Orange County cities, not food vendors, act like gangs against communities

• April 5, 2023

To hear some local council members describe it, gang-like enterprises are overrunning their cities and attacking the quality of life of cities. They’re calling for a stepped-up police presence, new regulations and a crackdown to stop what Orange Council member Kathy Tavoularis reportedly described as “another attempt to get into our neighborhoods.”

Before Orange County residents get swept up in the latest big-government-enabling moral panic, we urge them to put the matter in perspective. We’re not talking about street gangs or human-trafficking operations but – and try not to laugh too hard – mostly small vendors who sell tacos, tortas, frutas and churros on street corners and in parking lots.

Late last month, the city of Orange voted unanimously to develop a new law that would limit, regulate and fine local vendors. Stanton is looking at strengthening its existing ordinance. In 2020, Tustin passed a new street-vendor law that imposes myriad conditions on food sellers. With help from Orange County health officials, Santa Ana shutteredmore than 1000 vendors last year.

So much for Orange County as a bastion of free markets. Tavoularis even made an odd ethic argument regarding these mostly Latino food vendors. “Everybody here knows my dad owned restaurants, a lot of Greeks own restaurants. I’m sticking up for the Greeks,” she said, per VoiceofOC. She accused the vendors of cheating restauranteurs.

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Her argument unveiled a key motivation of these rules, which, as the publication noted, are “fueled in part by complaints from brick and mortar restaurants.” Street vendors are not cheating anyone – but merely offer an alternative for some quick food. It’s not the job of government to protect the market share of influential businesses.

Gov. Gavin Newsom last year signed Senate Bill 972, which decriminalizes these operations. The law recognizes – as does this Editorial Board – that local governments have a proper role enforcing regulations to, say, keep vendors from blocking traffic or creating litter.

OC cities are going beyond those reasonable rules. Street vendors meet a need and help immigrants earn a living. They should be applauded, not harassed.

​ Orange County Register 

Travel: Cruise ship believed to be the world’s most expensive coming to Southern California

• April 5, 2023

When the supposed most expensive luxury cruise ship ever built sails into Los Angeles Harbor early next year, she will have onboard a prized art collection with the first Fabergé egg permanently on display at sea along with something else that California probably hasn’t seen — or sniffed — in the 31-year history of Regent Seven Seas: a vessel barely out of the shipyard.

That rare new-ship smell awaits cruisers boarding the Seven Seas Grandeur on Jan. 8 from San Pedro’s World Cruise Center. When the future fleet flagship welcomes her first embarking passengers out of L.A., the $545-million vessel will have only completed four itineraries. For the fifth, this one starting in the shadow of a just-turned 60-year-old Vincent Thomas Bridge, Grandeur will go back to Miami the same way she came: a 16-night sail through the Panama Canal.

The Italian-built, 746-passenger ship is a sister to Seven Seas Splendor, which debuted in 2020, and the 2016-christened Seven Seas Explorer. And what a lovely lineage it is. Both of Grandeur’s older siblings are beauties as Alaska-bound passengers will attest on Explorer this summer while Splendor, current flagship of the ultra-luxury fleet (www.rssc.com), spends the next two seasons in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.

Seven Seas Splendor, docked in Cozumel, is a sister ship of Grandeur, debuting in L.A. this winter. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Before crossing the Atlantic a few days ago, Splendor’s seven-night “Heritage of the Maya” roundtrip sailing out of Miami served as a sneak peek for guests who are booked on Regent Seven Seas’ next big thing sight unseen. Actually, the nearly completed Grandeur is the fleet’s next mid-sized thing. Like most luxury-category vessels, the Explorer-class triplets — each measuring 55,000 gross tons — aren’t that large. By comparison, Norwegian Prima, the flagship of Norwegian Cruise Line, a sister subsidiary to Regent Seven Seas, has a gross tonnage of over 143,000. But while their internal volume is modest contrasted with those floating cities called megaships, Splendor, Explorer and Grandeur are big in terms of space ratio, a measure of how much real estate there is per passenger, and small in regard to staff-to-guest ratio, a good indicator of personalized service.

Splendor’s 1:1.5 ratio on the recent near-capacity cruise out of Miami was evident from bow to stern. Near-impeccable attention was prevalent from the ship’s six restaurants and well-serviced bars, lounges and main theater to the surprisingly spacious spa, casino and boutiques. Even the entertainment team, usually a cliquey bunch of professional singers and dancers, genuinely cared that guests had a grand time while hosting myriad shipboard activities, many worth points redeemable for sweet swag.

Afternoon tea aboard the Seven Seas Splendor. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Hospitality at a loftier level is provided to the more privileged Regent Seven Seas guests. Whereas butler service is an automatic amenity on Silversea, a direct competitor, only those in premium suites come with a genie in tails who can book your spa appointments, make dinner reservations and basically take care of all of your needs during your voyage. Having encountered a number of logistical and communications-related headaches over the seven days on Splendor, this coddling-allergic cruiser gained a better appreciation of his previous sail on Silversea.

Splendor’s atrium is stately, but Grandeur’s will boast the first Fabergé egg permanently displayed at sea. (Photo by David Dickstein)

It’s not that one ultra-luxury cruise line is better than the other; it’s just a matter of taste, as California-based travel planner Kelly Baker agrees.

“You can compare Silversea and Regent Seven Seas as apples to apples, but it’s more like Fuji to Granny Smith,” said Baker of Ships and Trips Travel. “They are both comparable ultra-luxury cruise lines that will satisfy your cravings. However, it all depends on your tastebuds with regard to finery.”

The two-deck Constellation Theater on Seven Seas Splendor. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Silversea gets the nod over Regent Seven Seas in several key categories — sheer elegance and food quality, in particular — but when it comes to entertainment and onboard activities in general, Regent gets a standing ovation. The shows presented in the two-deck Constellation Theater are not only some of the most elaborate in the luxury cruising category, but they rival those staged on megaships. The eclectic, contemporary and, yes, even sensual “Bohemian Soul” is the standout among the five — five! — full productions satisfying showgoers on seven-night sails.

Another tip of the hat in Regent Seven Seas’ direction is the vacation-y vibe. No offense to cruisers who prefer tuxedos over Tommy Bahama or formal gowns over country club chic, but in 2023, many seafaring holidaymakers don’t really want to dress to the nines. “Elegant casual” is as strict as Regent Seven Seas gets, and Seabourn, also responding to a trend, matched this more flexible nightly dress standard at the beginning of the year. Silversea seems to be holding firm, though a poll of Silver Moon passengers wearing tuxes on a recent formal night indicated an overwhelming desire to jettison the penguin suit.

Prime 7 is Regent Seven Seas’ signature steakhouse. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Curbing the stereotypical snootiness of luxury cruising does make Regent Seven Seas seem like a premium-class line at times, if not even mainstream. Except for the caviar station and reduced traffic, the indoor and poolside breakfast buffets on Splendor are no better or worse than what’s found on Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean ships. L’Occitane toiletries and a curtain separating the living and sleeping areas are nice touches for a basic suite, but the differences between these staterooms and those of a similar category on less-expensive Oceania, Holland America and Windstar are minuscule.

Pacific Rim, Splendor’s specialty Asian restaurant, features a dramatic entrance. (Photo by David Dickstein)

Little coming out of the galleys oozed wow factor, but lips were smacked over the filet mignon and lamb chops at Prime 7 steakhouse and the Compass Rose main dining room, cioppino at Sette Mari at La Veranda, popcorn lobster at Asian-influenced Pacific Rim and the Dover sole at French-accented Chartreuse.

Some of the best cooking on Splendor that week was done by passengers at the Culinary Arts Kitchen. The loosely themed “New World Mediterranean” cooking class had 18 amateur chefs preparing roasted ratatouille, zucchini fritters and chocolate lava cakes. Offered on Splendor, Explorer and, soon, Grandeur, these classes are expertly designed to expand guests’ culinary skills through highly individualized, hands-on instruction. Each weeklong cruise tends to offer three different classes and costs $89 per person. Generous pours of well-paired wines and cocktails add to the fun of tasting the fruits (and other ingredients) of one’s labor.

Culinary Arts Kitchen chef instructor Noelle Barille shows off the class’s bounty. (Photo by David Dickstein)

The fully equipped classroom looks like it belongs at the Culinary Institute of America. It’s gorgeous and functional. Then again, so is the entire ship. More than 46,000 square feet of polished Italian marble, dramatic crystal chandeliers, rich upholstery and some of the finest pieces of the cruise line’s multi-million-dollar, museum-quality art collection make Splendor one ritzy, yet unpretentious resort at sea.

On the subject of art, it seems that Regent Seven Seas is putting all its Fabergé eggs in one floating basket. Playing favorites among its children, the cruise line is giving the collection’s pièce de resistance to the youngest triplet. The handcrafted objet d’art, named “Journey in Jewels,” will be on permanent display in Grandeur’s atrium, which we predict will be renamed as the “Egg-trium.”

Unlimited viewing of this first-of-its-kind piece from the swanky jewelry house will be included in the fare, as is pretty much everything else on a Regent Seven Seas cruise. A single price covers airfare, transfers, shore excursions, dining, bottomless wines and spirits, valet laundry service, unlimited Wi-Fi and gratuities.

West Coasters who want to experience Regent Seven Seas before January will have to venture elsewhere. Those set on sailing on Grandeur earlier than her California debut can hitch a ride on the inaugural cruise that embarks on Nov. 18 from Trieste, Italy — a mere 121 nautical miles from her birthplace across the Adriatic Sea. This seven-night sail disembarks in Barcelona. After paying a visit to the land of tapas, cava and Gaudi, Grandeur will make that voyage to Miami with sights set on Southern California.

Upon Grandeur’s Jan. 6 arrival, she will become the youngest in Regent Seven Seas’ fleet to dock on the West Coast. Grandeur’s local visit may be fleeting with just a single itinerary out of California, but here’s some good news if you miss the boat: Grandeur returns to San Pedro the following winter for two exciting voyages. The first, leaving Dec. 29, 2024, is a 10-night Mexican Riviera cruise that makes calls in rarely visited Manzanillo and La Paz. That’s followed by a 16-night voyage to Miami through the Panama Canal, and it just so happens to begin on the one-year anniversary of Grandeur’s first cruise from the Pacific. Talk about grandeur.

​ Orange County Register 

Santa Ana unveils refurbished basketball court, new mural

• April 5, 2023

A basketball court at a local Santa Ana park got a makeover, and community members came out to celebrate Tuesday, shooting hoops and munching on free food.

Santa Ana unveiled a refurbished basketball court and a new, large-scale mural at Portola Park. The city teamed up with the nonprofit Project Blackboard and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, which funded the $75,000 basketball court project.

The existing court at 1700 E. Santa Clara Ave. got a new blacktop, nets and backboards as well as a new mural depicting colorful silhouettes of youth playing ball.

The mural was done in collaboration between the city, Project Blackboard and Media.Monks, a digital-first marketing, advertising and technology services company.

Two of the companies have roots in Orange County: Project Blackboard and BJ’s Restaurants. BJ’s, known for its deep-dish pizza and “Pizookie” dessert, opened its first location in Santa Ana in 1978.

“I want to thank BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and Project Backboard for making this magnificent basketball court possible,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua said in a statement before the event.

“I love that it serves not only as a recreational resource that will be greatly enjoyed by the community but also a work of art that will beautify the neighborhood.”

More Santa Ana news

Santa Ana’s zoning laws discriminate against homeless, lower-income people, lawsuit alleges
After Santa Ana’s crackdown on taco stands, council asks California to amend its street vendor laws
Are Southern California students and teachers breathing clean air?
1 killed, another injured in Santa Ana hit-and-run
Santa Ana mayor hired private security after receiving death threat

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​ Orange County Register 

CashApp creator stabbed to death in San Francisco

• April 5, 2023

A man who was fatally stabbed early Tuesday in San Francisco’s Rincon Hill neighborhood has been identified by his employer as Bob Lee, creator of the CashApp payment service and an executive at MobileCoin.

Police said a 43-year-old man was attacked at 2:35 a.m. in the 300 block of Main Street, near Folsom Street. He was taken to a hospital and died there.

His name was not released by the police, but San Francisco news outlets cited unidentified sources as saying the victim was Lee, and MobileCoin CEO Josh Goldbard confirmed that in a statement.

Lee had been chief product officer at MobileCoin, a cryptocurrency and digital payments startup, since 2021. Previous posts included chief technology officer at Square — where he created CashApp, originally known as Square Cash — and software engineer at Google. He also invested in and advised numerous startups.

No arrest has been made in the case, and police have not released any information about a suspect.

​ Orange County Register 

What’s on the menu for Pechanga Resort Casino’s Sushi and Sake Festival

• April 5, 2023

The Sushi and Sake festival is headed back to Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula on Saturday, April 8.

Guests can expect to sample more than 40 kinds of sake including daiginjo, ginjo, junmai and sparkling varieties, as well as eight different types of Japanese beer.

Ray Jalili, manager at Umi Sushi and Oyster Bar on the property, has previously worked on pairing wine and food for other events, but said that pairing sushi with sake provides a unique experience.

“It’s more about trying to pair it with the different rolls because you have more flavor combinations,” Jalili said. “Sake is a wonderful medium because you have a citrusy and flowery tone that goes with most fish.”

Jalili said some fresh-cut fish dishes include sashimi tuna, yellow tail and Hamachi Crudo. Attendees will also witness a 100-pound tuna fish cut and sliced into sushi rolls by Kiyo Ikeda, head chef of Umi Sushi & Oyster Bar.

“Guests should come hungry and ready to enjoy lots of sushi, sake and Japanese beer together and see what appeals to them,” Jalili said.

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The event also includes live music from a traditional Japanese Taiko drummer, a Japanese guitarist and a harpist, as well as a silent auction that will benefit Habitat For Humanity Inland Valley. Items up for auction include travel packages, designer handbags and sports memorabilia.

Tickets for the 21-and-older only, single-day event held at the Pechanga Summit include a sampling of sushi, sake, beer and desserts and are $120 for general admission; $160 for VIP; and $75 for those sampling food only.

Here’s a list of the different stations and food options offered at the Sushi and Sake Festival.

Yasai Station (Vegetables):

Asparagus gomaae served with sesame dressing; Kinoko oroshi with wild mushrooms served with grated daikon, ponzu and truffle oil; and Nasu agebitash, a crispy eggplant marinated in dashi soy with ginger, green onion and sesame oil.

Zensai Station (Appetizers):

Buta shabu shabu pork with cucumber, celery, shiso and ginger vinegar; Takoyaki (octopus ball) with green onion, itoyori bonito & okonomi sauce; Yakitori chicken with spinach; and Crispy wakasagi with kaiware, smoked paprika and sansho pepper and salt.

Hibachi Station:

Scallops with pea shoots, bean sprouts and ginger sauce; Shrimp with pea shoots, bean sprouts and ginger sauce; Wagyu striploin with Napa cabbage, ponzu and yakiniku sauce.

Shokuji Station (Hearty Snacks):

Soy ramen with pork, fish cake, green onion, garlic & green onion oil; Salmon teriyaki rice with micro chive and shiroteriyaki takuan; and Gyudon served with rice and beef.

Sushi Station:

Sashimi plate served with toro, tuna, salmon & yellow tail; Spicy tuna rolls; California rolls; and vegetable rolls.

Sushi and Sake Festival

When: 11 a.m. for VIP and 1 p.m. for general admission Saturday, April 8

Where: Pechanga Summit, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula

Tickets: $120 general admission; $160 VIP; $75 food-only (no alcohol) tickets are available at pechanga.com.

​ Orange County Register 

Passover and freedom from oppression

• April 5, 2023

“Why is this night different from all other nights?” Thus, at sunset begins the ritual of questions during the Seder meal with which observant Jews start the celebration of Passover, or Pesach, which commemorates the deliverance of the Israelite slaves from bondage in Egypt. The youngest child at the table is expected to answer the questions, fulfilling the commandment, “And thou shalt tell thy son.”

According to tradition, as related in the book of Exodus, the Israelites were made slaves in ancient Egypt. But Yahweh, the Hebrew God, instructed Moses to demand of the ruling Pharaoh that His people be released. Pharaoh refused, and Yahweh brought 10 plagues down upon Egypt. The final plague was the death of the firstborn son in every household. The Jews were instructed to sacrifice a lamb or kid and smear its blood on the house’s lintel or doorpost. Seeing the blood, the Angel of Death would pass over that house. After this plague Pharaoh relented and allowed the Jews to leave.

Why do we eat only unleavened bread, or matzoh, on Pesach? To remember that when the Jews left Egypt there was not time to allow the bread to rise, so the dough was baked into hard crackers.

Why do we eat bitter herbs? To remind us of the cruelty the Jews suffered.

Why do we dip our foods? We dip bitter herbs into Charoset made of apples and nuts, which resemble clay for bricks, to remind us how hard the slaves had to work. Parsley is dipped into salt water; the parsley symbolizes that spring is here, and new life will grow. The saltwater reminds us of the tears of the Jewish slaves.

Why do we lean on a pillow? To be comfortable and to remind us that once we were slaves, and now we are free.

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Passover is typically celebrated for seven days in Israel and among Reform Jews, and for eight days among diaspora Conservative and Orthodox Jews. It recalls the birth of a Jewish nation, freed of Egyptian oppression and able to serve Yahweh, or God, alone. The first and last days are full festivals, marked by abstention from work, special prayer services and holiday meals. Jews eat only unleavened bread during the entire observance.

Passover commemorates the birth of a Jewish nation consecrated to serve Yahweh, or God, not the Pharaoh. It is a time to be humble and to remember what it was like to be a slave. Most of all it is a celebration of freedom, of the joys and opportunities available when we are not forced to serve others.

The story of the Jewish Exodus from Egypt has inspired countless peoples suffering in slavery or oppression, notably black slaves in America during a shameful part of our history. It is a reminder to all of us that freedom is invaluable, that God wants us to be free of human oppression. You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate that blessing.

This editorial was originally published April 4, 2007 in the Orange County Register.

​ Orange County Register 

I rode in an IndyCar around downtown Long Beach — at 180 mph

• April 5, 2023

All I could do was smile — as I felt the speed and brute force of traveling up to 180 mph on the streets of downtown Long Beach.

I have to admit, I was slightly nervous when I put on my firesuit and a brave face for the camera as I documented my walk to pit row.

My final thoughts as I walked to pit row before my first time ever riding in an INDYCAR through the streets of downtown Long Beach. (Can you tell I’m nervous or did I hide it well for the camera?) #AGPLB #200mphBeachParty pic.twitter.com/VCSB6tMkbH

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 4, 2023

But it wasn’t until about 30 minutes later, when I put on the racing helmet, that I became truly anxious.

I had accepted the pole position as the first ride-along in a two-seat IndyCar during the Tuesday, April 4, media day for the 2023 Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. The city’s biggest annual party will take place from April 14 to 16.

I am familiar with the 1.97-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit that circles the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center and the Aquarium of the Pacific — but not like this.

Exiting pit row at media day at the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. pic.twitter.com/EVNxZVWMjp

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 4, 2023

To my surprise, the first ride of the day came with a bonus warmup lap. As my professional driver, Davey Hamilton, took off from the pit row along Shoreline Drive, he purposely weaved back and forth to warm up the Firestone racing tires.

I could tell Hamilton was holding back and I’m glad he was. It was a reassuring feeling to get what I considered a practice lap before the real thing. If I did not go any faster than we did on the first lap, I would have been more than satisfied, because I honestly had no expectations.

In retrospect, the slow lap was still quick. I could feel the hairpin turns the first time around.

But that lap ended up feeling like a 50% effort compared to what followed. The best way I can describe the second lap, is that it was fast — like, really fast.

I was expecting to top out at 150 mph but as we accelerated along the Shoreline Drive straightaway, for real this time, all I could do was smile, keep my head back, and marvel at the fact I was now truly just along for the ride. Hamilton briefly hit the brakes to navigate a chicane-style tight turn near The Pike Outlets before taking off again at triple-digit speeds along Ocean Boulevard.

A few seconds later, we were back on pit row and my ride-along was complete.

Arriving back on pit row after a special ride-along in a two-seater INDYCAR in downtown Long Beach. pic.twitter.com/0V1nFobFbM

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 4, 2023

As the crew unbuckled my harnessed seat, I stepped out of the IndyCar triumphant — but I was in for one more hair-raising surprise.

“I’m not exactly sure how fast I going,” I said aloud while recording a video to recap the moment.

“180,” chimed a knowledgeable public relations professional who overheard my question.

“180,” I repeated to myself and the video camera with an unsuspecting tone and a sizeable grin that you could see through my balaclava, which covered the top of my head down to the collar around my neck, but left my eyes and the crown of my nose exposed.

Here’s my 180 mph recap after taking two laps around the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach course in downtown Long Beach. I was able to take a bonus warm up lap because I volunteered to go first to help warm up the racing tires. pic.twitter.com/4T1wRL0T9T

— John W. Davis (@johnwdavis) April 4, 2023

After I made it to the other side of the safety barrier, I took a few minutes to capture another perspective and fully process what I experienced. I watched as the next ride-along participants took off for their one fast lap, seemingly appearing again less than two minutes later back on pit row.

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I thought to myself, “Wow.”

I’m glad I accepted the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and assignment to experience and report on what it’s like to race at the 48th Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Would I ride-along along again in an IndyCar that routinely exceeds more than 200 mph?

Absolutely.

And I might just request the special assignment next year.

​ Orange County Register 

Fact check: Donald Trump delivers barrage of false claims in first post-indictment address

• April 5, 2023

By Daniel Dale

Former President Donald Trump made a speech at his Mar-a-Lago resort on Tuesday night after he was arraigned in Manhattan on felony charges of falsifying business records — and delivered a barrage of false claims that have been previously debunked.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all the charges Tuesday.

The former president was repeatedly inaccurate when he pivoted to the subject of the federal investigation into his handling of official documents. He also repeated some of his favorite falsehoods on a variety of other subjects.

Here is a fact check of some of Trump’s claims.

Presidential Records Act

Trump, denouncing the August federal search of Mar-a-Lago, claimed that the Presidential Records Act requires prolonged negotiations over the return of documents.

He said: “Just so everyone knows, I come under what’s known as the Presidential Records Act, which was designed and approved by Congress long ago just for this reason. Under the act, I’m supposed to negotiate with NARA, the National Archives and Records Administration.” He went on to disparage NARA.

Facts First: Trump’s claim is false. The Presidential Records Act says that, the moment a president leaves office, the National Archives and Records Administration gets custody and control of all presidential records from his administration. Nothing in the law says there should be a negotiation between a former president and NARA over a former president’s return of presidential documents — much less that there should have been a monthslong battle after NARA first contacted Trump’s team in 2021 to try to get some of the records that had not been handed over at the end of his presidency.

Jason R. Baron, former director of litigation at NARA, told CNN in an email last week (when we fact-checked a similar false claim by Trump): “The former President is simply wrong as a matter of law. As of noon on January 20, 2021, when President Biden took office, all presidential records of the Trump Administration came into the legal custody of the Archivist of the United States. Full stop. That means no presidential records ever should have been transferred to Mar-a-Lago, and there was no further talking or negotiating to be had.”

Timothy Naftali, a CNN presidential historian, New York University professor and former director of the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, described Trump’s claim as “nonsense” and said the former president’s description of the Presidential Records Act is “a matter of fantasy,” concocted to allow Trump to “pretend that he’s a victim.”

The law, Naftali said in an interview last week, makes clear that documents Trump had at Mar-a-Lago are presidential records that legally belong to the public and are legally required to be in NARA’s custody. The law provides “no room for debates and discussions between presidential advisers and the National Archives at the end a presidency” about such records, Naftali said.

You can read a longer fact check here.

George Soros and the district attorney

As he has on social media in the last month, former President Donald Trump invoked liberal billionaire donor George Soros while criticizing District Attorney Alvin Bragg in his speech — claiming that Bragg is a “radical left, George Soros-backed prosecutor.”

Facts First: This needs context. Soros did not make any donations to Bragg’s 2021 election campaign, and a Soros spokesperson, Michael Vachon, told CNN that the two men have never once communicated in any way; there is no evidence that Soros had any role in Bragg’s decision to prosecute Trump. However, Soros, a longtime supporter of Democratic district attorney candidates who favor criminal justice reform, did support Bragg’s election campaign indirectly: he was a major donor to a liberal political action committee, Color of Change PAC, that says it spent just over $500,000 on an independent expenditure effort in support of Bragg’s candidacy.

Vachon told CNN: “Between 2016 and 2022, George Soros personally and Democracy PAC (a PAC to which Mr. Soros has contributed funds) have together contributed roughly $4 million to Color of Change’s PAC, including $1 million in May 2021. None of those funds were earmarked for Alvin Bragg’s campaign. George Soros and Alvin Bragg have never meet in person or spoken by telephone, email, Zoom etc. There has been no contact between the two.”

Soros has been a frequent target of antisemitic conspiracy theories painting the Jewish philanthropist as a puppetmaster behind various US and international events. Color of Change president Rashad Robinson called Trump and his allies’ latest invocations of Soros both “antisemitic” and “anti-Black” he told CNN that the attacks are an overstatement of both Soros’ role in the PAC’s decision-making and the PAC’s role in Bragg’s election victory.

You can read a longer fact check here.

Former presidents’ handling of documents after leaving the White House

Defending his handling of government documents, which is the subject of an ongoing federal investigation, Trump repeated his false claim that that several other former presidents took documents with them upon leaving the White House.

Trump claimed that “openly taking boxes of documents and mostly clothing and other things to my home” is something “which President Obama has done.” He continued, “The Bushes have done. Jimmy Carter’s done. Ronald Reagan is done. Everybody’s done.”

Facts First: This is false, as the National Archives and Records Administration itself pointed out in a statement last year; there is no evidence that previous presidents did anything like what Trump did after the Presidential Records Act took effect in 1981 (beginning with the Reagan administration). In reality, NARA was granted custody of the presidential records of former Presidents Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and both George Bushes as soon as these presidents left office, as required by the Presidential Records Act, and it was NARA, not those presidents, that moved those documents to temporary archival facilities — facilities managed by NARA.

NARA said in an October statement that it gained physical and legal custody of Obama, Reagan, H.W. Bush and W. Bush’s records, as well of those of President Bill Clinton, “when those presidents left office.” It said of the temporary facilities to which the documents were moved: “All such temporary facilities met strict archival and security standards, and have been managed and staffed exclusively by NARA employees. Reports that indicate or imply that those Presidential records were in the possession of the former Presidents or their representatives, after they left office, or that the records were housed in substandard conditions, are false and misleading.”

In other words, there is no equivalence between Trump’s handling of presidential documents and those previous presidents’. In those other cases, the presidential documents were in NARA’s possession and stored securely and professionally. In Trump’s case, the presidential documents found in haphazard amateur storage at Mar-a-Lago, including documents marked classified, were in Trump’s possession despite numerous attempts by both NARA and the Justice Department to get them back.

You can read a longer fact check here.

Reaction to Trump’s call to Georgia’s secretary of state

Trump claimed, as he has in the past, that he is being investigated by Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis over a “perfect” phone call — which he made clear was his January 2, 2021, phone call to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, in which Trump unsuccessfully urged his fellow Republican to somehow “find” enough votes to overturn Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election in the state.

Then Trump said, “Nobody found anything wrong with that perfect call until a book promotion tour many months later. All of a sudden, they said, ‘You know, I remember Trump making a call. Let’s look at that.’”

Facts First: The claim that “nobody” found anything wrong with Trump’s call until months later is not even close to true. The Washington Post broke the story of the call the day after it happened, and there was an immediate uproar; on the day the story broke, Kamala Harris, then vice president-elect, called Trump’s comments a “bald-faced, bold abuse of power.” The day after that, some Democratic members of Congress asked the FBI to open an investigation — and Willis issued a statement calling reports about the call “disturbing” and indicated a willingness to investigate. Three days after the call, CNN ran a story headlined “Trump’s call could put the President in jeopardy, legal experts say.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what book tour Trump was talking about, but it’s possible he was referring to Raffensperger’s fall 2021 promotion of his book, “Integrity Counts,” in which he discussed the Trump call at length in interviews with various media outlets. By then, it had been clear for more than eight months that Willis was investigating Trump’s attempts to meddle with the 2020 election in the state.

Biden won Georgia by 11,779 votes; on the call, Trump expressed a desire to “find 11,780 votes.”

Inflation

Trump claimed that the United States has “an economy that has been crippled by the biggest inflation we have seen in more than 60 years.”

Facts First: Trump’s “60 years” claim is an exaggeration, though the inflation rate does remain high by historical standards.

Last June, the year-over-year inflation rate hit its highest level since late 1981, 9.1%. But about 41 years does not round to “60 years,” much less “more than 60 years”. The actual highest year-over-year inflation rate for the last 60 years is 14.8% (in early 1980), far higher than mid-2022 levels. More importantly, year-over-year inflation has now declined for eight straight months, hitting 6% in February 2023 — not even close to the 60-year high.

This Trump claim is an example of how the former president tends to increase his exaggerated figures over time. At a campaign rally in Texas in late March, he claimed — also incorrectly — that the country had the highest inflation in “50 years.”

The 2020 election

Early in his speech, Trump repeated one of his familiar lies about the 2020 election he lost. Trump claimed that there were “millions of votes illegally stuffed into ballot boxes, and all caught on government cameras.”

Facts First: This is a lie; there is, again, simply no basis for it. Trump’s more specific previous claims about supposed ballot box-stuffing by election workers in Georgia’s Fulton County have been thoroughly debunked; there is no sign that any such illegality occurred on a large scale. While there was a tiny smattering of voter fraud around the country, some of it committed by Trump supporters, numerous former senior officials from Trump’s administration and 2020 campaign, including the attorney general at the time of the election, William Barr, have acknowledged that there was not sufficient fraud to have changed the outcome.

Military equipment left in Afghanistan

Trump claimed, as he has before, that the US left behind “$85 billion worth of the best military equipment in the world” when it withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

Facts First: Trump’s $85 billion figure is false. While a significant quantity of military equipment that had been provided by the US to Afghan government forces was indeed abandoned to the Taliban upon the US withdrawal, the Defense Department has estimated that this equipment had been worth about $7.1 billion — a chunk of about $18.6 billion worth of equipment provided to Afghan forces between 2005 and 2021. And some of the equipment left behind was rendered inoperable before US forces withdrew.

As other fact-checkers have previously explained, the “$85 billion” is a rounded-up figure (it’s closer to $83 billion) for the total amount of money Congress has appropriated during the war to a fund supporting the Afghan security forces. A minority of this funding was for equipment.

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