan that was booked under Combs' alias, Frank Black. A note on the invoice said the guest requested to have the room at 3 a.m. Prosecutors also showed jurors text messages in which Cassie, the R&B singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, arranged the Oct. 14 meetup with Hayes. In one message, she wrote: "Can we actually do 3 a.m. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo at the Trump hotel, Columbus Circle?" Hayes replied: "Great. I'll text when I'm on my way," and told her his fee for the encounter was $200 cash. Jurors were also shown excerpts of videos taken on Oct. 20, 2012, and Dec. 4, 2014. Collectively, the clips shown to jurors were several minutes long. Defense lawyers have said the videos prove that Combs was engaging in consensual sex rather than committing crimes. Because of their graphic nature, the excerpts were available for viewing only for jurors, the prosecution and defense teams and Combs, all of whom wore headphones to hear the audio portion. Reporters and members of the public were not allowed to see or hear the videos. The videos were the most notable part of an otherwise dry day in court as prosecutors wind down their case with so-called summary witnesses - government agents who are reading aloud heaps of text messages, travel records and other document-based evidence. After six weeks of witnesses and evidence, prosecutors said they plan to rest on Wednesday. After that, Combs' lawyers said they'll start calling witnesses. Earlier in the trial, a forensic video expert retained by the prosecution to enhance the videos identified them by date and exhibit number. During that testimony, a prosecutor described the videos as "sex videos." Until Monday, jurors had only seen still images taken from the "freak-off" videos. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges after his September arrest at a New York hotel. He was denied bail multiple times and has remained incarcerated at a federal lockup in Brooklyn ever since. Before the jury entered the courtroom Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a juror after concluding there were "clear inconsistencies" in his answers last week and during jury selection about whether he resided in New York or with a girlfriend in New Jersey. "Taking these all together, the record raised serious concerns as to the juror's candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury," he said. Subramanian had first announced late Friday that he was dismissing the juror, but he left open the possibility that he would question the juror a final time after defense lawyers protested, saying that dismissing the Black juror and replacing him with a white man might spoil an otherwise diverse jury. The judge said he had decided not to question him further because it could lead to "another set of shifting answers. ... In other words, there's nothing that the juror can say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle and restore his credibility."
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jurors shown clips of ‘freak-offs' central to Sean Combs sex trafficking charges
The jury at Sean 'Diddy' Combs's sex trafficking trial got a glimpse of some of the 'freak-off' sex marathons at the heart of the case, with prosecutors showing excerpts of explicit videos that the hip-hop mogul recorded during the drug-fuelled sessions. Prosecutors played portions of three sex videos recovered from a Combs-linked account on a mobile phone that his former long-time girlfriend Cassie provided to authorities, giving jurors a close-up view of the encounters they've heard about repeatedly since evidence began on May 12. One video was from October 14 2012, the same day prosecutors say Combs had a 'freak-off' in New York City with Cassie and sex worker Sharay Hayes, known as 'The Punisher'. Before playing the clip, prosecutors showed jurors an invoice for a stay at the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Manhattan on October 14 2012 that was booked under Combs's alias, Frank Black. A note on the invoice said the guest requested to have the room at 3am. Prosecutors also showed jurors text messages in which Cassie, the R&B singer whose real name is Casandra Ventura, arranged the October 14 meetup with Mr Hayes. In one message, she wrote: 'Can we actually do 3am at the Trump hotel, Columbus Circle?' Mr Hayes replied: 'Great. I'll text when I'm on my way,' and told her his fee for the encounter was 200 dollars (£147) cash. Jurors were also shown excerpts of videos taken on October 20 2012 and December 4 2014. Collectively, the clips shown to jurors were several minutes long, and although at least one juror winced at a video, their reactions were mostly muted. Defence lawyers have said the videos prove that Combs was engaging in consensual sex rather than committing crimes. Because of their graphic nature, the excerpts were available for viewing only for jurors, the prosecution and defence teams and Combs, all of whom wore headphones to hear the audio. Reporters and members of the public were not allowed to see or hear the videos. The videos were the most notable part of an otherwise dry day in court as prosecutors wind down their case with so-called summary witnesses — government agents who are reading aloud heaps of text messages, travel records and other document-based evidence. After six weeks of witnesses and evidence, prosecutors said they plan to rest on Wednesday. After that, Combs's lawyers said they will start calling witnesses. Earlier in the trial, a forensic video expert retained by the prosecution to enhance the videos identified them by date and exhibit number. During that evidence, a prosecutor described the videos as 'sex videos'. Until Monday, jurors had only seen still images taken from the 'freak-off' videos. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges after his September arrest at a New York hotel. He was denied bail multiple times and has remained incarcerated in Brooklyn ever since. Before the jury entered the courtroom on Monday, Judge Arun Subramanian dismissed a juror after concluding there were 'clear inconsistencies' in his answers last week and during jury selection about whether he resided in New York or with a girlfriend in New Jersey. 'Taking these all together, the record raised serious concerns as to the juror's candour and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury,' he said. Mr Subramanian had first announced that he was dismissing the juror late on Friday, but he left open the possibility that he would question the juror a final time after defence lawyers protested, saying that dismissing the black juror and replacing him with a white juror might spoil an otherwise diverse jury. The judge said he had decided not to question him further because it could lead to 'another set of shifting answers. In other words, there's nothing that the juror can say at this point that would put the genie back in the bottle and restore his credibility'.
