Dan Diamond

well I guess paternity leave is officially over

President Trump wants to build a 250-foot-tall arch. If completed, it will cast shadows on many graves and monuments in nearby Arlington National Cemetery, the @washingtonpost.com's 3-D analysis found. On some days, Trump's arch would even shade the grave and eternal flame of JFK.

SCOOP: The CDC's deputy director is leaving. Jen Shuford, an infectious-disease physician who had been Texas's health commissioner, was hired to help restore trust in CDC. Now she's out after six months. More with @lenasun.bsky.social.

the savvy rebranding of less-popular white pumpkins

View of East Potomac from my flight today — spotted work crews, debris and many fewer trees than before.

Putting someone from Fish and Wildlife in as alternate for the Secretary of the Interior is unprecedented. The seat was created for the National Capital Parks and has been held by an NPS employee since 1933.

The Trump administration says tonight that it could begin construction of the triumphal arch on Nov. 5 — immediately after next month's vote.

Trump adds several political appointees to the National Capital Planning Commission, replacing career officials as alternate commissioners, before next month's vote on his controversial triumphal arch.

Trump has ordered up cameras to monitor his construction projects for “vandals” At least $343K to be spent after the president falsely blamed vandals for Reflecting Pool damage www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Trump says that New Mexico should "immediately" change its name to "New America." State leaders have panned Trump's weeks-long focus on the name change. A GOP candidate in a close race for Congress is trying to distance himself from Trump's idea, too.

The White House response to questions about why the photos were altered and if they obscured a map of East Potomac. (In a follow-up message, Cheung said the questions were “typical incel behavior.”)

New: Katie Zacharia posted a pair of doctored photos of Trump’s desk. Advocates say the photo edits were to hide a map of East Potomac Park ahead of court showdown on Monday. more with Rick Maese

New: Final plans for Trump’s arch make no mention of drones, snipers or other military features Trump said last month he’d convert the arch to a “military complex” But the only updates are to lighting — like a new “eternal flame” for the statue — and local traffic planning

The White House Historical Association was created by Jackie Kennedy to preserve + teach the White House's history. Then Trump arrived — and tore down the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. "They haven’t said one word about it. Not one word,” a longtime supporter told me, vowing never to give money again.

At least 59 different pollsters have released more than 150 polls measuring national support for Congress or support in competitive Senate contests from September to early October. Who is conducting these polls? How are they carried out? Are they trustworthy? www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Ballroom-size scoop from @washingtonpost.com’s Jonathan O’Connell, Sarah Blaskey and @aaronschaffer.com: the secret list of major donors to Trump’s flagship project Among the revelations — $25M apiece from Apple and Nvidia, and numerous gifts from people + firms with business before Trump

Trump today suggested the “Ocean of Americas” as a new name for the Atlantic or Pacific. 
The president also floated the idea of naming an ocean after himself.

Huh. Former GOP governor Bill Graves on why he's endorsing Democrat @hamilton4kansas.bsky.social for Senate: "I’ve just been terribly disappointed and alarmed at the congressional level in the Republicans’ willingness to yield so easily, so readily, to this executive branch."

New: Trump is sending emails to millions of Medicare enrollees today to tout $90 payments and his broader health policies. Democrats and advocates have said the move is an inappropriate stunt. with @iarnsdorf.bsky.social

Trump's midterm message to Italian Americans: remember what I did for Christopher Columbus. After protesters toppled Columbus statues in 2020, Trump has brought one to the White House + plans to publicly celebrate Columbus tomorrow. with @oliviacgeorge.bsky.social

U.S. officials and other experts are urging Russia to release more info about reported case of plague lab-leak. @ashishkjha.bsky.social: "We don’t really have a full understanding of what was going on in this facility." with @lenasun.bsky.social and Mary Ilyushina.

New: Trump’s abrupt announcement to send $90 payments to seniors by dipping into a Medicare fund has rattled Capitol Hill. One GOP aide told WaPo that lawmakers had planned to use the money to offset funding for community health centers, diabetes programs and other initiatives.

feel like I just got RickRolled by @legistorm.com

President Trump suggested to Time magazine that he’s looking into ways to preserve his changes to the Oval Office. He also said he rejected a Secret Service idea to tear down and replace the Oval Office.

Amy Klobuchar is out with a new fundraising email based on her Senate clash with Eric Schmitt: “Get your facts straight before calling someone a dirtbag.”

missed this earlier, but an enterprising staffer in Schmitt's office apparently added a picture of the Atlanta Hawks arena to the senator's posterboard

New: Trump last week said that he would convert his planned triumphal arch into a "military complex." But officials steering the project said in a Tuesday meeting that they had no more info and were proceeding with the original arch design as planned. More at @washingtonpost.com →

In today’s Post: a visual look at how Trump is physically remaking Washington. His supporters are cheering his renovations and additions. Many DC residents want him to stop. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/int...

Chris Klomp, who’s currently going through Senate confirmation to be deputy HHS secretary, appears to be off the panel.

New: the White House is reopening part of Lafayette Square, the public park across the street, after fencing it off 8 months ago. White House official tells The Post that Secret Service is balancing public access against security risks to Trump, and a formal update is coming soon.

Russell Brand, who's awaiting trial in London next month on rape and sexual assault charges, will moderate a panel at DC's MAHA summit tomorrow on reforming a U.S. health agency

Trump vowed to go all-out campaigning for GOP. But first: it’s time for golf and college football.

We reported in July that Trump was speeding up his helipad project because he wanted to show it off to Xi. Today Trump gave the Chinese president a 10-minute tour of the project. Trump and the White House have also repeatedly shared video of the tour.

New: Trump officials are ending a federally required review of how President Donald Trump’s planned arch would harm historic sites. The move would conclude one of the last remaining steps before Trump can begin construction on the arch.

Since he was born, I’ve sung The Beatles’ “Blackbird” to my son to soothe him to sleep. But now, 3 yrs old, he interrupts me with Qs like: - What is the blackbird’s name? - How did the blackbird get hurt? - Where did it happen? (I told him “Abbey Road” last night, which prompted: where’s that?)

Democrats are again insisting that Trump release the text of his deals with drug companies. @wyden.senate.gov: “Here we are, months later, with six written requests, legislation to compel release, and a Cabinet secretary’s commitment. And I have not seen a single page.”

The National Trust sued to stop Trump's ballroom. He called them "treasonists." Now the preservation group is launching a $10M legal fund to fight Trump's broader changes. The National Trust's CEO: “The ideals and values of historic preservation are being undermined."

I was working in a Whole Foods cafe this week when a store manager sat down at a table next to me, along with a job candidate. He asked a question I've never heard in all my years of job interviews: "How do I know when you get stressed?"

a dream job

typos matter

Trump's new plan to turn his arch into a "military complex" may complicate ongoing review process among the emerging concerns: - safety of drones near National Airport - legality of building a military complex on federal parkland @rephuffman.bsky.social: "This is cartoonishly illegal."

After banning media outlets, the White House has spent all day teasing the launch of “Trump TV,” a YouTube station promising “top videos, major remarks, and must-see highlights streaming 24/7.” They begin by showing an 80-day-old Trump speech at Mt Rushmore.