Updated Mar 13, 2019

William Singer admits running $25 million college bribery scam

Photo: Scott Eisen/Getty Images

William "Rick" Singer, the alleged $25 million college entrance bribery scheme ringleader, pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges of racketeering conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice.

Details: "Full House" actress Lori Loughlin and "Desperate Housewives" star Felicity Huffman are among at least 50 people charged over the scheme helping students cheat on entrance exams and getting non-athletic students admitted on fake athletic scholarships. NBC News reports Singer wore a wire to expose the scandal. The Californian Edge College & Career Network’s founder told Boston federal court he was responsible for the scam. “I put everything in place," he said. "I put all the people in place and made the payments directly.”

What's next? Singer was released on $500,000 security and is due to be sentenced on June 19. Huffman, who had bond set at $250,000, is due to appear in court again March 29. Her actor husband, William H. Macy, has not been charged.

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Fadel Allassan

Sanders takes aim at Bloomberg: "Trump will chew him up and spit him out"

Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders told CBS "60 Minutes" that he was surprised by Mike Bloomberg's lackluster performance at Wednesday's Democratic debate.

What he's saying: "If that's what happened in a Democratic debate, you know, I think it's quite likely that Trump will chew him up and spit him out."

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Scoop: Lyft acquires cartop advertising startup Halo Cars

Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Lyft has acquired Halo Cars, a small startup that lets ride-hailing drivers earn money via ad displays mounted atop their cars. Lyft confirmed the deal but declined to share any details.

Why it matters: Ride-hailing companies are increasingly eyeing additional ways to generate revenue, and Lyft rival Uber has been quietly testing a partnership with New York-based Cargo that gives it a cut of the advertising revenue, as I previously reported.

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Jonathan Swan, Alayna Treene

Scoop: New White House personnel chief tells Cabinet liaisons to target Never Trumpers

McEntee, shown with White House counselor Kellyanne Conway and White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, walks on the South Lawn of the White House Jan. 9. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Johnny McEntee called in White House liaisons from cabinet agencies for an introductory meeting Thursday, in which he asked them to identify political appointees across the U.S. government who are believed to be anti-Trump, three sources familiar with the meeting tell Axios.

Behind the scenes: McEntee, a 29-year-old former body man to Trump who was fired in 2018 by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly but recently rehired — and promoted to head the presidential personnel office — foreshadowed sweeping personnel changes across government.

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