Politics. On Point.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) along with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will host a statue dedication ceremony in honor of the late Rosa Louise Parks on Wednesday, February 27 at 11:00 A.M. ET in National Statuary Hall of the United States Capitol. “All of the statues in this building are important, but none honor an African-American woman … that is, until next week, when Mrs. Parks takes her rightful place alongside the inventors, war heroes, freedom fighters, and doers who represent the heart of the American story. It’s another breakthrough for someone who has made so many of them possible” , said Boehner. The unveiling of the statue will be followed by a speaking program which includes: President Barack Obama House Speaker John Boehner Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi Assista...

Celebrating year three of her Let's Move! initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama announces a new effort to make healthier, MyPlate Recipes easy to find and share with help of  America’s largest media companies. Condé Nast , Hearst Magazines , Meredith , Food Network and Time, Inc . in collaboration with the Partnership for a Healthier America and USDA’s MyPlate have identified thousands of nutritious recipes that meet the guidance that supports USDA’s MyPlate, and are labeling, compiling and promoting these recipes on their most popular cooking websites, which collectively garnered 150 million views in January alone. More than 3,000 recipes have been identified across 18 websites, and today nearly 1,000 of these recipes have been collected on a new Pinterest page associated with the effort, providing a one-stop-shop where parents, beginner home cooks and even the most experienced chefs can find and share healthier recipes. “As a mom, I know how challenging it can be to think...

On February 15, 2013 President Obama awarded average citizens, doing the extraordinary for country and community, with the highest honor that a president can bestow to a citizen. Among them was veteran Adam Burke .  Burke was diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder after saving a comrade from a mortar blast in Iraq's Sunni Triangle - for which he received a Purple Heart. Said President Obama of Adam: " When Adam Burke returned from Iraq, he had more than earned the right to just focus on himself. He had served our nation with honor; a recipient of the Purple Heart for wounds he received while rescuing a comrade from enemy fire. Because of the shrapnel that tore through his head and his legs –- when Adam came home, he came home a wounded warrior, suffering from a traumatic brain injury, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. But a few years later, Adam found himself back on the family farm, and he noticed that working the land was therapeutic. ...

President Obama’s interviews with Al Sharpton, Yolanda Adams and Joe Madison will air at the following times: Thursday, February 21, 2013Al Sharpton, Keeping it Real with Al Sharpton Time: 1:15pm ET; Friday, February 22, 2013 Yolanda Adams, The Yolanda Adams Morning ShowTime: 7:20 am ET; Joe Madison, The Black EagleTime: 8:15 am ET. This show airs on channel 128/The Power on Sirius XM Listen live on channel 128, The Power on Sirius XM  or WOL AM. Listen here as the president talks sequestration, and more, with Joe Madison. On yesterday, Tuesday, February 20, the president the President participated in interviews with local TV anchors from the Boston, Massachusetts; Charleston, South Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas; San Antonio, Texas; San Francisco, California; and Honolulu, Hawaii markets. These interviews in the Diplomatic Room as part of the “Live from the White House” interview series. Following his State of the Union a...

In his State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to expand access to high-quality preschool to every child in America.  As part of that effort, the President will propose a series of new investments that will establish a continuum of high-quality early learning for a child – beginning at birth and continuing to age 5.  By doing so, the President would invest critical resources where the proposed monetary return is the highest:  America's youngest children. The White House is offering the following items they hope will move the president's childhood education agenda forward. ·         Provide High-Quality Preschool for Every Child :  The President is proposing a new federal-state partnership to provide all low- and moderate-income four-year old children with high-quality preschool, while also expanding these programs to reach additional children from middle class families and incentiv...

Ambassador Ivo H. Daalder, U.S. Ambassador to NATO and widely recognized national security expert, has been named president of The Chicago Council on Global Affairs. Lester Crown, chairman of the Council, made the announcement today, following a meeting of the Council’s Board of Directors. Daalder, 52, will become The Chicago Council’s president effective July 1, 2013. He will succeed Marshall M. Bouton, whose 12-year presidency transformed the 90-year-old organization into a nationally prominent global affairs institution known for public education and thought leadership.   "We are delighted that Ambassador Daalder has accepted our offer to become The Chicago Council's next president, and we look forward to his arrival in Chicago this summer," Crown said. "As a thought leader, policy practitioner and visionary, Ivo is a great match for the Council. He shares the Board’s objective of increasing The Chicago Council’s stature as a foremost center of influenc...

Mrs. Obama's guest list for tonight's State of the Union Address includes Dr. Jill Biden, Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President. The following individuals will be seated in the box with the First Lady and Dr. Biden at the State of the Union Address: Sergeant Sheena Adams (Vista, CA)Team Advisor & Lead Instructor, Female Engagement TeamA native of Kauai, Hawaii, Sergeant Adams joined the Marine Corps in 2003 and attended recruit training in Parris Island, S.C. In 2010, Sergeant Adams joined the Female Engagement Team (FET) and was deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan from September 2010 to April 2011 in direct support of 1st Battalion 8th Marines in Musa Qal’eh District. Sergeant Adams received her Combat Action Ribbon and Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal (second award) after successful completion of the deployment. In September 2011, Sergeant Adams returned to 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Advisor Training Cell, as Team Advisor/Liaison and lead...

President Obama's Message to the People of Kenya Whether born there, or not, President Obama has been said to have strong ties to the African country of Kenya, the place where is father was born, and where Obama's brother and grandmother still live. The president speaks, via video, to the people of Kenya on their upcoming March election advising them to put aside tribal and ethnic differences; reject intimidation and violence; address electoral disputes through Kenya’s courts, rather than on the streets; and to come together as a nation on the 50th anniversary of Kenyan independence. Per the White House "upcoming elections are a historic opportunity for Kenyans to stand together, as a nation, for peace and progress, and for the rule of law." From the White House blog : "Kenyans have made remarkable progress since the devastating violence that followed the elections five years ago. Lives and communities have been rebuilt, the economy has rebounded, an...