Ed. Note: For more information, check out Ethics.gov.

Check out the video from their trip here:

Before the first pitch, the First Lady also took your questions from Twitter and Facebook on how you can say thanks and provide a helping hand for the families of service members. There are lots of ways to get involved, from sending a message of gratitude to exploring volunteer opportunities near you. Find out how you can support a military family in your community at JoiningForces.gov.

First Lady Michelle Obama makes her first official tweet at Game 1 of the World Series to recognize Major League Baseball’s (MLB) outstanding support of America's veterans and military families as part of their Joining Forces at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 19, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Watch President Obama's full remarks here. 

Following the Senate vote on jobs for teachers and first responders, President Obama made clear that blocking action on getting Americans back to work is unacceptable:

For the second time in two weeks, every single Republican in the United States Senate has chosen to obstruct a bill that would create jobs and get our economy going again...We must do what’s right for the country and pass the common-sense proposals in the American Jobs Act.

Every Senate Republican voted to block a bill that would help middle class families and keep hundreds of thousands of firefighters on the job, police officers on the streets, and teachers in the classroom when our kids need them most.
 
Those Americans deserve an explanation as to why they don’t deserve those jobs – and every American deserves an explanation as to why Republicans refuse to step up to the plate and do what’s necessary to create jobs and grow the economy right now.

Inaction won't work for American families that are just scraping by. President Obama intends to keep working with Congress to bring up the American Jobs Act piece by piece. That's why this week we're pulling out different aspects of the bill to show how it will impact you, like the expansion of the payroll tax cut passed last year that will provide a $1,500 tax cut to the typical American family in 2012.

Cutting taxes in half for 160 million workers next year is just one of the common-sense solutions included in the American Jobs Act to get the economy growing faster. The jobs bill will also invest in modernizing American schools, rebuilding American infrastructure, creating jobs for veterans and more--without adding to the deficit.

Taking steps like putting an average of $1,500 back in the pockets of working families to help restore security for the middle class is what American's are ready for and what the American Jobs Act is all about.

Over the last few days, President Obama traveled through small towns and communities on the American Jobs Act Bus Tour, talking with folks about how the American Jobs Act will fuel economic growth, get people back to work and put more money in the pockets of those who are working without adding to our deficit.

By rebuilding America's infrastructure, modernizing America's schools, providing tax credit incentives for hiring veterans and more, the American Jobs Act will begin creating jobs right away, if Congress answers the President's call to pass each piece of the bill. That is why we're featuring numbers that highlight how sections of the bill will impact you. Today's number is zero -- the amount added to the deficit by the American Jobs Act, because it is paid for in full.

As the President has said, we can invest in our long term prosperity without adding to the deficit:

I laid out a plan to pay for the American Jobs Act, and then some -- a plan that not only pays for the bill to put folks back to work to raise our growth rate, but to also pay down more of our debt over time.  It builds on the $1 trillion in spending cuts that I already signed this summer, making it one of the biggest spending cuts in history.

So, look, I believe we’ve got to make cuts in programs that don’t work and things that aren’t helping the economy grow so we can pay for the things that are.  Right?  We all believe that a government needs to live within its means.  We all agree with that.  But we also believe that how you bring down the deficit is important.  If we want to actually close the deficit -- not just talk about closing the deficit, not just using it for a campaign slogan, not just playing politics -- if we want to actually close the deficit, then you’ve got to combine the tough cuts with a strategy to ask the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations to do their part, to pay their fair share.

Jack Lew, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget explained the President's Plan for Economic Growth and Deficit Reduction (pdf) "pays for the American Jobs Act and produces net savings of more than $3 trillion over the next decade, on top of the roughly $1 trillion in spending cuts that the President already signed into law in the Budget Control Act – for a total savings of more than $4 trillion over the next decade."

Asking millionaires and billionaires to contribute their fair share will make the additional deficit reduction necessary to meet the President’s goal of stabilizing our debt as a share of the economy and pay for his plan to put Americans back to work.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden watch Game one of the 2011 World Series between the Texas Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals with Marine Lance Cpl. James Sperry and his daughter Hannah, 5, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, Oct. 19, 2011.(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

This afternoon, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden headed to St. Louis, Missouri for Game One of the World Series to meet with military families and recognize Major League Baseball’s (MLB) support of those who serve and their families.

During the game, a new Joining Forces and MLB Public Service Announcement will premiere featuring New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Johnny Damon, encouraging Americans to support Joining Forces and MLB’s Welcome Back Veterans program to stand with veterans, the troops and their families. Watch a sneak peek here. 

As part of the Joining Forces initiative, earlier today President Obama met up with the First Lady at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia to announce a commitment from the private sector to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses. Joining Forces is all about recognizing the sacrifice of those who serve and their families and letting them know they have our thanks and our support.

Before the start of tonight's game, the First Lady and Dr. Biden met with veterans and military families at Busch Stadium. Dr. Biden spoke about her experience as a military mom:

I know firsthand how a simple act of kindness can make such a difference to a service member or a veteran.  That is why the First Lady and I created Joining Forces -- to recognize, honor, and support our military families.  It is our sacred duty to honor the service of those who sacrifice for our country -- and we can all play a role with a simple act of service.

Major League Baseball and so many of your players have stepped up to join forces with us -- using baseball’s platform to help the nation appreciate the sacrifices our military family members make every single day.  I hope that the millions of viewers watching tonight’s game will join us in this effort.  And I thank everyone here for your leadership and your example.

The First Lady also thanked those involved:

Every day, you all inspire us.  And that's really what has led Jill and I to be so passionate about this issue.  We want the country to know your stories.  We want the country to know of your sacrifice.  Because if they know, then we all can't help but step up.  And that's what we want this country to do.  By shining a light on these events, with Major League Baseball shining a light on these events, we want America to know that everyone can do something; everyone should do something.  Every business, every church, every individual, every school, every teacher -- we should all know who are the military families in our midst and find out what they need and step up and provide that.

Joining Forces is just a way to galvanize all of that energy and goodwill that's already out there, to shine that light and to lift up these stories and these efforts all throughout the country.  And our hope is that ultimately you all feel this on the ground.  This isn't just for the cameras.  Our goal is to find out whether you feel like you have the support of this country.  And you should feel that every single day.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden join representatives from Major League Baseball (MLB) and the St. Louis Cardinals in hosting a Joining Forces military families appreciation event at the St. Louis Veterans Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 19, 2011. Joining them on stage are, from left: MLB Hall of Famer Red Schoendienst; Sue Selig; MLB Commissioner Bud Selig; and Tim Brosnan, MLB Executive Vice President of Business. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

This evening before the first pitch, the First Lady and Dr. Biden will also be answering questions from you through Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #AskMichelle on how to get involved in the Joining Forces initiative. 

This morning, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia as part of the American Jobs Act Bus Tour to discuss how the American Jobs Act will create jobs and put people back to work, including America's veterans.

While the President is on the road, we're pulling out numbers that show how the American Jobs Act will make an immediate impact in communities across the country.  Numbers like $5,600, the tax credit for businesses that hire veterans who have been unemployed for six months or longer.

Providing a tax credit incentive for businesses to employee veterans will help encourage hiring and make it easier for America's heroes to find jobs when they return home. And the tax credit rises to $9,600 for hiring veterans who also have service-connected disabilities.

As President Obama said when he first introduced the American Jobs Act to a joint session of Congress, "We ask these men and women to leave their careers, leave their families, risk their lives to fight for our country. The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they come home." During the address to Congress, members on both sides of the aisle stood and applauded in support of tax credits for businesses that hire veterans. President Obama is now calling for action:

So when it comes for a vote in the Senate, I expect to get votes from both sides of the aisle.  Don’t just applaud about it, vote for it.  Vote for it. 

Standing up for our veterans is not a Democratic responsibility or a Republican responsibility -– it is an American responsibility.  It is an obligation for every citizen who enjoys the freedoms that our heroes defend.  And it’s time for us to meet those obligations here today. 

This generation of veterans has learned that the challenges don’t end in Kandahar or Baghdad -- they continue right here at home.  And today, we’re saying to those veterans who fought for us, now we are fighting for you -- for more jobs, for more security, for the opportunity to keep your families strong, the chance to keep America competitive economically in the 21st century. 

Providing businesses that hire unemployed veterans a $5,600 tax credit is the right thing to do and is just one more common sense solution in the American Jobs Act to get the economy growing faster.

Today, President Obama continues his American Jobs Act Bus Tour to highlight the many aspects of the American Jobs Act that will build an economy that lasts. Investments like preventing up to 280,000 teacher layoffs and putting construction workers back on the job rebuilding America's schools to provide all of our students with a world class education.

This week, we're bringing you numbers from the bus tour that demonstrate how the jobs bill will impact your community; numbers like 40, which is the average age of the American public schools that will be modernized with the American Jobs Act.

The American Jobs Act will invest in retrofitting at least 35,000 public schools across the country, supporting new science labs, Internet-ready classrooms and school renovations in both rural and urban communities. These investments will help give American students the edge they need to prepare for the 21st century economy and compete with students from around the world.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan explained the challenge we're up against:

[Imagine] trying to design the next generation of tablet computers using mainframe hardware from the Eisenhower administration. Or American automakers trying to out-engineer foreign competitors on an assembly line with equipment from the 1960s.

Unfortunately, just such antiquated facilities and barriers to innovation exist today in precisely the institutions that can least afford it: our nation’s public schools. The digital age has now penetrated virtually every nook of American life, with the exception of many public schools.

And as President Obama has said, when school buildings get too old without repairs they begin to crumble:

They start leaking, and ceiling tiles start to cave in, and there’s no heat in the winter or air-conditioning in the summer.  Some of the schools the ventilation is so poor it can make students sick. 

How do we expect our kids to do their very best in a situation like that?  The answer is we can’t.  Every child deserves a great school, and we can give it to them, but we got to pass this bill. 

Updating science labs and connecting classrooms to the Internet are investments that need to be made. And getting electricians, engineers and carpenters back on the job making those investments in the education of our students is just one of the common sense solutions in the American Jobs Act to give the economy the jolt it needs.

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden paint a wall in the home of Sgt. Johnny Agbi, Jr., left, at the Joining Forces Initiative Heroes at Home event in Washington, D.C., Oct. 17, 2011. The retrofit on Sgt. Agbi's home to make it wheelchair accessible was the 1,000th home rebuilt by the Rebuilding Together and Sears Heroes at Home programs. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden joined forces with Sears Holding's Heroes at Home program and the Rebuilding Together nonprofit organization today to put the final touches on the 1,000th home that they have rebuilt for veterans since 2007.

The home belongs to Army Sergent Johnny Agbi who served in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. While serving as an Army medic in Afghanistan, his helicopter transport was shot down and he suffered injuries that have required him to use a wheelchair and join a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Along with fifty volunteers, the First Lady, Dr. Biden, Sears and Rebuilding Together completed a retrofit of Army Sergent Johnny Agbi’s home to make it wheelchair accessible.

The Joining Forces initiative is all about honoring and supporting America’s service members and their families, and the work of the Heroes at Home program and Rebuilding Together is an amazing example of how companies, organizations and individuals can help. They work to improve the lives of American military families by making necessary repairs, improvements or modifications to the homes of veterans and wounded warriors.

Following the build, Dr. Jill Biden thanked Sergeant Johnny Agbi for welcoming the team to his home:

Sergeant Agbi, I know I speak for everyone here today when I say, you are a true hero.  You and all of your fellow veterans and service members from across the country show us every day what words like "strength" and "courage" mean.  And, of course, we're also grateful to your family members for their service to our country. 

Projects like today's build represent some of the incredible ways that communities are coming together to support our veterans and military families all across the United States.  And these projects, and all the partners and volunteers who make them possible, embody the spirit of the Joining Forces Initiative that the First Lady and I launched earlier this year. 

First Lady Michelle Obama addresses the ceremony marking the 1,000th home rebuilt by the Rebuilding Together and Sears Heroes at Home programs, in Washington, D.C., Oct. 17, 2011. Joining the First Lady on stage are Dr. Jill Biden and homeowner Sgt. Johnny Agbi, Jr. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

First Lady Michelle Obama also had a message for everyone who joined forces to make the day possible:

One of our goals with Joining Forces is really to use what we have to shine a light not only on the incredible service of America’s military families who give our nation so much, but also on those Americans -- like all of you -- who are stepping up in so many important ways to give something back to these men and women and their families. 

And that’s exactly what’s happening here today with these two wonderful announcements.  First, we’re marking the 1,000th home that Sears and Rebuilding Together have refitted for our wounded warriors through the Heroes at Home Project.  And that is a very impressive accomplishment and you all should be just so proud -- 1,000 homes.  

And on top of that, Sears Holdings is pledging to increase the number of military family members in its workforce by 10 percent.  I mean, that’s incredible.  That's exactly what we're hoping to see happen.  It means that more than 30,000 troops, veterans, and military spouses will be working at Sears.  And it’s only the latest commitment that the Sears team has made.  They have been working with us at Joining Forces since the very beginning.  And we look forward to working with them even more, but more importantly, for them to serve as an example of how America’s businesses can look out for our heroes, particularly during these tough economic times.

And all of this is just amazing.  It represents the best that our country has to offer.  And just think about what those kind of numbers actually mean.  Just think about the lives that are changed.  Think about the renewed sense of security that each family feels because mom or dad just got hired; how the wounded warrior whose life is transformed by a refurbished home.  Just think about what that new front door, that broader, wider front door means -- it's no longer an obstacle; the stairway that is no longer an adversary; the building that’s no longer just a house, but it's now become a home. 

This morning, President Obama kicked off the American Jobs Act Bus Tour at Asheville Regional Airport to talk to communities about the pieces of the American Jobs Act that will put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.

Throughout the week, we'll bring you numbers from the road to highlight aspects of the jobs bill, numbers like 150 miles. The American Jobs Act includes an immediate investment in employing construction workers to restore 150 miles of runway at American airports and put in place a next-generation air-traffic control system to reduce travel time and delays.

President Obama has made it clear that investing in infrastructure is not a partisan issue and it's time to put those in industries hit hardest by the recession back to work rebuilding America. As the President said, "now people go to Beijing Airport and they say, I wish we had an airport like that. We can't compete that way, playing for 2nd or 3rd or 4th or 8th or 15th place."

There is no reason the world’s newest airports can’t be built in the United States by American workers and the American Jobs Act will help make that possible.

Creating jobs by rebuilding America's runways, railways and roads makes sense to groups like the American Public Transportation Association (APTA). In APTA President William Millar's own words, "The $50 billion in direct funding proposed in the American Jobs Act will go a long way to jump start needed transportation investments...for every $1 invested in public transportation, $4 is generated in economic returns."

Improving airports by restoring 150 miles of runways and investing in transportation infrastructure to keep America competitive in the 21^st century is just one of the reasons why President Obama is calling on Congress to pass pieces of the American Jobs Act right away. Learn more at WhiteHouse.gov/JobsAct.

President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, daughters Sasha and Malia, and Marian Robinson tour the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial before the dedication ceremony in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Today, nearly half a century after Martin Luther King, Jr. led the historic March on Washington for equality, tens of thousands came to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Dedication. The memorial to Dr. King has been open since August, but the dedication was delayed due to Hurricane Irene. As President Obama said, though delayed, "this is a day that would not be denied."

President Obama, joined by the First Family, toured the memorial and then spoke at the dedication ceremony in honor of Dr. King's work to make his dream a reality for all. During his speech, President Obama reminded us that the progress towards Dr. King's vision has not come easily and there is still more to do to expand opportunity and make our nation more just:

Our work is not done.  And so on this day, in which we celebrate a man and a movement that did so much for this country, let us draw strength from those earlier struggles.  First and foremost, let us remember that change has never been quick.  Change has never been simple, or without controversy.  Change depends on persistence.  Change requires determination.  It took a full decade before the moral guidance of Brown v. Board of Education was translated into the enforcement measures of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, but those 10 long years did not lead Dr. King to give up.  He kept on pushing, he kept on speaking, he kept on marching until change finally came. 

And then when, even after the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act passed, African Americans still found themselves trapped in pockets of poverty across the country, Dr. King didn’t say those laws were a failure; he didn’t say this is too hard; he didn’t say, let’s settle for what we got and go home.  Instead he said, let’s take those victories and broaden our mission to achieve not just civil and political equality but also economic justice; let’s fight for a living wage and better schools and jobs for all who are willing to work.  In other words, when met with hardship, when confronting disappointment, Dr. King refused to accept what he called the “isness” of today.  He kept pushing towards the “oughtness” of tomorrow.

And so, as we think about all the work that we must do –- rebuilding an economy that can compete on a global stage, and fixing our schools so that every child -- not just some, but every child -- gets a world-class education, and making sure that our health care system is affordable and accessible to all, and that our economic system is one in which everybody gets a fair shake and everybody does their fair share, let us not be trapped by what is.  We can’t be discouraged by what is.  We’ve got to keep pushing for what ought to be, the America we ought to leave to our children, mindful that the hardships we face are nothing compared to those Dr. King and his fellow marchers faced 50 years ago, and that if we maintain our faith, in ourselves and in the possibilities of this nation, there is no challenge we cannot surmount.

The President addressed some of the issues that continue to challenge our country and how Dr. King's "constant insistence on the oneness of man" encourages us to see through each other's eyes as we face disagreement:

If he were alive today, I believe he would remind us that the unemployed worker can rightly challenge the excesses of Wall Street without demonizing all who work there; that the businessman can enter tough negotiations with his company’s union without vilifying the right to collectively bargain.  He would want us to know we can argue fiercely about the proper size and role of government without questioning each other’s love for this country -- with the knowledge that in this democracy, government is no distant object but is rather an expression of our common commitments to one another.  He would call on us to assume the best in each other rather than the worst, and challenge one another in ways that ultimately heal rather than wound.

Guests listen as President Barack Obama delivers remarks during the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial, in Washington, D.C., Sunday, Oct. 16, 2011. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Looking towards the future, President Obama spoke to the inspiration Dr. King instills in us to this day to continue his legacy:

He would not give up, no matter how long it took, because in the smallest hamlets and the darkest slums, he had witnessed the highest reaches of the human spirit; because in those moments when the struggle seemed most hopeless, he had seen men and women and children conquer their fear; because he had seen hills and mountains made low and rough places made plain, and the crooked places made straight and God make a way out of no way.

And that is why we honor this man –- because he had faith in us.  And that is why he belongs on this Mall -– because he saw what we might become.  That is why Dr. King was so quintessentially American -- because for all the hardships we’ve endured, for all our sometimes tragic history, ours is a story of optimism and achievement and constant striving that is unique upon this Earth.  And that is why the rest of the world still looks to us to lead.  This is a country where ordinary people find in their hearts the courage to do extraordinary things; the courage to stand up in the face of the fiercest resistance and despair and say this is wrong, and this is right; we will not settle for what the cynics tell us we have to accept and we will reach again and again, no matter the odds, for what we know is possible.

That is the conviction we must carry now in our hearts.  As tough as times may be, I know we will overcome.  I know there are better days ahead.  I know this because of the man towering over us.  I know this because all he and his generation endured -- we are here today in a country that dedicated a monument to that legacy. 

And so with our eyes on the horizon and our faith squarely placed in one another, let us keep striving; let us keep struggling; let us keep climbing toward that promised land of a nation and a world that is more fair, and more just, and more equal for every single child of God.

Watch the video of President Obama's remarks:

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

President Barack Obama and President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of Korea shake hands after President Obama's remarks welcoming the Republic of Korea leader during the State Visit Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Oct. 13, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

This morning amidst a light rain, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed President Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok of the Republic of Korea to the White House. During the Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn, President Obama spoke about the strength of the relationship between our two nations:  

Today we celebrate an alliance rooted in the shared values of our people -- our service members who have fought and bled and died together for our freedom, our students and workers and entrepreneurs who work together to create opportunity and prosperity, and our families, bound by the generations, including many who are here today -- proud and patriotic Korean Americans.

President Lee, our two nations have stood together for more than 60 years. Over the past two years we’ve deepened our cooperation. Today, I'm proud to say that the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea is stronger than it has ever been.

President Lee Myung-bak also spoke of the historic friendship between the Korean people and Americans. Reflecting on visiting the Korean War Memorial yesterday to pay respects to the 37,000 American soldiers who lost their lives, he said:

It is written on a wall at that memorial that these American soldiers, “answer the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.”  The simple yet poignant words describe how brace and good they were.

Mr. President, Madam First Lady, ladies and gentlemen, the Korean people have never forgotten what these fallen soldiers and their families gave up.  We will always remain grateful to all of them. 

Our alliance is the bedrock of stability, peace and progress, and our relationship is evolving.  Our two countries are working together to fight disease and poverty, climate change and natural disasters.  We are addressing the issues of energy security and eradicating terrorism and extremism, and stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Watch the video of the State Visit Arrival Ceremony:

Following the arrival ceremony, President Obama and Vice President Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with President Lee in the Oval Office. Meanwhile, the First Lady will visit a high school in Virginia with the Republic of Korea’s First Lady Kim Yoon-ok. The school, Annandale High, is home to one of the largest Korean-American communities in the area and has students derive from nearly 90 countries and speak over 50 languages. 

In the afternoon, President Obama will hold a joint press conference with President Lee. Later, the President and the First Lady will host a State Dinner in honor of President Lee, featuring produce from the White House kitchen garden fall harvest. During the dinner, President Obama and President Lee will each give a toast. Afterwards, the President and the First Lady will attend the State Dinner reception with President Lee in the State Dining Room. 

Check out the live events at WhiteHouse.gov/live. Here is the complete schedule:  

9:00 a.m. EDT          President Obama attends the South Korea Arrival Ceremony

12:20 p.m. EDT        President Obama and President Lee of the Republic of Korea hold a Joint Press Conference

1:15 p.m. EDT          Vice President Biden hosts a lunch honoring President Lee and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok

8:35 p.m. EDT          President Obama at the State Dinner in Honor of President Lee of the Republic of Korea

10:00 p.m. EDT        President Obama attends the Entertainment at the State Dinner

First Lady Michelle Obama leads a group of 400 local children on the South Lawn of the White House to help break the Guinness World Records title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period, Oct. 11, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Yesterday, something special happened. People around the world joined together towards the same goal: to set a Guinness World Record® for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. The challenge was to have more than 20,000 people from around the world do jumping jacks for one minute.

Joined by National Geographic Kids Magazine, First Lady Michelle Obama had the chance to launch the effort to break the record from the South Lawn of the White House:

I get to do a lot of cool things, but this is really exciting.  I never thought in my entire life that I would be here today to break a Guinness World Record.  Woohoo!  And I’m here doing it with all of you and that makes it even more fun, because the whole country -- the world is going to see just how much fun we can have not just breaking a world record but also doing some exercise, right? Because that’s one of my big things.  “Let’s Move” is about kids eating healthy and moving and staying active, so you all are ready for life and for all the challenges that you’re going to face.

And what we’re going to show people today is that moving is fun, right?  You can do it just dancing around in your backyard. You can get moving if you’re walking your dog.  Or you can get moving doing some jumping jacks, right? There are so many ways to keep moving.

First Lady Michelle Obama greets children on the South Lawn of the White House after they did jumping jacks to help break the Guinness World Records title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period, Oct. 11, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Check out the full video from the South Lawn Let's Move! Jumping Jacks event:

Every day, President Obama reads ten letters from the public in order to stay in tune with America's issues and concerns. One recent one came from Alice Johnson of Oregon who, along with her husband, has been looking for a job for about two years. Last week, President Obama described Johnson's letter in his Weekly Address:

She writes, “I have faithfully applied for work every week…Of the hundreds of applications I have put in, I received interview requests for about 10…I too, am sick of all the fighting in Washington DC.  Please tell the Republicans that people are hurting and are hungry and need help, pass the jobs bill.”  Alice Johnson needs our help. 

After working hard her whole life and playing by the rules, Johnson is one of the millions of Americans who have been affected by the recession through no fault of their own. "I'm an honest, loyal, dependable person who has always worked," Johnson said. She knows there are many others going through the same experience.

The American Jobs Act will help create job opportunities for people like Johnson by providing a $4,000 tax credit to employers for hiring long-term unemployed workers. The Jobs Act will also prohibit employers from discriminating against unemployed workers when hiring.

Johnson has been taking classes at her local community college to keep her skills up and hasn't given up hope, but it is time to pass the American Jobs Act so those who want to work can find a job. The bill will also extend unemployment insurance to prevent 5 million Americans looking for work from losing their benefits. The President’s plan includes innovative work-based reforms to prevent layoffs and give states greater flexibility to use UI funds to best support job-seekers and connect them to work, including:

• Work Sharing: UI for workers whose employers choose work-sharing over layoffs
• Improved reemployment services for the long-term unemployed through counseling, and eligibility assessments.
• A new “Bridge to Work” program: The plan builds on and improves innovative state programs where those displaced take temporary, voluntary work or pursue on-the-job training.
• Innovative entrepreneurship and wage insurance programs: States will also be empowered to implement wage insurance to help reemploy older workers and create programs that make it easier for unemployed workers to start their own businesses.

 See how the American Jobs Act will impact others:

What do teachers think of the American Jobs Act?
Manufacturer hopes to expand and hire  through the American Jobs Act.
How the American Jobs Act will help pay for education
How small business owners will be affected by the American Jobs Act
Tax savings created by the American Jobs Act
What the American Jobs Act means for high tech manufacturers
American Jobs Act creating jobs for veterans
Creating more jobs for small firms
How the American Jobs Act will impact families

See what mayors are saying about the American Jobs Act

Iraq veteran Joe Kidd said one of the hardest parts of coming home was finding a job. After two deployments in Iraq, the first in 2007 and again in 2009, Kidd was appointed to the emergency room at Camp Lejeune and later became the Leading Petty Officer, managing about forty people. Yet, like many veterans, Kidd found it was difficult for potential employers to understand his experience, making finding a job outside of the service a challenge. 

“I had forty people underneath me and then I got out in April, you know thinking, hey some of this should transfer, but no nothing really transferred. That’s pretty much been the hardest thing, knowing that nothing transfers….employers don’t understand military jobs”

Last month when Kidd heard President Obama introduce the American Jobs Act from the First Lady's box at a joint session of Congress, he was heartened to hear that it included a call for ensuring we have a career-ready military. Both sides of Congress stood in support as President Obama spoke about our national obligation to help veterans find jobs:  

Pass this jobs bill, and companies will get extra tax credits if they hire America’s veterans. We ask these men and women to leave their careers, leave their families, risk their lives to fight for our country. The last thing they should have to do is fight for a job when they come home. 

The American Jobs Act includes tax credits to encourage businesses to hire unemployed veterans and that makes sense to Kidd. "Hiring a veteran is one of the most patriotic things you can do," Kidd said. And with the American Jobs Act there is an added incentive. 

Businesses that hire veterans who have been unemployed six months or longer would receive a tax credit up to $5,600, and that credit rises to $9,600 for veterans who also have service-connected disabilities. That is why President Obama is urging Congress to pass the Jobs Act right away.

 See how the American Jobs Act will impact others:

  What do teachers think of the American Jobs Act?
Manufacturer hopes to expand and hire  through the American Jobs Act.
How the American Jobs Act will help pay for education
How small business owners will be affected by the American Jobs Act
Tax savings created by the American Jobs Act
What the American Jobs Act means for high tech manufacturers
Creating more jobs for small firms
Putting the unemployed back to work
How the American Jobs Act will impact families

See what mayors are saying about the American Jobs Act

Last month, President Obama introduced the American Jobs Act, a plan to to put more people back to work and put more money in the pockets of working Americans, to a special joint session of Congress. Marlena Clark from Maryland watched the President's address from the First Lady's box as a guest of Dr. Jill Biden. When asked what she thought of the President's plan, Clark said, "passing the jobs bill is just common sense."

A couple years ago, Clark was working multiple minimum wage jobs, including cleaning houses, to put herself through school so she would have a chance at a brighter future. The first person in her family to go to college, she attended her local community college where she was involved in a mentoring program focused on retaining women in IT careers and had an internship at a local IT company. Now a graduate of Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), Clark is working as a full-time systems engineer at the company where she interned, supporting the sales team and customers with networking solutions.

Clark plans to continue her education and get a bachelor's degree and she knows the American Jobs Act would help her reach her goal. The Jobs Act, which will cut payroll taxes in half next year for 160 million workers, will make her goal more affordable: The typical American family will take home an additional $1,500 in 2012 if this tax cut is approved.

Clark explained why she believes it is so important to pass the American Jobs Act, "the same struggles I went through are what so many other Americans are going through...all of us are going to benefit from it. I hope they go ahead and pass this jobs bill because people need jobs now."

 See how the American Jobs Act will impact others:

What do teachers think of the American Jobs Act?
Manufacturer hopes to expand and hire  through the American Jobs Act.
How the American Jobs Act will help pay for education
How small business owners will be affected by the American Jobs Act
Tax savings created by the American Jobs Act
What the American Jobs Act means for high tech manufacturers
American Jobs Act creating jobs for veterans
Creating more jobs for small firms
Putting the unemployed back to work
How the American Jobs Act will impact families

See what mayors are saying about the American Jobs Act

Something exciting is happening today on the South Lawn of the White House. In partnership with National Geographic Kids Magazine, First Lady Michelle Obama will launch a challenge to help break the Guinness World Records® title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period.

You can watch the jumping jacks kick-off live beginning at 2:00 p.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

The First Lady will serve as the “Jumper in Chief” and lead hundreds of local kids in doing one minute of continuous jumping jacks.

This Let's Move! event will be reviewed by an official from the Guinness World Records and will signal the beginning of the 24-hour challenge. To break the record, more than 20,000 people from around the world need to get on their feet and do jumping jacks for one minute.

Ready to do jumping jacks for one minute without stopping? Learn how you can help break the world record.

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

Members of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team and First Lady Michelle Obama took to the South Lawn yesterday afternoon for a Let's Move! soccer clinic with young players from Soccer Sisters United in Philadelphia and Prince William Courage Soccer Club in Woodbridge, Virginia. Women's National Soccer Team players Nicole Barnhart, Rachel Buehler, Lori Lindsey, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara and Becky Sauerbrunn taught the kids soccer skills while highlighting the importance of physical activity, which is what Let's Move! is all about.

The South Lawn clinic was based on the principles of the U.S. Soccer’s curriculum. The curriculum is designed to improve development of players in the U.S., concentrating on creating more organized, age-appropriate training sessions, developing coaching practices and creating a fun environment. The players definitely all seemed to be having fun as they weaved in and out of cones, passed the ball back and forth and took some shots on goal.

First Lady Michelle Obama and members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team host a Let’s Move! clinic on the South Lawn of the White House to teach kids soccer skills and highlight the importance of physical activity. Youth from Soccer Sisters United in Philadelphia and Prince William Courage Soccer Club in Woodbridge, Va. Joined Mrs. Obama, Oct. 6, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

First Lady Michelle Obama watches children run drills as she and members of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team host a Let’s Move! clinic on the South Lawn of the White House to teach kids soccer skills and highlight the importance of physical activity. Youth from Soccer Sisters United in Philadelphia and Prince William Courage Soccer Club in Woodbridge, Va. joined Mrs. Obama, Oct. 6, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

President Barack Obama welcomes the Texas A&M University women’s basketball team to the White House to celebrate their 2011 NCAA championship, in the Rose Garden, Oct. 6, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Today, President Obama was joined by the Texas A&M University Women’s Basketball Team at the White House to celebrate their 2011 NCAA championship. The President recognized the team for the tremendous accomplishment of winning their first national championship and the work they do giving back to their community, including a basketball clinic for local students:

Fifty years ago, Texas A&M didn’t have any women -- much less a women’s basketball team. When they did finally put a team together, the story goes that players had to share uniforms. At one point, they had to use the men’s locker room, which probably wasn’t perfectly designed for your needs. Coach Blair here would be going door to door just to ask people to watch the games.

This is a team that used to be known as a bunch of “lovable losers.” But Coach Blair wasn’t going to settle for that. As he said, he came to College Station “to build champions.”

And that’s exactly what he’s done. Today, this team has thousands of fans cheering them in every game -- including some very proud members of Congress who are here today. They’ve defied expectations, they’ve won close games, and played with a whole lot of heart. And now the Aggies are the best team in women’s basketball.

Watch the video of the President's remarks:

President Obama met with President Porfiro Lobo of Honduras yesterday in the Oval Office to reaffirm the strong relationship between the United States and Honduras. Before the bilateral meeting, President Obama spoke of President Lobo's role in restoring democratic practices following a coup in Honduras two years ago and the chance to expand economic opportunities between our countries:

President Lobo’s leadership is responsible not only for helping to restore constitutional order and democracy and a commitment to fair and free elections, but it’s also allowed Honduras once again to rejoin the Organization of American States, and for Hondurans -- the Honduran relationship with its neighbors to be restored to a normal place.  

Of course, much work remains to be done.  And I’m looking forward to a excellent conversation with President Lobo about how we can be helpful in ensuring that human rights are observed in Honduras.  We will discuss ways in which our two countries can work effectively together to deal with the security situation that exists not only in Honduras but through Central America, and how we can cooperate effectively in preventing the countries of Central America from being corrupted and overrun by the transnational drug trade.  And we also will have discussions about how we can continue to strengthen development in Honduras and the region so that people have opportunity, we will see economic growth, see economic development, and expand trade and further interactions between our two countries.

President Barack Obama meets with President Porfiro Lobo of Honduras in the Oval Office, Oct 5, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Chefs join children from Bancroft and Tubman Elementary Schools to harvest vegetables during the third annual White House kitchen garden fall harvest Oct. 5, 2011. Mrs. Obama planted the White House kitchen garden to help connect kids with the food they eat – an essential component of her Let’s Move! initiative. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Today, First Lady Michelle Obama was joined by a big group of helpers for the third annual White House kitchen garden fall harvest. Students from Bancroft and Tubman Elementary Schools got their hands dirty picking produce from the garden and then had a chance to try some of the vegetables that they picked on grilled garden pizza. 

White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford shared the recipe for grilled garden pizza:

Serves 4

• 1 12 inch pizza dough,  can use freezer dough
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 eggplant, cut into coins, ½ inch thick
• 1 sweet potato,  peeled, sliced thinly
• 1 red pepper,  sliced, ¼ inch thick
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 oz.  tomato sauce, your favorite brand
• 6 oz.  shredded mozzarella, lowfat
• chopped fresh basil, for garnish.

Toss the vegetables in olive oil and salt and pepper.  Grill until softened but still a bit crunchy.  Set aside.

Flatten the pizza dough  until about 1/8 inch thick.  Brush with olive oil.   Season with salt and pepper.  Grill on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side.  Top with the tomato sauce,  mozzarella and grilled veggies.  Garnish with basil.  Serve immediately.

The food from the harvest didn't all go to grilled garden pizza, it will also be used in the upcoming State Dinner and will be donated to Miriam's Kitchen in Washington, D.C.

Some of the vegetables harvested when First Lady Michelle Obama and White House Chefs joined children from Bancroft and Tubman Elementary Schools to harvest vegetables during the third annual White House kitchen garden fall harvest Oct. 5, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Check out Inside the White House: The Kitchen Garden for the story of how the garden got started:

Today, President Obama will sit down with ABC's George Stephanopoulos to take questions submitted through Yahoo.com. Watch the interview live beginning at 2:35 p.m. EDT:

Transcript | Download mp4 | Download mp3

Learn more about the American Jobs Act

Ed. Note: For more information, check out Ethics.gov.

President Barack Obama shakes hands with students after delivering his third annual Back-to-School speech at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School in Washington, D.C. Sept. 28, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

This afternoon, students from across the country tuned in as President Obama addressed them directly in his third annual Back-to-School speech. The President encouraged America's students to use their time in school to try new things, discover new passions and hone their skills to prepare themselves for the kind of profession they want in the future:

It starts, obviously, with being the best student that you can be. Now, that doesn’t always mean that you have to have a perfect score on every assignment.  It doesn’t mean that you’ve got to get straight As all the time -- although that’s not a bad goal to have.  It means that you have to stay at it.  You have to be determined and you have to persevere.  It means you’ve got to work as hard as you know how to work.  And it means that you’ve got to take some risks once in a while.  You can’t avoid the class that you think might be hard because you’re worried about getting the best grade if that’s a subject that you think you need to prepare you for your future...

And that’s why when you’re still a student you can explore a wide range of possibilities.  One hour you can be an artist; the next, an author; the next, a scientist, or a historian, or a carpenter.  This is the time where you can try out new interests and test new ideas.  And the more you do, the sooner you’ll figure out what makes you come alive, what stirs you, what makes you excited -- the career that you want to pursue. 

The President explained that being engaged in school is not just for the students themselves, but for the country as a whole. He acknowledged that young people today are growing up fast and students have a lot of responsibility to take on, "because you’re not just kids.  You’re this country’s future.  You’re young leaders.  And whether we fall behind or race ahead as a nation is going to depend in large part on you." 

That's why President Obama called on America's students to set a goal to continue their education after they graduate from High School. "The fact of the matter is, is that more than 60 percent of the jobs in the next decade will require more than a high school diploma -- more than 60 percent.  That’s the world you’re walking into."

The President also spoke about the tireless work America's teachers do on behalf of our students:

Teachers are the men and women who might be working harder than just about anybody these days.  Whether you go to a big school or a small one, whether you attend a public or a private or charter school –- your teachers are giving up their weekends; they’re waking up at dawn; they’re cramming their days full of classes and extra-curricular activities.   And then they’re going home, eating some dinner, and then they’ve got to stay up sometimes past midnight, grading your papers and correcting your grammar, and making sure you got that algebra formula properly.

And they don’t do it for a fancy office.  They don’t -- they sure don’t do it for the big salary.  They do it for you.  They do it because nothing gives them more satisfaction than seeing you learn.  They live for those moments when something clicks; when you amaze them with your intellect or your vocabulary, or they see what kind of person you’re becoming.  And they’re proud of you.  And they say, I had something to do with that, that wonderful young person who is going to succeed.  They have confidence in you that you will be citizens and leaders who take us into tomorrow.  They know you’re our future.  So your teachers are pouring everything they got into you, and they’re not alone.

Watch the video of the President's Back-to-School address, here:  

Today, President Obama will hear from you in a special Open for Question roundtable addressing questions that you submitted to Yahoo!, MSN Latino, AOL Latino and HuffPost LatinoVoices. The roundtable will be available in both English and Spanish.

Tune in to the discussion live at 11:25 a.m. EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/live and learn more about President Obama’s commitment to increasing opportunity for the Hispanic community and all Americans.

President Barack Obama answers an audience member's question during a Town Hall meeting sponsored by LinkedIn at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, Sept. 26, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

Today, President Obama was at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California for a discussion on putting America back to work with members of LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 120 million users worldwide. LinkedIn members from Gainesville, Florida to Phoenix, Arizona submitted their questions on the economy and jobs for the President to answer during the live Town Hall.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner kicked off the Town Hall, noting the role of passing the American Jobs Act in putting the country back to work:

There's one number you may be less familiar with, and that's 3.2 million, the number of available jobs in this country -- 3.2 million.  We have everything we need to begin to put this country back to work -- the raw materials, the basic building blocks and, perhaps most importantly, the will of a nation.  What we need is the way.  With the American Jobs Act, our President is leading the way.

Then he turned it over to President Obama to say a few words before diving into questions:

As you mentioned, I put forward a proposal, the American Jobs Act, that would put thousands of teachers back into the classrooms who have been laid off due to downturns in state and local budgets; that would make sure that we are rebuilding our infrastructure -- taking extraordinary numbers of construction workers who have been laid off when the housing bubbles went bust and putting them to work rebuilding our roads and our airports and our schools, and laying broadband lines -- all the things that help us make a success; and also make sure that we’re providing small businesses the kinds of tax incentives that will allow them to hire and allow them to succeed. 

During the discussion, the President addressed topics ranging from Social Security and Medicare to strengthening our education system and ways to jumpstart the economy. He also addressed the need to invest in our future and pay for those investments in part by making sure everyone, including the wealthiest among us, is contributing a fair share:

If we don’t prepare our people with the skills that they need to compete, we’re going to have problems.  If we don’t make sure that we continue to have the best infrastructure in the world, we’re going to have problems.  If we’re not continuing to invest in basic research, we’re going to have challenges.  If we don’t get our fiscal house in order in a way that is fair and equitable so that everybody feels like they have responsibilities to not only themselves and their family but also the country that’s given them so much opportunity, we’re going to have problems.

And so I am extraordinarily confident about America’s long-term future.  But we are going to have to make some decisions about how we move forward.  And what’s striking to me is, when we’re out of Washington and I’m just talking to ordinary folks, I don’t care whether they’re Republicans or Democrats, people are just looking for common sense.  The majority of people agree with the prescriptions I just offered.  The majority of people by a wide margin think we should be rebuilding our infrastructure.  The majority of folks by a wide margin think that we should be investing in education.  The majority of people by a wide margin think we should be investing in science and technology.  And the majority of people think by a wide margin that we should be maintaining programs like Social Security and Medicare to provide a basic safety net. 

The majority of people by a significant margin think that the way we should close our deficit is a balance of cutting out those things that we don’t need, but also making sure that we’ve got a tax code that’s fair and everybody is paying their fair share.

President Obama concluded by saying, "that's why your voices are going to be so important." The President called on those who had joined the conversation to keep making their voices heard:

I want to hear from you directly, but I also want your voices heard in the halls of Congress.  I need everybody here to be speaking out on behalf of the things that you care about, and the values that made this country great, and to say to folks who you’ve elected -- say to them, we expect you to act responsibly, and not act in terms of short-term political interest.  Act in terms of what’s going to be good for all of us over the long term. 

Watch the full video from the Town Hall, here or use the  links below to jump to the questions you're interested in:

• What can we do as American citizens to unite ourselves and help the economy?
• What can you do for senior citizens looking for a job, and what’s going to happen to Social security and Medicare?
• What are you going to do to lessen the regulations and taxation on small businesses?
• What programs do you think should be in place for individuals to learn new job skills, be in demand, marketable and eventually get hired?
• How do you envision the government’s role in integrating networking tools that aid veterans that are leaving the service and getting jobs?
• “Thank you, Mr. President. I don’t have a job, but that’s because I’ve been lucky enough to live in Silicon Valley for a while and work for a small startup down the street here that did quite well. So I’m unemployed by choice. My question is would you please raise my taxes?” ?
• First, do you think our public education system and our unemployment rates are related? And second, what, if any, overhaul in education is necessary to get Americans ready for the jobs of tomorrow, rather than the jobs of 20 years ago?
• What would you be your statement of encouragement for those who are looking for work today?