Illegal perks cost Trump Organization $1.6 million

Plus, US and Japan deepen security ties.   The Trump Organization receives the maximum fine for tax fraud; President Biden and Japan’s Kishida talk about China. The Sentences newsletter will be off on Monday for the holiday and back in your inbox on Tuesday, January 17. Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin.   TOP NEWS Trump Organization fined $1.6 million for tax fraud Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images - A New York judge on Friday ordered the Trump Organization to pay $1.6 million in state fines for years of providing off-the-books compensation to top executives. [[Washington Post / Shayna Jacobs](] - The sentence comes after Donald Trump’s businesses were convicted of 17 felonies last month, including tax fraud and falsifying records. [[CNN / Kara Scannell and Nicki Brown](] - Longtime employee Allen Weisselberg admitted to receiving an apartment, luxury cars, and private school tuition for his grandchildren under the table. He was sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty. [[New York Times / Jonah E. Bromwich, Ben Protess, and William K. Rashbaum](] - The fine — the maximum allowed by law — will likely have little impact on Trump’s business. However, the conviction could make it tougher for the company to take out future bank loans. [[NBC News / Dareh Gregorian and Adam Reiss](] - Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a $250 million lawsuit against Trump and his organization, alleging that they inflated property assets to banks and insurers. [[Associated Press / Michael R. Sisak](] 📍 If you read just one story Vox’s Ian Millhiser explains the four criminal investigations Donald Trump faces. [[Vox / Ian Millhiser](]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Biden meets Kishida - President Joe Biden on Friday hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House for security talks on China and North Korea. [[AP / Aamer Madhani](] - The meeting comes a month after Japan announced it would boost defense spending and improve its military capabilities in a major reversal of the country’s stance post-WWII. [[Washington Post / Ishaan Tharoor](] - US and Japanese officials agreed to bolster military cooperation in the Pacific to confront aggression from Russia, China, and North Korea. [[NYT / Edward Wong](] - Biden and Kishida also discussed US limits on semiconductor exports to China. [[Reuters / Andrea Shalal and David Brunnstrom](]   MISCELLANEOUS Congress’s $1.7 trillion budget includes billions in funding to fight HIV and malaria abroad. [[Vox / Dylan Matthews](] - Thousands of Peruvians marched peacefully through Lima streets on Thursday, demanding the resignation of President Dina Boluarte. [[Reuters / Marco Aquino](] - Missouri’s House of Representatives adopted changes to its dress code that restrict what women lawmakers can wear, sparking intense debate. [[NPR / Rachel Treisman](] - A Virginia school was alerted that a 6-year-old who later allegedly shot his teacher had a weapon but a search failed to locate the gun. [[CNN / Raja Razek](]   CROSSWORD OF THE DAY What's a three-letter word that means the disco-loving "Simpsons" character? [Solve today's new Vox crossword puzzle]([,]( and stay tuned for more puzzles coming out Monday through Saturday. Want more crosswords? [Sign up for our crossword newsletter here]( and get a dedicated crossword reminder each weekend.   Support our work Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today. [Give](   VERBATIM “The direct consequence needs to be stiffer. While we need to think long and hard before we add to our penal law, I think this is an area where we should.” [[Manhattan district attorney Alvin L. Bragg on the Trump fine / NYT](]   LISTEN TO THIS Can race be transcended? Sean Illing talks with author Thomas Chatterton Williams about race and identity in America. They talk about how these identities are restrictive connections to the racial oppressions of the past, whether it's possible to achieve liberation without sacrificing solidarity, and on the complex interplay between race and class. [Listen now ▶](   Read more from Vox [The old man-ification of TV is here]( The mystery of the mimic plant]( [Friday the 13th isn’t unlucky. It’s a meme disguised as superstition.]( [A worrisome trend in American hospitals is hurting poor patients]( [How the George Santos scandal could finally end](  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](   [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Manage your [email preferences]( [unsubscribe](param=sentences). If you value Vox’s unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring [contribution](. View our [Privacy Notice]( and our [Terms of Service](. Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.