Monday Morning Read

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Matt Spina and Charlie Specht followed up on our reporting, and theirs, with a story Sunday that delved into the testimony given by retired police supervisors who were deposed in a federal lawsuit against the city and Buffalo Police Department. It turns out the department improperly destroys records and then Commissioner Dan Derenda set an informal quota for arrests by the Strike Force unit.

Ken Kruly’s most recent column on his Politics and Other Stuff website included some startling numbers on gambling in New York State. For example, New Yorkers place an average of 5.7 million bets online each Sunday during the football season. That’s one bet for nearly every other adult in the state. Of course, a lot fewer are betting than that, as there are a lot of gamblers placing multiple bets during the course of games. But still.

The heat is on Gov. Kathy Hochul to improve transparency involving community advisory committees involved in economic development projects.

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Trouble in media-land. Gannett, the nation’s largest newspaper chain, is laying off still more journalists. So, too, is The Washington Post, although they’ve been doing a fair amount of hiring, too. Meanwhile, journalists at The New York Times are close to striking.

Wired has an insightful take on Twitter’s ongoing implosionThe Intercept, too. Want more? There’s this from Platform.

I know the Georgia Senate race isn’t local news. But this investigation by the Daily Beast into Herschel Walker is fascinating reading. The man belongs in a padded room, not the United States Senate.

Fresh Air featured two interesting interviews with Luke Harding of The Guardian talking about his reporting on he war in Ukraine, and Nobel Prize winning journalist Maria Ressa, author of a new book, How to Stand Up to a Dictator.

Neil Young’s Harvest is considered one of his best albums, if not the best, which is saying a lot given he’s released 42 of them over the span of his career. He’s now released a film, Harvest Time, that documents the making of the album, which is now in local theaters for a limited run. Here’s the trailer.

The post Monday Morning Read appeared first on Investigative Post.

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‘Badly broken’ Trump triggers swift outrage with double-down on Rob Reiner attack



President Donald Trump sent the internet into a frenzy on Monday afternoon after he doubled down on his comments about slain director Rob Reiner from earlier in the day.

Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning that Reiner suffered from "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and said the director died "due to the anger he caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction." The comments sparked bipartisan outrage.

Reiner and his wife, Michelle, were found dead in their Hollywood home on Saturday night. Authorities have identified the Reiners' 32-year-old son, Nick, as the primary suspect in the case after he and Rob had an argument at a holiday party hosted by talk show host Conan O'Brien, according to CNN.

Trump doubled down on those comments when CNN's Kristen Holmes asked Trump about the criticism he received from Republicans during a press conference on Monday afternoon.

"I wasn't a fan of his at all," Trump said. "He was a deranged person."

Political analysts and observers condemned Trump's comments on social media.

"FFS," conservative columnist Charlie Sykes posted on X.

"I know his staff is beyond shame, but each and every one of them should feel utterly embarrassed to work for a human this badly broken," political speechwriter Zev Karlin Neumann posted on X.

"Just disgusting," writer Olivia Juliana posted on X.

"What are the deletists going to say now?" entertainment entrepreneur Ian Schaefer posted on X.

"Hey, Erika Kirk! Are you going to tell F---face over here to tone down the hateful rhetoric?" writer Polly Singh asked on X.

"This is why we all can’t wait for the day," Democratic digital strategist Ally Sammarco posted on X.

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‘All that glitters is not gold’: Trump’s shiny new scheme brutally mocked



President Donald Trump's latest scheme got a brutal mocking on social media after months of imposing harsh regulations on visas, a looming social media policy for tourists, and anti-immigrant remarks.

Trump on Wednesday revealed that his "Trump Gold Card," which allows wealthy foreigners to effectively purchase residency in the United States for $1 million — with a $15 million DHS processing fee — was now available on the government's website. The policy is intended to replace the existing EB-5 immigrant investor visa program, which allows foreign entrepreneurs to apply for a U.S. work permit if they either invest $800,000 in the U.S. economy or create at least 10 U.S. jobs. The upcoming platinum card is slated to cost $5 million.

Trump wrote this on his Truth Social platform:

"THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT’S TRUMP GOLD CARD IS HERE TODAY! A direct path to Citizenship for all qualified and vetted people. SO EXCITING! Our Great American Companies can finally keep their invaluable Talent. Live Site opens in 30 minutes! trumpcard.gov"

The website featured a scene of eagles flying over amber mountains with a visa tucked behind the landscape background and the text "Unlock life in America."

Social media users had plenty to say in response to the announcement.

"Trump: You just pay me with this make believe gold card and do whatever the hell you want. We love bribes. Especially gold, card shaped bribes," Chris Robinson wrote on X.

"The gold card does not provide expedited EB-1 or EB-2 green cards. They are still subject to the same per-country quota and limited numbers of green cards. They also require dependents to pay an extra $1 million each. All that glitters is not gold," immigration attorney Emily Neumann wrote on X.

"American entrepreneurs now have to compete with wealthy foreigners coming in? The hotel business has already succumbed to this phenomenon. The American dream is being killed by a thousand cuts, and the Trump Gold Card is a deep one," Matthew VanDyke wrote on X.

"Genuinely agog at this; Trump's 'Gold Card' application suggests they'll let people pay the US in crypto, after declaring anyone who has $1 million is inherently a person of 'exceptional business ability' who should be allowed to get an employment-based visa without a job," Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, American Immigration Council fellow, wrote on X.

"An official website of the United States Government," Irish sociologist Kieran Healy wrote on Bluesky, sharing images of the website.

"Just how unserious is the Trump Gold Card program? The administration has been promising it's 'days away' for the last six months, and the website is now touting a separate 'Platinum Card' product with no details other than the option to join a waitlist. Email scam-a-- government," writer Jay Willis wrote on Bluesky.

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