#executive mansion

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Police have arrested fifteen protesters in Raleigh in the last two days.

Ten protesters were arrested by Raleigh police Wednesday [2020-07-01] for blocking traffic in front of the Governor's Mansion, while another was arrested by the State Capitol Police for trespassing and resisting.  The day before, Raleigh cops made four arrests for property damage after protesters began spray painting in the street, according to a police spokesperson.

The protesters, organized by NC Building Our Revolution Now, were pushing Governor Roy Cooper to veto Senate Bill 168.  The bill — which was passed by the General Assembly at 3 a.m. — keeps death investigation reports from becoming public record while in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.  Previously, they became public record after reaching the county medical examiner, after which the general public would be able to access the info under the Freedom of Information Act.

While the office says this will encourage more police offices to produce these reports to their office, critics feat it will impede public access to reports on the deaths of people in police custody.

Twitter users pointed out that a person describing themselves as a medic was arrested today, based on the protester's white shirt and the red cross insignia on their helmet.  In a since-deleted tweet, Raleigh PD responded that "Medics do not wear helmets."

NC BORN is currently asking for jail support in the midst of the arrests.   It is unclear whether funds are needed for cash bail right now.

This is a developing story.

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The White House is officially open to the public.

The White House will re-open to the public on Tuesday.

“The White House is a remarkable and historic site and we are excited to share its beauty and history,” First Lady Melania Trump said in a statement. “I am committed to the restoration and preservation of our Nation's most recognizable landmark. "

Self-guided tours will be available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.

Federal holidays will be excluded.

Requests can be submitted up to three months in advance. They must be submitted no less than 21 days in advance.

When President Kennedy traveled to Texas in November 1963 and was scheduled to be away from the White House for a few days, White House staff put the finishing touches on a planned redecoration of his Oval Office. JFK, of course, was assassinated on that trip, so he actually never saw his redecorated office, but it was pretty brutal-looking, in my opinion, as they installed a bright red carpet that just didn't seem to fit in the Oval Office:

Here's a comparison of the Oval Office when JFK took office in 1961, which largely looked like the decor used by President Eisenhower throughout the Eisenhower Administration, and the ugly, red carpet redecoration that Kennedy never saw due to his assassination:

When LBJ assumed office following JFK's assassination, he kept the bright red carpet for a while, but eventually redecorated again and got rid of the carpet. LBJ also swapped out the legendary Resolute desk that has been used by most Presidents over the past 120 years. President Johnson was a physically large man, and he installed a larger desk that he had previously used when he was in the Senate and serving as Vice President. The desk that LBJ used -- which is actually called the "Johnson desk" -- is now on display at the LBJ Presidential Library | @lbjlibrary | in Austin, Texas in the museum's Oval Office replica, which displays LBJ's Oval Office as it looked once he replaced the ugly red carpet and had the office redecorated to suit his own tastes.