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Tag: President Barack Obama

  • Blake Lively Accompanies Ryan Reynolds to State Dinner in Honor of Canadian Prime Minister at White House

    Blake Lively accompanied her Canadian husband Ryan Reynolds to a State Dinner at the White House earlier this week, in honor of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

    Oozing old Hollywood glam, the Gossip Girl alum donned a silver Ralph & Russo robe gown for the event, accessorizing with Lorraine Schwartz jewelry and a Marchesa clutch. Much to her dismay, Blake Lively experienced a bit of a wardrobe malfunction at the White House, when the gown’s thigh-high slit exposed her shape wear underneath.

    Ryan Reynolds complemented his wife’s attire with a dark tuxedo that sharply contrasted with his white bow tie.

    In addition to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, other Hollywood celebs at the State Dinner included Reynolds’ fellow Canadians Mike Meyers, Michael J. Fox and Sandra Oh. Canadian singer Sara Bareilles performed at the event.

    Guests at the State Dinner listened to President Barack Obama try to crack jokes about the relationship between Canada and the U.S. He said the countries would always disagree on some topics–like who brews the better beer.

    Alas it was likely an exciting night for Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, as well as for the other celebs who attended the State Dinner in honor of the Canadian Prime Minister. Even though it sounds like it may have been a bit of a stuffy occasion at times, not everyone can say they’ve attended such an affair.

  • Anthony Anderson: Wife Files for Divorce from ‘Black-ish’ Star

    Anthony Anderson and Alvina Stewart have been married since 1999, but earlier this week Stewart filed for divorce from the Black-ish star. She cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the split.

    It seems the two have been separated for quite some time. E! News learned from obtaining the papers that Alvina Stewart is requesting joint legal custody of one son. She and Anthony Edwards are the parents of two children–a daughter, who is 19, and a son who is 15. Stewart wants primary physical custody of their minor child, with Anthony Edwards getting “reasonable visitation.” She also wants him to pay her spousal support.

    A rep for Anthony Anderson confirms the pending divorce.

    “Yes, the divorce papers are public record and they have been separated for some time now.”

    Son Nathan accompanied Anthony Edwards to last weekend’s Emmy Awards. The two men looked both handsome and proud of each other as they walked the red carpet together.

    While on the red carpet, Edwards shared that Black-ish producers are trying to get President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to do a guest stint on the show.

    “We’re petitioning to get President Obama on the show,” Anthony Anderson said. “They watch the show. They love it. We know them so we’ve been dealing with them and their people and hopefully they’ll say yes.”

    Anthony Anderson didn’t seem any worse for wear at the 2015 Emmys, even in light of news about his divorce. Hopefully the split is an amicable one and the actor remains close to both of his children.

    Have you ever checked out Anthony Anderson on Black-ish?

  • Chris Martin: Coldplay Front Man Sings at Funeral for Beau Biden

    Chris Martin, the front man for Coldplay and boyfriend of actress Jennifer Lawrence, sang at the funeral of Vice-President Biden’s son, Beau Biden, in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday.

    Delaware Online reports that Martin volunteered to sing at the funeral after learning that Beau Biden was a big Coldplay fan.

    Singing the band’s 2005 hit song, ‘Til Kingdom Come,’ Chris Martin wasn’t the only big name at the funeral. President Barack Obama delivered a eulogy. Bill and Hillary Clinton were in attendance as well.

    Martin sang solo against a backdrop of white flowers in the pulpit of the Catholic church where Beau Biden was remembered by a huge crowd.

    Chris Martin sang just before the closing prayer at Beau Biden’s funeral. He hugged both Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, after his performance.

    Beau Biden died on May 30th of brain cancer. He was just 46 years old.

  • Malia Obama: Stanford or Berkeley Bound?

    Malia Obama: Stanford or Berkeley Bound?

    Malia Obama has reached that pivotal point in most teenager’s lives when it’s time to seriously consider the colleges to which she’ll apply. The 16-year-old daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will head off to college in the fall of 2016.

    President Obama has said in the past that Malia wants to be a filmmaker. The media reported last summer that Malia Obama toured two northern California rivals–both Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley.

    Berkeley, of course, is California’s flagship public university. It is known as a liberal enclave. It also has an internationally renown department of film and media.

    Stanford is a private university in Palo Alto, and is a far more conservative school. Chelsea Clinton and some Supreme Court justices including Sandra Day O’Connor graduated from there. At Stanford, students can major or minor in film and media studies. The university has more NCAA championships than any other U.S. school. Malia Obama is known as an athlete, excelling at tennis, so she might be a good fit for “Nerd Nation.” That’s the unofficial nickname for Stanford’s sports fans.

    Malia Obama certainly has a wealth of fodder for her college essay. She’s lived in the White House since she was just 10 years old, and that alone must be an education of sorts. She’s had a front-row seat to her father’s two presidential campaigns. She has traveled around the world, and met world figures such as Queen Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.

    Malia Obama’s parents are Harvard-educated lawyers with Ivy League undergraduate degrees–the president’s from Columbia and Michelle Obama’s from Princeton. That said, expectations for Malia undoubtedly run high.

    David Hawkins is an official at the National Association for College Admission Counseling in Arlington, Virginia. What did he have to say about Malia Obama with regard to her college applications?

    “Given the educational attainment of her parents, which is exceptional in itself, I can only assume she is going to be a bright and well-qualified student,” he said.

    What do you predict? Will Malia Obama be heading to Stanford or to Berkeley? Or might she surprise everyone and head somewhere completely unexpected?

  • Narendra Modi Brings Thoughtful, Personal Gifts To Obama

    Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought gifts for Monday’s state visit with US President Barack Obama.

    Modi personally chose the thoughtful, personal gifts for Obama — keeping in mind the two people the president most admires, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. — including “Gita by Gandhi” in Khadi cover, as well as audio and video clips from King’s 1959 visit to India.

    “The prime minister has brought several gifts. At the personal level, he has brought a special edition of Gita by Gandhi Ji. This is Gandhi Ji’s interpretation of Gita. The book was published many years ago,” said External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin.

    “The prime minister had specifically ordered a special edition of the book and copies of it were specially done up with a certain getup as Khadi on its cover these were prepared in Delhi and were brought and were handed over to the president.”

    “Also, he has given some other personal gifts. He is aware that President Obama has great regard for Martin Luther King and there is a Gandhi link between President Obama, the King and the prime minister, so he (Modi) had looked up and asked All India Radio to provide a recording of Martin Luther King’s speech which he gave in India in 1959 when he visited India. In addition, there are some other memorabilia of Martin Luther King,” he said.

    “There is a photograph of the King at the Rajghat, which the prime minister has framed and given to Obama. There is a small clip which goes back to 1959. The Photos Division was able to track back a video clip of Martin Luther King‘s visit to India. All these were prepared by the prime minister’s Office in advance and presented to President Obama today,” he said.

    “These were personal gifts. Official gifts would be presented tomorrow,” Akbaruddin said.

    The prime minister also generously brought gifts for Obama‘s two daughters, Sasha and Malia, according to the sources.

  • Janay Rice Blasts Media After Brutal Attack by Husband Ray Rice: ‘We’ll Show You What Real Love Is’

    Janay Rice blasted the media Tuesday, a day after a video of her being knocked out by her husband and former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was released by TMZ Sports.

    Since the release of the video, the country has erupted over the issue of domestic violence and her husband’s career with the NFL has effectively ended.

    In an Instagram post published Tuesday morning, Janay shared her outrage that the media released a video that — from her point of view — shares a painful, private memory with the world.

    Although her Instagram account is private, Rice reportedly told the Baltimore Sun she intended to make a public statement through the post.

    “I woke up this morning feeling like I had a horrible nightmare, feeling like I’m mourning the death of my closest friend. But to have to accept the fact that it’s reality is a nightmare in itself,” she wrote. “No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family.”

    She also expressed her hurt and embarrassment by the public airing of a private moment, and expressed outrage that her husband lost his career over the assault.

    “To take something away from the man I love that he was worked his ass off for all his life just to gain ratings is a horrific,” she wrote. “THIS IS OUR LIFE!”

    After TMZ released the video of the attack captured in an elevator in an Atlantic City casino, the Baltimore Ravens quickly terminated Rice’s contract and the NFL suspended the star indefinitely.

    Ray pleaded not guilty to assault charges back in May when the attack occurred and was allowed to enter a pre-trial intervention program to avoid prosecution. At the time, he was handed-down a two-game suspension from the Ravens.

    “If your intentions were to hurt us, embarrass us, make us feel alone, take all happiness away, you’ve succeeded on so many levels,” Janey wrote in her Instagram post. “Just know that we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is!”

    Here’s hoping that Janay realizes one day that — despite her embarrassment and pain now — the public display of her assault may help others in the future who face the same unimaginable pain and embarrassment associated with domestic violence.

    President Barack Obama said it well in a statement following the incident.

    “The President is the father of two daughters. And like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilized society. Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that’s true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors. Stopping domestic violence is something that’s bigger than football – and all of us have a responsibility to put a stop to it.”

    Here, here!

  • Linda Ronstadt Awarded National Medal Of Arts

    Female rock and roll legend Linda Ronstadt was unable to make her induction ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last April due to Parkinson’s disease. However, with the assistance of a military aide who brought Ronstadt into the East Room of the White House by wheelchair, she was able to personally receive the highest US arts prize, the National Medal of Arts.

    Ronstadt, who is often referred to as “The First Lady of Rock,” was able to walk to the stage to receive her award from President Barack Obama on Monday. The 68-year-old is considered a pioneer for female rock musicians. Obama spoke of the importance of the ceremony, “The arts and humanities aren’t just there to be consumed when we have a moment … we need them.” He also admitted to having a little crush on Ronstadt when he was younger.

    The White House stated that Ronstadt “defied expectations to conquer American radio waves and help pave the way for generations of women artists.”

    Ronstadt is an 11-time Grammy Award winner. She also spanned many different music genres, some of her songs were considered country, some were thought to be standard rock, while others were geared towards a folk sound. A few of her greatest hits include: It’s So Easy, Different Drum, You’re No Good, Blue Bayou, and When Will I Be Loved. The singer-songwriter has also worked with several brand name rock and roll stars including James Taylor, Neil Young, Glenn Fry, Don Henley, and Emmylou Harris.

    Eleven others were honored with the National Medal of Arts on Monday: novelist, poet and playwright Julia Alvarez; the Brooklyn Academy of Music; Joan Harris, an arts patron; the dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones; the music theater composer John Kander; Jeffrey Katzenberg, the director and CEO of DreamWorks; the novelist Maxine Hong Kingston; the documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles; the architects Billie Tsien and Tod Williams and the visual artist James Turrell.

    What’s your favorite Linda Ronstadt song?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Malia Obama Turned Sweet 16 on the 4th of July

    Malia Obama turned sweet 16 on Friday–the 4th of July. The daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama is just one of several White House daughters to celebrate this milestone birthday while their dad was in office.

    Twins Barbara and Jenna Bush turned 16 while their father George W. Bush was president. Chelsea Clinton–who is expecting her first baby in the coming months–turned 16 when Bill Clinton was in office. Who can forget little Amy Carter who skipped through the White House during Jimmy Carter’s one-term White House reign? She turned sweet 16 at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., too.

    And then there’s Susan Ford, whom the media heard little about, except maybe for that 16th birthday milestone. Her mom Betty Ford was diagnosed with breast cancer shortly after Gerald Ford took office, so Susan took a bit of a back seat to the media reports.

    And Lyndon B. and Ladybird Johnson’s two daughters Luci and Lynda both celebrated their sweet 16 birthdays in the White House, too, when their dad stepped into the presidency following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

    Even though all of these young girls–most of them grown women now–celebrated these milestone birthdays while their famous fathers were president, times have definitely changed from Luci and Lynda Johnson to Malia Obama. The president and Mrs. Obama strive for normalcy for both Malia and sister Sasha Obama.

    “They really want normalcy, and the White House isn’t normal,” Michelle Obama said during an interview with Jimmy Fallon a few months ago.

    “The truth of the matter is, they have more freedom than maybe we might have anticipated,” President Obama said.

    He added that he doesn’t worry as much as he thought he might–especially about the prospect of dating.

    “I’ve got men with guns following them around all the time,” he told Steve Harvey a while back.

    So exactly how did the Obama family celebrate Malia Obama turning 16? Well, Pitbull entertained on the White House Lawn as part of the annual 4th of July event there. That’s not a bad way for a teenager to celebrate her big day.

    Can you imagine what it must be like to be a teenager in the White House? Like all the young ladies who celebrated these birthdays before her, Malia Obama doesn’t have the freedom of simply picking up her phone and arranging to meet a group of girlfriends at the mall. She can’t accept an invitation to a new friend’s home or arrange to attend a sleepover at another teen’s house. Still she is enjoying opportunities that most 16-year-olds–and many adults, too–can only dream of experiencing. She’s been privy to a wonderful wardrobe, a Pitbull concert on her south lawn, and world travels.

    Life really isn’t so bad for Malia Obama. And to top it all off, since she’s now 16–she can apply for a driver’s license. Does it get any better than that?

    Image via YouTube

  • Malia Obama Works on Set of Halle Berry’s ‘Extant’

    Malia Obama, daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, worked on the set of Halle Berry’s upcoming sc-fi series Extant for a day. The aspiring filmmaker will be a junior in high school come fall, and was no doubt getting up close and personal with what her future work might entail.

    Malia clapped together the board that indicates the beginning of shooting a scene. The almost-16-year-old (Malia Obama turns 16 on the 4th of July) must have been completely enthralled by the goings-on on this Hollywood set.

    Extant is set to begin airing in July. In addition to starring Halle Berry it is produced by Amblin Television which was founded by Steven Spielberg. These two components add to the likelihood of the new series becoming an instant hit. How exciting will it be for Malia Obama to not only watch the show and know she spent a day on set, but to share that excitement with her friends as well?

    No one from the White House has yet commented on Malia’s exciting adventure. She attends Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., however it is far more likely that she was allowed this privilege because she is the president’s daughter than the chance that it was a school-related project.

    Some reports are indicating that Malia will work for the entire summer on the Extant set as Halle Berry’s assistant.

    Even though Michelle Obama is rather strict with Malia and sister Sasha Obama as far as watching television goes, Malia did admit during an interview about her famous dad back in January that she is a fan of the hit TV show Girls. Hopefully Mom will bend the rules a bit and allow the sisters to catch a few episodes of Extant when it begins airing next month.

    If nothing more emerges from Malia Obama’s visit to this Hollywood set, she will forever have the memories of a very exciting day away from the White House and away from school. Not many teens can file this kind of experience away in their memory banks.

    Image via YouTube

  • Eric Shinseki Resigns Amid Growing VA Scandal

    Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned today amidst the scandal that exposed widespread failings in the healthcare system for military veterans.

    President Barack Obama said he accepted Shinseki’s resignation after Shinseki delivered an interim review that found systemic mismanagement, treatment delays, and falsified records through the Veterans Health Administration, according to Bloomberg News.

    “This morning I think some of you also heard Ric take a truly remarkable action,” Obama said in a statement. “In public remarks, he took responsibility for the conduct of those facilities and apologized to his fellow veterans and to the American people. And a few minutes ago, Secretary Shinseki offered me his own resignation. With considerable regret, I accept it.”

    In his statement, President Obama took time to laud Shinseki’s military service, which includes two tours in Vietnam, commander of the 1st Cavalry Division, and position as Army chief of staff. He also noted Shinseki’s accomplishments as Veterans Affairs Secretary, saying “his commitment to our veterans is unquestioned.”

    “He has worked hard to investigate and identify the problems with access to care, but as he told me this morning, the VA needs new leadership to address them,” Obama continued. “He does not want to be a distraction, because his priority is to fix the problem and make sure our vets are getting the care that they need.”

    Shinseki’s resignation occurs during an ever-growing furor surrounding failings in the Veterans Health Administration. The revelations that veterans were subject to extraordinarily long treatment delays and that records were falsified to keep those delays hidden has caused public officials on both sides of the political divide to express their dismay and anger.

    Working with investigators at the VA’s inspector general’s office, the Justice Department is reviewing materials to see if any crimes were committed, according to a federal law enforcement official familiar with the probe.

    The investigation is still in its preliminary stages and focuses on whether VA officials made false statements to their superiors or others to cover-up problems related to the care of military veterans.

    Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement, saying, “The denial of care to our veterans is a national disgrace, and it’s fitting that the person who oversees the Department of Veterans Affairs has accepted responsibility for this growing scandal and resigned.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Obama Slams Republicans Over Voter’s Rights

    Shame on you Republican Party.

    That’s what President Obama told the attendees of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network conference earlier this week, and he said many on the Right are trying to stop people from voting, and they’re turning America’s clock backwards.

    “The right to vote is threatened today in a way that it has not been since the Voting Rights Act became law nearly five decades ago,” said the President. “This recent effort to restrict the vote has not been led by both parties, it’s been led by the Republican Party.”

    In addition, the President said the strategy of getting people not to vote, so they can increase the chances of Republican candidates winning, isn’t the best game plan, and it shows just how desperate and worried some are about Democrats perpetually winning elections.

    He said it’s a strategy of weakness, not strength, and keeping people from voting is truly hurting the country.

    “If your strategy depends on having fewer people showing up to vote, that’s not a sign of strength,” said the President. “That’s a sign of weakness. And not only is ultimately bad politics, ultimately it is bad for the country.”

    Some on the Right have accused people of committing voter’s fraud by either not being legal American citizens, not having the proper identification to vote, or voting more than once, and some have claimed that’s it’s difficult for some–especially low income folks–to secure proper ID due to the associated costs.

    And those costs are too much for more than half of U.S. citizens, said President Obama.

    “About 60% of Americans don’t have a passport,” he noted. “Just because you don’t have the money to travel abroad doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vote at home.”

    President Obama even spoke about his own legal documents and said nobody should question his citizenship, but if they do, they can always go online.

    “Just to be clear I know where my birth certificate is,” he said playfully. “I think it’s still up on a website somewhere. Do you remember that?”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • ‘Son of God’: Jesus Remains, Satan is Cut

    ‘Son of God’: Jesus Remains, Satan is Cut

    The New Testament story of Jesus Christ will once again hit the big screens on February 28th. This time it has taken a different approach to Mel Gibson’s 2004 film The Passion of the Christ, which focused more on the final moments of Jesus in Jerusalem up until his torture and crucifixion.

    The movie Son of God, however, will go more in depth about the birth of Jesus, his teachings, execution, and resurrection.

    According to a synopsis on the film’s official website, this is an experience you would not want to miss:

    Told with the scope and scale of an action epic, the film features powerful performances, exotic locales, dazzling visual effects and a rich orchestral score from Oscar®-winner Hans Zimmer.

    For leading actor Diogo Morgado, conducting a little research prepared him for his role as Jesus.

    The 6’2, Portugal-native portrayed Jesus once before in The History Channel’s Emmy nominated miniseries The Bible. As a Christian, Morgado’s new cameo gave him the opportunity to learn even more about his faith just by observing his surroundings.

    While visiting the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Morgado told Good Morning America Wednesday that he encountered an experience that put everything into perspective.

    He expressed how his portrayal of the Biblical leader inspires him to educate people, but especially children:

    I saw this father and a young kid, they were praying. And I stood for like two hours there. By the time I left, they were still praying and I realized whatever I was about to do would be connectinore with that kid than his father. We live in a visual world now. Kids can learn a lot by seeing things rather than reading it. So I really understood the responsibility…

    There’s a lot of people out there. A lot of kids, especially. They don’t know who exactly Jesus was. So, this is actually a tool that can teach these kids about why Jesus was who he was and why the Bible was the most important book.

    Well, one character that will be standing on the sidelines this time around is Satan.

    Film producer Roma Downey made sure to edit out any scenes involving the villain due to negative feedback regarding the appearance of Satan in The Bible, which critics said uncannily resembled President Barack Obama.

    Below is a Fox News coverage about the controversy: 

    Downey and her husband, who were also executive producers of the miniseries, decided to cut actor Mehdi Ouzaani from the 2013 TV special. In response to the controversy, they also released statements asserting that the Moroccan actor “previously played parts in several Biblical epics — including satanic characters long before Barack Obama was elected as our president.”

    Now, with another chance to redeem their filmmaking reputation, yanking Satan out of the equation may be the way to go (cough, cough).

    “It gives me great pleasure to tell you that the devil is on the cutting-room floor,” Downey told The Hollywood Reporter. “This is now a movie about Jesus, the son of God, and the devil gets no more screen time.”

    Well, I think that The Passion of the Christ will always be one of the most superb Christian films about Jesus. Therefore, I may just pass on this one UNLESS reviews direct me otherwise.

    However, the film Noah, which will recreate one of the Bible’s most catastrophic events, seems very interesting. Honestly, why would you not want to see a big wooden boat fight against a colossal rainfall as God wipes out the earth with a flood?

    What are your thoughts? Do you think that the portrayal of Jesus will be the same without his foe being in the mix?

    Here is the trailer to Son of God:

    Image via YouTube

  • Supreme Court to Rule on Unwarranted Cell Searches

    President Obama addressed recent outrage over unwarranted cell phone searches by police in a speech he gave at the Department of Justice on Friday. The President’s statement comes at a time when there has been much public debate over the legality of searches performed by police on a suspect’s cell phone without first obtaining a warrant.

    Two recent court cases have now caused both the President and the U.S. Supreme Court to begin a formal debate over whether police should be able to search an arrested suspect’s phone without a warrant.

    In a case from 2009, a suspect in California was convicted after the prosecution presented evidence in court, which had been obtained from the defendant’s smartphone without a warrant. A suspicious picture on the phone was found by police and presented as evidence, resulting in an eventual conviction.

    In a Massachusetts case, an arrest made in September 2007 culminated in a conviction after the prosecution used evidence obtained from an unwarranted search of the call log on the arrestee’s cell phone. Both cases were appealed and sent to the Supreme Court.

    Many civil liberties groups across the nation are demanding that a stop be put to both, the unlawful searches of cell phones, as well as government storage of U.S. citizen’s cell phone metadata. One such group, Demand Progress, says that the collection (and storage) of metadata should be ended entirely.

    In June, the President publicly said that he “welcomed” a debate over the government’s storage of cell data, but nothing was said further about the question of citizen’s Fourth Amendment Rights being violated until his Friday speech in Washington.

    The information on the National Security Agency’s policy on collecting and storing cell phone data was leaked last year by former employee Edward Snowden, and is the root cause for the debate now taking place.

    Upon the public outcry, the President addressed the issue, but did not detail a new policy until last week when he stated that the government will not stop the gathering of data. but that a private third party will now store the information for the government. The only time federal officials will be allowed access to the data is when there is evidence of a person being three steps removed from a terrorist organization. The details of Obama’s new action were outlined in a document later released by the White House.

    Hanni Fakhoury, a former federal public defender, says that in most areas of the country it is standard procedure for police to search an arrested person’s cell phone without obtaining consent. As well, it is being argued that many court cases will be much more difficult to prosecute without such evidence, and that a cell phone is really no different than other items searched during an arrest.

    The Supreme Court will begin hearing arguments on the matter in April, and are scheduled to issue their ruling in June.

    Main image courtesy West Midlands Police/Face Watch App via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Iran Nuclear Deal Purportedly Effective January 20

    The Iran nuclear deal that was agreed upon between the Middle Eastern nation and the six other world powers in November is now reported to be going into effect starting the 20th of January.

    President Barack Obama released a statement Sunday in which he attests, “Beginning January 20th, Iran will for the first time start eliminating its stockpile of higher levels of enriched uranium and dismantling some of the infrastructure that makes such enrichment possible.”

    The November deal that was finally struck after months of meetings and discussions between world officials requires Iran to greatly scale back its nuclear program and end uranium enrichment beyond 5%. The agreement also stipulates that Iran will not open any new enrichment facilities, and will begin destruction of their weapons-grade stockpile. In return, the United States and its negotiating partners agreed to provide Iran with billions of dollars in sanctions relief.

    When the plan was finally agreed upon in November, it was stated that Iran would be under surveillance for six months while a more thorough plan was constructed. However, those six months could not begin until the technical details surrounding such surveillance and monitoring could be worked out. After the initial half-year period, a more long-term and comprehensive course of action would begin when the details and strategies necessary for implementing such a plan were determined and agreed upon between Iran, the six world powers, and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

    Those initial six months are slated to begin January 20, 2014, as the necessary technicalities have been addressed, and the implementation phase can now move forward.

    Secretary of State John Kerry, who was in France in regards to a separate matter, commented on the latest details of the agreement, saying, “We are clear-eyed about the even greater challenges we all face in negotiating a comprehensive agreement. These negotiations will be very difficult, but they represent the best chance we have to resolve this critical national security issue peacefully, and durably.”

    At a conference held last month by the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, President Obama said that the odds of a compromise for a long-term plan being reached between Iran and the world powers is still no more than 50/50. However, according to ABC News, Mr. Obama has also said he will veto any new legislation regarding sanctions concerning Iran.

    Main image courtesy @WhiteHouse via Twitter.

  • Caitlin Cahow Pinned For Sochi Olympic Delegation

    Although President Barack Obama will not be attending the Sochi Olympics, he has picked several interesting candidates to send in his place as part of the presidential delegation. The delegation will be headed by former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, and will include tennis player and LGBT activist Billie Jean King, and the openly gay hockey player Caitlin Cahow. This will mark the first time since 2000 that the United States has not sent the president, former president, first lady or vice president to the Games.

    It appears as though President Obama is sending a clear message to Russia, who currently has extremely strict anti-gay laws. Cahow doesn’t seem to mind that she is being sent to make a statement. She actually said that she was elated to be invited to attend. “It’s obviously a statement that’s being made, but I think it’s an incredibly respectful one,” Cahow said.

    “Basically, the White House is highlighting Americans who know what it means to have freedoms and liberties under the Constitution. That’s really what we’re representing in Sochi and it’s not at all different from what’s espoused in the spirit of Olympism,” Cahow continued. “So I think it’s just a great group of people. I can’t believe I’ve been named one of them because it’s a remarkable roster and I just think that we’re going to represent what the best America can be. Hopefully, it will unify all of Team USA and send a message of love and acceptance to the world.”

    King has also communicated her gratification for being named to the delegation. “I am equally proud to stand with the members of the LGBT community in support of all athletes who will be competing in Sochi and I hope these Olympic Games will indeed be a watershed moment for the universal acceptance of all people,” said King.

    Russia has been under extreme criticism for passing their “gay propaganda” laws, however President Vladimir has announced that gay athletes and spectators will not face discrimination if they choose to attend the Sochi Games in February.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • President Obama Challenges Americans To Learn Code

    Ever since the dawn of computing, computer programming has always been a subject that has been heavily influenced by math and science. Just the thought of programming, where a person sits in front of a computer staring at lines and lines of code on end, does not sound like an exciting career to most. However, there is one initiative that has recently come to pass to let the “Average Joe” create a simple program without having to break a sweat or strain their brain cells. This initiative has been called The Hour of Code.

    Earlier this week, President Barack Obama released a video on YouTube that challenges Americans of all ages, races, and credos to learn a programming language. Along with this challenge, President Obama has teamed up with various students, teachers, businesses, and non-profit organizations that are taking steps to support and enhance Computer Science within the American school system. With this in mind, President Obama challenges Americans not just be participants of technology, but to engage in the creation of it:

    “Don’t just buy a new video game, make one. Don’t just download the latest app, help design it. Don’t just play on your phone, program it.”

    President Obama continues his speech by stating that learning how to program code is not just important for your future, but it is important for the country’s future as well. The more programmers our country has, the more America will stay on the “cutting edge” of technology.

    To help give the public a taste of how computer programming has evolved, along with how fun it can be to create something using a computer, The Hour of Code (THOC) website will show you. To describe what THOC is all about, I have provided a brief summary from the site’s about page below.

    “Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science education by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. Our vision is that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer programming. We believe computer science should be part of the core curriculum in education, alongside other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and algebra.”

    On THOC’s website, participants can program code using the following methods:

    • Tutorials for beginners – Learn the basic concepts of Computer Science with drag and drop programming.
    • Tutorials that teach JavaScript – Learn the basics of JavaScript programming while creating fun drawings with your code.
    • No device or internet? Try ‘unplugged’ computer science – Using a pre-defined “Robot Vocabulary,” students will figure out how to guide each other to accomplish specific tasks without discussing them first.
    • Tutorial apps for any device – Learn core programming logic, starting from super-basic programming, for ages 4+, on iOS or Android (or Web browser)
    • Other programming languages – Choose from 3 activities designed to give you your first experience programming.
    • Make your own apps – Know some programming already? Learn to make an iPhone game in an hour!
    • Other learning options – A collection of 8 fun activities for children of all ages to try programming.

    Are you still not convinced that programming can be easy? See actress Angela Bassett, actor Ashton Kutcher, and singer Shakira get involved with The Hour of Code.

    [Image source: YouTube screenshot (1:02)]

  • George W. Bush Shows off His Art to World Leaders

    Who knew? President George W. Bush is a painter and he’s proud enough of his work to share his art with some of the most powerful people in the free world.

    Some would think a 16 hour flight with a passenger list that included President Obama, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Hilary Clinton would get awkward. However, politics were put aside as the mourners all boarded Air Force One yesterday en route to South Africa for Nelson Mandela’s memorial service

    Today, everyone seems to be talking about the pictures taken by White House photographer Pete Souza. They show Bush proudly showing off his works of art via an iPad. And the crowd looks impressed.

    This selfie picture is making the rounds as well. Obama is receiving some heat for taking it at Mandela’s service.

    Bush’s new love of painting is actually not a complete surprise. He introduced his artwork to a national audience on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Bush painted a portrait of the talk show host and gave it to him as a gift. He also confessed to Diane Sawyer that painting has had a major impact on his life. “Painting has changed my life in an unbelievably positive way.”

    Nelson Mandela died at the age of 95 last Thursday. Political leaders from around the world and celebrities alike gathered in Johannesburg to pay respects to the former President and revolutionary who sacrificed his freedom in an attempt to end apartheid.

    Image via Wikipedia Commons

  • U.S., Iran Finally Reach Nuclear Agreement

    U.S., Iran Finally Reach Nuclear Agreement

    After nearly a decade, America and five other world powers were able to finally reach a tentative agreement with Iran concerning their nuclear program.

    Secretary of State John Kerry left for Geneva to attempt to move negotiations along early yesterday – apparently, his efforts worked. Around 3:00 a.m. Sunday, the deal was signed.

    For two weeks, Kerry has been traveling to Geneva to try and finally reach an agreement with Iran. It has long-been a concern that Iran was enriching uranium at levels which would produce nuclear warheads. Iran has repeatedly denied this concern, saying that they only use the enriched uranium for ‘peaceful purposes’ and that they have a right to do so – under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

    Now, all entities have agree to a six-month plan in which Iran will cease enriching uranium beyond the 5% level that is enough for energy production, but not enough to produce material needed for the nuclear warheads. The agreement also states that Iran will convert their reserve of 20% enriched uranium; will not create any new enriching facilities, nor open any that are not already in operation. Also in the agreement, international auditing of cameras will be allowed daily at the enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordo to ensure that Iran is holding up their end of the bargain. One other point of the deal says that the plant near Arak currently in construction – which would be able to produce plutonium – will halt, or at least no further reactor elements will be added.

    However, Iran did not agree to all aspects of what the U.S. was offering, such as allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to closely monitor and invade the country to ensure no nuclear missiles are being produced. As well, the deal does not require Iran to shutdown their existing uranium-enriching facilities.

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    In return for Iran’s cooperation, the U.S. agreed to supply $6-$7 billion in sanctions relief.

    The Foreign Minister of Iran said that he hopes that this pact will be able to “restore” trust between Iran and the U.S., as the people of his country deserve Western respect.

    President Obama and Secretary Kerry both spoke about the agreement; Obama called the deal the “most significant and tangible” of such a feat.

    Secretary of State Kerry also discussed the conclusion of the decade-long negotiations, including the disappointment of Israel, who wanted the U.S. to stick to a much more stringent contract, ending uranium enrichment altogether. The U.S. assures, however, that Iranian persecution of Israel will not be a concern. Kerry said, “It will make our partners in the region safer. It will make our ally Israel safer.”

    The agreement was to be in effect for only a six-month time period, at which the nations will meet again. The U.S. is hoping this will lead to a more absolute and substantial pledge from Iran at the end of the six-month term.

    Main image courtesy RT via YouTube.

  • Obama Forgot to Salute, Apologized to Soldier

    President Barack Obama has certainly had a lot on his mind recently. House Republicans have recently been holding hearings on the Benghazi attacks, while two new scandals have rocked the current administration. One involves the IRS targeting new tax-exempt Tea Party-affiliated groups for additional scrutiny, while the other involves the Justice Department’s seizure of journalist’s phone records as part of a leak investigation.

    It’s no surprise, then, that simple etiquette slipped the U.S. president’s mind this week.

    A video of the President boarding boarding Marine One went viral this week. In it, Obama can be seen striding confidently into the helicopter- bypassing the U.S. marine stationed at the helicopter’s entrance without so much as a nod. It is traditional for presidents to salute soldiers as they board.

    As seen in the video, the President quickly realized his mistake and doubled back to apologize to the soldier:

    What makes the gaffe slightly ironic is that the President was on his way to the U.S. Naval Academy to speak at a graduation ceremony. During his address, Obama praised the U.S. military, calling it “the most trusted institution in America.”

    Despite the Obama administration’s recent bad press, the President’s approval ratings remain high. Americans polled recently did state, however, that issues such as the IRS scandal are important to them.

    Obama will have a chance to take is mind off of things in late summer, when he is expected to join First Lady Michelle Obama and the couple’s two daughters for a vacation on Martha’s Vineyard.

  • Michelle Obama to Vacation in Martha’s Vineyard With Daughters [RUMOR]

    It’s been a tough month for the Obama administration. With house Republicans still attempting to turn the Benghazi attacks into a full-fledged scandal, two real scandals have popped up in recent weeks. One involves the IRS targeting new tax-exempt groups aligned politically with the Tea Party movement for extra scrutiny. The other involves the Justice Department seizing months of phone records from Associated Press reporters as part of an investigation into internal leaks. Now, the massive tornado that hit Oklahoma this week has resulted in billions of dollars worth of damage, though the death toll from the storm is not as high as previously feared.

    It’s enough to make someone want to get away for a while, and that’s exactly what First Lady Michelle Obama is rumored to be doing.

    According to a report in the Boston Globe, the Obamas and their daughters, Sasha and Malia, are looking to vacation this summer in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Michelle Obama and the girls will reportedly stay on the island for an “extended period” with the President joining them on “occasional weekends” throughout the summer, and two weeks in August.

    The Globe report states that, in the past, the first family has vacationed at a farm on the island that has now been bought for almost $22 million. The Obamas are now rumored to be looking at a house in a secluded part of the island called Farm Neck as their summer vacation destination.

  • Obama Approval Rating Still Solid, Despite Critics

    Last week was, perhaps, the toughest week the Obama administration has yet faced. While congressional Republicans were still trying to turn the Benghazi attacks into a full-fledged scandal, two clearly real scandals have appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the past two weeks. One involves the IRS targeting the large influx of tax-exempt Tea Party-related groups for extra scrutiny. The other scandal involves the U.S. Justice Department seizure of Associated Press journalists’ telephone records in secret subpoenas.

    It seems, however, that none of the negative press has affected President Obama’s approval ratings. According to a CNN/ORC poll released this weekend, the President still enjoys a 53% approval rating.

    This is despite the fact that those polled knew about the recent scandals and even considered them important. 71% of those polled considered the IRS’s actions unacceptable, while 52% thought the Justice Department’s phone record seizures were unacceptable. Over 60% of these same respondents believe that President Obama’s statements about the IRS scandal have been at least mostly true.

    Presidential spokespersons have been aggressively combating efforts to link Obama directly to the IRS scandal. White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer this Sunday hit the talk show circuit, stating that the President did not know of the policy before it hit the media.

    The President himself did not address the topics this weekend. Instead, the President used his weekly address to speak about building up the middle class in the U.S.: