The Power To Overcome

Through centuries of persecution, exile and struggle, the story of Passover has reminded the Jewish people––and all… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

—
Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 08, 2020

Seder

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a Passover Seder Dinner for family, staff and friends, in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, March 25 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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Love this – thanks @arapaho415!

evening all

…… looking out the window of Marine One as he departs the White House South Lawn en route to Joint Base Andrews, Md., for a trip to Vermont, March 30

…… working on his speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) with Ben Rhodes, Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications, in the Oval Office, Saturday, March 3

….. signing the prosthetic arm of Sgt. Carlos Evans, USMC, after greeting wounded warriors in the East Room during their tour of the White House, March 6

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama host a Passover Seder Dinner for family, staff and friends, in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, April 6

….. visiting the Dubliner bar with Henry Healy and Ollie Hayes from Moneygall on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17

….. meeting with, from left: John Prendergast, activist and Enough Project co-founder; Ambassador Princeton N. Lyman, the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan; and George Clooney, in the Oval Office, March 15

….. with Prime Minister David Cameron and Samantha Cameron during a State Dinner reception on the Truman Balcony of the White House, March 14

….. listening as PM David Cameron offers a toast during the State Dinner on the South Lawn of the White House, March 14. Samantha Cameron is seated at right

…… with Clark Kellogg before an interview for the CBS “Final Four Show”, March 29

…… reflected in sunglasses as he greets people on the tarmac following his arrival at Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine, March 30

….. boarding Air Force One in Roswell, N.M., March 21

All photos by Pete Souza

More photos here

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evening all

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Steve Benen: The general trend on initial unemployment claims over the last few months has been largely encouraging, and today’s report offers additional good news.

In fact, the new figures are the best since April 2008, and even exceeded positive expectations:

The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits fell by 6,000 last week to 357,000, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had projected claims would total 360,000, seasonally adjusted, in the week ended March 31. Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 363,000 from 359,000. The average of new-benefit applications over the past four weeks, meanwhile, dropped by 4,250 to 361,750.

More here

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More here

Ugh:

President Obama signs the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act as Small Business leaders and members of Congress, including Eric Cantor, look on

President Barack Obama greets participants In the Roosevelt Room of the White House prior to signing the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, April 5 (Photo by Pete Souza)

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Washington Post: New numbers from a USA Today/Gallup poll of 12 swing states suggests that Mitt Romney is quickly losing support among independent voters – a voting bloc considered the crown jewel of the 2012 election.

Romney’s number in Gallup polling has dropped 10 points among independents since last fall, while President Obama’s number is up by nearly that same amount during the same time frame.

Romney’s struggles among independents are due almost entirely to the fact that independent women, who were voting for him over Obama by 5 points last fall, now favor the Democratic incumbent by a 51 percent-to-37 percent margin.

More here

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McClatchy

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ThinkProgress: PepsiCo, the world’s second largest beverage company, has ended its partnership with ALEC, the controversial right-wing group that lobbies for voter suppression efforts. Pepsi’s move, which actually came in January but was first reported this morning by NPR, may also have had a role in compelling Coca-Cola to drop its support for ALEC.

Yesterday, progressive advocacy group Color of Change announced a boycott effort targeting several other corporations that are still members of the group, which for years has partnered with elected officials at a state level to draft and pass controversial, far-right legislation. Just a few hours later, Coke announced that they too are severing ties with the ALEC.

More here

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The Week

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Actress Julianne Moore, who was just in town for the D.C. premiere of “Game Change,” will be back on Monday for an event at the White House.

Moore, who played Sarah Palin in the controversial HBO flick, will read to children at the annual Easter Egg Roll, the White House announced on Twitter. Actor Forest Whitaker, Disney star Bella Thorne and Robin Roberts of “Good Morning America” will also take part in the reading.

A bunch of celebrity chefs will also be on hand, including Andrew Zimmern, Richard Blais, Marcus Samuelsson, Carla Hall and Bryan Voltaggio. Other notables you might see wandering around the South Lawn: Andy Roddick, Michelle Kwan and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

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Ed Kilgore: You never know how these things are going to turn out, but I get the feeling that RNC Chairman Reince Priebus’ comparison of Democratic claims of a GOP “war on women” to a hypothetical “war on caterpillars” could be an iconic moment in the 2012 election cycle. No, it won’t necessarily change any votes right away, but it is likely to become a convenient symbol of the cavalier attitude the GOP has towards “women’s issues.”

More here

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Cagle

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I’m waaaaaaay behind with all this news today, apologies!

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In case you missed Hachikō’s update, she will be staying tonight with one of the great people here who offered to help. I’m sure when she gets a chance she’ll update us on her situation, the main thing, for now, is that she is safe.

night everyone

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama mark the beginning of Passover with a Seder in the Old Family Dining Room of the White House, April 18, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)