Newly resurfaced video appears to show that White House chief of staff John Kelly was incorrect when he accused Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) of taking credit for the funding of an FBI building in Miami in 2015.

Kelly was speaking to reporters during a rare press briefing appearance to address the growing controversy surrounding President Trump’s remarks to the widow of a U.S. soldier killed in an ambush in Niger.

"A congresswoman stood up, and in a long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there in all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call, he gave the money, the $20 million, to build the building, and she sat down,” Kelly told reporters.

Wilson fired back at Kelly, calling Kelly’s accusations “crazy” and noting that the building "was funded long before I got to Congress.”

read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/356395-video-appears-to-show-kelly-misrepresented-speech-of-dem

The Trump administration is pushing the limits of an obscure federal law that restricts nominees from serving in federal positions before they’re approved by the Senate.

A POLITICO review has identified four officials at three different agencies doing substantially similar work to the position for which they have been nominated – despite not yet getting a green-light from the Senate. The hires reflect increasing impatience in federal agencies that key jobs remain unfilled nine months into the new administration.

President Donald Trump has complained repeatedly that Democrats are moving too slowly to confirm his nominees, though he’s also said he intends to leave many jobs empty. Democrats counter that the onus is on Trump, who has not yet announced nominees for a slew of key positions across the government.

Either way, lawyers and other experts said the moves – including by the Environmental Protection Agency, the State Department and the White House Office of Management and Budget – to have unconfirmed nominees show up for work appears to skirt the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which prohibits most people who have been nominated to fill a vacant government position from performing that office’s duties in an acting capacity.

It’s unclear whether the officials in question are in direct violation of the law, but some experts said the administration appears to be defying its intent.

“This seems like it goes further than most examples I have seen,” said Norm Ornstein, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. “It seems like in some cases they’re taking people and potentially giving them roles that go beyond what they’re supposed to have.”

more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/20/trump-nominees-working-senate-approval-243972

Oct 17, 2017
2:13 PM

Sen. Lamar Alexander said he has arrived at a bipartisan deal with Democratic Sen. Patty Murray to stabilize Obamacare insurer subsidies.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, chairman of a key committee that has been working on a bipartisan deal to stabilize Obamacare, said Tuesday that he has arrived at an agreement with Sen. Patty Murray, the committee's top Democrat.

The deal would fund Obamacare's insurer funds, known as cost-sharing reduction payments, for two years, and includes what Alexander refers to as "meaningful flexibility" for states. Trump abruptly cut off the subsidies last week.

It would allow insurers to sell "copper plans," to people who are older than 30, which tend to have higher deductibles and offer fewer benefits than more expensive options, but could be one way to attract individuals into the market who have fewer medical needs.

"This is a small step, I'd like to undersell it, not oversell it," said the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, adding that he hoped to release legislation this week.

Alexander said he is trying to line up Republican co-sponsors, while Murray is trying to get enough co-sponsors on the Democratic side as well.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the bill received "broad support" during a lunch with Democrats.

Read more: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/key-senators-reach-deal-on-obamacare-insurer-subsidies/article/2637770

http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/24/politics/cruz-paul-graham-cassidy/index.html

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), a key House moderate from a swing district, announced Thursday that he would not seek reelection next year for an eighth term.

"I've worked to instill stability, certainty, and predictability in Washington," Dent, a co-chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group, said in a statement.

"Regrettably, that has not been easy given the disruptive outside influences that profit from increased polarization and ideological rigidity that leads to dysfunction, disorder, and chaos," he said.

Dent indicated that he decided in "mid-summer" to retire from Congress after having "periodic discussions" with family about his future in public office since the 2013 government shutdown.

. . .
read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/349750-dent-announces-he-wont-seek-reelection

The status of the Trump estate, which has been for sale for several months and is apparently used as a rental property, is not known, but the French government, which controls the side of St. Martin that Trump’s property is on, said there was serious damage in the area:

A cluster of government buildings on the island was partially destroyed, and two-dozen government officials were forced to take shelter inside a concrete structure.

“We know that the four most solid buildings on the island have been destroyed, which means that more rustic structures have probably been completely or partially destroyed,” French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told AFP.

Since the storm is headed to South Florida, Trump’s real estate holdings there, including Mar-A-Lago and three golf courses, are likely to face at least tropical storm conditions and worse if they end up being in the storm’s path. But this morning the Trump Organization tweeted it is operating as normal until further notice.

Trump National Doral
@TrumpDoral

While we're monitoring Hurricane Irma, all resort operations are as normal until further notice. Guests w/questions should call 305.592.2000
8:44 AM - Sep 6, 2017 · Doral, FL

read more: http://uproxx.com/news/hurricane-irma-hit-trump-caribbean-property-mar-a-lago-st-martin/

So this is the beginning of his comeuppance -- it's karma, Trump. Take it in stride. What goes around comes around.


Photo of Saint Martin devastation:
https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/hurricane-irma/

Found this info on DailyKos https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/8/27/1693753/-The-Cajun-Navy-Is-On-Its-Way-To-Houston-THIS-Is-What-Makes-America-Great. Went to his Twitter page, donations to Red Cross are pouring in.

https://twitter.com/billprady/status/901904006632570881

The White House staff shakeup must continue, California Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said Sunday.

The comments from the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee on CNN's "State of the Union" came after the exit of chief White House strategist Steve Bannon on Friday and the departure of several other senior staff. Democrats continue to call for President Donald Trump to remove others, including Stephen Miller as senior adviser and Sebastian Gorka as deputy assistant.

"We need the very best people around him in the White House," Schiff said of Trump. "And that means not people like Bannon, not people like Miller, not people like Gorka, but rather some more adults in the room."

read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/20/politics/adam-schiff-white-house-staff-cnntv/index.html

An artist sketches a tribute to #HeatherHeyer on the #Charlottesville Free Speech Wall. Public memorial began at 11

Heather's mom speaking at her daughter's funneral: