Tag Archives: West Wing Week

News, Politics, Government

Weekly Wrap Up: “Live from the White House”

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By Courtney Corbisiero

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Two Presidents in the White House: Former President George H.W. Bush joined President Obama at the White House on Monday to honor the 5,000th Daily Point of Light Award winners. This award recognizes Americans that serve their communities in unique ways. At the event, President Obama announced his plan to continue President Bush’s legacy: a new Presidential Memorandum on expanding national service. The President’s initiative will help Americans become more engaged in service by tapping the full resources of the federal government.

Immigration Reform: Spanish-language television anchors from around the country were offered a unique opportunity on Tuesday – the chance to visit the White House with behind-the-scenes access and interview President Obama. After attending briefings surrounding issues important to Latinos, the reporters spoke with President Obama about the importance of comprehensive immigration reform. “Immigration is always difficult – it always has been in this country,” said President Obama. “But what’s also been true is that this is the thing that separated America from every other country on Earth. It’s part of what makes us special, and we have to continue that tradition by passing comprehensive immigration reform.”

Protecting Americans: After blocking a vote on his nomination for two years, the Senate confirmed Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday. President Obama spoke from the East Room on Wednesday about the significance of Cordray’s role – one that looks out for the financial interests of every day Americans. The President noted the accomplishments already made by the CFPB and said that with a leader in place, the Bureau would be well equipped to continue protecting consumers.

“Today, if you want to take out a mortgage or a student loan or a payday loan, or you’ve got a credit reporting agency or debt collector who’s causing you problems — maybe they're not playing by the rules, maybe they're taking advantage of you — you have somewhere to go. The CFPB has already addressed more than 175,000 complaints from all across the nation, giving people an advocate who is working with them when they're dealing with these financial institutions that may not always be thinking about consumers first.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 07/19/13 or "It's Hard To Argue With Success"

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the 44th President hosted the 41st President at the White House to confer the 5,000th Daily Point of Light award, honored Richard Cordray as the newly confirmed Director of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, sat down to talk with Spanish language news anchors, and spoke on the importance of supporting full implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: A 21st Century Government

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By Courtney Corbisiero

Watch the West Wing Week here.

A More Efficient Government: On Monday, the President laid out his plan his vision for building a better, smarter, and faster government during his second term.

Over the last four years, the Administration has already made great progress on one of President Obama’s first priorities after taking office: bringing a government built for the 20th century into the 21st century. And on Monday, the President highlighted some of the new technologies and innovations that are already making a positive impact on Americans across the country – including data analytics and internet and mobile apps used by FEMA to help survivors of natural disasters locate recovery centers and apply for financial assistance. The President also discussed Data.gov, a project from the Open Data Initiative, which gives Americans access to government data for the first time ever.

Kids’ State Dinner: Winners of Epicurious’ second annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge spent their Tuesday at the White House for the Kids’ State Dinner, hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama.

While at the White House, the 54 children ate lunch with the First Lady – and the President even stopped by for a surprise visit!

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 04/12/13 or “We Choose Love”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President, Vice President and First Lady continued to call for action to reduce gun violence, while the President announced the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, conferred the medal of honor, met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and held an Easter Prayer breakfast.

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From: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/04/12/west-wing-week-041213-or-we-choose-love

News, Politics, Government

Weekly Wrap Up: “We Have Not Forgotten”

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Easter Egg Roll: On Monday, the First Family welcomed more than 30,000 guests to the South Lawn for the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. The event was filled with activities ranging from the traditional Easter Egg Roll to readings from stars such as Danica Patrick, Adrian Peterson, and even Elmo.

The theme of “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You,” was inspired by the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, which seeks to solve the problem of childhood obesity. You can find demonstrations of healthy recipes from top chefs here and learn more about the Let’s Move! initiative here.

This year’s special guest was Robby Novak — better known as Kid President. Be sure to also check out a special presidential video message from April 1.

Guns: On Thursday, President Obama traveled to Colorado to urge the American people to push Congress to vote on a set of common-sense proposals to help reduce gun violence. The President wants to close loopholes in the background check system to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and others who shouldn’t have them — and prevent mass shootings like the one that killed 20 young children and six adults in Newtown, CT.

“If you want to buy a gun, whether it's from a licensed dealer or a private seller, you should at least have to pass a background check to show you're not a criminal or someone legally prohibited from buying one,” said the President. “And that's just common sense.”

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: ‘The Promise of America”

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Middle East Trip: Last Friday, President Obama wrapped up his visit to the Middle East. The President paid respects with a visit to Mount Herzl where he honored two Jewish heroes, Theodor Herzl and former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. Then President Obama took a tour of Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Complex.

Later, President Obama joined Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the West Bank where they toured the crypt containing the birthplace of Jesus.

The President then traveled to Jordan, the final stop of his trip, where he was greeted at Al-Hummar Palace in Amman by King Abdullah II and his son, Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah. The President participated in an official welcoming ceremony followed by a series of events in Jordan.

Check out our Middle East trip gallery and visit our Middle East page for more information.

Remembering Sandy Hook: On Thursday, President Obama promised Americans he had not forgotten about the Sandy Hook Elementary tragedy. Standing with parents and teachers of gun violence victims, the President pressed Congress to pass legislation to protect our children and our communities.

And I want to make sure every American is listening today. Less than 100 days ago that happened, and the entire country was shocked. And the entire country pledged we would do something about it and that this time would be different. Shame on us if we've forgotten. I haven't forgotten those kids. Shame on us if we've forgotten.

In January, the President put out a series of common-sense proposals to reduce gun violence. Download the plan here.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 03/29/13 or “Where Peace Begins”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President wrapped up an historic trip to the Middle East with stops in Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan, and then returned home for a naturalization ceremony, visits with the LA Galaxy and Kings, African Leaders, young Ambassadors and Spanish Television. He wrapped up the week by pressing for commonsense action to protect children from gun violence.

Friday, March 22nd

  • The President was halfway through a four-day trip to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. West Wing Week caught up with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes, to fill us in on the trip so far for the latest installment of “From the Rhodes.”
  • Friday saw wreath laying at Herzl and Rabin's gravesites, and then at the Hall of Remembrance at Yad Vashem, Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust.
  • The President crossed into the West Bank again, this time to the Palestinian city of Bethlehem where he visited the Church of the Nativity.
  • Then, it was on to his last stop on his trip, to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, where King Abdullah II honored the President's arrival with a ceremony fit for a King. The two leaders then adjourned for a bilateral meeting and a joint press conference.

Saturday, March 23rd

  • The President made his way to the ancient city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and his last stop on his tour of the Middle East.

Monday, March 25th

  • Back in Washington, the President began his week at home by hosting a naturalization ceremony to welcome 28 active duty service members and civilians to American citizenship, and to call for reforms that will help harness the talent and ingenuity of all those who want to work hard and find a place in America.

Tuesday, March 26th

  • The President congratulated two LA teams- the Kings and the Galaxy- on their MLS and NHL championship victories.
  • The President met with the 11 Cesar Chavez Champions of Change who embody the spirit of Cesar Chavez's legacy and commit themselves to working in their communities to advocate for, and organize around comprehensive immigration reform.
  • Then he met with the March of Dimes Ambassador, second grader Nina Centofanti and her family.

Wednesday, March 27th

  • Wednesday marked the annual tradition of the Presidential signing of the ERP, the Economic Report of the President, where the President took the time to thank the entire staff of the Council of Economic Advisors, who wrote the report.
  • Then the President sat down to talk with Lourdes Meluza of Univision and then Lori Montenegro of Telemundo on some of the issues of the day, including the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
  • The President hosted the swearing-in ceremony of Julia Pierson as the Director of the United States Secret Service.

Thursday, March 28th

  • The President stood with mothers, law enforcement officials, and victims of gun violence to urge Congress to take action on common-sense measures to protect children from gun violence.
  • Then he congratulated the 2012 Kavli …read more
    Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House
News, Politics, Government

Weekly Wrap Up: “We Stand Together”

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Middle East Trip: On Wednesday, President Obama embarked on a five day journey to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan. The President began his visit with an arrival ceremony at the Ben Gurion airport followed by a visit to an Iron Dome defense battery in Tel Aviv. In the evening, President Obama flew to Jerusalem to talk with Israeli leaders and joined Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a working dinner.

On Thursday, the President visited the West Bank, where he held meetings in Ramallah with Palestinian Authority President Abbas and Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad, and attended a cultural event at Al-Bireh Youth Center. The day also included a tour of the Israel Museum and a speech from the Jerusalem International Convention Center.

The President wrapped up his busy day at the residence of President Peres for a dinner in Jerusalem. Check back this weekend for coverage on the rest of President Obama’s Middle East Trip.

Watch some of the President’s Trip Now:

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: “We Don’t Have a Moment to Waste”

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

International Courage Awards: Last Friday, the First Lady joined Secretary of State John Kerry at the State Department for the International Women of Courage Awards—where nine different women were honored. The event was a celebration of the strength and sacrifice of individuals who have worked tirelessly for the advancement of women’s rights for all.

Trade Export Council: On Tuesday, President Obama touched base with business and government leaders at a meeting of the President’s Export Council.

“The good news is we are well on our way to meeting a very ambitious goal that we set several years ago to double U.S. exports,” said the President. “And what we know is, is that a lot of the growth, a lot of the new jobs that we've seen during the course of this recovery, have been export-driven.”

To maintain and ignite growth, President Obama discussed finishing new trade deals with Europe and the Asia-Pacific. The Administration passed legislation in 2011 supporting free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama which has kept America competitive in foreign trade, while creating jobs for Americans.

Sultan of Brunei: On Tuesday, President Obama welcomed His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei to the Oval Office for a bilateral meeting to share their desire for “a strong, peaceful, prosperous Asia-Pacific region.”

Brunei, a small country in the South China Sea, will be holding the ASEAN East Asia Summit meeting in October. The visit is a symbol of the President’s goal of working towards a peaceful and prosperous presence in the Asia-Pacific region.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 08/15/13 or “Stay With It!”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President met with the Sultan of Brunei, his Export Council, Intel Science Fair finalists, and Israel Channel 2; he discussed cybersecurity and immigration reform with CEOs, and traveled to the Capitol to meet with Congressional Caucuses, while the First Lady honored Women of Courage, held a Twitter Q&A, and challenged CEOs to find innovative ways to hire veterans.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

News, Politics, Government

West Wing Week: 03/15/13 or “Stay With It!”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President met with the Sultan of Brunei, his Export Council, Intel Science Fair finalists, and Israel Channel 2; he discussed cybersecurity and immigration reform with CEOs, and traveled to the Capitol to meet with Congressional Caucuses, while the First Lady honored Women of Courage, held a Twitter Q&A, and challenged CEOs to find innovative ways to hire veterans.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: “This is Your Victory”

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Violence Against Women Act: On Thursday, President Obama signed the Violence against Women Act of 2013, which provides resources for thousands of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The renewed version of the law extends to protect LGBT victims, immigrants, Native Americans and victims of sex-trafficking. The act will ensure victims and survivors will have the resources they need. With survivors and advocates standing behind him President Obama recognized the significance of the day:

But everybody on this stage worked extraordinarily hard. Most of all, though, this is your day. This is the day of the advocates; the day of the survivors. This is your victory.

First Cabinet Meeting: On Monday, President Obama opened the 17th Cabinet meeting of his presidency and the first of the new term. The President welcomed to the table his newest cabinet members, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel. In his remarks, President Obama shared his deep concerns of the harmful and automatic budget cuts known as the sequester and advocated for bipartisan solutions so Americans can be poised for progress:

So one of the things that I’ve instructed not just my White House but every agency is to make sure that, regardless of some of the challenges that they may face because of sequestration, we’re not going to stop working on behalf of the American people to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to continue to grow this economy and improve people’s prospects.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 03/08/13 or “Jedi Mind-Meld”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President urged Congress to resolve harmful budget cuts and reduce the deficit in a way that helps grow the economy and strengthen the middle class, held his first Cabinet meeting of the second term, announced three key Cabinet nominations, and signed the Violence Against Women Act.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: “We’ve Got More Work to Do”

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Call to Governors: On Monday, President Obama and Vice President Biden delivered remarks to the National Governor Association. The President drew attention to the importance of infrastructure and education, while praising the group for their great work and accomplishments across America. The President also urged the governors to push Congress to end the harmful and automatic budget cuts known as the sequester, set to take effect March 1.

“As governors, you’re the ones who are on the ground, seeing firsthand every single day what works, what doesn’t work, and that's what makes you so indispensable,” he said. “Whatever your party, you ran for office to do everything that you could to make our folks’ lives better.”

The First Lady and Dr. Biden also spoke and covered the importance of committing to our veterans in their transition to civilian life. Both highlighted states that have made progress in changing laws to make it easier for military spouses to attain new credentials when they move to a new state, and challenged all 50 states to follow through.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 03/01/13 or “Hope Springs Eternal”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President urged Congress to take a responsible approach to deficit reduction instead of the indiscriminate across-the-board spending cuts called the sequester. He also met with the Prime Minister of Japan, America's Governors, and the country's only all-black Ranger unit, and unveiled a truly moving monument to Rosa Parks.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: "Fulfilling Our Obligations"

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Sequester Looming: On Tuesday, with just days left until a set of deep, across-the-board budget cuts are set to take effect, President Obama discussed what’s at stake for our country’s economy, security and future and pushed lawmakers to work out a deal for the American people.

“So these cuts are not smart. They are not fair. They will hurt our economy. They will add hundreds of thousands of Americans to the unemployment rolls,” said President Obama, as emergency respondents stood behind him. “This is not an abstraction — people will lose their jobs. The unemployment rate might tick up again.”

The President called for “a balanced approach to deficit reduction,” which ends tax loopholes and deductions for the wealthy, while targeting wasteful spending in the process.

Giving Every Child a Chance: Last Friday, President Obama headed home to Chicago to promote his proposals from the State of the Union address and emphasized the importance of protecting our children from gun violence, illustrating the importance of family in our communities.

“And so that means that this is not just a gun issue. It’s also an issue of the kinds of communities that we’re building. And for that, we all share a responsibility, as citizens, to fix it.”

President Obama wants to create “ladders of opportunity” for Americans who are “working to build a strong, middle-class life for themselves.” In order for millions to work their way up, they must have the right skills and good-paying jobs. The President presented pathways to get there in his State of Union address, which include high-quality preschool for every child, raising the minimum wage and sparking American manufacturing.

Medal of Valor: On Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden and Attorney General Eric Holder paid tribute to 18 remarkable individuals who have displayed exceptional courage, while risking their own lives, in order to protect fellow citizens. Recipients traveled to the White House for the Medal of Valor ceremony, which marks the highest national award for valor a public safety officer can receive. Watch the full ceremony here and learn more about the 18 heroes here.

“I love Big Bird”: Celebrating Let’s Move!’s third anniversary, First Lady Michelle Obama welcomed a special guest to the White House: Big Bird. The pair headed to the kitchen and hung out in the East Room to talk about fun ways to exercise and the ease of finding delicious fruits and vegetables. The First Lady started the Let’s Move! initiative in February of 2010 to start “solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams.”

Follow the First Lady for updates and learn more about Let’s Move! here. Be sure to also see special behind the scenes video with the First Lady and Big Bird here.

Easter Egg Roll Lottery: On Thursday, the lottery officially opened for the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll. More than …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 02/22/13 or “A Single Sacred Word: Citizen”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President visited his old neighborhood in Chicago, conferred one of the nation's highest civilian honors, met with the President of Italy, and continued to urge Republicans to close tax loopholes for the wealthy to prevent dangerous across-the-board budget cuts that are slated to take effect on March 1st.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 02/08/13 or “What’s Up, Camera Man?”

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President honored our nation's top scientists and innovators, nominated a new Secretary of the Interior, and worked toward reducing gun violence, enacting immigration reform, and reducing our deficit in a balanced way.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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Weekly Wrap Up: Strengthening Our Country's Future

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By Christopher Sponn

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Here's a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

Immigration Reform: On Tuesday, President Obama traveled to Las Vegas to present his plans for comprehensive immigration reform. The four parts of the White House proposal call for a strengthening of our borders, cracking down on companies that hire undocumented workers, creating a path to earned citizenship and streamlining our legal immigration system for all.

“Now is the time to do this so we can strengthen our economy and strengthen our country's future,” said President Obama, urging a bipartisan effort.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House

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West Wing Week: 02/01/13 or "The Dude from Stillwater"

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By <a href="/author-detail/44">Adam Garber</a>

This week, the President announced his choice for his new Chief of Staff, pushed for comprehensive immigration reform, and invited the Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year, Presidential Innovation Fellows, law enforcement officials, 60 minutes, and the Miami Heat to the White House.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House