End Oil Subsidies – An All-Of-The-Above Approach to American Energy
These days, we’re getting another painful reminder why developing new energy is so important to our future. Just like they did last year, gas prices are starting to climb. Only this time, it’s happening earlier. And that hurts everyone – everyone who owns a car; everyone who owns a business. It means you have to stretch your paycheck even further. Some folks have no choice but to drive a long way to work, and high gas prices are like a tax straight out of their paychecks.
You know there are no quick fixes to this problem, and you know we can’t just drill our way to lower gas prices. If we’re going to take control of our energy future and avoid these gas price spikes down the line, then we need a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy – oil, gas, wind, solar, nuclear, biofuels, and more. We need to keep developing the technology that allows us to use less oil in our cars and trucks; in our buildings and plants. That’s the strategy we’re pursuing, and that’s the only real solution to this challenge.
Now, we absolutely need safe, responsible oil production here in America. That’s why under my Administration, America is producing more oil today than at any time in the last eight years. In 2010, our dependence on foreign oil was under 50% for the first time in more than a decade. And while there are no short-term silver bullets when it comes to gas prices, I’ve directed my administration to look for every single area where we can make an impact and help consumers in the months ahead, from permitting to delivery bottlenecks to what’s going on in the oil markets.
President Obama 3/17/12 Weekly Address
Fact Sheet: Increasing Oversight and Cracking Down on Manipulation in Oil Markets
At a time when instability in the Middle East is contributing to rising global oil prices that impact consumers at the pump, it is critically important to give American families confidence that illegal manipulation, fraud and market rigging are not contributing to gas price increases.
President Obama has already taken significant action to step up oversight of oil markets and close dangerous loopholes that for too long allowed energy traders to operate in the shadows. Early on in the Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) moved to close the “Enron” and “London” loopholes, which previously allowed traders to evade oversight by using electronic and overseas platforms. Through Wall Street Reform, the President fought for new position limits to ensure that no single trader can manipulate oil markets and to enhance the CFTC’s anti-manipulation authorities. And at the President’s direction, the Attorney General has been working to ensure that enforcement agencies are exercising their full authorities through the Oil and Gas Price Fraud Working Group. (See Appendix for full record).
Today, the Administration is going further – announcing new steps to strengthen oversight of energy markets while calling on congress to pass a package of measures that would deter illegal behavior and hold accountable those who manipulate markets for financial gain at the expense of consumers. Congress should act immediately on these measures to ensure that illegal manipulation by financial traders is not contributing to prices at the pump.
The President’s Five-Part Plan Includes:
1. Requesting Immediate Funding to Put More “Cops on the Beat” Overseeing Oil Markets
2. Funding Critical Technology Upgrades in the Oversight and Surveillance of Energy Market Activity
3. Substantially Increasing Civil and Criminal Penalties for Manipulation in Key Energy Markets
4. Empowering the CFTC to Raise Margin Requirements in Oil Futures Markets
5. Taking Immediate Steps to Expand Access to CFTC Data to Better Understand Trading Trends in Oil Markets
CRACKING DOWN ON MANIPULATION IN OIL MARKETS
Details of the Administration’s Five Part Plan:
1. Immediate Funding to Put More “Cops on the Beat” Overseeing Oil Markets
2. Critical Technology Upgrades in the Oversight and Surveillance of Energy Market Activity
3. Increased Civil and Criminal Penalties for Manipulation in Key Energy Markets:
4. New Authorities for the CFTC to Raise Margin Requirements in Oil Futures Markets
5. Immediate Steps to Expand Access to CFTC Data to Better Understand Trading Trends in Oil Markets
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/17/fact-sheet-increasing-oversight-and-cracking-down-manipulation-oil-marke
Contact your Congress person to pass a package of measures that deters illegal behavior in the oil market!
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Wednesday, April 18, 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
11:00 AM
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
Oval Office
Closed Press
Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials hosts an event to discuss the need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
White House
11:40 AM
President Obama departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews.
South Lawn
Open Press
11:55 AM
President Obama departs Joint Base Andrews en route for Ohio.
Open Press
12:00 PM
12:15 PM
Dr. Jill Biden will visit Reading Area Community College (RACC) as part of her “Community College to Career” tour.
1:00 PM
1:15 PM
President Obama arrives in Ohio.
Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport
Open Press
1:55 PM
President Obama holds a roundtable with unemployed workers who are students in Lorain County Community College job training programs.
Elyria, Lorain County Community College, Ohio
Travel Pool Coverage
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
President Obama delivers remarks on highlight job-training initiatives aimed at helping unemployed Americans get the skills they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.
Elyria, Lorain County Community College, Ohio
Pooled TV, Open to Correspondents
3:00 PM
3:45 PM
President Obama departs Ohio en route Michigan.
Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport
Open Press
4:00 PM
4:30 PM
President Obama arrives in Michigan.
Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport
Open Press
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
President Barack Obama attends a campaign fundraiser
Henry Ford Museum
Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Henry Ford Museum, Michigan
Pooled TV, Open to Correspondents
7:00 PM
7:50 PM
President Obama delivers remarks at a campaign event.
Bingham Farms, Michigan, Private Residence
Print Pool
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
9:15 PM
President Obama departs Michigan en route Joint Base Andrews.
10:00 PM
10:40 PM
President Obama arrives at Joint Base Andrews.
10:55 PM
President Obama arrives at the White House.
April 18, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
11:00 AM EDT
Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials hosts an event to discuss the need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
White House
1:55 PM EDT
President Obama holds a roundtable with unemployed workers who are students in Lorain County Community College job training programs.
Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio (Audio Only)
2:30 PM EDT
President Obama delivers remarks on highlight job-training initiatives aimed at helping unemployed Americans get the skills they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.
Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
8:30 AM EDT
Brookings Institution: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the Global Economy
10:00 AM EDT
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a hearing on the GSA spending practices
10:00 AM EDT
North Korea after Kim Jong Il hearing
The House Foreign Affairs Committee looks at the situation in North Korea following the death of leader Kim Jong Il.
11:00 AM EDT
Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials hosts an event to discuss the need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
White House
2:00 PM EDT
Senate Budget Committee: Fiscal 2013 Budget Resolution Markup
2:30 PM EDT
The Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee holds a hearing on GSA spending
2:30 PM EDT
President Obama delivers remarks on highlight job-training initiatives aimed at helping unemployed Americans get the skills they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.
Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio
—-
CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
8:30 AM EDT
Brookings Institution: Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner on the Global Economy http://www.c-span.org/Events/Sec-Geithner-Talks-About-US-Economic-Recovery/10737429974/
10:00 AM EDT
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee holds a hearing on the GSA spending practices http://www.c-span.org/Events/GSA-Acting-Admin-Continues-Testimony-Before-Senate/10737429975/
10:00 AM EDT
North Korea after Kim Jong Il hearing
The House Foreign Affairs Committee looks at the situation in North Korea following the death of leader Kim Jong Il.http://www.c-span.org/Events/House-Foreign-Affairs-Cmte-Examines-US-Policy-Toward-North-Korea/10737429976/
2:00 PM EDT
Senate Budget Committee: Fiscal 2013 Budget Resolution Markup http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-Budget-to-Unveil-Budget-Based-on-Simpson-Bowles-Plan/10737429954/
2:00 PM EDT
State Dept. Coordinator for Counterterrorism Testifies Before House Subcmte. http://www.c-span.org/Events/State-Dept-Coordinator-for-Counterterrorism-Testifies-Before-House-Subcmte/10737429979/
2:00 PM EDT
Senate Aging Cmte. Takes on Long-Term Care Issues http://www.c-span.org/Events/Senate-Aging-Cmte-Takes-on-Long-Term-Care-Issues/10737429977/
2:30 PM EDT
The Senate Appropriations Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee holds a hearing on GSA spending
2:30 PM EDT
President Obama delivers remarks on highlight job-training initiatives aimed at helping unemployed Americans get the skills they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.
Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-in-Ohio-to-Discuss-State-of-the-Economy/10737429980/
President Obama on Gas Prices and Oil Subsidies
Matt Compton March 01, 2012 05:47 PM EST
Today in New Hampshire, President Obama renewed his call to repeal the $4 billion in subsidies that taxpayers provide the oil industry each year and said there’s only one real path forward for America’s future — an all of the above approach that develops every source of energy available to us.
He also addressed the idea that we’ll be able to drill our way to lower gas prices and energy independence:
The President is directing the federal government to address a range of issues that are having a real impact on what each of us pays at the pump. For starters, he’s working to prevent speculators from taking advantage of uncertainties in the commodities market and trying to reduce bottlenecks in the supply chain.
And the President is making a real push to eliminate the tax breaks that we provide to one of the most profitable industries in the world:
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Obama’s All-Of-The-Above Energy Strategy
Uploaded by BarackObamadotcom on Mar 6, 2012
Get the facts: https://my.barackobama.com/energyfullad
What are we doing to address rising gas prices? Only President Obama has laid out a real strategy to take control of our energy future. And we’re already seeing a change: US oil production is the highest in 8 years. And our reliance on oil imports is the lowest in 16 years. Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy is a real plan to get control of runaway gas prices and cut our reliance on foreign oil. Get the facts.
Nope, more drilling won’t bring back $2.50 gasoline
3/01/2012 Brad Plumer – washingtonpost
On the campaign trail, Newt Gingrich keeps insisting that if America drilled for more oil, we could return to the days of $2.50-per-gallon gasoline. Michael Conathan says this is dubious, noting that drilling has been booming since 2009, yet gas prices keep rising:
Why is this? Because oil prices are set on a world market, and there are a whole bunch of factors that affect prices. A healthier global economy means more global demand for oil. That pushes prices up. A new wave of middle-class consumers in China and India have been replacing their bikes with automobiles. That pushes prices up. Oil fields are declining in countries like Mexico. That pushes prices up. Saudi Arabia seems to be running low on spare capacity. That pushes prices up. Tensions in Iran have prompted traders to set oil aside for potential supply disruptions in the future. That pushes prices up.
For the entire article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/why-more-drilling-wont-lower-gas-prices/2012/03/01/gIQALNBtkR_blog.htmll
“Remember” – Obama for America 2012 Television Ad
Uploaded by BarackObamadotcom on Apr 2, 2012
Get the facts: https://my.barackobama.com/rememberad
The President has made significant progress to ensure a clean-energy future for our country, including raising mileage standards and doubling investments in renewable energy. Yet oil executives continue to attack that progress, fighting to keep their tax breaks and against investments in clean energy. While those special interest work to stop the progress we’ve made, President Obama continues to take steps to make America more energy independent and create an economy that’s built to last by out-innovating and out-building our competitors around the world.
April 17, 2012
Remarks by the President on Increasing Oversight on Manipulation in Oil Markets
Rose Garden
11:27 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. Lately, I’ve been speaking a lot about our need for an all-of-the-above strategy for American energy — a strategy that produces more oil and gas here at home, but also produces more biofuels and fuel-efficient cars, more solar power and wind power and other sources of clean, renewable energy.
This strategy is not just the right thing to do for our long-term economic growth; it’s also the right way for us to reduce our dependence on foreign oil right now. It’s the right way for us to put people to work right now. And ultimately, it’s the right way to stop spikes in gas prices that we’ve put up [with] every single year — the same kind of increase that we’ve seen over the past couple of months.
Obviously rising gas prices means a rough ride for a lot of families. Whether you’re trying to get to school, trying to get to work, do some grocery shopping, you have to be able to fill up that gas tank. And there are families in certain parts of the country that have no choice but to drive 50 or 60 miles to get to the job. So when gas prices go up, it’s like an additional tax that comes right out of your pocket.
That’s one of the reasons we passed a payroll tax cut at the beginning of this year and made sure it extended all the way through this year, so that the average American is getting that extra $40 in every paycheck right now.
But I think everybody understands that there are no quick fixes to this problem. There are politicians who say that if we just drilled more then gas prices would come down right away. What they don’t say is that we have been drilling more. Under my administration, America is producing more oil than at any time in the last eight years. We’ve opened up new areas for exploration. We’ve quadrupled the number of operating rigs to a record high. We’ve added enough new oil and gas pipeline to circle the Earth and then some.
But as I’ve said repeatedly, the problem is we use more than 20 percent of the world’s oil and we only have 2 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves. Even if we drilled every square inch of this country right now, we’d still have to rely disproportionately on other countries for their oil. That means we pay more at the pump every time there’s instability in the Middle East, or growing demand in countries like China and India.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/17/remarks-president-increasing-oversight-manipulation-oil-markets
April 17, 2012
Fact Sheet: Increasing Oversight and Cracking Down on Manipulation in Oil Markets
At a time when instability in the Middle East is contributing to rising global oil prices that impact consumers at the pump, it is critically important to give American families confidence that illegal manipulation, fraud and market rigging are not contributing to gas price increases.
President Obama has already taken significant action to step up oversight of oil markets and close dangerous loopholes that for too long allowed energy traders to operate in the shadows. Early on in the Administration, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) moved to close the “Enron” and “London” loopholes, which previously allowed traders to evade oversight by using electronic and overseas platforms. Through Wall Street Reform, the President fought for new position limits to ensure that no single trader can manipulate oil markets and to enhance the CFTC’s anti-manipulation authorities. And at the President’s direction, the Attorney General has been working to ensure that enforcement agencies are exercising their full authorities through the Oil and Gas Price Fraud Working Group. (See Appendix for full record).
Today, the Administration is going further – announcing new steps to strengthen oversight of energy markets while calling on Congress to pass a package of measures that would deter illegal behavior and hold accountable those who manipulate markets for financial gain at the expense of consumers. Congress should act immediately on these measures to ensure that illegal manipulation by financial traders is not contributing to prices at the pump.
The President’s Five-Part Plan Includes:
1. Requesting Immediate Funding to Put More “Cops on the Beat” Overseeing Oil Markets
2. Funding Critical Technology Upgrades in the Oversight and Surveillance of Energy Market Activity
3. Substantially Increasing Civil and Criminal Penalties for Manipulation in Key Energy Markets
4. Empowering the CFTC to Raise Margin Requirements in Oil Futures Markets
5. Taking Immediate Steps to Expand Access to CFTC Data to Better Understand Trading Trends in Oil Markets
CRACKING DOWN ON MANIPULATION IN OIL MARKETS
Details of the Administration’s Five Part Plan
1. Immediate Funding to Put More “Cops on the Beat” Overseeing Oil Markets
2. Critical Technology Upgrades in the Oversight and Surveillance of Energy Market Activity
3. Increased Civil and Criminal Penalties for Manipulation in Key Energy Markets:
4. New Authorities for the CFTC to Raise Margin Requirements in Oil Futures Markets
5. Immediate Steps to Expand Access to CFTC Data to Better Understand Trading Trends in Oil Markets
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/17/fact-sheet-increasing-oversight-and-cracking-down-manipulation-oil-marke
Why is Big Oil attacking President Obama?
President Obama wants to end taxpayer giveaways to oil companies making record profits, and double down on investments in clean energy.
Big Oil knows the President’s policies would help break our addiction to oil and cut off their subsidies— that’s why they’re using your money to fund a series of false attacks on President Obama’s energy record.
And Mitt Romney? He would continue giving government handouts to oil and gas companies—$4 billion a year.
Romney and the Koch Brothers: Fighting for Big Oil
February 25, 2012 Posted by Elizabeth Chan – democrats.org
As president, Barack Obama is working to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and increase renewable energy; last year, our reliance on foreign oil was at its lowest point in 16 years. And at a time when big oil companies are raking in record profits, the President is fighting to end the $4 billion in unnecessary taxpayer subsidies.
Mitt Romney has a different plan. He’s fighting to protect his big oil friends, and he’s gained some formidable teammates who don’t want to let their subsidies go. Romney is speaking to the Koch Brothers funded Americans for Prosperity in Michigan today—the same Koch Brothers who have pledged millions of dollars to defeat President Obama.
Let everyone you know that Romney and the Koch brothers are fighting for big oil instead of what’s best for the middle class. Watch and share our newest video.
GOP Paranoia strikes deeper
Mar 23 2012 By Paul krugman The New York Times
Stop, hey, what’s that sound? Actually, it’s the noise a great political party makes when it loses what’s left of its mind. And it happened — where else? — on Fox News on Sunday, when Mitt Romney bought fully into the claim that gas prices are high thanks to an Obama administration plot.
This claim isn’t just nuts; it’s a sort of craziness triple play — a lie wrapped in an absurdity swaddled in paranoia. It’s the sort of thing you used to hear only from people who also believed that fluoridated water was a communist plot. But now the gas-price conspiracy theory has been formally endorsed by the likely Republican presidential nominee.
Before we get to the larger implications of this endorsement, let’s get the facts on gas prices straight.
First, the lie: No, President Barack Obama did not say, as many Republicans now claim, that he wanted higher gasoline prices. He did once say that a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions would cause electricity prices to “skyrocket” — an unfortunate word choice. But saying that such a system would raise energy prices was just a factual statement, not a declaration of intent to punish U.S. consumers. The claim that Obama wanted higher prices is a lie, pure and simple.
For the entire article: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/53778832-82/prices-lie-obama-paranoia.html.csp
Obama to highlight job-training in Ohio
By DONOVAN SLACK | 4/17/12 3:55 PM EDT
President Obama will head to Ohio on Wednesday to highlight job-training initiatives aimed at helping unemployed Americans get the skills they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.
Obama will deliver remarks about the initiatives at Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio. He will also meet with a group of unemployed students in the college’s job-training program who have benefitted from federal funding.
The White House announced Friday that he would travel to Ohio, but did not detail what he would be doing. A White House official gave POLITICO a sneak peek at his plans on condition of anonymity because they have not been announced publicly.
On Wednesday evening, the president is scheduled to head to Michigan for campaign events before returning to Washington, D.C.
President Obama to Visit
Lorain County Community College
April 18, 2012 lorainccc.edu
Lorain County Community College is proud to serve as a host for the President’s visit to the area on Wednesday, April 18, 2012. Students and the campus community should be aware of changes to the campus schedule on April 18.
Violence Against Women Act
The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) is a United States federal law. It was passed as Title IV, sec. 40001-40703 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, H.R. 3355</act, and signed as Pub.L. 103-322 by President Bill Clinton on September 13, 1994. It provided $1.6 billion to enhance investigation and prosecution of violent crimes perpetrated against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave unprosecuted.
VAWA was drafted by then-U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden’s office with support from a number of advocacy organizations including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the Texas Council on Family Violence, Futures Without Violence, National Coalition Against Sexual Assault, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Legal Momentum and The National Organization for Women, which described the bill as “the greatest breakthrough in civil rights for women in nearly two decades.”
It easily passed through Congress, clearing the House with a vote of 235 – 195 on August 21, 1994 and clearing the Senate with a vote of 61-38 on August 25, 1994. President Bill Clinton signed it into public law 19 days later.
For the entire article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violent_Crime_Control_and_Law_Enforcement_Act_of_1994
On Wednesda, April 18, Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials hosts an event to discuss the need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
White House
From ThinkProgress.org:
…. Republicans have expressed opposition to the usually-uncontroversial bill because of added provisions for marginalized communities including the LGBT community, Native Americans, and undocumented people.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/03/28/454073/defending-vawa-rep-moore-recounts-being-raped-as-a-child/
As far as I know, Mitt Romney has not publicly stated an opinion on VAWA. What is the GOP thinking? That it’s OK to assault certain women? I guess that must be it. They have given up all decency.
I don’t have enough words to express my respect for courageous Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), who last month shared her own memory of sexual abuse and argued for the passage of VAWA.
Bless then-Senator/now-Vice President Biden, President Obama, and the Democrats.
Again I ask, how can any woman vote Republican.
Thanks for the article Kat!
Romney and the GOP are NOT ADVOCATES FOR WOMEN!
Secretary Clinton To Travel to Colombia, Brazil, and Belgium
Victoria Nuland
Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
April 11, 2012 state.gov
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Colombia, Brazil, and Belgium from April 13 to April 19. Secretary Clinton will accompany President Obama for the Sixth Summit of the Americas in Cartagena, Colombia from April 13-15. There, the U.S. delegation will meet with democratically-elected heads of state and government from throughout the Hemisphere to strengthen ties, expand partnerships, and continue progress in economic growth, social inclusion, and citizen security.
The Secretary will then travel to Brasilia, Brazil April 16-17. On April 16, she will lead the U.S. delegation for the third U.S.-Brazil Global Partnership Dialogue. This Dialogue builds upon the agreements the United States and Brazil reached during President Obama’s visit to Brazil in 2011 and President Rousseff’s visit to the United States on April 9-10, 2012. Issues discussed in the Global Partnership Dialogue range from development and education cooperation to global political and economic issues. The Dialogue provides a forum to transform our agreements into concrete action. The Secretary will also meet with government officials and representative of the private sector.
On April 17, the Secretary will provide opening remarks with Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff at the First Annual High-Level Meeting of the Open Government Partnership (OGP). Launched eight months ago by Presidents Obama and Rousseff, OGP will formally welcome 42 new countries into the Partnership as they announce concrete commitments to prevent corruption, promote transparency, and harness new technologies to empower citizens.
Secretary Clinton will visit Brussels, Belgium April 18-19 to participate in a joint meeting of NATO foreign and defense ministers and to hold a bilateral meeting with Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders. At NATO, the Secretary and her foreign and defense minister counterparts will discuss preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit, which the President will host in Chicago May 20-21, 2012. At the joint ministerial meeting, ministers will review the status of NATO’s transition strategy for Afghanistan, new capabilities for the Alliance and NATO’s global partnerships. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta will participate on April 18. On April 19, NATO foreign ministers will meet with their non-NATO partners in the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The Secretary will also participate in a foreign ministers’ meeting of the NATO-Russia Council on April 19.
CR, I like this very informative post so much I would put a whole row of cats up at the “like” box if I could
Thanks Kat!
Briefs: Arab-Americans to meet Obama officials this week
April 17, 2012 detriotnews
Dearborn, Michigan
Arab Americans are meeting lawmakers and Obama administration officials in Washington this week. Organizers say the fourth annual Arab American National Advocacy Week, which began Monday and runs through Thursday, includes a White House policy briefing. The event is organized by the Dearborn-based National Network for Arab American Communities, representing 23 organizations in 11 states. Officials say the visit is meant to keep U.S. Arab voices in debates dealing with health care, immigration and national security. They say they’re concerned about laws that appear to encourage surveillance and profiling of Arab Americans.
Mortgage Applications Jump on Refinancing Surge
\Wednesday, 18 Apr 2012 | 7:10 AM ET Reuters
Applications for U.S. home mortgages jumped last week as a drop in interest rates fueled demand for refinancings, though purchases tumbled, an industry group said on Wednesday.
The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage application activity, which includes both refinancing and home purchase demand, rose 6.9 percent in the week ended April 13.
The MBA’s seasonally adjusted index of refinancing applications surged 13.5 percent, but the gauge of loan requests for home purchases dropped 11.2 percent. It was the second week in a row purchases have declined.
“Renewed concerns about sovereign debt in Europe led to a drop in rates last week, with the 30-year rate tying our survey low, reached in early February. Refinance activity picked up in response,” Jay Brinkmann, MBA’s chief economist, said in a statement.
The refinance share of total mortgage activity climbed to 75.2 percent of applications from 70.5 percent the week before.
Fixed 30-year mortgage rates averaged 4.05 percent, down 5 basis points from 4.10 percent.
The survey covers over 75 percent of U.S. retail residential mortgage applications, according to MBA.
Obama unveils Spanish-language ad campaign
4/18/12 6:15 AM EDT POLITICO44
President Obama’s reelection campaign is going up with a Spanish-language ad buy in Colorado, Nevada and Florida.
The ad highlights Obama’s education record and touts policies that have helped Hispanic college students and and children.
“President Obama understands us. He understands what it’s like to not have what everyone else has,” the ad’s narrator, an Obama campaign organizer, says in Spanish.
“Since President Obama took office, things have gotten better,” the narrator said. “And the President is not going to stop.”
The effort is an attempt to engage Latinos in crucial swing states — many of whom have been alienated from the Republican party over the party’s hardline stance on immigration reform and the DREAM Act.
The campaign will also launch a Latinos for Obama outreach effort today on a conference call with reporters, describing it as ” the largest ever national effort to engage Hispanic Americans in their communities.”
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Lynnette: Esta Elección Sí Importa – Anuncio de Televisión de Obama for America
Uploaded by BarackObamadotcom on Apr 17, 2012
¡Insribete! https://my.barackobama.com/lynnettead
Estamos lanzando una campaña nueva, y queremos que nos acompañes desde el principio.
En este momento, gente a lo largo del país está uniéndose a nuestro esfuerzo para construir la campaña del Presidente Obama para el 2012 desde el comienzo. ¡Insribete! https://my.barackobama.com/lynettead
Viva Obama-Biden 2012!
Top U.S. colleges to offer free classes online
4/18/12 By Stephanie Simon | Reuters – 1 hr 58 mins ago
(Reuters) – Five prestigious U.S. universities will create free online courses for students worldwide through a new, interactive education platform dubbed Coursera, the founders announced Wednesday.
The two founders, both professors of computer science at Stanford University, also announced that they had received $16 million in financing from two Silicon Valley venture capital firms.
Coursera will offer more than three dozen college courses in the coming year through its website at coursera.org, on subjects ranging from Greek mythology to neurology, from calculus to contemporary American poetry. The classes are designed and taught by professors at Stanford, Princeton, the University of California at Berkeley, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan.
Coursera joins a raft of ambitious online projects aimed at making higher education more accessible and affordable. Many of these ventures, however, simply post entire lectures on the web, with no interactive component. Others strive to create brand-new universities from scratch.
Founders Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng say Coursera will be different because professors from top schools will teach under their university’s name and will adapt their most popular courses for the web,
embedding assignments and exams into video lectures, answering questions from students on online forums — even, perhaps, hosting office hours via videoconference.
Multiple-choice and short-answer tests will be computer scored. Coursera will soon unveil a system of peer grading to assess more complex work, such as essays or algorithms.
Students will not get college credit. But Coursera may offer “certificates of completion” or transcripts for a fee. The company may also seek to turn a profit by connecting employers with students who have shown aptitude in a particular field, a spokeswoman said.
For their part, participating universities expect to benefit by boosting their reputation overseas, connecting with far-flung alumni and – they hope – bringing in donations from grateful online students.
For the entire article: http://news.yahoo.com/top-u-colleges-offer-free-classes-online-135159957–sector.html
Good Wednesday morning everyone! I HOPE that you have a good day!
Next Up…
11:00 AM EDT
Vice President Biden and other senior administration officials hosts an event to discuss the need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
Biden challenges GOP over Violence Against Women Act
4/18/12 2:07 PM EDT By CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN – POLITICO44
Vice President Joe Biden took Republicans to task Wednesday for opposing reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, the latest in a string of administration efforts to highlight its record on women’s issues.
He didn’t mention the GOP by name, but the target of his remarks were clear.
“The idea we’re still fighting about this in Congress, that this is even a debatable issue, is truly sad,” Biden said during remarks at the Eisenhower Office Building. “It’s not a reflection on the law. It is a reflection on our inability in this town to deal with something that by now should just be over in terms of debate about it.”
Biden’s remarks echoed the White House’s message on the contraception debate – both issues have long been settled. The Violence Against Women Act, which went into effect in 1994, is an effective law enforcement tool that shouldn’t be drawing opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill, Biden said.
“What are we arguing about? This shouldn’t be hard,” said Biden, who drafted the law as a senator.
“We shouldn’t be having this debate,” Biden said a few minutes later.
“No one should question whether this is needed,” Biden said at the end of his remarks. “It would have been bad if the law had never been passed. But imagine now, the message it sends if it is not reauthorized. Just ask what message it would send to every one of our daughters, every woman imprisoned in their home.”
The Senate is expected to take up the bill this week, but Republicans have accused Democrats of using it to gain political advantage with women in an election year. The GOP objects to changes that would allow more abused illegal immigrants to secure temporary visas and add protections to same-sex couples.
The latest version of the bill passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line vote of 10-8.
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The Importance of the Violence Against Women Act
Published on Apr 19, 2012 by whitehouse
Vice President Joe Biden hosts an event highlighting the critical need to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, joined by Attorney General Eric Holder, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women Lynn Rosenthal and Sharon Love, mother of Yeardley Love and founder of the One Love Foundation.
April 18, 2012
Presidential Memorandum — Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Federal Workforce
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
SUBJECT: Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Federal Workforce
Despite the considerable progress made since the initial passage of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994 (Public Law 103-322), domestic violence remains a significant problem facing individuals, families, and communities. Domestic violence causes two million injuries each year, and an average of three women in the United States die each day as a result of domestic violence. While a disproportionate number of victims are women, domestic violence can affect anyone.
The effects of domestic violence spill over into the workplace. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that domestic violence costs our Nation $8 billion a year in lost productivity and health care costs alone, and other studies have suggested that the full economic impact is even higher. Moreover, many victims of domestic violence report being harassed in the workplace or experiencing other employment-related effects.
As the Nation’s largest employer, the Federal Government should act as a model in responding to the effects of domestic violence on its workforce. Executive departments and agencies (agencies) have taken steps to address this issue, including by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of security in Federal facilities and by linking victims of domestic violence with Employee Assistance Programs. By building on these important efforts and existing policies, the Federal Government can further address the effects of domestic violence on its workforce.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/presidential-memorandum-establishing-policies-addressing-domestic-violen
April 18, 2012
We Can’t Wait: President Signs Memorandum Establishing Policies for Addressing Domestic Violence in the Federal Workplace
Today the Obama Administration announced new efforts to help combat and prevent domestic violence in the federal workplace. President Obama today signed a memorandum that will require federal agencies to develop policies to address the effects of domestic violence and provide assistance to employees who are experiencing domestic violence.
“We know that domestic violence doesn’t just stay in the home. It can extend into the workplace, with devastating effects on its victims and costs that ripple across the economy. Federal employees aren’t immune. The President’s Memorandum sends a message about what the federal government—and all employers—can do to end this abuse. Today, President Obama directed the federal government to become a model for all employers in providing a safe workplace and support for any employees who suffer from domestic violence. For the first time, all federal agencies are required to establish policies to respond to the legitimate needs of employees who are being abused and who might need help, ” said Vice President Biden.
Domestic violence affects both the safety of the workplace and the productivity of employees. Victims report being harassed at work or distracted from their jobs because of abuse. The steps the Administration is taking today will build on ongoing efforts to improve workplace safety and assist victims of domestic violence.
The memorandum directs the Director of Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and other interested heads of agencies, to issue guidance to agencies addressing the effects of domestic violence on the federal workforce. The guidance will include steps agencies can take to intervene in and prevent domestic violence against or by employees; guidelines for assisting employee victims; leave policies relating to domestic violence situations; general guidelines on when it may be appropriate to take disciplinary action against employees who commit or threaten acts of domestic violence; steps agencies can take to improve workplace safety related to domestic violence; and resources for identifying relevant best practices related to domestic violence.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/we-cant-wait-president-signs-memorandum-establishing-policies-addressing
Officials Explain New Sexual Assault Policies
April 23, 2012 By Karen Parrish – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, – Senior Defense Department officials today said they hope more service members who are victims of sexual assault report the crimes as a result of a policy change Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta announced last week.
Panetta issued guidance April 20 withholding “initial disposition authority” from any officer who is below the O-6 — colonel or Navy captain — level and who does not hold special court-martial convening authority. In other words, unit commanders at the company or squadron level no longer have authority to decide whether to take further action in reported cases of attempted rape, forcible sodomy or sexual assault.
In announcing the new policy, the secretary said the change will ensure that sexual assault cases receive high-level attention.
A senior defense official told reporters today during a background briefing that the new policy will allow more experienced and less partial officers to make the initial decision on whether a sexual assault case goes to trial. That will add consistency to how such cases are handled, the official added.
“The further ‘north’ you go [in rank] the more attention there is paid to this,” the official said. “They get a level of training that somebody at the O-3 level wouldn’t necessarily get.”
The defense official cited a hypothetical case in which an alleged attacker and victim belong to the same company-level unit of about 115 enlisted people and five officers working for the same Army captain or Navy lieutenant commander.
In the past, the official said, a victim in that unit might choose not to report an assault because the commander liked the alleged attacker more, or because the victim’s performance in the unit might cause the commander to disbelieve the victim’s report. Now, that unit commander must forward such reports up the chain of command to a colonel-level special court-martial convening authority.
A Joint Staff official told reporters, also on background, that the new policy is intended in part to remove decisions from the “immediate level of the crime.”
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=116052
Combating Sexual Assault in the United States Military
Lynn RosenthalApril 23, 2012 06:22 PM EDT
Sexual assault is a pervasive problem in the United States. One in five women report having been raped in their lifetimes, and many experience ongoing physical and emotional trauma related to this crime. The Obama Administration has taken on this serious issue, and has announced new initiatives across the federal government to respond to and prevent sexual assault.
Nowhere is our responsibility greater than in the military. Women and men who step forward to serve our country must be protected from this devastating crime, and offenders must be held appropriately accountable. Secretary Panetta has said loud and clear that sexual assault has no place in the United States military. Together with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dempsey, the Secretary is taking important steps toward achieving this vision.
On April 20, Secretary Panetta issued a directive that will require certain sexual assault complaints to be elevated to more senior levels of command. This significant change means that more experienced commanders will be making the initial disposition decisions for these cases. Specifically, the officers handling these cases will be at least in the grade of 0-6, meaning at least a colonel in the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force; a captain in the Navy, and must possess at least special court martial convening authority. This new policy underscores the gravity of these crimes and may give victims greater confidence to come forward.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/23/combating-sexual-assault-united-states-military
April 23, 2012
Statement by the President on Department of Defense Initiatives to Combat Sexual Assault in the Military
I applaud the initiatives that Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have announced to further combat sexual assault in the military. The men and women of the United States military deserve an environment that is free from the threat of sexual assault, and in which allegations of sexual assault are thoroughly investigated, offenders are held appropriately accountable, and victims are given the care and support they need. Elevating these cases to a higher level of command review is a very important step. I believe that sexual assault has no place in our military. I thank Secretary Panetta and Chairman Dempsey and look forward to seeing continued progress on this important issue.
By the Numbers: 1 in 3
Megan Slack April 18, 2012 04:39 PM EDT
While 1 in 3 women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some time in their lives, domestic violence doesn’t stay within the four walls of someone’s home. It often spills over in to the workplace and can affect the safety and productivity of employees. Victims are often harassed at work or distracted from their jobs because of the abuse.
Today, President Obama directed federal agencies to develop policies for addressing domestic violence in the federal workforce. These new policies will build on ongoing efforts of federal agencies to improve workplace safety, and outline steps employers can take to provide support and assistance to employees whose lives are affected by domestic violence.
And Vice President Joe Biden held an event today highlighting the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, a law he championed as a Senator that expired last year. The law combines tough new provisions to hold offenders accountable with programs to provide services for the victims of such violence.
President Obama and Vice President Biden have been focused on these issues since day one. They appointed the first-ever White House advisor on violence against women, pushed for colleges and universities to act to prevent sexual assault on campus, and modernized the definition of rape so that this appalling crime is more accurately reflected in our national crime statistics. And Vice President Biden’s 1is2many initiative has reached out to young adults to prevent dating violence and sexual assault.
Strengthening the Violence Against Women Act
Lynn Rosenthal and Kimberly Teehee April 25, 2012 08:53 AM EDT
This week, the Senate will consider bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), that would reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). First authored by then-Senator Biden in 1994, VAWA provides funding to states and local communities to improve the criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. VAWA supports specialized law enforcement units to investigate these crimes and helps prosecutors get dangerous offenders off the streets. Since the passage of the act, annual incidents of domestic violence have dropped by more than 60 percent.
While tremendous progress has been made, violence is still a significant problem facing women, men, families, and communities. On average, 3 women a day die as a result of domestic violence. The hidden crime of stalking affects 1 in 6 women and sexual assault remains the most underreported violent crime in the country. 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have been sexually assaulted at some time in their lives. The Leahy-Crapo bill to reauthorize VAWA addresses today’s most pressing issues and builds on what we have learned over the past 17 years. We must continue moving forward to reduce violence against all women.
Native American women suffer from violent crime at some of the highest rates in the United States. One regional survey conducted by University of Oklahoma researchers showed that nearly three out of five Native American women had been assaulted by their spouses or intimate partners. In addition, a recent Center for Disease Control (CDC) study found that 46 percent of Native American women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Tribal leaders say there are countless more victims of domestic violence and sexual assault whose stories may never be told.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/25/strengthening-violence-against-women-act
Violence Against Women Act
4/26/12 Dan Avery – queerty
The U.S. Senate passed the Violence Against Women Act today, including provisions for LGBT survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Says Sharon Stapel of the New York City Anti-Violence Project:
For the first time ever, VAWA now explicitly recognizes LGBTQ survivors as “under-served populations,” prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in service provision and recognizes that all states can use VAWA funding to support LGBTQ-specific programs and services.
The bill now will head to the Republican-led House of Representatives.
Studies indicate that while LGBT people are victims of intimate-partner violence at the same rate as the general population, they’re less likely to seek out or receive support services. Since its passage in 1995, VAWA has provided billions of dollars to agencies helping victims of stalking, domestic violence and sexual assault.
Source: http://www.queerty.com/senate-passes-violence-against-women-act-with-lgbt-provisions-included-20120426/
Good and HOPEful Wednesday, CR and all friends!
>^..^<
Good and HOPEful Wednesday Kat!
From WaPo:
A permanent gender gap problem for Republicans?
Posted by Chris Cillizza
New poll data from the Pew Research Center suggests that not only does President Obama enjoy a clear edge over former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney among women but that younger women favor the incumbent overwhelmingly, a data point that suggests a potential long term problem for the GOP….
…. it could mean big trouble not just for Romney but for Republican presidential nominees in four, eight or even twelve years time.
http://wapo.st/HFZcWC
Steve Benen writes:
…. While (GOP House Speaker John) Boehner talks about Obama’s “higher taxes,” Obama has actually cut taxes. While Boehner said Obama has refused to deal with the debt, Obama offered Boehner a $4 trillion debt-reduction plan that Republicans rejected. While Boehner frets over a “regulatory regime,” Obama has actually created fewer regulations than his Republican predecessor…..
…. An economy that was shrinking when Obama took office is now growing, and an economy that was hemorrhaging jobs is now creating jobs. The Speaker thinks the administration has “scared every businessperson and investor in America,” but corporate profits are up and the stock market has soared over the last three years….
John Boehner doesn’t have to like the good news, but he really shouldn’t lie about it.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11266746-time-for-boehner-to-update-his-talking-points?lite
Good one Kat!
Another reason to love the state of Washington! From ThinkProgress.org:
Catholic Priest Receives Standing Ovation For Shunning Anti-Marriage Equality Petition Drive
By Igor Volsky
At least six Catholic parishes in Washington state have ignored the Seattle Archbishop’s call to gather signatures for a referendum repealing the state’s recently-enacted marriage equality law, calling the effort “hurtful and seriously divisive in our community.” “Seattle’s Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church gave the Rev. Tim Clark a standing ovation Sunday” when he announced that the parish would not be participating in the anti-equality effort:…
Opinion polls have consistently shown that Catholics reject the Church’s opposition to marriage equality, with nearly three-quarters of Catholics favoring “either allowing gay and lesbian people to marry (43%) or allowing them to form civil unions (31%). Only 22% of Catholics say there should be no legal recognition of a gay couple’s relationship.”
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/04/18/466379/catholic-priest-ovation-washington/
Yeah!
Why we need the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act:
(April 17 was) Equal Pay Day, the day that women completed the extra 3.5 months of work they needed in order to make an equal amount to what men earned in 2011…. even within those industries where they are the vast majority of employees, women are paid significantly less than their male counterparts….
Even if the gap were closed today, women (especially older women) may not have enough months left to make up the wages lost over their lifetimes, which can total hundreds of thousands of dollars.
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/04/17/465806/charts-how-unequal-pay-is-even-more-unequal-for-some-women/
“With the money lost over her lifetime, a woman could feed a family of four for 37 years….”
http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/04/17/465554/pay-gap-feed-family-37/
Dr. Jill Biden’s Community College to Career Tour
Matt Compton April 18, 2012 11:50 AM EDT
Community College to Career Tour – Reading Area Community College
Dr. Biden will visit Reading Area Community College (RACC) as part of her “Community College to Career” tour. RACC will provide Dr. Biden with a personalized look into how the College works with regional industry and employers to provide customized job training, which leads to a highly-skilled, immediately employable work force.
Reading, Pennsylvania
You can watch the livestream, starting at 12:15 PM ET.
Watch it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/18/watch-dr-jill-bidens-community-college-career-tour
Remarks to follow.
Why we need the Affordable Care Act:
NPR.org:
Seniors In Medicare ‘Doughnut Hole’ More Likely To Stop Heart Drugs
by Julie Rovner
Medicare patients who reach the annual gap in coverage for prescription drugs known as the “doughnut hole” are 57 percent more likely than those with continuous insurance coverage to stop taking drugs for heart-related conditions such as high blood pressure or heart disease.
That’s the result of a study by researchers from the Harvard Medical School, Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and CVS Caremark, the drugstore chain….
Stopping what could be critical, life-saving medication was not what people hoped would happen when patients reached the gap. “Some policymakers have argued that sensitizing Part D consumers to drug costs through mechanisms like the coverage gap would encourage beneficiaries to use only essential and lower-priced medications,” the researchers wrote. Part D is the name of the optional program that covers prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries….
The researchers also noted that the 2010 Affordable Care Act is gradually closing the doughnut hole, which would alleviate the problem. This year seniors get a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs once they reach the coverage gap and a 14 percent discount for generic drugs.
But that could disappear if the Supreme Court rules the entire health care law unconstitutional.
http://n.pr/IOgXqf
Kat’s note: “Some policymakers” = GOP.
Why we need a Democratic majority in the House again:
ThinkProgress.org:
The House Ways and Means Committee has announced plans to mark up legislation that would reduce the deficit by $53 billion between 2013 and 2022, following instructions in the GOP’s budget. Republicans are hoping to cut the Affordable Care Act’s subsidies by $43.9 billion over the next decade, making coverage less affordable for many middle class Americans. The provision would require people to “pay back insurance subsidies if the government determined they received too much based on their income threshold.” ….
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/04/17/466031/house-ways-and-means-committee-to-cut-obamacare-subsidies-to-pay-for-ryan-budget/
/\ /\ IMPORTANT TO VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS 2012 /\ /\
Next Up…
1:55 PM EDT
President Obama holds a roundtable with unemployed workers who are students in Lorain County Community College job training programs.
Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live (Audio Only)
April 18, 2012
Remarks by the President at Lorain County Community College, Elyria, OH
Lorain County Community College
Elyria, Ohio
2:36 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, everybody. Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Thank you. (Applause.) Everybody, please have a seat.
Well, hello, Ohio!
AUDIENCE: Hello!
THE PRESIDENT: It is good to be back here at Lorain. Last time I was here I had an outstanding burger at Smitty’s. (Laughter.) I got my own presidential football helmet at Riddell. I got a feeling I may need it between now and November. (Laughter.)
It’s also great to be back at Lorain Community College. I want to thank Bronson for that wonderful introduction. He is — (applause) — I had a chance to meet Bronson and Andrea and David and Duane. And I just want Bronson’s wife to know that he gives her all the credit in the world. So just in case you’re watching — (laughter) — Gladys, he loves you to death.
I also want to thank your president, Dr. Roy Church — (applause) — your Mayor, Holly Brinda, for hosting us here today. (Applause.) I want to recognize my outstanding Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis, in the house. (Applause.) And I want to thank all of you for coming.
I came here for a simple reason. In an economy that’s still recovering from the worst financial crisis and the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes, the work that’s going on here could not be more important. I meet business owners all the time who want to hire in the United States, but they can’t always find the workers with the right skills. You’ve got growing industries in science and technology that have twice as many openings as we have workers who can do the job. That makes no sense — openings at a time when there’s still a lot of Americans, including some on this stage, who are looking for work. So we’ve got to do a better job training more people for the skills that businesses are looking for.
When I met with manufacturers a while back, they said it’s starting to make economic sense to bring jobs back to Ohio, to bring jobs back to Michigan, to bring jobs back to Illinois and Iowa and Indiana, because even if the labor costs are lower there, the workers are better here. And when you factor in transportation costs, a lot of times it makes sense to insource now, but that’s only going to be true if we can make sure that we’ve got workers who have higher skills and can manage fancier machinery than folks in other places. And all that starts with community colleges like this one.
So I just had a chance to listen to four of your classmates and hear a little bit about how they got here, where they’re headed. I talked to Duane, who was laid off at a packaging company, is now learning how to operate high-tech machinery. Andrea lost her job as an HR analyst, but she’s now getting certified in the fast-growing field of electronic medical records. David, who in addition to being a truck driver for 23 years was also a Marine, so we know he can do the job — he’s here to retrain for a higher-paying job. And you just heard from Bronson, who was laid off two years ago, and you heard what he said. He was at a dead end in his life, and this program — along with his wife — (laughter) — gave him an opportunity. So he’s going to be learning hands-on machining over the next few weeks, after having already done some of the bookwork.
I have to tell you, when I meet these folks, these folks inspire me, because a lot of them have gone through tough times. Andrea is still dealing with the aftermath of the flood that damaged her home. All of them have supportive family members. And it’s hard being out of work. It’s hard especially when you’re mid-career, when you’re having to change jobs. And the resilience they show and the determination they show, that’s what America’s about. That’s our defining spirit. We don’t quit.
And so the question now is, how do we make sure that all of America is expressing that spirit through making sure that everybody is getting a fair shot? Because that’s going to be a major debate that we have in this country not just for the next few months, but for the next few years: Should we settle for an economy where a few people do really well and then a growing number are struggling to get by? Or do we build an economy where people like Duane and Andrea and David and Bronson, they’ve got a chance to get ahead, where there are ladders of opportunity, where everybody gets a fair shot, and everybody does their fair share, and everybody is playing by the same set of rules? (Applause.)
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/remarks-president-lorain-county-community-college-elyria-oh
April 18, 2012
President Obama’s Visit to Lorain County Community College
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the President will visit Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio to highlight how federal job training funding is providing critical services for unemployed workers and helping them to get jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries. The President will visit with students in the college’s Transformations program for Computerized Numerically Controlled Machining, a program with a proven track record of success – placing more than 90 percent of participants in jobs within three months of graduation.
Ohio’s Lorain County has been greatly affected by plant closures over the last three decades. Between 2001 and 2010, the county lost 11,500 jobs overall, with manufacturing losing 10,500. As manufacturing jobs have shifted from assembly-line positions to advanced manufacturing, Lorain County Community College has worked with non-profit, government, and business partners to develop job training programs that train dislocated workers with the skills to meet the needs of employers today and in the future. The programs at Lorain County Community College and its affiliated One-Stop Career Center rely on critical federal funding provided to their local area ($4.5 million in 2012, for Lorain County) through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which is essential for supporting programs like Transformations.
Last week, the House of Representatives passed a Budget Resolution written by Congressman Paul Ryan, which would reduce spending on discretionary programs like WIA by over 5 percent in 2013, and 19 percent in 2014, while simultaneously showering families making more than $250,000 per year with over $1 trillion in tax cuts. The House Republican Budget would provide an average of at least $150,000 in tax cuts to those making over $1 million per year, while simultaneously making deep cuts to training programs like those at Lorain County.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/president-obama-s-visit-lorain-county-community-college
Regional Roundup: President Obama Travels to Ohio to Promote Job Training
Josh Earnest April 19, 2012 12:00 PM EDT
Yesterday, the President visited Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio to highlight how federal job training funding is providing critical services for unemployed workers and helping them to get jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries. The President sat down with students in the college’s Transformations program for Computerized Numerically Controlled Machining, a program with a proven track record of success – placing more than 90 percent of participants in jobs within three months of graduation.
If Republicans in Congress had their way, they would actually cut funding to programs that help middle class families get back on their feet in order to provide more tax cuts to the wealthy. That doesn’t make any sense.
* Their proposed cuts would reduce funding for federal employment and training programs to help laid-off and out-of-work adults–eliminating services to 425,000 Americans in 2013, and nearly 1.1 million in 2014.
* Across America, in 2013 an estimated 13,000 young people and 45,000 in 2014 would also lose employment and training services, and job search assistance services would be eliminated for over 1.4 million job-seekers in 2013 and 3.5 million in 2014.
[
Congressional Republicans are proposing the same types of economic policies that failed us in the past. In America, prosperity has never just trickled from the top down. Prosperity has always grown from the heart of a strong middle class – and it starts with strong manufacturing jobs in places like Elyria, Ohio. The President will continue to fight for middle class families and create an economy that’s built to last — economy built on investments that put America in control of its energy future, improve education and skills for American workers, and support small business and American manufacturing, so we make things the world buys.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/19/regional-roundup-president-obama-travels-ohio-promote-job-training
Next Up…
2:30 PM EDT
President Obama delivers remarks on highlight job-training initiatives aimed at helping unemployed Americans get the skills they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.
Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
CSPAN http://www.c-span.org/Events/Pres-Obama-in-Ohio-to-Discuss-State-of-the-Economy/10737429980/
Remarks and video to follow…
I am going out now to get my car serviced. “See” you later.
We’ll get comfortable and wait for you!
Good morning CR and PPO Family. HOPE you all have a good Wednesday.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Not bad, 29 candles now.
Good Wednesday and thank you Jackie!
ThePeoplesView.net:
…. From Wisconsin to Florida to the halls of Congress Republicans have broken every promise they made to get elected in 2010. The job growth we’ve seen has been a result of President Obama’s policies; House Republicans are very good at renaming post offices. It’s those voters (who voted in 2008 but not in 2010) whom we have to reach, whom we have to tell “No, politics don’t end at the ballot box, after one election.” It’s taken decades to get into the state we’re in; it will at least take several years of concerted effort to get out of it. And our greatest weapon is ourselves. It’s a true people power movement that Obama is aiming to construct. It’s the only thing that can move a nation in the face of right-wing obstruction and pathology, and move the world.
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2012/04/people-power-in-age-of-obama.html
Report Urges Lifting Some Satellite Export Controls
April 18, 2012 By Cheryl Pellerin – American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON,– Officials from the Defense and State departments released a report today that urges Congress to move communications and some remote-sensing satellites off the tightly controlled U.S. Munitions List and into the commercial enterprise.
The report, conducted in accordance with section 1248 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2010, was prepared by technical and space policy experts from DOD and State, with support from the intelligence community and NASA.
In a briefing today from the National Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., Gregory L. Schulte, deputy assistant secretary defense for space policy, said the report “reflects a very thorough review … that looked item by item, technology by technology, to assess the risk in moving specific items from the U.S. Munitions List to the Commerce Control List.”
Schulte was joined by Lou Ann McFadden, chief of the Defense Technology Security Administration’s strategic issues division.
The report summarizes a risk assessment of U.S. space export control policy, concluding that most commercial communications and remote sensing satellites and their components can be moved from the USML to the CCL without harming national security.
The items include communications satellites that contain no classified components, and remote-sensing satellites with performance parameters below certain thresholds.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=67993
No. 286-12
April 18, 2012
DOD Announces Release of Section 1248 Report — Space Export Control Policy Reform Supported
The Department of Defense announced today the release of a major report on space export control policy. Congress requested this report from the secretaries of defense and state in Section 1248 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 (Public Law 111-84).
The report summarizes a DoD and State Department risk assessment of U.S. space export control policy, which concludes that most communication and lower performing remote sensing satellites and related components can be moved from the United States Munitions List (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL) without harm to national security.
The report also recommends that Congress return to the president authority to determine the export control jurisdictional status of satellites and related items. It further recommends that DoD be provided authority to apply appropriate monitoring and other export control measures to individual cases, in order to most effectively reduce risks to national security.
For the entire article: http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=15198
April 18, 2012
FACT SHEET: Release of National Security Report on Revising U.S. Export Controls on Satellites
Today, the Departments of Defense and State released a joint final report to Congress on the national security imperative for revising the nation’s export controls on satellites and related items. These items are controlled on the United States Munitions List (USML) by statute, based on the requirements of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, which makes them the sole USML items for which the President does not have the legal authority to appropriately adjust the controls to ensure they meet current and anticipated U.S. national security requirements and to ensure they do not unintentionally harm the U.S. satellite industry and its supplier base.
Both the Congress and the Obama Administration recognize the importance of this critical sector to the nation’s national and economic security. The report, prepared by technical and space policy experts from the Departments of Defense and State, with support from the Intelligence Community and NASA, was conducted in accordance with Section 1248 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.
The preparation and submission of the report is one part of the Administration’s broader review of U.S. space policy and of the nation’s export control system. The review has generated the new U.S. National Space Policy, the National Security Space Strategy, and the development of the methodology to rebuild the USML as part of the President’s Export Control Reform Initiative. As a result, today’s report benefits from the most comprehensive review to date of the controls on the export of satellites and related items.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/fact-sheet-release-national-security-report-revising-us-export-controls-
EPA Issues Updated, Achievable Air Pollution Standards for Oil and Natural Gas / Half of fractured wells already deploy technologies in line with final standards, which slash harmful emissions while reducing cost of compliance
Release Date: 04/18/2012 epa.gov
WASHINGTON – In response to a court deadline, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized standards to reduce harmful air pollution associated with oil and natural gas production. The updated standards, required by the Clean Air Act, were informed by the important feedback from a range of stakeholders including the public, public health groups, states and industry. As a result, the final standards reduce implementation costs while also ensuring they are achievable and can be met by relying on proven, cost-effective technologies as well as processes already in use at approximately half of the fractured natural gas wells in the United States. These technologies will not only reduce 95 percent of the harmful emissions from these wells that contribute to smog and lead to health impacts, they will also enable companies to collect additional natural gas that can be sold. Natural gas is a key component of the nation’s clean energy future and the standards released today make sure that we can continue to expand production of this important domestic resource while reducing impacts to public health, and most importantly builds on steps already being taken by industry leaders.
“The president has been clear that he wants to continue to expand production of important domestic resources like natural gas, and today’s standard supports that goal while making sure these fuels are produced without threatening the health of the American people,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “By ensuring the capture of gases that were previously released to pollute our air and threaten our climate, these updated standards will not only protect our health, but also lead to more product for fuel suppliers to bring to market. They’re an important step toward tapping future energy supplies without exposing American families and children to dangerous health threats in the air they breathe.”
For the entire article: WASHINGTON – In response to a court deadline, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized standards to reduce harmful air pollution associated with oil and natural gas production. The updated standards, required by the Clean Air Act, were informed by the important feedback from a range of stakeholders including the public, public health groups, states and industry. As a result, the final standards reduce implementation costs while also ensuring they are achievable and can be met by relying on proven, cost-effective technologies as well as processes already in use at approximately half of the fractured natural gas wells in the United States. These technologies will not only reduce 95 percent of the harmful emissions from these wells that contribute to smog and lead to health impacts, they will also enable companies to collect additional natural gas that can be sold. Natural gas is a key component of the nation’s clean energy future and the standards released today make sure that we can continue to expand production of this important domestic resource while reducing impacts to public health, and most importantly builds on steps already being taken by industry leaders.
“The president has been clear that he wants to continue to expand production of important domestic resources like natural gas, and today’s standard supports that goal while making sure these fuels are produced without threatening the health of the American people,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “By ensuring the capture of gases that were previously released to pollute our air and threaten our climate, these updated standards will not only protect our health, but also lead to more product for fuel suppliers to bring to market. They’re an important step toward tapping future energy supplies without exposing American families and children to dangerous health threats in the air they breathe.”
For the entire article: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/c742df7944b37c50852579e400594f8f!OpenDocument
6:00 PM EDT
President Barack Obama attends a campaign fundraiser
Henry Ford Museum
Dearborn, Michigan
April 18, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event
Henry Ford Museum
Dearborn, Michigan
5:34 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, Michigan! (Applause.) How is everybody doing? (Applause.) It is good to be in Dearborn. It is good to be back in the Motor City! (Applause.)
A couple of people I want to acknowledge here. First of all, give it up for Jeff. Thank you so much for that outstanding introduction. Thank you, Jeff. (Applause.)
We’ve got Dearborn Mayor — John O’Reilly is here. (Applause.) Wayne County Sheriff Benny Napoleon. (Applause.) Wayne County Commissioner Gary Woronchak. (Applause.) Although he is not here, he has done an outstanding job representing this district for longer than just about anybody — John Dingell. (Applause.) And John’s wonderful wife, Debbie, is here. (Applause.) I want to thank Keith William Brown and Gary Bolda from the UAW. (Applause.) And I’m grateful that Cynthia and Edsel Ford, II, are here. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
And I’m glad all of you are here. (Applause.) This is a fantastic museum. I’ve got to bring the girls back here. I’ve got to check it out. (Applause.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER: (Inaudible.)
THE PRESIDENT: Look at this guy — I didn’t mean to start a dialogue here. (Laughter.)
Well, listen, I am here not just because I need your help — although I do. I’m here because the country needs your help. I see a lot of folks here who worked tirelessly on my 2008 campaign and — (applause) — let’s face it you did not do it because you thought this was going to be a cakewalk. When you decide to support a candidate named Barack Hussein Obama — (applause) — you know the odds are not necessarily in your favor. (Applause.) You didn’t need a poll to tell you that wasn’t going to be a sure thing. (Laughter.)
But the point is you didn’t get involved in this campaign just because of me. You did it because you we’re making a commitment to each other. You had a shared vision for America. It wasn’t a vision where just a few were doing well and everybody else is left to fend for themselves and play by their own rules. It was a big, bold, generous vision of America where everybody who works hard has a chance to get ahead — not just those at the very top.
That’s the vision we shared. That’s the commitment you made to each other. And we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. We knew the changes that we believed in wouldn’t necessarily come quickly. But we understood that if we were determined, that we could overcome any obstacle, that we could meet any challenge. And in just three years, because of what you did in 2008, we’ve begun to see what change looks like. (Applause.) We’ve begun to see it.
Think about it. Change is the decision we made to rescue the American auto industry from collapse, when some politicians said let Detroit go bankrupt.
AUDIENCE: Nooo —
THE PRESIDENT: There were 1 million jobs on the line — and the fate of communities all across the Midwest was on the line — and we weren’t going to let it happen. I placed my bets on American workers. (Applause.) Today, GM is back on top as the number-one automaker in the world. Chrysler is growing faster than any other car company. Ford is investing billions in plants and factories all across America, bringing thousands of jobs home — (applause) — 200,000 new jobs over the last two and a half years. The American auto industry is back. And that happened because of you. (Applause.) That happened because of you.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/remarks-president-campaign-event
7:50 PM EDT
President Barack Obama attends a campaign fundraisers
Private Residence
Oakland County, Michigan
April 18, 2012
Remarks by the President at a Campaign Event
Private Residence
Dearborn, Michigan
7:37 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, Denise and Jim, thank you for opening up this incredible home. They have been great friends. When I first met Denise, the fact that I was a Blackhawks fan — (laughter) — was incidental. But she, right away, lent us her support, and getting to know her has been just an incredible pleasure. And Jim, and your sons, thank you so much for helping to make this evening happen.
I want to thank Jerry Acker, I want to thank Barry Goodman for their great work. You’ve got an outstanding former governor here, Jim Blanchard. (Applause.)
I want to thank Jalen Rose for — (applause) — even though he did not pick the Bulls to win the Eastern Conference — (laughter) — I’m not sure I agree with his analysis, but he is a wonderful commentator and obviously is a great basketball player. And to have Willie Horton here is a great honor as well. (Applause.)
In smaller settings like this what I love to do is not give a long speech, but just rather say a few things at the top and then just open it up for questions and comments. I just came from the Henry Ford Museum — what a spectacular museum. I had never been there before; it exceeded all expectation. I wanted to just go in there and roam around a bit, but they keep me on a schedule around here. (Laughter.)
But part of what was remarkable is it captured so much of America’s history — what makes this country exceptional, what makes us special. You had the ingenuity and the drive and the imagination of the Wright Brothers, and Fords, and all the inventors who helped to trigger this incredible economic superpower, and to build this remarkable middle class that Michigan represents. And then it also had a range of displays about the long battle for freedom, to make sure that everybody was included in that American Dream. So I actually had the chance to sit in Rosa Parks’ bus — I just sat there for a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our very recent history, but is also a part of that long line of folks — sometimes nameless, oftentimes didn’t make the history books — but who constantly insisted on their dignity, their stake in the American Dream.
Now, we’ve gone through three and a half very tough years — worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. When I came into office we were losing 750,000 jobs per month. Michigan had obviously been going through tough times for a decade or more, with outsourcing and plants closing and layoffs. The auto industry was buckling, on its knees, on the verge of not just conventional bankruptcy but potentially a liquidation bankruptcy. And I think a lot of people weren’t sure whether we were going to dip into a Great Depression.
And three and a half years later, we can look and say to ourselves that, in part because of the support of some of the folks in this room who helped not just propel me into office but helped to give America a vision of what we could be, GM is now the number-one automaker in the world again, it’s experience record profits; Chrysler is the faster growing auto company — (applause) — is making investments in plants and equipment, and we’ve seen 200,000 auto workers hired back, back on the job. And that’s just part of this steady process of economic healing that’s led to 4 million jobs created in the last two years, businesses starting to invest again, and the financial system stabilized and banks starting to lend again to not just businesses but small — just like this and small businesses and consumers.
And so as we see the economy growing, it gives people some cautious sense of optimism. As I was at that museum, I reminded myself that when I ran for office in 2008, the goal wasn’t just to get back to where we were in 2006 or 2005. We had gone through a decade in which job growth was sluggish, and incomes and wages flatlined. The goal was to get back to that spirit that was reflected in that museum where we are building again, and we are creating products that are the envy of the world, and creating that sense of opportunity for people, where if they work hard they know that they can support a family, buy a home, send their kids to college, retire with dignity and respect; that sense that everybody, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, what their last name is, that everybody has a fair shot and everybody is doing their fair share and everybody is playing by the same set of rules.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/18/remarks-president-campaign-event-0
Thursday, April 19 , 2012
All Times Eastern
7:00 AM
8:00 AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
President Obama receives the presidential daily briefing.
Oval Office
Closed Press
11:00 AM
12:00 PM
President Obama meets with senior advisors.
Oval Office
Closed Press
1:00 PM
1:15 PM
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press
2:00 PM
2:20 PM
President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House
South Lawn
Open Press
2:30 PM
Vice President Biden attends a campaign fundraiser
The Heard Museum
Phoenix, Arizona
3:00 PM
4:00 PM
4:20 PM
President Obama attends a campaign event at The W Hotel.
Washington D.C.
The President attends a campaign event
The W Hotel
Closed Press
5:00 PM
6:00 PM
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
Vice President Biden attends a campaign fundraiser
Los Angeles, California
8:00 PM
9:00 PM
10:00 PM
April 19, 2012
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
8:30 AM EDT
White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS
The White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS will provide advocates, community leaders, and members of the public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on issues related to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the LGBT community and HIV/AIDS-related health disparities, with a specific focus on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
12:30 PM EDT
White House Champions of Change: Innovations in Renewable Energy
On April 19th, we honor leaders who are making a difference advancing new ideas that lead the way to a clean energy future and an economy that’s built to last.
The White House
1:15 PM EDT
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press
2:20 PM EDT
President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House
—-
CNN http://live.cnn.com
9:54 AM EDT
Oklahoma City bombing anniversary ceremony
A ceremony marking the 17th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City takes place.
10:00 AM EDT
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify before the House Armed Services Committee about the situation in Syria
10:00 AM EDT
Syria crisis hearing
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on the ongoing crisis in Syria.
10:00 AM EDT
IRS on the Capitol Hill hot seat
A House oversight subcommittee looking at Internal Revenue Service efforts at closing the tax gap and preventing identity theft.
Tax refund fraud revealed
11:00 AM EDT
Discovery arrives at Smithsonian
Space shuttle Discovery will be officially received by the Smithsonian Institution and be placed on permanent display.
For 747, transporting a shuttle is no heavy burden
11:00 AM EDT
‘Stand Your Ground’ task force announcement
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is expected to announce the creation of a task force to look at the state’s gun laws in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s death.
Trayvon Martin: Governor to name task force to look at gun law
11:00 AM EDT
Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum hosts on observance ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day in Washington.
11:45 AM EDT
Senators discuss Joseph Kony
A bipartisan group of senators will brief reporters on the Senate’s efforts to support the removal and capture of Joseph Kony and his top lieutenants.
‘Thou Shalt Kill’ — Joseph Kony’s atrocities
12:00 PM EDT
Trayvon Martin rally
The parents of Trayvon Martin are expected to attend a rally in their son’s memory in Tampa, Florida.
Judge disqualifies herself from Zimmerman case
1:15 PM EDT
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press
2:00 PM EDT
Weekly Legislative Briefing with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
2:20 PM EDT
President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House
6:30 PM EDT
Trayvon Martin shooting community meeting
A Baptist church in Sanford, Florida, will host a community meeting regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting and its aftermath.
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CSPAN http://www.cspan.org/
7:30 AM EDT
NATO Sec. General Discusses Members Summit Meeting http://www.c-span.org/Events/NATO-Sec-General-Discusses-Members-Summit-Meeting/10737429997/
8:45 AM EDT
IMF, World Bank Hold Press Briefings http://www.c-span.org/Events/IMF-World-Bank-Hold-Press-Briefings/10737430006/
9:54 AM EDT
Oklahoma City bombing anniversary ceremony
A ceremony marking the 17th anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City takes place.
10:00 AM EDT
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey testify before the House Armed Services Committee about the situation in Syria http://www.c-span.org/Events/Top-Defense-Chiefs-to-Testify-on-Syria/10737429989/
10:00 AM EDT
Syria crisis hearing
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testifies before the House Armed Services Committee on the ongoing crisis in Syria.
10:00 AM EDT
IRS on the Capitol Hill hot seat
A House oversight subcommittee looking at Internal Revenue Service efforts at closing the tax gap and preventing identity theft.
Tax refund fraud revealed http://www.c-span.org/Events/IRS-Deputy-Commissioner-Testifies-on-Tax-Gap-and-Identity-Theft/10737430003/
10:00 AM EDT
Commerce Secretary Discusses Manufacturing Industry Outlook http://www.c-span.org/Events/Commerce-Secretary-Discusses-Manufacturing-Industry-Outlook/10737430002/
11:00 AM EDT
Discovery arrives at Smithsonian
Space shuttle Discovery will be officially received by the Smithsonian Institution and be placed on permanent display.
For 747, transporting a shuttle is no heavy burden http://www.c-span.org/Events/Smithsonian-Holds-Welcome-Ceremony-for-Space-Shuttle-Discovery/10737430005/
11:00 AM EDT
‘Stand Your Ground’ task force announcement
Florida Gov. Rick Scott is expected to announce the creation of a task force to look at the state’s gun laws in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s death.
Trayvon Martin: Governor to name task force to look at gun law
11:00 AM EDT
Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum hosts on observance ceremony for Holocaust Remembrance Day in Washington.
11:45 AM EDT
Senators discuss Joseph Kony
A bipartisan group of senators will brief reporters on the Senate’s efforts to support the removal and capture of Joseph Kony and his top lieutenants.
‘Thou Shalt Kill’ — Joseph Kony’s atrocities
12:00 PM EDT
Trayvon Martin rally
The parents of Trayvon Martin are expected to attend a rally in their son’s memory in Tampa, Florida.
Judge disqualifies herself from Zimmerman case
1:15 PM EDT
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney briefs the press
2:00 PM EDT
Weekly Legislative Briefing with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
2:20 PM EDT
President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House
6:30 PM EDT
Trayvon Martin shooting community meeting
A Baptist church in Sanford, Florida, will host a community meeting regarding the Trayvon Martin shooting and its aftermath.
April 13, 2012
President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House
WASHINGTON, DC — On Thursday, April 19, President Obama will welcome the BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide to the White House to honor their 14th championship and their exceptional 2011-2012 season. The President will also continue his tradition of honoring sports teams for their efforts both on and off the field by recognizing the efforts by the Crimson Tide to give back to their community.
Barack Obama has a moment in Rosa Parks bus
By DONOVAN SLACK | 4/18/12 9:17 PM EDT POLITICO44
President Barack Obama, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., for a fundraiser on Wednesday, took time out to sit in the historic bus where civil rights hero Rosa Parks refused to sit in the back where African Americans had been segregated…
“I just sat in there for a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our very recent history but is also part of that long line of folks who sometimes are nameless, oftentimes didn’t make the history books, but who constantly insisted on their dignity, their share of the American dream.”
For the entire article: http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/04/barack-obama-has-a-moment-in-rosa-parks-bus-120994.html
Next Up…
8:30 AM EDT
White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS
The White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS will provide advocates, community leaders, and members of the public an opportunity to engage with the Obama Administration on issues related to the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the LGBT community and HIV/AIDS-related health disparities, with a specific focus on the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
Watch it here: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/17/watch-white-house-lgbt-conference-hivaids
Video to follow-
Index of Leading Economic Indicators in the U.S. Climbed 0.3%
Apr 19, 2012 7:00 AM PT By Shobhana Chandra – bloomberg
The index of U.S. leading indicators rose for a sixth month in March, indicating the world’s largest economy will maintain its expansion.
The Conference Board’s gauge of the outlook for the next three to six months climbed 0.3 percent after a 0.7 percent gain in February that was the biggest in 11 months, the New York- based group said today. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News called for a rise of 0.2 percent in March.
An improving job market is helping Americans overcome higher fuel expenses and boosting the spending that accounts for about 70 percent of the economy.
Strengthening consumer demand will help sustain the more than two-year expansion and make the economy more resilient to a slowdown in Europe.
“The momentum is holding up,” Carl Riccadonna, a senior U.S. economist at Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. in New York, said before the report. “Job creation and income growth are positives for economic growth.”
Estimates of 51 economists in the Bloomberg survey ranged from a decline of 0.2 percent to a gain of 0.5 percent.
Seven of the 10 indicators in the leading index contributed to the increase, led by interest rate spreads, building permits and stock prices.
The Conference Board’s index of coincident indicators, a gauge of current economic activity, climbed 0.2 percent for a second month.
The coincident index tracks payrolls, incomes, sales and production — the measures used by the National Bureau of Economic Research to determine the beginning and end of U.S. recessions.
For the entire article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-19/index-of-leading-economic-indicators-in-the-u-s-climbed-0-3-.html
Consumer Confidence in U.S. Rises to Match Four-Year High
Apr 19, 2012 6:45 AM PT By Carlos Torres – bloomberg
Household confidence improved last week to match the highest level in four years as more Americans said their finances were in better shape.
The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index was minus 31.4 in the period ended April 15, compared with minus 32.8 over the previous seven days. The reading equaled that from two weeks earlier as the best since March 2008. Nonetheless, the monthly expectations measure fell from a one-year high, showing concern remains that too many Americans are still unemployed.
For the entire article: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-19/consumer-confidence-in-u-s-rises-to-match-four-year-high.html
DSCC posts almost $18 million in largest quarter ever
4/19/12 09:02 AM ET By Josh Lederman – TheHill
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee raised $7.4 million in March and brought in more than $17.7 million over the first three months of 2012, officials said Thursday.
The first-quarter haul set a new high record for the committee as Senate Democrats work to protect their precarious majority in the Senate.
The DSCC entered April with almost $24 million in the bank and no debt, the committee said, and has raised a total of $70 million so far this cycle.
“We have spent the cycle aggressively recruiting great candidates in open and Republican-held seats, our incumbents are building well-funded campaigns, and now donors are more enthusiastic than ever about the likelihood we will keep the majority,” said Guy Cecil, the DSCC’s executive director.
Democrats are defending far more Senate seats than Republicans in 2012, and will need a well-funded apparatus if they are to prevent the GOP from flipping the four seats they need to retake control of the upper chamber (if President Obama wins reelection).
Senate Republicans haven’t yet released their March totals, but in February, the National Republican Senatorial Committee raised almost $5 million and had more than $16 million stored away. The NRSC is also free of debt.
Richard Cohen: Mitt Romney’s business plan – LYING
4/18/2012 By Richard Cohen – washingtonpost
Among the attributes I most envy in a public man (or woman) is the ability to lie. If that ability is coupled with no sense of humor, you have the sort of man who can be a successful football coach, a CEO or, when you come right down to it, a presidential candidate. Such a man is Mitt Romney.
Time and time again, Romney has been called a liar during this campaign. (The various fact-checking organizations have had to work overtime on him alone.) A significant moment, sure to surface in the general election campaign, came during a debate held in New Hampshire in January. David Gregory, the host of “Meet the Press,” turned to Newt Gingrich and said, “You have agreed with the characterization that Gov. Romney is a liar. Look at him now. Do you stand by that claim?”
Gingrich did not flinch. “Sure,” he started off, and then accused Romney of running ads that were not true and, moreover, pretending he knew nothing about them. “It is your millionaire friends giving to the PAC. And you know some of the ads aren’t true. Just say that straightforward.”
Me, I would have confessed and begged for forgiveness. Not Romney, though — and herein is the reason he will be such a formidable general election candidate. He concedes nothing. He had seen none of the ads, he said. They were done by others, he added. Of course, they are his supporters, but he had no control over them. All this time he was saying this rubbish, he seemed calm, sincere –matter-of-fact.
And then he brought up an ad he said he did see. It was about Gingrich’s heretical support for a climate change bill. He dropped the name of the extremely evil Nancy Pelosi. He accused Gingrich of criticizing Paul Ryan’s first budget plan, an Ayn Randish document whose great virtue is a terrible honesty. (We are indeed going broke.) He added that Gingrich had been in ethics trouble in the House and ended with a promise to make sure his ads were as truthful as could be. Pow! Pow! Pow! Gingrich was on the canvas.
I watched, impressed. I admire a smooth liar, and Romney is among the best. His technique is to explain — that bit about not knowing what was in the ads — and then counterattack. He maintains the bulletproof demeanor of a man who is barely suffering fools, in this case Gingrich. His message is not so much what he says, but what he is: You cannot touch me. I have the organization and the money. Especially the money. (Even the hair.) You’re a loser.
For the entire article: http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_20427117/richard-cohen-mitt-romneys-business-plan
Good morning CR and PPO Family. HOPE you all have a great Thursday.
Please join me in lighting a candle for our President, First Family and the Nation. Please also remember our Vice President as he travels to Phoenix.
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/candles.cfm?l=eng&gi=PBO
Good Thursday morning and thank you Jackie!
41 candles lit!
Remembering and Honoring Courage
Mark F. Brzezinski April 19, 2012 09:00 AM EDT
In his video message, President Obama speaks for all Americans who remember the courageous and selfless acts of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg. In 2012, Sweden is celebrating the 100thanniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, a diplomat who chose not to be indifferent and to rise to a higher moral calling. We remember and revere this courageous man whose efforts saved thousands of Hungarian Jews from the Holocaust. Wallenberg paid with his life for his commitment to basic values. And we all have the obligation to ponder the full measure of Wallenberg’s personal sacrifice and tragedy.
Born into wealth, for Wallenberg turning a blind eye to the hardship and suffering of others would have been easy. Instead, as First Secretary at the Swedish Legation in Budapest, Hungary during the darkest days of World War II, Wallenberg demonstrated a sense of self-sacrifice to the greater good of his fellow human beings that is a lesson for all of us.
Other diplomats chose to risk their careers and even their lives, and defied official protocols, rules and immigration “policies” to rescue Jews. Many of these diplomats were censured or punished for their acts of courage. Some were fired or were stripped of their ranks and pensions. Their rescue efforts took many forms. Among other selfless acts, they issued visas, citizenship papers and other forms of documentation that allowed Jews to escape the Nazis.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/19/remembering-and-honoring-courage
April 19, 2012
Statement by the President on Yom HaShoah
On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, I join people of all faiths across the United States, in Israel and around the world in paying tribute to all who suffered in the Shoah—a horrific crime without parallel in human history. We honor the memory of six million innocent men, women and children who were sent to their deaths simply because of their Jewish faith. We stand in awe of those who fought back, in the ghettos and in the camps, against overwhelming odds. And in the year of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, we are humbled by the rescuers who refused to be bystanders to evil.
On this day, and all days, we must do more than remember. We must resolve that “never again” is more than an empty slogan. As individuals, we must guard against indifference in our hearts and recognize ourselves in our fellow human beings. As societies, we must stand against ignorance and anti-Semitism, including those who try to deny the Holocaust. As nations, we must do everything we can to prevent and end atrocities in our time. This is the work I will advance when I join survivors and their families at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Monday. This must be the work of us all, as nations and peoples who cherish the dignity of every human being.
US unemployment aid applications decline slightly
4/19/12 By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER | Associated Press – 2 hrs 31 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits dipped last week but remained higher than it’s been in recent weeks. The rise in applications in the past two weeks could signal that the job market is slowing.
The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications declined 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 386,000. The previous week’s data was revised up 8,000 to 388,000.
The four-week average, a less volatile measure, rose 5,500 to 374,750. That’s the highest level in three months. But it still 9 percent lower than the level from September.
Applications have started to level off in recent weeks after months of steady declines. When applications fall below 375,000, it generally suggests hiring will be strong enough to lower the unemployment rate.
Hiring slowed in March after a fast start this year. Employers added only 120,000 jobs in March — half the pace of the previous three months.
Many economists downplayed the weak March figures, noting that a warmer winter may have led to some earlier hiring in January and February. They have noted that the economy has added an average of 212,000 jobs per month in the January-March quarter, well ahead of last year’s pace.
The unemployment rate has fallen to 8.2 percent in March from 9.1 percent in August. Part of the drop was because people gave up looking for work. People who are out of work but not looking for jobs aren’t counted among the unemployed.
Lower benefit applications indicate that companies are cutting fewer jobs. And economists note that unemployment benefit applications are at a much lower level than they were last year, which is a hopeful sign that March’s weak numbers were a temporary lull. Economists say they will have a better sense of the trend in hiring when the government issues the April jobs report next month.
Gauge of US economy rose 0.3 percent in March
4/19/12 By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER | Associated Press – 31 mins ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of future U.S. economic activity rose in March for the sixth straight month, a sign that the economy may be gaining momentum.
The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading economic indicators rose 0.3 percent in March, after a 0.7 percent increase in the previous month. The index now stands at 95.7, the highest level since June 2008. Before the recession began in December 2007, it routinely topped 100.
The rise comes even as other indicators released Thursday suggest the economy could be slowing. The number of people seeking unemployment benefits dipped last week but remained higher than it has been in recent weeks. And Americans bought fewer previously owned homes in March, a separate report said, a reminder that the housing market remains weak.
“Despite relatively weak data on jobs, home building and output in the past month or two, the indicators signal continued economic momentum,” said Ken Goldstein, an economist at the Conference Board.
The index is designed to anticipate economic conditions three to six months out. Most of the data had been previously released in separate reports.
Seven of the 10 indicators covered by the index increased last month. The biggest drivers of growth were: the spread between short-term and long-term interest rates, building permits, rising stock prices and credit availability.
The three indicators that limited the rise in the index were average weekly hours worked by manufacturing employees, consumer expectations for business conditions and the Institute for Supply Management’s measure of manufacturers’ new orders.
Jack Lew Honors Aung San Suu Kyi
Macon Phillips April 19, 2012 10:53 AM EDT
On Wednesday evening, White House Chief of Staff Jack Lew offered remarks at the presentation of the Elie Wiesel Award to Aung San Suu Kyi at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s National Tribute Dinner. In the speech, Lew spoke about his own experience as a young man and the importance of the work that Aung San Suu Kyi and the Museum do.
His full remarks as prepared for delivery are below:
Good evening.
It is an honor for me to join such a distinguished group of speakers and guests this evening. I’d also like to add my thanks to all of the board members, contributors, and staff who support the mission of the Holocaust Museum. And I know how much President Obama is looking forward to visiting the museum on Monday.
My father was born in Poland, and his family left their small town at the end of World War I.
Many of his neighbors and relatives were not so lucky. And he made it here to America, a country where he did not need to live in fear. A country where even the son of an Eastern European immigrant could become Chief of Staff to the President of the United States.
As a child, there were constant reminders of how lucky my family had been. I grew up in a neighborhood that was home to many Holocaust survivors, at a time when the Holocaust was something that just wasn’t talked about. When peoples’ numbers showed on their arm, they would pull their sleeve down.
It is amazing how much has changed. Today, thanks in no small part to your work at the Holocaust Museum, the Holocaust is something we do talk about. A child born in America today may never meet a Holocaust survivor, or even a veteran of World War II. But they will always know what happened, and be able to remember and honor those who lost their lives.
Because the Holocaust Museum is not only about commemorating the past. It is about shaping the future. You have always believed that, in the words of Elie Wiesel, “the memory of evil will serve as a shield against evil; that the memory of death will serve as a shield against death.”
With that in mind, it is my great honor to join you for the presentation of the Second Elie Wiesel Award. As you know, the first recipient was Elie Wiesel himself. And I can think of no better second recipient than Aung San Suu Kyi.
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/19/jack-lew-honors-aung-san-suu-kyi
Now Streaming…
12:30 PM EDT
White House Champions of Change: Innovations in Renewable Energy
On April 19th, we honor leaders who are making a difference advancing new ideas that lead the way to a clean energy future and an economy that’s built to last. Their work is helping to power a new clean energy economy with the potential to substantially reduce energy imports from foreign sources.
The White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
Champions of Change: Innovations in Renewable Energy Part 1
Published on Apr 20, 2012 by whitehouse
The White House honors nine individuals as Champions of Change who are making a difference advancing new ideas that are leading the way to a clean energy future and an economy that’s built to last.
Champions of Change: Innovations in Renewable Energy Part 2
Published on Apr 20, 2012 by whitehouse
The White House honors nine individuals as Champions of Change who are making a difference advancing new ideas that are leading the way to a clean energy future and an economy that’s built to last.
Good and HOPEful Thursday, CR and all friends!
>^..^<
Good and HOPEFul Thursday Kat!
Steve Benen on NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s bad habits:
…. In 2011, Friedman seemed to develop a bad habit: he kept writing columns complaining that President Obama had failed to take a certain action, apparently unaware that the President has already taken that action….
…. Friedman wants a party that will commit to investing in infrastructure, education, and short-term economic growth, but is also willing to make concessions and compromises on long-term fiscal challenges on entitlements. But he’s also under the impression that the two-party system is failing him — even though one of the major parties already agrees with him.
The columnist wants (New York’s Mayor) Bloomberg to run as independent in order to push Democrats to be more … Democratic?
What Friedman doesn’t explain in the piece is how the mayor of New York’s imaginary campaign would help get 60 votes in the Senate for worthwhile ideas, overcome the fact that the House is being run by intemperate children, or change the fact that Obama already wants to deliver the agenda Friedman supports, but can’t implement in our system of government without Congress’s cooperation.
http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/18/11271120-thomas-friedmans-bad-habits?lite
Jonathan Cohn writes in The New Republic:
…. On Tuesday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sent a series of stern letters to Republican committee chairman in the House…. The message: Don’t slash the safety net, particularly if you’re doing so to finance tax cuts for the wealthy….
On Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner, who is also Catholic, said “I want them to take a bigger look. The bigger look is that if we don’t make these decisions, these programs won’t exist.”
As Boehner surely knows, that’s not true. The only reasons the programs can’t survive under Republican budgets is that Republicans insist on using some of the money to finance tax cuts for the wealthy—and because Republicans keep opposing attempts to control health care spending by reforming the system itself, rather than simply reducing support for the sick and elderly.
http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-cohn/102746/catholic-bishops-protest-ryan-republican-budget-cuts-food-stamps-poor
James 5:14
Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;
Matthew 10:8
“Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give
Yes.
Thanks Kat!
From the White House Blog:
By the Numbers: 1 in 3
By Megan Slack
While 1 in 3 women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner at some time in their lives, domestic violence doesn’t stay within the four walls of someone’s home. It often spills over in to the workplace and can affect the safety and productivity of employees. Victims are often harassed at work or distracted from their jobs because of the abuse.
Today, President Obama directed federal agencies to develop policies for addressing domestic violence in the federal workforce. These new policies will build on ongoing efforts of federal agencies to improve workplace safety, and outline steps employers can take to provide support and assistance to employees whose lives are affected by domestic violence.
And Vice President Joe Biden held an event today highlighting the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, a law he championed as a Senator that expired last year. The law combines tough new provisions to hold offenders accountable with programs to provide services for the victims of such violence.
President Obama and Vice President Biden have been focused on these issues since day one. They appointed the first-ever White House advisor on violence against women, pushed for colleges and universities to act to prevent sexual assault on campus, and modernized the definition of rape so that this appalling crime is more accurately reflected in our national crime statistics. And Vice President Biden’s 1is2many initiative has reached out to young adults to prevent dating violence and sexual assault.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/04/18/numbers-1-3
Full transcript of the First Lady’s interview here:
http://www.npr.org/2012/04/16/150765809/full-transcript-michelle-obama-speaks-to-npr?ps=rs
Next Up…
2:20 PM EDT
President Obama to Honor BCS National Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide at the White House
WhiteHouse.gov http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
CNN http://live.cnn.com
April 19, 2012
Remarks by the President Honoring the 2011 NCAA Football Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide
South Lawn
2:27 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, good afternoon, everybody. Have a seat. Have a seat. It is my pleasure to welcome the Alabama Crimson Tide back to the White House — (applause) — and congratulate them on winning their 14th National Championship — their second in three years. Roll Tide. (Applause.)
I told Coach he’s making this a habit. (Laughter.) I’m also happy to see the best team in D.C. high school football in the house. (Applause.) Congratulations to the other Crimson Tide — Dunbar High School — on their city championship. (Applause.) Might have some recruits out here, Coach.
Now, we’ve got a lot of proud ‘Bama fans here today. It is good to see Mayor Maddox of Tuscaloosa again. Mayor Bell of Birmingham is here, as well as members of Congress, including several Alabama alums. I also want to recognize Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore and Interim University President Dr. Judy Bonner for their support of the best team in college football. (Applause.)
Now, obviously this is a team that knows something about adversity. It was one year ago next week that an F4 tornado carved a path right through the town of Tuscaloosa. I traveled down there two days later to see the devastation with the Mayor and the Governor. And I’ve got to tell you, I’d never seen anything like it.
And I remember something the Mayor said that day. He said that when something like that happens, folks tend to forget all their petty differences. Things like politics, religion, race -– when we’re confronted with a tragedy of such magnitude, all that just fades away. We’re reminded that all we have is each other. And if you need proof of that, just look how the Auburn community stepped up during that time of need.
For the entire artcle: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/19/remarks-president-honoring-2011-ncaa-football-champion-university-alabam
2:30 PM EDT
Vice President Biden attends a campaign fundraisers
The Heard Museum
Phoenix, Arizona
4:20 PM EDT
President Obama attends a campaign event at The W Hotel.
Washington D.C.
Remarks to follow–
April 26, 2012
President Obama Names Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients
WASHINGTON – Today, President Barack Obama named thirteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House in late spring.
President Obama said, “These extraordinary honorees come from different backgrounds and different walks of life, but each of them has made a lasting contribution to the life of our Nation. They’ve challenged us, they’ve inspired us, and they’ve made the world a better place. I look forward to recognizing them with this award.”
The following individuals will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom:
Madeleine Albright
From 1997 to 2001, under President William J. Clinton, Albright served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, the first woman to hold that position.
John Doar
Doar was a legendary public servant and leader of federal efforts to protect and enforce civil rights during the 1960s
Bob Dylan
One of the most influential American musicians of the 20th century, Dylan released his first album in 1962
William Foege
A physician and epidemiologist, Foege helped lead the successful campaign to eradicate smallpox in the 1970
John Glenn
Glenn is a former United States Marine Corps pilot, astronaut, and United States Senato
Gordon Hirabayashi
Hirabayashi openly defied the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
Dolores Huerta
Huerta is a civil rights, workers, and women’s advocate
Jan Karski
Karski served as an officer in the Polish Underground during World War II and carried among the first eye-witness accounts of the Holocaust to the world
Juliette Gordon Low
Born in 1860, Low founded the Girl Scouts in 1912
Toni Morrison
One of our nation’s most celebrated novelists, Morrison is renowned for works such as Song of Solomon, Jazz, and Beloved, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize in 198
Shimon Peres
An ardent advocate for Israel’s security and for peace, Shimon Peres was elected the ninth President of Israel in 2007
John Paul Stevens
Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010, when he retired as the third longest-serving Justice in the Court’s history
Pat Summitt
In addition to accomplishing an outstanding career as the all-time winningest leader among all NCAA basketball coaches, Summitt has taken the University of Tennessee to more Final Four appearances than any other coach and has the second best record of NCAA Championships in basketball
For the entire article: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/04/26/president-obama-names-presidential-medal-freedom-recipients
Oklahoma “personhood” law to grant embryos rights as people fails
4/19/12 Steve Olafson Reuters – 24 mins ago
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – A proposed ‘personhood’ law in Oklahoma that would grant embryos full rights as people from the moment of conception failed in the state’s legislature without ever coming to a vote in the House of Representatives, a state lawmaker said on Thursday.
Republican lawmaker Sally Kern said the Oklahoma House speaker had announced the failure of the bill, a version of which passed the state Senate in February and which the Republican-controlled House had been expected to approve.
White House Office Hours: Jumpstart our Business Startups (JOBS) Act
Erin Lindsay April 19, 2012 01:48 PM EDT
Earlier this month, President Obama signed the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act making it easier for small businesses and entrepreneurs to obtain much needed access to capital. Tomorrow April 20th at 3:30 pm EDT join us for a special session of Office Hours with Todd Park, Assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) who will answer your questions about how the JOBS Act will help Main Street small businesses and high-growth enterprises to raise capital from investors more efficiently, and allow small and young firms across the country to grow and hire faster. You can ask your question on Twitter using the hashtag WHChat.
The President believes that our small businesses and startups are driving the recovery and job creation and the JOBS Act includes new ways to encourage small business and startup investment by allowing for “crowdfunding,” expanding “mini-public offerings,” and creating an “IPO on-ramp” consistent with investor protections.
• Allowing Small Businesses to Harness “Crowdfunding”: The Internet already has been a tool for fundraising from many thousands of donors. Subject to rulemaking by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), startups and small businesses will be allowed to raise up to $1 million annually from many small-dollar investors through web-based platforms, democratizing access to capital.
• Expanding “Mini Public Offerings”: Prior to this legislation, the existing “Regulation A” exemption from certain SEC requirements for small businesses seeking to raise less than $5 million in a public offering was seldom used. The JOBS Act will raise this threshold to $50 million, streamlining the process for smaller innovative companies to raise capital consistent with investor protections.
• Creating an “IPO On-Ramp”: The JOBS Act makes it easier for young, high-growth firms to go public by providing an incubator period for a new class of “Emerging Growth Companies.” During this period, qualifying companies will have time to reach compliance with certain public company disclosure and auditing requirements after their initial public offering (IPO). Any firm that goes public already has up to two years after its IPO to comply with certain Sarbanes-Oxley auditing requirements. The JOBS Act extends that period to a maximum of five years, or less if during the on-ramp period a company achieves $1 billion in gross revenue, $700 million in public float, or issues more than $1 billion in non-convertible debt in the previous three years
Have a question about the JOBS Act? Want know more about crowdfunding? Join us this Friday, April 20th at 3:30 p.m. EDT, for a session of Office Hours on Twitter with Todd Park, Assistant to the President and U.S. Chief Technology Officer (CTO) . Ask your question now using the hashtag #WHChat.
Here’s how White House Office Hours work:
* Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
* Follow the Q&A through the @WHLive Twitter account
* If you miss the live session, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/WhiteHouse
So, stop by for Office Hours at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 20th with Todd Park and be sure to follow @WhiteHouse on twitter for the latest news and more opportunities to engage.
7:30 PM EDT
Vice President Biden attends a campaign fundraisers
Los Angeles, California
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titled: “ Earth Day 2012”
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