President Barack Obama talks with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, after delivering a statement on the murder of journalist Jim Foley by the terrorist group ISIL. He spoke at the Edgartown School in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Aug. 20, 2014. Photo by Amanda Lucidon
****
****
Matt Viser: Senator Edward Markey Says He Will Back Iran Deal
Senator Edward J. Markey on Wednesday said he would support the Iran nuclear agreement, offering his endorsement on a highly charged issue that has been dividing some Democrats. Markey – a Massachusetts Democrat who took the seat long held by Secretary of State John Kerry, who negotiated the deal – said in a statement provided to the Globe that he believes that the negotiated deal is the best way to ensure Iran doesn’t build a nuclear weapon. “I have concluded that diplomacy remains our best tool to secure a nuclear weapon-free Iran,” Markey said.
“That’s why I intend to support the Iran nuclear agreement when it comes before Congress in September.” “This agreement is far from perfect and carries risks,” he added. “But I believe our negotiators achieved as much as they reasonably could, and that if strictly implemented, this plan can be effective.” Markey is the latest member of the Massachusetts delegation to announce his support for the deal. Earlier this month, Senator Elizabeth Warren, as well as representatives Seth Moulton, Stephen Lynch, and Jim McGovern also announced their support. Representative Michael Capuano has said he is “leaning strongly in favor,” and no member of the all-Democratic delegation has come out against the deal.
More here
****
****
Sam P.K. Collins: Americans Actually Like Michelle Obama’s Healthier School Lunches
A national poll shows that more than 80 percent of Americans support healthy school meals consisting of more fruit and vegetables and less high calorie and sodium food choices, requirements outlined in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act — a law that authorized the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set nutritional standards for food sold and distributed in schools and expanded access to healthy lunch to more than 115,000 U.S. children. The survey, conducted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, debunks the primary argument against the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, one of the central policies at the heart of First Lady Michelle Obama’s effort to address childhood obesity. “Our survey found that people in the U.S. overwhelmingly support strong nutrition standards and believe school meals are healthier and on the right track because of these standards,” La June Montgomery Tabron, president and chief executive of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation,
told the New York Times. If lawmakers reauthorize the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act next month, schools would receive $4.5 billion over the next decade. With time dwindling before it’s set to expire, its supporters and challengers have scrambled to make their case, drawing out a battle that started shortly after its passage and holding nothing back in the process. Since the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act’s inception, the program has expanded, serving more than one million students across the United States not only lunch, but dinner too as part of its after-school snack offerings. The UDSA also rolled out $5 million in grants to fund programs that connect school cafeterias with local farmers. The 2014 grant cycle supported more than 80 projects in 42 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In total, more than $385 million in locally grown produce has entered school buildings across the country.
More here
****
****
****
President Barack Obama prepares for a meeting with economic columnists in the Oval Office, Aug. 20, 2013. From left are: Kathryn Ruemmler, Counsel to the President; Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri; Katie Beirne Fallon, Deputy Director of Communications; and Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama talks with former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula in the Blue Room prior to a ceremony honoring the 1972 Super Bowl Champion Miami Dolphins at the White House, Aug. 20, 2013. Photo by Pete Souza
President Barack Obama has a foreign leader phone call in the Oval Office, Aug. 20, 2012. Pictured, from left, are: Chief of Staff Jack Lew; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; and Steve Simon, Senior Director for Middle East and North Africa. Photo by Pete Souza
The Obama Diary 
You must be logged in to post a comment.