Trump is building a UFC cage-match arena and a private ballroom at the White House, paid for by donors getting government contracts in return — bad for taxpayers and for normal use of the White House grounds.

• A UFC event for 4,000 spectators is set for June 14, Trump's birthday, with a Ferris wheel and "Great American Fair" attached.
• Most performers have pulled out; Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida are among the few left.
• The new White House ballroom is being built with drone ports and sniper ports, and Trump says it costs the country nothing because donors are paying.
• Donors funding the project get favor and government contracts, so the public still pays through no-bid deals and ongoing security and maintenance.
• The US military hit a commercial ship trying to reach Iran while peace talks continue, keeping costs high for regular people.
• CNBC is warning of a K-shaped economy where the rich pull further ahead and the poor fall behind.

Outlook: The June 14 event is going ahead, and Iran tensions and high living costs are expected to keep dragging on.