“It’s like Vienna in 1914,” said James Carville in his unmistakable drawl. “It’s like the opening of The Guns of August.” Barbara Tuchman’s classic account of the first days of World War I opens with the funeral of King Edward VII, which, for all its pomp and circumstance—nine kings arrive, followed by “five heirs apparent, forty more imperial or royal highnesses, seven queens,” and a “scattering of special ambassadors”—marks the start of a steep descent into war.

Near Carville stood two police officers, guarding a metal detector erected outside the expansive basement ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC. There, a few hundred of the people who once ran the town gathered on Monday to mourn the passing of one of their own.

The memorial was for Robert Barnett, the famed Washington lawyer, power broker, and confidant of presidents who negotiated blockbuster book deals for superstar clients, including the Clintons, the Bushes, and the Obamas. The invitation-only service, held on a sunny November morning and attended by a dizzying collection of Washington’s boldface names, was a fitting tribute to Barnett, who died in September at the age of 79. Nearly 700 people packed into the ballroom, filling every seat, to hear speeches from his many clients: Bill and Hillary Clinton, Bob Woodward, and James Patterson, to name a few.

Barnett was once labeled “the kingpin of Washington book deals” by The New York Times, but his influence extended far beyond the capital. He negotiated contracts for politicians, television stars, writers, royals, and celebrities, but also acted as a trusted counselor to many; Hillary Clinton wrote in her 2003 memoir—for which Barnett secured her an $8 million advance—that he was the first to suggest to her that Bill might have indeed had an affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Washington has changed a lot since Barnett made his fame there. Donald Trump twice stormed into office with a pledge to drain the swamp, which manifested not in a departure from grubby DC corruption, but certainly a humbling of the establishment insiders who ruled the capital for decades. In Trump’s Washington, many of the powerful in the room at The Ritz felt more powerless than ever. They loathe what he’s done to the East Wing. There is nothing they can do about it.

Even with the government shut down, Outdoor Alliance doesn’t stop working to protect public lands and waters. In October, our team and partners from across the country came together in Washington, D.C. for a fly-in that brought outdoor recreation leaders face-to-face with lawmakers to talk about the issues that matter most to the outdoor community: keeping public lands public, defending agency staffing and resources, and securing long-term funding for the outdoors.

Over the course of two days, our team, member organizations, and Grasstops Collective advocates met with 77 offices, including 9 members of Congress—a nearly even split between Republicans and Democrats. These meetings helped strengthen bipartisan support for outdoor recreation and conservation priorities across the country.

Policy Priorities and Takeaways

Our meetings focused on several key policy priorities:

• Keeping public lands public: At a time when some lawmakers are proposing to sell off or give away public lands, Outdoor Alliance continues to stand up for the idea that these lands belong to everyone. Senator Lee’s recent shift from a national land sale strategy to a piecemeal approach underscores that the outdoor community needs to stay engaged in protecting public lands and waters.

• Protecting outdoor recreation: We shared the importance of upholding the Roadless Rule, which the USDA is in the process of working to rescind, a move that would strip protections from 45 million acres of National Forests. While some staff were less familiar with this issue, these conversations highlighted the need for ongoing public education and advocacy.

• Defending agency capacity: Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed concern about the state of agency staffing. Understaffed agencies are struggling to implement policies like the EXPLORE Act, manage recreation responsibly, and maintain essential infrastructure.

• Securing funding for the outdoors: There was strong bipartisan interest in reauthorizing the Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), a cornerstone of the Great American Outdoors Act that has delivered millions of dollars in deferred maintenance projects across public lands. Many offices voiced support for moving a clean reauthorization bill through the Senate in the next year.

Outdoor Alliance’s CEO Adam Cramer said, “Public lands are one of the last truly bipartisan spaces in America. The conversations we had this week show that there’s still real appetite—across party lines—to protect access, fund stewardship, and ensure agencies have what they need to care for these places.”

Highlights from California

The California team met with 14 bipartisan offices, including House Natural Resources Committee staff and Ranking Member Congressman Jared Huffman, who expressed continued support for the Legacy Restoration Fund and outdoor recreation priorities.

“Our meetings with key decision-makers from the California delegation were both productive and insightful, strengthening Outdoor Alliance’s national advocacy efforts,” said Katie Goodwin, Western Regional Director & Policy Analyst at Access Fund. “It was especially meaningful to meet in person with our California policy team, as we continue our six-year partnership advancing impactful conservation policies and expanding public lands access at the federal level.”

Move over spooky, this year’s Halloween theme in D.C. is politics.

Along with pumpkins, witches and vampires, you will see a lot of Halloween decorations featuring political messages on the front steps of homes around the District.

Skeletons throwing sandwiches were spotted in many parts of D.C., which represents Sean Dunn, the former paralegal for the Department of Justice who was arrested for throwing a sub at a Customs and Border Protection during a protest at 14th and U streets NW in August.

One hot spot for politically themed Halloween decorations is in Georgetown, which may make one of President Donald Trump’s cabinet members feel less than festive.

Christine Payne has lived, along with her husband Jimmy, in Georgetown for six years and her small but pointed decoration has more than a veiled message to her neighbor Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

“My son has autism, and a neighbor is very active in anti-vaccines,” Payne said. “So it was also in reflection to that.”

Along with pumpkins and a Halloween themed “Welcome” sign on the door, Payne has a skeleton displayed in her window.

The skeleton in a child-sized chair, holding a sign that says, “Wish I had taken my vaccine.”

“There is a small bottle of Tylenol also next to his feet because we’re very concerned about it affecting children,” Payne said.

Another one of Payne’s neighbors joined her with the theme — by putting out a headstone that reads, “I did my own research.”

“We have people taking photos of it constantly,” Payne said.

While she had not heard from Kennedy about the Halloween display, she did say he and his wife Cheryl Hines have only been nice and friendly.

“One of the nicer neighbors that we’ve dealt with through the years, very agreeable, but love thy neighbor, not agree with his politics,” Payne said.

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