• First lady Melania Trump re-emerged Wednesday shoulder-to-shoulder with her husband, President Donald Trump, at the head of a conference table at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington. "She had a little rough patch, but she's doing great," the president said at the top of a meeting on hurricane readiness. "We're very proud of her, she's done a fantastic job as first lady," he added. "People love you. The people of our country love you. Thank you, honey." The appearance was Melania Trump's first outside the White House since May 10. On Monday, she strolled into a White House event for military families to sweep away the wild speculation that she was incapacitated or had otherwise vanished. The first lady underwent a kidney procedure on May 14 and recuperated in the hospital for five days, according to the White House. But there was no explanation of why she remained out of the public eye for weeks longer. Earlier Wednesday, her husband complained that speculation in the press has been "so unfair, and vicious." Trump tweeted Wednesday that during his wife's recovery, "they reported everything from near death, to facelift, to left the W.H. (and me) for N.Y. or Virginia, to abuse." He added: "All Fake, she is doing really well!"
• Waco, Texas,-based home improvement celebrities Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's Fixer Upper series, have settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on allegations that they used inadequate protection while removing lead paint during renovations dating back to 2015. Under the deal with the EPA, Magnolia Waco Properties LLC, doing business as Magnolia Homes, will ensure compliance with lead-based paint regulations in future renovations. The Gaineses also promised to educate the public on lead-based paint hazards by broadcasting a video on their Magnolia website that details proper handling of renovations in homes that have lead paint. It will feature Chip Gaines and will be shared on the couple's social media. The Gaineses have huge national followings on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as their blogs published on magnolia.com. In a statement Tuesday, the EPA says it reviewed video footage from several seasons of Fixer Upper. EPA says it found violations of regulations governing lead-based paint exposure. Magnolia also has agreed to pay a $40,000 civil penalty and spend $160,000 to abate lead-based paint hazards in homes and child-occupied facilities in Waco.
A Section on 06/07/2018