what is up with the trees....why is a tree newsworthy? watch dates......
Melania Trump Orders Removal of Damaged, 200-Year-Old Tree From White House Lawn
BY DANIEL POLITI
DEC 26, 20171:47 PM
The south facade of the White House will be undergoing a historic change this week when the iconic Jackson Magnolia, which has been in place since shortly after Andrew Jackson’s inauguration in 1829 will be coming down. First Lady Melania Trump made the decision to remove the historic magnolia, which extends from the ground floor of the White house past the second-level executive residence, following expert reports that it was too damaged to stay in place, reports CNN.
Update, Dec. 27, 2017: The Associated Press reported “a large portion of the tree” has now been removed. It’s unclear if the remainder of the tree will eventually be cut down.
“The base of the trees also took the brunt of a Cessna airplane crash which targeted the White House in September 1994 and were subject to significant branch removal and pruning in December 2017.”
https://www.nps.gov/whho/learn/historyculture/jackson-magnolia.htm