President Trump addressed the nation Monday as it mourns yet another mass shooting. The massacre in Las Vegas claimed the gruesome distinction of the most deadly mass-shooting in the nation’s history Sunday, as the gunman, identified by police as Stephen Paddock, opened fire on country music festival attendees from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel. Trump called the shooting “an act of pure evil” and pledged support for all those affected by the tragedy.
The federal government’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is ongoing, with more aid and personnel flowing into the territories each day. But the Trump Administration has found itself on the defensive over the pace of the assistance, with the president lashing out at critics online.
Trump is still scheduled to tour the devastation in Puerto Rico Tuesday, and he announced he will visit Las Vegas on Wednesday to meet with victims, first responders, and their families.
Here are your must reads:
Must Reads
More Than 50 Dead, 400 Injured in Mass Shooting on Las Vegas Strip
Deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history [Las Vegas Sun]
Donald Trump Ran Against Wasteful Spending. Now His Own Cabinet Is Under Fire
It’s a culture problem [TIME]
Back at Full Strength, Supreme Court Faces a Momentous Term
Gerrymandering, religious freedom, and discrimination cases in play [New York Times]
Trapped in the Mountains, Puerto Ricans Don’t See Help, or a Way Out
The slow pace of response frustrates victims [Washington Post]
Trump Tells Tillerson Talking to North Korea Is A Waste of Time
The president, in tweet, also says the U.S. will ‘do what has to be done’ with North Korea [Wall Street Journal]
Attacks in Havana Hit US Spy Network in Cuba
Spies among first to be injured [Associated Press]
Trump Says He’s Trying to ‘Reduce Size of Government’
But he’s really not [USA Today]
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Sound Off
“My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!” – President Trump in a Monday tweet
“Hopefully this might have pulled us a little bit closer together. It’s easy for that to go away, but — I would hope that we — we focus on how we can achieve some of those things that we haven’t been able to get done yet.” — Rep. Steve Scalise to ’60 Minutes’ as he returned to work after being shot this summer
Bits and Bites
‘We’re Not That Far Apart.’ Steve Scalise Hopes for Political Unity After Near-Death Experience [TIME]
President Trump: Rex Tillerson Is ‘Wasting His Time’ With North Korea Negotiations [TIME]
FEMA Chief Slammed for Calling Puerto Rico Relief Efforts the ‘Most Logistically Challenging Event’ [TIME]
Donald Trump: Puerto Rico Wants ‘Everything to Be Done for Them’ [TIME]
San Juan Mayor Responds to Donald Trump’s Twitter Attack [TIME]
Trump Health Secretary Tom Price Resigns After Private Plane Scandal [TIME]
Full text: Homeland security adviser’s update on Puerto Rico [Axios]
A North Korean ship was seized off Egypt with a huge cache of weapons destined for a surprising buyer [Washington Post]
Facebook to turn over Russia-linked ads [Associated Press]
Scalise: ‘They Said I Was Within a Minute of Death’ [Politico]
5 things to know as Benghazi terror suspect Khatallah heads to trial in D.C. court [USA Today]