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Obama Chronicles — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:35:56 +0000

Don’t have time to check WH.gov everyday? That’s ok – we’ve got a new feature to make staying current even easier. Starting today, the White House will offer a brand new weekly email with updates and latest news on the economy and job creation in America. Each week, we’ll send you the latest economy and jobs related posts from the White House blog as well as a look ahead to what’s on tap for next week.

You can check out the first edition of the Economy and Jobs Agenda below and sign up to get the weekly updates in your inbox here. We'll also launch a Energy and Climate Agenda later this week - sign up now. Look for more topics coming soon.

For First Time, Disaster Survivors Can Apply For Federal Disaster Aid On Smartphones

Obama Chronicles — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:16:34 +0000

Back in May, we launched our mobile site, http://m.fema.gov to make it easier than ever for people to access information from FEMA quickly and easily. This launch was only a first step and I’m glad to announce today a new feature to our mobile site that allows disaster survivors to apply for federal assistance directly on their web-enabled mobile devices after Presidentially declared disasters (such as BlackBerry®, Apple iPhone®, and Windows Mobile® devices).

Watch Live: A Broadway Celebration at the White House

Obama Chronicles — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:14:02 +0000

Today the President and First Lady continue their White House music series with "A Broadway Celebration" to honor the arts and demonstrate the importance of arts education. The White House has consistently looked to support the arts even during these tough times. As the President has said, “the arts are not somehow apart from our national life, the arts are at the heart of our national life.” This evening’s event is the sixth in a series that showcases the music that has shaped and enriched our country – preceded by tributes to jazz, country, Latin, classical and the music of the Civil Rights Movement.

This afternoon, dance students from the local Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Joy of Motion Dance Center will work with Tony Award winning choreographer Jerry Mitchell on a segment from the Broadway show Hairspray. The youth ensemble will come to the White House to perform in a special dress rehearsal for the First Lady, their parents and teachers, before joining the ranks of some of Broadway’s most prestigious performers.

President Obama Pushes for Up-or-Down Vote on Help for Our Laid Off Friends & Neighbors

Obama Chronicles — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:09:59 +0000

Click here to see the video.

The President opened his remarks today describing some of the people he is focused on as he deals with the economy every day:

Right now, across this country, many Americans are sitting at the kitchen table, they’re scanning the classifieds, they’re updating their resumes or sending out another job application, hoping that this time they’ll hear back from a potential employer. And they’re filled with a sense of uncertainty about where their next paycheck will come from. And I know the only thing that will entirely free them of those worries –- the only thing that will fully lift that sense of uncertainty –- is the security of a new job.

Free Preventive Care Coming Soon Thanks to the Affordable Care Act

Obama Chronicles — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:44:46 +0000

Starting in September, insurance plans will be required to pay the entire cost of recommended, preventive services. That means that, without paying a deductible, co-pay or coinsurance, many Americans will be able to take the preventive steps needed to keep themselves and their families healthy. To help raise awareness about this important issue, The First Lady and Dr. Biden recorded this video message:

Click here to see the video.

Email from David Axelrod: Filibustering Recovery

Obama Chronicles — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:20:19 +0000

On Saturday, David Axelrod sent this email to the White House list highlighting the President’s Weekly Address calling on Congress to stand up for small businesses and unemployed Americans by quickly passing legislation that would provide small businesses with the credit they need to hire and grow and extend unemployment benefits for Americans looking for work.

If you didn’t get the email, you can sign up for the White House email list here.

Weekly Address: Filibustering Recovery & Obstructing Progress

Obama Chronicles — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:00:00 +0000

The President blasts Republicans in the Senate who are blocking unemployment insurance and small business tax breaks to create jobs -- even as they push for permanent, massive tax cuts for the richest Americans.

Click here to see the video.

President Obama Gives an Update on the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf

Obama Chronicles — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:21:39 +0000

Click here to see the video.

This morning the President spoke on the news from the Gulf, emphasizing that while there may be good news, the work is not done containing the leak, and will not be until the relief wells are finished and functioning. After his opening remarks where he explained exactly what is happening, he was asked what his message for the people in the Gulf region would be:

Well, I would expect that sometime in the next several weeks I’ll be back down. What we’re trying to do right now is to make sure that the technical folks on the ground are making the best possible decisions to shut this well down as quickly as possible, that we’re standing up the fund so that people are compensated quickly. I’m staying in touch each and every day, monitoring the progress and getting briefed by the scientists.

The key here right now is for us to make decisions based on science, based on what’s best for the people of the Gulf -- not based on PR, not based on politics. And that’s part of the reason why I wanted to speak this morning, because I know that there were a lot of reports coming out in the media that seemed to indicate, well, maybe this thing is done. We won’t be done until we actually know that we’ve killed the well and that we have a permanent solution in place. We’re moving in that direction, but I don’t want us to get too far ahead of ourselves.

His opening remarks with a little more detail below:

Focus on Workplace Safety

Obama Chronicles — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:49:12 +0000

Each year across America, more than 5,000 workers are killed on the job. Another four million are injured, and thousands more will subsequently become ill or die from present day occupational exposures.

Recent tragedies—like the explosions at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia and aboard the Deepwater Horizon off the Gulf Coast—make that clear. The news coverage is certainly fostering public awareness of the hazards facing many workers, but every day, countless other workplace injuries and deaths go largely unnoticed.

Shortly after the Upper Big Branch explosion, the President made clear his personal commitment and that of the Administration to honor the victims of this disaster by ensuring justice is served on their behalf and that an accident of this magnitude never happens again. He told the nation “we owe [those who perished in the UBB disaster] more than prayers. We owe them action. We owe them accountability. We owe them an assurance that when they go to work every day, when they enter that dark mine, they are not alone. They ought to know that behind them there is a company that’s doing what it takes to protect them, and a government that is looking out for their safety.”

West Wing Week: “6 Principals”

Obama Chronicles — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 04:00:00 +0000

Thanks for checking out the West Wing Week, your guide to everything that's happening at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. This week, walk step by step with the President as he speaks about the economy in Las Vegas, celebrates 100 years of the Boy Scouts of America, meets with President Fernandez of the Dominican Republic, visits with the 2010 Principal of the Year award winners, announces the new Director of the Office of Management and Budget and much more.

Click here to see the video.

Find more video, photos, and information on the events featured in this episode below: