My Publicist Note Book

WASHINGTON — Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former pantomime villain of Donald Trump's  Apprentice  television show before becoming a senior aide to President Trump, has resigned, the White House said Wednesday. Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Newman resigned Tuesday "to pursue other opportunities," and that her departure is effective Jan. 20 — exactly one year into the Trump presidency. Newman, 43, was the most prominent African-American face of Trump's White House, working on outreach to historically black colleges and universities and racial disparities in the military justice system.  But, Manigault Newman's tenure was marred by stories about her ill-defined responsibilities and her frequent clashes with fellow White House aides. The former television personality made headlines earlier this year when a White House reporter, April Ryan, claimed a disagreement between herself and Manigault Newman nearly got physical. But it w...

The State Dining room of the White House has been refurbished with new arm chairs, side chairs, and draperies suspended from carved and gilded poles, all of which were selected with the approval of the Committee for the Preservation of the White House in consultation with first lady Michelle Obama in Washington. WASHINGTON  — Michelle Obama has given the White House State Dining Room a bit of a touch-up. The first lady has added peacock blue and ecru striped silk draperies and custom-made mahogany chairs to the room where many dinners and other White House events take place. The gradual refurbishment has been under way since a new custom-made rug arrived in 2012. Gone are ivory silk-brocade curtains that were designed with flowers, baskets and ribbons, along with older chairs upholstered in beige-colored fabric. The Committee for the Preservation of the White House approved the upgrades at a cost of $ 595,000. The cost was not immediately available, but the changes were pa...