Firman Allah Taala: Dan Kami pecah-pecahkan mereka (kaum Yahudi itu) berpuak-puak (yang bertaburan di merata-rata) dunia ini. Di antara mereka ada yang soleh dan di antaranya juga yang tidak demikian. Dan kami uji mereka dengan nikmat pemberian yang baik-baik dan bala bencana yang buruk, supaya mereka kembali (bertaubat). (7: 168) (God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: And We divided them (Jews) throughout the earth into nations. Of them some were righteous, and of them some were otherwise. And We tested them with good (times) and bad that perhaps they would return (to obedience) (QS Al Araf '7: verse 168)
Firman Allah Taala: Dan Kami pecah-pecahkan mereka (kaum Yahudi itu) berpuak-puak (yang bertaburan di merata-rata) dunia ini. Di antara mereka ada yang soleh dan di antaranya juga yang tidak demikian. Dan kami uji mereka dengan nikmat pemberian yang baik-baik dan bala bencana yang buruk, supaya mereka kembali (bertaubat). (7: 168) (God Almighty says in the Holy Quran: And We divided them (Jews) throughout the earth into nations. Of them some were righteous, and of them some were otherwise. And We tested them with good (times) and bad that perhaps they would return (to obedience) (QS Al Araf '7: verse 168)
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President Obama's Town Hall with LinkedIn: "We are in this thing Together"
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 6:30 PM EDT
President Barack Obama answers an audience member's question during a Town Hall meeting sponsored by LinkedIn at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California, Sept. 26, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
Today, President Obama was at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California for a discussion on putting America back to work with members of LinkedIn, the world's largest professional network with more than 120 million users worldwide. LinkedIn members from Gainesville, Florida to Phoenix, Arizona submitted their questions on the economy and jobs for the President to answer during the live Town Hall.LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner kicked off the Town Hall, noting the role of passing the American Jobs Act in putting the country back to work:There's one number you may be less familiar with, and that's 3.2 million, the number of available jobs in this country -- 3.2 million. We have everything we need to begin to put this country back to work -- the raw materials, the basic building blocks and, perhaps most importantly, the will of a nation. What we need is the way. With the American Jobs Act, our President is leading the way.Then he turned it over to President Obama to say a few words before diving into questions:As you mentioned, I put forward a proposal, the American Jobs Act, that would put thousands of teachers back into the classrooms who have been laid off due to downturns in state and local budgets; that would make sure that we are rebuilding our infrastructure -- taking extraordinary numbers of construction workers who have been laid off when the housing bubbles went bust and putting them to work rebuilding our roads and our airports and our schools, and laying broadband lines -- all the things that help us make a success; and also make sure that we’re providing small businesses the kinds of tax incentives that will allow them to hire and allow them to succeed.Learn more about Economy, TechnologyFamine in the Horn of Africa: Be a Part of the Solution
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 5:33 PM EDT
Dr. Biden and David Letterman refer to a map of Africa while discussing the Somalia famine relief efforts. (Photo from the Late Show with David Letterman)
Last Monday, the U.S. Agency for International Development, in partnership with the Ad Council, launched a public awareness campaign called “FWD” – standing for Famine, War, Drought - to draw the attention to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.The campaign is calling on Americans to FWD the Facts. FWD them to your friends, FWD them to your neighbors, FWD them to everyone you know.A few of the facts:- More than 13 million people are in crisis – making this the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
- More than 700,000 people have fled from their homes in Somalia to Ethiopia and Kenya – creating the world’s largest refugee camps.
- 1 child is dying every 6 minutes in Somalia.
- More than 750,000 people are projected to perish from starvation in Somalia within the next four months if humanitarians are not allowed access in to southern Somalia.
Learn more about Foreign Policy, PovertyA Call to Peace: Perspectives of Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 4:00 PM EDTSince the Peace Corps was established in 1961, more than 200,000 Peace Corps volunteers have promoted world peace and friendship in 139 countries around the world. The stories of these Americans who have served are powerful, moving, and inspiring.Civic Enterprises, the National Peace Corps Association and Peter D. Hart Research Associates recently collaborated to hear directly from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). Surveying over 11,000 RPCVs and leaders, "A Call to Peace: Perspectives of Volunteers on the Peace Corps at 50" (pdf) is the story of the individuals who shaped and defined the organization since its inception.Learn more about Foreign Policy, ServiceSupporting Scientists at the Lab Bench ... and at Bedtime
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 2:31 PM EDTEd note: This has been cross-posted from the Office of Science and Technology's blogToday is a good day for science and technology, a good day for scientists and engineers, and a good day for the nation.As highlighted in a Washington Post op-ed this morning, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is announcing a major, 10-year initiative to provide greater work-related flexibility to women and men in research careers.Among other advances, the NSF—the Nation’s major funder of research in engineering, computer science, mathematics, and other high-tech fields that will be central to U.S. economic growth in the years ahead—will allow researchers to delay or suspend their grants for up to one year in order to care for a newborn or newly adopted child or fulfill other family obligations.That change and others being launched today at a White House event featuring First Lady Michelle Obama and NSF Director Subra Suresh aim to facilitate scientists’ reentry into their professions with minimal loss of momentum—especially women scientists, who, more often than not, are the ones who end up delaying or dropping their promising science careers because of competing family demands.Today the White House also announced the winners of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE)—the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on science and engineering professionals in the early stages of their research careers.There’s a great synergy between these two announcements because these up-and-coming researchers are tomorrow’s all-stars in the making, and about 40 percent of them are women. The Nation needs all of these high-achievers, including all those women, to stick with their innovative work—to make the discoveries and design the technologies that will keep America the international science and technology powerhouse it is today.Finally, special kudos to NSF and others in the Administration, including staff here at OSTP, for using the convening power of the White House and the Obama Administration to encourage businesses and academic and professional organizations to adopt policies similar to those that NSF is putting into place. Several are today announcing ambitious efforts in coordination with NSF’s announcement. A list of them is available here.Getting the Facts Straight on America's Tax Burden
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 1:45 PM EDTLast week, the President put forward a detailed plan for jobs, controlling our deficit, and comprehensive tax reform. The President’s tax reform plan will abide by the principles of cutting rates, getting rid of inefficient and unfair tax breaks, and observing the Buffett rule – a simple rule of simple fairness that no household making over $1 million annually should pay less in federal taxes than middle-class families pay.Yesterday in an interview with Senior Adviser David Plouffe on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace used misleading statistics to argue against the President’s efforts to level the playing field for middle class Americans by requiring that the wealthiest pay their fair share. In an effort to falsely assert that the President’s plan would place an unfair tax burden on the wealthiest Americans, Wallace said that, “1 percent of households with the highest incomes pay 38 percent of federal income taxes. The top 10 percent pay 70 percent of federal income taxes. Meanwhile, 46 percent of households pay no federal income tax at all.”These statistics are misleading and don’t tell the whole story. They leave out payroll taxes that every worker pays to make sure they will have Social Security and Medicare when they retire, which fall disproportionately on the middle class. And they don’t mention that the share of the nation’s income going to the highest earners grew rapidly in the past two decades – at the same time tax rates fell for the highest earners.In fact, because of growing income inequality, the top 10 percent of American earners now earns 42 percent of the nation’s income, and when correctly calculated, pay about 50 percent of the federal income and payroll tax burden - not much larger than their share of earnings.As we continue to have a robust discussion about the President’s plans across our country, it’s important to understand exactly how they will affect Americans – from the middle class to the highest earners.We already took on several tax myths here (see “Buffett Rule Facts and Fictions,” by NEC Director Gene Sperling) but given that more misleading information continues to make the rounds, it is important to set the record straight.Here are facts:Learn more about TaxesAmerica's Mayors Are in Sync: Congress Must Work on a Bipartisan Basis to put America Back on Track
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 12:39 PM EDTMayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California says that the residents of his city are united in their message to him, and to elected officials in Washington: "Job #1 is to create the jobs they need going into the future."And the American Jobs Act is a step in that direction. "America’s mayors are in sync with the President and his call to work on a bipartisan basis to put America back on track," according to Villaraigosa, who is President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.See how other American mayors say the American Jobs Act will impact their cities:Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake of Baltimore, Maryland
Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, Ohio
Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky
Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver, ColoradoLearn more about EconomyDelivering on the Promise of Innovation to Help Prevent CyberBullying
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 10:15 AM EDTLast Thursday, the 2nd Annual Bullying Summit closed with demonstrable progress on a range of important topics surfaced during President Obama’s Bullying Prevention Summit last March. Our focus last March was on the challenges and opportunities in preventing cyberbullying. In the months that followed our roundtable, we are pleased to report on two commitments in response to the White House’s “Call to Action”:- Facebook pledged to invest in research grants on the most innovative approaches to bullying prevention found across our Nation’s universities and non-profits. Last month, Facebook delivered on this promise by launching the $200,000 “Digital Citizenship Research Grant”. We look forward to celebrating the inaugural awardees when they are announced later this fall.
- MTV offered to collaborate with the MIT Media Lab to encourage innovative approaches to detect and deter cyberbullying. MTV and MIT delivered on this promise by formalizing a partnership centered around “Over the Line?”, a Web and iPhone app where young people share and rate personal stories of how technology is complicating social interactions. The app has elicited a strong and empathetic response – with more than 9,000 user-submitted stories generating over 325,000 ratings – and it represents one of the largest bodies of knowledge on youth digital ethics.
Learn more about TechnologyThe American Jobs Act: Your Questions Answered
Posted by on September 26, 2011 at 9:33 AM EDTOn September 8, President Obama called on Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, his plan to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working. And a week ago today, he explained how he would ensure the American Jobs Act does not add a dime to our deficit and proposed abalanced approach to getting our financial house in order.Here in the White House we have been getting lots of feedback on the President’s plans from citizens across the country who have called, e-mailed, tweeted and posted to express their opinions and ask questions. So below are responses to some of the questions, criticisms and misconceptions that we have heard so far.The President Knows Congress Will Not Pass His Plan So He Is Just Wasting Our Time.While it is up to Congress to decide if it will pass the President’s American Jobs Act so he can sign it into law, there is no reason that Congress shouldn’t. As the President explained in his address, every proposal in the American Jobs Act “is the kind of proposal that's been supported by both Democrats and Republicans.” The President’s plan will cut taxes for working Americans and small businesses and put construction workers, teachers, police officers and firefighters, veterans and the long-term unemployed back to work. And President Obama laid out a plan to pay for it, by closing tax loopholes for millionaires and billionaires as well as hedge fund managers, private jet owners and oil companies – although he has called on the Joint Committee to make the final decision on how to make sure that it will not add to our deficit. So there’s no reason the Congress should not pass this bill.Americans Already Pay Too Much To The Government – The Last Thing We Should Do Is Raise Taxes.The President’s proposal to repeal the tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and close loopholes and subsidies for big corporations, oil companies, hedge fund managers and corporate jet owners is part of a balanced approach to getting our financial house in order. It’s an approach that asks everyone to pay their fair share and makes sure everyone gets a fair shake. Recognizing that the economy remains fragile, the plan includes no tax increases for anyone in 2011 or 2012—and, in fact, includes $245 billion in tax cuts for workers and small businesses in these years. And the President’s plan lives up to the simple idea that we can live within our means while still making the investments we need to grow our economy, compete globally and create jobs that will ensure our future prosperity in areas including education, innovation, clean energy and infrastructure.As the President said in his speech last week, this is about choices: “Either we ask the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share in taxes, or we’re going to have to ask seniors to pay more for Medicare. We can’t afford to do both. Either we gut education and medical research, or we’ve got to reform the tax code so that the most profitable corporations have to give up tax loopholes that other companies don’t get. We can’t afford to do both. This is not class warfare. It’s math.”The Last Stimulus Did Not Create Jobs And This One Will Not Create Jobs Either.Despite what critics of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act say, independent economists have determined that it did create jobs. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found that the Recovery Actcreated or saved as many as 3.5 million jobs as of the end of last year. And Macroeconomic Advisors, Moody’s Economy.com and IHS/Global Insight all similarly found that it created or saved well over 2 million jobs as of that point.As the President said in his Address to a Joint Session of Congress, “The purpose of the American Jobs Act is simple: to put more people back to work and more money in the pockets of those who are working.” And outside experts agree. Moody’s Analytics’ Mark Zandi estimates that if Congress passed the American Jobs Act, it would add 1.9 million jobs and 2 percentage points to GDP growth in 2012. And Macroeconomic Advisors estimates that it would add 1.3 million by the end of 2012. So you don’t have to take it from us – outside experts say the American Jobs Act will put Americans back to work and grow the economy.How Does the American Jobs Act Help Students Gain Employment?Students, like other workers, will benefit from the payroll tax cuts that the President has proposed to spur businesses to hire. The President’s plan would completely refund payroll taxes paid on added workers or wage increases for current workers above the level of last year’s payroll, encouraging firms to hire additional employees or raise wages for their current employees. The Act also includes $1.5 billion for summer jobs and year-round employment for low-income youth ages 16-24. Such programs can not only provide young people with their first paycheck, but also teach them life-long employment skills.What Will the Jobs Act Do to Help People Who Are Self-Employed?All small business owners, including those who are self-employed, would benefit from the President’s proposed tax cuts for small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer and self-employment payroll taxes in half, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment. And if self-employed or home-based businesses want to expand, they will receive a tax break for hiring new workers.The President’s plan also makes it easier for states to allow unemployed workers to create their own jobs by starting their own businesses, by allowing states across the nation to use federal funds to support self-employment assistance programs. The President’s plan will also enable states to connect entrepreneurs with mentoring and access to capital through SBA and other public and private resources.How Will You Ensure Job Creation and "Stimulus" Opportunities and Dollars Actually Reach Minority Small Businesses?The President is proposing tax cuts that will go to every small business nationwide – including over 100,000 African-American-owned small businesses and 250,000 Hispanic-owned small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer payroll taxes in half for these businesses, provide them with an added bonus for increasing their payroll, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment.Additionally, the President’s plan includes administrative, regulatory and legislative measures to help small firms, including those owned by minorities start and expand. These measures include speeding up government payments to small businesses, reducing their regulatory burdens and removing some withholding requirements that keep capital out of the hands of job creators.How Will the American Jobs Act Address Technology Gaps between Rural and Urban Areas, and what Incentives Will It Offer to Technology Entrepreneurs?The American Jobs Act will invest in developing and deploying a nationwide wireless network for use by first responders and free up public and private spectrum to enable the private sector to deploy high-speed wireless services to at least 98 percent of Americans, even those living in remote rural and farming communities.The President’s plan will also support technology entrepreneurs by investing $30 billion to renovate and modernize our nation’s schools and community colleges. Part of this funding will be used to build new science and computer labs and to upgrade technology in our schools.Finally, technology entrepreneurs, like all small businesses would benefit from the President’s proposed tax cuts for small businesses. These tax cuts will cut employer payroll taxes in half for these businesses, provide them with an added bonus for increasing their payroll, and extend 100% expensing provisions that provide an incentive for investment.Click here to learn more about the American Jobs Act. We’ll keep responding to the feedback we hear from you, so keep asking questions, raising concerns and letting us know what you think about the President’s plans.Learn more about EconomyPresident Obama at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Dinner: "March with me and press on"
Posted by on September 25, 2011 at 10:01 PM EDT
President Barack Obama delivers remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Yesterday evening, the President delivered remarks at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Annual Phoenix Awards at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. In his speech, the President stressed the importance of passing the American Jobs Act, to put more people back to work, and more money back in the pockets of people who are working:Right now we’ve got millions of construction workers out of a job. So this bill says, let’s put those men and women back to work in their own communities rebuilding our roads and our bridges. Let’s give these folks a job rebuilding our schools. Let’s put these folks to work rehabilitating foreclosed homes in the hardest-hit neighborhoods of Detroit and Atlanta and Washington. This is a no-brainer.Why should we let China build the newest airports, the fastest railroads? Tell me why our children should be allowed to study in a school that’s falling apart? I don’t want that for my kids or your kids. I don’t want that for any kid. You tell me how it makes sense when we know that education is the most important thing for success in the 21st century. Let’s put our people back to work doing the work America needs done. Let’s pass this jobs bill.We’ve got millions of unemployed Americans and young people looking for work but running out of options. So this jobs bill says, let’s give them a pathway, a new pathway back to work. Let’s extend unemployment insurance so that more than six million Americans don’t lose that lifeline. But let’s also encourage reforms that help the long-term unemployed keep their skills sharp and get a foot in the door. Let’s give summer jobs for low-income youth that don’t just give them their first paycheck but arm them with the skills they need for life.Tell me why we don’t want the unemployed back in the workforce as soon as possible. Let’s pass this jobs bill, put these folks back to work.Learn more about Civil Rights, EconomyFirst Lady Michelle Obama Celebrates the Success of Million PALA Challenge at Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play
Posted by on September 25, 2011 at 8:55 PM EDT
First Lady Michelle Obama congratulates kids on the Obstacle Course at Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011. The First Lady joined children and families at the event to celebrate the success of the Million PALA Challenge, a joint initiative of Let’s Move! and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Yesterday, First Lady Michelle Obama joined children and families at Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play to celebrate the success of the Million PALA Challenge, a joint initiative of Let’s Move! and the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition (PCFSN).Launched in September 2010, the Million PALA Challenge was created to motivate one million Americans to get active and earn the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA) in a year. Since the start of the challenge, more than 1.7 million Americans have gotten active and earned their PALA, far exceeding the initiative’s goal.To celebrate this success, Mrs. Obama “turned off” Nickelodeon for three hours during Worldwide Day of Play to encourage kids to go outside and play. The First Lady made a surprise visit at the event, where she cheered kids on at the obstacle course and congratulated the 1.7 million Americans who achieved their PALA.“I’m so proud of all the kids and families who rose to the challenge and got active this year,” said First Lady Michelle Obama, who earned her PALA last fall. “The Million PALA Challenge helped shine a spotlight on the childhood obesity epidemic and I know we can all keep up the momentum and keep moving to help our kids lead healthy, active lives.”Learn more about , FamilyWhat You Missed: Open for Questions on President Obama’s trip to the U.N. General Assembly with Ben Rhodes
Posted by on September 25, 2011 at 8:30 PM EDTThe White House hosted a live video chat to answer your questions on the President's trip to the United Nations General Assembly. The conversation ranged from topics such as the United States' involvement in Libya to international trade agreements and the US economy. Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting sat down to answer your questions submitted through Facebook andTwitter.Watch the whole video of the Open for Questions event, or use the links below to jump directly to the questions that you're interested in. Follow @WhiteHouse on Twitter for more opportunities to engage with us.- Why should the US engage with the United Nations?
- What actions can the US take to help resolve the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians?
- What is the United States' position on the events in Yemen?
- What is the timeline and next steps for the Security Council resolution on Syria?
- How is genocide prevention and conflict intervention advancing the US national interests?
- What specifically can be done to increase the role of women and peace in the Middle East and how receptive are the countries to that goal?
- How is the US relationship with Turkey?
- How will the administration ensure that genocide prevention remains a priority for the US government going forward?
- Does the Obama administration forsee any further diplomatic communication between the US and Iran?
- What does a real win look like in the middle east and how do we accomplish it?
- Why are we involved in Libya, can we really afford more debt?
- Will the administration help facilitate aid to Africa from organizations that do not recieve funding from the US?
- When will our involvement in Libya end?
- How is the US preparing to care for troops coming back from war?
- What was the most significant moment of the UNGA for the President?
- What is the administration doing with international trade agreements to help our domestic economy?
- What is the President's view on NAFTA and jobs being sent overseas?
Open for Questions with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and SpeechwritingLearn more about Foreign PolicyWatch Live: "Putting America Back to Work": President Obama’s Town Hall with LinkedIn
Posted by on September 25, 2011 at 5:02 PM EDTLast week, we announced President Obama's Town Hall with the world's largest professional network, LinkedIn. Since the announcement, LinkedIn members from across the country have been submitting their questions on the economy and jobs for President Obama to answer during the live Town Hall.On Monday, September 26th, the President will answer questions and hear directly from LinkedIn members that range from small business owners to veterans during a live Town Hall event from the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.Don't miss "Putting America Back to Work: LinkedIn Presents a Town Hall with President Obama" live onMonday, September 26th at 2:00 p.m. EDT/ 11:00 a.m. PDT. You can watch the event live onWhiteHouse.gov/live or through LinkedIn.com.Learn more about EconomyFirst Lady Michelle Obama: Joining Forces Is About Everyone Stepping Up to Give Something Meaningful Back
Posted by on September 25, 2011 at 6:00 AM EDT
First Lady Michelle Obama, along with Ty Pennington and the "Extreme Makeover Home Edition" team, watch as Barbara Summey Marshall, center, a 15-year Navy veteran,and her family get the first look at their new house in Fayetteville, N.C., July 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)This op-ed from First Lady Michelle Obama was first published in the Fayetteville Observer
A few years ago, as I began to travel around the country and talk to all sorts of people, one set of stories always tugged at my heart. They took my breath away. They inspired me. And they motivated me to learn more. They were stories of strength, courage, and patriotism that define our nation’s military families. And I know that Fayetteville is filled with them.They’re your neighbors who raise children and manage households by themselves while their loved ones are deployed. They’re military kids who have lived most of their young lives with our nation at war and Mom or Dad overseas. They’re our wounded warriors or survivors of our fallen who continue to serve their community every day. And they’re women like Barbara Marshall.Like so many of our veterans, Barbara’s service to this country didn’t stop when her 15-year Navy career ended. Through Steps N Stages Jubilee House, she is working to combat homelessness among female veterans in the Fayetteville area. She’s doing it in an unconventional way: by welcoming these struggling women and their families into her own home.The Marshalls – Barbara; her son, Bert; and her daughter, Maya – are perfect examples of how much our military families give to our country each and every day. And this summer, a whole busload of people stepped up to give the Marshalls something back.For one week in the sweltering heat, local volunteers and the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition cast and crew worked around the clock to transform Barbara’s home into a beautiful, state-of-the-art dream house and resource center. I was thrilled to help out with some of the finishing touches, and I’ll never forget the look on Barbara’s face when the bus pulled away to reveal her new home.But what I remember most was the Fayetteville community’s warm embrace of this family and our homeless veterans. I saw neighbors grabbing shovels and picking up scraps around the worksite. I saw business owners and local organizations pitching in. Even folks around the country got involved, donating logs online to help build the beautiful cabin.Now, I know that not every community can build a home in a week, and not every veteran will end up in Disneyland or on national T.V. But I also know that the compassion I felt in Fayetteville is alive and well in every community across this country.That’s what compelled Dr. Jill Biden and me to launch our Joining Forces initiative this spring. This is a national initiative to address the unique needs of, and expand opportunities for, our remarkable military families.It’s about businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools, churches, and ordinary citizens doing what they can for these incredible men, women and children. It’s about Americans uniting in service around these families. And it’s about everyone – no matter where they come from or their station in life – stepping up to give something meaningful back.With one of our nation’s biggest media companies, local organizations, and folks from all over Fayetteville pitching in, this summer’s wild week was a perfect example of what we can accomplish when we work together for these families.So Fayetteville, I hope you sit back and enjoy the spotlight tonight on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. You deserve it. And I hope that after the show, you’ll visit us at JoiningForces.gov to find out how you can keep showing your appreciation for our military families. Together, we can serve our military families as well as they have served us.Learn more about VeteransWeekly Address: Strengthening the American Education System
Posted by on September 24, 2011 at 5:30 AM EDTPresident Obama explains that states will have greater flexibility to find innovative ways of improving the education system, so that we can raise standards in our classrooms and prepare the next generation to succeed in the global economy.Mayor of Baltimore: American Jobs Act Will Help Us Grow Out of Recession
Posted by on September 23, 2011 at 4:55 PM EDT
See how other American mayors say the American Jobs Act will impact their cities:Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa of Los Angeles, California
Mayor Mark Mallory of Cincinnati, Ohio
Mayor Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky
Mayor Michael Hancock of Denver, ColoradoLearn more about EconomyJoining Forces with Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Posted by on September 23, 2011 at 4:42 PM EDTJoining Forces is a national initiative that was established to address the unique needs of, and expand opportunities for, our remarkable military families. The town of Fayetteville, North Carolina and the crew of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, set the bar for showing support when they spent a week in the sweltering heat of July building a brand new house for Barbara Marshall, a 15-year Navy veteran who has dedicated her life to combating homelessness among female veterans.First Lady Michelle Obama was in town to lend a hand with the finishing touches, and welcome the Marshalls into their dream home. Tune in this Sunday at 7 pm to see Mrs. Obama join the crowd chanting, "Bus driver, move this bus!"
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" featuring the Marshalls, a military family in Fayetteville, North Carolina, July 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" featuring the Marshalls, a military family in Fayetteville, North Carolina, July 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
First Lady Michelle Obama participates in an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" featuring the Marshalls, a military family in Fayetteville, North Carolina, July 21, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)Learn more about VeteransWeekly Wrap Up: Rebuilding America
Posted by on September 23, 2011 at 4:37 PM EDTHere's what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:We the People: President Obama released the U.S.’s Open Government National Action Plan, and a highlight of that plan is We the People, a new platform that gives all Americans a way to petition the Obama Administration to take action on a range of important issues facing our country. In the first days following the launch, numerous Americans have created petitions and are currently collecting signatures.Promoting World Peace: The President spent two days in New York City for the 66th session of United Nations General Assembly. While there, he held numerous meetings with world leaders and addressed the General Assembly speaking about the remarkable year we have had around the world and also the many challenges that stand in the way of a lasting peace. He also attended the Clinton Global Initiative, where he talked about the positive impact the American Jobs Act will have on the global economy.Rebuilding America: President Obama visited the Ohio River’s Brent Spence Bridge, a functionally obsolete crossing on one of North America’s busiest trucking routes that connects Cincinnati, Ohio with Kentucky. The President spoke about the pressing need to improve our national infrastructure, and detailed the provisions in the American Jobs Act that will rebuild our country and put ironworkers, construction workers and carpenters back to work.Creating a Fair Tax System: The President laid out a balanced plan to get our fiscal house in order, based on the values of shared responsibility and shared sacrifice. The President is calling on Congress to undertake comprehensive tax reform to simplify the system, make it more fair and efficient, and lay a stronger foundation for economic growth. The plan details how to pay for the American Jobs Act, while also paying down our debt over time.Improving our Education System: President Obama and representatives from the education community gathered at the White House to announce that it’s time to take action and build a world class education system. In exchange for a real commitment to undertake education reform, the Administration will enable states to request flexibility from specific mandates under No Child Left Behind.Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell: The country marked an important milestone this week when the era of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” officially came to an end. The law that was signed in December 2010 by President Obama allows people of the LGBT community to serve openly in the military.Learn more about Economy, Foreign PolicyEntrepreneurs Applaud America Invents Act, Say It Will Create More Jobs
Posted by on September 23, 2011 at 3:22 PM EDTLast week, the President signed the America Invents Act, a much-needed reform that will speed up the patent process and enable entrepreneurs to turn an invention into a business three times faster than before.Jessica Mathews, the CEO of Unchartered Play, says that the America Invents Act and the American Jobs Act are exactly what small business owners like her need to thrive. Mathews says that patent reform “will allow inventors and entrepreneurs and businesses to have greater likelihood that their patent will issue, that that patent will issue sooner, and all the incentive to go out there and create jobs to get their products to market.”Mathews invented the Soccket, a soccer ball that generates electricity as it's being kicked around. Her product is being used as a portable generator in developing countries short on energy supply.Louis Foreman is the listed inventor of 10 registered U.S. patents, and his firm, Enventis, is responsible for the development and filing of well over 400 more. Foreman has created nine successful start-ups and has been directly responsible for the creation of more than 20 others. Foreman says that the America Invents Act “will help bring both speed and certainty to the patent system. It will allow inventors and entrepreneurs and businesses to have greater likelihood that their patent will issue, that that patent will issue sooner, and all the incentive to go out there and create jobs to get their products to market.”Learn more about EconomyPresident Obama: "Our Kids Only Get One Shot at a Decent Education"
Posted by on September 23, 2011 at 3:05 PM EDTPresident Obama today gathered representatives from the education community to announce that it’s time to take action and build a world class education system. The United States is 16th in the proportion of young people with a college degree, in a world where 60% of new jobs will require more than a high school diploma. Our students are being outperformed by their peers around the globe. A quarter of American students aren’t finishing high school. As the President said today in the East Room, we have to improve our schools if we want to rebuild our economy:And what this means is if we’re serious about building an economy that lasts –- an economy in which hard work pays off with the opportunity for solid middle-class jobs -– we’ve got to get serious about education. We are going to have to pick up our games and raise our standards.Improving our education means giving our kids the resources they need to learn. That’s why the American Jobs Act would put thousands of teachers back to work all across the country, and modernize at least 35,000 schools. But money alone won’t solve our education problems. As the President said today, creating standards can’t be a top down process created in Washington:That’s why instead of just pouring money into the system that’s not working, we launched a competition called Race to the Top. And to all 50 states -- to governors, to schools districts -- we said, show us the most innovative plans to improve teacher quality and student achievement; we’ll show you the money. We want to provide you more resources, but there’s also got to be a commitment on your part to make the changes that are necessary so that we can see actual results.
And, by the way, these standards that we’re talking about -- these high standards that we’re talking about were not developed here in Washington. They were developed by Republican and Democratic governors throughout the country -- essentially as a peer group, a peer review system where everybody traded best practices and said, here’s what seems to work, and let’s hold all of our schools to these high standards. And since that Race to the Top has been launched, we’ve seen what’s possible when reform isn’t just a top-down mandate but the work of local teachers and principals and school boards and communities working together to develop better standards.
President Barack Obama looks towards Education Secretary Arne Duncan during remarks on the need to provide states with relief from key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, in the East Room of the White House, Sept. 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
While President Obama lauds the intention and goals that led to establishing No Child Left Behind, its implementation had serious flaws that are hurting our children instead of helping:- State and local school districts are buckling under the law's mandates, and too many schools are destined to fail.
- Teachers have been forced to teach to the test; subjects like history and science are squeezed out; and some states are actually lowering standards instead of raising them to avoid having schools labeled as “failures”.
The President knows that our children can’t wait any longer for reform:These problems have been obvious to parents and educators all over the country for years now. I’ve urged Congress for a while now, let’s get a bipartisan effort, let’s fix this. Congress hasn’t been able to do it. So I will. Our kids only get one shot at a decent education. They cannot afford to wait any longer. So, given that Congress cannot act, I am acting.Starting today, the Administration will enable states to request flexibility from specific mandates under No Child Left Behind, in exchange for a real commitment to undertake education reform. This does not mean states will be able to lower their standards or escape accountability. In fact, if states want more flexibility, they’re going to have to set a higher bar for reform and prove that they’re serious about preparing students to succeed in today’s economy.As the President said today, this new flexibility will allow states to “come up with innovative ways to give our children the skills they need to compete for the jobs of the future” so that people like Ricky Hall, a principal of a charter school in Worcester, Massachusetts that sent every single student to college in the last three years and is ranked in the top quarter of Massachusetts schools, won’t be classified as “failing” for not meeting all the technical standards of No Child Left Behind.So this isn’t just the right thing to do for our kids -– it’s the right thing to do for our country. We can’t afford to wait for an education system that is not doing everything it needs to do for our kids. We can’t let another generation of young people fall behind because we didn’t have the courage to recognize what doesn’t work, admit it, and replace it with something that does. We’ve got to act now. We’ve got to act now and harness all the good ideas coming out of our states, out of our schools. We can't be tied up with ideology. We can't be worrying about partisanship. We just have to make sure that we figure out what works, and we hold ourselves to those high standards. Because now is the time to give our children the skills that they need to compete in this global economy.We’ve got a couple of students up on stage who are doing outstanding work because somebody in their schools is dedicated and committed every single day to making sure that they’ve got a chance to succeed. But I don't want them to be the exception. I want them to be the rule. Now is the time to make our education system the best in the world, the envy of the world.
President Barack Obama greets Keiry Herrera, a sixth grade student at Graham Road Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., following remarks on the need to provide states with relief from key provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act, in the East Room of the White House, Sept. 23, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)Obama Administration Announces New Approach to Strengthen Disaster Recovery Across the Nation
Posted by on September 23, 2011 at 11:04 AM EDTToday, we are announcing a new multiagency effort to strengthen the way the federal family works together to support state, tribal, territorial and local communities to recover after disaster strikes.For the first time, the National Disaster Recovery Framework defines how federal agencies will work together to best meet the needs of states and communities in their ongoing recovery, by aligning key roles and responsibilities among all our partners. The emphasis of this framework is that recovering after a disaster is a team effort – one that includes local, state, tribal, territorial and federal governments, the private sector, voluntary, faith-based and community organizations and the public.Finalizing the National Disaster Recovery Framework was truly a collaborative process – accomplished through extensive stakeholder outreach and dialogue. The process began in Fall 2009 and has spanned across the country, gathering input from stakeholders that include professional associations, academic experts and communities recovering from disasters. In fact, some elements of the framework have already been implemented to save jobs in disaster affected areas of Tennessee in 2010, to open schools on time following the devastating tornado that tore through Joplin, MO and to support the recovery following the recent tornado outbreaks in the southeast this past Spring.Here are some key aspects of the framework:- The National Disaster Recovery Framework aligns with the long-standing, National Response Framework (which primarily addresses actions during a disaster response) and shares the same key features, such as the ability to scale to the nature and size of a disaster, establishing an operational structure and developing a common planning framework.
- The National Disaster Recovery Framework recognizes that local, state, tribal and territorial governments have primary responsibility for the recovery of their communities. It identifies core principles to ensure all community members have equal opportunities to participate in recovery efforts in a meaningful way, and emphasizes that all resources, whether they are local or federal, should be brought to the table to best address the recovery needs of communities.
- The National Disaster Recovery Framework introduces six Recovery Support Functions represented at the federal level by primary coordinating agencies such as Community Planning and Capacity Building (DHS/FEMA), Economic (Department of Commerce), Health and Social Services (Health and Human Services) , Housing (Department of Housing and Urban Development) Infrastructure Systems (United States Army Corps of Engineers) and Natural and Cultural Resources (Department of Interior) which are supported by more than 15 departments, agencies and organizations.
We encourage you to read through the National Disaster Recovery Framework.Learn more about Homeland Security
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