Scott Horsley

All the companies that received letters have antitrust matters pending with the administration...

which the lawmakers say raises questions about the possibility of influence peddling.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says his company chose not to make a donation to avoid the appearance of buying favors.

So far, there's been little oversight of the giant White House ballroom or its price tag, which has grown to $300 million.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

A consulting firm that tracks layoff notices says U.S.

employers announced more than 71,000 job cuts last month.

That's fewer potential pink slips than announced in October, but more than this time last year.

That's according to a tally compiled by the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

New applications for unemployment benefits, which are often seen as a proxy for layoffs, fell last week.

The Thanksgiving holiday may have affected those numbers.

As of mid-November, some 1.8 million people were receiving some form of jobless assistance.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

What I saw in that room was one of the most troubling things I've seen in my time in public service.

Lawmakers have written to more than half a dozen big companies, including Amazon, Microsoft and Union Pacific Railroad, asking how much they donated to the ballroom and whether there was any discussion of a quid pro quo.

All the companies that received letters have antitrust matters pending with the administration.

which the lawmakers say raises questions about the possibility of influence peddling.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon says his company chose not to make a donation to avoid the appearance of buying favors.

So far, there's been little oversight of the giant White House ballroom or its price tag, which has grown to $300 million.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.