Tag Archive

West Wing Week: 12/30/11 or Best of the West (Wing Week)

This week, we're taking a look back at the President's third year in office, highlighting behind-the-scenes footage and some of our favorite Presidential moments.

2011 Year in Review: Top Photos from the White House Flickr Feed

Yesterday, we shared the 10 most popular videos of 2011 from the White House YouTube channel. Today, check out 10 of the year's most viewed photos from the White House Flickr feed.

May 1, 2011: President Obama and his top national security aides gathered in the White House Situation Room receive minute-by-minute updates about the Navy SEAL operation in Pakistan that ended with the death of Osama bin Laden.

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Seated, from …

2011 in Review: What People Were Talking About on Facebook

More than 1.2 million people “Like” WhiteHouse.gov on Facebook, and one thing we noticed throughout 2011 is that many of you also like sharing your thoughts on the stories and videos we post on our page. Here are the top 10 stories people commented on in 2011:

December 20, 2011: What Does $40 Mean to You? What would you have to give up or go without? Share your story here and add your voice to the debate.

August 6, 2011: President Obama outlines a number of steps that can be taken right away to create jobs and help grow the economy.

December 10, 2011: "Do Republicans in Congress think our financial crisis was caused by too much oversight of mortgage lenders or debt …

2011 Year in Review: The Most Popular Videos from YouTube

This was a year marked by some major moments at the White House — and we were fortunate enough to capture a lot of them on film. Check out the top 10 most popular videos of the year from YouTube:

On May 1, 2011, President Obama announced that Osama bin Laden had been slain by U.S. forces.

On January 25, 2011, President Obama traveled to Capitol Hill to give a State of the Union address.

In the Weekly Address on Christmas Eve, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama offered a holiday tribute to the men and women of the U.S. military.

As part of his appearance at the 2011 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, President Obama showed a trailer for a proposed White House sequel to "The King's …

2011 Year in Review: Eight Ways the Health Care Law Helps You

As we ring in the New Year, we also want to take a minute to reflect on the progress we made in 2011. I’m proud to say that we had a very productive year for protecting the health of all Americans, especially those who are least able to help themselves. From strengthening Medicare to expanding access to preventive services to holding insurance companies accountable – young adults, families, and seniors have begun to see benefits from the health care law that took effect in 2010.

Here are eight important ways that you or your family might have benefited from the health law in 2011:

Making Sure More Americans Have Health Coverage – 2.5 million more young adults have health insurance coverage thanks to a provision in …

Behind the Scenes: The Ceremony at the White House before the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors

On December 4, the President welcomed the 2011 Kennedy Center honorees to the White House for a ceremony before the live performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The annual awards show celebrates individuals who have made a lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts—whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures, or television.

This year’s honorees are singer Barbara Cook, singer and songwriter Neil Diamond, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, and actress Meryl Streep. 

Before you tune in for the  "Kennedy Center Honors" tonight at 9 pm ET/PT on CBS, take a look at what the honorees had to say about being recognized for their body of work – and about being invited to the White House:

The Most Memorable Experience of My Life

Ed. note: The application for the Summer 2012 White House Internship Program is now open. This blog post introduces readers to Aisha Hasan, a former intern who worked in the Office of the Vice President in the spring of 2011. When asked about her internship experience, Aisha writes:

“If someone had told me prior to the spring of 2011 that I would someday intern at the White House, or that I would have the honor of hearing the President, the Vice President, the First Lady, and other senior members of the Obama Administration speak, I would have quickly dismissed the thought as being beyond my wildest dreams.

But, once I received notice that I had been accepted into the White House Internship Program, I …

President Obama and the First Lady Mark the Beginning of Kwanzaa

Yesterday, the President and First Lady sent their warmest wishes to all those celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season:

Today marks the beginning of the week-long celebration honoring African American heritage and culture through the seven principles of Kwanzaa — unity, self determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

We celebrate Kwanzaa at a time when many African Americans and all Americans reflect on our many blessings and memories over the past year and our aspirations for the year to come. And even as there is much to be thankful for, we know that there are still too many Americans going through enormous challenges and trying to make ends meet. But we also know that in the spirit of unity, or Umoja, …