In September 2009, the President announced that — for the first time in history — White House visitor records would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were generated in …
Author: David Hudson
People Are Loving @POTUS's Summer Playlists
Yesterday, the White House joined Spotify — and our DJ-in-Chief, President Obama, treated the world to his personal summer playlists (one for the daytime, one for the evening). If you missed it, check out his playlists here.
Obviously, the internet was pretty excited about it. So without further ado, here are some of our favorite responses:
.@POTUS Welcome to Spotify, Mr. President
— Spotify (@Spotify) August 14, 2015
President got me dancing like… #POTUSPlaylist GIF via @mikefarrell pic.twitter.com/6fy9vmyNul
— Jonathan Shariat (@DesignUXUI) August 14, 2015
having a moment because i have a @POTUS who puts @TalibKweli on his official playlist. and ain’t too proud to beg. and the isley brothers.
— Maryann James-Daley (@missjames) August 14, 2015
@POTUS You truly are the hippest #POTUS ever!! Keep up the #Groove!
— Jerry Holden (@JerryHoldenCEO) August 14, 2015
#POTUSplaylist https://t.co/jpJ2IZIAuN
— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) August 14, 2015
Isleys, @TalibKweli, Stones, Howlin Wolf – the @POTUS @spotify playlist is solid: http://t.co/KHV7iqWrHP. And nite is for Nina. Good company
— Okkervil River (@okkervilriver) August 14, 2015
@POTUS wow epic
— Sam Sheffer (@samsheffer) August 14, 2015
@POTUS you are the coolest president ever. U were the one that introduced me years ago to @EspeSpalding. Going to check out your playlist
— CoralMermaid (@CoralMermaid) August 14, 2015
@POTUS great taste in music! Lots of classics in those lists! is good for the soul!
— Mandy Revelle/Bates (@RedBates) August 14, 2015
@POTUS Nice playlist!!! i just discovered Florence and I love that woman!,!
— Raul Arias (@raulariasmtz) August 14, 2015
@POTUS I wish there was a metal or hard rock song in it, would have been awesome imagining you headbang :p
— Sam Guichelaar (@SamGuichelaar) August 14, 2015
Love @POTUS playlist on @spotify Perfect summer tuneage… https://t.co/14wQ1fZS0I Music is a universal language!
— Geoffrey Colon (@djgeoffe) August 14, 2015
@potus the fact that you’ve got some Okkervil River on that playlist gives me hope for the country. 😀
— Kyle Mitchell (@jaggedlines) August 14, 2015
@POTUS Great list @potus. Happy to see Wherever Is Your Heart by @brandicarlile. What about Thunder Road by @springsteen ?
— petesouza (@petesouza) August 14, 2015
@POTUS Rocking out to your jams – and appreciating the hints of sass in their selection, if I am not misinterpreting ; ) @FLOTUS‘s nxt?!
— Jessica Saint Jean (@saintleighjess) August 14, 2015
Weekly Address: Continuing Work to Improve Community Policing
In this week’s address, the President spoke about the work the Administration is doing to enhance trust between communities and law enforcement in the year since the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson.
In May, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing released their final report setting out concrete proposals to build trust and enhance public safety. And across America, local leaders are working to put these ideas into action in their communities.
The President noted that while progress is being made, these issues go beyond policing, which is why the Administration is committed to achieving broader reforms to the criminal justice system and to making new investments in our children and their future.
Transcript | mp4 | mp3
Weekly Address: Reaffirming Our Commitment to Protecting the Right to Vote
In this week’s address, the President celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act by underscoring the importance of one of the most fundamental rights of our democracy – that all of us are created equal and that each of us deserves a voice. The enactment of the Voting Rights Act wasn’t easy – it was the product of sacrifice from countless men and women who risked so much to protect every person’s right to vote.
The President reminded us about their struggle and that while our country is a better place because of it, there is still work to be done. He promised to continue to push Congress for new legislation to protect everyone’s right to the polls, and asked that all Americans, regardless of party, use every opportunity possible to exercise the fundamental right to vote.
Transcript | mp4 | mp3
President Obama, Congressman John Lewis, and Others on the 50th Anniversary of the Voting Rights Act
Fifty years ago, on August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law — a landmark piece of legislation breaking down barriers across the South that prevented countless African Americans from voting.
This afternoon, President Obama hosted a discussion here at the White House to mark the Act’s 50th anniversary, featuring Congressman John Lewis, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, and others.
If you missed it, watch the President’s remarks below, followed by the conversation between Congressman Lewis and Melissa Harris-Perry:
Earlier today, President Obama wrote a post on Medium reflecting on the anniversary, and reiterating the importance of every citizen having an equal opportunity to vote and make their voice heard.
“Fifty years ago,” he wrote, “registering to vote across much of the South meant guessing the number of jellybeans in a jar or bubbles on a bar of soap. And while the Voting Rights Act broke down many of the formal and more ridiculous barriers to voting, today — in 2015 — there are still too many barriers to the vote, and too many people trying to erect new barriers to the vote.”
The President has called on Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act, and praised those who are coming together around this issue — such as the NAACP, which is mobilizing people for a 40-day march from Selma to D.C. in support of voting rights and other critical issues.
Congressman John Lewis also sent a message to the White House email list this morning, sharing his own experiences from the “Bloody Sunday” march in Selma, Alabama that led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act, and reiterating the need to restore the Act today.
He also implored every citizen to get out and vote whenever they have the opportunity.
“When it comes time to get out and vote,” he wrote, “we have to do so. The right to vote is the most powerful nonviolent, transformative tool we have in a democracy, and the least we can do is take full advantage of the opportunity to make our voices heard.”
Heroes like @RepJohnLewis, Dr. King, and countless others sacrificed so that all of our voices could be heard. pic.twitter.com/L7kxtWQlYW
— President Obama (@POTUS) August 6, 2015
See more highlights from today’s activities at WhiteHouse.gov/Voting-Rights-Act, where you can also learn more about the history of the Voting Rights Act.
P.S. — Follow along this evening as Congressman Lewis takes over the @WhiteHouse Instagram, sharing photos about how the Voting Rights Act came to be.
More than 4.67 Million Records Released
In September 2009, the President announced that — for the first time in history — White House visitor records would be made available to the public on an ongoing basis. Today, the White House releases visitor records that were generated in …
The Faces of Health Care: Timothy S.
What has health reform meant to this country? That’s a question that millions of Americans answer every day. Timothy is one of them. Read more of their stories here.
“[The Affordable Care Act] literally saved my life.”
Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Timothy S. from Saint Paul, Minnesota was forced to drop his health insurance because it was too expensive — and “essentially worthless.”
He recently found out that he had kidney cancer, and needed major surgery in order to remove it.
Fortunately, under the ACA, Timothy qualified for expanded Medicaid in his home state of Minnesota.
“I don’t know how I would have been able to afford this if it wasn’t for the ACA,” he wrote in a letter to the President. “It literally saved my life.”
If this story moved you, just remember that it’s one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own — and then make sure someone else hears it, too.
The Faces of Health Care: Susan F.
What has health reform meant to this country? That’s a question that millions of Americans answer every day. Susan is one of them. Read more of their stories here.
“Everyone should be free to study their passions and pursue goals, chronic illness or not.”
Susan F. from Grover Beach, California, wrote the President last November to tell him how she’s benefited from the Affordable Care Act.
When she was 17, Susan was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes, and her family didn’t have health insurance. Although she had a 4.0 GPA and was preparing for college, she used her college savings to instead pay for her medical care.
“What good would education do me,” she wrote, “if I lost sight, kidneys, or a leg to diabetes?”
Although she had financial aid for her college education, her medical care required her to work in order to pay her hospital bills. Because of her classes, however, Susan didn’t have the time to hold a full-time job. Unable to balance her classwork and the financial burden of her health care, she left school before finishing her biochemistry degree.
“For the rest of my adult life,” she wrote, “the insecurity of health care meant inferior jobs with better insurance. I couldn’t leave a job for fear of not having insurance again.”
But on the first day of open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act, Susan signed up for Medicaid, and can now afford her medication, as well as expert medical care.
“I am most grateful this Thanksgiving, that in a room full of people with insulin dependent diabetes, I will never hear a story like mine again.”
If this story moved you, just remember that it’s one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own — and then make sure someone else hears it, too.
The Faces of Health Care: Christopher C.
What has health reform meant to this country? That’s a question that millions of Americans answer every day. Christopher is one of them. Read more of their stories here.
“I am writing to thank you, I believe, for my life.”
Last September, Christopher C. from Batesville, Arkansas was diagnosed with esophageal cancer.
Before the Affordable Care Act, Christopher, who worked for a small business, had no health insurance coverage. Fortunately, because of the protections provided by the ACA, he was able to obtain insurance that kept him out of financial ruin. Since the beginning of 2015, he has been on Medicaid, which has provided him quality coverage as he continued his treatment.
“If I had not had the insurance coverage, there is no way I could have afforded the many weeks of radiation and chemotherapy treatments, the doctor’s visits, or the many, many lab and other tests,” he wrote in a letter to the President.
In March, Christopher had a PET scan and learned that he was clear of cancer. “There is no guarantee the cancer will not come back,” he added, “but for now I am alive and recovering. I believe I owe your hard work for my successful battle with cancer.”
If this story moved you, just remember that it’s one of millions. Add your voice and share one of your own — and then make sure someone else hears it, too.