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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 15 March 2018
Trump picks camera-proven Kudlow as top economic aide
By JOSH BOAK multuous remodeling as a
KEN THOMAS wave of White House staff-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- ers and top officials have
dent Donald Trump has departed in recent weeks.
chosen Larry Kudlow to be Trump on Tuesday dumped
his top economic aide, el- his secretary of state, for-
evating the influence of mer Exxon Mobil CEO Rex
a longtime fixture on the Tillerson.
CNBC business news net- The famously pinstripe-suit-
work who previously served ed Kudlow would succeed
in the Reagan administra- Gary Cohn, a former Gold-
tion and has emerged as man Sachs executive who
a leading evangelist for tax is leaving the post in a dis-
cuts and a smaller govern- pute over Trump's decision
ment. to impose tariffs on import-
Kudlow told The Associated ed steel and aluminum.
Press on Wednesday that With Trump's tax cuts al-
he has accepted the offer, ready being implemented,
saying the U.S. economy Kudlow would be advising
is poised to take off after a president who appears
Trump signed $1.5 trillion increasingly determined
worth of tax cuts into law. to tax foreign imports — a
"The economy is starting to policy Kudlow personally
roar and we're going to get opposes. Kudlow said he
more of that," he said. is "in accord" with Trump's
Kudlow will join an adminis- agenda and his team at
tration in the middle of a tu- the White House would
Larry Kudlow speaks in Rye Brook, N.Y. President Donald Trump has chosen Kudlow to be his top
economic aide, elevating the influence of a longtime fixture on the CNBC business news network.
(AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
help implement the poli- dent on trade issues, saying
cies set by the president. instead that Trump is "a very
Trump has promised to re- good negotiator." Kudlow,
duce the trade imbalance 70, has informally advised
with China and rewrite the the Trump administration
North American Free Trade in the past and he has
Agreement with Canada spoken with the president
and Mexico. Kudlow de- "at some length in recent
clined to say what advice days," so he is ready "to hit
he would give the presi- the ground running."q
Emails suggest Carson, wife
knew about $31K dining set
By JULIET LINDERMAN staffer Aida Rodriguez ref-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Re- erences "printouts of the
cently released emails furniture the Secretary and
suggest that Department Mrs. Carson picked out."
of Housing and Urban De- Another email shows a
velopment Secretary Ben HUD staffer reaching out
Carson and his wife Candy directly to Carson's wife
had a hand in choosing a Candy to ask if she's avail-
$31,000 dining set, despite able to meet with a design-
claims from the agency er about redecorating her
and the secretary himself husband's office.
that he didn't play a role in Rodriguez wrote in another
making that selection. message that the cost of
Government watchdog the dining set, which was
group American Oversight estimated at $24,666— just
obtained internal HUD under the $25,000 budget
emails through a Freedom limit_was "a very reason-
of Information request, able price and the funds
and posted them publicly are available."
earlier this week. Among a "We also have a justifica-
163-page cache of emails tion for the cost (as you
is an August message sent know, the furniture hasn't
to Carson's executive as- been changed since 1988)
sistant and chief of staff un- so this should not be a
der the subject line, "Secre- problem," she wrote.
tary's Dining Room Furniture It wasn't clear from the
Needed." emails why the cost jumped
In the email, department to $31,000.q