The President’s Day

President Barack Obama announces more than $240 million in pledges to boost the study of STEM fields. This year’s White House Science Fair is focused on diversity.

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President Barack Obama laughs as Stephanie Bullock, 15, of Saint Croix, Virgin Islands, far right, explains her team’s rocket design during the President’s tour of the White House Science Fair. With Bullock are Maria Haywood, 12, and Shimeeka Stanley, 14

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"Science is for all of us. And we want our classrooms and labs and workplaces and media to reflect that." —President Obama #WHScienceFair

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

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President Barack Obama poses with six-year-old Girl Scouts from Tulsa, Okla. during the White House Science Fair. The Girl Scouts, including, Emily Bergenroth, Alicia Cutter, Karissa Cheng, Addy O’Neal, and Emery Dodson, used Lego pieces and designed a battery-powered page turner to help people who are paralyzed or have arthritis

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Sahil Doshi, 14, of Pittsburgh shows his carbon-dioxide powered battery idea to President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama tries out a wheelchair with a design modification that makes wheelchair movements easier by Kaitlin Reed, 16, of Dover, Mass., next to Mohammed Sayed, 16, of Cambridge, Mass., who is originally from Afghanistan, and designed a 3D-printed modular arm. Obama will announce more than $240 million in pledges to boost the study of those fields, known as STEM. This year’s fair is focused on diversity.

Harry Paul, 18, of Port Washington, N.Y., shows President Barack Obama his “growing spine implant” that helps in the treatment of scoliosis

President Barack Obama deadpans a remark to reporters about how impressed he is by the work of Anvita Gupta, 17, from Scottsdale, Arizona, about developing a computer algorithm to assess drugs’ effectiveness in the fight against Ebola, Cancer, and Tuberculosis

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"Today, I can announce that we have achieved that goal." —Obama on providing 98% of Americans with access to high-speed wireless internet

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

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President Barack Obama looks at the invention of Sergio Corral and Isela Martinez from Phoenix, Arizona, leaders of the robotics program from Carl Hayden High School

Tiye Garrett-Mills, of Denver, Colorado, shows President Barack Obama her technique for scanning leaf structures

"No young person in America should miss out on the chance to excel in these fields just because they don’t have the resources." —Obama #STEM

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

"We’ve got to celebrate the winners of our science fairs as much as the winners of football or basketball" —President Obama #WHScienceFair

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

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Victor Cruz of the NFL’s New York Giants smiles as President Barack Obama mentions him in his remarks

President Barack Obama reacts while listening attentively to Nikhil Behari, 14, from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, who is designing a biometric security system for computers to help identify a user by their typing style

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"There’s always more to learn, to try, to imagine—and…it’s never too early, or too late, to create or discover something new." —Obama

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

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Bill Nye ‘The Science Guy’ acknowledges applause as U.S. President Barack Obama mentions him in his remarks

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President Barack Obama speaks with Kristian Sonsteby and Corine Peifer of Pennsylvania, about their invention of a power generator which stores energy created by the natural motion of a floating dock moving up and down with a lake’s natural currents

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"That’s why we love science: It’s more than a school subject, or the periodic table...it is an approach to the world." —Obama #WHScienceFair

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

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President Barack Obama speaks with Ruchi Pandya from San Jose, California, about her nanotechnology project to test biological samples

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President Barack Obama speaks at the SelectUSA Investment Summit in National Harbor, Md. SelectUSA, created in 2011, is the first-ever federal effort to bring job-creating investment to the United States, promoting the United States as the world’s premier business location, and providing easy access to federal-level programs and services related to business investment

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"After a decade of outsourcing, we’re starting to bring back good jobs to America." —President Obama #SelectUSA http://t.co/zU0goXMxlM

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

"We can work together on bipartisan…new trade deals...that aren’t just free, but fair" —Obama #SelectUSA #LeadOnTrade http://t.co/K2ot7Pp3l9

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 23, 2015

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President Obama Celebrates STEM

President Barack Obama holds a model used to show how polymers expand and learns how sand less sandbags that are the invention of Peyton Robertson, 12, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., work, while touring the 2014 White House Science Fair exhibits on display in the State Dining Room of the White House. Robertson designed a new kind of sandbag to protect against flooding from hurricanes and other disasters. President Obama was celebrating the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country

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Brownies from Tulsa, Ok talk to the President about their science project today pic.twitter.com/IVkjAhnTfa

— petesouza (@petesouza) May 28, 2014

'A 'Flood Proof' bridge made of Lego? Coooooooool!' (Photo by @dougmillsnyt) pic.twitter.com/KT0TMSuY0d

— TheObamaDiary.com (@TheObamaDiary) May 28, 2014

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President Barack Obama holds up a model of a flu “bug” as he looks over the flu research display of Eric Chen, 18, of San Diego, California

President Barack Obama poses for a photo with Karen Fan, 17, and Felege Gebru, 18, both of Newton, Massachusetts.

President Barack Obama listens to Elana Simon of New York explain her project about cancer

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ABC News: President Obama Unleashes His ‘Inner Nerd’ At White House Science Fair

President Obama today shined the spotlight on 100 students from 30 states whose work in science, technology and engineering he says should inspire others to excel in the field. “As a society, we have to celebrate outstanding work by young people in science at least as much as we do Super Bowl winners,” he said. Obama said this year’s White House science fair put special emphasis on “amazing girls and young women” to encourage more to pursue careers in science. “I have a confession to make. When I was growing up my science fair projects were not as successful as those here,” Obama joked.

Love that the president treats these science fair students like the rock stars they are #WHScienceFair #GirlsinSTEM http://t.co/olB2u4iExU

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Bobak Ferdowsi (@tweetsoutloud) May 27, 2014

He said he killed a bunch of plants in one project; in another, he said mice escaped in his grandmother’s apartment. Obama also got an up close look at several of the exhibits. He tried on a “concussion helmet” designed by one young lady; chatted with three 6th graders about their “app” that helps disabled kids navigate from class to class at school; and viewed a robot designed by Natick, Mass., HS students that helps with icy water search and rescue. Obama tried and tested the robot, and the kids joked that he was now certified in ice rescue. “I love this event. This is one of my favorite things all year long,” Obama later told the crowd.

More here

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President Barack Obama poses with John Moore and Lidia Wolf of Chicago after they explained their FIRST robot project

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Alan Boyle: Obama Unleashes His Inner Geek (Again) At White House Science Fair

Science education went to the head of the class at the White House on Tuesday, with President Barack Obama announcing a $35 million competition for teacher training programs — and checking out an all-star lineup of science fair projects. “I love this event!” Obama told an audience of students, teachers and VIPs. “This is one of my favorite things all year long.” The president chatted with kids from more than two dozen science-fair teams as he made his way through the State Dining Room. “We’re so proud of you,” Obama told Elana Simon, an 18-year-old from New York who survived a bout with a rare liver cancer when she was 12 and developed a genetic database for patients with the same disease. “Can I just say, I did not do this at 12, 13, or 18. … This is just a sample of the kind of outstanding young talent that we’ve got.”

"We need to celebrate science fair winners...at least as much as we do Super Bowl winners." —Obama #WHScienceFair http://t.co/i0TU4jFpOh

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 27, 2014

At one point, he lingered to play catch with a catapult that was built by a group of Massachusetts teens to study basketball shooting technique. “Last time I was here, there was a guy shooting marshmallows … that thing went fast!” Obama said, recalling a science-fair demonstration that went viral in 2012. The president looked up at the ceiling and joked, “That marshmallow might still be there.” Among this year’s announcements was the latest twist in Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign to spark interest in science careers: an additional $35 million in grants, to be awarded competitively to programs that provide preparation and training for STEM teachers. Other newly announced initiatives included: Expansion of the STEM AmeriCorps program, which was launched at last year’s White House Science Fair, to provide learning opportunities for 18,000 low-income students this summer.

Obama: "We’re putting a special focus on all the inspiring girls and young women who are excelling in science." http://t.co/1lCofhloV4

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The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 27, 2014

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New mentoring programs in seven cities, supported by the public-private US2020 effort. The cities include Allentown, Pennsylvania; Chicago; Indianapolis; North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park; Philadelphia; San Francisco; and Wichita, Kansas. A nationwide campaign called “Aprender es Triunfar,” aimed at inspiring Latino STEM students. A centerpiece of the campaign, launched by NBC Universal’s Hispanic Enterprises and Content, is a new documentary film titled “Underwater Dreams.” A grant from Esri to make its cloud-based advanced mapping software available for free to more than 100,000 elementary, middle and high schools as part of the White House’s ConnectED Initiative. A series of interactive online lessons to help more students learn the math and science behind going to Mars, presented by Khan Academy and NASA.

More here

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President Barack Obama talks with Deidre Carillo, 18, of San Antonio, Texas, sitting in her electric car

President Barack Obama poses with Olivia Van Amsterdam and Katelyn Sweeney, both from Natick, Massachusetts, along with their rescue robot

Nicolas Badila of Jonesboro, Georgia, tells President Barack Obama how to play STEMville, a STEM video game

President Barack Obama poses for a photo with students from Los Fresnon, Texas. The students developed an app to help a visually-impaired student navigate their school.

Maria Hanes, 19, of Santa Cruz, California, has President Barack Obama pull back a cushioned helmet. Hanes was explaining how she developed a concussion cushion football helmet

President Barack Obama stands with Gerry McManus, 13, Daisjaughn Bass, 13, and Brooke Bohn, 14, all of Hudson, Massachusetts. The students showed Obama their basketball catapult.

President Barack Obama talks with Peyton Robertson, 12, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., about how his sandless sandbags work

President Barack Obama prepares to catch a basketball thrown by team member Brooke Bohn and her project, a basketball catapult

President Barack Obama talks with a 2nd grade Girl Scout Brownie troop from Tulsa, Oklahoma about their design for a “flood proof” bridge

President Obama at the #WHScienceFair

Starting soon

The White House Science Fair

President Obama looks at the COOL PADS for shoulders, helmet, armpits and groin created by Evan Jackson, Alec Jackson and Caleb Robinson, from Flippen Elementary School, McDonough, Georgia, during the White House Science Fair

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President Obama tries the bicycle-powered emergency water-sanitation station, created by high schoolers Payton Karr and Kiona Elliot from Oakland Park, Florida

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Cyclist-in-Chief

More later from the Science Fair – just off to see Manchester United win the title 😎

Heads Up: It’s Science Time

ftw RT @whitehouse: President Obama checks out Vator the Space Elevator at the #WHsciencefair: vine.co/v/bPZtKjjO0qu

— Oliver Willis (@owillis) April 22, 2013

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1:35: President Obama views science fair projects, East Garden and State Dining Room

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2:25: President Obama delivers remarks at the White House Science Fair

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Also at White House live – if you’re using that link, make sure you click what you want to see in the list on the right, lots going on at WH Live at the same time

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2:50: President Obama will observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston bombing (private)

Coming Up Today

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11:30: Live from the White House Science Fair with LeVar Burton:

12:0: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney

1:35: President Obama views science fair projects, East Garden and State Dining Room:

2:25: President Obama delivers remarks at the White House Science Fair:

Also at White House live

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2:50: President Obama will observe a moment of silence for the victims of the Boston bombing (private)

Rise and Shine

President Obama reacts as Joey Hudy of Phoenix, Arizona, launches a marshmallow from his Extreme Marshmallow Cannon during the second White House Science Fair, February 7, 2012

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Today:

12:0: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney

1:35: President Obama views science fair projects, East Garden and State Dining Room

The President will host the White House Science Fair and celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The President hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010, fulfilling a commitment he made at the launch of his Educate to Innovate campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science. As the President noted then, “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.”

2:25: Delivers remarks at the White House Science Fair

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Happy Earth Day to you.Happy Earth Day to you. Happy Earth Day, dear planet we’re destroying.Happy Earth Day to you.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) April 22, 2013

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Steve Benen: The latest reports suggest Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is still unable to speak, due to a gunshot wound to the neck, but he’s begun to respond to questions…. while everyone involved certainly hopes these discussions produce answers, they coincide with a growing political debate, spurred on by conservative Republicans, about Tsarnaev’s legal fate….

…. It’s worth emphasizing that [Sen. Lindsey] Graham, a longtime lawyer and a member of the Judge Advocate General’s Corps, appears to be simply be making up legal standards as he goes along.

The Obama administration has already invoked the public-safety exception to the Miranda law, though Graham is arguing this isn’t enough …. he’s saying officials should look for al Qaeda connections for a month, in the hopes that evidence might justify the move retroactively. That Tsarnaev is an American citizen, captured on American soil, apparently doesn’t matter to Graham and his allies…..

Full post here

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Lindsey Graham thinks reading terrorist his Miranda rights is a bad idea, but letting them buy AR-15s at flea market is fine.

— DR (@pollbuster) April 20, 2013

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“A Christmas wish list written by kids without access to calculators”

President Obama participates in a Twitter live question and answer session in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Dec. 3. (Pete Souza)

Read all the President’s Twitter replies today here

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Steve Benen: …. Under this proposal, Republicans would keep all of the Bush-era tax rates, but accept $800 billion in new revenue. How? Through “pro-growth tax reform that closes special-interest loopholes and deductions while lowering rates.”

From there, the GOP leaders want to cut $600 billion from Medicare and Medicaid; cut $300 billion from mandatory programs; cut $200 billion by changing the consumer price index; and then cut another $300 billion in further discretionary spending.

To call this a “counteroffer” is to strip the word of meaning … This isn’t a “counteroffer”; it’s a Christmas wish list written by kids without access to calculators.

Full post here

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Michael Tomasky: So, the House Republicans made their counter-offer today. But it’s not much of a counter-offer. Josh Barro of Bloomberg identifies three problems: 1, zero specifics; 2, what description there is of the tax numbers doesn’t add up; 3, it doesn’t really avert the fiscal cliff….

…. It’s always the same story with these people. They have these policy goals that they know are quite unpopular outside their besotted 30 percent, so they’ll never put specifics to them until the last possible second. But until then, anyone would be a fool to trust them. The only thing they really care about is cutting high-end tax rates, but they know full well that they can’t say that, so they make us all play these silly games.

…. Let’s keep remembering, folks, that they’re going through all these contortions basically so as not to raise the top tax rate 4.6 percent on taxable income above $250,000, which a little less than 2 percent of the population even has. Deeply unserious people.

Full post here

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Josh Barro (Bloomberg): House Republicans are out with their response to the President’s opening bid on the fiscal cliff, and it’s not very impressive. Here are three big problems with the letter they sent to the White House:

1. It’s not really a proposal – it’s just a set of headline numbers without specific policies….

2. The description of tax reform makes little sense…

3. The proposal does not fully avert the fiscal cliff …. it would only partly delay the implementation of austerity measures (tax increases and spending cuts) into future years when the economy is stronger.

…. The letter also says nothing about the payroll tax holiday or extended unemployment insurance benefits, both of which Republicans likely want to sunset. As such, this proposal only constitutes a partial aversion of the fiscal cliff, which would mean a drag on economic growth in 2013.

Full post here

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@AriMelber

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Erskine Bowles: While I’m flattered the Speaker would call something “the Bowles plan,” the approach outlined in the letter Speaker Boehner sent to the President does not represent the Simpson-Bowles plan, nor is it the Bowles plan. In my testimony before the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, I simply took the mid-point of the public offers put forward during the negotiations to demonstrate where I thought a deal could be reached at that time.

More here

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Dan Pfeiffer: “The Republican letter released today does not meet the test of balance. In fact, it actually promises to lower rates for the wealthy and sticks the middle class with the bill. Their plan includes nothing new and provides no details on which deductions they would eliminate, which loopholes they will close or which Medicare savings they would achieve. Independent analysts who have looked at plans like this one have concluded that middle class taxes will have to go up to pay for lower rates for millionaires and billionaires.

While the President is willing to compromise to get a significant, balanced deal and believes that compromise is readily available to Congress, he is not willing to compromise on the principles of fairness and balance that include asking the wealthiest to pay higher rates.  President Obama believes – and the American people agree – that the economy works best when it is grown from the middle out, not from the top down.  Until the Republicans in Congress are willing to get serious about asking the wealthiest to pay slightly higher tax rates, we won’t be able to achieve a significant, balanced approach to reduce our deficit our nation needs.”

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Steve Benen: If a video like this one seems familiar, it’s because this is exactly the sort of clip Obama for America routinely released in the weeks and months leading up to Election Day. Yesterday, however, the same campaign organization put this clip online for President Obama’s new fight.

…. I’m nearly as interested in its existence as I am its message …. Team Obama is hoping to approach the second term very differently from the first, and that’s especially true of dealing with Congress….

… This time, the president is taking a new negotiating posture, hosting public events outside the Beltway, and utilizing his campaign structure in the hopes of shifting public attitudes…..

Full post here

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Thanks UT

Willard? Meet Your Waterloo….

Iowa State Fair, August 13 (OFA)

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OFA

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The Waterloo Center for the Arts, Iowa, August 14

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President Obama at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 13

Cole Nelson, nine months, held by his mother Deborah Nelson, inspects President Obama’s face during a visit to the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 13

… with Joy Dannelly, Iowa State Fair

Bayliss Park, Monday, Aug. 13

Denison, Iowa, on August 13

Boone, Iowa, August 13

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Council Bluffs, Iowa, August 13 (OFA)

The completely brilliant photographer Scout Tufankjian is back working for the campaign, check out more of her photos on Flickr