President Obama sings Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, and Al Green
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Archive for August 4th, 2014
04
Aug
14
53 Years: The Journey In Images
1961
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1962
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1963
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Meanwhile, in Chicago …. a girl is born.
1964
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1965
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1966
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1967
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1968
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1969
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Sara Kliff: The Amazing News Buried Inside A 283-Page Medicare Report
This is arguably the most unexpected piece of news in the new Medicare Trustees report: the government’s hospital insurance program might be spending less money to cover more beneficiaries than it did a year ago. Medicare’s hospital insurance program — known to wonks as Medicare Part A — spent $266.8 billion covering 50.3 million people in 2012. In 2013, the the same program spent $266.2 billion to cover 51.9 million people. what’s definitely clear — and what’s driving this trend — is that Medicare is spending significantly less per person than they did two years ago.
And this report expects that trend to continue for another two years going forward. By 2015, the Medicare Trustees’ Report projects that the program will spend less per person on hospital care than it did in 2008. This doesn’t happen much in health care: not just slower growth, but the actual dollar amount spent on a given type of care dropping. The Affordable Care Act, for example, penalizes preventable readmissions — times when seniors turn up at the hospital a second time after something goes wrong during their first visit. Readmissions have been falling pretty steadily for the last few years, and those reductions could be showing up in the lower per-person spending.
More here
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04
Aug
14
Chat Away
04
Aug
14
Rise and Shine
On This Day: Barack Obama blows out candles on his birthday cake at his 43rd birthday celebration with his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia during a fundraiser, August 4, 2004 in Matteson, Illinois
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Today (all times Eastern)
11:0: President Obama receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
11:45: Meets with Treasury Secretary Lew
12:45: White House press briefing
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Today is President Obama’s birthday—make sure you sign OFA’s card: http://t.co/h8AtbmovVb pic.twitter.com/c3qzlI5ofU
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 4, 2014
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The Week Ahead
Tuesday: President Obama delivers remarks and participates in the U.S.-Africa Business Forum. In the evening, the President and First Lady will host a dinner at the White House for African heads of state and government and select guests
Wednesday: The President participates in Summit Leader Meetings as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit
Thursday & Friday: Attends meetings at the White House
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USA Today: Obama’s day: A happy birthday
President Obama turns 53 years old on Monday, and celebrates in part with a light public schedule.
Obama, born Aug. 4, 1961, has a string of meetings with aides throughout the day.
The economy will be the major topic when the president sits down in the afternoon with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew.
Monday also marks the start of the first-ever U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. While Obama is scheduled to address the summit Tuesday, he may drop in on some of the meetings set for Monday.
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I miss the sea, I miss my friends, I miss ice cream, I miss happiness and joy. I MISS MY ORDINARY LIFE #GazaUnderAttack
— Guess what (@Farah_Gazan) August 4, 2014
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BBC: Gaza conflict: Israeli partial ceasefire under way
A seven-hour “humanitarian window” announced by Israel is under way in parts of Gaza.
Israel said the truce would not apply to Rafah in the south and its troops would respond if they were attacked.
Palestinian officials have accused Israel of breaking the truce with a strike on a house in Gaza City.
In Jerusalem, Israeli media said a Palestinian construction vehicle driver was shot dead after an attack on a bus that killed an Israeli passer-by.
The Israeli truce comes after an attack near a UN-run school in Gaza on Sunday that sparked international outrage. Palestinian officials said at least 10 people died.
More here
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Will every media outlet that has covered GOP accusations abt Benghazi cover this bipartisan report? http://t.co/jHFUuHwqEM
— Dan Pfeiffer (@pfeiffer44) August 3, 2014
SFGate: House panel: No administration wrongdoing in Benghazi attack
The House Intelligence Committee, led by Republicans, has concluded that there was no deliberate wrongdoing by the Obama administration in the 2012 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, said Rep. Mike Thompson of St. Helena, the second-ranking Democrat on the committee.
The panel voted Thursday to declassify the report, the result of two years of investigation by the committee. U.S. intelligence agencies will have to approve making the report public.
Thompson said the report “confirms that no one was deliberately misled, no military assets were withheld and no stand-down order (to U.S. forces) was given.”
More here
Today’s not a good day for the shyster known as @DarrellIssa and his media cronies. #Benghazi http://t.co/wm70FmcxiZ pic.twitter.com/CwZwDMsx0M
— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) August 4, 2014
No mention yet from #Benghazi shill @JonKarl on: http://t.co/xFWgLVvzKO But he finds time to RT this kind of stuff pic.twitter.com/960XrXl4IG
— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) August 4, 2014
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Steve Benen: The House GOP’s immigration plan: ‘Deport ‘em all’
For two years, House Republicans have been under pressure to tackle legislation related to immigration. Late Friday night, the wait ended – the GOP majority finally held votes on the issue.
They just weren’t the vote the American mainstream had in mind.
Early in July, many congressional Republicans actually intended to approve President Obama’s plan to address the humanitarian crisis at the U.S./Mexico border. But the GOP’s posture kept shifting – from amending to Obama’s plan, to destroying it, to passing a far-right proposal that wasn’t considered extreme enough, to Friday night’s sad theatrics.
More here
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WH.gov: U.S. Africa Leaders Summit
President Obama in August will welcome leaders from across the African continent to the Nation’s Capital for a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first such event of its kind. This Summit, the largest event any U.S. President has held with African heads of state and government, will build on the President’s trip to Africa in the summer of 2013 and it will strengthen ties between the United States and one of the world’s most dynamic and fastest growing regions. Specifically, the August 4-6 Summit will advance the Administration’s focus on trade and investment in Africa and highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people. At the same time, it will highlight the depth and breadth of the United States’ commitment to the African continent, advance our shared priorities and enable discussion of concrete ideas to deepen the partnership. At its core, this Summit is about fostering stronger ties between the United States and Africa.
More here
Live Streaming from the Summit:
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On This Day
President Obama presents cupcakes with a candle to Hearst White House columnist Helen Thomas in honor of her birthday in the James Brady Briefing Room, on Aug. 4, 2009. Thomas, who turned 89, shares the same birthday as the President, who turned 48 (Photo by Pete Souza)
On This Day: President Obama jokingly points out cake crumbs that Vice President Biden dropped on the floor in the Oval Office following a birthday celebration for the President on Aug. 4, 2009 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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Lisa Nigro of Chicago, Illinois receives the 2010 Citizens Medal from President Obama in the East Room of the White House August 4, 2010 in Washington, DC. Nigro’s mission to aid those living on the streets of Chicago has created a restaurant for homeless men and women, expanding with partner organizations to provide housing, job training, and vital support to Chicagoans affected by poverty.
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MoooOOOooorning! A bit short of time, so a bit of a short R&S. We’ll catch up through the day.
04
Aug
14
Early Bird Chat
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MoooOOOooorning, Happy Monday – And Happy Birthday PBO!
For Dudette.
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See everyone in the morning!
The Obama Diary 
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