CNN sues White House for correspondent’s press pass ban and Melania Trump calls for senior aide to be fired.
Michelle Obama opens up in ‘Becoming’
Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama is back in the spotlight with her candid new memoir Becoming, reported CNN.
In the book, Michelle talks about her struggle with infertility and the sense of loneliness and exhaustion that came with being married to a man with presidential ambitions. She takes a look at families who devoted their lives to politics like the Clintons and the Kennedys and wonders if their smiles were genuine.
Michelle also opens up about the struggles inside her marriage and relates to working parents everywhere.
Michelle and Barack Obama reportedly made a record-breaking $60 million deal for their memoirs, sold to Penguin Random House’s Crown imprint last year.
Becoming stood at No. 1 on the Amazon charts Tuesday, reported Vanity affair.
CNN sues Donald Trump for suspending White House correspondent’s press pass
CNN has filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and multiple White House aides seeking restoration of correspondent Jim Acosta’s access to the White House.
The move comes after Acosta’s press pass, known as a Secret Service ‘hard pass,’ was suspended by the White House last week.
CNN’s worldwide president Jeff Zucker in his memo to staff said, “This is not a step we have taken lightly. But the White House action is unprecedented.”
The media giant also said that the Trump administration has violated Acosta’s due process rights guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment when it wrongfully revoked his credentials.
“We have asked this court for an immediate restraining order requiring the pass be returned to Jim, and will seek permanent relief as part of this process,” CNN said in a statement issued early Tuesday.
The White House Correspondents’ Association said it “strongly supports CNN’s goal of seeing their correspondent regain a US Secret Service security credential that the White House should not have taken away in the first place.”
Amazon picks New York City and Virginia for its HQ2 project
World’s largest online retailer Amazon Tuesday ended its 14-month, countrywide search for a location for a second headquarters for its HQ2 project by picking New York City and Virginia, reported The New York Times.
Amazon will invest $2.5 billion investment in New York’s Long Island City and Arlington in Virginia, reported CNN. Both states are to help the company with infrastructure upgrades and job-training programmes.
The company also said that it will develop a smaller operations and logistics facility in Nashville, creating 5,000 jobs.
Amazon’s announcement was hailed by top politicians as a major victory.
“We had an unprecedented opportunity to add to the number of jobs,” New York City mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.
Stephen Moret, president and chief executive of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, said the project is a “transformational opportunity to diversify the economy” of Northern Virginia.
White House aide set to be fired after Melania Trump intervenes
Donald Trump’s deputy national security adviser and a senior White House aide Mira Ricardel is set to be fired after a dispute with First Lady Melania Trump, reported The Guardian.
“It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that Ricardel no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House,” Stephanie Grisham, the First Lady’s communications director, said in a statement.
Ricardel reportedly clashed with members of the First Lady’s staff over plane seating during Melania’s recent trip to Africa. He also had a contentious rapport with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and Defence Secretary Jim Mattis.
The intervention in a personal matter by Melania, who has maintained a low profile as First Lady, was rare.
Donald Trump to fire Homeland Security chief, replace Chief of Staff
US President Donald Trump is planning to fire Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief Kirstjen Nielsen and will be replacing Chief of Staff John Kelly as part of his post-midterms Cabinet shakeup, reported Reuters.
According to the report, Trump has been mulling to remove Nielsen for a number weeks due to dissatisfaction with her performance.
Trump cancelled a trip with Nielsen this week to visit US troops at the border in South Texas and told White House aides over the weekend about his decision to remove her as soon as possible, according to five current and former White House officials, reported The Washington Post.
DHS officials working with Nielsen declined to address her departure Monday.
The report said Trump is also planning to replace Kelly, a strong defender of Nielsen, with Nick Ayers, Chief of Staff of Vice President Mike Pence.