Politics. On Point.

Delivers Back To School Address President Obama addressed students at Benjamin Banneker Academic High School where he encouraged the students to continue their education after graduating high school. President Obama is greeted by enthusiastic  Banneker High School students during his back-to-school address.   Photo/CD Brown. Looking even more gray haired, the president told the roughly 250 assembled students, "I want all of you to set a goal to continue your education after you graduate. And if that means college for you, just getting into college is not enough.  You also have to graduate." Achieving that goal is what Banneker students thrive on.  Banneker is a top ranking school in the District of Columbia, graduating 100% of its class.  Its students continue that success rate also with a 100% college graduation rate.  The school has been rated one of the top 50 schools in the nation by Newsweek Magazine, and has been given a 10 ...

Vice President Joe Biden visited Alexandria, Virginia’s newly built police headquarters to congratulate the department for being awarded a nearly $860,000 grant to its Community Oriented Policing Services (or COPS ) program. Vice President Biden with Alexandria, Virginia Chief of Police, Earl Cook.  Photo/CD Brown. Vice President Biden highlighted how President Obama’s American Jobs Act would keep first responders like police, fire and emergency personnel on the job. “We owe you.   We owe you big”, said the Vice President. “We owe you every tool available for you not only to keep the community safe, but to keep you safe.” The president’s Jobs bill, which he is hoping to pass with the support of Congress, sets aside $5 billion for law enforcement officials to hire new personnel and avoid layouts. Said Biden, “This award gives you the tools you need.” Alexandria’s Chief of police Earl Cook knows all too well about losing essential personnel.   Alexandria’s ...

Our First Lady, Michelle Obama, continues to stay busy.  In this episode of 'Keeping of With The First Lady' we've highlighted some of the activities she's participated this week, as well as give you a peek inside her upcoming schedule. For starters, the First Lady made a cameo appearance in an edition of Extreme Makeover : Home Edition that aired last evening. Next we find her looking fabulous at this year's Congressional Black Caucus Phoenix Awards Dinner on Saturday evening.    Read below for these events, and more. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to Fayetteville, North Carolina to join Extreme Makeover: Home Edition as they build a dream home for an African American woman veteran, Barbara Marshall and her family. Barbara Marshal had a 15 year career in the Navy but her service to her country didn't stop there. Marshall went on to combat homelessness among female veterans and military families in the Fayetteville ...

Responding to President’s Call to Action, Key Effort by Leaders in Industry and Universities to Transform Learning Technology Today, the White House and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the launch of “ Digital Promise ,” a new national center created by Congress with bipartisan support to advance technologies to transform teaching and learning. Digital Promise will receive startup funds from the Department of Education as well as the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.  It will be overseen by board made up of prominent leaders in education and technology appointed by Secretary Duncan based on recommendations from the House of Representatives and United States Senate. Digital Promise will work with leading researchers, entrepreneurs, and schools to identify and spur breakthrough learning technologies, determine quickly what’s working and what’s not, and transform today’s fragmented learning technology market, paving the way ...

AT Hyattsville, MD Olive Garden:  First Lady Michelle Obama, accompanied by Darden chef Julie Elkinton, second from right, talks to Charisse McElroy, right, and her daughter Jacqueline McElroy, 9.  Photo by AP's Manuel Balce Ceneta First Lady Michelle Obama was at the Hyattsville, MD Olive Garden restaurant today to announce that Darden Restaurants , the world’s largest full service restaurant company, would modify its kids' menus to include healthier sides and drink options. "Often, parents assume that when a restaurant offers a separate kids’ menu that the food on that menu will actually be good for their kids", said the First Lady. "They assume that the potion sizes will be reasonable. They assume that the food will be just as nutritious as food that they prepare for their kids at home."  It's considered that one of every two dollars spent on food is spent in restaurants, and over one-third of calories consumed in America are eaten at restau...

Four to Receive Prestigious Awards Recognizing Contributions to America The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) announced that President Barack Obama is scheduled to attend the Annual Phoenix Awards Dinner Saturday, September 24. The dinner concludes the Foundation's 41st Annual Legislative Conference (ALC). President Obama is scheduled to address more than 3,000 expected attendees at the evening's event. Four distinguished individuals will receive the prestigious Phoenix Awards, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson ; U.S. Representative and civil rights activist John Lewis ; athlete and humanitarian George Edward Forman, Sr ; and civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Lowery . President Obama was the recipient of the Phoenix Award in 2008, which recognizes individuals for their efforts and accomplishments that have made significant contributions to society, and symbolizes the immortality of the human spirit and an eternal desire to rea...

A day honoring victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the U.S. culminated yesterday evening with Kennedy Center Concert of Hope with remarks given by President Obama. Citing Americans' tenacity and courage, the president even after the 9/11 attack the character of America as a nation has not changed.  Our faith, said President Obama, in God and in each other has not changed.  Our belief in America, born of a timeless ideal that men and women should govern themselves; that all people are created equal, and deserve the same freedom to determine their own destiny, that belief, through tests and trials, has only been strengthened." The president's remarks, lasting well over twenty minutes, included him acknowledging the first responders and firefighters on the scene on that horrific day. "These past 10 years have shown that America does not give in to fear.  The rescue workers who rushed to the scene, the firefighters who charged up the stai...

President Obama welcomed Jimmie Johnson and other 2010 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to the White House to honor Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship. Said President Obama, "Jimmie’s talent has been to make a very difficult, demanding sport look easy. But this year, the Number 48 team also showed its toughness. They entered the last race of the Chase trailing, and ended up pulling off an extraordinary comeback." Johnson was joined by Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton. Johnson presented the president with driving gloves he wore during a race he won in Las Vegas. "I don't get to drive much anymore these days", said the president, joking that he would use the gloves when he drove 'Golf Cart One', a golf cart used by the president at Camp David. The President recognized the efforts by Johnson and NASCAR to give back to their community as part of their visi...

As part of the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, the Vice President will host a screening of the documentary REBIRTH for Washington, DC, area college students.  Jim Whitaker. Project Rebirth Founder and Director REBIRTH is a full-length documentary which chronicles the lives of five people directly affected by the events on September 11th, 2001.  The subjects featured in the documentary include a survivor from the South Tower of the World Trade Center (WTC); a firefighter who survived the collapse of the WTC but lost his best friend; a high school student who lost his mother; a young woman who lost her fiancé; and a construction worker who lost his brother, assisted with recovery efforts, and is presently helping to build the Freedom Tower. The Vice President will be joined by Jim Whitaker , Director and Founder of Project Rebirth as well as four of the people featured in the documentary. Several screenings of the documentary will ...

Vows to give areas "what they need" to rebuild . Thanks to a few pool reports we get a sense of  President Obama's touring events in Paterson, NJ.  The president is spending the Labor Day weekend at Camp David, but has scheduled visits in New Jersey's hardest hit areas after last weekend's devastating Hurricane Irene struck the area. President Obama tours damage caused by flooding in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in Wayne, New Jersey.   ( Kevin Lamarque / Reuters / September 4 , 2011 ) Our pool report comes from David Cook of CSPS. POTUS at Main Street Bridge in Paterson New Jersey at approximately 1:35 p.m. POTUS arrived at the storm damaged Main Street Bridge in Paterson New Jersey over a very fast blowing Passaic River.  En route, we saw signs that said “Mr Obama, yes we can” and “We survived Hurricane Irene.” Representative Pascarel told reporters at the bridge “we are glad that he [President Obama] is here.” After walking along t...

WASHINGTON – First Lady Michelle Obama today announced that one of the country’s leading pediatricians, Judith S. Palfrey, M.D., will lead her Let’s Move! childhood obesity initiative as Executive Director starting on Tuesday, September 6. For decades, Dr. Palfrey has provided clinical care to thousands of children and families, conducted groundbreaking pediatric research, taught future physicians and led major medical organizations. Palfrey has been a longtime supporter of the Let’s Move! campaign and spoke at its launch in February of 2010 when she was president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “It was my children’s pediatrician who first told me that I needed to pay closer attention to my children’s health so I understand the significance doctors play in family health.  That’s why we are eager to welcome Judy Palfrey to the White House where I know that she will take the Let’s Move! program to new heights. Judy has worked with families one-on-one and partnered wit...