Politics. On Point.

Initiative named the Mandela Washington Fellowship For Young African Leaders from the White House ...the President will participate in a town hall with 500 exceptional young people who participated in the inaugural Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, an initiative he announced in 2013 as part of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI). President Obama first launched YALI in 2010 to support an emerging generation of African leaders as they work to drive economic growth, enhance democratic governance, and strengthen the civil society structures that will help the continent grow and prosper.  The President announced the creation of this Fellowship, which connects young African leaders to leadership training opportunities at some of America’s top universities to expand their leadership skills and knowledge, during his 2013 trip to South Africa. President Obama speaking to young, future African leaders.    You can watch this event live at  h...

The first lady took to the heart the successes of her husband's tenure as president of the United States during a DNC event at Chicago Waldorf Historia hotel on Thursday in hopes encouraging Democratic supporters to get out and vote in the mid-term elections this November. In familiar wording, First Lady Obama lauded the latest employment numbers, the passing of the Affordable Care Act, jobs for veterans, and the number of children who, as a result of her own efforts with Let's Move,  are eating healthier. She said when she's asked if she still believes in the president's slogan of "hope" and "change" she says she tells people she believes it more strongly than ever before - "because I've seen it with my own eyes". Mrs. Obama  reminded the audience that despite her husband's accomplishments at the expense of the hard work of constituents like those in the audience, "there is still plenty of work to do", she said. S...

Creating structure and support for high-risk, young males. With the support of educators, faith-based groups, government, foundations, and various businesses, the president hopes to have their support to help guide, direct, and support young Black youth, by giving them the tools needed to succeed. Heavy hitters join the initiative. Leaders from Silicon Valley and the Emerson Collective plan to launch a $50 million competition to redesign high schools so that young people can learn in classrooms built for the 21st century. Also on board are US mayors, the National Congress of American Indians (who are going to do the same for young Native American boys and men), The College Board, AT&T, UBS, JPMorgan, City Foundation, and Discovery Communications, who the president says, "are making big commitments of their own to help young people like you get ahead."    With the National Basketball Association's Chris Paul (who introduced the president at the start of the...

We've all heard the statistics: Chicago is one of the most deadly U.S. cities.  Eighty-two people were killed in a single July 4th weekend - two weekends ago. Again, 82 people murdered , including children and the elderly. We all watched when the president cried on national TV when just 20 kids at Sandy hook ES where shot and killed by a single individual, Adam Lanza.   The president even remarked at a memorial service. We watched when Obama remarked  on the killing in an Aurora movie theatre that saw James Holmes shoot, and kill, 12 people. The president has tried to increase restrictions on gun ownership, pushing for more background checks and psychiatric testing before Americans can purchase a gun, at the resistance of Congress. Fed up with the politics, and feeling ignored, Chicagoans took to the streets in protest last Friday. Reports indicate that American citizens staged a march and protest outside of the Chicago police department demandin...

First, let me just say how lovely First Lady Michelle Obama looked when she spoke at the  League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) earlier this week, wearing a lovely summer blue and white (sleeveless, of course) flowered dress. Mrs. Obama was on hand at New York's Hilton Hotel to remark about the importance of education, but she also spoke very briefly on the issue of immigration, saying "all these issues must be addressed at the same time." Said the first lady, "I know that education is one of so many pressing issues on your plates right now. With a broken immigration system hurting so many of our families and neighbors, some of you may be wondering why I decided to focus on education today.  But what I know from my own life experiences is that if we truly want to lift up our next generation," she continued, "we must tackle all of these issues at the same time. That is actually one of the greatest lessons of LULAC's history." ...

 Renews the Federal Government’s QuickPay Initiative 26 Companies Committed to SupplierPay Initiative As a part of his Year of Action, the President is using the power of his pen and phone wherever he can on behalf of the American people to create jobs and help hard-working Americans get ahead. Today, the President will announce the creation of SupplierPay, a new partnership with the private sector to strengthen small businesses by increasing their working capital, so they can grow their businesses and hire more workers.  To launch SupplierPay, the President is bringing together 26 companies – both large and small – that have committed to the  initiative .  For the larger companies, joining SupplierPay demonstrates a recognition that a healthy supply chain is good for business.  For the small business suppliers, benefiting from SupplierPay means having more capital to invest in new opportunities, new equipment, and new hiring. President Obama, Sen...

When President Obama isn't wearing suits (that sometimes sag around his ankles) he likes to dress down.  Usually we see him in khakis (or dockers ), or in the male version of mom jeans . But yesterday, during the White House 4th of July celebration, we noticed something considerably different in his dress-down attire. The Commander-in-Chief was wearing a stylish, (hip, even) pair of jeans.  Different in style, different in color; new perhaps. (Then there's always the chance it could be the same pair as these ). Anyway, take a look.  We think he upped his swag with his 'new' jeans as he greeted the nearly 1,200 military personnel and their families.  The president told those in attendance, "There is no group we'd rather spend time with on this most American of holidays than you." President Obama wears new jeans at White House 4th of July cookout for military families.   The yearly cookout honoring military families hosted rapper Pitbull. ...

Here is a pool report on the Dr. Biden's visit to Gambia.   She is in Africa on a three-continent visit focusing on anti-gender issues and education. This pool report comes from  Perpetual Sichikwenkwe from the Times of Zambia newspaper. Her report follows, below. Dr. Jill Biden.   Photo/ Organizing for Action website. U.S. second lady arrives in Zambia's capital city Lusaka, for a two d ay official visit At exactly 22:20 p.m. Tuesday , the U.S. Military Aircraft number 50932 carrying Dr. Jill Biden, the wife to U.S. vice president Joe, touched down at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka, the Zambian capital city. Dr Biden who is on a three day visit to Africa is accompanied by United States Agency for International Development (USAID)Administrator Rajiv Shah, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women Issues, Catherine Russell and other officials. Dr. Biden, clad in pink and white emerged from the aircraft with her granddaughter Finnegan Bid...

President Obama took to the Key Bridge, two years since his last visit , to make the case that the Highway Trust Fund (HTF), the fund designed to help  states repair and rebuild America's infrastructure, could potentially run out of funds if Congress doesn't act soon. "It’s not crazy, it’s not socialism.   It’s not the imperial presidency. No laws are broken.  We’re just building roads and bridges like we’ve been doing for the last, I don’t know, 50, 100 years.  But so far, House Republicans have refused to act on this idea.  I haven’t heard a good reason why they haven’t acted. "It’s not like they’ve been busy with other stuff", the president said.   Also weighing in on this issue is  DC Rep.  Eleanor Holmes Norton. “If Congress does not act by the end of the month  it will force the Department of Transportation to ration reimbursements to the states, and will be directly responsible for the loss of thousands of good-paying jobs, ...

from Defense Media Activity ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) -- The United States Navy promoted Michelle Janine Howard to the rank of four-star admiral July 1 during a ceremony at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Adm. Howard is the first female four-star in the 238 year history of the United States Navy.   Photo/San Diego Times. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus presided over the ceremony and administered the oath of office. Adm. Howard is the first female four-star in the 238 year history of the United States Navy. "Michelle Howard's promotion to the rank of admiral is the result of a brilliant naval career, one I fully expect to continue when she assumes her new role as vice chief of naval operations, but also it is an historic first, an event to be celebrated as she becomes the first female to achieve this position," said Mabus. "Her accomplishment is a direct example of a Navy that now, more than ever, reflects the nat...