CNN attempts to spin a narrative, FEMA Director refuses to engage. FEMA Director Brock Long explains how the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carmen Yulin-Cruz has intentionally disconnected herself from the unified chain-of-command for Hurricane Maria relief efforts in favor of playing politics.
Additionally and incredibly, Mayor Yulin Cruz has never even visited the San Juan Headquarters where FEMA, Dept. of Homeland Security, Dept of Defense, National Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and PR state governors office are communicating, prioritizing and responding to the urgent needs of municipal leaders and the citizens of Puerto Rico.
Ridiculously, Mayor Yulin Cruz chooses to remain a few blocks away talking politics to media cameras instead of engaging with local, state and federal officials on recovery efforts. FUBAR.
Notice at 09:00 where Director Long specifically discusses the need for disaster response action from the local community, and how citizens should participate instead of remaining dependent on federal government.  Quickly CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield jumps in to cut him off so that CNN producers can continue selling their narrative. WATCH:

Ahead of an upcoming trip by President Donald Trump, and against the backdrop of economic sanctions by Trump/Mnuchin and the U.N. toward North Korea, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson works on the “Magnanimous Panda” strategy within the Trump Doctrine.
The ‘Big Picture’ goal is for China to accept responsibility, publicly, for spearheading the denuclearizing program within an established “six party talk” framework.  China ultimately becoming the guarantor of a denuclearized DPRK, and President Trump stroking the Panda Fur (praise) while simultaneously controlling the amount of bamboo in the Beijing forest.  So far, things are proceeding swimmingly.

BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping offered warm words for U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, calling him a friend and saying he expected Trump’s visit to China in November would be “wonderful”.

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The Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Carmen Yulin-Cruz attempts to make the crisis in Puerto Rico political.  The insufferable mindset to make things political is only exceeded by the ridiculous optic of calling for federal aid while surrounded by relief supplies provided entirely by the U.S. federal government.

•50% of the native Puerto Rican National Guard refused to report to duty when the governor called them up. •Thousands of tons of supplies and equipment, provided by FEMA, U.S. military and U.S. relief agencies, sit at ports while municipal government has no process for delivering them. •Frente Amplio (PR Teamsters Union – truck drivers) are on strike and refusing to deliver supplies. •Over 10,000 U.S. federal personnel are providing recovery and relief on the island….

…and the priority for the Mayor of San Juan, with no power or infrastructure, is to have T-Shirts made to push a political agenda?

Funny how Anderson Cooper never asks:Where does one get a shirt like this made when Puerto Rico is under water and out of power? (rhetorical question)
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Joe Dan Gorman has produced one of his best episodes of Intellectual Froglegs to date:

Visit Intellectual Froglegs Site HERE – Twitter HERE

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

President Trump Twitter @POTUS / Vice President Pence Twitter @VP

Sarah H Sanders Twitter @SHSanders45

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

President Donald Trump discusses the short-term (relief) and long-term (recovery) efforts for Puerto Rico.    As everyone is aware, even before the storm the island territory was under financial collapse as a result of Democrat mismanagement and generational political agendas’ creating a culture of dependency.
Hurricane Maria has exacerbated Puerto Rico’s problems and is showcasing a governmental structure incapable of governing during crisis.  The media hypes the suffering, yet omits the Island’s inept systems of governance and the culture of dependency.  The only way the U.S. federal government can assist effectively is by taking over almost every aspect of state and local government.
As President Trump points out in this impromptu press conference, congress has some decisions to make on the long-term future of Puerto Rico.  Throwing money at the problem is futile when the recipient systems are fraught with ineptitude and corruption.

Against the backdrop of targeted sonic-weapon attacks against American diplomatic personnel the U.S. State Department removes non-essential employees and issues a travel warning against Americans traveling to Cuba.
STATE DEPT – Over the past several months, 21 U.S. Embassy employees have suffered a variety of injuries from attacks of an unknown nature. The affected individuals have exhibited a range of physical symptoms, including ear complaints, hearing loss, dizziness, headache, fatigue, cognitive issues, and difficulty sleeping. Investigators have been unable to determine who is responsible or what is causing these attacks.
On September 29, the Department ordered the departure of non-emergency personnel assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Havana, as well as all family members. Until the Government of Cuba can ensure the safety of our diplomats in Cuba, our Embassy will be reduced to emergency personnel in order to minimize the number of diplomats at risk of exposure to harm.
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Well, that didn’t take long. LOLOL.
HHS Secretary Tom Price resigns. President Trump accepts his resignation:

Secretary of Health and Human Services Thomas Price offered his resignation earlier today and the President accepted. The President intends to designate Don J. Wright of Virginia to serve as Acting Secretary, effective at 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2017. Mr. Wright currently serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (link)

EARLIER – Price is toast.  We all know President Trump is loyal, but this one is business.  HHS Secretary Tom Price was already on tenuous ground because he was supposed to be the central figure behind the ObamaCare repeal and replacement effort.
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