| | | | | President Trump walks off Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House Sunday night after viewing damage from California's wildfires. Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Pool/Getty Images | | | I Am Not Ready for the Holidays: Get ready because the White House tree arrives today, and the turkeys tomorrow
WHCD is Ditching the Comedian for 2019: Instead, it'll be the author whose book inspired "Hamilton"
Joe Biden Got the Joe Bidenest Dog: I can imagine this dog wearing aviators on Instagram | | | What the White House is Talking About:
President Trump today will be with the first lady to welcome the official White House Christmas tree when it arrives at 1 p.m. He also has a lunch with Vice President Mike Pence.
What the White House Press Corps is Talking About:
The White House has this morning doubled-down on again revoking Jim Acosta's hard pass -- so CNN has requested an emergency hearing.
Up the Creek, Without A Paddle:
Raise your hand if you just thought it was a typo. Anyone? Nope, me neither. ICYMI, Trump posted a tweet yesterday going after Congressman Adam Schiff, but changing his name by typing it Schitt. "So funny to see little Adam Schitt (D-CA) talking about the fact that Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker was not approved by the Senate, but not mentioning the fact that Bob Mueller (who is highly conflicted) was not approved by the Senate!" Trump wrote. Schiff was critical of Trump's appointment of Matt Whitaker as acting attorney general. Which is a whole other thing.
What Will Whitaker Do?:
Trump on Sunday to Fox News' Chris Wallace said whatever Whitaker decides to do with how the Robert Mueller investigation proceeds is up to Whitaker. Which would be entirely more on the up and up if Trump hadn't controversially tapped Whitaker himself, and if Whitaker hadn't previously publicly stated he had issues with the investigation, writ large.
Meanwhile, this morning, three Democratic senators filed a suit protesting Whitaker's appointment -- more about that here. | | I Can't Even:
Also in his Fox News interview, Trump said some uncomfortable things about retired Adm. William McRaven, who had called Trump's attack on the press as enemies of the state as the "greatest threat to democracy" in his lifetime. Trump didn't take kindly to it:
"OK, he's a Hillary Clinton backer and an Obama-backer, and frankly ... wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that? Wouldn't it have been nice? You know, living -- think of this -- living in Pakistan, beautifully in Pakistan."
I'm sorry, but politics aside, McRaven is a military force and a hero and a dedicated patriot. The end.
Also, I Am Not Ready for The Holidays:
But I better get on it because Thanksgiving is Thursday and today I'm at the White House to cover the tree arrival for the @CNNPolitics and @CNN Instagram accounts (thirsty request for you to follow, please!). Betsy Klein wrote a solid preview about the tree, which will be set up in the Blue Room as it is each year.
The Turkeys are Coming, Too:
The turkeys that get pardoned by the President at the White House tomorrow have made their journey to Washington -- in, like, a minivan? Without seats? And a floor covered in feed? They are named "Peas" and "Carrots" this year, and you can vote for which one should be pardoned, here. And here's one of them, don't know which one, at the Willard hotel downtown, where they are staying until their big moment tomorrow. | | Credit: @VTCals/Instagram
Guys, SHE FOUND A FROG IN HER SALAD:
I am warning you -- this is the kind of story that you don't want to read, but you should, and you kind of have to. This woman picked up some Cava to go and when she got home she found a frog in her salad. I repeat: she found a frog in her salad. Read on...
"Team of Vipers":
Probably not going to be a rosy account of life in the West Wing -- just judging by the title -- but kudos to Cliff Sims for the reported seven-figure advance. Sims, who was a confidant of Trump and a key member of the White House communications team, releases his account of events via book in January.
Congratulations, Rebecca!:
Huge congrats to CNN political reporter, Rebecca Berg, who snuck off to the Inn at Little Washington and got married over the weekend to her longtime boyfriend, Brendan Buck. I love a good elopement -- so romantic 💞. | | | Credit: @rebeccagberg/Instagram | | What Washington is Talking About:
Nancy Pelosi has 26 no votes against her for speaker and 94 yes votes (check out our opposition tracker to see the latest numbers), and a number of incoming freshman lawmakers and progressive groups have thrown their support behind her.
What America is Talking About:
Cal Fire officials say the Camp Fire could be contained by November 30; Michael Bloomberg donated $1.8 billion to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins, to help low- and middle-income students in what the school said is a record contribution to an academic institution; and Democrat Bill Nelson conceded to Republican Rick Scott in Florida's Senate race while Democrat Stacey Abrams said Republican Brian Kemp was the legal governor, but not legitimate.
Poll of the Day:
"Post-Millennials" are more diverse and are pursuing college at higher rates than any previous generation. They don't have an official name and are sometimes referred to as "Generation Z," but according to the definition used in Pew's latest poll on them, the post-millennials generation was born between 1997 and 2012. Here's how they compare with their elders: | | Credit: Pew
WHCD is Ditching the Comedian for 2019:
The White House Correspondents' Association announced its featured speaker at next year's dinner will be Ron Chernow, a biographer who's written on George Washington and Ulysses S. Grant, and his 2005 book "Alexander Hamilton," was the inspiration for the musical.
"While I have never been mistaken for a stand-up comedian, I promise that my history lesson won't be dry," Chernow said in a statement.
It will be the first Correspondents' Dinner without a comedian as the entertainer since Ray Charles performed in 2003. That year's dinner came one month after the invasion of Iraq. Last year's (controversial) host, Michelle Wolf, called the WHCA "cowards" and tweeted that she "couldn't be prouder." The dinner will be held April 27.
Former Facebook Exec Lays Out Changes to Guard Democracy:
Alex Stamos, Facebook's former chief security officer who left the company in March, has been critical of Facebook, but in an op-ed in today's Washington Post, he spread the blame around, writing, "Facebook's shortcomings do not stand alone." Among the changes he called for to protect future elections: - Congress should update political advertising rules.
- The government should work with social media and tech companies and give clarity to places where they could act in a "quasi-governmental manner, making judgments on political speech and operating teams in parallel to the US intelligence community."
- Newsrooms should publish standards for how they cover newsworthy data leaks that don't amplify our enemies (in 2016, "blocking Russian propaganda would have required Facebook to ban stories from" mainstream outlets, he noted)
- And he said citizens "who're willing to question what they see and hear" is the "last line of defense."
Joe Biden Got the Joe Bidenest Dog:
I can imagine this dog wearing aviators on Instagram. Biden, who turns 76 tomorrow, adopted a German shepherd named Major that he and his family had been fostering from the Delaware Humane Association. Major joins Champ, the Bidens' other German shepherd. Here's one of the photos the association posted of the former veep with his new dog: | | Credit: Delaware Humane Association/Facebook
Condi Shoots Down NFL Report:
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice downplayed a report Sunday from ESPN that the Cleveland Browns were considering her for the head coaching job. "I'm not ready to coach but I would like to call a play or two next season if the Browns need ideas!" she wrote in a statement, adding she hoped the league hired female coaches. The Browns denied they were considering Rice for the job.
Kanye West Donated $150K to Fund for Killed Security Guard:
West donated the money to a GoFundMe page for Jemel Roberson, a 26-year-old black security guard who was fatally shot by police at the restaurant where he worked last weekend. West tweeted Sunday, "We believe in love We don't just try we do.. we are... We are love." Community religious leaders have come out in support of Roberson's family and are calling for justice.
Street Art Sighting:
The "Becoming" book cover has been made into art. Artist David Brannon painted Michelle Obama and brought it to her stop at the Forum in Inglewood, California, in hopes of giving it to her. He wasn't able to, but Brannon tweeted, "Hopefully one day I'll be able to hand it to her." | | Credit: Kevin Sullivan/Digital First Media/Orange County Register via Getty Images
If you spot political street art, tweet me @hunterschwarz, tag me on Instagram @hunterschwarz, or email me at coverlinehunter@cnn.com with your sighting so I can feature it in COVER/LINE.
P.S.:
Taylor Swift announced today she signed a new record deal, with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. The deal lets her own the masters of her music going forward, and UMG agreed to share any sales of its Spotify shares with artists. | | | | | | |
