Aug 29, 2017

Sanders: Trump to "lay the foundation" for recovery in Texas

Alayna Treene

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk from Marine One to board Air Force One at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, for a trip to Texas to get an update on Harvey relief efforts (Evan Vucci / AP)

During a press gaggle on board Air Force One Tuesday, Sarah Sanders briefed reporters on President Trump's Texas visit:

  • Trump wants to be "very cautious" about making sure his visit doesn't disrupt the recovery efforts that are still ongoing.
  • Once there, Trump plans to start laying the foundation "for what we know will be a long recovery effort." He will be joined by Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz for much of visit from Corpus Christi to Austin.
  • The president plans to return to the storm zone on Saturday, but no details were given.

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America's dwindling executions

The Trump administration wants to reboot federal executions, pointing to a 16-year lapse, but Pew Research reports the government has only executed three people since 1963.

The big picture: Nearly all executions in the U.S. are done by states. Even those have been steadily dropping for two decades, per the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — marking a downward trend for all executions in the country.

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Top NSC official may be moved after "Anonymous" rumor fallout

President Trump at the Daytona 500. (Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Top Trump administration officials are in discussions to reassign deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates to the Department of Energy from the National Security Council, per two sources familiar with the planning.

Why it matters: Coates' working relationship with National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, who elevated her to the deputy role only months ago, has strained amid an effort by some people inside the administration to tag her as "Anonymous" — a charge she has vehemently denied to colleagues.

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Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion for climate change research

Bezos at Amazon Smbhav in New Delhi on Jan. 15. Photo: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced the launch of his "Earth Fund" on Monday via Instagram to fund climate change research and awareness.

What he's saying: Bezos says he's initially committing $10 billion to fund "scientists, activists, and NGOS" that are working on environmental preservation and protection efforts.

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