Names and faces
Is Sean Spicer’s tenure as White House press secretary coming to an end? Spicer would not explicitly confirm or deny reports that he is preparing to transition into a behind-thescenes role while searching for a replacement to field reporters’ questions in the briefing room. “Look, it’s no secret we’ve had a couple vacancies, including a communications director who’s [been] gone for a while,” Spicer said during Tuesday’s White House press briefing, his first on camera since June 12. “We’ve been seeking input from individuals, as far as ideas that they have, and we’ve been meeting with potential people that may be of service to this administration. I don’t think that should come as any surprise.” He added: “But we’re always looking for ways to do a better job of articulating the president’s message and his agenda, and we’ll continue to have those discussions internally. When we have an announcement of a personnel nature, we’ll let you know.” Spicer has been available to reporters less often and for shorter periods in recent weeks. In March, he spent 1,000 minutes with journalists. Heading into Tuesday’s session, he was on pace for 308 minutes in June. Spicer’s anticipated move comes amid President Donald Trump’s growing frustration with his communications team and after the White House made overtures to others about jobs within the West Wing press operation. “We have sought input from many people as we look to expand our communications operation,” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a White House spokesman, said in a statement. “As he did in the beginning, Sean Spicer is managing both the communications and press office.”
London’s fire department posted photos of Adele meeting with firefighters to offer support after an apartment tower fire that is believed to have killed 79 people. Pictures posted on Twitter on Tuesday show the singer posing with firefighters at the Chelsea fire station. Adele had tea with the firefighters Monday and thanked them for their efforts in battling the fire at the 24-story Grenfell Tower. “She just turned up at the station and knocked on the window and said she has some cakes for us,” station manager Ben King said. “So we opened the door to her and then she took her sunglasses off and said: ‘Hi, I’m Adele.’” London has rallied behind firefighters with a mixture of awe and support after the blaze. Firefighter Rob Petty posted the photographs of the “Hello” singer on Facebook. “Not everyday the wonderfully grounded and caring Adele pops into Chelsea Firestation for a cup of tea and a cuddle,” he wrote.