Nov 6, 2018 - Politics & Policy

China grants initial approval for 16 new Ivanka Trump trademarks

Ivanka Trump. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

China has granted Ivanka Trump initial approval for 16 trademarks on a bevy of branded products — from shoes and sunglasses to semiconductors and voting machines — the New York Times reports.

Why it matters: The approvals come more than two years after Trump’s company applied, "which is far longer than the average processing time of a year or less," Hao Junbo, a trademark lawyer at the Beijing Hao Law Firm, told the Washington Post. Trump closed her fashion brand in July amid ethics concerns over her new job as senior adviser to her father, but the trademark approvals have renewed concerns about potential conflicts of interest given President Trump's ongoing clashes with China on trade.

  • Ivanka's representatives claim that the trademarks are part of a global effort to protect the Trump name.

The bottom line: Ethics watchdog groups, like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, remain skeptical of the timing of the approvals:

"Since she has retained her trademarks, the public will continue to have to ask whether President Trump has made foreign policy decisions in the interest of his and his family's businesses."

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Twitter launches warnings on election misinformation and delays

Photo: courtesy of Twitter

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Why it matters: Delayed election results are expected across many states that are handling unprecedented amounts of absentee and mailed ballots, which President Trump has baselessly called "very dangerous" and "corrupt."

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NASA confirms water exists on sunny parts of the Moon

Photo: NASA/JPL/USGS

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Why it matters: NASA is aiming to send people back to the Moon as part of its Artemis program by 2024, with plans to eventually create a sustainable presence on the lunar surface. That sustainability relies on mining the moon for its resources, like water.

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Axios
Updated 58 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Pence no longer expected at Amy Coney Barrett's final confirmation vote

Photo: Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

Vice President Mike Pence no longer plans to attend the Senate's final confirmation vote for Judge Amy Coney Barrett, a Pence aide confirmed to CNN and Politico on Monday. On Sunday, Senate Democrats claimed that his presence after possible exposure to the coronavirus would be a "violation of common decency."

Driving the news: Five of Pence's aides were recently diagnosed with COVID-19, including his chief of staff, who is currently quarantining. Pence has continued his campaign travel despite his possible exposure, which goes against CDC guidelines.

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