It’s not often that a U.S. President faces federal indictment, but if it’s going to happen to anyone, it might as well be Donald Trump first.

The news that Donald Trump is facing a federal investigation over the removal of secret documents from the White House in 2021 came as no surprise.

Keen watches of the Washington soap opera have seen this playbook before, albeit in a different form.

There is no doubt that Donald Trump is a Washington outsider. But as seriously damaged as he may be (thanks to the events of January 6), his support base has only grown whenever he faces scrutiny.

For his supporters, his legal woes mirror their own relationship with the government – a giant, unfair beast that picks and chooses its fights.

Trump is accused of storing sensitive documents—including those concerning matters of national security—in boxes, some even in a shower.

The documents were seized last August when investigators from the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago.

The Department of Justice has historically avoided charging people who are running for public office. Whether they should do that is a debate for another day. But it’s happening now. And it’s making it all too easy for Trump to claim there is a concerted campaign to get him away from the White House.

Trump exposed the deep state. IF they exist, they probably don’t want him back in power. Whether they exist doesn’t matter really, because plenty of Trump’s supporters agree with him, and believe the secret state is working against them. Call it QAnon, call it a conspiracy – it doesn’t matter in a democracy.

The DoJ now has to go all in. Failing to secure a conviction would be a serious embarrassment for the department.

This is the second time Trump has been indicted in recent months, yet the opinion polls show he only increases his popularity among MAGA and Republican voters. It leaves the Republican party in a difficult position. Support their leading candidate or support the law?

For the Democrats, and for Biden, another reality will soon sink in – if Trump becomes President, and they lose office next year, how will a Trump-run DoJ deal with them?

Broadly, the tit-for-tat one-up-manship of U.S. politics is breaking tradition and potentially breaking the country.

Many global issues continue to have an impact on multiple sectors of the economy—including the hospitality industry.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, how has the hospitality industry changed ?

 
Numerous international challenges including inflation, worker shortages, the Russia-Ukraine war and rising tensions between the United States and China—continue to have an impact on many sectors of the economy—including the hospitality industry.

According to the 2023 State of the Restaurant Industry report, the foodservice sector is forecast to reach $997-billion in sales in 2023—driven in part by higher menu prices.

So, how has the hospitality industry changed since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic?

Priya Krishna, a food reporter with The New York Times joins us to discuss. #PriyaKrishna #thenewyorktimes #food #hospitality #economy #veronicadudo #business

American diners across the nation may be bewildered by an unfamiliar charge at the bottom of the check—a“service charge,”tacked on with little explanation.

So, why are restaurants adding service charges amid rising prices?

 
You’ve probably noticed it’s a lot more expensive to go out to eat.

The post-covid world is still working try and get back to pre-pandemic economic output.

And the hospitality industry is no different.

An increasing number of restaurants have added service charges of up to 22%—or more—in recent years in to keep up with rising costs.

So, are these changes in the hospitality industry a byproduct of the coronavirus pandemic?

Priya Krishna, a food reporter with The New York Times joined us to discuss. #hospitality #restaurants #PriyaKrishna #veronicadudo #inflation #pandemic #economy #thenewyorktimes