Politics. On Point.

 In remarks to the people of Africa while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, President Obama told throngs of assembled listeners at Mandela Hall (African Union Headquarters) that Africa helped shape him and how he sees the world. "I stand before you as a proud American.  I also stand before you as the son of an African. Africa and its people helped to shape America and allowed it to become the great nation that it is.  And Africa and its people have helped shape who I am and how I see the world", he said. He said that in the villages of Kenya where his father was born he learned of his ancestors, and the bonds of family that connect us all as Africans and Americans.  He went on to say that he wanted his two daughters to know their ancestors were both slaves and slave owners. The full transcript, below, has been made available by the White House. The president finished his four-day African visit on Tuesday and is expected to return to Washington later the sam...

From the White House press office. The sixth of nine new manufacturing institutes brings $610 million in public-private investment to next-generation photonics manufacturing, fostering American manufacturing innovation to transform digital communications and high-performance computing Vice President Biden will announce today that the Research Foundation for the State University of New York (RF SUNY) will lead a new Manufacturing Innovation Institute to secure U.S. leadership in manufacturing integrated photonics. These emerging technologies have the potential to transform many industries—from creating “needleless” tests for medical conditions like diabetes, to increasing the carrying capacity of broadband communications ten times over. The Manufacturing Innovation Institute for Integrated Photonics is the sixth of nine such public-private partnerships to boost advanced manufacturing, foster American innovation, and attract and create jobs that strengthen the middle cla...

President Obama is making a historic visit to Africa this weekend, most notably to Kenya, the birthplace of his father. While there, the president gave remarks at a Power Africa Innovation Fair where he spoke to the successes of the Power Africa project. Said the president, "... our Power Africa initiative has been leveraging private capital to invest in electrification all across the continent.  And our preliminary goal was 10,000 megawatts; now we’re looking at 30,000 megawatts, and we’re well on our way. The president remarked on ways that his administration, along with several donors, are making this happen using  traditional power plants and solar produced energy. "Moreover, part of what’s taking place is because...you notice these solar panels, this is an opportunity for countries like Africa to leapfrog over dirty energy and immediately go to clean energy.  And so this mix of traditional products combined with these innovative ways of both pro...

Students were treated to an additional dose of awesomeness Thursday with an unexpected visit by the President of the United States to the East Room of the White House during the late afternoon Reach Higher ,  Beat the Odds  late afternoon session. President Obama makes a surprise visit to speak to students at Thursday's Reach Higher college and education event. Photo/Politics. On Point. The visit helped culminate the first lady's day-long summit that included discussion on attending post-secondary education, preparing for job interviews, and serious talk about making dreams come true. "I understand you spent some time with the true star of the Obama household, the First Lady of the United States", the president said, "but I'm not going to let her have all the fun." The president took to the stage, amid cheers and applause, telling the assembled youth ,"America succeeds only when every young person in America is able to dream big and have ...

President Obama's press conference Wednesday to talk about the historic nuclear weapon  deal with Iran was overshadowed when a reporter asked  whether Bill Cosby's Medal of Freedom award should be revoked amid the actor  admitting he drugged women to have sex with him. President Obama responds to Bill Cosby drugs-for-sex admission. Photo/CD Brown The president replied saying, "there is no mechanism" for such a thing, and went on to say that giving a woman (or a man, for that matter) drugs without their knowledge and then have sex with that person without consent, is rape.  (Former Cosby Show star agrees ). From the White House transcript... And with respect to the Medal of Freedom, there’s no precedent for revoking a medal.  We don’t have that mechanism.  And as you know, I tend to make it a policy not to comment on the specifics of cases where there might still be, if not criminal, then civil issues involved. ...