Tag Archives: BP

This year, there will be more ways than ever to take part in the State of the Union, including new ways to take in the remarks, share exclusive content with your social networks, and share your own experiences. There will also be opportunities to discuss President Obama’s remarks with White House officials immediately following the address.

See all the ways you can engage with the State of the Union next Tuesday, and how you can stay updated in the meantime.

Weekly Address: America’s Resurgence Is Real

In this week’s address, President Obama discusses the economic gains we made in 2014, which was the strongest year for job growth since the 1990s.

Last week, the President unveiled a new proposal: Make two years of community college free for responsible students across America. If all states choose to implement his new proposal, it could benefit about 9 million students each year.

The latest employment report caps off a strong year for the U.S. labor market, which achieved a number of important milestones in 2014. Total job growth in 2014 was the strongest since 1999, while the unemployment rate fell at the fastest pace in three decades.

We have an obligation

01/14/2015 Nativegrl77

The new Congress was sworn in just two days ago, and we already have a good indication of what to expect from the new batch of Tea Party Representatives and Senators.

Los Angeles Times: “As Republicans take control Tuesday of both chambers of Congress for the first time in eight years, party leaders hope to move quickly to confront President Obama and showcase their conservative ideology, including austere budget cuts and dismantling government regulation.”

New York Times: “On immigration, House Republican officials say they expect to approve a Department of Homeland Security spending measure before the end of January that would deny money to carry out Mr. Obama’s action to ease the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants.”

These priorities are not America’s priorities.

As veterans, military family members, and their supporters, we have a crucial voice on these issues, and an obligation to make it heard. Let us know what you hope the 114th Congress will work on.

Thanks for sounding off.

All the best,

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets.org

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Weekly Address: Make 2015 the Year for Quality, Affordable Health Insurance

01/13/2015 Nativegrl77

In this week’s address, the Vice President wished Americans a Happy New Year, and asked that as we make resolutions to get healthier in 2015, we take the time to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. Millions of people have already signed up for quality, affordable health care under the law, and there is still time to secure the peace of mind that comes with getting covered.

From now until February 15, you can sign up by logging on to HealthCare.gov; by speaking to someone on the phone through the 24/7 call center at 1-800-318-2596, where you can get assistance in 150 languages; or by going in person to an enrollment event in your community.

Watch the Vice President’s Weekly Address here.

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West Wing Week: “That Zingy Sting”

At the end of each “West Wing Week” episode, the White House videographers insert a funny snippet of content — which they call a “sting.” To ring in 2015, they put together an entertaining compilation of stings, for those of you who might not have made it to the very end of each episode last year.

Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2015 White House Internship Program. Deepankar Gagneja, a former intern who worked in the Office of Management and Administration in the fall of 2014, recently wrote about his own internship experience.

To recap our last year on Tumblr, we tallied up the number of notes — the Tumblr equivalent of “likes” — on each of the GIFs we created in 2014. Here, in order, are the top 10 GIF moments on our Tumblr in 2014, decided by Tumblr users themselves.

Día de Reyes: A Time for Friends, Feasts, and Food Safety

01/10/2015 Nativegrl77

Celebrated in January … Some on the 5th , 6th and or the 10th

Nothing brings people together like the Holidays, or Navidades for Spanish speakers. Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) would not be complete without some excellent eats. Many Hispanic-Americans have a favorite dish during this special season – from lechón topasteles to tamales to atole.

Nothing brings a party down like poor food safety though. No one wants to be down for the count during this time of the year–think of all the parties that will be missed! And you don’t want to be responsible for getting your guests sick either

Goodbye, Colbert Report

01/09/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

On Its Final Day, Remembering Some Of The Colbert Report’s Best

The final episode of “The Colbert Report” airs tonight, as its host Stephen Colbert moves on to succeed David Letterman as the new late night host on CBS. In the move, Colbert is retiring the hilarious, ridiculous, and lovable conservative pundit that hosted his show. In his honor, we wanted to share with you some of our favorite Colbert moments:

The Colbert Super PAC, “Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow.” In one of the best examples of the comedian’s humor to actually educate people about an important civic issue, Colbert’s efforts earned him a Peabody award, over $1 million in donations, and some pretty hilarious bits.
When Colbert interviews Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem about their new feminist radio station — while the three of them make an apple pie.
Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl landed himself in some hot water after saying that abortion services are “well over 90 percent of what Planned Parenthood does.” Abortion is actually just 3 percent of Planned Parenthood services, and when Kyl was corrected a spokesman said the Senator’s comment was “not intended to be a factual statement.” Enter Colbert.
Pretty much any time Colbert went head-to-head with Bill O’Reilly.
Colbert’s Congressional testimony — in character — about the plight of migrant farm workers. “I don’t want a tomato picked by a Mexican. I want it picked by an American, sliced by a Guatemalan . . . and served in a spa where a Chilean gives me a Brazilian.”
After Daft Punk cancelled their appearance on the Report, Stephen gathered some of his friends — including Bryan Cranston and Jimmy Fallon — to do their own rendition of the musical group’s summer hit, ‘Get Lucky.’
Any of Colbert’s “Better Know A District” segments — but perhaps most importantly when Nancy Pelosi rode a BMX bike.
Colbert’s appearance as the host of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in 2006: “To sit here at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush. To be this close to the man! I feel like I’m dreaming. Somebody pinch me. Actually, I’m a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face.”
That time when Colbert and Jon Stewart staged the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Hundreds of thousands of people attended the rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Colbert’s moving, tearful tribute to his late mother. The comedian knew how to be serious, too.

Thanks for nine years of giving us the most low-class, bloviating, hypocritical, obnoxious, arrogant — and all-around amazing — coverage of important progressive issues and so much more. We don’t know what to expect from the new show, but we aren’t expecting anything less.

PS: Want a taste of what Colbert is like out of character? Here he is talking to the Yale Daily News, with Yale student and former CAP Action intern Cody Pomeranz as the interviewer!