Over the course of his trip, he'll participate in bilateral meetings with Taoiseach Enda Kenny and President Michael Higgins. He'll deliver remarks on the Irish-American experience, the shared heritage of our two nations, and our shared values of tolerance, diversity and inclusiveness. And he'll travel to the counties from which his ancestors hail. Over the course of the trip, he'll also be taking questions from the Ancestry.com community and Americans around the country. Tweet your questions at @VP using hashtag #BidenInIreland.

Read a note from the Vice President ahead of his trip, and keep following along for updates.

I'm heading out on a very special trip today.

I'm going back to Ireland -- the country from which my ancestors hailed, and a country whose independence the Easter Rising set in motion, 100 years ago this year. It is my first dedicated trip to this nation as Vice President -- during which I'll meet with the country's leaders, discuss issues of trade, economic recovery, migration and refugee policy, and other national security challenges, and celebrate our shared heritage. Our shared values of tolerance. Diversity. Inclusiveness.

And it's a trip I'm so deeply grateful to be taking alongside my children and grandchildren. 

Over the course of my life, I've been a lot of places. I've traveled all around the world -- more than a million miles on Air Force Two alone. I've been honored to have held a lot of titles. But I have always been and will always be the son of Kitty Finnegan.

The grandson of Geraldine Finnegan from St. Paul's Parish in Scranton; a proud descendant of the Finnegans of Ireland’s County Louth. The great-grandson of a man named Edward Francis Blewitt, whose roots stem from Ballina, a small town in Ireland’s County Mayo -- sister city to my hometown in Scranton, Pennsylvania. An engineer with a poet’s heart. Months after my mother passed away, I found an old box of his poems in my attic.

In his poetry, my great-grandfather spoke of both continents, and how his heart and his soul drew from the old and the new. And most of all, he was proud. He was proud of his ancestors. He was proud of his blood. He was proud of his city. He was proud of his state, his country. But most of all -- he was proud of his family.

And that is America: This notion that home is where your character is etched. As Americans, we all hail from many homes. Somewhere along the line, someone in our lineage arrived on our shores, filled with hope. We are blessed to experience that simultaneous pride in where we've found ourselves, while never forgetting our roots.

James Joyce wrote, "When I die, Dublin will be written on my heart." 

Well, Northeast Pennsylvania will be written on my heart. But Ireland will be written on my soul. And as we join the world in celebrating everything that Ireland has become, and indeed everything that she is always been, I could not be more honored to be returning.

You can see what I see right here. 

I'm looking forward to sharing it with you.

-Joe

Day One: Arriving in Dublin

• The Vice President, family, and staff arrive at Dublin International Airport in the evening.
• The Vice President greets with Taoiseach Enda Kenny before heading into a bilateral meeting at the Government Building.
• The Vice President remains in Dublin overnight.

"I'm looking forward to seeing the places my forefathers came from." See a recap of the @VP's first day in Ireland:https://t.co/UNiabpvaHT

— VP Biden Live (@VPLive) June 22, 2016

Wheels down: The @VP has landed in Dublin! Here, he's greeted on the tarmac by @CharlieFlanagan. #BidenInIreland pic.twitter.com/zAdr0vSdPu

— VP Biden Live (@VPLive) June 21, 2016

Get the official readout from the Vice President's bilateral meeting with Taoiseach Kenny.

Day Two: From Dublin to Ballina, County Mayo

• The Vice President greets with President Michael Higgins at the President's Residence.
• The Vice Presidents Holds a bilateral meeting with President Higgins.
• The Vice President departs Dublin for County Mayo, Ireland.
• The Vice President and Taoiseach Kenny make stops in several towns in County Mayo, visiting various points of significance to the Vice President and Taoiseach along the way.

Get the official readout from the Vice President's bilateral meeting with President Higgins.

Vice President Joe Biden quoted JFK in the Áras an Uachtaráin visitors book: pic.twitter.com/YSjWhMSTEl

— President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) June 22, 2016

The town of Ballina is out in force to welcome home the @VP #bideninireland pic.twitter.com/Cmg0C5cwUT

— U.S. Embassy Dublin (@USEmbassyDublin) June 22, 2016

 Day Three: Back to Dublin

• The Vice President plays a round of golf with Taoiseach Kenny in County Mayo.
• Afterwards, he departs County Mayo, en route to Dublin.
• The Vice President remains in Dublin overnight.

Day Four: Remarks in Dublin

• The Vice President delivers remarks at Trinity College Public Theatre.
• Next, he tours the Trinity College Library with his family.
• Later in the day, the Vice President delivers remarks at Dublin Castle on the Irish-American experience, the shared heritage of the two nations, and the values of tolerance, diversity, and inclusiveness.
• Finally, the Vice President will speak at the American Ireland Fund's 40th Anniversary Gala at Trinity College Library Square Courtyard.

"I am proud to join the ranks of American political leaders who have drawn inspiration at Trinity, and there have been many. President John Kennedy and his brother Ted Kennedy both spoke here while in office. Woodrow Wilson spent a day wandering around Trinity before he became President, his thoughts full of Edmund Burke. Even Benjamin Franklin was drawn to this beautiful campus when he visited Ireland in 1771 and found, in his words, 'all Ireland is strongly in favor of the American cause.'"

Vice President Biden, in remarks at Dublin's Trinity College

 

"...Even before great waves of emigration brought so many of us Irish to the shores of America to make their home in American soil, it sharped our spirit of freedom and our drive for independence and launched an irrevocable friendship between the United States and Ireland."

Vice President Biden, in remarks at Dublin's Trinity College

"I’m overwhelmed by the hospitality of the people of Ireland; overwhelmed by the hospitality of Trinity College. And I am extremely flattered, and I wish all of you graduates -- I wish you well. Go and do good."

Vice President Biden, in remarks at Dublin's Trinity College

"Around the same time my great-great-grandfather, Owen Finnegan, the shoemaker, boarded the Brothers on May 31, 1844, another shoemaker named Joseph Kearny, from Moneygall, sailed aboard the Caroline Reade, arriving in America just five weeks before my great-great-grandfather.

It’s doubtful they ever knew each another. But one thing we do know -- they left everything behind for an uncertain future.

And in all of their dreams, could they ever have dreamt that 160 years later, two great-great-grandsons of shoemakers from Ireland would be sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States of America?"

Vice President Biden, in remarks at Dublin Castle

Day Five: Onward to County Louth

• ​The Vice President and his family tour Newgrange, a prehistoric world heritage site built between 3000 and 2500 B.C.
• The Vice President and family depart Newgrange for County Louth.
• The Vice President tours the Kilwirra Church and Cemetery, where some of his ancestors were baptized.
• The Vice President makes additional local stops in County Louth before returning to Dublin, where he will remain overnight.

 

"Wave up at the window!" Recap the full Ireland trip -- including this stop in County Louth -- at the link in the bio.

A video posted by Vice President Joe Biden (@vp) on Jun 28, 2016 at 6:55am PDT

View of @vp motorcade from the top of the hill at Carlingford heritage center - great turnout! #bideninireland pic.twitter.com/L0IXUnXjR3

— U.S. Embassy Dublin (@USEmbassyDublin) June 25, 2016

Day Six: Bidding Ireland Farewell

• The Vice President attends a lunch hosted by Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the Farmleigh House -- the official Irish State guest house.
• The Vice President and family depart Dublin en route for Washington, D.C.

 

As my trip to Ireland comes to a close, I want to thank the Irish people for their warmth and incredible hospitality toward me and my family -- from the thousands who lined the streets to say hello, to the members of my own family I was fortunate enough to be able to meet for the first time. The Irish don't say "Welcome;" they say "You're welcome." Each time they say it, they're literally telling you: You are welcome here. And you feel it. It has truly been a wonderful visit.

A video posted by Vice President Joe Biden (@vp) on Jun 26, 2016 at 11:54am PDT

.@VP Biden: "I've an announcement to make. We're not leaving" #bideninireland @opwfarmleigh @VPLive pic.twitter.com/hdNKpdQp0t

— U.S. Embassy Dublin (@USEmbassyDublin) June 26, 2016

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When I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer that is rarely found in children.

Fast forward 13 years to this afternoon, when I found myself getting on a conference call with Vice President Joe Biden and asking hundreds of Americans around the country if they'd be willing to host conversations in their communities about how we can expedite the pace of cancer progress.

Here's how it all came to be:

Throughout my experience with cancer -- from my initial diagnosis to the surgeries and procedures that followed -- I felt completely out of control. I was in a continuous state of recovery, and never in a place of victory.

I lost hope countless times during my cancer treatments. I felt that life had treated me unfairly and that I deserved better. It's what millions of patients and their families feel every day. Daily points of devastating despair and fear. That their illness will not be cured. That they will never become healthy again.

With the support of family and friends, I beat my illness and rediscovered the hope that I had once lost. But not everyone has the support I had. And no one should feel alone in a fight for their lives. I decided to dedicate my life to helping those affected by this terrible disease.

And I’m proud to say that my job is to help organize communities around the country to make sure every person whose life cancer has touched has a part to play.

On June 29, the Vice President and Dr. Biden are convening a Cancer Moonshot Summit. It will mark the first time that individuals and organizations in communities around the country -- patients, survivors, researchers, physicians, business leaders, philanthropists and more -- will convene under the national charge to double the rate of progress to end cancer as we know it.

If you want to be a part of it, you can start here, and let us know you want to host a summit in your community.

Reflecting on my own experience with cancer, here’s what I’ve learned:

Health care is not just about medicine and treatment, but more importantly about people who are making real-time, human decisions. And I’m grateful that President Obama and Vice President Biden have taken a stand to make sure our health care system works better for the actual people who rely on it the most.

When you talk to patient advocates for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer’s, or diabetes, they’ll often mention the lack of political will from those elected to lead us. These issues are complicated, and incredibly personal for millions of us. And creating lasting change starts with creating an open dialogue between patients and the communities charged with treating and researching their diseases.

The Vice President is boldly declaring this Administration’s political will with his Moonshot Initiative.

Want to be a part of it?

Now is a great time to meet up with other supporters in your community to get ready for the work ahead. Join your fellow cancer patient advocates, researchers, community leaders, and health care professionals as we share updates and discuss efforts to accelerate progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care.

You can start right here.

Let’s end cancer once and for all.

-Ashwani

Ashwani Jain
Director of Outreach
Cancer Moonshot Summit

My dad had something he used to say to me:

“A job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about dignity and respect.”

Part of what he meant by that, I think, is that without the ability to provide for your family, you’re deprived of your dignity.

That’s the fundamental spirit behind a big change our Administration made today to modernize our overtime rules: Making sure hard work is rewarded with fair pay.

The change we’re making today is straightforward:

Right now, you're guaranteed overtime if you’re an hourly worker, but if you’re salaried, you’re only automatically guaranteed overtime if you make less than $23,660. If you’re a manager on salary and you work an extra 10, 20, 30 hours a week -- you often don’t get paid a dime more for those additional hours. That’s simply wrong.

Starting in December, we're making sure that more workers get paid fairly for the overtime hours that they work. With this new rule, we’re increasing the cutoff for automatic overtime for salaried workers to $47,476 -- most salaried workers making less than $47,476 will be guaranteed overtime pay for working more than 40 hours a week.

Companies will have a choice: Pay their workers for the extra hours they put in, or cap their hours at 40 hours a week. For over 4 million workers, this change means they’ll either get a bump in pay or will get more time with their families if they work more than 40 hours a week. Or more time to go back to school or get additional job training.

Today, I’ll head to Columbus, Ohio to visit a business, an ice cream company called Jeni’s, with 600 employees around the country. They’ve got a management that understands what “fair” means. They’ve already begun making changes to guarantee overtime to some of their managers.

You can learn more and listen in right here.

The law since the 1930s has said that anyone working more than 40 hours a week is working overtime. And if you’re working overtime, you should get paid for it. We can’t allow folks with families to support to work long hours without being paid fairly for it.

It’s not right. So today, we’re doing what we can to fix it.

The President and I have been laser-focused on rebuilding the basic middle-class bargain that used to exist, and that both parties have signed on to. What it comes down to is that if you contribute to the success of the company that employs you, you should get paid fairly for it. Because of the Administration’s efforts to rebuild that basic bargain, the economy has gone from crisis to recovery to resurgence. Wages are on track to rise this year by over 3 percent. Today’s expansion of overtime protections will build on this momentum.

That’s how you increase access to the middle class. But we know we have more work to do and we’re going to keep going right through the finish line.

You can tune in to the event in Ohio right here.

See you out there.

-Joe

The audience at the Georgetown University Law Center laughed when the Vice President Biden posed this question during his remarks there yesterday. But it's a question that many Republicans in the Senate are genuinely asking right now, and every American needs to know the answer to it. 

There are few people better positioned to break this down for us than the Vice President, who served in the U.S. Senate for 36 years and oversaw the fair nomination processes of nine Supreme Court justices as either Chairman or Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee. (Much to his chagrin, that's more than anyone else alive today.)

Watch him explain why a nine-member court matters now:

Good morning, folks --

In a few hours, I’ll be heading over to Georgetown University’s Law Center, where I’m going to speak to you about why it’s so vitally important that Chief Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination gets the consideration our Constitution affords it.

You can watch that right here.

Now, between all the back-and forth you hear from all sides, from pundits and from your own members of Congress, I know it’s often hard to know what’s what in these political debates.

And that’s on all of us to fix. Our politics are clearly broken. But what we need to make sure right now is that Washington’s dysfunction doesn’t become a constitutional crisis.

At the end of the day, no matter your politics, this comes down to the simple but vital obligation that we all have to do our jobs.

Most Americans go to work every day understanding that they’ve got a job to do. There are days when you might not want to. But you don’t have the luxury of simply deciding not to work because it’s not convenient for you.

Neither should a United States Senator.

And right now, the United States Senate has a job to do. The Constitution has written a straightforward description of what that job calls for:

It says the President “shall” appoint someone to fill a Supreme Court vacancy, with the Senate’s “Advice and Consent.”

That includes consulting and voting. Voting in favor, or voting against – but voting.

Saying nothing, seeing nothing, reading nothing, and hearing nothing is not an option.

In my 36 years in the United States Senate, the Constitution was always our guidepost. Which meant that every single Supreme Court nominee got a hearing, a committee vote, and a floor vote. Period.

If our Senators don’t do that this time, it could be an entire year before the highest court in our nation is able to do its job the way the Constitution requires it to do.

Folks, this is important. And it affects every single one of us.

That’s what I’ll be talking about today. I hope you’ll listen in.

-Joe

Vice President Joe Biden

Today, the Vice President is heading to the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a roundtable conversation with key leaders and specialists around his efforts to double the pace of progress toward a cure for cancer. You can watch that conversation below. Here's some background on the Institute, and why it's significant.

The Huntsman Cancer Institute is a a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

That means it meets the highest standards for cancer care and research, and receives NCI support for its scientific research. The scientists at the Institute are focused on understanding cancer from its very beginnings to create safer and more effective treatments -- as well as better understanding the function of genes in cancer.

The Institute houses the Utah Population Database -- a rich source of in-depth information supporting research on genetics, epidemiology, demography, and public health.

This database provides access to information on more than 7.3 million individuals and supports more than 100 research projects -- and it can only be used for biomedical and health-related research. During a tour of the Institute today, the Vice President will see a demo of the database's limited query tool, which provides researchers around the world with the framework for population-based research studies.

Learn more about the Vice President's Cancer Moonshot, and share with the Vice President how cancer has touched your life.

The Vice President has been reading many of the thousands of stories that have come in from the millions of Americans around the country whose lives have been touched by cancer. He's even called a few of them. Listen to one of those conversations here.

The audio of the address and video of the address will be available online at obamawhitehouse.archives.gov at 6:00 a.m. ET, November 7.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

Thirty years ago, there were 500,000 people behind bars in America. Today, there are 2.2 million. The United States is home to 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Every year, we spend $80 billion to keep people locked up.

President Obama, 10/17/2015

The Case for Reform

Over the last few decades, we've locked up more non-violent offenders than ever before — and for longer than ever.

Since he was a Senator, the President has noted that in too many cases, our criminal justice system represents a pipeline from underfunded schools to overcrowded jails. And while he's since taken steps to address it, much of our criminal justice system remains unfair.

And people of all political persuasions, in both are ready to do something about it. 

Learn more about the current legislative efforts making their way through Congress.

The President Addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago on Criminal Justice Reform

What you need to know: Legislative to fix our criminal justice system

In the Senate: The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015

What you need to know about the bill:

• It reforms and targets enhanced mandatory minimums for prior drug felons. The bill reduces the enhanced penalties that apply to repeat drug offenders and eliminates the three-strike mandatory life provision, but it allows those enhanced penalties to be applied to offenders with prior convictions for serious violent and serious drug felonies. 

• It broadens the existing safety valve and creates a second safety valve. The bill expands the existing safety valve to offenders with more extensive criminal histories but excludes defendants with prior felonies and violent or drug trafficking offenses unless a court finds those prior offenses substantially overstate the defendant’s criminal history and danger of recidivism. The bill also creates a second safety valve that gives judges discretion to sentence certain low-level offenders below the 10-year mandatory minimum. But defendants convicted of serious violent and serious drug felonies cannot benefit from these reforms. 
• It reforms enhanced mandatory minimums and sentences for firearm offenses. The bill expands the reach of the enhanced mandatory minimum for violent firearm offenders to those with prior federal or state firearm offenses but reduces that mandatory minimum to provide courts with greater flexibility in sentencing. The bill also raises the statutory maximum for unlawful possession of firearms but lowers the enhanced mandatory minimum for repeat offenders. 
• It creates new mandatory minimums for interstate domestic violence and certain export control violations. The bill adds new mandatory minimum sentences for certain crimes involving interstate domestic violence and creates a new mandatory minimum for providing weapons and other defense materials to prohibited countries and terrorists. 
• It applies the Fair Sentencing Act and certain sentencing reforms retroactively. 
• It provides for prison reform based not he Cornyn-Whitehouse Corrections Act. The bill requires the Department of Justice to conduct risk assessments to classify all federal inmates and to use the results to assign inmates to appropriate recidivism reduction programs, including work and education programs, drug rehabilitation, job training, and faith-based programs. Eligible prisoners who successfully complete these programs can earn early release and may spend the final portion (up to 25 percent) of their remaining sentence in home confinement or a halfway house. 
• It limits solitary confinement for juveniles in federal custody and improves the accuracy of federal criminal records.
• It provides for a report and inventory of all Federal criminal offenses. 

In the House: The Sentencing Reform Act of 2015

What you need to know about the the bill:

It reforms mandatory minimums for drug offenses.

• Reduces the three-strike mandatory life sentence to 25 years and the two-strike sentence from 20 to 15 years.
• Applies these sentencing reductions retroactively, except for offenders who have prior serious violent felony convictions that resulted in a prison sentence of greater than 13 months.
• Allows drug sentences to be enhanced based upon prior convictions for serious violent felonies. o Includes a sentencing enhancement for trafficking in Fentanyl, a highly addictive and deadly drug.

It broadens the existing safety valve and creates a second safety valve.

• Expands the existing drug “safety valve” to offenders with prior misdemeanor convictions but excludes offenders with prior felonies, or prior violent or drug trafficking convictions.
• Permits courts to find that a defendant’s prior offenses substantially overstate the defendant’s criminal history and danger of recidivism.
• Creates a second safety valve that allows judges to sentence certain offenders below the 10-year mandatory minimum.

It reforms sentences for certain firearms offenses.

• Expands the enhanced penalties for violent firearms offenders to those with prior firearm convictions.
• Raises the statutory maximum for unlawful possession of firearms but lowers the enhanced mandatory minimum sentences for repeat offenders.
• Clarifies that the enhanced mandatory minimum sentence for using a firearm during a crime of violence or drug crime is limited to offenders who have previously been convicted and served a sentence for such an offense.
• Applies the second or subsequent fix retroactively and applies the sentencing reductions retroactively, except for offenders who have prior serious violent felony convictions (as defined in the bill).

It applies the Fair Sentencing Act retroactively.

• Allows FSA retroactivity for offenders who have never received a reduction, or for those who were ineligible because they were sentenced at the mandatory minimum. 

Want more information about these efforts?

Watch the President's recent weekly address on reforming our criminal justice system.

Take a look at the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing's new toolkit.

It's an important day in American history (or, at least, in American cinematic history):

It's the date to which Marty McFly traveled into the "future" in Back to the Future Part II.

We've come a long way in the 30 years that have passed since the original Back to the Future came out. Now, we're going to talk about where we're going in the next 30. 

All day long, we're hosting a series of conversations with scientists and innovators across the government and the country. You'll be able to ask them questions, watch videos explaining their cutting-edge developments, and share your answer to the question above: What does 2045 look like?

Here's the schedule for the day.

(Remember -- we'll be posting all kinds of great stuff over the course of the day, so check back frequently!)

9:30 a.m. ET: A Google+ Hangout Conversation on Time Travel

Featuring: OSTP Deputy Director for Technology and Innovation Tom Kalil, Professor Tim Ralph of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and Mr. Martin Ringbauer, a PhD student at the University of Queensland.
What you can do: Watch live right here!

10:30 a.m. ET: A Twitter Conversation on Autonomous Vehicles

Featuring: Deputy Chief Technology Officer Ed Felten, and Special Assistant to the President for Economic and Technology Policy R. David Edelman.
What you can do: Follow @EdFelten44 and @WhiteHouseOSTP -- and weigh in on the conversation on Twitter using #BackToTheFutureDay.

11:30 a.m. ET: A Twitter Q+A on the Future of Women in STEM

Featuring: Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan, OSTP Principal Assistant Director for Environment and Energy Tammy Dickinson, and L'Oréal's 2015 U.S. Women in Science fellows.
What you can do: Follow @USCTO and @LOrealUSA on Twitter, and weigh in on what you'd like to see women doing in STEM fields in 2045 using hashtag #WomenInScience.

1:00 p.m. ET: A Google+ Hangout on Understanding the Human Brain

Featuring: OSTP Assistant Director for Neuroscience and Mental Health Monica Basco; OSTP Senior Policy Advisor Knatokie Ford; OSTP Assistant Director for Defense Programs (and neuroscientist) Chris Fall; Karl Deisseroth M.D., Ph.D., the D.H. Professor of Bioengineering and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University; Kevin Pearce, Snowboarder and BRAIN initiative activist; and Dr. Julie Brefczynksi-Lewis, Research Assistant Professor at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.
What you can do: Watch live right here.

​Get excited, and remember: Where we're going, we don't need roads.

(Just kidding. We definitely do. And by the way, Congress should fund them.)

Michael J. Fox just sent this message to the White House list. (Didn't get it? Get on the list here.)

We’ve come a long way since 1985.

When Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled 30 years into the future, we could only imagine the innovations we take for granted today -- new ideas and technologies that have completely changed the way we live, learn, and work.

Back then, if you’d have told me that I’d go from talking on a cell phone to talking cell biology, I would never have believed you. But today, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is helping to spearhead research collaborations to speed a future in which we can treat, cure, and even prevent brain diseases like Parkinson's.

So what’s possible in another 30 years? Call me an optimist, but I believe that by 2045 we’ll find the cures we seek -- especially because of all the smart, passionate people working to make it happen. Doctors and researchers around the world are developing new tools to improve the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases, to tailor treatments -- for all illnesses -- through precision medicine, and to make life better for millions of people. This truly is the stuff of the future.

Today, on “Back to the Future Day,” I challenge you to imagine the world you want to live in thirty years from now. The White House is hosting a series of online conversations with innovators across the country all day long. Check it out and add your voice here.

We can't all be brain scientists, but all of us can get involved. One reason Parkinson’s research has come so far in the past 15 years is that people and families living with the disease have stepped up as advocates and innovators themselves, working to build the future we all want.

Together, we’ll make neurological illness a thing of the past.

And if we all eventually get hoverboards, well -- that's a bonus.

--Michael J. Fox

Worth a follow: the nasa tumblr is highlighting modern technologies they couldn't have dreamed of in 1985.

It’s #BackToTheFuture Day! What would a time traveler from 1985 discover about NASA today? https://t.co/Qc8katwzlr pic.twitter.com/0M3cPafbQJ

— NASA (@NASA) October 21, 2015

file under "things that happen in 2015:" legitimate conversations about self-driving vehicles.

And we don't have to go #backtothefuture to see this technology in action; it's here, being tested, today. https://t.co/k1Gv0lLjsd

— The White House OSTP (@whitehouseostp) October 21, 2015

and let's not forget that time the president of the united states got 3d-printed.

Go behind the scenes at the White House and watch how it was done.

in which NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan tells you exactly how we can get more women into stem fields:

They need role models, they need the history of women in science and technology, and they need ENCOURAGEMENT! https://t.co/VAA9509O4a

— Ellen Stofan (@EllenStofan) October 21, 2015

you told us: here's what 2045 looks like.

All day long, as you share your predictions for 30 years into the future, we'll be highlighting what we hear from you.

"Our transportation infrastructure evolves to a system of Solar Panel Pavements (SPP) that not only provides emission free and efficient energy for everyone, but can also power and facilitate navigation that will eliminate traffic issues and improve safety.”

"Every citizen will have access to nutrition education from 1 grade thru 12, and in college it will continue for those choosing to work in the field of nutrition, food safety, and healthcare. Health care services will be provided by professionals with extensive background training in food physics as it relates to wellness. Crops will be grown within cities, in small urban farms. People will know how to select, handle, store and prepare foods safely and with flavorful nutrients to support wellness and longevity.”

"In the same way that access to video games and PCs opened up whole new creative fields in design and animation, I think our relatively new access to mobile Internet will change the way education is done 30 years from now. Things like purely informational lectures will become less and less necessary at school as places like YouTube and Coursera provide higher quality and more comprehensive lectures. I think that's good for traditional institutions, as teachers will have more freedom to spend classtime on discussions and projects, growing students' ability to apply their knowledge. Of course, this can only happen if students get their homework done :p”

WHEN IT COMES TO THE FUTURE, THE DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA) IS basically already working on it. meet THREE DARPA PROGRAM MANAGERS, and their (VERY POSSIBLE) VISIONS FOR 2045:

Dr. Justin Sanchez, Neurotechnologist and DARPA Program manager

Dr. Stefanie Tompkins, Director of DARPA'S Defense Sciences Office

pamela melroy, deputy director of darpa's tactical technology office

worth a read -- our newly released strategy for american innovation (think about what they would have said in 1985!)

Here's a post from Tom Kalil -- Deputy Director for Policy for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Senior Advisor for Science, Technology and Innovation for the National Economic Council -- about how what we used to consider "science fiction" is rapidly becoming fact.

Make sure you don't miss this very important piece:

While today's been full of predictions and cutting-edge ideas about our future, it also marks the release of the President's updated Strategy for American Innovation -- basically, a roadmap of the Administration's efforts to make sure that America continues to develop world-changing innovations for years to come.

Mining asteroids for rocket propellant: This is the potential future of space exploration.

As we look 30 years into the future for space exploration, and as we prepare to meet the President’s goal of sending a human mission to Mars in the 2030s, one technical challenge that NASA is working hard to solve is how to make it so that the bulk of the mass we use in space and space exploration does not have to be sent up in a rocket from Earth, but rather can be sourced "in-situ” in space. These approaches will allow us to, as the President mentioned in his 2015 State of the Union address, push out “into the Solar System not just to visit, but to stay.”

To that end, NASA is already working on printable spacecraft, automated robotic construction using regolith, and self-replicating large structures. As a stepping stone to in-space manufacturing, NASA has sent the first-ever 3D printer to the International Space Station. One day, astronauts may be able to print replacement parts on long-distance missions. And building upon the success of the Mars Curiosity rover, the next rover to Mars — currently dubbed Mars 2020 — will demonstrate In-Situ Resource Utilization on the Red Planet. It will convert the carbon dioxide available in Mars’ atmosphere to oxygen that could be used for fuel and air — all things that future humans on Mars could put to use.

These efforts excite not just the Federal government, but the American public as well. For example, NASA is engaging innovators and entrepreneurs through its NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program, which funds research that nurtures visionary ideas and could create breakthroughs in technology to help future NASA missions.

We spoke with one of the NIAC grant recipients, Dr. Joel Sercel, about the potential for in-space asteroid mining for the future of space exploration:

How does your work support the President’s vision in space?

There are millions of tons of valuable resources in asteroids that are far easier to get to than the surface of the Moon or Mars. These are the stepping stones to the future of humanity in space. The Asteroid Provided In-Situ Supplies (APIS) system is an approach to affordably extract rocket propellant and other vital commodities from the asteroids to avoid the high cost of launching these materials from the Earth.

How can we mine rocket propellant from an asteroid in space?

Our team has developed an optical mining process that uses highly concentrated sunlight to break up the asteroid and force it to release volatile chemicals like water and carbon dioxide, which can be the ingredients for rocket propellant. We collect these materials in special lightweight bags as ice through a process called passive thermal cryopumping. We can use water directly as propellant in our solar thermal rocket engines and we can also use it for radiation shielding, as drinkable water for astronauts, or to make oxygen for breathable air.

What possibilities does successful asteroid mining open up for space exploration?

At first, our optical mining process will be used to supply propellant for a small fleet of low-cost, reusable space tugs. Space tugs will be commercial carrier vehicles that NASA can hire to carry astronauts on missions of exploration at vastly reduced costs. This will enable affordable human exploration of Mars in the short term. Space tugs will also carry commercial and government spacecraft to destinations such as Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), vastly reducing the cost of space operations for both the government and private sector. Next, space tugs will help enable the mining industry to extract precious metals from asteroids and return them to Earth. Commercial asteroid mining can provide the economies of scale to enable large scale space tourism in deep space and in-space manufacturing of many types of products. The key will be to develop the technology for solar-powered robotic factories supplied by asteroid materials. Our vision aligns with the President’s vision in seeking to move manufacturing off the surface of the Earth and make it possible for people to build and live in colonies in space.

Dr. Sercel is just one of many examples of American space entrepreneurs working to solve our current challenges in space travel and create the future of space exploration.

Know of others or have ideas for massless exploration and supercharging space exploration through 2045? Send your ideas for how the Administration, the private sector, philanthropists, the research community, and storytellers can further these goals to massless@ostp.gov.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, a team of researchers are working on a real-life invisibility cloak. (really.)

The President’s newly released Strategy for American Innovation articulates the importance of investing in industries of the future, such as nanotechnology and advanced materials. As we celebrate the release of the Strategy, we are looking at new innovations and emerging technologies that Federal funding supports and have the potential to shape our world 30 years into the future.

One such example is the "invisibility cloak." Several research teams, including scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), the University of California, San Diego and others, are investigating the potential for so-called “cloaking devices” to make 3D objects disappear.

At LBNL, the team of metamaterials (yes metamaterials) specialists led by Xiang Zhang has developed one innovative approach.

So how does it work? And what exactly is a metamaterial?

Metamaterials are artificial nanostructures engineered with electromagnetic properties not found in nature. They can be designed to manipulate the way they interact with light to become undetectable to the eye. Enter possibilities:

These scientists were able to wrap a small three-dimensional object in an ultrathin “skin cloak” made of a metamaterial designed to reroute reflected light waves so that the object was rendered invisible to optical detection -- kind of like how light bounces of a mirror. The result? See for yourself:

Although this cloak is microscopic in size, the technology behind it is potentially scalable. So dust off your superpower fantasies—thanks to these intrepid invisibility explorers, we may just be on our way.

The LBNL team’s work is just one of many examples of American scientific innovation in advanced materials and other industries of the future. Do you have ideas about how innovation will shape what the world will look like in 2045? Share them with us here.

Last month, while traveling through Des Moines, Iowa, President Obama had the chance to sit down with one of his favorite authors -- Marilynne Robinson, who penned such novels as Home and Gilead -- for a different kind of conversation than the ones he typically has with public figures or Americans. Which is to say: He was the one asking the questions.

We pulled some of our favorite quotes from the conversation. Take a look -- and then be sure to read the full transcript of the conversation here.

"But fear was very much -- is on my mind, because I think that the basis of democracy is the willingness to assume well about other people."

Marilynne Robinson

"And the thing I’ve been struggling with throughout my political career is how do you close the gap. There’s all this goodness and decency and common sense on the ground, and somehow it gets translated into rigid, dogmatic, often mean-spirited politics. And some of it has to do with all the filters that stand between ordinary people who are busy and running around trying to look after their kids and do a good job and do all the things that maintain a community, so they don’t have the chance to follow the details of complicated policy debates."

President Obama

"We have a great educational system that is -- it’s really a triumph of the civilization. I don’t think there’s anything comparable in history. And it has no defenders. Most of the things we do have no defenders because people tend to feel the worst thing you can say is the truest thing you can say."

Marilynne Robinson

"It is true, though, that that restlessness and that dissatisfaction which has helped us go to the moon and create the Internet and build the Transcontinental Railroad and build our land-grant colleges, that those things, born of dissatisfaction, we can very rapidly then take for granted and not tend to and not defend, and not understand how precious these things are."

President Obama

"But Christianity is profoundly counterintuitive -- “Love thy neighbor as thyself” -- which I think properly understood means your neighbor is as worthy of love as you are, not that you’re actually going to be capable of this sort of superhuman feat. But you’re supposed to run against the grain. It’s supposed to be difficult. It’s supposed to be a challenge."

Marilynne Robinson

The President has been wanting to have the conversation we're hosting today for a long time. He's been mentioning it in meetings -- and in remarks -- for months.

Today, it's happening.

Right now, a group of workers, union leaders, worker advocates, and forward-thinking businesses are arriving in the East Wing of the White House. They'll have breakfast together, hear from the President and Vice President, and then hear from one another. They'll break out into groups. They'll ask each other questions and share their own personal stories. Then they'll engage in a conversation with the President. We'll be focused one singular mission:

How do we empower workers' voices in our 21st Century economy?

We're calling it the White House Summit on Worker Voice, and you can follow along and add your voice to the conversation, no matter where you are. You can participate from your desk or your kitchen counter.

Here's how:

You can watch events from throughout the day -- from the President's remarks, to the breakout sessions, to the conversation he'll be hosting later in the afternoon -- live and make a commitment to start a conversation in your workplace here.

You can ask a question or share a thought ahead of the President's conversation with workers here.

And you can follow @USDOL where participants and panelists will be back stage answering live questions and reflecting on the day.

It's clear why having a real voice in the workplace is beneficial to workers themselves -- but most people don't realize that the most successful companies are the ones that are doing this right. It's in the numbers -- firms with unionized workers have higher retention and higher productivity.

Technology has given us incredible new ways to connect with one another to give all working people a clear way to step up and have a voice in their workplace.

Multiple studies have confirmed this -- and even more evidence shows that unionized firms with workplace practices that give workers input into the production process have the highest productivity, above that of both nonunionized firms and unionized firms without these kinds of workplace practices.

The bottom line? There's really not much to claims about unions' negative impact on businesses.

Everyone who's contributing to this country's economic growth ought to be able to share in it. That means having an effective voice, and some influence, in their workplaces. And making sure that happens in more businesses across this country requires an inclusive, honest dialogue like the one we're having today. It only works if as many folks as possible add their voices.

The President doesn't always get personally involved in the shaping of events we hold at the White House -- but I can tell you that this one is different.

So we hope you'll watch and participate.

Thanks,

Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor, The White House

Democracy. You know this word, right? As Americans, we all do. Democracy is the backbone of our country. And it’s founded on the principle that all voices should be heard.

What about workplace democracy? Have you heard this phrase before? If not, we’re here to change that.

Workplace democracy is the idea that employees should have a voice in determining their working conditions and wages.

What that means is that employees have the ability to band together to ask for things like paid sick leave, better training, higher wages and anything that they feel could improve their working lives.

That’s why my co-founder Michelle Miller and I created Coworker.org: A digital platform dedicated to workplace advocacy. Every day, regular employees use the site to start a conversation with their coworkers about issues on the job and they work together to make their workplaces better. This is workplace democracy in action.

Tomorrow, as part of the White House Summit on Worker Voice, Michelle will be co-moderating a conversation with President Obama. He'll be taking questions and hearing stories from folks in the room -- and from around the country. And you can add your voice to that conversation right here, or by using the hashtag #StartTheConvo on social media.

Most people will spend about one third of their adult lives at work.

Everybody should have the right -- and the ability -- to ask that their time is spent in safe and just working conditions.

That’s why working people organize and join unions. By uniting together in the labor movement, U.S. workers demanded (and won) things like the weekend and the eight hour workday. As our country has changed and evolved, so has the modern American workplace and its problems. So the labor movement and worker advocates are changing too.

Technology has given us incredible new ways to connect with one another to give all working people a clear way to step up and have a voice in their workplace.

Having a voice at work is central to the future of our country and economy. That’s why we’re joining the conversation about these issues with President Obama tomorrow. We hope you will join that conversation, too.

Share your story or idea about using your voice in the workplace or ask President Obama a question about these issues here. And don't forget to join the conversation using hashtag #StartTheConvo.

Throughout the day on October 7th, participants at the Summit will be answering your questions live, so don’t miss the livestream at: WH.gov/Worker-Voice.

We hope you're as excited as we are.

Jess

Jess Kutch
Co-founder
Coworker.org

Today, you can get pretty close. It's Manufacturing Day, and nearly 2,000 manufacturers -- from Portland, Oregon to Pryor Creek, Oklahoma to Sarasota, Florida -- are opening their factory doors. That's because they want to showcase to the world exactly what 21st century advanced manufacturing looks like in America -- and to connect schools and communities with the latest manufacturing technologies, opportunities, and training programs to prepare the next generation of American workers for good, middle-class jobs. 

For the first time in decades, American manufacturing has been getting stronger. And today, it's especially fitting to remember the investments it takes to make sure we keep it strong. That's how we make sure the next generation has better jobs and opportunities than their parents did.

You can follow along right here with folks from across the Administration who are on the ground in factories nationwide -- and see exactly what modern manufacturing looks like.

BEA’s Factory Factoids in Honor of Manufacturing Day http://t.co/LHCDOueEak @BEA_News #MFGDay15 #data pic.twitter.com/vCq7r26vtl

— U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) October 2, 2015

On #ManufacturingDay, #OSHA reminds employers to protect workers from amputation hazards: http://t.co/0ti31OTgX7

— US Labor Department (@USDOL) October 2, 2015

Celebrating Nat. #ManufacturingDay @firstbuild Only site in nation to build in #hackathon to festivities. @LouForward pic.twitter.com/WMNbxxaqK2

— Mayor Greg Fischer (@louisvillemayor) October 2, 2015

#3Dprinting is revolutionizing #CleanEnergy #manufacturing. Exhibit A: http://t.co/YCqFERZGwL #MFGDay15 #MeetAMIE pic.twitter.com/CNBHt7OTEZ

— Energy Department (@ENERGY) October 2, 2015

Manufacturing = 12% of US GDP. It's an area where we can innovate & #ActOnClimate while growing economy. #MFGDay15 pic.twitter.com/U4CKhOSIYv

— Gina McCarthy (@GinaEPA) October 2, 2015

On Manufacturing Day, a look ahead at future manufacturing innovation: http://t.co/ZOYbfae7hm #MFGDay15 #SOLVEMake pic.twitter.com/EwgLIuiNEQ

— MIT (@MIT) October 2, 2015

Investing in advanced manufacturing drives our economy forward & creates a path to the middle class. #MFGDay15 pic.twitter.com/c2taedkxAW

— Tom Perez (@LaborSec) October 2, 2015

Are you at a #MFGDay15 event? I'm visiting Accudyne Systems & MDavis. Tweet us your photos (cc @MFGDay @CommerceGov) pic.twitter.com/88p0GzSbwH

— Penny Pritzker (@PennyPritzker) October 2, 2015

We have to come together and take steps to reduce gun violence. We have to find the courage to change. #UCCShooting https://t.co/5xQhor8bRM

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 2, 2015

The President just delivered a statement on today's shooting in Oregon.

And one thing he said is certainly ringing in the minds of Americans across the country right now, no matter their politics:
 

"We are the only advanced country in the world that sees these shootings every few months."

As the details surrounding today's tragedy continue to unfold, this is something every American should watch.

Watch the full speech now.

Read the President's full remarks:

There’s been another mass shooting in America -- this time, in a community college in Oregon.

That means there are more American families -- moms, dads, children -- whose lives have been changed forever.  That means there’s another community stunned with grief, and communities across the country forced to relieve their own anguish, and parents across the country who are scared because they know it might have been their families or their children. 

I’ve been to Roseburg, Oregon.  There are really good people there.  I want to thank all the first responders whose bravery likely saved some lives today.  Federal law enforcement has been on the scene in a supporting role, and we’ve offered to stay and help as much as Roseburg needs, for as long as they need.

In the coming days, we’ll learn about the victims -- young men and women who were studying and learning and working hard, their eyes set on the future, their dreams on what they could make of their lives.  And America will wrap everyone who’s grieving with our prayers and our love. 

But as I said just a few months ago, and I said a few months before that, and I said each time we see one of these mass shootings, our thoughts and prayers are not enough.  It’s not enough.  It does not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel.  And it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America -- next week, or a couple of months from now.

We don't yet know why this individual did what he did.  And it's fair to say that anybody who does this has a sickness in their minds, regardless of what they think their motivations may be.  But we are not the only country on Earth that has people with mental illnesses or want to do harm to other people.  We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months. 

Earlier this year, I answered a question in an interview by saying, “The United States of America is the one advanced nation on Earth in which we do not have sufficient common-sense gun-safety laws -- even in the face of repeated mass killings.”  And later that day, there was a mass shooting at a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana.  That day!  Somehow this has become routine.  The reporting is routine.  My response here at this podium ends up being routine.  The conversation in the aftermath of it.  We've become numb to this.

We talked about this after Columbine and Blacksburg, after Tucson, after Newtown, after Aurora, after Charleston.  It cannot be this easy for somebody who wants to inflict harm on other people to get his or her hands on a gun. 

And what’s become routine, of course, is the response of those who oppose any kind of common-sense gun legislation.  Right now, I can imagine the press releases being cranked out:  We need more guns, they’ll argue.  Fewer gun safety laws. 

Does anybody really believe that?  There are scores of responsible gun owners in this country --they know that's not true.  We know because of the polling that says the majority of Americans understand we should be changing these laws -- including the majority of responsible, law-abiding gun owners. 

There is a gun for roughly every man, woman, and child in America.  So how can you, with a straight face, make the argument that more guns will make us safer?  We know that states with the most gun laws tend to have the fewest gun deaths.  So the notion that gun laws don't work, or just will make it harder for law-abiding citizens and criminals will still get their guns is not borne out by the evidence.

We know that other countries, in response to one mass shooting, have been able to craft laws that almost eliminate mass shootings.  Friends of ours, allies of ours -- Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours.  So we know there are ways to prevent it. 

And, of course, what’s also routine is that somebody, somewhere will comment and say, Obama politicized this issue.  Well, this is something we should politicize.  It is relevant to our common life together, to the body politic.  I would ask news organizations -- because I won't put these facts forward -- have news organizations tally up the number of Americans who’ve been killed through terrorist attacks over the last decade and the number of Americans who’ve been killed by gun violence, and post those side-by-side on your news reports.  This won't be information coming from me; it will be coming from you.  We spend over a trillion dollars, and pass countless laws, and devote entire agencies to preventing terrorist attacks on our soil, and rightfully so.  And yet, we have a Congress that explicitly blocks us from even collecting data on how we could potentially reduce gun deaths.  How can that be?

This is a political choice that we make to allow this to happen every few months in America.  We collectively are answerable to those families who lose their loved ones because of our inaction.  When Americans are killed in mine disasters, we work to make mines safer.  When Americans are killed in floods and hurricanes, we make communities safer.  When roads are unsafe, we fix them to reduce auto fatalities.  We have seatbelt laws because we know it saves lives.  So the notion that gun violence is somehow different, that our freedom and our Constitution prohibits any modest regulation of how we use a deadly weapon, when there are law-abiding gun owners all across the country who could hunt and protect their families and do everything they do under such regulations doesn’t make sense.

So, tonight, as those of us who are lucky enough to hug our kids a little closer are thinking about the families who aren't so fortunate, I’d ask the American people to think about how they can get our government to change these laws, and to save lives, and to let young people grow up.  And that will require a change of politics on this issue.  And it will require that the American people, individually, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, when you decide to vote for somebody, are making a determination as to whether this cause of continuing death for innocent people should be a relevant factor in your decision.  If you think this is a problem, then you should expect your elected officials to reflect your views.

And I would particularly ask America’s gun owners -- who are using those guns properly, safely, to hunt, for sport, for protecting their families -- to think about whether your views are properly being represented by the organization that suggests it's speaking for you.

And each time this happens I'm going to bring this up.  Each time this happens I am going to say that we can actually do something about it, but we're going to have to change our laws.  And this is not something I can do by myself.  I've got to have a Congress and I've got to have state legislatures and governors who are willing to work with me on this. 

I hope and pray that I don't have to come out again during my tenure as President to offer my condolences to families in these circumstances.  But based on my experience as President, I can't guarantee that.  And that's terrible to say.  And it can change.

May God bless the memories of those who were killed today.  May He bring comfort to their families, and courage to the injured as they fight their way back.  And may He give us the strength to come together and find the courage to change.

Tune in here to watch the townhall at 4:40pm EST:

But for the first stop, the President is touring the Iowa State Library.

The President is announcing a new initiative to allow students and families to apply for financial aid earlier – starting in October as the college application process gets underway – rather than in January. Learning about aid eligibility options earlier in the college application process will help students and families understand the true cost of attending college – taking available financial aid into account – and make more informed decisions.

Together with the newly launched College Scorecard – which is redesigned with direct input from students, families, and their advisers – students will have more information to choose the right college than ever before.

Colleges and universities and scholarship organizations have already committed to align their aid timelines with the earlier FAFSA, and nonprofits and advisers have committed to raise awareness about the FAFSA changes and to help students reach 100 percent FAFSA completion. The President will also renew his call on Congress to pass legislation to simplify FAFSA even further by eliminating up 30 questions that are disproportionately burdensome and have little impact on aid eligibility.

Get ready, it's much faster. Can you say it?

What's that mean, exactly? Employers who have committed to expanding their apprenticeship programs and promoting apprenticeship to other employers are gathering together at the White House to talk about what's working, and what the Administration has done so far to prioritize job-driven training.

Great to see the progress that #PAGE ambassadors are making for entrepreneurs http://t.co/c4os7RrMhy

— Penny Pritzker (@PennyPritzker) September 8, 2015

One of the President's and Vice President's top priorities is creating more opportunity for hardworking Americans by advancing job-driven training initiatives that help workers acquire the skills they need to succeed in good jobs that are available right now. Hands-on apprenticeships, where workers earn and learn at the same time, are a proven path to good, secure middle class jobs -- and yield an impressive return on investment for employers through increased productivity, reduced waster, and greater innovation.

Here's what you need to know about why expanding apprenticeship opportunities is so important:

And we want to know what else you want to see — whether it's wonky explainers from our economists, more charts explaining what "inversions" are and why they're bad, or photos of the White House dogs playing on the South lawn. Tell us your hopes and dreams for the White House blog here.

We're the team responsible for getting these posts out into the world — so you can consider this our private stock. Enjoy, share with a friend, and then come back tomorrow for more. 

Meet Lucy Coffey, who at 108 is the nation's oldest woman veteran. http://t.co/dd8UGT4gjk pic.twitter.com/ugy0E32r7o

— Vice President Biden (@VP) July 26, 2014

The one that showcased our top 10 moments with the Vice President in 2014.

Rachel Koplow, Video Producer

The one that opened up an inspiring exchange of letters between the President and Conner.

David Hudson, Associate Director of Digital Content

The one that told the story behind one of the White House's most-recognized artifacts.

Thomas Kelley, Senior Video Producer

The one that went behind Pete Souza's lens to capture the President's visit to Selma, Alabama.

Ashleigh Axios, Creative Director

The one that that showed the difference we can make if we work together to reduce emissions
(with an animated GIF chart!).

Jillian Maryonovich, Senior Designer

The one that highlighted a handwritten reflection on the Gettysburg Address by the President.

Kori Schulman, Deputy Director of the Office of Digital Strategy

The one that released the official White House beer recipes.
(In response to a We the People petition!)

Adam Garber, Video Director

The one that explained the President's historic trade deal while introducing the world to the Pangolin.

Tanya Somanader, Deputy Director of Digital Content

The one that announced our first-ever virtual "Big Block of Cheese Day," where White House officials took to social media for a day-long "open house."

Ken Meyer, Associate Director of Online Engagement

The one that gave you some cool photos and facts about the White House honeybees.

James Hobbs, Senior Designer

And my personal favorite:
The one that taught the world about the Surgeon General's dream of dunking on a regulation basketball rim.

Learn more about the blog redesign that we unveiled today — and tell us what you think!

In this week's address, the President celebrated the 50th birthdays of Medicare and Medicaid, which together have allowed millions to live longer and better lives. These programs are a promise that if we work hard, and play by the rules, we'll be rewarded with a basic measure of dignity, security, and the freedom to live our lives as we want. Every American deserves the sense of safety and security that comes with health insurance. That's why the President signed the Affordable Care Act, and that's why he will continue to work to ensure that Medicare and Medicaid, programs that are fundamental to our way of life, stay strong.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

This week's episode covers the President's trip to Kenya and Ethiopia -- where he attended the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit and met with leaders across government, business, and civil society -- and it's stocked with some pretty breathtaking images. Here are four of our favorites, complete with timestamps — but you should really want the full thing for yourself.

Happy watching! Come back next week for a new episode.

00:06 When the President disembarked from Marine One -- and Kenyatta University said hello.

00:42 When the remarks in Nairobi had the perfect backdrop.

2:56 When the President waved goodbye to Kenya.

2:50 When Air Force One was wheels down in Ethiopia.

You should watch the full episode here:

It started with a video.

Logan, an 11-year-old from Hartford, Michigan, asked his dad to film him confronting his bullies -- reading a series of mean-spirited comments from his YouTube page. His message was simple:

"I hope that people don't bully other people online anymore, and that this helps."

Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett noticed -- and she extended a very special invitation to Logan and his family.

Hi @DadVsLogan - you are stronger than anyone's hurtful words. We could all learn something from you and your dad! http://t.co/24CbefFDJA

— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 11, 2015

.@DadVsLogan If you're ever in DC, pls stop by the @WhiteHouse and say hi. Logan may be a future occupant one day :) https://t.co/38wvYDB84C

— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 11, 2015

Today, he's taking her up on it. Follow along with the day here as #LoganTakesDC:

We learn history. We appreciate history. We desire to make history. #LoganTakesDC pic.twitter.com/gORQavUKDg

— Dad vs. Logan (@DadVsLogan) July 21, 2015

Almost time. Follow along on our Twitter and the @WhiteHouse @vj44 and @POTUS accounts. pic.twitter.com/9M7Fnb5HJ6

— Dad vs. Logan (@DadVsLogan) July 21, 2015

Can't wait to meet you! https://t.co/oHqo2UeWH7

— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 21, 2015

Such a pleasure to meet @DadVsLogan at the @WhiteHouse. Logan's courage will help save lives. #StopBullying pic.twitter.com/ziK30nzEU0

— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 21, 2015

#PressRoomSelfie at the @WhiteHouse after our meeting with @vj44 Thank you to so many supporting our cause. pic.twitter.com/p9nrM6m98E

— Dad vs. Logan (@DadVsLogan) July 21, 2015

Just a @WhiteHouse family selfie after visiting @vj44 You know, no big deal. #LoganTakesDC pic.twitter.com/7SXukDBjF1

— Dad vs. Logan (@DadVsLogan) July 22, 2015

Such an honor to meet Logan, Michelle, Josh, and Peyton. You are the best of American families. https://t.co/am3jKs4rG3

— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 22, 2015

Was sorry to miss @DadVsLogan yesterday at the White House. Logan, thank you for taking a stand against bullying; you are a brave young man.

— Vice President Biden (@VP) July 22, 2015

Here are a couple numbers that help show exactly what the law has done these past years.

$11 billion

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)—the new cop on the beat created by Wall Street Reform—has provided nearly $11 billion in relief for over 26 million consumers harmed by financial institutions—including a new action announced today.

$141 billion

In all, $141 billion has been paid by 14 of the biggest banks for mortgage-related violations in the lead-up to the crisis, including $50 billion in gross consumer relief to distressed homeowners through the National Mortgage Servicing Settlement.

>$600 billion

Banks have added more than $600 billion of additional capital, which is money they can lend and which increases resiliency. At the same time, banks have reduced their leverage, making them more stable and less reliant on borrowed money.

1/2

Banks have cut their reliance on unstable funding in half, replacing it with more stable sources. The largest, most complex banks have reduced their short-term, wholesale funding from 35 percent to 17 percent of their balance sheet.

12

To guard against hidden risks, Wall Street Reform created the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC), whose membership includes the heads of the financial regulatory agencies. FSOC has designated 12 institutions for heightened supervision, including 8 financial market utilities and 4 nonbank financial companies; proposed recommendations on structural reforms to money market mutual funds; convened more than 50 times; and published five annual reports highlighting potential emerging threats and making recommendations.

30%

Bank lending to businesses is up 30 percent.

5.3%

Unemployment is down to 5.3% from a high of 10 percent, its lowest level in 7 years.

12.8 million

Businesses have created 12.8 million jobs over 64 consecutive months of private-sector job growth, the longest streak on record.

The problem is, our current legal code doesn't reflect that simple truth. We're doing something to change that.

Earlier this week, President Obama announced that the Department of Labor will propose extending overtime pay to nearly 5 million workers. That would mean that most salaried workers making less than an estimated $50,440 next year would now be guaranteed overtime pay.

Nick may be one of them.

Read Nick's letter to the President below — and if you stand to benefit from the Administration's proposed action, add your voice to the conversation today.

Dear Mr. President,

I was thrilled to read in the news that you are considering raising the requirements for overtime pay for salaried workers.

In my last job, I was hired on the understanding that I would work 4 12-hour days per week (48 hours), at a salary of $43,800. On my first day on the job, I was told that it would be 5 10-hour days (50 hours). By my third week, I was told that I would have to work an extra 10 hour shift every fifth Saturday (52 hours weekly average). It was impossible to complete the workload that I was assigned within the constructs of a 10 hour day. Every day I stayed late at the office. Every week I put in over 60 hours, and many weeks more than 70. But despite working 25-50% more hours than I was hired for, I never saw an extra dime in my pay.

At the same time, I was juggling my duties as a servicemember in the National Guard, and my responsibilities as a single parent. It was almost impossible to give my full efforts to search for a new job, because the few precious waking hours that I had outside of work were spent with my son, or cleaning the house. There was literally no time for anything else.

I'm so thankful to be out of that situation now, but I often think of my co-workers who I left behind when I left that job. Nobody should be at the mercy of bait-and-switch hiring tactics like I was. The conditions that you agree upon when hired should be the conditions that you receive when you go to work. This includes pay, time commitment, workplace safety, and benefits.

By modernizing our overtime pay regulations, you can save several other American's from having to live through the same experience I did.

Thank you for all of your efforts. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

He wants to open that conversation up to Americans across the country, too.

So at 3:30 p.m. Eastern today, we're going to get him online, and he's going to take your questions and respond to your stories on Twitter.

Participate using the hashtag #AskPOTUS, and follow along here.

"I was nervous every day that during dance, my ankle would break and I wouldn't have money to fix it. ... I now have health insurance (a silver plan) for $54.99 a month."

Cody began his letter to the President with this line:

"I don't have a complaint." Here's why.

Cody grew up a self-proclaimed "normal kid" in Carmel, Indiana. After his mom passed away, he was cut off financially and left unable to afford health insurance.

During his first year studying musical theater in Philadelphia, Cody remembers eating only peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. On multiple occasions, he avoided going to the urgent care center and ended up in the emergency room instead -- leaving him with collection agencies chasing him with bills for thousands of dollars that he couldn't pay.

It's an experience that all too many young people have been familiar with -- and one that changed for Cody when he was able to purchase an affordable insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. 

"I just went to the doctor's office and the eye doctor for the first time in four years, and I announced to everyone (in Indiana, mind you) that it was thanks to Obamacare."

If this story moved you, just remember that it's one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own -- and then make sure someone else hears it, too.

We wanted to make sure you saw what he saw, too. Take a look at the briefing the President received this morning here:

We've pulled together some of the key numbers you need to know in order to fully get your head around the drought currently underway across the American West.

Take a look, and if you don't think enough people know about this (and you'd be right), pass it on.

35%

Portion of the American West that's facing severe to exceptional drought right now. Read more about the effects of climate change here.

18,000

Number of California jobs lost because of drought, according to a recent University of California Davis study.

$2.7 billion

Total expected economic cost of drought in 2015 -- in the state of California alone.

> 300%

How much more rainfall than average would be needed to end the drought in three months in various regions across the American West.

Slightly > zero

Height of the mountain snowpack that supplies most of California's water during the summer months.

> $110 million

The investments and new actions the Administration is taking to support workers, farmers, and rural communities suffering from drought, and to combat wildfires. Read more about what that looks like here.

760

Number of summer food service meal sites that the USDA Food and Nutrition Service has committed to establishing in California's drought-impacted Central Valley this summer.

8

Number of western state governors who joined the President via teleconference for today's drought briefing -- representing California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and Arizona.

$1.2 billion

Projected amount in assistance the Department of Agriculture will provide to livestock producers facing grazing losses as a result of drought across the West. This program was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill, which you can read more about here.

Sergeant Shemin entered the Army on October 2, 1917. He was assigned as a rifleman to Company G, 47th Infantry Regiment, which moved from Syracuse, New York to Camp Greene, North Carolina, joining the 4th Infantry Division. The Division arrived in France in May, 1918.

Private Johnson entered the Army on June 5, 1917. He was assigned to Company C, 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment, an all-black National Guard unit that would later become the 369th Infantry Regiment. The Regiment was ordered into battle in 1918, and Private Johnson and his unit were brigaded with a French Army colonial unit in front-line combat.

Take a look at five photos from today's ceremony -- and then read more about Sgt. Shemin and Pvt. Johnson's heroic actions.

Command Sergeant Major Louis Wilson accepts the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama awarded posthumously to Army Private Henry Johnson for conspicuous gallantry during World War I, at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Members of the 369th Infantry Regiment Veterans Association stand as President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Honor posthumously to Army Private Henry Johnson for conspicuous gallantry during World War I, at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

 

President Barack Obama stands with Ina Judith Bass (left) and Elise Shemin-Roth as the citation is read awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to their father, Army Sergeant William Shemin, for conspicuous gallantry during World War I, at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

 

President Barack Obama stands with Ina Judith Bass (left) and Elise Shemin-Roth as the citation is read awarding the Medal of Honor posthumously to their father, Army Sergeant William Shemin, for conspicuous gallantry during World War I, at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

 

Ina Judith Bass (left) and Elise Shemin-Roth react after accepting the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama on behalf of their father Army Sergeant William Shemin given posthumously for conspicuous gallantry during World War I, at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, June 2, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The Medal of Honor is awarded to members of the Armed Forces who distinguish themselves conspicuously by gallantry above and beyond the call of duty while:

• Engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States;
• Engaged in military operations involving conflict with an opposing foreign force; or
• Serving with friendly foreign forces engaged in an armed conflict against an opposing armed force in which the United States is not a belligerent party.

The meritorious conduct must involve great personal bravery or self-sacrifice so conspicuous as to clearly distinguish the individual above his or her comrades and must have involved risk of life. There must be incontestable proof of the performance of the meritorious conduct, and each recommendation for the award must be considered on the standard of extraordinary merit.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at a Medal of Honor at the White House.

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, May 29, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

In this week's address, the President addressed critical pieces of national security business that remained unfinished when the Senate left town. This Sunday at midnight, key tools used to protect against terrorist threats are set to expire. The USA Freedom Act strikes a balance between security and privacy, reauthorizing important measures that give our national security professionals the authorities they use to keep us safe, while also implementing reforms that enhance the privacy and civil liberties of our citizens. But currently, a small group of senators is standing in its way.

The President asked Americans to speak with one voice to the Senate to put politics aside, put the safety of the American people first, and pass the USA Freedom Act now.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3

Today in 1917, John F. Kennedy -- the 35th President of the United States, and the first to be born in the 20th century -- was born in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Of Irish descent, President Kennedy was the youngest man to be elected President, and was also the youngest to die.

Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy. In 1943, when his PT boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, Kennedy, despite grave injuries, led the survivors through perilous waters to safety.

Having returned from the war, he became a Democratic Congressman from the Boston area, advancing in 1953 to the Senate. He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953. In 1955, while recuperating from a back operation, he wrote Profiles in Courage, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history. Read more about President Kennedy's life and legacy here.

Aaron Shikler's iconic 1971 portrait of President Kennedy in a contemplative pose hangs in the cross hall in the central corridor of the White House's State Floor.

Watch White House Curator Bill Allman tell the story of that portrait, and how it came to be painted:

Hello, Twitter! It's Barack. Really! Six years in, they're finally giving me my own account.

Something pretty big happened today.

Perched on the edge of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, the President sent his very first tweet from @POTUS -- the official Twitter account of the President of the United States. 

The Internet got pretty excited about it. So we pulled together 10 of our favorite replies from Day One of the @POTUS Twitter account.

Take a look -- then follow @POTUS and send a reply of your own. (You can follow more official White House accounts here.)

It's about time, @POTUS! –mo

— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) May 18, 2015

Welcome to @Twitter, @POTUS! One question: Does that username stay with the office? #askingforafriend

— Bill Clinton (@billclinton) May 18, 2015

Yes it's for real! https://t.co/nB3jSoGMm3

— petesouza (@petesouza) May 18, 2015

Barack Obama has his own Twitter account. He hasn’t asked for followers yet because he probably doesn’t want to @POTUS on the spot.

— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) May 18, 2015

Hey @POTUS – Welcome to Twitter. See you around the neighborhood. –vp pic.twitter.com/iaUVFtQVpk

— Vice President Biden (@VP) May 18, 2015

Welcome to Twitter, @POTUS. Thanks for the follow! pic.twitter.com/kvrHzczKNT

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) May 18, 2015

.@POTUS thanks for the follow! pic.twitter.com/Ou0VvCf5G8

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 18, 2015

Welcome to Twitter, @POTUS. Your predecessors @Teddy26Nats & @NatsBigChief27 are here to help with any questions! pic.twitter.com/KZGa2aHBii

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 18, 2015

Welcome to Twitter @POTUS! Give @DHSgov Sec. Jeh Johnson a high five for us. His commencement speech was phenomenal yesterday. #Oxy2015

— Occidental College (@OxyNews) May 18, 2015

Welcome, Mr. President! https://t.co/JXHxgJNVdB

— Twitter (@twitter) May 18, 2015

President Barack Obama tapes the Weekly Address in the Diplomatic Reception Room of the White House, May 15, 2015. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

In this week’s address, the President highlighted the importance of expanding opportunity for all Americans -- a principle that has guided his work throughout the past six years. This past week, the President attended a summit at Georgetown University where he discussed issues like poverty and inequality, and what we can do to ensure everyone gets a fair shot.

We’ve seen real results in this area, but there is still more that can be done. And lack of opportunity is not the only barrier to success. That’s why, on Monday, the President will travel to Camden, New Jersey to visit with local law enforcement, meet with young people, and hear directly about efforts to build trust between the police and the community in a city that has faced one of the highest crime rates in America.

Transcript | mp4 | mp3