Barack and I hope our portraits inspire generations of young people who'll visit the White House in the future and see themselves reflected on those walls. Watch as we share what last week's White House portrait unveiling meant to us: pic.twitter.com/bS3SgVAEKK
Last week, Michelle and I unveiled our official White House portraits by Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung. Take a look as we reflect on what that moment meant to us: pic.twitter.com/694vQhN4gO
Jacob Philadelphia was five years old when he visited the Oval Office and asked if his hair was like mine. That photo became one of our favorites – a reminder of the power of seeing yourself in your leaders.
On This Day: President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Claire Duncan, daughter of Education Secretary Arne Duncan, watch a tennis match at Camp David, Md., Oct. 3, 2010. The President hosted cabinet members and their families for a Sunday gathering at the retreat (Photo by Pete Souza)
Senator Barack Obama walks from his plane on October 3, 2008 after arriving in Philadelphia on his way to a rally in Abington, Pennsylvania
A woman is overcome with emotion after meeting Senator Obama at a rally on October 3, 2008 in Abington, Pennsylvania
Senator Barack Obama is photographed October 3, 2008 at the airport in Philadelphia before flying to Chicago
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President Obama congratulates Google Science Fair winners, from left, Naomi Shah, Shree Bose, and Lauren Hodge in the Oval Office, Oct. 3, 2011 (Photo by Pete Souza)
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First Lady Michelle Obama in Reno, October 3, 2012
First Lady Michelle Obama sits with White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett before the Presidential Debate at the University of Denver on October 3, 2012
Income Inequality Is A Problem And President Obama Is Tackling It
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Zachary A. Goldfarb: Don’t Think Obama Has Reduced Inequality? These Numbers Prove That He Has.
Today, the average after-tax income of a member of the top 1 percent of earners is $1.12 million. The average after-tax income of someone in the bottom 20 percent is $13,300. That means the average person at the top takes home 84 times the income that the average person in the bottom takes home. Now, consider what it would be like if none of President Obama’s tax policy changes had happened: not the upper-income tax hikes negotiated at the beginning of last year, not the upper-income tax increases imposed by the Affordable Care Act, not the low-income tax credits enacted in the 2009 stimulus and later renewed.
In this alternative universe, the average member of the top 1 percent would take home $1.2 million, or 6.5 percent more in income, according to a new analysis. The average member of the bottom 20 percent would bring home $13,100, or 1.2 percent less in income. As a result, the average member of the 1 percent would take home 91 times what the average person in the bottom would bring home. If you’ve wondered whether Obama has made any headway at reducing income inequality, here’s evidence that he has. Based on tax policy alone, he has slightly increased the income of the poor and more significantly reduced the income of the rich.
11:0: VP Biden attends and delivers remarks at a Nelson Mandela service at Washington National Cathedral
12:30: Josh Earnest briefs the press
3:45: VP Biden and Cecilia Muñoz answer questions about immigration reform in an online event
5:0: VP Biden delivers remarks at the 12th Annual George McGovern Leadership Award Ceremony of World Food Program USA
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Aboard Air Force One, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes begins the editing process on the President’s speech that he will deliver at the Nelson Mandela memorial service
Hillary Clinton talks with the Obamas, Ben Rhodes and Capricia Marshall aboard Air Force One, Dec. 9
President Obama greets security personnel from South Africa as he waits to take the stage at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela
President Obama and President Bush talk as they get ready to have dinner aboard Air Force One with their wives and Valerie Jarrett, Tina Tchen and Susan Rice
USA Today: Obama applauds congressional budget deal
Don’t be surprised if President Obama addresses the proposed congressional budget deal on Wednesday, and to say good things about it.
In a written statement late Tuesday, Obama called the deal “a good first step” toward a “balanced” budget approach that combines prudent cuts with investments in job-generating programs.
“This agreement doesn’t include everything I’d like — and I know many Republicans feel the same way,” Obama said. “That’s the nature of compromise. But it’s a good sign that Democrats and Republicans in Congress were able to come together and break the cycle of short-sighted, crisis-driven decision-making to get this done.”
That Congress’ budget chairs – Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray – were able to reach a budget agreement at all is a minor miracle. There was ample reason to believe the negotiations were a fool’s errand and that failure was an inevitability. The assumptions, however, were wrong, and the two leaders last night unveiled their deal to fund the government for the next two years.
Broadly speaking, there are two overarching questions to consider: is the budget agreement any good and can it pass Congress. Neither is easy to answer.
BBC: ‘Volcker rule’ ban on risky trades passed by regulators
All five US financial regulators have approved the Volcker rule, designed to restrict the finance industry in the wake of the 2008-09 financial collapse.
Named after former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker, it bans banks from using their own funds for trading activities.
It is considered the centrepiece of the 2010 banking reform legislation known as Dodd-Frank. Banks will have until 21 July 2015 to comply with the rules.
…. US President Barack Obama applauded the passage of a rule proposed more than three years ago.
He said in a statement: “The Volcker Rule will make it illegal for firms to use government-insured money to make speculative bets that threaten the entire financial system, and demand a new era of accountability from CEOs who must sign off on their firm’s practices.”
Kentucky.com: Health enrollment climbs during holiday period
Enrollment through Kentucky’s health benefits website has grown by more than 11,000 in a 10-day period starting Thanksgiving week.
Gov. Steve Beshear’s office says the technology team for the state’s online health insurance marketplace was expecting an increase in traffic, applications and enrollments after Thanksgiving and increased capacity to prepare.
A news release from Beshear’s office says the site enrolls about 1,000 Kentuckians a day.
President Obama with first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Malia and Sasha walk out from the White House to attend Sunday service at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Dec 11, 2011
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MoooOOOooorning! A bit of a rush job again, I’m sure I’m missing lots of news but we’ll catch up through the day.
The Obama Diary 
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