evening all

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama talk in the Green Room of the White House before hosting a Smithsonian Museum of African American History reception in the East Room, Feb. 22, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

****

****

President Barack Obama listens during the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, February 22

****

****

Don’t miss Liberal Librarian’s latest post at The People’s View

****

Business Week

****

The Hill: The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that President Obama’s 2009 stimulus package continues to have a significant effect.

The bill raised fourth-quarter 2011 gross domestic product by as much as 1.5 percent, it states, and lowered the unemployment rate by as much as 1.1 percentage points.

The package reduced the rolls of the jobless by up to 2 million people in the last three months of 2011.

More here

****

*****

LA Times: Sales of previously owned homes rose 4.3% in January and inventories fell to nearly seven-year lows as lower prices, unusually warm weather and an improving economy lifted demand.

….. January sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.57 million …. Sales rose in all four major regions, including an 8.8% pop in the West.

Job creation, mild weather, rising rents and increased household formation contributed to the sales gains, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the Realtors group. “Things are genuinely improving,” Yun said.

More here

****

****

Slate

****

****

Link

****

****

One photo, two cool cats.

Thank you Pam!

(You can buy the PBO poster here – thank you Donna Dem)

pam

The Arizona Republic: Smiling and grateful to be alive, Pam Simon, one of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ wounded staffers, returned to the office Friday to heal in the company of her colleagues.

“It was really important to see the rest of my Giffords family. We are like a family,” said Simon, 63. “I think it’s part of the healing to circle back and to have the energy of friends and people who love us.”

Simon, who works as a community-outreach coordinator for Giffords, survived two gunshots, one to the wrist and another in the chest that traversed her body and lodged in her buttocks.

Full article here

Pam Simon sits with President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in her hospital room at University Medical Center before Wednesday’s Memorial Service on Jan. 12