HAPPENING TODAY: President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump host the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride before departing for Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Fla. And Air Force Col. DeDe Halfhill will be the new director of press operations, filling the slot left vacant when Army Col. Typically when a new spokesperson takes over at the Pentagon, it takes a few months to get up to speed. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan welcomes Albanian minister of defense Olta Xhacka to the Pentagon. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty, Former Director of National Intelligence retired Adm. Dennis Blair, and Chairman of the Asia Pacific Initiative Yoichi Funabashi.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 18, 2019 11:26 UTC