Politics. On Point.

If you like caramel on your popcorn, you can appreciate this. (Or you may never think of the two items the same way again). This year, the president pardons two Thanksgiving turkeys, Caramel and Popcorn.  Last year's turkeys were named Cobbler and Gobbler. If you're wondering how  Caramel and Popcorn  got their names, continue reading. From the White House: The names of the turkeys were chosen from submissions from elementary schools in Roseau County, Minnesota, where the turkeys were raised.  This year, the American public once again decided which of the two turkeys – Caramel or Popcorn – would become the 2013 National Thanksgiving Turkey by casting a vote for #TeamCaramel or #TeamPopcorn on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.   Popcorn won the title of National Thanksgiving Turkey. As the long-standing tradition continues, the two turkeys (both 20 weeks, and weigh around 30 pounds) will be selected to live out their days at Mount Vernon, i...

This year's group of the Presidential Medal of Free Awards read like a Who's Who of sports, entertainment, music, medicine, and media. Sixteen individuals, each accomplished in their own right, took the stage with President Obama as he read each name out loud, highlighting their incredible journeys that got them to their life stations. Oprah Winfrey , former president Bill Clinton , Arturo Sandoval , Ernie Banks , Gloria Steinem , country music singer, Loretta Lynn , and others, rounded out this group of talented individuals. The president joked about how he and Oprah's names, at first, weren't accepted as 'status quo' by those less understanding of people's differences. "She was told she should change her name to Susie", he said recalling the time early in her journalism career where her employer also told her she was "too funny looking" for TV. (We're sure he's eaten crow several times over). In a world where accepta...

President Obama announced today that Americans who lost their health care plan as a result of the Affordable Care Act  can regain their plans, at least for a year. Speaking today in the James Brady briefing room, the president explained this new initiative in the wake of the failed HealthCare.gov web site and looming concerns over mandated ACA policy concerns. Said the president, "Insurers can extend current plans that otherwise would be canceled into 2014 and Americans whose plans have been canceled can choose to re-enroll in the same kind of plan."  Adding, "This fix won't solve every problem for every person, but it's going to help a lot of people. Doing more would require work with Congress." Uh, oh.  The 'C' word. Working with Congress is like trying to get a six year-old to keep their shoes tied. We know that Congress has been the bane of the Affordable Care Act from the beginning.  The president's apology for the website'...

Starbucks customer favors U.S. Congresswoman If you didn't know any better, one might say this lovely lady pictured below looks a lot like former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle 'Gabby' Giffords . Giffords represented Arizona's 8th congressional district from 2007 until her resignation on January 25, 2012, after having survived an attack on her life when she was shot in a mall parking lot while speaking to a group of her constituents. We spotted the Giffords look-a-like (including the eyeglasses) while she was having coffee in a university Starbucks and immediately noticed the resemblance. Valerie meeting with friends at Starbucks. Photo/CD Brown. She told us her name is 'Valerie', and to our surprise said no one had ever told her she looked like Gabby Giffords. "A younger Hillary [Clinton], but not Giffords", she said. "Oh, you do look like her!", exclaimed one of the women in her party, after making the connection. We as...

The Gubernatorial election night saw a modest crowd of supporters inside Richmond's Marriott Hotel, but speeches from the candidates and a rather unexpected demonstration on a topic that still divides Democratic and Republican parties, made for an interesting evening. Hear speeches from those who did not win - Ken Cuccinelli and E.W. Jackson, candidates for Virginia Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and more. E.W. Jackson - Invokes the 'spirit' of George Washington with wife and daughter at his side. (What?) Ken Cuccinelli to his constituents. "We fight for Virginia values."  Cuccinelli conceded his loss to Democratic candidate, Terry McAuliffe (but doesn't plan to congratulate him any time soon). Group ( Casa In Action ) outside Richmond Marriott has message for Eric Cantor .  "Stop holding up immigration reform."  The group's concern are lack of jobs, education, and the deportation of American immigrants as it continues to br...

... then there's going to be some harvesting and healthy eating talk going on at the White House. Just as in the Spring, the White House garden is a famed attraction. First Lady Michelle Obama brought several young people to the White House to participate in the Fall harvesting of the White House garden. Students from Magnolia Elementary School (Maryland), North Elementary School(West Virginia), DC's Harriet Tubman Elementary and Bancroft schools also joined the occasion. The First Lady was joined by Sesame Street's Elmo and Rosita in the White House to round off the day of talking to young people about the importance of healthy eating. The Sesame Workshop and the Produce Marketing Association (PMA) joined the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) in a two-year agreement to help promote fresh fruit and vegetable consumption to kids, making those healthy choices a little easier for busy parents and families to make. The agreement allows PMA’s...

  Expanding and Enhancing SelectUSA   President Obama is announcing the first-ever comprehensive, all hands on deck effort led by the federal government to bring jobs and investment from around the world to the U.S. through aggressive expansion and enhancement of SelectUSA.    Ø   U.S. is becoming an increasingly more competitive location for investment : The U.S. is the top destination for foreign direct investment and is becoming increasingly more competitive in attracting investment due to rising productivity, abundant low-cost energy, and rising costs elsewhere – as analysis from the Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey, AT Kearney and others have underscored.   Ø   To date, however, the U.S. has never before coordinated efforts to attract job-creating foreign investment : Unlike export promotion, the U.S. has historically left states and cities to compete directly with foreign countries.  A coordinated federal effort would help ou...