$350 million in fines

New York Justice Arthur Engoron just handed the XPOTUS a $350 million fine and barred him and his two failsons from running a business in New York for years:

The decision by Justice Arthur F. Engoron caps a chaotic, yearslong case in which New York’s attorney general put Mr. Trump’s fantastical claims of wealth on trial. With no jury, the power was in Justice Engoron’s hands alone, and he came down hard: The judge delivered a sweeping array of punishments that threatens the former president’s business empire as he simultaneously contends with four criminal prosecutions and seeks to regain the White House.

Mr. Trump will appeal the financial penalty — which could climb to $400 million or more once interest is added — but will have to either come up with the money or secure a bond within 30 days. The ruling will not render him bankrupt, because most of his wealth is tied up in real estate.

Of course he'll appeal, but New York doesn't give him many grounds to do so. And given the scale of the fraud he perpetrated on the State, even this eye-watering sum will probably survive scrutiny from the appellate court.

In other news this afternoon:

• Dana Milbank imagines House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) must have some kind of cognitive impairment, because otherwise his behavior would amount to deliberately sabotaging US interests at home and abroad.
• Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny has died in an Arctic prison, shortly before the country's presidential election.
• Writing just before Navalny's death, Russian journalist Mikhail Zygar argues that the "puppets" running at the behest of Russian president (for life?) Vladimir Putin have started to show their own independence from the dictator.
• Guatemalans have put paid their kleptocratic government, electing a reform slate despite heavy odds against them.
• The Economist examines the colossal failure of the UK's HS2 rail project, initially envisioned to connect Europe with Leeds and Manchester, now barely connecting London with its suburbs.
• Spring means horny coyotes in Chicago, so keep your cats indoors and pick up your Chihuahua when you see one.

Finally, the Tribune has a long retrospective on WGN-TV weather reporter Tom Skilling, who will retire after the 10pm newscast on the 28th.