Behind the Lens: Photographing the President in 50 Countries

Pete Souza
Pete Souza
July 24, 2015
03:35 PM EDT

Today, President Obama visits Kenya — the 50th country he has visited during his Administration. It’s also my 50th country traveling with the President.

To mark the occasion, as I did when the President visited his 50th state, I chose one photograph from each country that we’ve visited.

Traveling abroad with the President is very different.

Often times, I am at the mercy of the host country for access. Some countries are more accommodating to me than others. I am lucky to have counterpart official photographers in many countries who are extremely helpful to me in this regard. I of course try to return the help to them when they visit the White House with their head of state.

We’re also rarely in any one country for more than a couple of days, which gives us only a partial glimpse of each place. And because of security, the sites we are able to visit are often limited too.

All that said, we’ve had the incredible opportunity to visit the Pyramids in Egypt, Stonehenge in the United Kingdom, the Great Wall in China, Petra in Jordan, and the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar (Burma). (So I really shouldn’t complain too much.)

I hope you enjoy this gallery. And stay tuned — we’ll be adding a photograph from Kenya and additionally, Ethiopia, following his visit next week.

Afghanistan, 2012

Boarding Air Force One at Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, May 1, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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U.S. Goods Exported to Trade Agreement Partners Supported 3.2 Million Jobs in 2014

Tanya Somanader
Tanya Somanader
June 19, 2015
06:23 PM EDT

Ed. note: This is cross-posted from the Department of Commerce blog. See the original post here. 

Today, Secretary Pritzker and the Commerce Department released a report showcasing that in 2014, nearly 3.2 million jobs—44 percent of all jobs supported by goods exports—were supported by the export of goods to our Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners.

In 2014, the United States reached record levels in goods and services exports for the fifth consecutive year totaling $2.34 trillion. Since 2009, goods exports to our current FTA partners grew 64 percent versus 45 percent to the rest of the world. The United States continues to have a trade surplus in manufactured goods, $56 billion in 2014, with the countries in which we have trade agreements.

Related Topics: Jobs, Trade and Exports, Economy

The Terms of Trade: Questions and Answers on the President's Trade Deal

Greg Nelson
June 05, 2015
06:27 PM EDT

As Congress moves forward in its work on America’s trade policy, you may be hearing a lot of back and forth about the process and substance of the new, high-standards trade agreement the Administration is negotiating, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  

The President is committed to ensuring that when we do trade, we do right by American small businesses, American workers, and people across the globe. Scrutiny is important – after all, as President Obama has said, past trade deals haven’t always lived up to the hype. And many people who care deeply about this issue are raising important questions on what the trade deal is about and how it will impact our country.   

But, if you’re listening to the discussion, it can be hard to understand what the questions mean and what the answers are. So here’s a quick rundown on the buzz you might be hearing about TPP, and some answers to questions you might be asking:

Is this trade agreement being kept secret from the American people?

The TPP negotiations are still ongoing, so there is no final agreement to review. But public input is vital to the process, and that is why the Administration has taken new steps to share our priorities and get feedback throughout the negotiation process.  We’ve:

  • Published detailed summaries of U.S. objectives in negotiating all aspects of the agreement
  • Solicited public comments on negotiation aims, priorities and concerns, including through the Federal Register
  • Held public hearings inviting input on the negotiations

Congress’ voice is critical as well. In addition to more than 1,700 briefings with Congress, the trade promotion legislation they are currently considering will lay out specific and public negotiating objectives for the Administration.

Most importantly, the American people will be able to review every single word in the TPP and any trade agreement before the President signs it. As the President said: Every comma, every period, every semicolon. In fact, if Congress passes trade promotion authority -- for the first time ever -- it will be required by law that the agreement be made public for a minimum of 60 days before the President signs the agreement and for additional months before Congress votes on it – and we believe that’s a good thing.

Greg Nelson is Senior Advisor to the President and Senior Advisor for the National Economic Council.
Related Topics: Trade and Exports

The White House Celebrates Entrepreneurs Around the World

Jenna Brayton
Jenna Brayton
May 11, 2015
06:56 PM EDT

This afternoon at the Global Entrepreneurship meeting, President Obama welcomed emerging entrepreneurs from across the country and around the world to the White House to honor their achievements in their fields of business.

He also announced new commitments in support of the Spark Global Entrepreneurship Initiative -- a bold goal of generating $1 billion in new investment for emerging entrepreneurs worldwide by 2017, and issued a call to action to companies, organizations, and individuals across the globe to increase their support to emerging entrepreneurs, before his trip to Kenya in July for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Related Topics: Economy, Innovations, Startup America, Social Innovation

Be informed. Be active. Be engaged.

Posted by Davis Phinney on March 30, 2015 at 11:35 AM EDT

Davis Phinney

Davis Phinney is being honored as a Champion of Change in the Fight Against Parkinson's Disease.

I carried the Olympic torch as part of the torch relay when it came through Boulder en route to the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City in 2002. That feeling, that responsibility, that obligation of bearing the torch – an inspiring symbol of light and hope – has stayed with me, and it informs everything that we do at the Davis Phinney Foundation.

The Davis Phinney Foundation’s programs do more than educate; they motivate. Motivation is important to people with Parkinson’s, because it’s easy to let apathy set in and to wait to feel better. We’re saying, ‘don’t wait – take that first step, it’s empowering.’ We’re out to change what it means to live with Parkinson’s. Our message is this: be informed. Be active. Be engaged. Get out there and take control of your destiny. Participate actively in your own care. If, through the Foundation, we can convince everyone living with this disease to do one thing today, make one small change that’s going to have a positive impact on quality of life, then we’ve succeeded.

2015 marks the second decade of the Davis Phinney Foundation, and we’re still committed to our original vision: to help people with Parkinson’s live well today. I’m excited to see the Foundation expanding its reach, providing much-needed information to a wider audience, whether they’re tuning in to our webinars, coming to The Victory Summit® events or downloading our self-care manual, “Every Victory Counts,” or our terrific exercise video, “Parkinson’s Exercise Essentials.” Last year, we partnered with Move4Parkinson’s to bring our educational event to Ireland. This year, we’ll be taking it on the road to Malaysia. Wherever there are people who want to live better, today and for the long term, we’re finding ways to reach them with the support and tools they need to succeed.

Davis Phinney is the founder and board vice-chair of the Davis Phinney Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing information, inspiration, tools and research to help people living with Parkinson’s disease to live well today.

 

What They're Saying: People From Across the Country Call on America to Lead On Trade

Chris Evans
March 17, 2015
10:30 AM EDT

Trade has been central to our resurgence, contributing nearly one-third of our economic growth in the recovery and supporting 11.7 million American jobs in 2014 alone.

As we observe this growth, we're also in a race to secure a trade deal with countries in the Asia Pacific -- the fastest-growing markets in the world. These nations and others that would be part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) received 62% of American exports in 2014.

But as President Obama has made clear, he will not sign any agreement that fails to put American workers first. His trade proposal gives us the greatest opportunity to level the playing field for American businesses and their employees, ensures the rights of workers around the world, protects endangered species and the environment, preserves a free and open Internet, and would hold our trading partners accountable. 

Voices from across the country -- and from across the aisle  -- have expressed support for this trade deal. Here is a look at what people are saying about the President's trade deal: 

Chris Evans is an intern in the White House Office of Digital Strategy.
Related Topics: Trade and Exports, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nebraska, Pennsylvania

The President Wraps Up Trip in Burma, Heads to Australia

Tanya Somanader
Tanya Somanader
November 15, 2014
12:18 PM EDT
President Obama Walks Toward Air Force One in Burma

President Barack Obama walks towards Air Force One past honor guards and a group of representatives from Burmese ethnic groups before departing from Naypyitaw International Airport in Burma. November 14, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

President Obama has spent the week traveling in China, Burma, and Australia to help further the U.S. rebalancing strategy and his firm belief that our economic ties to the Asia Pacific region are integral to America's economic growth.

After securing a historic agreement with China to reduce carbon pollution, the President traveled to Naypyitaw and Rangoon, Burma for the East Asia Summit, the U.S.-ASEAN Summit, and for a bilateral meeting with Burmese President Thein Sein. 

Two years ago, President Obama became the first American president to visit this country. On this visit, both Presidents discussed the progress that Burma has made in the pursuit of a more open democracy and the work that's left to do: 

Related Topics: 2014 Asia Trip

Fighting Ebola: 5 Things You Need to Know About Emergency Funding to Combat the Disease

Tanya Somanader
Tanya Somanader
November 05, 2014
06:53 PM EDT

The current Ebola epidemic plaguing West Africa is the deadliest Ebola outbreak in human history.

Since the first cases were reported in March, the U.S. has mounted a large-scale and comprehensive effort to protect the American people here at home while fighting the disease at its source.

Today, the Administration asked Congress to help bolster America’s resources in the fight against Ebola by providing $6.18 billion toward our whole-of-government efforts. The emergency funds will help ensure that we meet both immediate and long-term needs, and that there are resources available to meet the evolving nature of the epidemic.

Here's what you need to know about this request and our response to Ebola:

1. What exactly will the funding be used for?

Related Topics: Ebola, Global Development, Health Care, Homeland Security

Happy 53rd Birthday, President Obama!

Garrett Brinker
August 04, 2014
07:56 PM EDT

Today, President Obama is celebrating his 53rd birthday. In honor of the occasion, we put together our top 10 photos from the past year -- because we thought that means more than our "top 53."

Check out some of our favorites from the past year below:

1. Just hanging out.

Bo was just hanging out in the Outer Oval Office

"Bo was just hanging out in the Outer Oval Office when the President walked in to begin his day. Each morning, the President always enters through this door rather than the direct outside door to the Oval Office." November 6, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Related Topics: Inside the White House, Minnesota, New York

Happy 53rd Birthday, President Obama!

Garrett Brinker
August 04, 2014
07:02 PM EDT

Today, President Obama is celebrating his 53rd birthday. In honor of the occasion, we put together our top 10 photos from the past year -- because we thought that means more than our "top 53."

Check out some of our favorites from the past year below:

1. Just hanging out.

Bo was just hanging out in the Outer Oval Office

"Bo was just hanging out in the Outer Oval Office when the President walked in to begin his day. Each morning, the President always enters through this door rather than the direct outside door to the Oval Office." November 6, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Related Topics: Inside the White House, Minnesota, New York