News Roundup 04/03/19
1. Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.) Requests Trump's Tax Returns
On Wednesday, Chairman Neal formally requested President Donald Trump's tax returns. This action has requested Trump's tax returns from 2013-2018. CNN obtained Neal's letter to the IRS and Trump made a statement shortly after, "Is that all? Oh, usually it's 10 so I guess they're giving up." This investigation could take months, possibly years, to find a verdict. Republicans have seen this action as a political move while Neal has explained that this request is, "related to the IRS's practice of auditing sitting presidents," as reported by Lauren Fox of CNN.
Source: CNN
2. Rapper Nipsey Hussle's Murderer Arrested
On Mar. 31st, rapper Nipsey Hussle was fatally shot by a gunman outside of The Marathon, his clothing store in Los Angeles. After a 2-day manhunt, police caught the gunman, Eric Holder, 29, after a woman turned herself in, claiming to be the getaway driver. She was later released from authorities after testifying that she was not aware of the incident. In a surveillance video captured outside of Hussle's store, three men are shown surrounding the rapper. After the gunshot, the men fled the scene. Hussle was beloved by his community and his death has brought an outpour of tributes from celebrities and community members, alike.
Source: LA Times
3. Chicago Mayor-Elect Makes History
On Tuesday night, Lori Lightfoot became the first African-American woman to ever be elected as mayor in the city of Chicago. Lightfoot comes from a humble background, raised by low-wage earning parents in Massillon, Ohio. She graduated from the University of Michigan and the University of Chicago Law School and went on to become a prosecutor and partner of a law firm. Bill Ruthart, of Chicago Tribune, reported that she is also the third African-American mayor, second woman mayor, and first openly gay mayor, making Chicago the largest city of the U.S. to elect an openly gay mayor.
Source: Chicago Tribune
4. President Trump Eases On Border Control Threat
Last week, President Trump made a statement vowing to close the border to halt a flow of Central Americans across the border. Trump has now made clear that the threat is under reconsideration, taking into consideration the economic repercussions would not only affect Mexico but the United States too. Michoacan is the largest Mexican producer of avocados. The price of Hass avocados jumped 34% because of the potential border shutdown. Businesses are increasing their imports to make their supply last. Michael Hirtzer of Bloomberg reports that Mexico is the largest avocado supplier that accounts for 75 to 80% of US consumption.
Source: Bloomberg
5. Bernie Sanders Announces Quarter Totals for Presidential Campaign
Vermont Senator, Bernie Sanders, announced that his campaign raised $18 million in 6 weeks, the top fund-raiser of the Democratic party. His average amount per contributor is $20 rather than $27 per contributor from his last campaign. Sanders received almost 900,000 contributions from 525,000 donors. Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times reported that 20% of Sander's donors have not contributed to his campaign in the past. April 15th is the deadline for presidential candidates to report their first-quarter fund-raising.
Source: The New York Times