| The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), subpoenaed Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig after Mnuchin refused to give the committee six years worth of President Trump’s tax returns. “While I do not take this step lightly, I believe this action gives us the best opportunity to succeed and obtain the requested material,” Neal said in a statement on Friday. According to The New York Times, Neal has given both the Treasury Department and IRS until May 17 to produce the “six years of personal and business returns” that he had originally requested. Earlier this week, Mnuchin refused Neal’s initial request—stating that it “lacks a legitimate legislative purpose.” |
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| The Department of Housing and Urban Development has acknowledged that a proposed rule that would bar families with mixed-immigration status from public housing would displace over 55,000 children who are legal residents or citizens. According The Washington Post, the rule—proposed by White House senior adviser Stephen Miller—would require every member of a household to have “eligible immigration status” in order to receive public housing benefits rather than just one member. If the new rule comes into effect, 25,000 households—or 108,000 people—would become ineligible for the benefits. “HUD expects that fear of the family being separated would lead to prompt evacuation by most mixed households,” HUD’s analysis of the rule stated. “Temporary homelessness could arise for a household, if they are unable to find alternative housing.” HUD recommended the administration change the policy to allow current mixed-status families to stay in order to lessen the “adverse impact of the transition on eligible children.” |
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| Spring is the time to really hone in on your style choices, and what better way to do that than a sitewide sale from J.Jill? With 30% off your entire purchase with the code MOMSDAY, you can restock your wardrobe in a couple of clicks. This discount includes practically everything from new arrivals to sale items. The new spring items are ones you’ll want to take a second look at. The $55 Linen-Stretch Front-Slit Ankle Pants will give your jeans a break but still look casual-cool. The Ruffle-Trimmed Maxi Dress is on sale for $97 and is one you’ll want to pair with a pair of flats or dress up with some heels. If you need a versatile pair of shorts for the warmer weather, look no further than the Cotton Drawstring Shorts, marked down to $41. As for sale items, the Gingham Ruffle-Sleeve top is $35 and is the perfect top to transition from the rainy days of spring into the warmer days of summer. The sale section is also full of some fantastic footwear, like the $49 Pure Jill Slip-On Sneakers that scream comfort and style. Take your time and look through each section to get your fill of this huge, sitewide discount. Scouted is internet shopping with a pulse. Follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for even more recommendations and exclusive content. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales. |
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| A local activist, speaking alongside the mother of missing Texas 4-year-old Maleah Davis, told reporters that Davis’ stepfather was caught on video with bottles of Clorox and a garbage bag after the child disappeared. “We know for a fact that police did take forensic evidence out of the apartment that indicates a crime took place inside that apartment,” activist Quanell X alleged Friday, according to local news station KHOU. Quanell also said that Maleah’s mother, Brittany Bowens, had previously threatened to break up with the toddler’s stepfather, Derion Vence, after she found “explicit pictures he sent to another man.” According to the news station, none of Quanell’s claims have been confirmed by the Houston Police Department. Davis has been missing since last Friday, when Vence claimed he was ambushed by three men while he was pulled over on a road and knocked unconscious. When Vence woke up, he claimed Davis was nowhere to be found. He has since been identified as a person of interest in the case. View this cheat in a browser to see this embedded tweet. |
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| Trade talks between the U.S. and China ended with no deal on Friday, hours after the U.S. raised tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods, The New York Times reports. In addition to the tariffs that went into effect on Friday morning, President Trump said his administration is prepared to impose tariffs on another $325 billion worth of imports. “Tariffs will make our Country MUCH STRONGER, not weaker. Just sit back and watch!” Trump tweeted Friday, adding that the Chinese should not “renegotiate deals with the U.S. at the last minute.” Later Friday, Trump wrote on Twitter that the discussions between the two countries were “candid and constructive,” saying future talks would “continue.” “In the meantime, the United States has imposed Tariffs on China, which may or may not be removed depending on what happens with respect to future negotiations!” the president wrote. Negotiators for the two countries held talks into late Thursday, but that was not enough to halt the U.S. doubling its tariffs. China’s commerce ministry said it “deeply regrets” the decision by the U.S., and vowed to “take necessary countermeasures.” Just last week, Trump was claiming that an “epic” trade deal was in the works—but talks reportedly broke down over the weekend. View this cheat in a browser to see this embedded tweet. |
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| MyPillow is laying off about 150 workers, according to a statement from CEO Mike Lindell. Lindell has been a vocal supporter of Trump, and credited the president’s tax cuts with creating a new economic boom only six months ago. In an October op-ed for Alpha News, Lindell wrote that MyPillow was able to give 5 to 10 percent raises to all its employees due to Trump’s tax cuts. “Thanks to President Trump, hope has turned into confidence for business owners and their employees in Minnesota and across the country,” Lindell wrote. The company, based out of Minnesota, is reportedly changing the layout of its facilities as Lindell prepares to start a new business venture. According to the statement, he plans on launching an “online store for entrepreneurs and inventors to sell their products,” called MyStore.com. “I value each and every one of my employees so this is a difficult decision, however this is what is best right now for the future of MyPillow and to prepare for the launch of MyStore.com,” he said. MyPillow laid off 140 workers about two years ago at a different plant. View this cheat in a browser to see this embedded tweet. |
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| Kim Kardashian, 38, confirmed on Twitter Friday that she and her husband, Kanye West, 41, have welcomed their fourth child, a son, via surrogate. “He’s here and he’s perfect!” Kardashian West tweeted. “He’s also Chicago’s twin lol I’m sure he will change a lot but now he looks just like her,” she added, talking about the couple’s 1-year-old daughter. The news of the imminent birth was announced by Kardashian’s sister, Kourtney, during a taping of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. “So, my mom doesn’t even know this, but Kim’s surrogate went into labor,” she told the host on Friday. Kardashian carried both North, 5, and Saint, 3, to term, but opted for surrogacy after describing the pregnancies as “difficult.” View this cheat in a browser to see this embedded tweet. |
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| London Mayor Sadiq Khan told a British radio station that President Trump is not in the “same class” as former President Barack Obama and George W. Bush. Regarding Trump’s planned state visit to the U.K. next month, Khan said Trump shouldn’t get any special treatment. “Of course we should have a close relationship with the president of the United States, but we shouldn’t be rolling out the red carpet; we shouldn’t have a state banquet,” Khan told LBC, according to The Hill. Khan then referred to two presidents who have come to the U.K. on state visits—Obama and Bush—and asserted that Trump was “not in the same class as those two.” Khan also described the U.S. and U.K. as being “close mates” who have the responsibility to call each other out. “The standards that you expect from them are higher, and I think we should say to President Trump when he’s here... ‘You know what, you’re wrong.’” Trump is reportedly slated to visit the U.K. from June 3 to 5. |
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| The parents of A.J. Freund, the 5-year-old Illinois boy whose body was found last month in the woods, pleaded not guilty Friday to multiple charges, including murdering their son. JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr., 60, entered their not guilty pleas at McHenry County court one day after they were indicted by a grand jury on 20 charges each. The charges include three counts of murder and one count of concealing a death for the April 15 slaying of their son, whom they reported missing a week before authorities discovered his body wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave about seven miles away from his Crystal Lake home. During the hearing, the parents also requested a jury trial and a judge granted a motion seeking a psychological evaluation. Cunningham and Freund were arrested on April 24, hours after officers found Andrew’s body. An autopsy found Andrew died as a result of “craniocerebral trauma” caused by “multiple blunt force injuries.” Police said he was forced to stand in a cold shower for 20 minutes and then beaten to death as punishment for urinating in his underwear. |
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| Uber began trading on the New York Stock Exchange Friday, but by the end of the day, the company’s stock closed 7.6 percent below its initial price, a rare first-day decline for a high-profile IPO. The price closed at $41.57, significantly below its initial offering of $45, which gives Uber a valuation of roughly $76 billion. It’s a bad start for the ride-sharing company, which took a conservative strategy in pricing to entice buyers. Friday’s trading shows that the strategy may not have been conservative enough. Lyft, Uber’s biggest rival, also had disappointing results after going public in March. “We knew we’d have a volatile day ahead of us,” Uber Chief Executive Dara Khosrowshahi said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal after trading began. “(Uber is) a company that has been through a ton of volatility in its history, and we’ve always come through.” |
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