Cigars, rum, an electric bike, soccer jerseys and earrings — a list of what foreign leaders, including Cuba’s Raul Castro, gifted Obama. Utah House speaker announces he will not seek re-election. A federal judge nominee for Utah faces criticism from Democratic senators.
Happy Thursday. The president can accept gifts from foreign leaders if refusing might “cause embarrassment” — but most of the time the items must be turned over to the National Archives. According to an inventory from his tenure, President Barack Obama received cigars and rum from Cuban leader Raul Castro, an electric bike and soccer jerseys signed by Lionel Messi from the president of Argentina and a brooch, gold clutch and earrings with precious gems from the king of Morocco (valued at $101,200).