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Weekly Wrap Up: “We Have Not Forgotten”

April 5, 2013 at 4:42 PM ET by Christopher Sponn

Summary:

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov.

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Easter Egg Roll: On Monday, the First Family welcomed more than 30,000 guests to the South Lawn for the 135^th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. The event was filled with activities ranging from the traditional Easter Egg Roll to readings from stars such as Danica Patrick, Adrian Peterson, and even Elmo.

The theme of “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You,” was inspired by the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, which seeks to solve the problem of childhood obesity. You can find demonstrations of healthy recipes from top chefs here and learn more about the Let’s Move! initiative here.

This year’s special guest was Robbie Novak -- better known as Kid President. Be sure to also check out a special presidential video message from April 1.

Guns: On Thursday, President Obama traveled to Colorado to urge the American people to push Congress to vote on a set of common-sense proposals to help reduce gun violence. The President wants to close loopholes in the background check system to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and others who shouldn’t have them -- and prevent mass shootings like the one that killed 20 young children and six adults in Newtown, CT.

“If you want to buy a gun, whether it's from a licensed dealer or a private seller, you should at least have to pass a background check to show you're not a criminal or someone legally prohibited from buying one,” said the President. “And that's just common sense.”

“42” Screening: On Tuesday, the First Lady hosted 80 high school and college students for a showing of “42,” the biopic of the first African-American baseball player, Jackie Robinson. Following the screening, there was a workshop session with cast and crew including Harrison Ford, Chadwick Boseman, and Brian Helgeland. Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s widow, joined the First Lady in the discussion as she encouraged young Americans to give their best in whatever they pursue in life.

“Jackie and Rachel Robinson’s story reminds us how much hard work it takes to move a country forward,” said the First Lady. “It reminds us how much struggle is required to make real progress and change.”

Prime Minister of Singapore Visits: On Tuesday, President Obama welcomed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore to the White House. The President thanked Singapore for being a strong economic and military partner in the Asia-Pacific region. The President also praised Singapore for providing “a steady vision of how countries in the Pacific region can cooperate effectively.”

BRAIN Initiative Challenge: On Tuesday, the President introduced the “BRAIN” Initiative, an ambitious new research plan to accelerate our understanding of the human mind and find new ways to treat, prevent, and cure brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, autism, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury.

Through investments in research and development like the BRAIN initiative, we can lay a national foundation to spur innovation, job creation, and economic growth. The project is one of the Administration’s “grand challenges” in science and technology, which will call upon companies, research universities, foundations, and philanthropists to ensure America continues “to lead the world in the next frontiers of human understanding.” The President is very excited about the project and is confident America will lead the way in innovation:

Ideas are what power our economy. It’s what sets us apart… When we invest in the best ideas before anybody else does, our businesses and our workers can make the best products and deliver the best services before anybody else.