President Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in the Oval Office, Jan. 8, 2013. Attending, from left, are: Kathryn Ruemmler, Counsel to the President; Mike Froman, Deputy National Security Advisor for International Economics; Chief of Staff Jack Lew; Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett; Counselor to the President Pete Rouse; Nancy-Ann DeParle, Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy; Senior Advisor David Plouffe; and Director of Communications Dan Pfeiffer. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In Case You Missed It

Here are some of the top stories from the White House blog:

Happy Birthday, Stephen Hawking On Professor Hawking’s 71st birthday, we shared a never-before-seen video from his visit to the White House.

President Obama Nominates John Brennan as CIA Director President Obama announced John Brennan as his nominee for the next head of the Central Intelligence Agency.

President Obama Wants Chuck Hagel to Run the Pentagon The President asked Sen. Chuck Hagel to serve as Secretary of Defense.