Today, President Obama announced the creation of the President's Council on Beards, a committee of volunteer citizens and officials dedicated to honoring our nation's history, and promoting men's health and wellness.

Finding inspiration from today's visit by the renowned beard enthusiasts from the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, the President has pulled together an experienced, enthusiastic, and hairy team of council members to advise him on issues related to beard growth, health, and styles.

Led by chair Jay Carney, also known as "The Briefing Beard," council members include:

For more on the history of beards at the White House, watch our latest installment of "Catching up with the Curator" with Bill Allman.

Catching up With the Curator: Beards.

As one of the most disproportionately uninsured populations, Latinos are a key group to educate about the health care law.  One in four uninsured individuals who are eligible for the Marketplace nationwide are Latino and eight in 10 uninsured Latinos could get a break on costs in the Health Insurance Marketplace

Cosmo for Latinas Editor-in-Chief Michelle Herrera Mulligan and Cosmopolitan Deputy Editor Sara Austin will be asking YOUR questions submitted on Google+ and Twitter using the hashtag #WHCosmoChat.

Here are the details:

• When: Join us at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 12, 2014. 
• Where: Watch live here or on the Cosmo Google+ Page
• Engage: Ask questions now on the event page or on Twitter using #WHCosmoChat.

Can't wait to get covered? Visit Healthcare.gov now, the open enrollment period ends on March 31st. To help spread the word, visit WH.gov/GetCovered.

For more updates on the Affordable Care Act and other issues impacting the Latino community follow @LaCasaBlanca on Twitter or visit the La Casa Blanca Facebook page. 

This event has concluded. See all the responses from administration officials who participated in Big Block of Cheese Day.

President Obama has always been dedicated to the idea that the White House is truly "The People's House" and has worked to make 1600 Pennsylvania and his administration open and accessible.

This isn't a new idea, the same can be said of President Andrew Jackson. On February 22, 1837, President Jackson hosted an open house featuring a 1,400-pound block of cheese that sat in the main foyer of the White House. This original "Big Block of Cheese Day" opened the doors of the White House to thousands of citizens to interact with cabinet members and White House staff – and carve off a slice of the four foot by two foot thick slab of cheddar. 

On Wednesday, January 29th, with a nod to history (and maybe the TV show the West Wing), the Obama Administration is hosting the first-ever virtual "Big Block of Cheese Day," during which dozens of White House officials will take to social media for a day long 'open house' to answers questions from everyday Americans in real-time on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram and via Google+ Hangout.

So be sure to visit WH.gov/SOTU to watch the State of the Union Address live on January 28, 2014 at 9 p.m. ET and stay tuned for a complete schedule of engagement events for virtual "Big Block of Cheese Day."

Virtual Big Block of Cheese Day: Schedule of events

Join us on Twitter

From the road with President Obama: 

• Senior Advisor Dan Pfeiffer - @Pfeiffer44
• White House Press Secretary Jay Carney - @PressSec 
• Assistant Press Secretary Matt Lehrich - @Lehrich44
• Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett - @VJ44

9:00 – 10:00 a.m. ET: General Overview & #SOTU themes 

• Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest - @JEarnest44
• Director of the Office of Public Engagement Paulette Aniskoff - @PAniskoff44v

10:00 – 10:30 a.m. ET: Economic Opportunity & Mobility 

• Deputy Communications Director Amy Brundage - @Brundage44
• Member of the Council of Economic Advisers Betsey Stevenson - @CEABetsey

11:00 – 11:30 a.m. ET: Immigration & Latino Issues 

• Director of Hispanic Media Katherine Vargas - @Vargas44
• Deputy Director of Hispanic Media Antoinette Rangel - @LaCasaBlanca

12:00 – 12:30 p.m. ET: Climate & Energy 

• Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gina McCarthy - @GinaEPA
• Special Assistant to the President for Energy & Climate Change - @Utech44

1:00 – 1:30 p.m. ET:  STEM

• Director of the Office of Science & Technology Policy Dr. John Holdren - @WhiteHouseOSTP

2:00 – 2:30 p.m. ET:  Minimum Wage, Unemployment Insurance, Skills gap & Apprenticeships 

• Secretary of Labor Tom Perez - @LaborSec
• Member of the Council of Economic Advisers Betsey Stevenson - @CEABetsey

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. ET:  State & Local issues 

• Director of Intergovernmental Affairs David Agnew - @DavidAgnew44

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. ET:  Foreign Policy

• Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes - @Rhodes44 
• National Security Council Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden - @NSCPress 

4:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET:  Health Care

• Senior Communications Advisor Tara McGuinness - @HealthCareTara
• Director of Progressive Media & Online Response Jesse Lee - @JesseCLee44
• Associate Communications Director Rachel Racusen - @Racusen44

4:30 – 5:00 p.m. ET:  Rebuilding America's Infrastructure

• Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx - @SecretaryFoxx

Facebook Q&A: 

3:30 p.m. ET: La Casa Blanca Facebook Page -- Immigration & Latino issues

• Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz

4:00 p.m. ET: The White House Facebook Page -- Economic Opportunity & Mobility 

• Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers Jason Furman

Google+ Hangout:

1:30 p.m. ET:  Education: "From Daycare to Diploma" with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan 

Joined by three of the extraordinary Americans who are joining the First Lady in her viewing box for this year’s State of the Union Address

• Joey Hudy, Maker and Intel Intern 
• Estiven Rodriguez, Student, Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School 
• Kathy Hollowell-Makle, 2013 DCPS Teacher of the Year 
• Additional participants to represent Elementary/Middle School, High School and College.

Have a question about a topic not covered here? Additional Administration officials will be participating throughout the day so keep an eye out: 

First Lady Michelle Obama - @FLOTUS
Executive Director of Let's Move Sam Kass - @LetsMove
Director of Specialty Media Shin Inouye - @Inouye44
Cheif of Staff of the Council on Environmental Quality Mike Boots - @WhiteHouseCEQ
The White House Historical Association - @WhitehouseHstry
Communications Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy Rafael Lemaitre - @RafaelONDCP
Department of Agriculture - @USDA
Department of Commerce - @CommerceSec
Director of the Office of Personnel Management Katherine Archuleta - @OPMDirector
Office of Personnel Management - @USOPM
Office of the United States Trade Representative - @USTradeRep
Department of the Treasury - @USTreasury

Today at 11:40 a.m. ET, President Obama will deliver remarks from the White House urging Congress to extend emergency unemployment insurance for more than one million Americans who have lost that vital lifeline while looking for a job. Letting emergency unemployment insurance expire not only harms American families; it's also a drag on the overall economy (to the tune of 240,000 jobs lost in 2014). 

Immediately following the remarks, Betsey Stevenson, @CEABetsey, member of President Obama's Council of Economic Advisors, will host a session of White House Office Hours on Twitter to answer answer your questions about the economic benefits of extending unemployment insurance.

Here are the details: 

• Ask your questions now and during the chat on Twitter with the hashtag #AskCEA
• Watch the President's remarks on Whitehouse.gov/live today at 11:40 ET, and then follow the Q&A live through the @CEABetsey account immediately after the speech. 
• If you miss the chat, the full session will be posted on Whitehouse.gov and Storify.com/Whitehouse. 

Check out all these moments and more (including the arrival of a second "first pup") below or on Storify and be sure to follow the First Lady on Twitter (@FLOTUS) and Instagram (@MichelleObama) for exciting updates and news in the New Year! 

Erin McDonald was announced as the overall Grand Prize winner with her video "Forget about the Price Tag" in a Google+ Hangout featuring Kal Penn and White House Health Care policy expert Christen Linke Young on December 2. 

During the Hangout, Christen and Kal also helped preview the White House Youth Summit coming up on December 4 and took questions about what the Affordable Care Act means for young people. You can tune into the Youth Summit starting at 2:00 pm ET on whitehouse.gov/live.

Watch Erin's video below, and also check out videos from finalists in the other two categories. 

Grand Prize & Perform a Song Winner:
Forget About the Price Tag: Erin McDonald

You Are Not Invincible Category Winner
Nobody's Invincible: Travis Grenier

Animation Category Winner
Getting the Big Picture on Affordable Health Care: Maggie Ditre

On Wednesday, November 27th, President Obama will pardon the 2013 National Thanksgiving Turkey and once again the American people will decide which bird takes the title.

Turkeys have carved out a pivotal role in the holiday season at the White House since the 19th century, but last year, for the first time, the pardon winner was chosen through a competitive online vote. 

Which of these two turkeys will be plucked from obscurity and awarded the title? Hatched on the same day on the farm of John Burkel near Badger, Minnesota, Caramel and Popcorn may have been raised together, but each has flown their own path. Caramel is a steady and deliberate bird that enjoys soybean meal and rocking out to Lady Gaga. When Popcorn is feeling peckish, he can't stop snacking on his namesake, corn, and has been known to strut around to Beyonce's "Halo". 

People all across the country are flocking to cast a vote, so be sure to learn more about Caramel and Popcorn, listen to them croon their distinct gobble sounds and then tell us who you think should be named the National Thanksgiving Turkey! 

Are you on #TeamCaramel or #TeamPopcorn? Find out how you can vote on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at Whitehouse.gov/Turkey.

We'll count up the hashtags to make sure there's no fowl play. The deadline for voting is 8pm ET on Tuesday, November 26th.

Don't forget to tune in to President Obama's remarks and the ceremony on Wednesday, November 27th on http://wh.gov/live at 1:15 pm ET to find out which turkey has been selected as the 2013 National Thanksgiving Turkey. And for more on how this Presidential tradition came to be check out the definitive history of the Presidential Turkey Pardon.

Note: It's all gravy -- no turkeys will be harmed during the selection of the National Thanksgiving Turkey.  After the pardoning, both turkeys travel to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens where they will be on display for visitors during "Christmas at Mount Vernon." The turkeys will then travel to their permanent home at Morven Park's Turkey Hill, the historic turkey farm located at the home of former Virginia Governor Westmorland Davis in Leesburg, Virginia. Additionally, if for any reason one turkey is unable to perform the duties of the National Thanksgiving Turkey, his alternate will take his place during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

Here's more of what you can expect to see from @CEAChair Furman and @CEABetsey:

• Timely analysis on the monthly Employment situation report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics
• News about the economy and President Obama's policies to move our economy forward and restore middle class security
• Opportunities to engage directly with Jason Furman and Betsey Stevenson

Note: This live session of Office Hours has concluded.View the full question and answer session below or at Storify.com

Jason and Betsey will mark  the launch of their new accounts by hosting a special back-to-back session of White House Office Hours tomorrow, Tuesday, October 22nd starting at 12:00 p.m. ET. During a live Q&A event on Twitter they will answer your questions about everything from President Obama's economic policies, to the latest monthly economic situation report, and the economic affects of the government shutdown. 

Here are the details: 

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Follow the Q&A live starting at 12:00 p.m ET through the @CEAChair and @CEABetsey Twitter accounts
• If you miss the live event, the full session will be posted on Whitehouse.gov and Storify.com/WhiteHouse

Take a few moments to learn more about the Council of Economic Advisors and President Obama's plan to create jobs and put America back to work and then join us for Office Hours on Twitter tomorrow, October 22nd starting at 12:00 p.m. ET. 

Be sure to check out all of our official accounts:

@WhiteHouse; The White House

@blog44; The White House Blog

@Cabinet; White House Office of Cabinet Affairs

@JoiningForces; Joining Forces, First Lady Michelle Obama & Dr. Biden’s initiative to serve our military and their families.

@LaCasaBlanca; White House updates in Spanish

@LetsMove; Let's Move!, First Lady Michelle Obama’s initiative dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation

@NSCPress; National Security Council

@OMBPress; Office of Management and Budget

@VP; Office of Vice President Biden

@WeThePeople; We The People, The White House Petition Tool

@WhiteHouseOSTP; Office of Science and Technology

@WhiteHouseCEQ; Center of Environmental Quality

@WHLive; White House live updates

@WHVideo; White House videos

@AmbassadorRice; National Security Advisor

@Bobby44, Bobby Whitmore, Assistant Press Secretary

@Brundage44; Amy Brundage, Deputy Press Secretary

@CEABetsey; Betsey Stevenson, council member of Council of Economic Advisors

@CEAChair; Jason Furman, Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors

@Cecilia44; Cecilia Munoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council

@DagVega44; Dag Vega, Director of Broadcast Media

@DavidAgnew44; David Agnew, Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

@DrBiden; Dr. Jill Biden, Second Lady of the United States

@FLOTUS; Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States

@HealthCareTara; Tara McGuiness, Senior Communications Advisor

@Inouye44; Shin Inouye, Director of Specialty Media

@Jearnest44; Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary

@Jesseclee44; Jesse Lee, Director of Progressive Media and Online Response

@Jsmith44; Jamie Smith, Deputy Press Secretary

@Jordan44; Jordan Burke, Assistant Communications Director

@Katie44; Katie Beirne Fallon, Deputy Director of Communications

@Klewis44; Kevin Lewis, Director of African American Media

@Ks44; Kori Schulman, Director of Online Engagement

@Lehrich44; Matt Lehrich, Assistant Press Secretary

@Maley44; Keith Maley, Regional Communications Director

@PAniskoff44; Paulette Aniskoff, Director of the Office of Public Engagement

@Petesouza; Pete Souza, Director of the White House Photography Office

@Pfeiffer44; Dan Pfeiffer, Director of Communications

@PressSec; Jay Carney, Press Secretary

@Racusen44; Rachel Racusen, Associate Communications Director

@Rhodes44; Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communication

@Rosholm44; Joana Rosholm, Regional Communications Director

@Schultz44; Eric Schultz, Deputy Press Secretary

@Simas44; David Simas, Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy

@Vargas44; Katherine Vargas, Director of Hispanic Media

@VJ44; Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President

Less than three months ago, President Obama delivered an address at Georgetown University that underscored the moral obligation we have to leave our children a planet that’s not polluted or damaged. The President issued a Climate Action Plan for his second term that laid out commonsense steps to reduce carbon pollution and address the effects of climate change both here and across the globe.

Today, the Administration issued a Climate Action Plan progress report detailing important implementation milestones on everything from cutting carbon pollution, preparing the United States for the impacts of climate change and ways we are leading global efforts to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions, advance international negotiations and promoting new actions to promote energy efficiency. Check out highlights from our progress since the President announced the Climate Action Plan.

Want to know more about President Obama's Climate Action Plan? Join us Monday, September 23rd at 12:15 p.m. EDT for a White House Google+ Hangout with Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy, and moderated by Lisa Hymas, Senior Editor of Grist.org.

During the Hangout, Secretary Moniz and Administrator McCarthy will answer questions from the public about the progress underway to implement the President's plan. You can participate and and ask your question by visiting Grist.org  or on Twitter using the hashtag #ActOnClimate.

Here are the details:

• When: Join us at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 23rd, 2013
• Where: Watch on WhiteHouse.gov/ClimateHangout or on the White House Google+ page.
• Engage: Ask questions now at Grist.org or on Twitter using #ActOnClimate.

Don't forget to tune into the Hangout live at 12:15 p.m. EDT on Monday, September 23rd on WhiteHouse.gov/ClimateHangout or on the White House Google+ page.

Today, President Obama travelled to Mooresville, NC to announce ConnectEd, an exciting new initiative designed to help bring America's students into the digital age.  The goal of the ConnectED initiative is to bring high-speed internet connections to 99% of America's students within five years.

Immediately following the event, James Kvaal, Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council joined high tech schools from across the country for a national virtual "show and tell" via Google+ Hangout.  During the conversation, moderated by Betsy Corcoran of EdSurge, students and teachers from the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA, Loris Elementary in Horry County, SC and Chappell Elementary in Green Bay, WI demonstrated how they are using the internet and technology in their classrooms.

The students at Loris elementary talked about how they are using iPads to take photos for a virtual book, then bringing their projects into the digital age by doing presentations via blog post. The high school students at the Science Leadership Academy discussed using technology for everything from building websites and doing graphic design to leveraging their computer science skills to develop a custom video game.  The 5th graders at Chappell Elementary school are using their laptops and the power of the internet to raise their awareness of the world around them to raising money online to build a well in Sudan. 

When asked how they would be impacted if they didn't have this technology in their classroom, an elementary school student at Loris said "If my teacher and my principal came into the classroom and they told me we had to get rid of all our electronic devices -- no more iPads, computers -- they would have to call the emergency room because I'd be passed out on the floor…What can you do without technology anymore? We have iPads and we can get on our education apps. We need electronics in our lives because I just think it makes the world more interesting." 

Another student at the Science Leadership Academy noted "that would be really bad for me, because I want to be a computer scientist so everything I do is on the computer. I'm coding, I'm modeling, I'm always doing something on the computer. There's no way I could do what I want to do without a computer." 

With only 20% of educators reporting that their classrooms have the connectivity to meet their teaching needs, that means thousands of schools are missing out on the kinds of opportunities that can be seen at Loris Elementary, the Science Leadership Academy and Chappell Elementary. With President Obama's ConnectED announcement today, we will be investing in bringing the most modern, innovative and up-to-date content and technology into all of America's classrooms, and giving our young people the best education in the world so they can compete for jobs in the global economy.  

As soon as that event concludes, we're hosting a national virtual "show and tell" with high tech schools from the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA to Loris Elementary in Horry County, SC and Chappell Elementary in Green Bay, WI. Joined by James Kvaal, Deputy Director of the White House Domestic Poilcy Council, students and teachers will participate in a Google+ Hangout moderated by Betsy Corcoran of EdSurge to demonstrate how they're using connected classrooms to improve the quality of the educations system. And we want you to be part of that discussion. 

What: National Show and Tell on connected classrooms

When: Thursday, June 6th at 3:30 PM ET

Where: Whitehouse.gov/show-and-tell

If you have questions or comments about digital learning, you can ask now and during the event using the hashtag #WHHangout on Twitter and Google+.

Immediately following the speech, we’ll be streaming a virtual Q&A live from the White House. During this special “Open for Questions” event, a panel of senior advisors will be answering questions about the President's address submitted by citizens via Twitter (using the hashtag's #WHChat & #SOTU), Google+ and Facebook, as well as from the live in-person audience of White House Social participants.  

In the days following the speech, Administration officials will continue to take questions on key issue areas addressed in the President's speech submitted by the public on social media during an "Open for Questions" marathon.  

You can submit questions during the event on Twitter (#WHChat & #SOTU), Facebook and Google+ or ahead of time with participating sites. Each “Open for Questions” event will be streamed live on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU.  Check out the full line up below.

"Open for Questions" Marathon

Tuesday, February 12th: 

​10:00 p.m. ET: Post-SOTU "Open for Questions"

• Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council
• Josh Earnest, Principal Deputy Press Secretary (@JEarnest44)
• Sarah Bianchi, Director of Economic and Domestic Policy for the Vice President
• Felicia Escobar, Senior Policy Director for Immigration
• Roberto Rodriguez, Special Assistant to the President for Education Policy
• Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Policy

Wednesday, February 13th:

• 2:30 p.m. ET: Jobs and the economy with Alan Krueger,Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, moderated by Yahoo! Finance
• 3:15 p.m. ET: Education with Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education moderated by Babble
• 4:00 p.m. ET: Energy and the environment with Heather Zichal, Deputy Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, moderated by Popular Science. 

Thursday, February 14th:

• 4:50 p.m. ET: "Fireside Hangout" with President Obama

Friday, February 15th:

• 3:00 p.m. ET: Reducing gun violence with Bruce Reed, Chief of Staff to Vice President Biden, moderated by iVillage. 
• 4:00 p.m. ET: Immigration reform with Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council moderated by Elianne Ramos from LATISM. 

This afternoon, Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, sat down with a group of immigration reform advocates and leaders from across the country to discuss President Obama's plan to fix our broken immigration system in a live Google+ Hangout. During the virtual roundtable discussion, participants asked questions about the President's vision on topics ranging from creating an earned path to citizenship, the DREAM Act, Startup visas for entrepreneurs, and the role of the faith community in the immigration reform debate.  In case you missed the live event, check out the full video and learn more about the plan.

This "Fireside Hangout" was moderated by Jose Antonio Vargas, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder of Define American, and guests included America Ferrera, co-chair of Voto Latino's I'm Ready for Immigration Reform campaign, Jim Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners, Cristina Jimenez, Managing Director of United We Dream and Shervin Pishevar, Managing Director at Menlo Ventures and co-founder of Start Up Visa Movement. 

The hangout is part of an ongoing series of conversations with administration officials on Google+. In the weeks and months ahead, we’ll continue to host hangouts with White House staff on a range of second term priorities. Follow us on Google+ for updates from the Administration and opportunities to participate in online engagement events.

The conversation will be moderated by Jose Antonio Vargas, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and founder of Define American, and Ms. Muñoz will discuss the President’s proposal for comprehensive immigration reform with participants, which will include America Ferrera, Co-chair of Voto Latino's I'm Ready for Immigration Reform campaign, Jim Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners, Cristina Jimenez, Managing Director of United We Dream and Shervin Pishevar, Managing Director at Menlo Ventures and Co-Founder of Start Up Visa Movement. You can watch the hangout live on WhiteHouse.gov, or tune in to the White House’s Google+ page on Thursday, January 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Earlier today, the President traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada to speak about the need for a fair and effective immigration system that lives up to our heritage as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. The President’s proposal for immigration reform has four parts. First, continue to strengthen our borders. Second, crack down on companies that hire undocumented workers. Third, hold undocumented immigrants accountable before they can earn their citizenship; this means requiring undocumented workers to pay their taxes and a penalty, move to the back of the line, learn English, and pass background checks. Fourth, streamline the legal immigration system for families, workers, and employers.

Don’t forget to tune-in on Thursday, January 31 at 1:00 p.m. ET on WhiteHouse.gov, or on the White House’s Google+ page. In the weeks and months ahead we’ll continue to host hangouts with key members of the President’s Cabinet on a range of second term priorities. Follow us on Google+ for updates from the Administration and opportunities to participate in upcoming online engagement events.

During the #My2k Twitter Q&A with President Obama, Official White House photographer Pete Souza tweets a photo of the President typing. December 4, 2012.

To comemmorate the end of 2012, we're looking back at the best of Whitehouse.gov videos, blog posts and White House tweets. We're also highlighting some of the best online engagement events of the past year.  

From his first day in office, President Obama has been committed to creating the most open and participatory administration in history, whether by taking questions and comments from citizens, inviting Americans to join online events with White House officials, or providing a way to engage with the government on the issues that matter most through the online petitioning platform, We the People.   

In 2011, senior staff at the White House began holding regular "Office Hours" to answer questions on a variety of issues and topics.  Administration officials respond in real-time to questions submitted on Twitter using the hashtag #WHChat.  

And 2012 has seen an even greater variety of online conversations, from a session to celebrate the second anniversary of the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative to an exchange on college affordability with Education Secretary @ArneDuncan, and indepth chats about the Affordable Care Act. There was even a full day of back to back discussions with policy experts following the President's State of the Union Address in January.

Cabinet Secretaries and Senior White House staff have found these sessions to be incredibly useful, and the enthusiasm for connecting this way with citizens now goes all the way to the top: Both @VP Biden and "-bo, President Obama" also took part in twitter Q&A's this year. Check out some of the most memorable moments from Office Hours in 2012 below or on Storify.  

To engage with us in 2013, be sure to follow us on Twitter at @Whitehouse and visit Whitehouse.gov/Engage

A giant red AIDS ribbon is put on display in honor of World AIDS Day on the North Portico of the White House, Nov. 30, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Today, December 1, 2012 is World AIDS Day. Every year on this day,  the world comes together to stand with people affected by HIV/AIDS, to remember those we have lost and to renew our commitment to ending the pandemic once and for all.  

Last year on World AIDS Day, President Obama announced ambitious new targets in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and on the domestic front focused on investment to support the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy to fight the epidemic here at home.

One year later, the President's commitments have translated into real measurable progress. As of today, we are treating over 5 million people with lifesaving medicines for AIDS, up from 1.7 million in 2008, and are on track to treat 6 million people by the end of 2013.  This year, we have also reached over 700,000 HIV-positive pregnant women with antiretroviral drugs that will prevent them from passing the virus to their children. We are making real progress, but the fight is not over.

As the President stated in his Proclamation for World AIDS Day 2012:  

Creating an AIDS-free generation is a shared responsibility. It requires commitment from partner countries, coupled with support from donors, civil society, people living with HIV, faith-based organizations, the private sector, foundations, and multilateral institutions. We stand at a tipping point in the fight against HIV/AIDS, and working together, we can realize our historic opportunity to bring that fight to an end.

Today, we reflect on the strides we have taken toward overcoming HIV/AIDS, honor those who have made our progress possible, and keep in our thoughts all those who have known the devastating consequences of this illness. The road toward an AIDS-free generation is long -- but as we mark this important observance, let us also remember that if we move forward every day with the same passion, persistence, and drive that has brought us this far, we can reach our goal. We can beat this disease. On World AIDS Day, in memory of those no longer with us and in solidarity with all who carry on the fight, let us pledge to make that vision a reality.

Every wonder how we get the red ribbon up on the White House?  Check out this time-lapse video:

Last year, on World AIDS Day, President Obama announced ambitious new targets in the global fight against HIV/AIDS, and on the domestic front focused on investment to support the first comprehensive National HIV/AIDS Strategy to fight the epidemic here at home. In the President’s speech that day he said: “we are going to win this fight. But the fight is not over…”  

One year later, the President's commitments have translated into real measurable progress. Internationally, we've seen that ambitious treatment and prevention targets announced by the President are on track to be met, and domestically, the number of Americans living with HIV on waiting lists for medication has dropped by over 95%.  

Have questions about steps the Obama Administration has taken both domestically and abroad as we move toward an AIDS-free generation?  Tomorrow, Friday, November 30th at 3:00 p.m. ET join us for a special session of White House Office Hours with Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Gayle Smith, Senior Director, National Security Council.  During a live Q&A on Twitter they will answer your questions about the Obama administrations role in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

Here’s are the details:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Follow the Q&A live through the @WHLive and @VJ44 Twitter accounts
• If you miss the live Q&A, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/WhiteHouse

So take a few minutes and learn more about how the White House is honoring World AIDS Day 2012 and then join us for Office Hours on Twitter with Valerie Jarrett and Gayle Smith on November 30th at 3:00 p.m. ET.

If Congress doesn't act by the end of the year, every American family’s taxes will automatically go up. A typical middle-class family of four would see their taxes rise by $2,200 in 2013. Surrounded by American's who had written in support of his plan, President Obama called on the American people to speak up and add their voices to the debate:

"Today, I’m asking Congress to listen to the people who sent us here to serve.  I’m asking Americans all across the country to make your voice heard.  Tell members of Congress what a $2,000 tax hike would mean to you.  Call your members of Congress, write them an email, post it on their Facebook walls.  You can tweet it using the hashtag “My2K.”

Tomorrow, Thursday November 29th at 1:00 pm ET, Brian Deese, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council will join us for a special session of Office Hours. During a live Q&A on Twitter, Brian will answer your questions about a balanced approach to reducing the deficit and the importance of extending the middle-class tax cuts.

Here are the details:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Follow the Q&A live through the @WHLive Twitter account
• If you miss the live session, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/Whitehouse

Thousands of Americans have already spoken out.  Check out some of their responses  and then share your story by visiting WH.gov/My2K, or on Twitter using the hashtag #My2K.

Turkeys have been carving out a special place in American history since 1963. That's when John F. Kennedy became the first U.S. President to "pardon" a turkey at the White House -- a tradition that's grown to be known as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

On Wednesday, President Obama will pardon the 2012 National Thanksgiving Turkey and this year, for the first time ever, the American public will get its say. People all across the country are flocking to cast their vote.

Which of two turkeys will be named the 2012 National Thanksgiving Turkey?

Born on the same day on a farm in Rockingham Country, Virginia, Cobbler and Gobbler may look alike, but they're no birds of a feather. Cobbler craves cranberries, is known for his strut, and enjoys the musical stylings of Carly Simon. Gobbler, a patient but proud bird, loves to nibble on corn and enjoys any music with a fiddle.

Which turkey is your favorite? Go to the White House Facebook page and "Like" and "share" their post to cast your vote.

Polls close at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, November 20th 2012, so be sure to visit the White House Facebook page to cast your vote.

Choose the National Thanksgiving Turkey!

Don't forget to tune in to the 2012 ceremony on Wednesday, November 21st on http://wh.gov/live at 2:00 pm ET to find out which turkey has been selected as the 2012 National Thanksgiving Turkey. And for more on how this Presidential tradition came to be check out the definitive history of the Presidential Turkey Pardon.

Note: It's all gravy -- no turkeys will be harmed during the selection of the National Thanksgiving Turkey.  After the pardoning, both turkeys travel to George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens to reside in a custom-made enclosure at Mount Vernon’s nationally recognized livestock facility.  Additionally, if for any reason one turkey is unable to perform the duties of the National Thanksgiving Turkey, his alternate will take his place during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.

At the end of the tour, they came inside to talk and tweet with Deputy Director of Digital Strategy Katelyn Sabochik, Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, Official White House Photographer Sonya Hebert, and Director of the Office of Public Engagement Jon Carson. 

Follow their experience in Tweets. Check out the #WHGarden Social story below or on Storify. For ways to engage with the White House in the future, be sure to visit WhiteHouse.gov/Engage.

Last week, the U.S., along with 12 other founding members, announced Equal Futures, a new partnership between the U.S. and other nations to advance the rights and opportunities of women and girls. At the event, founding members announced national commitments to expand women's political and economic participation.  

For the United States, these commitments include new efforts to expand opportunity for women and girls in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, expand economic security for domestic violence victims, support women entrepreneurs and promote civic and public leadership for girls. To fulfill our commitments, we will be working to strengthen government policies and programs with the help of the private and non-profit sectors.  

Have questions about the Equal Futures Partnership? On Friday, October 5^th at 2:30 p.m. EDT join us for a special session of White House Office Hours with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls and Samantha Power, Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs. During a live Q&A on Twitter they will answer your questions about how the Obama Administration is working to empower women and girls both here and abroad through the Equal Futures Partnership.

 Here’s how it works:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Follow the Q&A live through the @WHLive and @VJ44 Twitter accounts
• If you miss the live Q&A, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/WhiteHouse

So take a few minutes to watch video of the launch last week, learn more about the Equal Futures Partnership and then join us for Office Hours with Samantha Power and Valerie Jarrett on October 5th at 2:30 p.m. EDT. 

This week, President Obama spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting about his administration’s efforts to combat human trafficking. "Our fight against human trafficking is one of the great human rights causes of our time and the United States will continue to lead it," the President said.

We continued the conversation today by hosting a live video chat with administration officials, including Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls Tina Tchen and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs Samantha Power. Participating leaders from the NGO and faith community included:

• Malika Saada-Saar, Executive Director, Human Rights Project for Girls
• Natalie Grant, Christian music artist and, Founder, Abolition International
• Randy Newcomb, President and CEO, Humanity United
• Kaitlyn Ruhland, Student, International Justice Mission
• Kay Buck, CEO and Executive Director, Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST)

Joshua DuBois, Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, moderated the Hangout and thousands of you joined the discussion online. During the event, the hashtag #WHHangout was even trending nationwide on Twitter.

If you missed the live event, you can watch the full video right here. And be sure to check out the President’s speech at CGI and learn more about the Administration’s efforts to combat human trafficking at home and abroad.

The Obama Administration has developed and began executing a comprehensive strategy that includes expanding our interagency task force to include more federal partners, and devoting more resources to identifying and going after trafficking networks.  Additionally, the U.S. has strengthened protections so foreign-born workers know their rights.

But with more than 20 million victims of human trafficking around the world there’s much more we have to do.

Want to learn more about the Obama Administration’s efforts to combat human trafficking at home and abroad? Join us on Thursday, September 27^th at 12:00 p.m. EDT, for a White House Google+ Hangout with Assistant to the President, Chief of Staff to the First Lady and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls, Tina Tchen, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs, Samantha Power and leaders from the NGO and faith communities who play an important role in the global movement in the fight against modern slavery.  Joshua DuBois, Special Assistant to President Obama and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships will moderate the conversation.

You can join the conversation too. During the Hangout, participants will also answer questions from the public, submitted online using this webform, or via Twitter using the hashtag #WHHangout.

Then, don’t forget to watch the Hangout live at 12:00 p.m. EDT tomorrow, Thursday, September 27^th, 2012 on Whitehouse.gov/live or on the White House Google+ page.

 Here are the details:

• When: Join us at 12:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday, September 27th, 2012
• Where: Watch on Whitehouse.gov/live or on the White House Google+ page
• Engage: Ask questions via this webform, or on Twitter with the hashtag #WHHangout

In case you missed it, check out President Obama's speech at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting yesterday: 

A year ago, the White House launched We the People, a new platform that allows anyone to create or sign petitions asking the Obama Administration to take action on a range of issues. In just one year's time, the platform has generated 3.4 million signatures by 2.8 million users. And what's even more exciting is that participation is growing across the board — with more users and signatures every month.

We really couldn't anticipate just how popular We the People would be, especially at the beginning. In the first week, nearly 8,000 petitions had been created, racking up more than 600,000 signatures by 375,000 users. Also, thirty petitions reached our original threshold of 5,000 signatures. This was a good problem to have, but we knew that this many petitions would challenge our ability to offer timely and meaningful responses to petitions in the long term. So we raised signature threshold to receive a response to 25,000.

From the beginning we’ve said that if a petition gathers enough online signatures, policy officials here at the White House and across the Administration will review it and issue an official response. In this first year we’ve had 116 petitions cross the threshold and 103 have already received a response.  And, despite the fact that only a small percentage of the over 50,000 petitions have crossed the signature threshold, you’d probably be surprised to hear that 1.1 million people or 39% of users have received a response. 

Its also worth noting that starting on May 15, 2012 we began surveying signers who received a response. Since then, we've found that 78% of survey responders said that even if they don’t agree with the Administration’s response, it was still helpful to hear our position on the issue, 54% of responders learned something new, and a full 88% would consider creating or signing another petition on We the People.

For an inside look at how we review petitions and develop responses, we put together a short video. Watch We the People: Your Voice in Our Government.

We the People is an online petitioning platform, not a referendum.  We may not agree with the policy views expressed in every petition, and gathering enough signatures to cross the threshold for a response does not guarantee that the Administration will change our policy on a specific subject. But, in many cases, petitions posted on We the People have helped spur discussions of important policy issues here at the White House and across the Administration. You can read more about a few of these here.

During its first year we’ve worked to continually improve We the People, not only by raising the signature threshold to so we can provide more timely and meaningful responses, but also working to include engagement opportunities for petition signers to connect directly with the Administration officials who have written their response. We’ve also worked through some technical issues, and have made the process of creating and signing petitions easier than ever. We’ve even released the source code powering We the People so that anyone can contribute features and fixes or install the application on their website.

But there’s still more work to do—and we need your help figuring out how we can improve. You can submit your feedback here or on Twitter @WHWeb. 

As head of the Delegation in London, First Lady Michelle Obama  represented the White House at the Opening Ceremonies. While in London, she also met with Team USA to wish them luck, hosted a Let's Move event for over 1,000 American military children and British students, and cheered our Olympians as they competed. All along the way, she documented her travels on Twitter at @LetsMove.

On August 4^th, President Obama dedicated his Weekly Address to letting our Olympic and Paralympic athletes know that that the American people could not be more proud of them, and thanked them for reminding us that we are one people, and by working together we can achieve great things. 

Additionally, throughout the Olympics, the President, First Lady, Vice President Biden and Dr. Biden took to Twitter to cheer on and congratulate Team USA. 

You can check out all of these moments and more below and over on Storify.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 47 million women will have access to eight additional preventive health care services at no out-of-pocket cost. Women in private plans and Medicare already have received potentially life-saving services, such as mammograms, cholesterol screenings, and flu shots at no extra cost.

Have questions about these new preventive care benefits or the Affordable Care Act? Ask us during Office Hours.

Tomorrow, Thursday, August 2nd at 5:00 p.m. EDT, we're holding a special session of White House Office Hours on Twitter with White House Health Care Policy Advisors, Carole Johnson & Ellen Montz and Assistant Press Secretary Nick Papas who will answer your questions.

Here's how it works:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Follow the Q&A live through the @WHLive Twitter account
• If you miss the live session, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/Whitehouse

The law now requires new, non-grandfathered private health plans to offer eight additional screenings and tests for adolescent and adult women at no extra charge. These include:

• Well-woman visits.
• Gestational diabetes screenings that help protect women from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases.
• Domestic and interpersonal violence screening and counseling.
• FDA-approved contraceptive products.
• Breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.
• HPV DNA testing, for women 30 or older.
• Sexually transmitted infections counseling.
• HIV screening and counseling.

To learn more about these new preventive benefits, check out this blog post from Senior Advisor to the President, Valerie Jarrett and for a comprehensive overview of the Affordable Care Act, visit WhiteHouse.gov/HealthReform and HealthCare.gov.

Then, don’t forget to join us for Office Hours tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. EDT with Carole Johnson, Ellen Montz and Nick Papas.

Be sure to follow @WhiteHouse for the latest updates and more opportunities to engage.

In the afternoon, Kumar Garg, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Steve Robinson, Domestic Policy Council, took to Twitter to answer questions about the STEM Master Teacher Corp and other Obama Administration initiatives to support STEM education. You can check out the full Q&A below or at Storify.com.

Be sure to follow @WhiteHouse on Twitter for the latest news and more opportunities to engage.

Want to know more about the President's plan, and other government programs that are already helping thousands of homeowners across the country? Join us on Thursday, July 12th at 3:15 p.m. EDT, for a White House Google+ Hangout on mortgage refinancing with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, moderated by the real estate marketplace, Zillow, Inc.

Secretary Donovan will join a conversation, moderated by Zillow CEO Spencer Rascoff, with participating homeowners about refinancing options, such as the Home Affordable Refinancing Program (HARP) and President Obama's plan to streamline refinancing for responsible homeowners.

During the Hangout, the Secretary will also answer questions from the public. You can participate and ask your question by visiting the special tab on Zillow's Facebook page, or via Twitter using the hashtag #WHHangout.

Then, don't forget to watch the Hangout live at 3:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 12th, 2012 on WhiteHouse.gov/Live, or on the White House Google+ page.

Here are the details:

• When: Join us at 3:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 12^th, 2012
• Where: Watch on WhiteHouse.gov/refi, or on the White House Google+ page
• Engage: Ask questions and join the discussion on Zillow's Facebook page, or on Twitter with the hashtag #WHHangout

Watch a video message about the Hangout from Secretary Donovan: