President Trump and Melania Trump are likely skipping the Kennedy Center Honors for the second year in a row.

“There are no plans for them to attend at this time,” Stephanie Grisham, who serves as communications director for the first lady, told ITK of the Dec. 2 event. The news was first reported Tuesday by The New York Post.

A Kennedy Center rep declined ITK's request for further comment.

Last year, the Trumps opted out of attending the prestigious awards gala after several entertainers — including TV legend Norman Lear and dancer Carmen de Lavallade — said they would avoid a White House reception traditionally held before the event in protest of the president.

“The president and first lady have decided not to participate in this year’s activities to allow the honorees to celebrate without any political distraction,” a statement at the time from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said. The reception also didn’t take place.

This year’s roster of honorees includes more than one high-profile critics of Trump.

Cher has blasted Trump as a "f—ing traitor” and has said she wished he would “fall off the face of the Earth.”

“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has also criticized the Trump administration’s response in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria last year. After Trump attacked Puerto Rican officials, Miranda replied that the president was “going straight to hell.”

Reba McEntire, jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter and composer Philip Glass will also be honored at next month's ceremony in Washington.

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/416500-trump-set-to-skip-kennedy-center-honors-again

Truth serum? New CIA 'torture program' docs shed light on post-9/11 'Project Medication'

https://www.rt.com/usa/443898-cia-torture-drugs-program/

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/11/13/Broward-elections-chief-mulls-leaving-post-amid-Florida-recounts/1671542150410/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

White House chief of staff John Kelly could soon be departing from the Trump administration following conflicts with first lady Melania Trump and other officials, NBC News reported Tuesday.

Kelly and Trump have reportedly clashed over the first lady's staffing requests and her travel arrangements.

Citing two White House officials, NBC News reported that the first lady voiced concerns to President Trump earlier this year after Kelly denied multiple requests from her to promote her aides.

Those requests remained in limbo for months, with Kelly reportedly insisting that there weren't enough open spots for those aides to have senior titles.

NBC News noted that two of the aides in question, first lady spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham and White House social secretary Anna Cristina Niceta Lloyd, were ultimately promoted in June.

Kelly and Melania Trump have also reportedly feuded over travel arrangements for the first lady's staff, with Kelly often refusing to make space available for her aides aboard Air Force One and on helicopters.

The first lady's staff members have also often been without hotel reservations while traveling and haven't been listed for motorcade travel, according to NBC News.

Grisham told The Hill in a statement that Trump "has a very positive relationship" with Kelly and that there "have never been any issues" between the two.

Grisham also said that that the East Wing is "very focused on the First Lady's initiatives and works independently."

"However, we do collaborate on a variety of projects and work alongside many departments within the West Wing. We have a very positive working relationship," Grisham added.

The White House did not immediately return a request for comment from The Hill.

Kelly's potential ouster from the White House has long been rumored as a possibility. He was brought in last year to replace Reince Priebus, President Trump's first White House chief of staff.

NBC News noted that Kelly has also clashed with national security adviser John Bolton. The two were reported to have engaged in a profanity-laced verbal disagreement outside the Oval Office last month.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is also reportedly on the way out, according to a report from The Washington Post.

Nielsen was Kelly's chief of staff when Kelly was secretary of Homeland Security and filled the role when he moved to the White House, and Kelly has defended Nielsen from Trump's attacks.

Trump has reportedly been frustrated with Nielsen's efforts on immigration as the administration deals with a wave of new arrests along the border.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/416441-trump-chief-of-staff-clashes-with-first-lady-nbc?__twitter_impression=true

Trump to nominate General Abi Zaid as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

After four years of the position being vacant, president Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate retired General John Abi Zaid as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

The nomination of General Abi Zaid, a decorated military commander who fought in six wars and served as the head of Central Command (Centcom) before retiring in 2007, was announced by the White House late on Tuesday. He currently serves as the first Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.

“General Abizaid began his career in the US Army as an infantry platoon leader and rose to become a four-star general and the longest serving commander of United States Central Command,” the statement read.

He is from Lebanese-American descent and is a fluent speaker of Arabic. General Abi Zaid is a known figure in the Gulf region, having fought in the Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

The nomination which will require Senate confirmation follows criticism for the Trump administration for keeping the position vacant for two years.

David Urban, a Trump campaign supporter was on the short list for the position, but General Abi Zaid military background at a time the US is putting more emphasis on the Yemen war has tipped the scales in his favour.

https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/trump-to-nominate-general-abi-zaid-as-ambassador-to-saudi-arabia-1.791538

>>3892434

https://twitter.com/TheRealStanLee/status/1061029474400002048