Politics. On Point.

Vice President Biden made a trip to Arlington, VA's grand opening of Costco where he was put some mileage on his newly re-activated Costco card. Per a White House pool report : "The Bidens have been Costco members in the past. The Vice President and Dr. Biden’s Costco memberships were re-activated yesterday; they paid the $55 membership re-activation fee to receive their new cards.The Vice President received his own card which he is carrying today while shopping at Costco." Vice President Biden was greeted by Costco CEO Craig Jelinek and Co-founder Jim Sinegal. After perusing the store's various departments and indulging in the store's available sorted food samples, he was invited to stop by the tire department but declined the offer saying to the employees, "Hey man I don't need tires, I don't drive anymore." After delighting Costco shoppers with handshakes and photo ops the VP made his way to checkout where he was seen purch...

Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank today announced the launch of the “ Doing Business in Africa ” campaign at an event in Johannesburg, South Africa. This campaign is part of a larger U.S. Strategy Toward Sub-Saharan Africa , which President Obama issued earlier this year. In her remarks, the Acting Secretary emphasized the United States’ ongoing commitment to deepening trade, investment, and economic ties with these nations. She also shared a message from President Obama in support of the campaign. ### Remarks as Prepared for Rebecca Blank, Acting U.S. Commerce Secretary Thank you. Good afternoon. It is wonderful to be here in Johannesburg with all of you. I want to thank our sponsors: First, the Corporate Council on Africa, which represents nearly 85 percent of all U.S. investment on this Continent. Thank you, CCA, for continuing to work with us to raise the profile of Africa in the U.S. business community. Second, Business Unity South Africa. Thank y...

  Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a report describing OCR’s progress and activity over the last four years on civil rights enforcement and educational equity. The report, “ Helping to Ensure Equal Access to Education ,” describes how OCR has transformed its enforcement approach to better promote and advance educational equity for all students, while maximizing the office’s efficiency and impact, even as the number of complaints received by OCR has grown by almost a quarter over the last four years. OCR both received and resolved over 28,500 complaints during this time period, a record figure compared to past four-year periods. The report also discusses OCR’s work to: · support the equal rights of students to a safe school environment and to resources and programs they need to be prepared for college and careers; · revamp the Civil Rights Data Collection to provide educators and the public with a clearer ...

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) provided 59 FDIC-insured depository institutions with awards for serving economically distressed communities across the nation that totaled nearly $18 million. The awards were granted through the CDFI Fund’s Bank Enterprise Award Program (BEA Program), which recognizes and seeks to expand the important role that banks and thrifts play in community development activities. The program provides monetary awards to institutions that increased their investments in communities where at least 30 percent of residents have incomes below the national poverty level and 1.5 times the national unemployment rate. This year’s awardees increased their investments in such areas by more than $383 million. BEA Program awardees are required to reinvest their awards into low-income and distressed communities, helping to create economic opportunity for Americans throughout the country. Wel...

Forget the 'fiscal' cliff. Maybe those calling the so-call economic demise of American economics as we know it, the 'physical cliff', had a point. Physical as in naked bodies showing up in the halls of Congress and all their physical glory in an effort to protest cuts in social programs. Activists highlight the 'naked truth' about proposed Congressional tax cuts. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) While Boehner and House republicans want to reform the tax code by eliminating special interest loopholes and cut spending for such services that support HIV/AIDS services, naked AIDS activists with painted slogans on their bodies, protested inside the lobby of the Capitol Hill office of House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012, prior to World AIDS Day, Dec. 1 to show they're not buying what he wants to sell. The Speaker remains speechless about the unwanted visitors (at least for today) but reporters can expect a mouthful from Boehner during...

November Sale Will Offer All Available Unleased Areas in the Western Gulf of Mexico, Only Latest in a Series of Recent Major Offshore Oil and Gas Sales As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold an oil and gas lease sale that will make more than 20 million offshore acres available, and represents all unleased areas in the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area. The Western Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale builds on two major Gulf of Mexico lease sales in the past year alone, a 21 million acre sale held last December and a 39 million acre sale held in June.“At President Obama’s direction, his Administration continues to implement a comprehensive, all-of-the-above energy strategy, expanding domestic production, reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and supporting jobs,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. “Developing public energy resources in the...

Report Details Consequences if Congress Fails to Extend Middle-Class Tax Cuts The White House released a report from the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers called The Middle-Class Tax Cuts’ Impact on Consumer Spending and Retailers . This report provides new analysis on the impact to retailers and consumer spending if Congress fails to act to avoid taxes going up on 98 percent of Americans at the end of the year. The President believes Democrats and Republicans should come together to renew middle-class tax cuts so families and businesses have more certainty at this critical time for our economy. If Congress acts, every American will get a tax break on their first $250,000 of income, and income taxes won’t go up for 98 percent of American families and 97 percent of small businesses. The President believes we must take a balanced approach to reduce our deficit, that’s why he has laid out a $4 trillion deficit reduction plan that asks the wealthy to pay ...

Dr. Jill Biden joined Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus at the Pentagon this week at the naming of the Navy's newest submarine . The next Virginia-class attack submarine   has been named the USS Delaware. Dr. Jill Biden will sponsor the USS Delaware. A longtime Delaware educator and military mom, Dr. Biden started Joining Forces with First Lady Michelle Obama to encourage all Americans to recognize, honor and support military families. Mabus named the future USS Delaware in honor of the first state in the Union. The name honors the great contributions and support Delaware has given the military through the years and pays homage to the state's more than two centuries of naval heritage. "I chose the name Delaware to honor the long-standing relationship between the Navy and our nation's first state," said Mabus. "It has been too long since there has been a USS Delaware in the fleet and this submarine will remind future deployed service members and state...

As tradition, the White House Christmas tree made its arrival the day after Thanksgiving Day. A 19-foot Fraser Fir from Jefferson, North Carolina that was selected in early October and harvested this month, made its way to the North Portico of the White House by way of a wagon pulled by two Clydesdale horses. The first ladies of the White House survey the traditional White House Christmas tree, delivered today.  Photo/CD Brown. As the military band played the traditional 'Oh, Christmas Tree' song, the first lady and daughters Sasha and Malia made their way from the front of the White House to join them. The trio looked darling as they strolled out with family dog, Bo (appearing to be startled by the snorting of the Clydesdales), led by Sasha who was wearing a mixed horizontal striped dress of blue, beige and black print with black stockings adorned with matching circles. Her older sister, Malia, opted for a gray skit and two-toned beige and burgundy sweate...

This Thanksgiving holiday at the White House was all abuzz. On Thursday President Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, traditionally spared at least one turkey from ending up on someone else's Thanksgiving Day menu.  Cobbler and Gobbler, names choosen for the duo by an elementary school student who participated in the White House Turkey Pardon online voting process, was given a second chance. The president knows about such second chances, having won re-election using 'forward' as his campaign slogan, and alluded to both in his turkey pardoning remarks.  President Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia pardon Cobbler, the White House Thanksgiving turkey. "They say that life is all about second chances", said President Obama. "And this November, I could not agree more."  The president's choice of words seemed to sit well with Cobbler, as he began gobbling afterwards. "I like this bird", President Obama said. After wi...

Vice President Joe Biden and Second Lady, Dr. Jill Biden celebrated Thanksgiving with the military servicemen at the Naval Observatory on Monday. A pool report, below, gives the deets. The mouth-watering smells of stuffing and turkey, a crackling fire, guests with bowed heads giving thanks for “second chances” -- Vice President Biden and Dr Jill Biden hosted their fourth Early Thanksgiving For Wounded Warriors on Monday, welcoming servicemen and –women and loved ones to the Naval Observatory. “Jill and I want to welcome you to the vice president’s home. This is your home,” the VP said in brief remarks as the 26 guests sat at two large tables in the residence’s dining room. He spoke from behind a lectern with the VP’s seal on it, Jill Biden at his side. Candles fluttered over their shoulders on the mantelpiece of the fireplace, in which a robust blaze was already crackling. A Navy harpist played before his remarks. The vice president said he and his wife were “honored an...