1/22/09 Canine in Chief
There are more than 1,000 Labrador retrievers and Lab mixes and more than 2,000 poodles and poodle mixes looking for homes at this very minute. ©iStock.com
President Obama announced earlier this month that he and his family plan to adopt either a Labradoodle or Portuguese Water Dog (PWD) once they are settled in at the White House.
Shelters and rescue groups across the country scrambled to showcase dogs of the "doodle" persuasion waiting for new homes. But helping to land one of their dogs in the ultimate home is only one of these organizations' post-election objectives. They're also making use of the opportunity to raise awareness in their own communities about how many adoptable dogs are available on any given day—many of whom fit the presidential bill.
Finding the Right DogWhile purebred Portuguese Water Dogs aren't quite as easy to come by in a shelter, a quick search for Portuguese Water Dogs on Petfinder.com, a site that lists thousands of adoptable pets at animal shelters across the nation, resulted in 10 pure or mixed-breed Portuguese Water Dogs looking for a family and a forever home.
There are more than 1,000 Labrador retrievers and Lab mixes and more than 2,000 poodles and poodle mixes looking for homes at this very minute, too. These two breeds will undoubtedly grow in popularity since President Obama's announcement. Animal advocates are already gearing up to help ensure these breeds don't fall further into the profit-driven pockets of puppy mills across the U.S. and to raise awareness about their unique needs.
What to Consider Before AdoptingIf you're considering adopting one of these two breeds or any breed of dog, it's important to make sure the dog fits with your lifestyle.
Like many breeds, both Portuguese Water Dogs and Labradoodles require lots of exercise, attention and training. While no surprise given the name, it's important to note that PWDs are avid swimmers and happiest when they have routine access to water.
Know Where to GoThere are several types of organizations from which you can adopt a dog, whether purebred or mixed breed. Not all sources are the same, however, so it's important to learn as much as you can, and then choose carefully.
To find a purebred rescue group or animal shelter near you, visit Petfinder.com, Pets911.com or search the Internet for shelters in your area.
It's very important to make sure that you don’t support puppy mills when you add a purebred or "designer mixed breed" dog to your family. Visit our Stop Puppy Mills website to learn more about these cruel, mass-breeding operations.
A Note About Presidential Pooches
No matter which furried friend the Obamas brings home, they're sure to make a welcome addition to the family. In a letter to Sasha and Malia Obama, Jenna and Barbara Bush offered the following advice on White House puppies:
"Our sweet puppy Spot was nursed on the lawn of the White House. And then of course, there's Barney, who most recently bit a reporter. Cherish your animals because sometimes you'll need the quiet comfort that only animals can provide."
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"Dog-O-Pedia" by Mary Francis Budzik (Metro Books-NewYork) is a "Compendium of Doggone Facts" and a really great book for first time and long time dog owners that I found on the sale book area in Barnes & Noble.
San Diego college students, Al Shams and Kaelan Housewright, have started framing a constitutional amendment initiative to replace the word "marriage" with "domestic partnership" under California state law. 3/9/09 Secretary of State Debra Bowen authorized the initiative # 09-0003 to gather 700,000 signatures by early August to get the initiative on the ballot.
Here is the San Jose Mercury news story: http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_11890793?source=rss
Here is their DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP INITIATIVE website that has an Adobe petition for you to fill out and mail in: http://www.dompar.org/
(The price of a first-class stamp will go up by 2 cents to 44 cents on May 11, 2009)
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Date: March 9, 2009
Initiative No.: 09-0003
The Attorney General of California has prepared the following title and summary of the chief purpose and points of the proposed measure: SUBSTITUTES DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP FOR MARRIAGE IN CALIFORNIA LAW. INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND STATUTE. Replaces the term “marriage” with the term “domestic partnership” throughout California law, but preserves the rights provided in marriage. Applies equally to all couples, regardless of sexual orientation. Repeals the provision in California’s Constitution that states only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local government: This measure would have an unknown fiscal effect on state and local governments. (09-0003.)
2/27/09 By Marla Dickerson -Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — It's a kitchen degreaser. It's a window cleaner. It kills athlete's foot. Oh, and you can drink it.
Sounds like the old "Saturday Night Live" gag for Shimmer, the faux floor polish plugged by Gilda Radner. But the elixir is real. It has been approved by U.S. regulators. And it's starting to replace the toxic chemicals Americans use at home and on the job.
The stuff is a simple mixture of table salt and tap water whose ions have been scrambled with an electric current. Researchers have dubbed it electrolyzed water — hardly as catchy as Mr. Clean. But at the Sheraton Delfina in Santa Monica, some hotel workers are calling it "el liquido milagroso" — the miracle liquid.
That's as good a name as any for a substance that scientists say is powerful enough to kill anthrax spores without harming people or the environment.
Used as a sanitizer for decades in Russia and Japan, it's slowly winning acceptance in the United States. A New York poultry processor uses it to kill salmonella on chicken carcasses. Minnesota grocery clerks spray sticky conveyors in the checkout lanes. Michigan jailers mop with electrolyzed water to keep potentially lethal cleaners out of the hands of inmates.
In Santa Monica, the once-skeptical Sheraton housekeeping staff has ditched skin-chapping bleach and pungent ammonia for spray bottles filled with electrolyzed water to clean toilets and sinks.
"I didn't believe in it at first because it didn't have foam or any scent," said housekeeper Flor Corona. "But I can tell you it works. My rooms are clean."
Management likes it, too. The mixture costs less than a penny a gallon. It cuts down on employee injuries from chemicals. It reduces shipping costs and waste because hotel staffers prepare the elixir on site. And it's helping the Sheraton Delfina tout its environmental credentials to guests.
One-year payback
The hotel's kitchen staff recently began disinfecting produce with electrolyzed water. They say the lettuce lasts longer. They're hoping to replace detergent in the dishwasher. Management figures the payback time for the $10,000 electrolysis machine will be less than a year.
"It's green. It saves money. And it's the right thing to do," said Glenn Epstein, executive assistant at the Sheraton Delfina. "It's almost like fantasy."
Actually, it's chemistry. For more than two centuries, scientists have tinkered with electrolysis, the use of an electric current to bring about a chemical reaction (not the hair-removal technique of the same name). That's how we got metal electroplating and large-scale production of chlorine, used to bleach and sanitize.
It turns out that zapping salt water with low-voltage electricity creates a couple of powerful yet nontoxic cleaning agents. Sodium ions are converted into sodium hydroxide, an alkaline liquid that cleans and degreases like detergent, but without the scrubbing bubbles. Chloride ions become hypochlorous acid, a potent disinfectant known as acid water.
"It's 10 times more effective than bleach in killing bacteria," said Yen-Con Hung, a professor of food science at the University of Georgia-Griffin, who has been researching electrolyzed water for more than a decade. "And it's safe."
There are drawbacks.
Electrolyzed water loses its potency fairly quickly, so it can't be stored long. Machines are pricey and geared mainly for industrial use. The process also needs to be monitored frequently for the right strength.
Then there's the "magic water" hype that has accompanied electrolyzed drinking water. A number of companies sell so-called ionizers for home use that can range from about $600 to more than $3,000. The alkaline water, proponents say, provides health benefits.
But Richard Wullaert, a Santa Barbara consultant, said consumers should be careful.
"Some of these people are making claims that will get everybody in trouble," said Wullaert, whose nonprofit Functional Water Society is spreading the word about electrolyzed water. "It's time for some serious conferences with serious scientists to give this credibility."
Overseas uses
Most of the growth has happened outside the United States.
Russians are putting electrolyzed water down oil wells to kill pesky microbes. Europeans use it to treat burn victims. Electrolyzing equipment is helping to sanitize drinking water in parts of Latin American and Africa.
It's big in Japan. People there spray it on sushi to kill bacteria and fill their swimming pools with it, eliminating the need for harsh chlorine. Doctors use it to sterilize equipment and treat foot fungus and bedsores. It's the secret weapon in Sanyo Electric's "soap-less" washing machine.
In the U.S., the Department of Agriculture, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency have approved electrolyzed water for a variety of uses.
PuriCore of Malvern, Pa., and Oculus Innovative Sciences of Petaluma, have developed treatments for chronic wounds. Albuquerque, N.M.-based MIOX sells municipal water-purifying systems. EAU Technologies of Kennesaw, Ga., caters to both ends of a dairy cow, with alkaline water to aid the animal's digestion and acid water to clean up its manure.
Rebecca Jimenez, director of housekeeping for the Sheraton Delfina, heard grumbling from the cleaning staff when the Santa Monica hotel brought its electrolysis machine in last fall. Housekeepers doubted that the flat, virtually odorless liquids were really doing the job. Some poured shampoo into their bottles to work up a lather.
"If it doesn't suds up, it doesn't work," Jimenez said. "That's the mentality."
Still, she said, most have come around and are enjoying working without fumes and peeling skin.
Minnesota food scientist Joellen Feirtag said she was similarly skeptical. So she installed an electrolysis unit in her laboratory and began researching the technology. She found that the acid water killed E. coli, salmonella, listeria and other nasty pathogens. Yet it was gentle enough to soothe her children's sunburns and acne.
She's now encouraging food processors to take a look at electrolyzed water to help combat the disease outbreaks that have roiled the industry. Most are dubious.
"This sounds too good to be true, which is really the biggest problem," said Feirtag, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota. "But it's only a matter of time before this becomes mainstream."
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3/10/09 this article was sent to Van Jones (Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation)
3/8/09 by Shaun Tandon Shaun Tandon – AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) – Fifty years after the Dalai Lama fled Tibet, the United States is still searching for how to support the spiritual leader who commands enormous respect but is up against a rising China.
The United States once covertly funneled weapons to Tibetan guerrillas -- despite unease by the Dalai Lama himself -- and has long criticized Beijing's policy. But a consensus is emerging to only nudge China gently.
John Kenneth Knaus was an officer for the CIA as it trained Tibetan insurgents and dropped arms in the Himalayan territory -- an effort the United States gave up in 1968 as it became clear the Chinese were fully in charge.
"Was it worth it? These are questions that old men ask themselves," Knaus, now 85 and retired from the CIA, said meditatively at his home in suburban Washington.
"I'd like to think so, obviously," he said. "I think it's really a typical American thing, support for the underdog."
But Knaus was surprised that the Dalai Lama, famous for his warmth, gave him a cool reception when they first met face-to-face in 1964.
"I didn't get it. I was going there practically as a convert, a disciple -- I knew several hundred of his people, these kids, and I loved them -- and I was disappointed," Knaus said.
"It took me some time before I realized that to him, I represented the whole problem -- we were providing arms to his people, we were in a sense sustaining violence, which he simply just by definition could not support."
Tibetan Buddhist monks in-exile arrive for a prayer meeting for Tibetans killed in the crackdown since the March 1959 uprising, at a temple in Dharamsala. China should end its "repression" of Tibet and work with the Dalai Lama 50 years after the revolt that forced him into exile, according to a resolution to be introduced in the US Congress on Monday.
The Dalai Lama sneaked out of Lhasa in 1959, traveling by horseback to safety in India, as the Chinese crushed a brewing uprising -- a brutal chapter that exiles say cost 80,000 lives.
The Dalai Lama first traveled to the United States in 1968 and has since become a regular visitor, addressing packed crowds on spirituality and helping spark a worldwide surge of interest in Buddhism.
"I don't think any of us had any appreciation of the tremendous influence this man would have," said Knaus, who is now affiliated with the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University.
To China's fury, the Dalai Lama has gone on to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the US Congressional Gold Medal.
But the 74-year-old monk has not succeeded in returning to Tibet, where China has poured in extra troops and forbidden any public support for the Dali Lama, who it accuses of separatism.
The United States has also changed its tone as it pursues a closer relationship with a rapidly growing China, now the biggest holder of US treasuries.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, visiting Beijing last month, said Tibet and other human rights concerns would take a back seat in US-China relations in order to collaborate on issues such as fighting the global economic crisis.
William Cohen, a former senator and secretary of defense, said that while members of Congress would continue to be outspoken, the executive branch has learned to take a softer approach with China.
"It's human relations 101," he said. "If you pound the podium and say these are the things you must do, you are likely to get just the opposite result."
Cohen co-chairs a bipartisan commission that includes Henry Kissinger -- who laid the groundwork for normalization of ties between the United States and China in 1972 -- that has called for the two countries to address any disputes in private.
Fellow co-chair Maurice Greenberg, the former head of insurance giant AIG, said that with 1.3 billion people, social stability "is critical to China, as to the world."
"You have to recognize there are different cultures, different histories than our own," he said. "You can't just dictate what they should be based upon what you are."
Even US human rights activists said they put hopes for change in Tibet on a new generation of Chinese scholars who are more open to criticizing government policy.
"One of the reasons you see such a vociferous response from Beijing to any perceived form of separatism or affinity for Tibetan Buddhism is the enormous popularity that the Dalai Lama enjoys outside of China," said Sophie Richardson, Human Rights Watch advocacy director for Asia.
"We can reasonably expect China to ignore what we say. But we would hope they would listen to what Chinese academics are now saying."
3/9/09 By CAROL E. LEE- POLITICO
Nancy Reagan issued a statement expressing gratitude moments after Obama signed the executive order on stem cell research.
"I’m very grateful that President Obama has lifted the restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research," Reagan said. "These new rules will now make it possible for scientists to move forward. I urge researchers to make use of the opportunities that are available to them, and to do all they can to fulfill the promise that stem cell research offers." Reagan, who has long supported stem cell research despite opposition within the Republican Party that constantly honors her husband's legacy, noted the personal impact of the policy change. "Countless people, suffering from many different diseases, stand to benefit from the answers stem cell research can provide," she said. "We owe it to ourselves and to our children to do everything in our power to find cures for these diseases – and soon. As I’ve said before, time is short, and life is precious."
3/6/09 BBC
Gordon Brown has condemned California's ban on gay marriage as "unacceptable" and warned people to be vigilant against all forms of discrimination.
The prime minister said the ban, backed in a referendum in the US state in November, would "undo" much of recent progress made in tackling prejudice.
California became the 28th US state to prohibit gay marriage, overturning an earlier court ruling legalising it.
Same-sex civil partnerships became law in the UK in 2005.
'Fighting homophobia'
Civil partnerships gave gay partners the same tax and inheritance rights as heterosexual married couples.
Mr Brown made the comments at a reception in Downing Street for leading figures from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Nearly 20,000 gay couples have married in California since same-sex unions were legalised in May and the state authorities have said these will remain valid.
The referendum, which gained 52% support, called for the state's constitution to be amended to include the stipulation that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised".
Mr Brown said "this attempt to undo good that has been done is unacceptable".
He added: "This shows why we have always got to be vigilant, always got to fight homophobic behaviour and any form of discrimination."
He also praised equality campaigners in the UK for "changing opinion" about same-sex unions.
"You have shown how the legislative process, by your pressure, can respond," he said.
3/6/09 Verena von Pfetten- Huffington Post via Beliefnet.com
There are no shortage of reasons to admire and be inspired by Michelle Obama; her poise, her style, and her steadfast determination to make a change in this world, one soup kitchen at a time make her a strong role model for men, women, and children everywhere. But while her husband Barack has been championed as the all-star orator, Michelle herself is no stranger to the power of words. Beliefnet.com has put together an uplifting list of some of Mrs. Obama's most encouraging words. Below are our favorites.
On being the First Lady and Mom-in-Chief:
"My first job in all honesty is going to continue to be mom-in-chief. Making sure that in this transition, which will be even more of a transition for the girls...that they are settled and that they know they will continue to be the center of our universe."
On the importance of self-care:
"Women in particular need to keep an eye on their physical and mental health, because if we're scurrying to and from appointments and errands, we don't have a lot of time to take care of ourselves. We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own 'to do' list."
On dealing with stress:
"Exercise is really important to me--it's therapeutic. So if I'm ever feeling tense or stressed or like I'm about to have a meltdown, I'll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls."
On staying true to oneself:
"One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. And so when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am."
And on making a difference:
"And in my own life, in my own small way, I've tried to give back to this country that has given me so much. That's why I left a job at a law firm for a career in public service, working to empower young people to volunteer in their communities. Because I believe that each of us--no matter what our age or background or walk of life--each of us has something to contribute to the life of this nation."
3/5/09 By DARLENE SUPERVILLE, AP
WASHINGTON – "Do you want some risotto?"
With that, first lady Michelle Obama began scooping mushroom risotto to help serve lunch Thursday to some of the mostly homeless men and women who get free meals at a soup kitchen several blocks from the White House.
Her visit was designed to highlight the work of places like Miriam's Kitchen, as demand for their services have risen during the economic downturn, and her interest in community service, an issue she wants to focus on as first lady.
Mrs. Obama urged people to donate food and, if they can't afford that, then to just give a hand.
"There is a moment in time when each and every one of us needs a helping hand," she said after leaving the serving station. "Miriam's Kitchen has become a place where so many people have been able to find that helping hand."
"Their work here has meant the world to so many and it is an example of what we can do as a country and as a community to help folks when they're down," Mrs. Obama said. "Helping is an easy thing to do."
The fruit salad served along with the risotto, steamed broccoli, apple-carrot muffins and whole wheat rolls was prepared with fresh fruit donated by the White House. Eight cases were sent over, enough to make Thursday's salad and be used at breakfast for two weeks, said Scott Schenkelberg, executive director of Miriam's Kitchen.
Miriam's, which opened in 1983, serves breakfast daily and lunch on Wednesdays. The Thursday meal was special, and the men and women eating that day hadn't been told Mrs. Obama was coming.
The donation by the White House is a "tremendous example" of how easy it is to become involved, Schenkelberg said.
"It's easy and painless and we need your help," he said.
Mrs. Obama said people should make "good, healthy food" the focus of any donation.
"There are people all across the country, even in these times, who can lend a hand and volunteer at a soup kitchen, even if they don't have the resources to donate," she added. "So we're all going to need one another in these times."
Mrs. Obama tied on a purple apron and joined five volunteers on the serving line behind a glass counter, where she spent about 15 minutes scooping risotto and chatting with the guests as they were called to the line for lunch.
"I didn't make it, but I hear it's pretty good," she told one person after offering the risotto.
George Rivera, 52, of the District of Columbia, said he thought Mrs. Obama would be taller. Minutes after meeting her, he told reporters he couldn't remember much of what he said.
"It's a like a blur," he said.
Rivera spoke with the first lady again after her visit, when she shook hands with the 50 or so guests plus staff and volunteers. He said he told her he had been homeless for a long time but that Barack Obama's message during last year's presidential campaign inspired him to vote. He said she told him to continue being civic-minded.
"And I told her that I will," Rivera said.
3/4/09 AP
WASHINGTON – First daughters Malia and Sasha Obama got a big surprise after school: a brand new swing set.
President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, arranged for it to be installed Wednesday while their daughters were at school. It is set up on the White House grounds within sight of the Oval Office.
A spokeswoman for the first lady said the girls, 10 and 7 years old, squealed with delight upon seeing the swing set.
They played on it for almost an hour in chilly weather.
The spokeswoman said that the Obamas, as they planned the family's move from Chicago, discussed ways to make the White House feel more like home for the girls. One thing they decided on was the 100 percent wooden swing set, made by a South Dakota company.
3/4/09 BBC
Gordon Brown has urged the US to renew the "special relationship for our generation" in a speech to Congress
Mr Brown, the fifth UK prime minister in history to address both houses on Capitol Hill, urged the US and UK to push for "essential" economic changes.
Neither nation should "succumb" to protectionism "which protects no-one", but "seize the moment", he said.
Mr Brown also announced that veteran Senator Edward Kennedy would receive an honorary UK knighthood.
The prime minister paid tribute to the work of US troops in Afghanistan and said terrorists could "not ever destroy the American spirit".
The partnership between the UK and the US is "unbreakable" and that "no power on earth can ever draw us apart", he also said.
'Standards'
The speech began and ended to standing ovations and was frequently interrupted for applause - with 17 such pauses counted.
Mr Brown called for agreed "rules and standards for accountability, transparency and reward" in banking.
On the recession, he said: "America and a few countries cannot be expected to bear the burden of the fiscal and interest rate stimulus alone. We must share it globally.
"So let us work together for the worldwide reduction of interest rates and a scale of stimulus round the world equal to the depth of the recession and the dimensions of the recovery we must make."
Mr Brown added: "An economic hurricane has swept the world, creating a crisis of credit and of confidence.
"History has brought us now to a point where change is essential. We are summoned not just to manage our times but to transform them."
In addressing Congress, Mr Brown follows in the footsteps of Winston Churchill, Clement Attlee, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.
'Pro-American'
He said: "Now more than ever the rest of the world wants to work with you...
"And let me say that you now have the most pro-American European leadership in living memory. A leadership that wants to cooperate more closely together, in order to cooperate more closely with you.
"There is no old Europe, no new Europe. There is only your friend Europe.
"So once again I say we should seize the moment - because never before have I seen a world willing to come together so much. Never before has that been more needed."
Announcing the honorary knighthood for Edward Kennedy, Mr Brown said that "Northern Ireland is today at peace, more Americans have healthcare, more children around the world are going to school" because of the long-serving Democratic senator.
The world owed "a great debt to [his] life and courage", he added.
Senator Kennedy, who is being treated for a brain tumour, was unable to attend Congress.
Following Mr Brown's speech, Conservative Party acting leader William Hague said: "It is right to remind Americans that we need to work together against protectionism, in defeating terrorism and in combating climate change.
"What was missing was any sense of contrition for past mistakes and an ability to translate words into action."
Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman Vince Cable said: "Gordon Brown seemed to offer a lot of warm words but very few hard plans to fight the recession which has engulfed the world economy and his government.
"Rather than trying to shore up his reputation in America, he should be focusing his attention on fixing the mess we face back home."
'Common interest'
After Mr Brown's meeting with Barack Obama on Tuesday, the US president said the "special relationship" between the countries would "only grow stronger".
After about an hour of talks at the White House, Mr Brown and Mr Obama said they agreed that improvements were needed to the regulation of the global banking system.
Mr Obama warned that countries should not "project inwards" by encouraging protectionism during the economic crisis.
Mr Brown said the two countries were pursuing a "common interest" in a "global new deal".
The prime minister's US visit comes ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 (G20) developed and emerging economies in London on 2 April.
The EU and Canada have warned that a "buy American" clause in the US economic recovery package could promote protectionism.
It seeks to ensure that only US iron, steel and manufactured goods are used in construction work funded by the bill - but has included a pledge to respect international trade obligations.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/7922426.stm
3/3/09 Washington- CNN
President Obama on Tuesday overturned a last-minute Bush administration regulation that many environmentalists claim weakened the Endangered Species Act.
The regulation, issued a few weeks before George W. Bush left office, made it easier for federal agencies to skip consultations with government scientists before launching projects that could affect endangered wildlife.
By overturning the regulation, Obama said during an enthusiastic reception at the Interior Department, he had restored "the scientific process to its rightful place at the heart of the Endangered Species Act, a process undermined by past administrations."
Under the Bush administration rule, there was no need for a federal agency to consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Services if that agency determined that no harm would come to an endangered species as a result of its project.
But the determination of what "no harm" meant rested with agency bureaucrats instead of scientists.
Obama issued a memorandum that effectively suspends the regulation while ordering a review to determine whether it promotes "the purposes of the [Endangered Species Act]."
"The work of scientists and experts in my administration, including right here in the Interior Department, will be respected," Obama said. "For more than three decades, the Endangered Species Act has successfully protected our nation's most threatened wildlife, and we should be looking for ways to improve it, not weaken it."
Environmental groups were quick to praise Obama's action.
"President Obama's announcement will allow [the Endangered Species Act] to do what it was intended: protect our nation's endangered plants and animals," said Andrew Wetzler, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Endangered Species Program.
"Reversing the Bush administration's midnight action will restore protections for our last wild places and species."
Obama also helped celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Interior Department on Tuesday.
"Throughout our history, there's been a tension between those who've sought to conserve our natural resources for the benefit of future generations and those who have sought to profit from these resources," he told department employees.
There will never be anything that will equal the 2008 Political Campaign Season; it set off emotions and actions on the topics of race, sex and religion.* 2008 gave us Barack Obama the viable first presidential male candidate of mixed race (and now our 44th President) :D
* 2008 gave us Hillary Clinton the first viable presidential female candidate that was white
* Barack Obama's religion and his citizenship were questioned. (Barack Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii ; the 50th state of the United States of America). Barack Obama is a Christian.
* In California in 2005 a bill legalizing same-sex marriages (AB 849) became the first bill of its kind to pass a legislative body in the United States; the nation’s first same-sex marriage bill approved by a legislative body. (the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act). Then in 2008 Proposition 8 was a California ballot proposition in the general election that changed the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples and eliminated same-sex couples' right to marry. Numerous lawsuits were filed with the California Supreme Court by same-sex couples and government entities, challenging the proposition's validity and effect on previously administered same-sex marriages. March 5th - Supreme Court Oral Argument Hearing 9am to noon.
The Chicago Bulls were at the White House today to present the 44th President -- and proud Chicagoan -- a custom jersey
President Obama is set to take in the Bulls game tomorrow night against the Washington Wizards, sources with the White House and the Wizards say. The game starts at 7 p.m. at the Verizon Center.
Thursday, February 26th, 2009 at 5:45 pm - whitehouse.gov
Along with thanks and congratulations, First Lady Michelle Obama today appealed to employees of the Environmental Protection Agency to strive for excellence for the sake of the next generation. "I've often spoken about my most important job -- being a mom -- and like mothers and fathers everywhere, the health and safety of our children is our top priority," the First Lady said on a visit to EPA headquarters. "This is what it is all about: the future. And in many ways, it starts with all of you. You ensure that the water we drink is safe, that the air we breathe is clean, and that the polluted fields and abandoned factories in our neighborhoods all over this nation are cleaned up and restored." Hundreds of employees turned out to see the First Lady, whom EPA administrator Lisa Jackson introduced as "an icon" of grace, class and style. And some took heart in what the First Lady assured them would be "a new day" at the EPA. "We are just thrilled to be working for an administration that respects the work we do, environmental work but public service more specifically," said Beth Hall, who works in the ground water and drinking water office (pool report).
2/26/09 at 5:03 pm- whitehouse.gov
If you’re interested in applying for a White House internship, the application process is now open.
Take a look at the instructions for how to apply for a White House internship, download the application, and learn more about the White House departments you could work in.
Applications are due March 22, 2009. A couple of important things to keep in mind:
In addition to normal office duties, interns will supplement their learning experience by attending a weekly lecture series hosted by senior White House staff, help at White House social events, and volunteer in community service projects.
White House Internships are unpaid positions and participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and housing for the duration of the program.
2/25/09 People Magazine - By Sandra Sobieraj Westfall
The whole world, it seems, wants to know: What kind of dog are the Obamas getting and, for goodness sake, when? Speaking to PEOPLE at the White House recently, Michelle Obama leaned in and confided: "You're getting some scoops here." So, when? In April, Mrs. Obama says – after she and the President take daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, on a vacation for spring break. Here's a sample of a typical family conversation on the matter: "So Sasha says, 'April 1st.' I said, 'April.' She says, 'April 1st.' It's, like, April!," Mrs. Obama recalls. "Got to do it after spring break. You can't get a new dog and then go away for a week." And what kind of dog will soon be frolicking on the South Lawn? Mrs. Obama says she thinks she is going to look for a rescue Portuguese Water dog who is "old enough" and a "match" for the family dynamic. "Temperamentally they're supposed to be pretty good," she says of the breed that Sen. Ted Kennedy has also lobbied for (he has two Water dogs of his own). "From the size perspective, they're sort of middle of the road – it's not small, but it's not a huge dog. And the folks that we know who own them have raved about them. So that's where we're leaning."
The only thing still up in the air is the name. And Mom's not feeling it with some of the names her girls have come up with. "Oh, the names are really bad. I don't even want to mention it, because there are names floating around and they're bad," Mrs. Obama says with a laugh. "You listen and you go – like, I think, Frank was one of them. Frank! Moose was another one of them. Moose. I said, well, what if the dog isn't a moose? Moose. I'm like, no, come on, let's work with the names a little bit." Asked if she can believe the public interest in her family dog search, Mrs. Obama shakes her head. "Okay, that's surprising," she says. "One of the things I didn't anticipate is the level of the excitement about the dog. I knew my kids were excited. They've been excited for years. They've even calmed down, because they feel like, 'They said we're going to get one, so let's just shut up about it.' " Diplomatically, and careful not to insult enthusiastic dog-lovers, she adds: "It's all great and gracious attention. People are just being as helpful as you can imagine. So I know that we will find the perfect breed. And we'll find people who are caring folks who will help us find the dog of our dreams." For more from this interview, including Michelle Obama's views on fashion and her family's daily White House routine, pick up the new PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday
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My vote for a dog name is Esperança (Portugese for the word "Hope")
Learn more about the Portugese Water Dog here is a Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portugese_water_dog
2/23/09 ABC
The letter to President Obama came from a woman in Arizona whose husband lost his job. He was able to find work, but the new gig came with one-third the pay; the family is struggling to make their mortgage payments.
The letter from the Arizona woman illustrated a policy conundrum, recalled senior adviser David Axelrod. President Obama read it, and absorbed the lesson.
"She said they had made all their mortgage payments, but were running out of money," Axelrod said. "And they were told they could not renegotiate unless they were delinquent in their payments."
Before President Obama's housing speech last week, he'd made copies of his letter and "sent it to his financial team and said, 'This is the kind of person our housing plan should help," Axelrod recalled.
The president had other copies made of that letter. He had it distributed to staff on Air Force One.
"He had been struck by how powerful the story was," White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said. "He wanted us as we were creating policy to make sure that we were listening and hearing these examples as well."
Every day President Barack Obama is handed a special purple folder. The folder contains ten letters, and every day President Obama takes time to read them.
Are they from world leaders? From members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff? Members of the intelligence community?
No, these letters have been culled from the thousands the White House Correspondence Office receives each day from Americans who have taken the time to sit down and write to their president.
"They help him focus on the real problems people are facing," says Axelrod. "He really a absorbs these letters, and often shares then with us."
In his first week in office, President Obama requested that he see 10 letters a day "representative of people's concerns, from people writing into the president," recalls Gibbs, "to help get him outside of the bubble, to get more than just the information you get as an elected official."
Says Axelrod, "he did it because his greatest concern is getting isolated in the White House, away from the experiences of the American people...The letters impact him greatly."
Some recent examples, according to aides, include a letter from a businessman who owns a manufacturing company and says he finds it very difficult to lay off employees who have done nothing wrong. If things don't improve, the correspondent wrote, he'll have to lay off 10% of his workforce.
Another letter came from a divorced senior citizen raising a grandchild on a fixed income, including Social Security. She confessed to being depressed and scared.
A third came from a realtor who urged the president to do something about the large number of foreclosed properties. A fourth was a plea for help from an unemployed truck driver.
Monday through Friday the head of White House Correspondence delivers ten letters to be read by the President, choosing among letters that are broadly representative of the day’s news and issues; ones that are broadly representative of President’s intake of current mail, phone calls to the comment line, and faxes from citizens; and messages that are particularly compelling.
Some of these, maybe two or three each day, the President responds to in his own hand.
Gibbs says that before two different economic speeches, the President "pulled letters he has gotten and distributed them to staff, to understand what people were going through."
The vast majority of the calls coming into the White House, and over a third of the faxes have been on the stimulus package and the economy, so up to half of the letters the President sees are on that broad subject. Aides say that many of these correspondents also have other complications: bankruptcy due to health care, lost job, lost opportunities for their children.
A smaller number of the letters address other issues, such as the environment, health care, education, foreign affairs, or nuclear proliferation.
And a handful, usually no more than five a week, are from people who have a simple supportive message or inspirational story to tell.
The head of correspondence also includes letters to the President from smaller children who ask questions or give advice.
Sometimes the letters are include in the president's overnight briefing book.
As the President addresses the immense issues the nation and world face -- today the President will announce he's appointing an inspector general to head the transparency and accountability board to supervise the stimulus spending, and will host an fiscal responsibly summit; Tuesday he will address the economy before a joint sessions of Congress; Thursday he will present his budget -- the President's aides say these letters help the president stay in touch with real people and ignore the chatter here inside the DC bubble.
The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a United States federal government program that gives matching funds to states in order to provide health insurance to families with children. The program was designed to cover uninsured children in families with incomes that are modest but too high to qualify for Medicaid.
During the administration of George W. Bush, two attempts to expand funding for the program failed when Bush vetoed them. In February 2009, President Barack Obama signed legislation expanding the program to an additional 4 million children and pregnant women, including for the first time legal immigrants without a waiting period.
2/18/09 - DARLENE SUPERVILLE- APWASHINGTON — Foot-stomping music filled the East Room of the White House on Wednesday as first lady Michelle Obama hosted nearly 200 schoolchildren for a Black History Month celebration featuring Sweet Honey in the Rock, an award-winning female a cappella ensemble.Mrs. Obama seemed a bit surprised when the sixth- and seventh-graders from three local schools said yes, they knew slaves helped build the White House, that President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation upstairs in a bedroom named for him, and that the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights leaders met in the building with Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson to discuss the end of segregation."So you guys know your history. That's a good thing," she said. "That means your parents and teachers are doing their jobs."Mrs. Obama encouraged them to look beyond the names in the history books and to "think about the extraordinary people who live in your own world," like parents, grandparents and teachers, "all those folks who play important roles in black history an American history every single day."
She said they will write history's next chapter and they should work hard every day, always put their best foot forward, even when no one is looking, and support their families at home by making their beds, putting away dishes and cleaning their rooms.
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"That's part of the preparation," said Mrs. Obama, whose daughters, Malia and Sasha, sat in the front row with her mother, Marian Robinson.Before Mrs. Obama spoke, the students listened as retired Rear Adm. Stephen Rochon told his own story. In 2007, Rochon became the first black man to be named chief usher at the White House and director of the executive residence.President Barack Obama and the first lady have talked about opening up the White House and making it more accessible to the public.Wednesday's event with Sweet Honey in the Rock, a Grammy Award-winning ensemble, was the first with a student audience, including some whose parents are members of the White House's professional staff. The students attend Shaw and Stuart-Hobson middle schools, and KIPP DC: KEY Academy, a charter school.
