| | The first meeting of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity took place Wednesday in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images | | People Magazine Has Some Words: "The Trump Family Secrets & Lies" Monica Lewinsky's Latest Piece: She writes about masculine stereotypes in Vanity Fair Hunter's Drive Through Rural PA: There's a huge Trump house and a 7-and-a-half foot Trump statue | | | What the White House is Talking About: President Trump leads a Made in America roundtable this afternoon at 3, because it's still Made in America week. What the White House Press Corps is Talking About: Trump's noon lunch at the White House; he's invited all 52 Republican senators. Unclear if all will attend. Could be awks. Briefing: Today at 2 pm, again off-camera, again with Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Days since on-camera briefing: 20. But First, Tweets: "The Dems scream death as OCare dies!" seems a liiiiittle intense for a Wednesday at 8:30AM? | | People Magazine Has Some Words: Today in yikes: "Donald Trump taught his children to fight dirty and win, no matter what the cost," says the new COVER of People magazine, available Friday. The story is mainly about how Donald Trump Jr. is pretty unhappy with things, but his loyalty to his father is paramount. | | Credit: people.com But this is my favorite snippet, because I think it says the most about who Junior really is when he's away from his dad. | | Monica Lewinsky is Writing About Masculine Stereotypes: That got your attention. Lewinsky, a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, writes about how some male celebrities are evolving into sensitive humans and should be applauded for not being uber-masculine. Lewinsky does case studies using Brad Pitt, Prince Harry and Jay-Z. For example, Pitt is sculpting and making pottery, which she says is good. The Definitive Take on Callista Gingrich('s Hair): Washington Post fashion writer Robin Givhan is at her best when she freestyles on one particular topic. Today, thankfully for all of us, that topic is Callista Gingrich's hair. Gingrich, whose confirmation hearing to become U.S. Ambassador to The Vatican was yesterday on Capitol Hill, has a signature bob — a gleaming blonde, perfectly coiffed signature bob. It's famous. As Givhan puts it: "The hair arrived, and it was perfectly composed. It did not wilt under the spotlight; it did not collapse when lawmakers raised questions about climate change and refugees. The hair was controlled and proper and smooth. The hair did well at the hearing." | | Credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images Don't Click This Link if You're Eating Lunch: But do at some point today because this is an insane story/image of what happens to a cyclist's legs during the Tour de France. Ew, but it's a good ew. Hunter's Road Trip: ICYMI, Hunter's piece from the road trip yesterday was so good I want to make sure you all see it. He won't post it again, but I will. | | What Washington is Talking About: Senate Repubs' effort to repeal Obamacare is officially dead, for now. Members are heading to the White House today for lunch with President Trump and Vice President Pence to talk health care, among other things. What America is Talking About: Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton announced their final performance together, to be held in Nashville in October. Poll of the Day: For the 12th year in a row, Americans' favorite alcoholic beverage is beer, according to a Gallup poll. The poll found a 62% to 38% split on US adults who drink vs. don't drink. And a fun bit of political trivia: Republicans' 2016 and 2012 nominees, Trump and Mitt Romney, are both non-drinkers. | | For the next two weeks, I'm driving cross country for COVER/LINE. You can read about it every day in the newsletter and follow along on Instagram, at @cnncoverline and @hunterschwarz. ~The Great American Road Trip 2017~ Stop No. 2: Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania: I don't think we spend enough time talking about how beautiful Pennsylvania is. And also how big it is. The drive from Philadelphia to Punxsutawney is 273 miles through forest-lined highways, and it seemed even longer since I was driving late. When night falls, the gorgeous scenery begins to look a little spooky. I spot four deer lurking off the side of the road, and it's that kind of night you're half expecting some sort of creature or man in a mask to walk out. I got my high beams on and I'm driving cautiously. About 20 minutes out from my hotel, Google Maps leads me to a dead end. Orange construction signs block the route; if there was ever a moment a masked man was going to walk out from the woods, this was it. I lock the doors, *just in case*, as I pull a five-point turn. I eventually find an alternative route to the Punxsutawney Cobblestone Hotel, the one hotel in town, and sure enough, there's a waist-high groundhog figurine at the entrance. What Punxsutawney is Talking About: A father and his 16-year-old daughter were injured Monday when a gasoline-powered engine exploded, according to WJAC. Punxsutawney's Must-See Political Spot: It's actually 54 miles southwest of Punxsutawney, but if you're in the neighborhood, you might as well go see the Trump House in Youngstown. The home is painted red, white and blue, with a giant Donald Trump out front. Even though it's been up since the campaign, you'll still see people slow down when they drive past it and people parking across the street to snap pics. | | Credit: @hunterschwarz/Instagram Meet Randy Rupert: Back in June, Donald Trump Jr. posted a photo sent to him by a friend of two kids standing in front of a giant wooden Donald Trump statue. Regular readers will know I'm a political art obsessive, and I knew I needed to track this down. | | Credit: @cnncoverline/Instagram The creator of the 7-and-a-half foot statue was Randy "The Wizard" Rupert, a Punxsutawney artist who makes wood carvings using chainsaws. It was commissioned by the owner of a nearby golf course who told me his goal was to make a Trump Instagram account. Mission accomplished. "How it eventually got to Donald Trump Jr., I really don't know," Rupert says. Before creating the statue, Rupert studied Trump. "I found a lot of reference pictures of Donald Trump to help me through the process," he says. "Just to get his face structure right, his profiles, both sides." His wife wasn't a fan of the piece. "She's definitely not a fan, but it's my business, I'm not going to turn away business." And since he made it, he's gotten questions about making more. "I'm receiving calls all the time, you know: how much was he, where did he go, can you make another one, can you make smaller ones," he says. "Yes, I can." And just for the record, to get your own 7-and-a-half foot Trump would cost about $6,000 and take six to eight months to get. | | | | | |
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