| | | | | US Secret Service officers stand guard on the North Lawn of the White House Wednesday. Credit: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images | | | Obamas Like DC After All: The Kalorama renters are buying
Social Secretary Spills: On her job and what Melania's really like
House of Cards Mania: There's a HOC-themed fitness class and Postmates menu | | | What the White House is Talking About:
The 3:00 p.m. Rose Garden ceremony where President Trump is expected to announce America's future with the Paris climate accord. Also, he's decided to keep the Israeli Embassy in Tel Aviv and not move it to Jerusalem, yet.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Whether Trump's withdrawing full-stop, or whether he'll announce caveats to the deal.
Everyday I'm Russia-ing:
Is it me, or are you also struggling to keep up with the Russia investigation? This isn't easy to admit because, well, I WORK IN THE NEWS, but it's like every day is another thing about subpoenas or testimony, or outside attorneys, or Jared Kushner, or Mike Flynn, or the Russian ambassador guy meeting with one of Trump's people, or how James Comey won't publicly testify -- but now he will. I mean, it's a lot.
Jared Covers Time:
Speaking of Jared, he's on the cover of Time's new issue. There's a lot of mystery about him. I think is fueled by the fact that people have rarely heard his voice or known exactly what he's up to, or has been up to. This feature is a decent explainer. | | Credit: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Obamas Like DC After All:
Who knew? The buzz used to be that they couldn't wait to get out of here, but now Barack and Michelle Obama have up and purchased their swank Kalorama rental for wait for it ... $8.1 million. Considering Joe Lockhart, the previous owner from whom they were renting, paid $5.295 million in 2014, that's either a tidy profit for Lockhart, or a pretty dramatic three-year price increase. A source told me that it was Michelle who really wanted to stay, and that the couple are looking into putting a lap pool in the backyard. They've also been a hit with neighbors, who say they aren't all that disturbed by the fact that a portion of Belmont Road is now blockaded by cement barricades.
Social Secretary Spills:
The Washington Post's doyenne of society writing, Roxanne Roberts, snagged the first interview with Rickie Niceta, the White House social secretary. [Full disclosure: I've known Rickie for many years because I went to boarding school with her little sister -- which apparently didn't help me get the exclusive, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). Niceta says she never really considered herself for the gig, but when Lea Berman, the Bush's former social secretary, suggested her to the White House, she didn't shy away. While she answers Trump critics with a quick "I'm sorry you feel that way," Niceta considers it an honor to work for the President and first lady, who she describes "whip-smart," "strong," and "wonderful." | | Credit: Bill O'Leary/Washington Post
Wait, Run, Joe, Run?:
Joe Biden started a PAC today, which means the buzz I keep hearing from former Biden staff that he's running in 2020 could be true, or could be wishful thinking -- thus the hopeful-sounding PAC title, "American Possibilities PAC," maybe? Biden, in case you were wondering, is 74, but he's been relatively public about his criticism of Hillary Clinton's campaign, and the state of politics. In a solicitation email for the new PAC, Biden says, "the negativity, the pettiness, the small-mindedness of our politics drives me crazy." | | HBD, CNN!:
Today is the day that CNN launched as the first 24-news network, 37 years ago. It's worth reading this cool story, and watching the accompanying video, to see what was in the headlines back then. Hunter wasn't even born in 1980. (I was, tho.) | | Credit: @CNNPR/Twitter
COVER/LINE FAM! I'M TAKING TOMORROW OFF!:
Once a year, I meet up with seven of my boarding school best friends who fly in from all over the country. We ditch pretty much every responsibility we have (kids, husbands, jobs, whatevs) to hunker down for a long weekend of catching up and mild debauchery. This is that weekend, we're on the Connecticut shore. I leave tomorrow's newsletter in Hunter's capable hands 🙌 . See you Monday ✌️✌️✌️. | | What Washington is Talking About:
The House intelligence committee issued their first subpoenas related to the Russia investigation, for former national security advisor Michael Flynn (who already this week responded to the Senate intelligence committee's subpoenas) and President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen.
What America is Talking About:
The racist vandalism at LeBron James' Los Angeles home. "No matter how much money you have, no matter how famous you are, no matter how many people admire you, being black in America is tough," he said at a press conference for the NBA Finals, which begin tonight at 9 p.m. ET.
Reminder:
Rent is due.
Drain The Swamp:
The White House posted 14 ethics waivers online yesterday, including for Kellyanne Conway, former oil and gas lobbyist Michael Catanzaro, and former employees of the law firm Jones Day.
Save The Date:
Former FBI Director James Comey will testify before the Senate intelligence committee a week from today. It's gonna be must-see TV.
Clinton Blame Game:
Speaking yesterday at the Code conference, Hillary Clinton placed much of the blame for her 2016 loss on outside forces, including the DNC. "It was bankrupt, it was on the verge of insolvency, its data was mediocre to poor, nonexistent, wrong."
But some liberals who work in data disagree. Here's what Tom Bonier, the CEO of TargetSmart, and John Hagner, Clarity Campaign partner, tweeted: | | Credit: @tbonier/@JHagner/Twitter
Clinton suggested Russian efforts to interfere with the campaign were "guided by Americans and guided by people who had polling and data information."
She also lamented the spread of fake news from websites designed to look like mainstream news organizations, but she appeared to spread some fake news herself, alluding to @realDonaldTrump accumulating millions of bot followers. Earlier this week some tweets claiming Trump had gained millions of bot followers went viral, but that story has been debunked.
Washington Cabs' Uber Battle Plan:
Uber has spread across the US thanks to some rule-breaking and political campaign-like organizing. Now the Washington establishment is finally fighting back. Over the next three months, all 7,500 DC cabs will replace their meters with an app, an attempt to help traditional cabs keep up with ride-sharing. You'll even be able to rate your driver. Imagine a world where you could get a ride from a full-time professional who knew exactly how to get around the city and didn't blindly follow Google maps even if it drove them straight into the Potomac.
House of Cards Mania:
"House of Cards" is inescapable in Washington this week; if you walk down the hall in my building, you can hear it playing from people's apartments, mine included. I told myself I'd just do an episode a day until this weekend, but last night, I made it to episode six.
It's popping up elsewhere as well. There's a rowing gym in Arlington that's holding a "House of Cardio" class tonight, inspired by Frank Underwood's rowing hobby. And our Aileen Graef noticed this HOC + "covfefe" themed Postmates list of Underwood-inspired foods: | |
And then there's Democratic South Carolina House candidate Archie Parnell, who's running in the special election there, who made his own "House of Cards" campaign ad released earlier this week. It's actually not bad. | | Credit: Archie Parnell for Congress/YouTube
The Only Good Covfefe Meme:
I've been rolling my eyes at all the internet's "covfefe" jokes -- and White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer's explanation that, no no, it wasn't a typo, it was actually an inside joke ("the president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant") -- but this Tumblr post had me legit lolling. | | Credit: notquitedocile/Tumblr
SPEARS WORLD TOUR 2017:
Britney Spears has landed in Japan for the first of her 11-date, eight-country international tour (reminder, TRUMP WORLD TOUR 2017 was only five countries; low energy if you ask me). Don't worry, I'll keep you abreast of any and all geopolitical updates from the trip. Here's an ad for her two Tokyo shows that was spotted driving around there: | | | Credit: @fiebrebritney_/Twitter | | | | | | |
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