President Obama Signs Washington Emergency Declaration

The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of Washington and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts in the area affected by wildfires beginning on July 9, 2014, and continuing.

The President's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Chelan and Okanogan and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.   Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding. 

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael J. Hall as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

Readout of the Administration’s Call With Governors on the Situation at the Border

This afternoon, White House and Senior Administration Officials including DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell, Acting OMB Director Brian Deese, CBP Commissioner Kerlikowske, and CBP Deputy Chief Vitiello, as well as representatives from ICE, FEMA and DOD held a call with governors from across the country to discuss the Administration’s comprehensive response to the humanitarian situation at the border. The Administration is focused on addressing the immediate and pressing challenges to make sure we are responding in an efficient and timely way, ramping up prosecution efforts against criminal smuggling networks and confronting the root of the problem with top-level diplomatic efforts in Central America. 

As part of the President’s whole-of-government approach, the Administration is working with states and local communities as they identify temporary sheltering capacity for unaccompanied minors. Officials noted on the call that preliminary data show that average daily apprehensions of unaccompanied children by the Customs and Border Patrol have dropped by about half from June to July.  Administration officials underscored the importance of continuing this progress and working with Governors to provide appropriate care for those apprehended at the border. To bolster the Administration’s and the Governor’s efforts, officials reiterated the need for Congress to fully fund our supplemental request because if Congress doesn’t act soon our hardworking border patrol agents and immigration courts won’t have the resources they need to do their jobs and care for and process these children. Officials also addressed several questions about the notification process for Governors when unaccompanied minors are placed in their states.  No action replaces long lasting solutions provided by comprehensive immigration reform and the Administration again called on Congress to fix our broken immigration system through common sense reform.

First Lady Michelle Obama Announces Seven Organizations Join Drink Up Effort to Encourage Americans to Drink More Water, More Often

Brita®, First 5 Santa Clara County, Haws Corporation™, Nalgene® Outdoor Products, S’well Bottle, Santa Clara Valley Water District and The California Endowment will support Drink Up through products and marketing efforts

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, First Lady Michelle Obama joined the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) to announce that seven organizations have joined or renewed their support for the Drink Up effort, which encourages people across the country to drink more water, more often.  Brita®, First 5 Santa Clara County, Haws Corporation™, Nalgene® Outdoor Products, S’well Bottle, Santa Clara Valley Water District and The California Endowment will support Drink Up by promoting its messages on water filtration systems, re-usable water bottles, drinking fountains or other products and programs.  The First Lady also highlighted a new study from Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS), which found that a recent online ad campaign for Drink Up fueled a 3 percent lift in incremental sales of bottled water among those exposed to the campaign.

“When the Drink Up campaign was launched last year, it had one simple goal – to get kids and families excited about drinking water,” said First Lady Michelle Obama.  “And today, less than a year later, we know that water sales jumped nearly three percent among people who saw Drink Up ads.  So I am thrilled about the additional commitments to continue this effort that are being announced today by Brita, First 5 Santa Clara County, Haws, Nalgene, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, S’WELL Bottle Company and The California Endowment.  And I am confident that in the coming months and years, we’re going to see people across this country drinking more and more water.”

“As Drink Up encourages more people to drink more water, we also want to help make choosing water an easy choice. The efforts announced today – along with our current supporters’ efforts – will help us show more people that you are what you drink, and when you drink water you Drink Up,” said PHA CEO Lawrence A. Soler.  “We applaud the efforts of each of these supporters toward helping us take another step closer to providing access to water for more people wherever they are, whenever they want it, however they want it – be it tap, filtered or bottled.” 

For complete information about this PHA commitment, visit AHealthierAmerica.org and YouAreWhatYouDrink.org. 

ADVISORY: President Obama to Award 2013 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal

WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday afternoon, July 28, 2014,  President Obama will award the 2013 National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal to distinguished recipients in the East Room. The First Lady will also attend.

The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities were established by the Congress in 1965 as independent agencies of the Federal Government. To date, the NEA has awarded more than $5 billion to support artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. The NEA extends its work through partnerships with State arts agencies, local leaders, other Federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector. The National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the Nation. The Endowment brings high-quality historical and cultural experiences to large and diverse audiences in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five territories.

At next week’s event, the President will deliver remarks and present the awards to the following individuals and organizations:

2013 National Medal of Arts

• Julia Alvarez, Novelist, Poet, and Essayist, Weybridge, VT
• Brooklyn Academy of Music, Presenter, Brooklyn, NY
• Joan Harris, Arts Patron, Chicago, IL
• Bill T. Jones, Dancer and Choreographer, Valley Cottage, NY
• John Kander, Musical Theater Composer, New York, NY
• Jeffrey Katzenberg, Director and CEO of DreamWorks, Beverly Hills, CA
• Maxine Hong Kingston, Writer, Oakland, CA
• Albert Maysles, Documentary Filmmaker, New York, NY
• Linda Ronstadt, Musician, San Francisco, CA
• Billie Tsien and Tod Williams (receiving individual medals), Architects, New York, NY
• James Turrell, Visual Artist, Flagstaff, AZ

2013 National Humanities Medal

• M.H. Abrams, Literary Critic, Ithaca, NY
• David Brion Davis, Historian, Orange, CT
• Darlene Clark Hine, Historian, Chicago, IL
• Anne Firor Scott, Historian, Chapel Hill, NC
• William Theodore De Bary, East Asian studies scholar, Tappan, NY
• Johnpaul Jones, Architect, Bainbridge, WA
• Stanley Nelson, Filmmaker, New York, NY
• Diane Rehm, Radio Host, Washington, D.C.
• Krista Tippett, Radio Host, St. Paul, MN
• American Antiquarian Society, Historical Organization, Worcester, MA

Below are the 2013 National Medal of Arts Citations which will be read at the ceremony:

Julia Alvarez for her extraordinary storytelling. In poetry and in prose, Ms. Alvarez explores themes of identity, family, and cultural divides. She illustrates the complexity of navigating two worlds and reveals the human capacity for strength in the face of oppression.

Brooklyn Academy of Music for innovative contributions to the performing and visual arts. For over 150 years, BAM has showcased the works of both established visionaries and emerging artists who take risks and push boundaries.

Joan Harris for supporting creative expression in Chicago and across our country. Her decades of leadership and generosity have enriched our cultural life and helped countless artists, dancers, singers, and musicians bring their talents to center stage.

Bill T. Jones for his contributions as a dancer and choreographer. Renowned for provocative performances that blend an eclectic mix of modern and traditional dance, Mr. Jones creates works that challenge us to confront tough subjects and inspire us to greater heights.

John Kander for his contributions as a composer. For more than half a century, Mr. Kander has enlivened Broadway, television, and film through songs that evoke romanticism and wonder and capture moral dilemmas that persist across generations.

Jeffrey Katzenberg for lighting up our screens and opening our hearts through animation and cinema. Mr. Katzenberg has embraced new technology to develop the art of storytelling and transform the way we experience film.

Maxine Hong Kingston for her contributions as a writer. Her novels and non-fiction have examined how the past influences our present, and her voice has strengthened our understanding of Asian American identity, helping shape our national conversation about culture, gender, and race.

Albert Maysles for rethinking and remaking documentary film in America. One of the pioneers of direct cinema, he has offered authentic depictions of people and communities across the globe for nearly 60 years. By capturing raw emotions and representations, his work reflects the unfiltered truths of our shared humanity.

Linda Ronstadt for her one-of-a-kind voice and her decades of remarkable music. Drawing from a broad range of influences, Ms. Ronstadt defied expectations to conquer American radio waves and help pave the way for generations of women artists.

Billie Tsien and Tod Williams for their contributions to architecture and arts education. Whether public or private, their deliberate and inspired designs have a profound effect on the lives of those who interact with them, and their teaching and spirit of service have inspired young people to pursue their passions.

James Turrell for his groundbreaking visual art. Capturing the powers of light and space, Mr. Turrell builds experiences that force us to question reality, challenging our perceptions not only of art, but also of the world around us.

Below are the 2013 National Humanities Medal Citations which will be read at the ceremony:

M. H. Abrams, literary critic, for expanding our perceptions of the Romantic tradition and broadening the study of literature. As a professor, writer, and critic, Dr. Abrams has traced the modern concept of artistic self-expression in Western culture, and his work has influenced generations of students.

David Brion Davis, historian, for reshaping our understanding of history. A World War II veteran, Dr. Davis has shed light on the contradiction of a free Nation built by forced labor, and his examinations of slavery and abolitionism drive us to keep making moral progress in our time.

Darlene Clark Hine, historian, for enriching our understanding of the African American experience. Through prolific scholarship and leadership, Dr. Hine has examined race, class, and gender and shown how the struggles and successes of African American women shaped the Nation we share today.

Anne Firor Scott, historian, for pioneering the study of southern women. Through groundbreaking research spanning ideology, race, and class, Dr. Scott’s uncharted exploration into the lives of southern women has established women’s history as vital to our understanding of the American South.

William Theodore De Bary, East Asian Studies scholar, for broadening our understanding of the world. Dr. de Bary’s efforts to foster a global conversation have underscored how the common values and experiences shared by Eastern and Western cultures can be used to bridge our differences and build trust.

Johnpaul Jones, architect, for honoring the natural world and indigenous traditions in architecture. A force behind diverse and cherished institutions, Mr. Jones has fostered awareness through design and created spaces worthy of the cultures they reflect, the communities they serve, and the environments they inhabit.

Stanley Nelson, producer and director, for documenting the story of African Americans through film. By turning a camera on both the well-known and unknown narratives of African Americans, Mr. Nelson has exposed injustice and triumph while revealing new depths of our Nation’s history.

Diane Rehm, radio host, for illuminating the people and stories behind the headlines. In probing interviews with pundits, poets, and Presidents, Ms. Rehm’s incisive, confident, and curious voice has deepened our understanding of our communities and our culture.

Krista Tippett, radio host and author, for thoughtfully delving into the mysteries of human existence. On the air and in print, Ms. Tippett avoids easy answers, embracing complexity and inviting people of all faiths, no faith, and every background to join the conversation.

American Antiquarian Society, historical organization, for safeguarding the American story. Through more than two centuries, the Society has amassed an unparalleled collection of historic American documents, served as a research center to scholars and students alike, and connected generations of Americans to their cultural heritage.