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Thursday, April 19, 2012

NBC/WSJ poll: Obama leads Romney by six points, but Republican ahead on economy

  Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

According to the latest NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, President Barack Obama has large leads among women, Hispanics and independents and is viewed as being more in touch with the middle class, but Mitt Romney is seen as more likely to have "good ideas for how to improve the economy." NBC's Chuck Todd reports.\








With the Republican presidential primary season essentially over and with the general election campaign now under way, President Barack Obama begins the race with a six-point lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney, according to a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll.
Obama’s advantage is fueled by his traditionally strong-standing among African Americans, Latinos and young voters, as well as with women and even political independents. What’s more, he’s viewed – by substantial margins – as more likeable, compassionate and better for the middle class than Romney.

Click here for a copy of the polling results (pdf)

But the poll also shows that the president’s biggest weakness – the economy – is also Romney’s strength. And with Republicans beginning to rally around the former Massachusetts governor and with the GOP especially enthusiastic about November’s election, the race has the potential to be close, the NBC/WSJ pollsters say.

Related: NBC/WSJ poll: Romney's image improves but remains a net-negative


President Barack Obama; Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.


“You are projecting a very, very close campaign,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.
“It is going to look like 2004 or 2000,” Hart added, referring to George W. Bush’s extremely narrow victories in those two presidential contests. “There are plenty of things that suggest it has a long, long way to go.”


Amy Sancetta / AP

President Obama reaches out to shake hands with Lorain County Community College student Bronson Harwood after speaking at the college in Elyria, Ohio.


Obama running strong with his base and key swing groups
This week featured a flurry of national polls that showed varying results:
A CNN poll had Obama up by nine;
the Pew Research Center had the president up four;
a New York Times/CBS poll had it even; and
the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll currently has Romney up by five.

But in this NBC/WSJ poll,
Obama leads Romney among registered voters, 49 percent to 43 percent
a margin that has been fairly consistent in the survey since the beginning of the year;
the president led Romney in March, 50 percent to 44 percent.


Looking inside these numbers,
the president holds an advantage with 
African Americans (90 percent to 4 percent),
Latinos (69 percent to 22 percent)
voters ages 18-34 (60 percent to 34 percent) and
women (53 percent to 41 percent).


In addition, he edges Romney among 
key swing groups like independents (44 percent to 34 percent),
Midwest voters (47 percent to 44 percent) and
suburban women (48 percent to 45 percent).

Meanwhile, 
Romney is ahead among whites (52 percent to 40 percent),
suburban voters (49 percent to 44 percent) and
those expressing high interest in the election (49 percent to 46 percent).


In measuring key attributes and qualities, 
Obama also enjoys significant leads on being easygoing and likeable (54 percent to 18 percent);
on caring about average people (52 percent to 22 percent);
on dealing with issues of concern to women (49 percent to 21 percent);
and on looking out for the middle class (48 percent to 27 percent).

He’s also ahead of Romney when it comes to being 
knowledgeable and experienced about the presidency (45 percent to 30 percent),
being a good commander-in-chief (43 percent to 33 percent),
being consistent and standing up for his beliefs (41 percent to 30 percent),
and being honest and straightforward (37 percent to 30 percent).


Jae C. Hong / AP

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney meets with a group of Pittsburgh-area residents in Bethel Park, Pa.


Romney’s economic edge

But Romney’s advantage comes on what will probably be the No. 1 issue in the fall: the economy.

By a 40-34 percent margin, respondents believe Romney would be better when it comes to having good ideas for improving the economy.

And Romney also edges Obama on changing "business as usual" in Washington.

Thirty-eight percent think the economy will improve within the next year,
19 percent say it will get worse and
42 percent believe it will stay the same.

Those numbers – which come after a disappointing March jobs report, which showed the unemployment rate declining to 8.2 percent but which also showed the economy adding a less-than-expected 120,000 jobs – are fairly consistent with the findings from January and March.

Obama’s economic improvement

Just 45 percent approve of the president’s handling of the economy, which is unchanged from March.

But that standing is an improvement from the summer and fall of 2011, when his economic handling was below 40 percent.

Obama’s overall job-approval rating stands at 49 percent – which, not surprisingly, matches his ballot-test percentage against Romney. (His percentage also is similar to the job-approval numbers of what the last two incumbents who won-re-election, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, had in the NBC/WSJ poll at this same point in the race.)

Two new polls show the 2012 general election matchup remains close.


On the subject of the economy, Mitt Romney is beating President Barack Obama. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank discuss, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad talk about the polls and explain why Obama continues to push the narrative that Romney is out-of-touch with the American people.
In addition,
a plurality –
36 percent – believes the president’s policies have helped U.S. economic conditions, while
33 percent say they’ve hurt the economy.
Thirty percent say they haven’t made a difference.

That’s a big change from last year, when only about 20 percent said Obama’s policies had helped the economy.

And those percentages are matched pretty evenly against a Republican:
37 percent say a GOP candidate winning the presidency would help the economy,
28 percent say he would hurt it and 3
1 percent said it wouldn't make a difference.

“The president is in better shape than he was” in 2011, says Hart, the Democratic pollster.

Testing the economic messages

What also seems to be in better shape is Obama’s economic messaging.

More than three-quarters of respondents (including nearly 70 percent of independents and Republicans) say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who “will fight for balance and fairness and encourage the investments needed to grow our economy and strengthen the middle class,” which has become a standard line for Obama.

In addition, seven in 10 say they would be more likely to vote for a candidate who “says America is better off when everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share, and plays by the same rules” – another Obama line.

By comparison, 64 percent would be more likely to support a candidate who wants “to restore the values of economic freedom, opportunity, and small government,” which strongly resembles Romney’s economic messaging.

And 61 percent would be more likely to support a candidate who says “free enterprise has done more to lift people out of poverty, help build a strong middle class, and more our lives better than all of the government’s programs put together,” which is something that Romney tends to say.

The NBC/WSJ poll was conducted April 13-17 of 1,000 respondents (250 reached by cell phone), and it has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.

Thjis Week's Update of the War on Women

 

4/19/2012 - Obama Signs Memo Addressing Domestic Violence in Federal Agencies

President Obama signed a memorandum (PDF) yesterday requiring federal agencies to create comprehensive policies to assist employees who are victims of domestic violence. Federal agencies will be expected to have policies for preventing and intervening in domestic violence cases, both against or by employees. The agencies will also need to have specific guidelines for assisting victims and leave policies.

In the memo, the president wrote, "as the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government should act as a model in responding to the effects of domestic violence on its workforce." The memo also states that "it is the policy of the Federal Government to promote the health and safety of its employees by acting to prevent domestic violence within the workplace and by providing support and assistance to Federal employees whose working lives are affected by such violence."

The White House emphasized that employers can take action because violence can spill over into the workplace when victims are harassed at work or distracted from their jobs. Domestic violence costs the country $8 billion a year in the form of lost productivity and health care costs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1 in 3 women in the US will be a victim of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner according to the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey.

4/19/2012 - Ohio Bill Could Cut Planned Parenthood Funds

The Republican members of the Ohio House introduced a bill Wednesday night that would defund Planned Parenthood in the state. House Bill 298 would allocate federal funding to health centers within the state. Under an introduced amendment, funding would be cut off from organizations that provide abortion services.

Ohio lawmakers and women gathered on the steps of the statehouse to speak out against the proposed cuts. Ohio State Senator Nina Turner said the bill is "a vicious, egregious assault on the rights of women." Ohio State Legislative Director for Planned Parenthood, Gary Dougherty, also spoke out against the bill, saying "it has nothing to do with abortion. It has everything to do with limiting access to preventative health care for nearly 100,000 people."

If the bill is passed, Ohio will be the tenth state to defund Planned Parenthood. Under Federal law, tax dollars cannot be used for abortions. Planned Parenthood health centers across the country provide contraception and basic health care, including family planning, cancer screenings, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections to approximately 2.5 million women per year, including over one million cervical cancer screenings and 830,000 breast exams.

4/19/2012 - Vatican Disciplines US Nuns


The Vatican has appointed a bishop to reform a group of American Nuns that it says is promoting "radical feminist themes incompatible with the Catholic faith." The Vatican investigated the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a group that represents most of the US Catholic nuns. The investigation concluded that the US nuns were not speaking out enough against gay marriage, abortion, and women's ordination. The nuns were criticized for focusing on issues relating to poverty and healthcare.

Sister Simone Campbell, executive director of NETWORK, a lobbying group of US Catholic nuns, told the Washington Post, "it's painfully obvious that the leadership of the church is not used to having educated women form thoughtful opinions and engage in dialogue."

The Vatican also accused the nuns of making statements that disagreed with the Bishops and challenging their views. During the 2010 healthcare debate, many nuns came out in favor of the Affordable Care Act and signed a statement in favor of the law. The Bishops publicly opposed the law.

4/18/2012 - ALEC Eliminates Controversial Legislation Taskforce

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) announced on Tuesday that it would disband its task force that pushed legislation such as the Stand Your Ground laws and the voter-ID laws. The "Public Safety and Elections" task force of ALEC focused on non-economic issues and most recently gained attention for its advocacy of the Stand Your ground laws. The Stand Your Ground law in Florida is being cited as a defense by George Zimmerman, the man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin. In recent days, corporations have been cutting ties with ALEC as a result of the Trayvon Martin Case.

Although the task force has been eliminated, ALEC announced that it will continue to focus on economic issues. Kaitlyn Buss, a spokeswoman for ALEC told Time Magazine Time Magazine that "our mission is to promote [free market] principles and policies that are based on them."

Many of the groups that spoke out against ALEC have said the elimination of the task force is not enough. ColorofChange Executive Director, Rashad Robinson said, "ALEC's latest statement is nothing more than a PR stunt aimed at diverting attention from its agenda, which has done serious damage to our communities. To simply say they are stopping noneconomic work does not provide justice to the millions of Americans whose lives are impacted by these dangerous and discriminatory laws, courtesy of ALEC and its corporate backers."

4/18/2012 - Gay Airman to be Reinstated in US Air Force

A gay airman, who was discharged from the US Air Force under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell law, won the right to be reinstated in the military this week. Staff Sergeant Anthony Loverde filed a lawsuit after being discharged under the law in 2008. The case, Almy v. US was filed in 2010 and challenged the constitutionality of his dismissal. Two other plaintiffs were named, one of whom won a resolution in December that resulted in his reinstatement.

Sergeant Loverde said in a statement released by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, "I am honored and humbled to return to the service of my country and the job I love. I am grateful to my legal team and all of those in the armed forces who helped to facilitate this reinstatement. I am eager to take the oath and get to work."

The reinstatement is the result of a settlement between Loverde and the US military. It does not set a precedent for future cases.

4/18/2012 - Violence Against Women Act Forum Held

Vice President Joe Biden will hold a forum today with other senior officials to discuss the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act. According to MSNBC, those speaking at the forum will include Attorney General Eric Holder, Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Lynn Rosenthal, the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, and Sharon Love, whose daughter Yeardley Love was killed after being the victim of domestic violence. The Washington Post reports that Maryland Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown will also join Vice President Biden. Brown's cousin was killed by her estranged boyfriend.

Debate on the reauthorization is said to begin in the Senate this week. VAWA was originally drafted by then-Senator Joe Biden and was signed into law in 1994. It was then reauthorized by Congress in both 2000 and 2005. The law has thus far allocated more than $9 billion to improve federal, state, and local-level investigation and prosecution of domestic violence, rape and sexual assault and to provide support for prevention, education, temporary shelters, rape crisis centers and community services for survivors.

4/17/2012 - Equal Pay Day Marked Today

Today is Equal Pay Day, the date that marks the extra days that a woman would have to work in this year in order to earn what a man earned last year. The symbolic day is marked each year to draw attention to the gender pay gap. The American Association for University Women (AAUW) reports that nationally, women earn on average 77 percent of men's earnings.

AAUW's recent report, The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap (PDF), shows that the pay gap varies among states. The pay gap is lowest in Washington, DC, where women make 91% of men's earnings. The widest pay gap was found in Wyoming, where women earn only 64% of what men earn. A 2007 AAUW study found that controlling for various demographic differences, a 5 percent gender gap in pay remains for the first year out of college and a 12 percent gap remains ten years out of college.

According to the report, demographics such as college major, occupation, work experience, age, and marital status account for only some of the demonstrated differences. Fatima Goss Graves, vice president of education and employment for the National Women's Law Center, told MSNBC that "There's always a portion [of the gap] that cannot be explained away."

4/17/2012 - Afghan Schoolgirls Poisoned

Approximately 150 Afghan girls drank poisoned water on Tuesday at a school in the northern Takhar province. Afghan officials said that conservative radicals who oppose girls' education are to blame for the poisoning, though they would not name a specific group.

A spokesman for the education department of Takhar, Jan Mohammad Nabizada, said, "We are 100 percent sure that the water they drank inside their classes was poisoned. This is either the work of those who are against girls' education or irresponsible armed individuals."

The public health department said the tank that held the contaminated water was not affected, providing evidence that the poisoned water could not be explained by natural causes. Some of the affected girls suffered from headaches and vomiting and they are listed in critical condition. Others were treated and released.

4/17/2012 - MS's Only Abortion Clinic Could be Shut Down

Mississippi's governor, Phil Bryant, signed an anti-abortion law on Monday that could effectively shut down the state's only abortion clinic. The law, House Bill 1390, puts new restrictions on doctors who provide abortions and the facilities in which abortions are performed. The law requires doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital and they must be board certified OB-GYNs.

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards condemned the law as an attempt to overturn Roe, saying, "Make no mistake, this law is based on a political agenda, not medical necessity. In yet another shortsighted attempt to ban abortion in Mississippi, Governor Bryant and lawmakers are putting their ideology above the health and safety of Mississippi women. This law is bad policy and endangers women's health."

4/16/2012 - 10 Companies Have Now Dropped ALEC

Ten companies have pulled their support from the American Legislative Council (ALEC), a conservative organization that lobbied states to pass Stand Your Ground laws. The Stand Your Ground law in Florida is being cited as a defense by George Zimmerman, the man charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin.

According to ThinkProgress , ten companies have pulled resources and have not renewed memberships with ALEC. The list includes:


  • Coca-cola

  • PepsiCo

  • McDonalds

  • Kraft Foods

  • Wendy's

  • Reed Elsevier

  • American Traffic Solutions

  • Intuit

  • Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  • Arizona Public Service

Timothy Smith, senior vice president at Walden Asset Management, an investment firm that "promotes corporate consideration of environmental and social concerns" told the Washington Post, "The ALEC case is a lightning rod, and it is inspiring a broader debate about corporate spending."

4/16/2012 - Woman Declares Intention to Run For Afghan Presidency

Fawzia Koofi is the first person to announce an intention to run for the presidency in Afghanistan. Koofi, a women's rights advocate, was elected to parliament in 2005 and was reelected in 2010. Earlier this year, she received acclaim for her memoir, "The Favoured Daughter," in which she details how she was left outside to die immediately following her birth because she was a girl and how she became the first woman in her family to receive an education.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai must step down in 2014 due to term limits. Some western officials and women members of parliament have expressed concern that Karzai is trying to broker a power-sharing compromise with the Taliban to bring an end to the war. Koofi told Reuters, "He has lost the trust of this part of society - women, the civil movements, the activists, the Afghan youth and the intellectuals. That is why he is trying to now rely on conservative forces."

Koofi is outspoken against the Taliban and has decried Taliban rule. In an article for the Daily Beast, Koofi wrote, "can anyone really believe the Taliban will share power and be willing to sit in a democratic Parliament alongside a woman? I do not believe it."

4/16/2012 - Pentagon Releases Sexual Assault in the Military Report

The Pentagon released its annual report (PDF) on sexual crimes in the military last Friday, finding a slight increase in the number of sexual assaults. The number of sexual assaults in fiscal year 2011 increased by 1% from fiscal year 2010. The number is a slight decrease from 2009.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said he will soon announce new anti-sexual assault measures. In a statement, he said, "Since taking this office, I've made it one of my top priorities to do everything we can to reduce and prevent sexual assault, to make victims of sexual assault feel secure enough to report this crime without fear of retribution or harm to their career, and to hold the perpetrators appropriately accountable." Congresswoman Jackie Speier said the report showed the military was not doing enough, saying, "Prevention classes and sensitivity training are not enough to solve the problem of rape and sexual assault in the military."

According to the report, in 2011 88 percent of the victims of sexual assault in the military were female. Most of the victims were low-ranking and under the age of 25. 31 percent of the assaults were charges of rape, 30 percent were aggravated sexual assault, and 25 percent were charges of wrongful sexual contact. The number of military personnel court-martialed for sexual assault has risen by 10 percent.

Sports covered at White House


President Obama Honors Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship

April 17, 2012 | 7:13 | Public Domain

President Obama welcomes NASCAR driver Tony Stewart to the White House to honor his third Sprint Cup Championship.


President Obama Welcomes BCS Champion University of Alabama Crimson Tide

April 19, 2012 | 7:57 | Public Domain

President Obama honors the University of Alabama Crimson Tide’s 2012 BCS Championship.

AAUW Releases State-By-State Equal Pay Rankings


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
04/10/2012
Contact:
Katie Broendel, broendelk@aauw.org
202/785-7761
Lisa Goodnight, goodnightl@aauw.org
202/785-7738


AAUW Releases State-By-State Rankings for Equal Pay Day
D.C. Has Best Ranking, Wyoming Worst

WASHINGTON – With the release of The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) unveiled new state-by-state equal pay rankings. Updated for the national observance of Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the current year women must work to match what their male counterparts earned last year, The Simple Truth charts the wage gap in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The wage gap is narrowest in the nation's capital, where women have the best earning's ratio — 91 cents, on average, for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. The state with the worst earnings ratio is Wyoming, where women make 64 percent of men's earnings. The national average puts women at just 77 percent.

The wage gap costs working women and their families tens of thousands of dollars in lost wages and directly affects women's retirement security. These numbers are worse for women of color, and The Simple Truth examines racial and ethnic breakdowns. White and Asian women earn, respectively, 82 percent and 88 percent of white men's earnings. African American and Hispanic women earn much less — just 70 percent and 61 percent of what white men earn, on average.

"Equal Pay Day, which this year falls on April 17, is an unfortunate reminder of how far we have to go to reach true pay equality. The wage gap hasn't moved significantly in nearly a decade, and at this rate, we'll be marking Equal Pay Day for the next 60 years," said AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE.

In addition to the release of The Simple Truth, AAUW branches across the nation will mark Equal Pay Day by holding rallies, wearing red to symbolize how women's wages are in the red, handing out Pay Day candy bars, and hosting bake sales with discounts for women.

"The gender pay gap is unlikely to go away on its own. Our publications and tools will empower our advocacy on behalf of women and their families," said Catherine Hill, AAUW director of research. "The Simple Truth is a useful resource for women, the media, and society at large as we work to address this stubborn inequality."



###
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW has been one of the nation’s leading voices promoting education and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 600 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's founding 130 years ago, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to educational equity is reflected in its public policy advocacy, community programs, leadership development, conventions and conferences, national partnerships, and international connections. 

Simple Truth About Pay Gap 1 

Pay Equity Fact Sheet

Space Shuttle Discovery Flies Above Washington DC

All eyes were on the sky above the White House this morning as Space Shuttle Discovery did a lap across the nation's capital. The Shuttle was getting a piggyback ride from a Boeing 747 jet -- known as NASA 905 -- as it made its way from the Kennedy Space Center to Washington Dulles International Airport for delivery at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steve F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Check out this gallery of images NASA photographers took of the dramatic flight:
Space Shuttle Discovery is seen from Arlington, Virginia, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. (Photo Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

The Space Shuttle Discovery hitches a ride from a 747 as it travels from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. (Photo credit: NASA).

Space Shuttle Discovery flies near the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Washington. (Photo Credit: NASA/Rebecca Roth)

Space Shuttle Discovery flies over the Washington skyline, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. (Photo Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz)

Space Shuttle Discovery at Washington Dulles International Airport. The Shuttle is heading to the Smithsonian. (Photo Credit: NASA/Sean Smith)

Space Shuttle Discovery is seen from Arlington, Virginia, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. (Photo Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn)

Space Shuttle Discovery flies over the Washington skyline, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. (Photo Credit: NASA/Robert Markowitz)

Space Shuttle Discovery as it flies near the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, April 17, 2012. (Photo Credit: NASA/Smithsonian Institution/Harold Dorwin)  There are three construction workers, who have a front row seat to Discovery. Tell me where they are?

Sixteen Years of the Violence Against Women Act


Vice President Biden Speaks on Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act

   

April 18, 2012 | 30:50 | Public Domain
Vice President Joe Biden speaks about the importance of reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, which expired last year, the Administration’s ongoing coordination across the federal government to combat violence against women, and new steps the Administration is taking to reduce domestic violence and sexual assault.

Ed. Note: For more information, visit the Department of Health and Human Services violence against women website and the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

Vice President Joe Biden Speaks at Violence Against Women Event

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a reception at the Naval Observatory Residence marking the 16th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, in Washington, DC September 22, 2010. (Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)









Last night, more than a hundred advocates and college students from around the country gathered at the home of Vice President Biden to mark the 16th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Vice President spoke passionately about his ongoing commitment to ending violence against women and girls and the next steps we must take to change societal attitudes about violence.
Written and championed by then-Senator Biden, VAWA focused on improving the criminal justice response to domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. Since 1994, VAWA has sent 4 billion dollars to states and local communities to develop specialized law enforcement units, provide services to victims, improve prosecution of these crimes, and train professionals about domestic violence and sexual assault. In many ways, VAWA has been successful. Since the passage of the Act, domestic violence has dropped by 58%.
In spite of all this progress, we still have much work to do. Three women still die every day at the hands of husbands or boyfriends. Domestic violence causes two million injuries a year and untold amounts of human suffering. Domestic violence shelters are still full, hotlines are ringing, and for every victim who has come forward, many more are suffering alone.
Even more alarming, young women between the ages of 16-24 have the highest rates of relationship violence, and one in five women will be sexually assaulted while they are in college. Vice President Biden pointed out that we must focus on changing attitudes of our young people so that violence against women is not acceptable.  He also noted that we must reach young people with the new technologies—like texting and other online media—that they use to communicate.  The Vice President is committed to working with teens and college students to meet this challenge and he applauded those who have already joined this effort and were gathered at his home last night.
Check back on this blog for photos, video, and interviews from the event!
Lynn Rosenthal is the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women

President Obama Talks About Investing in Training American Workers

April 18, 2012 | 21:03 | Public Domain

President Obama visits Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio to highlight how federal job training funding is providing critical services for unemployed workers and helping them to get jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries.



President Barack Obama Participates in a Roundtable with Unemployed Workers
President Barack Obama participates in a roundtable with unemployed workers who are students in Lorain County Community College job training programs, at Lorain Community College in Elyria, Ohio, April 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
President Obama was in Elyria, Ohio today where he met with students at Lorain County Community College. The President was there to talk about the Administration’s job training initiatives to help more Americans get back to work and connect unemployed Americans with the skills training they need to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries, including the Community College to Career Fund. He told the students that taking classes at community colleges and getting new skills doesn't just benefit students and their future employers but adds economic value to the entire region:
Investing in a community college, just like investing in a new road or a new highway or broadband lines that go into rural communities, these investments are not part of some grand scheme to redistribute wealth. They’ve been made by Democrats and Republicans for generations because they benefit all of us. That's what leads to strong, durable economic growth. That's how America became an economic superpower. That's how we built the Transcontinental Railroad. That's why we’ve got the best universities and colleges in the world. That's why we have cutting-edge research that takes place here, and that then gets translated into new jobs and new businesses, because somebody did the groundwork.  We created a foundation for those of us to prosper. 
When you take classes at a community college like this one and you learn the skills that you need to get a job right away, that does not just benefit you; it benefits the company that ends up hiring and profiting from your skills.  It makes the entire region stronger economically.  It makes this country stronger economically. 
In this country, prosperity does not trickle down; prosperity grows from the bottom up.  And it grows from a strong middle class out.  That’s how we grow this economy.

President Barack Obama Delivers Remarks Highlighting the Administration’s Job Training Initiatives
President Barack Obama delivers remarks highlighting the Administration’s job training initiatives to help get more Americans back to work and connect unemployed Americans with the skills training needed to find jobs in high-demand, high-growth industries, at Lorain Community College in Elyria, Ohio, April 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)

Learn more:

Cracking Down on Oil Market Manipulation


President Barack Obama announces a plan to increase oversight and crack down on manipulation in oil markets (April 17, 2012)
President Barack Obama delivers a statement announcing a plan to increase oversight and crack down on manipulation in oil markets, in the Rose Garden of the White House April 17, 2012. Standing with the President from left are: Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chairman Gary Gensler, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Attorney General Eric Holder and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chairman Jon Leibowitz. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
Lately, President Obama has spent a lot of time discussing his all-of-the-above strategy for American energy.
The central idea is this: It's going to take a range of initiatives, from increased drilling to scientific breakthroughs in the development of renewable fuel sources, to put the United States on solid footing when it comes to our energy future.
But one of the reasons that fuel prices can jump unpredictably has nothing at all to do with production or even consumption. There are those who work to manipulate the energy markets for their own financial gain.
And today, President Obama announced a new series of steps to strengthen oversight over those markets -- while asking lawmakers to pass legislation aimed at curbing illegal behavior and holding the people who manipulate markets accountable.
At an event this morning in the Rose Garden, the President outlined the reasons for action:
We can't afford a situation where speculators artificially manipulate markets by buying up oil, creating the perception of a shortage, and driving prices higher -- only to flip the oil for a quick profit. We can’t afford a situation where some speculators can reap millions, while millions of American families get the short end of the stick.  That’s not the way the market should work. And for anyone who thinks this cannot happen, just think back to how Enron traders manipulated the price of electricity to reap huge profits at everybody else’s expense.
The President's plan would do five things:
1) Increase funding to increase the number of surveillance and enforcement staff charged with oversight of the oil futures market;
2) Allow the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to upgrade the technology used to monitor the energy markets;
3) Increase the civil and criminal penalties for those convicted of manipulating the oil futures market;
4) Provide the CFTC with additional the authority to limit disruptions in the oil market; and
5) Expand access to CFTC data so that analysts can better understand trading trends in the oil markets.
Read his full remarks here.


April 17, 2012 | 9:09 | Public Domain

President Obama discusses steps his Administration has taken to increase oversight of oil markets and close dangerous loopholes that allow a small numbers of irresponsible traders to hurt consumers by illegally manipulating or rigging the energy markets for their own gain, and calls on Congress to establish additional protections.


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60,000 Veterans and Military Spouses Have Been Hired Through Joining Forces Employment Initiatives Brad Cooper

Awesome, come on lets here it loud and clear HURRAY! Now that is some news everybody should hear.  That's the way Mrs Obama makes news. She earned it, the old fashioned way......

First Lady Michelle Obama greets people in the crowd at Kansas City Southern Railroad
First Lady Michelle Obama greets people in the crowd at Kansas City Southern Railroad after delivering remarks during a Joining Forces Event in Shreveport, La., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
It was a great day in Shreveport, Louisiana, yesterday. First Lady Michelle Obama joined the leadership of the Kansas City Southern (KCS) Railway Company in announcing Michael Abitago, Junior as the 50,000 veteran or military spouse to have been hired by a company through the Joining Forces employment efforts this past year! Abitago literally left active duty in the Army last Saturday after 4 years of service (including 2 tours in Iraq) and starts work on Monday as a Conductor-trainee. He was hired by KCS in mid-March at a Joining Forces hiring event in Ft Hood, Texas.
And there’s even more great news. A couple of months ago when we first wanted to highlight this event, we had planned on announcing our 50,000 hire. But as we approached our visit to Shreveport we had already hit that mark. By April another 8,000 veterans and military spouses were hired. And yesterday, Mrs. Obama revealed the news that the surge in hiring pushed the number of veterans and military spouses hired through Joining Forces to 60,000!
Through Joining Forces, American businesses have not only hired more than 60,000 veterans and military spouses to date,  they have also pledged to hire at least 160,000 more in the years ahead.
More than 1,600 companies have been involved in this effort, including Microsoft, Comcast, Honeywell, Safeway and Sears. JPMorgan Chase and the 40 companies of the “100,000 jobs mission” hired more than 6,000 veterans  -- alone – in the January-March 2012 timeframe.
The private sector is stepping up in a real way to support veterans and military spouses. For a full list of companies and their commitments please click HERE.


Brad Cooper is the Executive Director of Joining Forces

Michelle Obama's Message to Military Families: You Do Live in a Grateful Nation


First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden today marked the one year anniversary of the launch of Joining Forces with an event on the South Lawn of the White House, and Mrs. Obama used the occasion to renew her call of action, and challenged all Americans to keep finding new ways to show their support for military families.
The First Lady told the crowd that over the past year, as she and Dr. Biden reached out on behalf of our military families, "not a single person that we've talked to, that we have approached, has told us that they could not help -- not a single person.  We've asked; they said yes.
And the good thing is, is that once people get started, they just keep coming up with new ideas on their own.  We’ll present something, and they double it.  They want to do even more.  They just keep raising their goals even higher.  They just keep figuring out how to get more and more people involved."
And her message for all military families, is that "you do live in a grateful nation."

First Lady Michelle Obama at the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn
First Lady Michelle Obama greets guests following the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012. The event was a celebration for military families and organization leaders who have played key roles in supporting our nation’s troops, veterans and military families over the past year. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)
Today's event also honored the Joining Forces Community Challenge finalists, who Dr. Biden called "inspiring. These efforts aren’t always in the headlines, but they support our military families every single day in real and meaningful ways. That's exactly what the First Lady and I set out to accomplish with Joining Forces."
Later today, the First Lady and Dr. Biden will be in Philadelphia, where they will announce a commitment from more than 150 state and national nursing organizations and over 500 nursing schools to further educate our nation’s 3 million nurses so they are prepared to meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

 Joining Forces Launch

Happy Birthday: Joining Forces


Travel with the First Lady: Joining Forces Anniversary

April 19, 2012 | 5:12 | Public Domain

Welcome On Board with the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. The First Lady hit the road to mark the one year anniversary of Joining Forces, the nationwide intiative that she started with Second Lady and military mom Dr. Jill Biden. During the trip to highlight the progress the Joining Forces intiative has made in mobilizing communities to come together and provide Business, Education, and Health and Wellness opportunities to veterans and military families, The First Lady honored the Joining Forces Community Challenge winners, announced a new partnership to train 3 million nurses, stopped by The Colbert Report, celebrated the Joining Forces 50,000th hire and was joined by Ellen DeGeneres at an event honoring and recognizing the high school children of service members. http://www.joiningforces.gov


First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden celebrate the first anniversary of the Joining Forces initiative with events in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pa., New York, N.Y., Shreveport, La., and Jacksonville, Fla.
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden kick off a Joining Forces Community Challenge event to celebrate the first anniversary of the initiative on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012. The celebration focused on military families and organization leaders who have played key roles in supporting our nation’s troops, veterans and families. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 Sherman and Tammie Gillums look at their pictures with First Lady Michelle Obama as Mrs. Obama continues to greets guests at the Joining Forces Community Challenge event on the South Lawn of the White House, April 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Sonya N. Hebert)
 First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are introduced during a Joining Forces nurses event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 Participants listen as First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during a Joining Forces nurses event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. The First Lady and Dr. Biden announced a major initiative by more than 150 of America’s leading nursing organizations and more than 450 nursing schools in 50 states and territories to ensure our nation’s nurses are prepared to help meet the unique health needs of service members, veterans, and their families. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden participate in a Joining Forces nurses event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. Nursing leaders have committed to educating current and future nurses on how to recognize and care for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and other combat-related issues. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 Dr. Jill Biden greets guests following a Joining Forces event in the Irvine Auditorium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pa., April 11, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 First Lady Michelle Obama participates in an interview with Stephen Colbert during a taping of “The Colbert Report” at the Colbert Report Studio in New York, N.Y., April 11, 2012. Family members of troops deployed to Afghanistan were part of the show's audience. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks during an event announcing the 50,000th veteran or military spouse to have been hired by a company through the Joining Forces initiative, at Kansas City Southern Railroad Yard in Shreveport, La., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 First Lady Michelle Obama is briefed by Aaron Pinkston and Derrick Westervelt, producers for the “Ellen Show,” backstage before a Joining Forces event at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 Sailors wait on the edge of a aircraft hangar before the start of a Joining Forces event at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 First Lady Michelle Obama participates in a prom fashion show segment during a a Joining Forces event at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. Some 300 teenage girls from military families attended the event, which featured a surprise appearance by Ellen DeGeneres, gift cards from JC Penney, and a fashion show with Ann Shoket, Editor of Seventeen magazine.(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 Audience members photograph during a Joining Forces event with First Lady Michelle Obama at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
 Choreographer Rosero McCoy teaches First Lady Michelle Obama and teen participants a dance during a Joining Forces Event at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Fla., April 12, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Marking The First Anniversary Of Joining Forces

More pictures from the first year

Obama Forum on Women and the Economy

 Feminist News


April-06-12

This morning, President Barack Obama, in addressing some 300 women leaders, activists, business leaders and entrepreneurs and academics at a White House Forum on Women and the Economy, emphasized the gains for women under his Administration, including increasing judicial appointments, preventive health care coverage, removal of sex discrimination in insurance pricing and saving teacher jobs. He said more jobs would have been saved for teachers and for construction workers if the House had passed his Jobs Act. In his remarks, the President spoke about women, now half of the nation's workforce and 30% of small businesses, as key to US economic growth. He emphasized the efforts of his Administration to ensure women's economic security, to create jobs, and business loans for women. Obama stressed equal pay for women is necessary for women, for families and the overall economic health of the country.

Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett, who chairs the White House Council on Women and Girls and Tina Tchen, Executive Director of the Council and Chief of Staff to Michele Obama, announced the release of the Council's report "Keeping America's Women Moving Forward." Some achievements outlined in the report include: $4.5 billion for 16,000 loans for women-owned small businesses; summer employment for more than 185,000 low-income young women; and, subsidized employment for over 215,000 women. An additional 400,000 jobs were added or saved for teachers, some 70% of whom are women, under the Recovery Act and the Education Jobs Fund.

In reviewing women's advancements under his Administration, Obama told the participants that 20.4 million women are already benefiting from expanded preventive health care services such as mammograms and breast and cervical cancer screenings under the Affordable Care Act and 2.3 million women have received college loans through the expansion of the Pell Grant program.

The morning's program included breakout sessions with Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Advisor on Domestic Violence Lynn Rosenthal, Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Deputy Assistant to the President on Health Policy Jeanne Lambrew, and Cecilia Munoz, Domestic Policy Council Director. At the breakout session on violence, Eleanor Smeal, Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF) President, thanked the Attorney General for the recent modernization of the FBI Uniform Crime Report Definition of Rape to include most rapes. The FMF had led, with the Women's Law Project, the Rape is Rape Campaign to change the archaic 1927 definition of rape.
Media Resources: Council on Women and Girls Report Keeping America's Women Moving Forward

Womens Report Final for Print

Women and the Economy




Apr 6, 2012

White House
Panelists talked about women and the economy. Topics included entrepreneurship and workplace flexibility.


• Moderator: Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's Morning Joe
• Panelists:
o Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling
o Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Karen Mills
o CEO of Deloitte Joe Echevarria
o Princeton University Lawrence and Shirley Katzman and Lewis and Anna Ernst Professor in the Economics of Education and Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, Cecilia Rouse.

Breakout Sessions for Women and the Economy

Forum on Women and the Economy: Health Care Breakout Session


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Deputy Assistant to the President on Health Policy Jeanne Lambrew moderate a discussion about women and health care as part of the White House Forum on Women and the Economy.

Forum on Women and the Economy: Education Breakout Session


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
Director of the Domestic Policy Council Cecilia Munoz, and President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Shirley Ann Jackson moderate a discussion on education as part of the White House Forum on Women and the Economy.

Forum on Women and the Economy: Violence Against Women and Girls Breakout Session


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
Attorney General Eric Holder and White House Advisor on Domestic Violence Lynn Rosenthal moderate a discussion about violence against women and girls as part of the White House Forum on Women and the Economy

Forum on Women and the Economy: Women's Entrepreneurship Breakout Session


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
Treasury Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Mary Miller and Executive Director of the White House Council on Women and Girls Tina Tchen moderate a discussion about women entrepreneurs as part of the White House Forum on Women and the Economy.

Forum on Women and the Economy: Closing Session


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
The closing plenary of the White House Forum on Women and the Economy, including an online Q&A featuring questions asked on Twitter or through whitehouse.gov.


Forum on Women and the Economy: Women at Work Breakout Session


Published on Apr 6, 2012 by
Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Katharine Abraham, a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, moderate a discussion about working women as part of the White House Forum on Women and the Economy.