Midday Roundup: Feds charge cancer charities with massive fraud

Wasted. A network of major cancer charities squandered about $187 million in donated funds on the lavish lifestyles of employees, according to charges filed by the Federal Trade Commission. The leaders of Cancer Fund of America, Cancer Support Services, Children’s Cancer Fund of America, and The Breast Cancer Society “used the organizations for lucrative employment for family members and friends, and spent consumer donations on cars, trips, luxury cruises, college tuition, gym memberships, jet ski outings, sporting event and concert tickets, and dating site memberships,” according to the FTC. Allegations against the charities first appeared in 2013 in a report by the Tampa Bay Times and the Center for Investigative reporting. But it took the FTC this long to coordinate charges against the charities among state and federal regulatory bodies.

Taking questions. A federal judge Tuesday ordered the State Department to release 55,000 of Hillary Clinton’s recently produced emails as they are reviewed. The department wanted to release them all at once next January. Meanwhile, The New York Times reported Clinton used more than one private email address during her tenure as secretary of state. Taking questions in Iowa after a month-long media shut-out, Clinton also defended the millions in foreign donations taken in by her family foundation. “Bill and I have been blessed, and we’re very grateful for the opportunities we’ve had but we’ve never forgotten where we came from,” Clinton said.

New policy. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has issued an executive order protecting religious freedom after a bill to do so failed in the state legislature. A state House committee on Tuesday killed the Marriage and Conscience Act that would have protected people who acted on their religious convictions about marriage. The bill was proposed amid national controversy about how the government should treat business owners who decline to serve same-sex weddings. “I’m issuing an executive order to prevent the state from discriminating against people, charities, and family-owned businesses with deeply held religious beliefs that marriage is between one man and one woman,” said Jindal, a Republican who has criticized President Barack Obama’s use of executive orders. The governor recently formed an exploratory committee for a possible presidential run in 2016.

Getting a raise. The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to start pushing toward a citywide minimum wage of $15 by 2020. The change would make L.A. wages more than double the current federal minimum. City council members voted 14-1 to try to ease the financial burdens of low-wage workers in a city known for its high cost of living. L.A. has some of the most expensive housing in the nation, while 1 in 4 residents live below the poverty line.

Late night departure. Tonight comedian David Letterman will end his 33-year career on late night television with his final episode of CBS’s Late Show. Letterman has hosted the show since 1993. Before that, he starred on NBC’s Late Night. Stephen Colbert will take over hosting duties at the Late Show. Actor Bill Murray, who has a history of quirky antics on Letterman’s shows, bid farewell to the host last night by climbing out of a giant cake and smearing Letterman with a frosted hug.

WORLD Radio’s Mary Reichard and Jim Henry contributed to this report.