Morning Briefing: Trump's Business Interests, Nordstrom's $85 Rock, Michael Jordan Scores on China

President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly leaning toward handing over the Trump Organization's operations to his two adult sons but is expected to keep a financial stake in the company and ignore criticism that keeping his business while he's in the White House presents a conflict of interest — a concern that has gained an increasing amount of traction among lawmakers as the extent of the president-elect's business dealings continue to unfold.

The news comes just one day after a new poll shows Americans are far less concerned about potential conflicts of interest than government ethicists. About two-thirds of American adults think Trump needs to choose between being president or a businessman, but nearly 70 percent believe it "goes too far" to require the president-elect and his family to sell their entire business empire to avoid potential conflicts of interest, according to a Bloomberg survey released Wednesday.

Top Stories

Donald Trump Is Said to Intend to Keep a Stake in His Business: "President-elect Donald J. Trump is considering formally turning over the operational responsibility for his real estate company to his two adult sons, but he intends to keep a stake in the business and resist calls to divest, according to several people briefed on the discussions." (The New York Times)

Nordstrom's $85 Leather-Wrapped Rock Sold Out Online: "An $85 leather-wrapped stone -- yes, you read that right -- has sold out at Nordstrom's online store after going viral on social media. A smaller version, sensibly priced at $65 for the budget-conscious rock lover, is also out of stock." (CNN Money)

Michael Jordan Scores China Legal Victory for His Chinese Name: "China’s top court ruled that Hall-of-Fame basketball player Michael Jordan can have his name back. The Supreme People’s Court on Thursday revoked the rights of local sportswear-maker Qiaodan Sports Co. to use Jordan’s last name written in Chinese characters, handing a partial victory in his four-year campaign to win legal protection for his name that helps sell gear such as Nike Inc. sneakers and clothing worldwide." (Bloomberg)

Trump Hires a Third General, Raising Concerns About Heavy Military Influence: "President-elect Donald Trump has selected retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly as secretary of homeland security, officials familiar with the decision said Wednesday, recruiting a third former member of the military’s brass to serve at the highest levels of his administration." (The Washington Post)

From the Twitterverse

Now we're getting things done...

Today's Numbers

• U.S. life expectancy declines for first time in 20 years.
• Google says that 100 percent of its data centers and offices’ power will come from renewable energy sources by 2017.
• The European Union is threatening to sue 4 countries where VW sold emissions-cheating cars.
• After Donald Trump tweeted about wanting to cancel a Boeing government contract, it took only 10 seconds for the market to react, sending the price of Boeing stock down.

Quote of the Day

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Vice President Joe Biden:

“We got results that would not have been possible without a negotiating partner like Joe Biden. Obviously, I don’t always agree with him, but I do trust him, implicitly. He doesn’t break his word, he doesn’t waste time telling me why I’m wrong… There’s a reason ‘Get Joe on the phone’ is shorthand for ‘Time to get serious’ in my office.”

Allen McDuffee is a politics and policy reporter, investigative journalist, blogger and podcast host. He has written for The Atlantic, Wired and The Washington Post. Follow him on Twitter: @AllenMcDuffee

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr Commons