First Lady Michelle Obama hosts the “Kids State Dinner” in the East Room of the White House. The White House treated more than 50 kid chefs to a “state dinner.” The children earned a seat at the table by whipping up mouth-watering yet healthy meals as part of a nationwide contest sponsored by the food magazine Epicurious and the Education and Agriculture departments
President Barack Obama speaks about the situation in Ukraine, in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington. The president said one American was killed on the plane over Ukraine, and the airliner was shot down by a surface-to-air missile in an area controlled by Russian-backed separatists
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"I want the Dutch people to know that we stand with you, shoulder to shoulder, in our grief." —President Obama on flight #MH17
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) July 18, 2014
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"The United States will continue to lead efforts within the world community to de-escalate the situation." —Obama on Ukraine & flight #MH17
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) July 18, 2014
On This Day: President Obama plays basketball with senior staff and their family members during a retreat at Camp David on July 18, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Today (all times Eastern)
11:25: Live from the 2014 Kids’ State Dinner
11:30: President Obama delivers a statement on the situation in Ukraine
1:0: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Josh Earnest
1:30: The President and Vice President meet with Secretary of the Treasury Lew, Oval Office
1:45: The President and Vice President meet with Secretary of State Kerry, Oval Office
4:20: The President meets with Secretary of Health and Human Services Burwell, Oval Office
5:40: The President departs the White House en route Camp David
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BBC: MH17 Malaysia plane crash in Ukraine: What we know
At least 298 people are presumed dead after a Malaysia Airlines jet crashed in eastern Ukraine, close to the border with Russia.
Flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was travelling over the conflict-hit region when it disappeared from radar. A total of 283 passengers and 15 crew members were on board.
A ball of fire is seen following an early morning Israeli air strike, on July 11, 2014, on Rafah in the southern of Gaza strip
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Juan Cole: Falluja and Gaza: Why Counter-Terrorism fails when the Problem is Political
….. the Israeli military profoundly misunderstands Hamas. It is ridiculous to dismiss it as a terrorist organization. it is broadly based and has an important political wing.
For this reason, the Israel ground invasion of northern Gaza will be no more successful than the US invasion of Falluja. The Israelis cannot actually destroy Hamas or its capabilities as long as significant numbers of Palestinians in Gaza support it. That support is political, having to do with the organization’s role in at least trying to stand up to Israeli oppression, occupation and blockade.
Just as the enemies of the US ultimately prevailed in Falluja, so the enemies of Israel will prevail in Gaza.
Oppression and occupation produce resistance. Until the oppression and the occupation are addressed, the mere inflicting of attrition on the military capabilities of the resistance will not snuff it out. Other leaders will take the place of those killed.
As Hamas fires rockets at Israeli cities and Israel follows up its extensive airstrikes with a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, the most immediate cause of this latest war has been ignored: Israel and much of the international community placed a prohibitive set of obstacles in the way of the Palestinian “national consensus” government that was formed in early June.
That government was created largely because of Hamas’s desperation and isolation. The group’s alliance with Syria and Iran was in shambles. Its affiliation with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt became a liability after a July 2013 coup replaced an ally, President Mohamed Morsi, with a bitter adversary, Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Hamas’s coffers dried up as General Sisi closed the tunnels that had brought to Gaza the goods and tax revenues on which it depended.
President Obama meets with Warren Buffett, the Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, in the Oval Office, July 18, 2011 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Vice President Joe Biden arrives for a meeting with President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and National Security Advisor Tom Donilon in the Oval Office, July 18, 2012 (Photo by Pete Souza)
The 2012 NCAA champion Lady Bears with President Obama at the White House on July 18, 2012
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Morning again everyone – short of time again this morning, so just a few links to the two main international stories of the day (thank you Jackie and Vickie), we’ll catch up with other news through the day.
On This Day: First Lady Michelle Obama talks with children attending Camp Noah as they make trail mix at the McAlpine Park Recreation Center in Birmingham, Ala., July 18, 2012 (Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
The Obama Diary 
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