Mar 14, 2018 - Politics & Policy

HUD emails: Ben Carson and his wife "picked out" $31,000 dining set

Photo: Alex Wong / Getty Images

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and his wife, Candy, "picked out" a $31,000 dining set for a dining room at HUD, according to internal emails obtained by CNN after a FOIA request by liberal watchdog American Oversight. A HUD spokesman had previously stated that the Carsons had "no awareness" about the set's purchase and Carson himself issued a statement that he was "surprised" about the price.

Why it matters: Trump Cabinet officials — from VA Secretary David Shulkin to Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke — are currently facing a stream of damaging stories over spending issues.

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Axios
Updated 16 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 3 p.m. ET: 19,936,547 — Total deaths: 732,467 — Total recoveries — 12,144,510 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 3 p.m. ET: 5,063,770 — Total deaths: 163,156 — Total recoveries: 1,656,864 — Total tests: 61,792,571 — Map.
  3. Business: Richer Americans are more comfortable eating out.
  4. Public health: How America can do smarter testing.
  5. Sports: The cost of kids losing gym class — College football is on the brink.
  6. World: Europe's CDC recommends new restrictions amid "true resurgence in cases."
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Fadel Allassan
2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Trump says he'll accept nomination at White House or Gettysburg

Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images

President Trump tweeted Monday that he'll deliver his speech accepting the Republican nomination for president at either the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania or at the White House.

The state of play: Republican National Convention planners are looking for a new venue for the president to deliver his acceptance speech after convention events were canceled in Jacksonville, Fla., due to coronavirus concerns.

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Dave Lawler
3 hours ago - World

Lebanon's prime minister resigns in wake of deadly explosion

Protests in Beirut. Photo: Maxim Grigoryev/TASS via Getty

Lebanon's prime minister and cabinet have resigned amid massive protests in the aftermath of a deadly explosion in Beirut that killed more than 160 people, injured 6,000 and left roughly 250,000 homeless.

Why it matters: Protesters blame the incompetence of the ruling elite — widely viewed as corrupt — for the disaster. The unstable and deeply distrusted government will remain in place in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is selected.

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