At the heart of my story is a single typo in my genome.

We all carry around thousands of typos in our DNA, most of which don't matter much to our health -- but my typo is an unusually clear-cut case. It's a single change in a particular gene that causes fatal genetic prion disease, where patients can live 50 healthy years, but then suddenly fall into deep dementia and die within a year. And there's no treatment -- at least, not yet.

In 2010, I watched this disease unfold firsthand. I had just married my husband Eric Minikel, the love of my life. My mom, healthy at 51, had single-handedly organized our beautiful wedding. Then, all of a sudden, we were watching her waste away before our eyes. We had no name for what we were seeing. It was only from her autopsy that we learned there was a 50 percent chance I'd inherited the genetic mutation that killed her.

We decided right away I'd get tested. We wanted to know what we were up against. After months in agonizing limbo, a geneticist confirmed our greatest fear:

"The same change that was found in your mother was found in you."

Even though we received bad news that day, choosing to get predictive genetic testing was, second to marrying Eric, the best decision I have ever made. It converted a potentially life-shattering trauma into a potentially life-giving tool. Knowing the hard truth has given us a head start against our formidable medical enemy.

Empowerment means something different for every patient. Taking on the disease in the lab is what it means for us.

Patient empowerment is what the President's Precision Medicine Initiative is all about: knowing your own health information so you can make smarter decisions about your own health care.

Eric and I decided that even when there's nothing you can do, there's something you can do.

We waged a campaign to educate ourselves -- taking night classes, attending conferences, and eventually taking new jobs in research labs. We retrained as scientists by day and applied what we were learning to understanding my disease by night. Four years later, we're now Harvard PhD students working side-by-side at the Broad Institute, where under the guidance of a team of amazing colleagues, we are devoting our lives to developing therapeutics for my disease.

Yesterday, I spoke on a panel at the White House about how critical the Precision Medicine Initiative is, joined by President Obama and medical professionals and individuals with stories to share. You can watch it here.

We know the road ahead is uncertain -- no amount of hard work can guarantee there will be a treatment for me when I need one.

But President Obama's commitment to the Precision Medicine Initiative gives me hope that we have a fighting chance. Now is the best moment in history to be up against a rare, but genetically well-understood disease.

We are going to do everything we can, hand-in-hand with creative allies from every sector, to build this bridge as we walk across it and develop a treatment that could save my life, and the lives of many others.

Thanks for listening,

Sonia

Sonia Vallabh
Cambridge, MA 

How a typo in my DNA led me to the White House

• Barack Obama Politics President The White House
• At 2/27/2016 03:38:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Today, I'm nominating someone to be our new Librarian of Congress -- the leader of one of our nation's oldest federal institutions -- and I want to introduce you to her.

Meet Dr. Carla Hayden.

Michelle and I have known Dr. Hayden for a long time since her days working at the Chicago Public Library, and her dedication to learning and education is unparalleled.

More recently, she's devoted her career to modernizing libraries so that everyone can participate in today's digital culture. She's been hard at work revitalizing Baltimore’s library system as the CEO of Enoch Pratt Free Library, updating its technology and raising money to fund essential improvements. Under her leadership, the Pratt library has become the largest provider of public-access computers in Maryland.

As Librarian of Congress, she'll work in close partnership with Congress, support the copyright office that serves our nation’s creative communities, and explore new ways to share the information housed within our library through innovative technologies.

And I know she'll be a good steward for the important role that libraries play in our communities. Last year, during the unrest in Baltimore, Dr. Hayden and the library’s staff kept the doors of the Pratt open as a beacon for the community.

Finally, she'd be the first woman and the first African American to hold the position -- both of which are long overdue.

So I hope you'll take a couple minutes to watch this video and meet Carla for yourself.

I have no doubt she'll make a fantastic Librarian of Congress.

President Barack Obama

My nominee for Librarian of Congress:

• Barack Obama Dr. Carla Hayden President The White House U.S. Congress
• At 2/24/2016 08:52:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Nine years ago today, I stood on the steps of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, to announce my candidacy for President of the United States.

I asked you to join me in taking up the unfinished business of perfecting our union -- to work together to build a better future.

Along the way, Americans like you have done that by playing the most important role in our democracy -- the role of citizen. You've taken on the painstaking work of progress. You've helped us find that middle ground where real change is won -- change like rescuing our economy from the brink of another Great Depression, protecting our planet, and helping millions of Americans gain health insurance.

I'll be the first to admit that this journey hasn't always been easy, especially when our politics can seem so small. But I'm still hopeful that our politics can reflect the basic decency of the American people.

That's why I'm going back to Springfield today -- because fixing our broken politics cannot wait. And I still believe we can do it together.

I hope you'll tune in today at 2:30 p.m. Eastern.

President Barack Obama

Springfield

• Barack Obama Democracy President White House
• At 2/11/2016 03:55:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

THE WHITE HOUSE    President Obama released his final budget proposal today, laying out a path to both build on the progress we've made over the past seven years and to tackle the challenges of the future. This year, you can read the President's message on the budget in a new way -- with graphics, videos, and stories from Americans who wrote to the President about the policies laid out in the budget. Explore President Obama's final budget.

See what's in the President's final budget

• Barack Obama politic President White House
• At 2/10/2016 01:44:00 a.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

During his final State of the Union, the President put me in charge of a new national commitment to ending cancer as we know it.

We're calling it a "Moonshot," and that's because I believe that this effort, like President Kennedy's call to land on the moon 55 years ago, is truly a call to humankind -- to be bold and do big things.

And right now, I'm about to walk into the very first meeting of the Cancer Moonshot Task Force the President just created, and tasked me with chairing.

Here's what it all means.

Every single federal agency with a part to play in this mission -- from the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Energy and its national energy labs -- will be in the same room together to make sure we're working from the same playbook.

We'll make sure we're making the most of investments, of our research and data, our supercomputing capabilities, our targeted incentives, private-sector efforts, and patient-engagement initiatives.

In fact, just today we announced a new 1 billion dollar jumpstart to make sure some of the best work going on has the funding that it needs.

Because ultimately, as the federal government, our job is to break down silos and bring people together who are doing the most cutting-edge work. Our job is to clear out the bureaucratic hurdles -- and let science happen.

And we're going to continue to call on families, researchers, and physicians all across the country to join this effort and rise to the challenge.

I've been in touch with hundreds of the world's top cancer physicians, researchers, and philanthropists.

And I’ve been in touch with Americans around the country who know the realities of this disease firsthand, people who have lived through it and people who have lost their loved ones they hold most dearly.

If you’ve got a story to tell about how this disease has touched your life, I want to hear from you.

And following the meeting, at around 3:30 p.m. Eastern, Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the National Institutes of Health, and Dr. Douglas Lowy, Chief of the National Cancer Institute’s Laboratory of Cellular Oncology, will be taking your questions on Twitter. You can ask them using #CancerMoonshot.

As the President said in the State of the Union, we can do this for the loved ones we've lost -- and the families we can still save.

I couldn't agree more. If there is one word that defines us as Americans, it's "possibility." And I believe this is possible.

I know that we can do this.

I'll be in touch along the way with ways you can help -- believe it.

Thank you,

Joe

The meeting I'll walk into in a few hours:

• Barack Obama President The Whait House Vice President
• At 2/01/2016 03:55:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

The President gave a remarkable speech last night, outlining how far we’ve come over the last seven years and the values that will continue to guide our work in the months to come. It may have been the President’s last State of the Union, but he and his team aren’t letting up one bit -- we know there's still work to do to create more opportunity for more people.

To complete our unfinished business, we need to hear from you in person and online. As part of "Big Block of Cheese Day” -- our annual White House online open house – the Cabinet and I will be on social media to take your questions about the State of the Union Address and the President’s vision for an American future built on hope, optimism, and opportunity.

Find out who else from the Administration will be joining in the conversation around the State of the Union -- and connect with us online using the hashtag#BigBlockofCheeseDay.

Now, an online open house is great, but you also have to make house calls in this business. So all of us in the Cabinet will be fanning out across the country in the coming days to talk with people in their communities and get feedback about ways to move the country forward.

We’re calling this the "State of the Union: Cabinet in Your Community Tour". The tour will take me to Pennsylvania later today to see firsthand the progress we’ve made and the work that remains in giving every American the opportunity to get ahead and stay ahead.

First, I’ll tour the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, where, with the help of DOL funding, they’re providing job training services to individuals who want to get their lives back on track while they pay their debts to society. After that, I’ll tour PTR Baler & Contractor, a small business that embodies the progress and values that make America so unique. In the last two years, the manufacturer has nearly doubled in size by partnering with the local community college and embracing diversity. Nine languages are spoken on the shop floor, and the CEO says that diversity is a core of their business strength.

I am so inspired by the hardworking Americans I’ve met during my travels across the country, and we have more work to do to ensure that their efforts are rewarded. Whether it’s the school bus driver in Connecticut who has to take her child to work because she doesn’t have paid family leave, or the fast-food worker in Detroit who was sleeping in her car with her three kids, there are too many people whose highest and best dreams remain out of reach -- and we’ll be working every day we have left in this Administration to give them a shot at a brighter future.

So look for us in your communities or join us online: Log on to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, and use the hashtag #BigBlockofCheeseDay. We'll do our very best to answer as many of your questions as we can.

Together, our work continues.

Thanks for everything,

Secretary Tom Perez
Department of Labor

Making house calls

• Barack Obama Politics President The White House
• At 1/14/2016 05:47:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

For three years, Congress has failed the families of Newtown and victims of gun violence across the country.

While Congress, bitterly divided over partisan politics, has been stalled on this issue, the rest of America has continued to grieve. Countless families have felt the pain and heartache of losing a loved one to gun violence -- the same horrifying sting felt by those 26 families in Newtown on December 14, 2012.

I represent those families in Congress. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't witness their pain, or share their utter bewilderment in our failure to do something about it.

But we also remember the strength and resiliency of the Newtown community. We remember the teachers who protected those kids, who died shielding them with their bodies. We remember the first responders who rushed in to help. And we remember the millions of acts of kindness and gifts and phone calls that came in from the rest of the world.

This is the spirit behind President Obama's executive actions to reduce gun violence. He is doing what he can to prevent future gun violence because he knows that, as Americans, we cannot just close our eyes and blindly accept this as the status quo -- especially when it threatens the safety of our children.

Learn more about President Obama's commonsense proposals to keep guns out of the wrong hands.

Some of my colleagues in Congress have already raised their objections over these steps. Here's my message to them: Stop listening to the gun lobby. If they listened to gun owners instead, the vast majority of whom support sensible steps to keep guns out of the wrong hands, this debate would be over already.

We would have already acted. We would have passed universal background check legislation. We would have made straw purchasing and gun trafficking federal crimes to give law enforcement the tools to combat the flood of illegal weapons across state lines. We would have passed a ban on high-capacity magazines. We would have made it impossible for those on the FBI's terror watch list to purchase a deadly firearm. Instead, we've done nothing.

We should be listening to victims and families across the country who have been calling on us to act and do what we can to make the world safer for their children.

I'm proud to stand with President Obama on the actions he's taking to prevent gun violence. If you want to learn more, make sure to tune in to CNN tonight at 8:00pm ET, where President Obama will discuss the issue and take questions at a live town hall event.

But the President can only do so much -- it's up to Congress to do more. We must stand up to the gun lobby and do we what we can to prevent what happened in Newtown from ever happening again.

What greater responsibility do we have?

Thank you,

Chris Murphy
U.S. Senator
Cheshire, Connecticut

What Congress owes the families of Newtown:

• Barack Obama Politics President U.S. Congress
• At 1/09/2016 11:33:00 a.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

When we have a level playing field, Americans out-compete anyone in the world. That’s a fundamental truth about our country.

But right now, the rules of global trade put our workers, our businesses, and our values at a disadvantage.

If you’re an autoworker in Michigan, the cars you build face taxes as high as 70 percent in Vietnam. If you’re a worker in Oregon, you’re forced to compete against workers in other countries that set lower standards and pay lower wages just to cut their costs. If you’re a small business owner in Ohio, you might face customs rules that are confusing, costly, and an unnecessary barrier to selling abroad.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership will change that -- and you can read the complete text of it right here.

The TPP is the highest standard trade agreement in history. It eliminates 18,000 taxes that various countries put on American goods. That will boost Made-in-America exports abroad while supporting higher-paying jobs right here at home. And that’s going to help our economy grow.

I know that past trade agreements haven’t always lived up to the hype. So I want to tell you a little bit about what makes this trade agreement so different, and so important.

The TPP includes the strongest labor standards in history, from requiring a minimum wage and worker safety regulations to prohibiting child labor and forced labor. It also includes the strongest environmental commitments in history, requiring countries in one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth to crack down on illegal wildlife trafficking, illegal logging, and illegal fishing. These standards are at the core of the agreement and are fully enforceable -- which means we can bring trade sanctions against countries that don’t step up their game.

And for the first time ever, we’ll have a multilateral trade agreement that reflects the reality of the digital economy by promoting a free and open Internet and by preventing unfair laws that restrict the free flow of data and information.

In other words, the TPP means that America will write the rules of the road in the 21st century. When it comes to Asia, one of the world’s fastest-growing regions, the rulebook is up for grabs. And if we don’t pass this agreement -- if America doesn’t write those rules -- then countries like China will. And that would only threaten American jobs and workers and undermine American leadership around the world.

That’s why I am posting the text of this agreement here for you to read and explore.

There’s a lot in here, so we’ve put together summaries of each chapter to help you navigate what’s in the agreement and what these new standards will mean for you.

Read it all in full right here.

I know that if you take a look at what’s actually in the TPP, you will see that this is, in fact, a new type of trade deal that puts American workers first.

Take a look. Then make up your mind.

-- President Barack Obama

Here's the deal

• Barack Obama politic President
• At 11/08/2015 12:30:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

And one thing he said is certainly ringing in the minds of Americans across the country right now, no matter their politics: "We are the only advanced country in the world that sees these shootings every few months." As the details surrounding today's tragedy continue to unfold, this is something every American should watch. Watch now.   This email was sent to hmedina197@gmail.com. Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy Please do not reply to this email. Contact the White House The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

The President just delivered a statement on today's shooting in Oregon.

• Barack Obama politic President
• At 10/01/2015 11:35:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Tune in at 9:00 a.m. to watch President Obama welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the White House.

You can watch live right here.

During this historic event the Pope will give the first address of his three-city tour of the United States, and one of the few he will deliver in English.

It's the biggest state arrival of this Presidency. Fifteen thousand people will crowd the South Lawn. Tens of thousands more will line the streets.

This is Pope Francis' first trip to the United States, and he's starting it right here in Washington, DC. For more information on the Pope's visit, follow along atWH.gov/PopeVisit.

he Holy See State Arrival Ceremony

• Barack Obama Pope Francis President United States Washington
• At 9/24/2015 09:41:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Heading into the unknown…

Almost everything we know about living in space ends at six months. Now that I am at the midpoint of my mission, heading into the second half of one year in space aboard the International Space Station, I am looking forward to exploring the science of this uncharted territory and stepping into the unknown.

My Russian colleague Mikhail Kornienko and I are living in space for one year to push the edge of our scientific understanding. To add in another dynamic, researchers are conducting “twin studies” to compare the subtle effects and changes in spaceflight as compared to Earth by studying my twin brother and I, two individuals who have almost identical genetics, but are in different environments for one year. We hope that the knowledge gained on this mission will benefit the Earth and that the data collected will help send humans to new destinations, supporting the next generation of space exploration.

Whether it is living in low Earth orbit for one year or a two year mission to the Red Planet, I have learned that human potential is limitless and we should never stop pushing the boundaries of exploration.

Thank you for supporting me and joining me on this mission. I am posting on social media with the hope that I can bring all of you on Earth along for the ride. I want to inspire you to reach further for your dreams and know that anything is possible.

The people who make International Space Station operations possible, the flight controllers watching over our ship 24-7-365, and the researchers analyzing the data we get back have invested their careers and lives to this mission to serve the United States and inspire the next generation.

I have traveled 72 million miles around Earth in the past 171 days -- flying at 17,500mph -- and have had the opportunity to experience our home planet from an incredible perspective. When I come home in March, I will have orbited the Earth 5,472 times traveling 141.7 million statute miles and spent more time in space than any U.S. astronaut in history. Please join me for the next six months of my mission -- as I reach these milestones and continue NASA’s work off the Earth, for the Earth.

NASA astronaut Scott Kelly takes a selfie with the Bahamas from 250 miles above Earth aboard the International Space Station.

Please continue to follow the mission at www.nasa.gov/station and on social media at @StationCDRKelly on Twitter and Instagram, NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly on Facebook and using #YearInSpace.

Sincerely,
Scott

Scott Kelly
NASA Astronaut

Commander Scott Kelly, International Space Station

• Barack Obama Mission NASA President Science Space exploration. International Space Station Spcae
• At 9/22/2015 12:46:00 a.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Yesterday, a 14-year-old student named Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for bringing his engineering project (an electronic clock) to his high school. Officials mistook it for a bomb.

When I was growing up, my friends and I were fortunate to know how to use soldiering irons, circuit boards, and even a bit of duct tape when nothing else worked. We played, experimented, and learned through trial and error.

The best part? When I brought my work in, my teachers loved it. And that fed my desire to embrace science, engineering, and technology. That learning to play with technology -- that curiosity -- has helped me on every step of my journey so far.

That's why I’m so proud to see people across the country standing up for the innovation and intellectual curiosity that Ahmed has shown.

That includes the President.

And he's not the only one. Today, Dr. John Holdren -- the President's top science advisor -- reached out to Ahmed and personally invited him to come to join us at the White House Astronomy Night on October 19, where we'll bring together scientists, engineers, and visionaries from astronomy and the space industry, along with students and teachers. They'll share their experiences and spend an evening stargazing from the South Lawn.

We think Ahmed will fit right in.

That's because we think it's really important that kids with a passion for science and technology have the opportunities they need to reach for the stars (sometimes, that's literal).

It's why the President has prioritized broadening participation in science and technology to a more diverse pool of students.

It's why we regularly host kids from across the country at the White House Science Fair.

It's why we believe that the National Maker Faire is so important and why we are a nation of makers.

And it's why we're dedicated to telling the untold stories of some of the brightest minds in our country -- to inspire young people to follow in their footsteps.

Ahmed, you inspire us -- and we can't wait to meet you.

D.J.

DJ Patil
U.S. Chief Data Scientist
The White House
@DJ44

P.S. -- Don’t forget your NASA shirt. I’ll be wearing mine.

We stand with Ahmed:

• Arrested Barack Obama NASA President Project (an electronic School Student
• At 9/16/2015 09:59:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Here's something a lot of people don't realize:

Just five years before we moved into the White House, Michelle and I were still paying off our student loans.

Which means that, as a student, I knew how it felt both to dream of a fine education and to worry about paying for it. Decades later, as President, I know that our country can't afford for talented young Americans to miss out on a higher education.

College is one of the most important investments students can make in their future. It's also one of the most important investments our country can make in our workforce -- as every one of us is acutely aware, equipping Americans with the knowledge and skills they need to compete and win in our global economy will continue to be the key to our resurgence.

That's why we're continuing to work to make the dream of college real for more of America's students.

And we're making progress. We've increased investments in college scholarships like Pell Grants and the American Opportunity Tax Credit. We're making student loans more affordable by cutting interest rates and capping payments at 10 percent of income. We're promoting competition and innovation to bring costs down for students and their families.

I’m proud of that progress. But our bright young people considering college need to hear from each other, too. And so, as everyone heads back to school over the next several days, you'll be hearing from your fellow Americans -- at various stages in their own educations -- about what's worked for them. They'll share their own advice with you, and your kids.

Meanwhile, senior officials from across the Administration will be hitting the road to discuss our plans to create more affordable, quality choices for students -- such as community colleges and apprenticeships -- and to give students the time and information they need to make good choices.

Tomorrow, I'll travel with my favorite community college professor -- Dr. Jill Biden -- to Macomb County Community College, where I first laid out my community college plan six years ago. While in Michigan, I'll make an announcement about apprenticeships, a crucial tool we're using to rebuild an American workforce that is the envy of the world. And I'll talk about the progress around the country in making community college free, and what more we need to do to make it available for more students.

Next Monday, I'll meet up with Secretary Duncan -- who will be traveling the country in a bus all week long -- at a high school in Des Moines, Iowa where I'm looking forward to having a conversation with juniors and seniors gearing up for college as well as with their parents who, in many cases, are trying to figure out how to pay for it. And on Thursday, September 17th, as part of her Reach Higherinitiative, Michelle will head to a local community college to check out their career and technical programs.

You'll be able to follow along with all of it right here.

The students I hear from every day remind me that if we can come together around the idea that every American -- no matter where they grew up, or how much money their parents have -- deserves a quality education and a shot at success, then we can build a future as remarkable as our past.

Stay tuned -- you'll be hearing from us (and one another) again soon.

President Barack Obama

What We're Doing for the Next Few Days

• Barack Obama Education politic President White House
• At 9/08/2015 11:21:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

I'm proud and happy I got to do it -- because some pretty extraordinary people live up there.

I visited Dillingham -- a small, vibrant coastal city that sits on Nushagak Bay, at the heart of the Bristol Bay salmon-fishing district. I had the opportunity to stand on a beach and watch subsistence fisherman pull their catches up out of the water. If you've eaten wild salmon, there's a good chance it came from here -- and having sampled some pretty outstanding salmon jerky, I can attest that it's delicious.

It was fascinating to see fishing skill that has been built up over hundreds of years at work -- and a reminder that the beautiful waters of this region have come to house a massive economic engine. The region provides 40 percent of America's wild-caught seafood, and helps support a $2 billion commercial fishing industry whose jobs extend beyond Alaska's borders. That's why we took action last December to shut off oil and gas exploration in this area indefinitely -- and why I'll continue to support efforts to protect this community as long as I'm President.

I was proud to take action last year to protect Bristol Bay and honored to meet folks today who depend on it. And don't miss the salmon jerky if you come visit.

At Dillingham Middle School, I got to watch (and dance with) a group of young people performing a traditional Yup'ik dance -- a cultural tradition which spans millennia. And I rode with Robin, a lifelong Dillingham resident, who described to me how the frozen tundra of his youth has transformed into scrub forest in just a few decades as a result of a warming climate.

From there, it was on to Kotzebue -- a town of about 3,000 26 miles above the Arctic Circle. The town's main roadways, the community's blood line, runs right above the Kotzebue Sound, making it very vulnerable to coastal erosion and the intense arctic storms that can raise the water levels much higher than normal high tides. After speaking to folks at the local high school, I got a chance to take a look at the Kotzebue Shore Avenue Project -- made of thousands of feet of roadway, sheet pile, and armor stone -- which has protected the roadway and was paid for, in part, with federal transportation funds. It's a reminder of exactly why we fight so hard for infrastructure spending. It's for communities like these.

From there it was back to Anchorage, and we'll be departing for the mainland in the next few hours.

It's hard to believe this trip is already coming to a close. Over the course of the past three days, from the decks of Coast Guard cutters and the edges of ice fields, I've had the opportunity to see some wild and beautiful things in Alaska -- and I've enjoyed sharing them with the rest of the country.

But a very serious reality lies within those breathtaking sights: And that's the fact that this state's climate is changing before our eyes.

A couple of days ago, I stood on rock where, just ten years ago, there was a glacier. Yesterday, I flew over Kivalina Island, an Arctic town that's already losing land to the sea from erosion and further threatened by sea-level rise. I've seen shores that have been left battered by storm surges that used to be contained by ice. And now, that ice is gone.

This is Kivalina Island, an Arctic town that's already receding into the ocean because of rising sea levels. For many Alaskans, it’s no longer a question of if they have to relocate – but when. There aren’t many other places in America that have to deal with questions of relocation right now. But there will be. What’s happening here is America’s wake-up call.

When it comes to climate change, I believe there's such a thing as being too late. And that moment is almost here.

The Alaskans I met with these past three days know that better than anybody.

And so as I close out this travelogue, it's my hope that decades and decades from now, when this generation has long since left the planet, we will have acted decisively. We will have left those generations with a planet they can continue to thrive on.

We will have lived up to our own words -- that our best days are still ahead.

President Barack Obama

On the final day of my trip to Alaska, I understand that I became the first president to travel above the Arctic Circle.

• Alaska Barack Obama politic President
• At 9/06/2015 12:39:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

The President is touring through Alaska this week, meeting with residents of the state and seeing the effects of climate change on the ground. He's sharing what he sees along the way. Read his entry from yesterday below, and follow along with the trip here.

---

Yesterday I touched down in Alaska for a three-day tour -- a trip I've been looking forward to for a long time. Not only because Alaska is one of the most beautiful places in a country that's full of beautiful places -- but because I'll meet with everyday Alaskans about what's going on in their lives, and I expect to learn a lot.

Alaska is a region defined by its Native population tribes that make up a large portion of the state's population and have been here for thousands of years. People who, through their sheer ingenuity, found a way to wrangle the elements and stake out lives for themselves.

On the flight in, I had a great view of one of Alaska's most beautiful sights -- Denali.

It's a new and ancient name all at once. In fact, just today, we renamed Mount McKinley, the tallest mountain in North America, by restoring its native name: Denali, which means "the high one."

Alaskans are already living with the effects of climate change.

More frequent and extensive wildfires. Bigger storm surges as sea ice melts faster. Some of the swiftest shoreline erosion in the world -- in some places, more than three feet a year. Alaska's glaciers are melting faster, too -- threatening coastal communities, tourism and adding to rising seas.

Climate change is already affecting the salmon stock that generations of Natives have relied on as an integral part of their lives. So my Administration is taking new action to make sure Alaska Natives have direct input into the management of Chinook salmon stocks. They've taken care of the salmon population for centuries and there's no reason they shouldn't now.

If we do nothing, Alaskan temperatures are projected to rise between six and twelve degrees by the end of the century -- changing all sorts of industries forever. This is all real. This is happening to our fellow Americans right now.

I'm looking forward to talking to Alaskans about how we can work together to make America the global leader on climate change around the globe.

And I'll be sharing my experiences with you along the way because I want to make sure you see what I'm seeing.

And when you do, I want you to think about the fact that this is the only planet that we've got -- and we've got to do everything we can to protect it.

President Barack Obama

The President's Travelogue

• Alaska Barack Obama President
• At 9/01/2015 09:51:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

President Obama just announced America's Clean Power Plan -- the biggest and most important step our country has taken in the fight against climate change.

Our power plants are responsible for about a third of America's carbon pollution -- more than our cars, airplanes, and homes combined -- and that pollution is fueling climate change. But until now, there have never been federal limits on how much carbon pollution existing power plants can generate.

The Clean Power Plan sets the first-ever carbon pollution standards for these power plants, while providing states and utilities with the flexibility they need to meet those standards.

Get the facts on the Clean Power Plan at WhiteHouse.gov/Climate-Change.

You've heard the numbers by now: 2014 was the planet's warmest year on record. Fourteen out of the 15 warmest years on record fell within the first 15 years of this century. Earth's current levels of carbon dioxide, which heats up our atmosphere, are the highest they've been in 800,000 years.

We can see the effects of the changing climate in our everyday lives. Our summers are hotter. Our droughts are deeper. Our wildfire seasons are lasting longer. Our storms are more severe. And these disasters are becoming more frequent, more expensive, and more dangerous.

But as the President said today, "There is such a thing as being too late when it comes to climate change."

That's why he directed the Environmental Protection Agency in 2013 to tackle the issue of carbon pollution from our power plants -- and today's plan sets the first-ever nationwide limits on this pollution.

By 2030, this new plan will reduce carbon pollution from our power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels. In total, it will keep 870 million tons of carbon dioxide pollution out of the atmosphere -- the equivalent of taking 166 million cars off the road, or cutting every ounce of emissions due to electricity from 108 million American homes.

Because of this plan and other steps we've taken to combat climate change, we'll reduce premature deaths from power plant emissions by nearly 90 percent by 2030, and we'll see 90,000 fewer asthma attacks among our children each year.

Combined with more investments in clean energy, smarter investments in energy efficiency, and a global climate agreement by the end of this year, we can slow -- and maybe eventually stop -- the harm we've inflicted on our climate over the past century.

Visit WhiteHouse.gov/Climate-Change to find out more about the Clean Power Plan.

Our biggest step yet in fighting climate change:

• Barack Obama Clean Power Climate change President
• At 8/11/2015 10:35:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

On March 23, 2010, I sat down at a table in the East Room of the White House and signed my name on a law that said, once and for all, that health care would no longer be a privilege for a few. It would be a right for everyone.

Five years later, after more than 50 votes in Congress to repeal or weaken this law and multiple challenges before the Supreme Court, here is what we know today:

This law worked. It's still working. It has changed and saved American lives. It has set this country on a smarter, stronger course.

And it's here to stay.

If that means something to you today, add your voice here.

This morning, the Supreme Court upheld one of the most critical parts of health reform -- the part that has made it easier for Americans to afford health insurance, no matter where you live.

If the challenges to this law had succeeded, millions would have had thousands of dollars in tax credits taken away. Insurance would have once again become unaffordable for many Americans. Many would have even become uninsured again. Ultimately, everyone's premiums could have gone up.

Because of this law, and because of today's decision, millions of Americans will continue to receive the tax credits that have given about 8 in 10 people who buy insurance on the new Health Insurance Marketplaces the choice of a health care plan that costs less than $100 a month.

If you're a parent, you can keep your kids on your plan until they turn 26 -- something that has covered millions of young people so far. That's because of this law. If you're a senior, or have a disability, this law gives you discounts on your prescriptions -- something that has saved 9 million Americans an average of $1,600 so far. If you're a woman, you can't be charged more than anybody else -- even if you've had cancer, or your husband had heart disease, or just because you're a woman. Your insurer has to offer free preventive services like mammograms. They can't place annual or lifetime caps on your care.

And when it comes to preexisting conditions -- someday, our grandkids will ask us if there was really a time when America discriminated against people who got sick. Because that's something this law has ended for good.

Five years in and more than 16 million insured Americans later, this is no longer just about a law. This isn't just about the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

This is health care in America.

Today is a victory for every American whose life will continue to become more secure because of this law. And 20, 30, 50 years from now, most Americans may not know what "Obamacare" is. And that's okay. That's the point.

Because today, this reform remains what it always has been -- a set of fairer rules and tougher protections that have made health care in America more affordable, more attainable, and more about you.

That's who we are as Americans. We look out for one another. We take care of each other. We root for one another's success. We strive to do better, to be better, than the generation before us, and we try to build something better for the generation that comes behind us.

And today, with this behind us, let's come together and keep building something better. That starts right now.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

President Barack Obama

• Barack Obama Health care President Supreme Court White House
• At 6/25/2015 09:35:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

Gracias a  *+Google Maps Street View*, podemos ofrecerles este recorrido virtual de la Casa Blanca ➜ goo.gl/RmUt3u, hogar del presidente de los Estados Unidos desde 1800. Podrás visitar, a tu propio ritmo, todos los espacios disponibles en el recorrido público, sin tener que realizar todo el papeleo para tramitar una visita guiada ni la tediosa revisión de seguridad al entrar. 

A lo largo de tu visita, podrás encontrarte con diferentes pinturas de todos los ...

Te invitamos a recorrer la Casa Blanca

• Barack Obama Google Maps President White House
• At 6/11/2015 11:01:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

On a day in early September of 2009, I received the following letter from Senator Edward Kennedy. He'd written in May of that year, shortly after he learned that his illness was terminal. He asked that it be delivered to me upon his death.

It is a letter about the cause of his career -- what he called "that great unfinished business of our society" -- health care reform.

"What we face," he writes, "is above all a moral issue; that at stake are not just the details of policy, but fundamental principles of social justice and the character of our country."

Senator Kennedy never stopped asking what he could do for his country. Today, tens of millions of Americans are better for it.

And while Teddy didn't live to see his life's work signed into law, more than five years after its passage, the spirit of his words ring true. This is, fundamentally, about the character of our country. Doing right by one another.

It's who we are.

Tomorrow, I will deliver remarks about health care in America. Get a history of where we've been, and let me know you'll be watching.

The letter Senator Kennedy sent me:

• Barack Obama Edward Kenedy President Senator
• At 6/08/2015 08:49:00 p.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More

I'm currently down in Florida with the President, who just got his annual briefing on the upcoming hurricane season, and steps the federal government, states, and families are taking to prepare.

Here's what he's doing next: talking to you.

Starting at 1:00 p.m. Eastern, the President will take your questions on climate live from the National Hurricane Center. (And yes, I can attest that it's really him.)

So if you've got a question on the impacts of climate change and what we're doing to address it, tweet it using the hashtag #AskPOTUS.

Not on Twitter? Follow along here.

In the meantime, we've put together a special "People's Hurricane Briefing" just for you.

You can give that a read here.

Today: @POTUS is taking your questions

• Barack Obama politic President White House
• At 5/29/2015 08:06:00 a.m.
• Leave a Comment

Read More