Mar 28, 2017

Top Dem calls for Mnuchin ethics investigation over "Lego Batman"

Stef Kight / Axios

Sen. Ron Wyden wants government ethics watchdogs to probe Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin's "Lego Batman" comments made during an Axios interview last week, according to Reuters.

The charge: Did Mnuchin's comments violate his ethics agreement when he plugged a movie produced by Ratpac-Dune Entertainment Holdings LLC, which he'd promised to divest himself from within 120 days of confirmation?

The Mnuchin quote: "I'm not allowed to promote anything that I'm involved in. So I just want to have the legal disclosure, you've asked me the question, and I am not promoting any product," Mnuchin said. "But you should send all your kids to 'Lego Batman.'"

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Sara Fischer

Facebook spending $100 million to help news outlets in coronavirus crisis

Photo Illustration by Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Facebook says it is spending $100 million to support news outlets around the world that have been impacted by the coronavirus, the company said Monday.

Why it matters: Whatever Facebook's motivation, this is a much-needed cash infusion at a critical time for the local news industry.

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Jim VandeHei

The next American struggle: Waiting out the coronavirus

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

There are now a lot of known knowns about the coronavirus: It's here, it's spreading, it's stressing hospitals, it's crippling the economy, it's slowed only by distance and isolation — and it's sure to get much worse before it gets much better.

Why it matters: Similarly, there is a sameness to the patterns and known unknowns. So now we hit the maddening stage of waiting.

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Sara Fischer, Kim Hart

Coronavirus pushes traditional businesses into the digital age

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

A slew of old-line industries that once hesitated to embrace digital technologies are now being forced to do so for the sake of survival.

Why it matters: Once consumers get used to accessing services digitally — from older restaurants finally embracing online ordering, or newspapers finally going all-digital — these industries may find it hard to go back to traditional operations.

Go deeper1 hour ago - Economy & Business