Feb 3, 2017

Eric's Trump business trip costs taxpayers $100k

Shane Savitsky

Andrew Harnik / AP

The Washington Post reports that a January trip by Eric Trump — who does not have a position in his father's administration — to visit a Trump-licensed property in Uruguay cost taxpayers almost $100,000.

Hotel rooms for Eric's Secret Service attachment cost $88,320 while rooms for U.S. Embassy employees to "support the VIP visit" tacked on another $9,510. The government did not provide the length of the trip, the name of the hotel, or the number of rooms booked.

Why it matters: It's another example of the difficulty in separating the Trump administration from his previous business ventures in a way that speaks most to taxpayers — cold hard cash.

Go deeper

Axios

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. ET: 1,582,904 — Total deaths: 94,807 — Total recoveries: 351,201 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 5:30 p.m. ET: 454,304 — Total deaths: 16,267 — Total recoveries: 24,962 — Map.
  3. Public health latest: U.S. has expelled thousands of migrants under coronavirus. public health order — Dr. Anthony Fauci said social distancing could reduce the U.S. death toll to 60,000.
  4. Business latest: The Fed will lend up to $2.3 trillion for businesses, state and city governments — After another 6.6 million jobless claims, here's how to understand the scale of American job decimation.
  5. States latest: FEMA has asked governors to decide by today if they want testing sites to be under state or federal control.
  6. World latest: Boris Johnson is moved out of ICU but remains in hospital with coronavirus.
  7. In Congress: Senate in stalemate over additional funding for small business relief program.
  8. What should I do? Hydroxychloroquine questions answered — Pets, moving and personal health — Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
  9. Other resources: CDC on how to avoid the virus, what to do if you get it.

Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

Keep ReadingArrowUpdated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy
Justin Green

How to understand the scale of American job decimation

Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics via St. Louis Fed; Chart: Naema Ahmed/Axios

Sentence from a nightmare: 6.6 million Americans filed for unemployment last week, a decline from the previous week's 6.9 million.

The big picture: Over the past three weeks, 1 in 10 working-age adults filed for unemployment, Axios' Courtenay Brown notes.

Go deeperArrow2 hours ago - Economy & Business
Zachary Basu

Biden rolls out new policies in effort to court Sanders supporters

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Biden campaign announced two new policies on Thursday on health care and student debt that are squarely aimed at appealing to supporters of Bernie Sanders, who ended his campaign for the Democratic nomination on Wednesday.

Why it matters: The policies don't go as far as Sanders' platform, but they signal that Biden is serious about incorporating elements of his former rival's agenda in an effort to help unify the Democratic Party and defeat President Trump in the general election.

Go deeperArrow4 hours ago - Politics & Policy