Earlier today President Trump met with his cabinet members and outlined the administrations’ expectation they immediately conduct a wholesale review of each department in order to lower costs, shrink the size of their departments and utilize their leadership and executive skills to remove cost redundancy with extreme urgency.

To accomplish this goal, President Trump signed an Executive Order initiating an immediate reorganization of the executive branch –SEE HERE–   Including the elimination of “unnecessary agencies” as identified in the review.

Section 1.  Purpose.  This order is intended to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability of the executive branch by directing the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Director) to propose a plan to reorganize governmental functions and eliminate unnecessary agencies (as defined in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code), components of agencies, and agency programs.

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[Transcript] 3:07 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  I’m proud to welcome everyone to our first official Cabinet meeting. (more…)

There is a Live Stream at the bottom of the updates:

An immediate evacuation in Butte County Northern California has been issued as the primary spillway for the Oroville Dam is expected to experience catastrophic failure at any moment.  70,000 Residents of  Downtown Oroville, Thermalito, and Palermo are under immediate threat and should evacuate with extreme urgency.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION: Auxiliary spillway at Oroville Dam predicted to fail within the next hour. Oroville residents evacuate northward.

— CA – DWR (@CA_DWR) February 13, 2017

OROVILLE, Calif. – An immediate evacuation from the low levels of Oroville and areas downstream is ordered. Supervisor Bill Connelly said specifically people who live in Downtown Oroville, Thermalito, and Palermo.
An evacuation center has been set up at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico. The Elks Lodge in Paradise is also opening their RV Park for free to evacuees. Space is limited in the RV Park. (more…)

There is an extensive area currently under tornado warning until 8:00pm tonight.  Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.  Any Treeper in need of aid or assistance please feel free to use the comments section to reach out.  Stay safe, and pay attention to emergency broadcasts from the National Weather Service.
(VIA ABC) At least 15 people have died over the last 48 hours due to tornadoes, as a violent system of storms continues to work its way across the Florida Panhandle and parts Georgia and Alabama.

At least 11 people died and around two dozen were injured in Georgia from tornadoes early Sunday morning, adding to four tornado-related deaths that occurred in Mississippi on Saturday morning.
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Prayers for the people of Tennessee as they deal with a horrific dry season.  The tourist site and historic town of Gatlinburg is currently under serious threat.  Things are really bad.  There’s a video below showing two guys and a dog escaping –  watch it and you’ll see just how bad it is:

GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Hillbilly Golf, Arrowmont Arts and Crafts School, major hotels, a good portion of Regan Drive and countless other businesses and homes have been destroyed in a blaze that has firefighters continuing their efforts overnight in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

“The center of Gatlinburg looks good for now,” said Newmansville Volunteer Fire Department Lt. Bobby Balding. “It’s the apocalypse on both sides (of downtown).”
An estimated 40 to 50 fire units from volunteer agencies across East and Middle Tennessee were helping fight the fires, with a command center set up at Gatlinburg-Pittman High School. (more…)

First things first – Is everyone OK? If any Treeper is in need of aid or assistance please use the comment section below and we will do our earnest best to find a way to assist.  Also, please make sure you reach out and touch base with any friends or family you may have in the region, just to be sure. 
Thankfully, this looming storm was not as bad as it could have been.  However, that perspective provides little solace if you are one of those who are trying to pick up the pieces of your life in the aftermath.  If you are in that position, you are not alone.  Do not be shy in reaching out for help….

As of 2 a.m. EST (0600 GMT) on Sunday, the storm was about 50 miles (80 km) east of Morehead City, North Carolina, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in an advisory. The center of the storm was set to move near or south of the North Carolina coast early on Sunday and east of the state later in the day as it weakens.
Matthew, which topped out as a ferocious Category 5 storm days before and killed at least 877 people in Haiti, has now been downgraded to Category 1.
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Made a promise to watch out for a family near central Florida without Dad home.  Tree came down and blocked their house exit so me and the boys took a pre-loaded truck, tools and headed out late last night to assist.
Worked chainsaws with shop lights and generators all night to clear 3 houses, then four, then five… well, you get the picture; and make sure all is ok. All is good.
Trees cleared, stacked, everyone safe.  Roofs check, all ok. Promise fulfilled.
While we worked through night, several moms, kids and a bunch of neighbors -super nice peeps- made boxes of sandwiches for relief workers etc… seemed like a party.  God, how we all love this country.
Daybreak, packed up and headed to into FP&L staging area where they were waiting to hook up with line crews from Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia prepping to head north along FL, GA and SC coast.  We gave the scruffs the styro-coolers of food, sandwiches, snacks and drinks to pass out along the way.  More awesome people.
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At 800 PM EDT (0000 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located near latitude 30.7 North, longitude 80.6 West. Matthew is moving toward the north near 12 mph (19 km/h), and this motion is expected to continue tonight. A turn toward toward the north-northeast and then to the northeast is expected on Saturday.

On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will continue to move near or over the coast of northeast Florida and Georgia through tonight, and near or over the coast of South Carolina on Saturday.
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While the responding local, city and state officials have done an outstanding job prudently communicating with the public and warning people to evacuate, some in he media seem to have lost their minds with over-the-top hurricane Matthew hyperbole.
Here’s a summary of segments showing how Fox News host Shepard Smith covered Hurricane Matthew yesterday as it approached the Florida coast.

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The Hurricane Warning has been extended northeastward to Surf City North Carolina. The Hurricane Warning from Sebastian Inlet to Cocoa Beach Florida has been changed to a Tropical Storm Warning. The Tropical Storm Warning south of Sebastian Inlet has been discontinued. The storm surge inbound into South Carolina is the largest concern. 26 Million people currently under Hurricane watch/warning.
Florida Governor Rick Scott morning debrief and presser :

FL Governor Scott has done an exceptional job in planning, communicating and preparation.  Florida has been extremely fortunate so far. This could have been infinitely worse if Matthew varied only a few miles west.
At 1100 AM EDT (1500 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located near latitude 29.4 North, longitude 80.5 West. Matthew is moving toward the north-northwest near 13 mph (20 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue today. (more…)

Hurricane Matthew has downgraded slightly to a Category 3 storm (120 mph) as it wobbles just off shore and threads the gulf stream needle meandering NNW at 14mph. The eye wall itself is about 70 miles off shore and the hurricane force winds extend 60 miles from center, so you can see it’s skirting the coast…. very close.
Each mile makes a big difference.  Palm Bay, Melbourne and Titusville Florida are feeling the scour of the wind field now.  The paramount concern is the wall of water (storm surge) being pushed by Matthew as it heads toward Jacksonville Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

UPDATE 200 AM EDT (0600 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located by NOAA Doppler weather radars and an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 27.6 North, longitude 79.7 West.
Matthew is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h). A turn toward the north-northwest is expected later today, and a turn toward the north is expected tonight or Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will be moving near or over the east coast of the Florida peninsula through tonight, and near or over the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina on Saturday. (more…)