Nov 15, 2018

Trump Jr.'s business trip to India cost taxpayers nearly $100,000

Donald Trump Jr. with Abhishek Lodha, managing director of Lodha Group, during the topping-out ceremony at the Trump Tower, on February 22, 2018 in Mumbai, India. Photo: Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

Donald Trump Jr.'s February trip to India — during which he promoted the Trump Organization's luxury real estate projects and met privately with Prime Minister Narendra Modi — rung up $97,805 in Secret Service costs, according to Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by the Washington Post.

Why it matters: President Trump has stepped back from overseeing his family empire, but still benefits from The Trump Organization's success because he has not moved his assets to a blind trust. Critics say his family's need for Secret Service protection during their business trips ultimately means taxpayers are footing the bill for the president's personal financial gain.

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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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Kia Kokalitcheva

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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