Posted by: Audiegrl
The White House Photo Office just released a new batch of photos from the second part of July on the Official White House Flickr. Where else are you going see the President take a hike along the coastline, sign the hood of a Chevy Volt and joke with the Chicago Bulls? View the July slideshow below.
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Posted by: Audiegrl
Written by Lynn Rosenthal
President Barack Obama, surrounded by members of congress and Native American leaders, signs the Tribal Law and Order Act during a ceremony in the East Room at the White House, on July 29, 2010 in Washington, DC. The Act will give tribal courts the authority to impose harsher sentences and will require the courts to keep a better record of declinations involving Indian Country among other provisions. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images North America)
We encourage readers to watch the video of the signing, including the moving introduction from Lisa Marie Iyotte.
The President just signed the Tribal Law and Order Act — an important step to help the Federal Government better address the unique public safety challenges that confront tribal communities.
According to a Department of Justice report, Native American women suffer from violent crime at a rate three and a half times greater than the national average. Astoundingly, one in three Native American women will be raped in their lifetimes. At the White House Tribal Nations Conference in November 2009, President Obama stated that this shocking figure “is an assault on our national conscience that we can no longer ignore.”
Last week, Congress took another important step to improve the lives of Native American women by passing the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010. The Act includes a strong emphasis on decreasing violence against women in Native communities, and is one of many steps this Administration strongly supports to address the challenges faced by Native women.
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Filed under Change, Native Americans, Pres. Barack Obama, Uncategorized, Women's Issues
Posted by: Audiegrl
Written by Macon Phillips
It’s not every day that the President takes time out of his schedule to record a video about a website. But that’s just what happened with HealthCare.gov, the new consumer-oriented website from the Department of Health and Human Services. In the video, he shows how anyone can learn about new rights and benefits available to them as a result of health reform law, and, for the first time ever, see all their insurance coverage options in one place. Check it out:
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Making useful, easy-to-use information available online is a priority for this Administration. And putting power back into the hands of Americans is a primary focus for the President. HealthCare.gov accomplishes both. So, take a moment and check it out.
And don’t forget to leave your feedback in the yellow boxes throughout the site. The team at HHS is reviewing them on a regular basis and it’s a great way to help make HealthCare.gov a better resource for all of us.
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Filed under Change, Health, Health Care Reform, Pres. Barack Obama, Uncategorized
Posted by: Audiegrl
Members of the audience take photos of President Barack Obama during a break in the taping of The View at ABC Studios in New York, N.Y., July 28, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Posted by: Audiegrl
Last month, President Obama awarded Paul McCartney the annual Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Artists from all the genres and backgrounds paid tribute to the music legend with a concert hosted by the President and First Lady at the White House. Take a break and go behind-the-scenes with the Jonas Brothers as they prepare for and perform the Beatles classic “Drive My Car” for President Obama and Sir Paul.
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Don’t miss the “In Performance at the White House” music special with performances by McCartney himself, Jonas Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Herbie Hancock, Corinne Bailey Rae, Dave Grohl, Faith Hill, Emmylou Harris, Lang Lang and Jack White, with remarks by Jerry Seinfeld on Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 8:00 PM EDT on PBS stations nationwide. Check your local listings here.
Looking for more stories on the First Lady? Check out our special section: FLOTUS: All Things Michelle Obama
Posted by: Audiegrl
First Lady Michelle Obama christens the USCGC Stratton with a bottle of champagne, during a ceremony at the Port of Pascagoula, in Pascagoula, Miss., July 23, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
Remarks by the First Lady at Christening of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Remarks by the First Lady at a Coast Guard Gulf Coast Oil Spill Briefing in Pascagoula, Mississippi
Looking for more stories on the First Lady? Check out our special section: FLOTUS: All Things Michelle Obama
Filed under BP Oil Spill, First Lady Michelle Obama, Mississippi
Posted by: Audiegrl
President Barack Obama and his family hike on Cadillac Mountain at Acadia National Park in Maine, July 16, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Posted by: Audiegrl
Marian Robinson, mother of First Lady Michelle Obama, reads to local school children at the Department of Educations Lets Read, Let's Move summer enrichment program in Washington, Thursday, July 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
But since Bo moved into the White House and become part of the first family, Robinson says she loves him “almost like a person.”
Mrs. Robinson told about 100 pre-kindergarten through third-grade pupils Thursday that Bo is “precious.” She answered the kids’ questions after reading to them during an Education Department-sponsored story hour.
Mrs. Robinson lives at the White House with her son-in-law, President Barack Obama, her daughter and granddaughters Malia and Sasha, and nearly 2-year-old Bo.
She turns 73 on July 29.
Looking for more stories on the First Lady? Check out our special section: FLOTUS: All Things Michelle Obama
Filed under Childhood Obesity, Education, First Lady Michelle Obama, Pets
Posted by: Audiegrl
Written by Bill Moggridge
First Lady Michelle Obama talks with Timothy Gunn during a luncheon honoring the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum's National Design Award recipients in the East Room of the White House. July 21, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
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The day began with a Teen Design Fair at the Smithsonian American Art Renwick Gallery, where DC high school students met one-on-one with leading designers in the fields of fashion, industrial design, architecture, multimedia and graphic design, including Jenna Lyons of J.Crew, Maira Kalman, Smart Design and Stephen Doyle. To close out the morning, an inspiring Q&A was held with Tim Gunn and Caroline Payson, Cooper-Hewitt’s Education Director, about the value of design education. Tim talked about how it took him time to find his design path and said that “there was no magic sauce to become a designer; it requires hard work and experience.”
Following the Teen Design Fair, the award winners and finalists attended a special luncheon at the White House, hosted by the First Lady. It was a very festive event and the setting reinforced the tremendous amount of design talent that exists in this country. Mrs. Obama’s speech emphasized the importance of design and arts education, and celebrated the value of the work of the award winners. Wayne Clough, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, introduced the National Design Award program and thanked the sponsors, and I showed slides of the winners and their work, naming both finalists and winners, you can see them here. I was lucky enough to sit next to the First Lady for lunch, so we talked about expanding the opportunities for high-schoolers to study design and develop their creative talents. Tim Gunn was sitting on her other side, so he was able to tell her a lot about learning the art of fashion design.
A great conversation piece at the table were ViewMasters (designed by 2008 Lifetime Achievement winner Charles Harrison) with slides of the award winners’ work. The mutual appreciation in the room among the designers was quite moving, especially when James Corner of Field Operations told Design Mind winner Ralph Caplan that his books had a huge impact on his work.
The Awards program was launched at the White House in 2000 as an official project of the White House Millennium Council, and the annual National Design Awards celebrate design in various disciplines as a vital humanistic tool in shaping the world. The awards are Cooper-Hewitt’s most visible education program and always include a variety of special events, panel discussions and workshops.
The awards recognize extraordinary contributions to design in 10 categories: Lifetime Achievement, Design Mind, Corporate and Institutional Achievement, Architecture Design, Communication Design, Fashion Design, Interaction Design, Interior Design, Landscape Design and Product Design. The award recipients also will be honored at a gala dinner Oct. 14 in New York.
This fall, Cooper-Hewitt will continue celebrating the awards with National Design Week, which will take place Oct. 9-17, which aims to promote a better understanding of the role that design plays in all aspects of daily life. The museum will offer free admission to all visitors, courtesy of Target, and provide a range of online resources celebrating design throughout the week. Our website also features the year-round “Design Across America” map listing design-oriented events throughout the country. In addition to hosting a second Teen Design Fair in New York, our programs reach school teachers and their students nationally, in the classroom and online through Cooper-Hewitt’s Educator Resource Center. The site features more than 300 lesson plans aligned to national and state standards that demonstrate how the design process can enhance the teaching of all subjects and features discussion boards that provide a forum for educators to exchange ideas.
Bill Moggridge is Director of the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Remarks by the First Lady at Cooper Hewitt Design Awards Luncheon
Master plan for Grand Central Partnership B.I.D., New York, NY, 1986–95. Artist: Jane Thompson, Winner of Lifetime Achievement Award.
International Design Conference, Aspen, CO, 1967–2001. Artist: Ralph Caplan, Winner of the Design Mind Award.
Cellophane House, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY, 2008. Artist: Kieran Timberlake, Winner of Architecture Design Award.
The High Line, section 1, New York, NY, 2009. Artist: James Corner, Winner of the Landscape Design Award
Machiavelli: The Discourses construction, 2007. Artist: Stephen Doyle, Winner of the Communications Design Award.
Looking for more stories on the First Lady? Check out our special section: FLOTUS: All Things Michelle Obama
Filed under Culture, Fashion, First Lady Michelle Obama, Uncategorized
Posted by: Audiegrl
Written by Tony Clark
First Lady Michelle Obama poses for a picture with Christina McCray of the Boys and Girls Club of America, Jordan Antwon Lewis from Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI), Adam Jones #10 and Nick Markakis #21 before the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards on July 20, 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America)
On behalf of Major League baseball players, I was honored today to stand with the First Lady at Camden Yards as we kicked off a new partnership with the Let’s Move! campaign.
As we gathered with local RBI and Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth, I was struck by the First Lady’s wisdom and courage to confront childhood obesity and her ongoing commitment to making a difference. I’m sure there are other, politically safer, social issues to champion, but this is not a problem that can be solved simply by pretending it does not exist. Nor is this a problem we can afford to ignore.
The Major League Baseball Players Association is excited about the Let’s Move! campaign because it promises to actually do something about a serious problem facing our youth, rather than just talk about it. Today we kicked off a new public service campaign featuring 30 MLB players, one from every Club, that will run in stadiums, online and on media with the Ad Council later in the summer.
Today’s event is just the beginning. Major Leaguers are looking forward to working closely with the First Lady and Let’s Move! to find ways to educate children and their parents about how to exercise, eat right, and make healthy lifestyle choices.
As a parent, I know first-hand the challenges kids face. I understand the powerful lure of television, computers, cell phones, and video games. But, you can’t get in shape just by moving your thumbs. It’s time for all of us – kids and parents alike – to get unplugged and get off the couch.
The Players Association is committed to the goal of Let’s Move! – to raise a healthier generation of kids. As professional athletes, our members understand not only the importance of health and nutrition but the reality that there is no quick fix. We’re a part of this fight not just today but for as long as it takes to curb childhood obesity. Together, we can achieve a goal we all share – a healthier, fitter and inevitably happier next generation. Let’s get moving.
Tony Clark is the Director of Player Relations, Major League Baseball Players Association
Visit LetsMove.gov to learn more
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Filed under Baseball, Childhood Obesity, Children, First Lady Michelle Obama, Sports, Uncategorized
