West Wing Week: 07/17/15 or, "Barack-amole"

This week, the President secured a historic nuclear deal with Iran, traveled to Oklahoma to highlight the administration's work on criminal justice reform and the ConnectHome Initiative, designated three national monuments, spoke at the White House Conference on Aging and dropped by the Kids' "State Dinner."

Friday, July 10th

• The White House celebrated the next generation of healthy chefs at the Kids' "State Dinner", where they hosted representatives from all 55 states and U.S. territories. 
• The President held a signing ceremony to designate three new national monuments, including Basin & Range in Nevada, Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, and Waco Mammoth in Texas. 

Monday, July 13th

• The White House hosted its Conference on Aging, to mark the achievements of 50 years of Medicare and 80 years of Social Security, as well as recent steps to protect Americans' retirement savings, by holding financial advisors accountable for acting in their clients' best interests. 
• The President granted commutations to 46 men and women, nearly all of whom would have served their time and returned to society if they were convicted of the exact same crime today. 

Tuesday, July 14th

• The President announced a deal that would deny the nation of Iran a pathway to building nuclear weapons -- an agreement that was the culmination of two years of tough, principled diplomacy. 
• The President sat down to discuss the implications of the deal with New York Times columnist Tom Friedman.
• The President traveled to Philadelphia to keynote the NAACP's annual convention, where he addressed the need for reform in our criminal justice system. 

Wednesday, July 15th

• The President convened a news conference to provide more details about the historic nuclear deal with Iran. 
• The President traveled to Durant High School in Durant, Oklahoma. There he met with young people from the Choctaw, Cherokee, and Muscogee (Creek) Nations, to hear from them on issues important to the lives of native youth, before speaking to a larger crowd about his ConnectHome initiative, and how that will contribute to expanding economic opportunities for communities all across the country.

Thursday, July 16th

• The President visited the El Reno Federal Correction Institution, marking the first time a sitting President has visited a federal prison. While there, he heard firsthand from guards and prisoners about the realities of our prison system.