Blog Daily Listings RSS https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog-daily-listings-rss/107726/posts en Army Navy Game 2011 Ends in 10th Straight Victory for Navy: 27-21 https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/12/11/army-navy-game-2011-ends-10th-straight-victory-navy-27-21 On Saturday, President Obama, Vice President Biden, and Dr. Jill Biden attended the 112th edition of the annual Army vs. Navy football game at FedEx Field, which ended in the 10th straight victory for Navy, scoring 27-21.  The President's attendance kicks off a number of observances to mark the end of the Iraq war and honor all Americans who have served in Iraq.

Army Navy 1

President Barack Obama performs the coin toss before the annual Army vs. Navy football game at FedEx Field, Landover, Md. December 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 
Army Navy 2

President Barack Obama watches the first half of the annual Army vs. Navy football game with U.S. Naval Academy Midshipman at FedEx Field, Landover, Md., Dec. 10, 2011. December 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 
Army Navy 3

During an Army vs. Navy halftime ceremony, President Barack Obama is transferred from the U.S. Naval Academy's custody to the custody of the U.S. Military Academy by Lt. Gen. David Huntoon Jr., Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy, at FedEx Field, Landover, Md., Dec. 10, 2011 December 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 
20111210 POTUS Army-Navy game

President Barack Obama talks with U.S. Military Academy Cadets during the annual Army vs. Navy football game at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., Dec. 10, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

 

 

]]> Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:17:03 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-202441 Open for Questions with The Root https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/18/open-questions-root On Thursday, October 20th at 5:30pm ET, the White House will host a special "Open for Questions" conversation moderated by The Root to discuss the recently released Pathways to Opportunity Report and the American Jobs Act.

President Obama has called for our Nation to "out innovate, out educate, and out build the rest of the world." To answer this call, we must ensure that all Americans have the foundation and opportunities they need to build a strong economic life.  In recent years, too many American families have lost economic ground.  The recession of the late 2000's has left many middle class families facing unemployment and economic hardship, and many more were struggling long before the recession began, and are falling even farther behind today.  The statistics are especially stark for minority communities: over 30 percent of Hispanic, African American, American Indian and Alaska Native children today live in poverty.

Since taking office, President Obama has focused on dramatically expanding access to opportunity for all Americans in his commitment to ensure all Americans have the tools to weather these difficult economic times and a clear pathway to economic stability and security.  Central to this commitment moving forward is the American Jobs Act, a key part of President Obama's plan to spur economic growth and put Americans back to work.

Do you have questions?  Submit them now and tune in to watch The Root's Cynthia Gordy pose them to Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Domestic Policy Director Melody Barnes on Thursday.

Right now, submit your questions to The Root for selection:

Thursday, October 20th at 5:30pm ET, we hope you'll watch and engage live:

  • Watch live on WhiteHouse.gov/live or The Root
  • Pose a question to Valerie Jarrett or Meloday Barnes on Twitter with the hashtag #TheRootWH
]]> Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:20:53 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-199886 Ask Michelle Obama https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/10/04/ask-michelle-obama Suddenly it's October. The kids are settled back into school, and at the White House we're preparing for the 2011 Fall Garden Harvest tomorrow - so healthy eating is on our minds. Do you have a question about Let's Move!, the First Lady's initiative to end childhood obesity? Ask it on WhiteHouse.gov, Facebook or on Twitter with the hashtag #AskMichelle and the First Lady will answer a few in the coming days.

Michelle Obama Let's Move

First Lady Michelle Obama and kids double-dutch jump rope during a taping for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) challenge and Nickelodeon's Worldwide Day of Play, on the South Lawn of the White House. July 15, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

]]> Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:26:41 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-199806 Send in Your Questions: Open for Questions Roundtable with President Obama https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/09/21/send-your-questions-open-questions-roundtable-president-obama On Wednesday, September 28, President Obama will take your questions during a live, Open for Questions roundtable from the White House with Yahoo!, MSN Latino, AOL Latino and HuffPost LatinoVoices.

In this event, the President will address the issues that matter most to the Hispanic community and all Americans  – the economy and job creation, education, health care, fixing the broken immigration system and more.

Submit your questions for the President now on Yahoo!, MSN Latino, AOL Latino and HuffPost LatinoVoices, and come back to watch LIVE next week – in Spanish and English – at whitehouse.gov/live.

]]> Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:01:19 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-198286 Have Questions About the President&#039;s Address? https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/09/08/have-questions-about-presidents-address Tonight, immediately following the President's address to Congress at 7pm ET, stay tuned for a live panel of policy experts from the White House who will answer your questions about key issues of the speech in a special edition of "Open for Questions" at whitehouse.gov/live.

Expected panelists include:

  • Stephanie Cutter,  Assistant to the President and Deputy Senior Advisor
  • Brian Deese, Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, National Economic Council
  • Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy
  • Portia Wu, Senior Policy Advisor for Mobility and Opportunity Policy

Do you have questions about the President's jobs and growth proposal?  Send us your thoughts, and the panel will address as many questions as they can after the speech.

P.S. This won't be your only chance to ask questions in the coming days.  Follow @whitehouse to learn about upcoming 'Office Hours' opportunities.

Find out more about the American Jobs Act
 

 

]]> Thu, 08 Sep 2011 07:00:00 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-197911 National Strategy for Counterterrorism https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/06/29/national-strategy-counterterrorism Here is President Obama’s National Strategy for Counterterrorism, which was presented today by John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism in a speech at SAIS named “Ensuring al-Qa’ida’s Demise”. The strategy articulates the United States’ broad, sustained and integrated campaign against al-Qa’ida, its affiliates and its adherents, consistent with the President’s enduring commitment to protect the American people.

Watch the speech or read his prepared remarks.


Learn more from the fact sheet here.

]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:00:06 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-226901 Connecting with Personal Finance Sites https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/06/13/connecting-personal-finance-sites Last Wednesday, the White House gathered a group of editors and writers from an array of personal finance and financial news websites for an afternoon of policy briefings and candid dialogue around ways to communicate more effecitvely with citizens online who are feeling their wallets pinched in these economic times.

Much of the afternoon involved a variety of policy briefings from senior officials including CEA Chair Austan Goolsbee adressing the economic recovery,  CTO Aneesh Chopra explaining the Startup America Partnership, policy advisor Heather Zichal speaking to gas prices and the Administration's energy policy, Elizabeth Warren providing a consumer protections update, and NEC Director Gene Sperling covering fiscal policy.  President Obama surprised the group by dropping by to welcome guests and take a few questions. 

The President at the Personal Finance Online Summit

President Barack Obama drops by the Personal Finance Online Summit in Room 430 of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, June 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The summit was part of an ongoing series aimed to reach out to communities online, such as previous discussions with African-American and Latino-focused online publishers, as well as editors of prominent women's sites. 
 
Thanks to everyone who took the time to attend the event:
 
]]> Mon, 13 Jun 2011 18:55:51 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-193791 Calling All Questions: CBS Town Hall on the Economy with President Obama https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/05/09/calling-all-questions-cbs-town-hall-economy-president-obama On Wednesday, CBS News will conduct a special town hall on the economy with President Obama.  CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer and The Early Show Co-Anchor Erica Hill will join the President before a live audience at the Newseum in Washington, DC. 

Submit your questions for the President in any of the following ways: 
(CBS asks that you include your age, hometown and occupation with your question).

On Thursday, tune in to watch the Town Hall on The Early Show during the 8:00 - 9:00am hour.

]]> Mon, 09 May 2011 10:28:14 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-192526 Watch and Engage in the President&#039;s Fiscal Speech at 1:35PM Today https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/04/13/watch-and-engage-presidents-fiscal-speech-135pm-today Today, at 1:35pm EDT, the President will lay out his approach to long-term deficit reduction to put our nation on a more sustainable fiscal trajectory – and do so in a way that helps, rather than hinders our ability to grow the economy and create jobs.

Watch the speech live at whitehouse.gov/live and share your thoughts on CitizenTube.

Immediately after the speech, Brian Deese from the National Economic Council will address YOUR questions and ideas about the President’s fiscal framework.  We’ll select from among the most popular points here, and answer as many as we can in the time we have.

]]> Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:51:05 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-191511 Women in America: Continuing the Conversation https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/03/23/women-america-continuing-conversation Last August, in honor of Women’s Equality Day and the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we had a thoughtful conversation with the BlogHer community about how far women have come since gaining the right to vote in 1920.  And given the recent release of the new White House report, “Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being”, we thought it would be an opportune time to revisit the conversation.

On Wednesday, March 30, join White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Preeta Bansal, General Counsel and Senior Policy Advisor in the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, for a discussion with Shine about women in the workplace, education and work-life balance.

Submit your questions and thoughts here, and Shine editors will select as many as they can pose in the time we have on Wednesday at 4:45pm ET on whitehouse.gov/live.

So that means….

Now:
Submit your questions for Valerie Jarrett and Preeta Bansal  here.

Wednesday, March 30:
Watch for the answers at 4:45pm ET on whitehouse.gov/live, and add to the conversation on facebook.

 

]]> Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:20:48 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-191051 Attention Entrepreneurs: Send Us Your Thoughts, We&#039;re Listening https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/03/21/attention-entrepreneurs-send-us-your-thoughts-were-listening Earlier this year, the White House launched the Startup America initiative to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship around the country.  As part of the effort, senior Administration officials are travelling across the country this month to hear directly from entrepreneurs about what processes and regulations we need to change or improve in order to foster a more nurturing environment for entrepreneurship and innovation.

For those of you who don't live near one of the Startup America: Reducing Barriers Roundtable cities, we're holding an online panel here at the White House to take and respond to your questions and suggestions, too.  Submit your ideas for reducing burdens to entrepreneurship and innovation here at fastcompany.com or on twitter with the hashtag #startupamerica, and Fast Company editors will select as many as they can to pose to National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling and SBA Administrator Karen Mills on Wednesday at 12:00pm ET on whitehouse.gov/live.

So that means...

Now:
Submit your questions for Gene Sperling and Karen Mills here.

Wednesday:
Watch for the answers at 12 noon ET on whitehouse.gov/live, and add to conversation on facebook or on twitter with the hashtag #startupamerica.

]]> Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:00:39 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-190961 President Obama to Participate in Televised Town Hall on Education https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/03/18/president-obama-participate-televised-town-hall-education As part of his ongoing effort to improve education for all Americans, President Obama will participate in a Univision-hosted town hall with students, parents and teachers on March 28 to discuss education and Hispanic educational attainment. The town hall is part of Univision's "Es el Momento" (The Moment is Now) initiative focused on creating a college-bound culture in the Hispanic community.

Do you have questions about better preparing students for college and 21st century careers?  Or thoughts on how to increase parental enagement in education?  Now's your chance.  In advance of the town hall, you're invited to submit education-related questions here. Questions must be submitted by Sunday, March 27.

Then tune in to watch a live video stream from the event in either English or Spanish at EsElMomento.com, starting at 7:00 PM EDT on Monday, March 28.

]]> Fri, 18 Mar 2011 18:05:39 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-190941 Answering Your Questions on Bullying Prevention https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/03/08/answering-your-questions-bullying-prevention Every day, thousands of kids, teens, and young adults around the country are bullied. Estimates are that nearly one-third of all school-aged children are bullied each school year - upwards of 13 million students. Students involved in bullying are more likely to have challenges in school, to abuse drugs and alcohol, and to have health and mental health issues. If we fail to address bullying we put ourselves at a disadvantage for increasing academic achievement and making sure all of our students are college and career ready.

On Thursday, the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention will bring together communities from across the nation who have been affected by bullying as well as those who are taking action to address it. As part of the agenda, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett will host a policy panel with issue experts including Catherine Bradshaw of Johns Hopkins University, George Sugai from the University of Connecticut, Susan Swearer-Napolitano from the University of Nebraska, as well as the Cyberbullying Research Center's Justin Patchin.

Would you like Valerie to pose a question on your behalf? 

Send us your question here, or at Facebook.com/WhiteHouse to ask your question as a comment on our wall. Valerie Jarrett will pose as many of them as she can during the Experts Panel on Thursday morning. Tune in to watch at 11:00am EST at whitehouse.gov/live.

]]> Tue, 08 Mar 2011 13:43:57 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-190646 Working Closer with Women Online https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/02/01/working-closer-women-online Yesterday, the White House brought together a diverse group of 25 online programming leaders who touch millions of women across the country for a day of policy briefings and a candid discussion of how to work more closely together.  Our challenge to the group was to find the right ways to keep women engaged with their government so that they are better informed and more active citizens.

Much of the day was spent with senior Administration officials taking the group through some key issues and priorities including: the White House Council on Women and Girls, military families, health care, the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative, education, the economy, opportunities for women business owners, workplace flexibility, and the to-be-launched Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection.

Women's Online Summit

President Barack Obama drops by the Women's Online Summit in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. January 31, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama was able to stop by, and Valerie Jarrett took questions as we closed out the day.  All agreed that this was only the beginning of an ongoing dialogue and relationship.

As part of our continued efforts to engage more citizens online, the Women's Online Summit followed two previous gatherings that reached out to African American and Hispanic communities.  (And I hope you didn't miss all of the activity last week around the State of the Union, as we brought 18 sites' communities into the mix for citizen-sourced interviews and roundtables.)

Thanks to everyone who came yesterday:

]]> Tue, 01 Feb 2011 20:20:45 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-189796 White House Live: The President and Senior Officials Take Your Questions https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/01/27/white-house-live-president-and-senior-officials-take-your-questions Today, President Obama and senior officials from around the Administration will be answering your questions about the State of the Union Address and the President’s vision to win the future. You can watch all the live question-and-answer sessions today on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Here’s the lineup for today on WhiteHouse.gov/live:

11:30 a.m. EST: Economy Roundtable with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers
1:00 p.m. EST: Foreign Policy Roundtable with Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor
2:30 p.m. EST: Live YouTube interview with President Barack Obama
3:15 p.m. EST: Education Roundtable with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
4:30 p.m. EST: Health Care Roundtable with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius

If you haven’t already, be sure to watch the President’s State of the Union Address.

]]> Thu, 27 Jan 2011 11:34:28 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-189621 Got Questions About the State of the Union? https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2011/01/26/got-questions-about-state-union Do you have questions about any of the topics President Obama discussed in his State of the Union Address last night?  Over the next few days we will do our best to answer as many of them as possible.  We’ve lined up plenty of ways you can get involved and ask your questions answered about the topics you care about the most.

Check out the line-up below, find a way to ask your question, and be sure to tune in for the answers. 

TODAY, WEDNESDAY

  • Twitter Interview
    Follow @PressSec on Twitter to find out when we’ll be taking your questions, then respond to @PressSec using the hashtag #1Q and watch for video responses from a special guest early this afternoon.  

TOMORROW, THURSDAY

  • 11:30 a.m. EST: Economy Roundtable with Austan Goolsbee, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers.  
    Submit your questions through MSNMoney, Mint.com, and Examiner.com.  Tune in to WhiteHouse.gov/live to watch the live event.
  • 1:00 p.m. EST: Foreign Policy Roundtable Denis McDonough, Deputy National Security Advisor.
    Submit your questions through ForeignPolicy.com, Economist.com, and Military.com. Tune in to WhiteHouse.gov/live to watch the live event.
  • 2:30 p.m. EST: Live YouTube interview with President Barack Obama.
    Submit your questions or vote for your favorite questions at YouTube.com/AskObama. Tune in to WhiteHouse.gov/live to watch the live event. 
  • 3:15 p.m. EST: Education Roundtable with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.
    Submit your questions on mtvU, GOOD, BabyCenter, and PBS Teachers. Tune in to WhiteHouse.gov/live to watch the live event.
  • 4:30 p.m. EST: Health Care Roundtable with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.
    Submit your questions on WebMD, AOL Health, Nurse.com, and Medscape. Tune in to WhiteHouse.gov/live to watch the live event.
  • Yahoo! Interview with Vice President Joe Biden. 
    Yahoo! will be sitting down with Vice President Biden asking him your questions on Thursday afternoon. Go to Yahoo! to submit your question and check back again to see his answers.
]]> Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:50:29 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-189546 Repealing DADT: &quot;History Making&quot; https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/12/22/repealing-dadt-history-making This morning, hundreds of people came together to watch as the President signed the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell into law.  Throughout the week, media outlets across the country have called the repeal a significant moment in civil rights history.  Here a few of the online posts and editorials we've seen.

Andrew Sullivan, The Atlantic: Obama's Long Game: 65-31

“Without the Pentagon study, it wouldn't have passed. Without Obama keeping Lieberman inside the tent, it wouldn't have passed. Without the critical relationship between Bob Gates and Obama, it wouldn't have passed. It worked our last nerve; we faced at one point a true nightmare of nothing ... for years. And then we pulled behind this president, making it his victory and the country's victory, as well as ours.”

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Making good history

“When Obama signs a bill repealing the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ rule, it will be an event as significant for gay rights as President Harry Truman’s order integrating the U.S. military was for black Americans. Obama’s signature will mark historic progress for a nation that has for too long denigrated gay Americans. Our hope is that it is the death knell for one of the last frontiers of bigotry.”

Denver Post: For gays in the military, a measure of equality

“A basic civil right will finally be extended to thousands of men and women serving our nation in the military.”

Detroit Free Press: Another policy of prejudice rejected

“[F]or anyone whose soul is still stirred by the words of America's founding declaration, the end of DADT marks a monumental step toward the equality and justice its drafters sought to secure. And the process by which it was achieved highlights both the enduring strength of the American democratic process and the wisdom of its current stewards.”

Seattle Times: Gays in the military, an injustice repealed

“This is history making on the order of racial integration of the armed services and expanded roles for women in uniform.”

Los Angeles Times: 'Don't ask, don't tell': lessons of a long fight

“Support for repeal among the public and in Congress also reflected changing attitudes that can be credited not only to gay rights campaigners but also to ordinary gay and lesbian Americans who, by embracing their identity, made it harder for their friends, families and co-workers to cling to anti-gay prejudices.”

Las Vegas Review Journal: Closing this chapter

“President Obama is correct that sexual orientation places no limits on the ability of an American to display strength, courage and character. Despite the prohibition, gays have served and fought honorably in many armies -- and have essentially been integrated in the military for decades. Irrational prejudice is a thing to be confronted and overcome.”

Louisville Courier-Journal: Repealing bigotry

“’It is time to close this chapter in our history,’ Mr. Obama said last Saturday. ‘It is time to recognize that sacrifice, valor and integrity are no more defined by sexual orientation than they are by race or gender, religion or creed. It is time to allow gay and lesbian Americans to serve their country openly.’  A lot had to happen for an American commander in chief to be able to make that remarkable statement. Public attitudes had to change, and they have. Brave men and women had to risk everything in trying to end this discrimination, and they did. Public officials had to stand against storms of criticism, and they stood. The military establishment had to rectify a long-standing injustice, and it bent toward justice.”

AMERICAblog Gay: Tanya Domi: 'we stand on the shoulders of many who have not lived to see this day'

"But ultimately this vote and ultimate victory, belongs to the veterans and active duty service members who would not relent to the inaccurate political belief that we should not allow gays to openly serve during the course of two ongoing wars."

Miami Herald: So long, 'don't ask, don't tell'

“At least 25 nations allow gays and lesbians to serve in the military -- including Great Britain, Canada and Israel. Surely, the time has come for the United States to adopt the same enlightened policy. With two ongoing wars, the U.S. military simply can’t afford to exclude any individual able and more than willing to serve.”

Virginian-Pilot: Good riddance to ban on gays

“The military will adapt to this change, just as it did to racial integration and to allowing women to serve. In both those cases, critics predicted the sky would fall. It didn't. It won't this time, either.”

Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Victory in battle: Reason and equality win on 'don't ask, don't tell'

“The majority of military men and women surveyed, plus the top brass, said they favored repealing the policy. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, supported ending ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’  What counts is that a good soldier is a good soldier.”

Houston Chronicle: A salute: Finally, all American troops can serve their country openly

“It (the repeal vote) was a rare display of principle over politics, especially in the bitterly divisive climate of this rough-and-tumble lame-duck session.  Good for them, good for our troops, and good for our country. Let's hope it's catching.”

New Orleans Times-Picayune: Allowing gay men and lesbians to serve with integrity

“Gay men and lesbians are already demonstrating their valor and patriotism in the armed forces, something that members of the military clearly recognized, based on their responses in a recently released Department of Defense report. Allowing them to do so honestly is only right.”

Billie Jean King, The Huffington Post: Repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell Is a Big Deal

"I am proud to be an American and I am honored to have the men and women who serve in our armed forces put their lives on the line to protect our nation. Their race, gender or sexual orientation does not matter to me. What matters most is their commitment to our country.  And that is a big deal."

Towleroad: Photo: Crowd Awaits Obama 'DADT' Signing Outside Dept. of Interior

 

 

 

 

]]> Wed, 22 Dec 2010 11:55:52 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-192871 Behind-the-Scenes: A Day of Service with President Obama and the Los Angeles Lakers https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/12/20/behind-scenes-a-day-service-with-president-obama-and-los-angeles-lakers Rather than the traditional, honorary trip to the White House this year, the 2010 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers teamed up with NBA Cares and President Obama last week to join members of The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washingon for an afternoon of education and service projects.

Take a behind-the-scenes look as the President and the Lakers assemble care packages and write letters for wounded military servicement and women, put together supplies for DC homeless, and compete in the "Big Brain Academy Challenge" game which builds skills in thinking, memorization, computation, analysis, and identification.

[[nid:24552]]

Following the activities with the kids, President Obama congratulated the Los Angeles Lakers on their 2010 NBA Championship in a brief ceremony.  If you missed it, watch it here or read the transcript.

]]> Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:15:31 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-185796 The White House is now on Digg.com https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/12/16/white-house-now-diggcom Ever wanted someone to pick out the highlights from what's happening at The White House so you wouldn't have to sift through all the latest news?  Curious about what the White House is reading online?  Are you a fan of Digg?

Good news everyone.  The White House is now on digg.com.  Take a peek and start following us right now. 

And as always, if you like your White House updates and news to come to you, stay connected on:

 

]]> Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:55:43 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-185946 Austan Goolsbee Responds to Job Seekers&#039; Questions https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/12/01/austan-goolsbee-responds-job-seekers-questions Last month, we reached out, along with Monster.com, to take questions directly from job seekers about the Administration's economic recovery efforts.  Austan Goolsbee, Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, answered questions that either had the most 'likes' in Monster's Facebook community or sparked the most conversation.  Here's some of what Austan addressed:

Evelyn Kraemer asked about creating jobs by rebuilding America's infrastructure.
Watch the video response

Christopher Williams asked about our ability to "innovate and create" as an engine of economic growth.
Watch the video response

Andrea Pleshette Lowe asked about what the Obama Administration is doing for small business.
Watch the video response

Watch all of Austan's responses on Monster's YouTube page.

]]> Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:32:23 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-186776 Open for Questions: Entrepreneurship and Innovation with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/11/16/open-questions-entrepreneurship-and-innovation-with-commerce-secretary-gary-locke
Locke image

Commerce Secretary Locke at an innovation forum at Georgia Tech.

November 19th at 1:00 PM EST, the White House is hosting a special live chat with Gary Locke, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce.  He'll answer your questions about this Administration's role in promoting innovation-based, high-growth entrepreneurship.  (If you want to study-up, you can read about his thoughts on "moving ideas from the lab to the marketplace" here first).

Submit your question now at fastcompany.com, and Fast Company editors will select as many as they can to pose to the Secretary on Friday.  Then be sure to tune in on the 19th at 1:00 PM EST to watch at whitehouse.gov/live.  During the event, you can also submit questions at whitehouse.gov/live or on facebook.

]]> Tue, 16 Nov 2010 18:20:33 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-187141 Have a Question About the Economy and Job Growth? Ask us. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/11/08/have-a-question-about-economy-and-job-growth-ask-us For the past ten months, we have seen our economy continue to grow and create private sector jobs -- 1.1 million this year so far, and 159,000 in October alone.  But while the job growth we're experiencing tells us we're moving in the right direction, the pace of recovery can feel terribly slow, especially to someone out of work -- and it's clear more needs to be done.

This week, we're reaching out along with Monster to take questions directly from job seekers about the Administration's economic recovery efforts.  Submit your question now, and Monster will select a sample of the most popular for the White House to answer next week.

Post your question to Monster's Facebook page directly or use this form here, and we'll pass it on.

]]> Mon, 08 Nov 2010 11:14:05 -0500 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-187311 Working to Broaden and Deepen Our Online Engagement https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/10/13/working-broaden-and-deepen-our-online-engagement On Monday, the White House hosted its first African American Online Summit, which brought together a group of programming leaders from the African American online media world for an in-depth briefing and discussion about how the Administration is approaching important issues such as jobs, the economy, health care, education, community investment, civil rights and civil liberties, and the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative.

The President at African American Online Summit

President Barack Obama, accompanied by Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, drops by the African American Online Summit, October 11, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The morning was spent with a series of policy briefings on everything from health care reform to the economy. After everyone had a chance to ask questions about specific issues, President Obama was able to drop by for a few minutes to welcome everyone and his senior advisor, Valerie Jarrett, was able to stick around to kick off a wide-ranging discussion about how we could work together to engage their audiences.
 

As we agreed in the meeting, this is the beginning of an on-going conversation between our office and their operations with the goal of most effectively engaging their audiences.

And it’s also one of many efforts we are making to creatively engage with various stakeholder communities that are online.  Take, for example, small business owners who recently participated in an online Q&A or the Latino groups who facilitated an online discussion about health care reform around the launch of http://www.cuidadodesalud.gov.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg – we’re looking forward to more meetings like the one today and based on the energy and enthusiasm in the room that’s only a matter of time.

So stay tuned for more updates about collaborations with other sites and in the interim, if you have ideas on how we can work together, head on over to our Facebook page to offer your thoughts.

Here’s a list of everyone who attended today’s session (and thanks to all of you for taking the time to make it!):

]]> Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:34:53 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-186671 Open for Questions on Education: What You Missed https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/10/04/open-questions-education-what-you-missed On Friday, Secretary Arne Duncan answered your questions about the Administration's Education efforts.  We took questions from MSN, whitehouse.gov and facebook, and covered a range of topics from 'No Child Left Behind' and education financing to healthier food in schools and promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects.  You can check out the full video of the chat or use the links below to skip to your favorite questions.

 
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]]> Mon, 04 Oct 2010 17:26:40 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-186231 Open for Questions: Education Discussion with Secretary Arne Duncan https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/10/01/open-questions-education-discussion-with-secretary-arne-duncan Today at 2:15 PM EDT, join MSN's Shira Lazar as she poses your questions about the Administration's Education efforts to Secretary Arne Duncan.

Do you have questions about how we're supporting Pre-K-12 reform at the state and local levels? Or how we can strengthen the teaching profession or boost college completion?  Tune in at 2:15 PM EDT to submit your questions and participate at whitehouse.gov/live or facebook. If you have a question now, submit it or vote your favorites to the top at MSN.com.

Arne Duncan with Children

(by Department of Education)

]]> Fri, 01 Oct 2010 10:22:23 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-185486 Open for Questions: Small Business Discussion with SBA Deputy Administrator Marie Johns https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/09/29/open-questions-small-business-discussion-with-sba-deputy-administrator-marie-johns Today at 2 PM EDT, the White House is hosting a special live chat with Marie Johns, Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, moderated by OPEN Forum's Scott Roen.  Deputy Administrator Johns will answer small business owners' questions about The Small Business Jobs Act and opportunities for small businesses as part of the Recovery Act and Affordable Care Act.

Tune in at 2 PM EDT to submit questions and participate at whitehouse.gov/live or on facebook.  You can also watch live on openforum.com/whitehouse.

]]> Wed, 29 Sep 2010 10:39:57 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-188021 Open for Questions: Small Business Issues with SBA Administrator Karen Mills https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/09/22/open-questions-small-business-issues-with-sba-administrator-karen-mills September 29th at 2 PM EDT, the White House is hosting a special live chat with Karen Mills, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration.  She'll answer small business owners' questions about The Small Business Jobs Act and opportunities for small businesses as part of the Recovery Act and the Affordable Care Act.

Submit your question  now at OPEN Forum, and American Express will select from among the most popular to ask on the 29th.  Then be sure to tune in next Wednesday at 2 PM EDT to watch at whitehouse.gov/live or openforum.com/whitehouse.  During the event, you can also submit questions at whitehouse.gov/live or on facebook.

]]> Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:05:47 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-188286 Ben Rhodes Answers Your Questions About Iraq Following the President&#039;s Oval Address https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/08/31/ben-rhodes-answers-your-questions-about-iraq-following-presidents-oval-address Tonight at 8pm EDT, President Obama will address the nation from the Oval Office regarding the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq.  Immediately following the President's remarks, Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications will answer questions directly from Americans across the country.

 

Now is your chance to hear the White House's response to your questions about the change of mission.  Submit your questions now and vote your favorite ones to the top.  Then tune in tonight at 8pm EDT to watch and participate at whitehouse.gov/live.

]]> Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:51:49 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-188796 Open for Questions: The 90th Anniversary of Women&#039;s Right to Vote https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/08/24/open-questions-90th-anniversary-womens-right-vote Join Tina Tchen from the White House Council on Women and Girls tomorrow at 4:30pm EDT to discuss women's progress on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the 19th Amendment which guaranteed women the right to vote in this country. 

Submit your questions now on BlogHer and be sure to tune in tomorrow to participate at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

]]> Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:23:20 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-188991 Ask Secretary Sebelius a Question About Health Care https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2010/07/06/ask-secretary-sebelius-a-question-about-health-care Do you have questions about the Affordable Care Act, finding options for health insurance coverage, your new consumer rights, or the newly-launched HealthCare.gov website?

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius will answer your questions directly during a live event at the White House moderated by WebMD's Kristy Hammam.  Submit your questions now, and vote your favorite ones to the top of each category.  Then watch the event tomorrow, July 7, at 12pm EDT at WhiteHouse.gov/Live.

]]> Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:59:55 -0400 <a href="/blog/author/sarah-bernard">Sarah Bernard</a> whr-182896