| | | | | President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn after returning to the White House on Tuesday. Credit: Olivier Douliery/Pool/Getty Images | | | I Can't With Tom Price: House oversight committee to look into Cabinet members' private plane use
Meanwhile, Ivanka: First daughter appears to have found a niche in promoting STEM education and funding
Here's the Three Strange Tweets Trump Deleted: @realDonaldTrump deleted evidence on his account that he ever supported the loser in yesterday's Alabama primary | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today gives his major tax reform speech in Indianapolis, scheduled for 3:20 p.m. A new CNN poll suggests Americans are in favor of major changes to tax laws.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
Trump's frustration over Luther Strange's loss in Alabama last night. He deleted his tweets of support shortly after the Senate primary race was called for Roy Moore and apparently vented on the flight back to DC from New York, where he'd attended a pricey RNC fundraiser. As we're all too aware, Trump hates a losing. Separately, there's still lots of shock that Sen. Bob Corker announced that he'll be retiring.
But First, Tweets:
There were many to choose from for analysis this morning, so take your pick: health care, Moore, NFL, himself. | | Credit: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter
But Some People Paid $250,000 to See Him:
That was the price per couple to dine with the President at New York's Le Cirque, and participate in a roundtable discussion. One-hundred-thousand got participants a little face-time, plus the dinner; the minimum to attend was $35,000 per person. The funds went to the RNC. As an aside, Le Cirque was famously, for many years, one of the fanciest restaurants in the world, but it has since been usurped by others and its owners, the Maccioni family, recently filed for bankruptcy in order to try to save the restaurant. Mario Maccioni told Bloomberg that he hoped the bankruptcy move works as well for him as it did for Trump.
Guys, I Can't With Tom Price:
This morning it was announced the House oversight committee is going to look into the use of private planes by members of Trump's Cabinet, in response to Politico's series of stories about the abominable abuse of the practice by HHS Secretary Tom Price. It comes on the heels of another piece yesterday that said it appeared Price was using the private jets often to combine personal and business events. It's pretty unbelievable and you should definitely read up on the whole thing if you haven't because it's a jaw-dropper. Personally, I can't imagine Price gets out of this unscathed, and it could possibly even cost him his gig. Price took private planes on round trip travel to Philadelphia, Raleigh, Nashville, and several other cities. | | Meanwhile, Ivanka ... :
The first daughter appears to have found a niche in promoting STEM education and funding. Yesterday she announced in Detroit a $300 million pledge from tech-related companies to fund school computer science programs, which came a day after securing $200 million from the Education Department to expand grants for STEM programs. (PS: Ivanka flew round trip commercially to Detroit, in case you're wondering.) Today Ivanka traveled to a Virginia charter school, where she participated in STEM projects with elementary students. They went in for the group hug: | | Credit: @betsy_klein/Twitter
Dress Like the (Former) First Lady:
Yesterday in Orlando, Florida, Michelle Obama was the featured speaker at the Microsoft Envision Conference, where she talked about how to build diversity at tech companies. She wore a red Roland Mouret dress, similar to this one, and these $675 Jimmy Choo metallic heels, below. Today in Boston, Obama participated in a discussion with author Roxanne Gay where she talked about what it was like to be first lady, saying, ""It was like being shot out of a cannon … with a blindfold and the spotlight on you." | | Credit: @meredithkoop/Instagram
My Favorite Thing Today:
Jared Kushner is registered to vote in New York as a woman. I wonder if Ivanka knows.
My Second Favorite Thing Today:
Sorry, but you really should never ask a lady of a certain age what work she's had done -- not in private, and especially not on television. Megyn Kelly learned this the hard way from Jane Fonda, who at 79 looks amazing. Also, it's Kelly's third day on the job, so it's all going very well. | | What Washington is Talking About:
Republicans will release their tax reform proposal today, and the new FBI director, Chris Wray, began testifying this morning at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about threats to the homeland.
What America is Talking About:
Four assistant basketball coaches -- from Arizona, Auburn, Oklahoma State and USC -- and six others facing corruption charges, following a three-year probe into coaches being paid to guide athletes to certain agents, advisers and schools.
Poll of the Day:
President Trump's immigration proposals face serious resistance from voters. A CNN poll found 82% want DACA to continue, 63% opposed building ~The Wall~ along the entire US-Mexico border, and 55% oppose reducing the number of immigrants who can legally enter the country through federal law.
The Wall Prototypes Are Now Being Built:
US Customs and Border Protection announced construction of eight prototypes of ~The Wall~ began yesterday in San Diego. Four are made from concrete, four from "other materials," and all are 18-30 feet high. The prototypes are expected to be completed in about 30 days.
Kimmel Celebrates the Death of Graham-Cassidy:
Jimmy Kimmel took a victory lap for the scrapped Obamacare repeal bill last night and thanked viewers for calling their senators. "I haven't been this happy about something being dead since bin Laden," he said.
Double the Twitter:
Washington's favorite social network announced Tuesday it's trying out a 280-character limit for tweets, double what it is now. Only a "small group" currently has the expanded character limit, and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone tweeted that @realDonaldTrump is not among them (so until then, I will continue to time his gaps between tweets during a tweetstorm, a topic of which I am passionate.)
Here's the Three Strange Tweets Trump Deleted:
"Strange" as in Luther Strange, the candidate he supported in the Republican Senate primary in Alabama who lost last night to Roy Moore, not "strange" as in confusing and bizarre. I give Trump props for usually keeping his tweets up, even if they're embarrassing; deleting like this is unusual for him. These are the three he deleted: | | Credit: Propublica/@realDonaldTrump/Twitter
He also deleted a tweet congratulating Moore on his win that incorrectly said the general election was in November. Thirteen minutes later, he tweeted a corrected tweet with the right month, December. Smh/lol.
WaPo Passes 1 Million Mark:
Washington Post publisher Fred Ryan told the newsroom Tuesday in an internal memo it passed the 1 million mark for paid digital-only subscribers "earlier this year." As of June, The New York Times has 2.3 million digital subscribers and The Wall Street Journal has 1.27 million.
ESPN Hosts Split on Cowboys' Kneel-Stand Combo
"Pardon the Interruption" host Michael Wilbon said Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was a leader and exhibited compromise by kneeling before the National Anthem and standing during, while on "SC6," Michael Smith said that Trump's comfort with the move should tell you something. Protests like this are "supposed to be uncomfortable," he said. Co-host Jemele Hill said the kneeling has "never been about the anthem," and "people don't want to hear what this protest is about."
Packers Plan for "Show of Unity" at Thursday's Game:
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers asked fans to join the team Thursday in a show of unity, interlocking arms. "We're going to continue to show love and unity and this week we're gonna ask the fans to join in as well," he said. The team, which interlocked arms during the anthem before their game Sunday, said in a statement, "Intertwined, we represent the many people who helped build this country, and we are joining together to show that we are ready to continue to build." | | Members of the Green Bay Packers stand with arms locked Sunday. Credit: Dylan Buell/Getty Images
A Baseball Player Knelt During the Anthem Too:
So far the MLB has been spared the wrath of @realDonaldTrump. But in case you were wondering, a pro baseball player has knelt during the anthem: the Oakland Athletics' Bruce Maxwell. He became the first before a game Saturday, kneeling with his hand over his heart. "I'm going to continue to do it," he told Yahoo Sports. "This isn't a one-day thing. If things really don't change, I'll roll into it next season."
Bryce is Back, Baby:
The Nationals' Bryce Harper returned last night after missing 42 games for injuries and illness, with a handful of games to spare before the postseason starts.
Report: Britney Spears' Ex-Boyfriend to Perform at Super Bowl Halftime Show:
That's according to Us Weekly, which reported Justin Timberlake "is finalizing" a deal to perform February 4 at Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. "As of right now, it will just be Justin -- no surprise performers," a source said. Personally, I'd want to see a mini NSYNC reunion, a *generous* dose of Janet Jackson (because heaven knows the disproportionate response she faced compared to him following the 2004 halftime show "wardrobe malfunction" was whack) and of course, a duet with Britney Spears. Long shot, I know, but a guy can dream.
Street Art Sighting:
Saudi Arabia announced Tuesday some women will be able to drive there by June. Rihanna commemorated the news posting this photo, captioned, "love to see progression. women will now be able to drive in Saudi Arabia 💅🏾🎀❣️🚗." | | Credit: @badgalriri/Instagram
Send me your pics of political street art to coverlinehunter@cnn.com, tweet me @hunterschwarz or tag @cnncoverline on Instagram. | | | | | | |
