Pete Souza The Great: 2014 In Photos

January 28, 2014

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“At the annual State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol, Chuck Kennedy captured this poignant moment between the First Lady and U.S. Army Ranger Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg. Cory first met the President in 2009 at a D-Day ceremony in Normandy. Four months later, Cory was badly injured in Afghanistan and in a coma for three months. In early 2010, shortly after Cory came out of his coma, the President happened to be visiting patients at Walter Reed Hospital. As he walked into one of the patient’s rooms, hanging on the wall was a photo I had taken of the President and Cory in Normandy. The President then realized that he had met this badly injured Army Ranger at Normandy. Two years later, we were visiting Arizona, where Cory had gone home to further recuperate. The President asked if Cory would be able to greet him backstage. Amazingly, Cory was able to salute the President and walk across the room aided by a walker to shake hands with the President.” (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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February 4, 2014

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“Members of Congress vie for the President’s attention following a meeting with the House Democratic Caucus in the East Room of the White House.”  (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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My 2014 Year in Photos: wh.gov/2014-in-photos

—
  (@petesouza) December 30, 2014

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March 1, 2014

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“The President talks with some of his national security advisors before a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Ukraine. I’m sure there will be people quick to comment about his wearing casual clothes and having his feet on his coffee table. Let’s keep perspective in mind: it was a Saturday, and a President is the President whether he’s wearing a suit on a weekday or casual clothes on a weekend. And a President, any President, isn’t disrespecting the office if he puts his feet on a table or a desk; he’s just being relaxed.” (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

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March 18, 2014

The President’s Day

President Barack Obama fist-bumps middle-school student Adrianna Mitchell while participating in an “Hour of Code” event in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. The event is in honor of Computer Science Education Week

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TUNE IN to #106andPark to see Pres. Obama address #EricGarner + more starting at 5P/4c! bet.us/1Gaof0w http://t.co/S0aXqc4kxJ

—
  (@BET) December 08, 2014

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President Obama is seen on a television screen as he guest hosts during a taping of Comedy Central’s ‘The Colbert Report’ in Lisner Auditorium at George Washington University

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President Obama meets with Prince William in the Oval Office

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A Life Was Saved Today Thanks To ObamaCare

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Jane C. Timm: Study: Obamacare Helping More Youth To Get Mental Health Treatment

Young adults have a higher risk of mental health problems and substance abuse – both issues that the U.S. health care system traditionally has struggled to treat. But according to a new study, the number of high-risk youth seeking and receiving affordable care is on the rise, thanks to an Obamacare provision that allows young people to stay on their parents’ health plan until they turn 26. Two million young people now have health care coverage because of the provision, the study notes, but the biggest shift has been with youth demographics that are most at risk.

Among 18-25 year olds exhibiting signs of mental health or substance abuse problems, 5.3% more received mental health care than a comparable group of 26-35 year olds, researchers from Johns Hopkins and Harvard found in the study, published this month in the health care journal Health Affairs. The cost of care has decreased, too: Uninsured doctor visits requiring patients to pay out of pocket were down 12.4%, while the number of covered visits rose 12.9%. Three-quarters of all mental illnesses begin by age 24, according to the National Institute of Health. Before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, nearly 60% of all mental health or substance abuse care for young Americans was paid for out-of-pocket. Mental health care coverage is often prohibitively expensive, a factor that respondents routinely cite as a reason for not seeking care.

More here

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SOME GOOD NEWS: Obamacare helping more youth to get mental health treatment msnbc.com/msnbc/study-ob…

—
  (@LOLGOP) August 12, 2014

Rise and Shine

The new National Security Advisor 😉

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Today:

11:30 VP Biden and other dignitaries deliver eulogies at the funeral service for Sen. Frank Lautenberg (C-Span 2)

12:10: The President welcomes the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens to the White House

1:0: Press Briefing by Jay Carney

2:15: The President will announce that Tom Donilon is departing as National Security Advisor in early July and is being succeeded by Susan Rice

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TPM: President Barack Obama’s top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, marking a significant shakeup to the White House foreign policy team.

A White House official confirmed the personnel changes Wednesday morning ahead of a planned announcement by the president later in the day.

Donilon has been a key foreign policy adviser to Obama since he first took office. But the 58-year-old had been expected to depart sometime this year, with Rice seen as the likely candidate to replace him.

More here

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GOP blocked Warren as Director of the CFPB. She is now Sen. Warren. They blocked Amb. Rice as SoS. She is now NSA. GOP tears are delicious.

— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 5, 2013

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photo of obama reacting to gop anger about susan rice + samantha power twitter.com/owillis/status…

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) June 5, 2013

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TPM: A White House official says President Barack Obama will name former aide Samantha Power as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Power will replace Susan Rice, who will take over as Obama’s national security adviser. The official says Obama will announce both appointments from the White House Wednesday afternoon.

More here

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U.S. economy adds 135,000 private-sector jobs in May: ADP on.mktw.net/138uEXL

— MarketWatch (@MarketWatch) June 5, 2013

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Gallup: U.S. Job Creation Best in Five Years gallup.com/poll/162893/jo…

— Mark J. Perry (@Mark_J_Perry) June 5, 2013

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Michael Tomasky: Voter Suppression, Chris Christie Style

….. Chris Christie calls a special election for the Lautenberg Senate seat for October, even though there is already an election scheduled for November. He’s running for reelection in that one.

….. What could the reason be? Gee, do you think it could have anything to do with the fact that the Democratic Senate candidate is going to be Cory Booker, who is black, and who will draw African American voters to the polls in large numbers? So let all those black voters get their electoral ya-ya’s out in October, see, and they’ll stay home in November and not vote against him….

More here

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Chris Christie is revered for being stern and “telling it like it is”. If the Obamas use a tone that’s a bit too brash it’s all ZOMGSOANGRY

— Tiffuh. (@Tiffuhkneexoxo) June 5, 2013

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Audio of FLOTUS responding to the rude heckler. She was polite. The heckler is not a victim and the audience agreed. thedailybeast.com/videos/2013/06…

— Nerdy Wonka (@NerdyWonka) June 5, 2013

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From Gwendolyn in the comments:

There were 2 hecklers…a guy and this woman. I attended the fundraiser. The young man yelled out, and the woman joined. The female heckler was within the view of the First Lady. Supporters around the female heckler (including me!) were being vocal about the heckling. There was some movement in the group, and I think the First Lady was actually trying to take the sting out of the situation. Our First Lady Did Not over-react. I believe she was making sure no one became aggressive.

Thankfully, we have such a positive and effective First Lady. The dumb republicans do not understand grace!

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POTUS has done more for #LGBT issues than any other president. But the disrespectful heckler goes after his wife, instead of Congress. Oh.

— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013

I want to get my point across at a private home fundraiser, I slip @flotus an impassioned letter signed by many on my issue. Not heckle her.

— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013

You confront the wife of the leader of the free world but then are “taken aback” when she confronts you right back. That’s privilege, folks.

— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013

Hey @getequal, are you claiming the woman who disrespected @flotus in a private home? Is she one of yours? That’s how you operate?

— April(@ReignOfApril) June 5, 2013

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‘The rhetorical end of the War on Terror’

Text of speech here

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President Obama: “Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end.”

— The White House (@whitehouse) May 23, 2013

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Obama: “There is no justification beyond politics for Congress to prevent us from closing a facility that should never have been opened.”

— The White House (@whitehouse) May 23, 2013

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Obama: “America does not take strikes to punish individuals—we act against terrorists who pose a continuing and imminent threat.”

— The White House (@whitehouse) May 23, 2013

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President Obama: will work w/ Congress to eventually repeal the AUMF. Fantastic news.

— Bob Cesca (@bobcesca_go) May 23, 2013

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Don’t think it’s an exaggeration to suggest that this speech will be seen by history as the rhetorical end of the War on Terror

— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) May 23, 2013

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Still want to see the “playbook.” But that was one of the most detailed and thoughtful speeches on national security ever given by a US prez

— David Firestone (@fstonenyt) May 23, 2013

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POTUS: “America, we have faced down dangers far greater than al Qaeda by staying true to the values of our founding.” But enough about GOP.

— john miller (@deaconmill) May 23, 2013

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President Obama listens as Medea Benjamin, an activist from the organization called Code Pink, shouts at him while he speaks at the National Defense University, May 23