Let it load President
Barack Obama takes to oath of office on Jan. 21 at the U.S. Capitol.
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(John Makely / NBC News)
President
Barack Obama delivers his second inaugural speech, discussing how as a
country we will move together, and that "America's possibilities are
limitless."
Standing before hundreds of thousands of witnesses, President Obama swore to "preserve,
protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States" as he took
the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The ceremonial
Inauguration for the public follows the small event on Sunday during
which President Obama was officially sworn in to start his second term.
Obamas on smart phones during inaugural parade
Even President Obama couldn't resist checking his smart phone during
Inauguration festivities. Daughter Malia was also spotted seemingly
taking photos on her iPhone. 01/21/2013 5:12 PM EDT
President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama stepped out of their
limousine in downtown D.C., following the longstanding tradition of the
president strolling for a portion of his inaugural parade down the
city's main boulevard.
The Obamas stepped out of their car near the intersection of 8th
Street and Pennsylvania Ave NW, near the US National Archives and
Records Administration building.
(PHOTOS: Celebrities at inaugural events)
The first couple walked past the FBI building, before stepping back into the limousine before reaching Freedom Plaza.
Freedom Plaza is the site of one of the only authorized demonstration
zones, where a strip of the plaza is designated a free speech zone.
(PHOTOS: Inauguration weekend 2013)
The Obamas again stepped out of their limo near the Treasury Building to finish their trip from the Capitol to the White House.
Read more about:
Inauguration 2013
Former President George H.W. Bush couldn't attend President
Obama's swearing-in ceremonies, but he released a statement Monday
congratulating Obama.
"Barbara and I send President and Mrs. Obama -- and their wonderful
girls -- our best wishes and prayers on this historic day. May Almighty
God bless them and our wonderful country over the next four years," Bush
said.
Bush recently was released from a hospital in Houston, where he was being treated for bronchitis, a fever and an infection.
His son, former President George W. Bush, also did not attend the
ceremony. Former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were on hand
for the inaugural, however.
President Obama offered his appreciation Sunday to supporters and
urged them to enjoy the weekend's inaugural festivities, but also got
serious.
"I love Michelle Obama," the president said at the start of brief
remarks at a candlelight reception at the National Building Museum. "And
to address the most significant event of this weekend: I love her
bangs."
"She looks good, she always looks good," he added.
The first images of the first lady's new haircut emerged on Thursday,
her 49th birthday, and the new style has garnered mixed reviews.
Michelle Obama goes sparkling, sophisticated for inauguration
The
Washington Post's Robin Givhan says that Michelle Obama's fashion
reflects her personal interests and taste rather than traditional first
lady attire, and that she's done a good job of not attaching her name to
just one designer.
By Meena Hart Duerson, TODAY
Michelle
Obama wasted no time showing off her signature style on inauguration
weekend, rolling out a series of polished outfits for events from the
Kids' Inaugural Concert to the president's swearing-in ceremony on
Monday.
The first lady stepped out in a sophisticated blue Thom
Browne coat and J. Crew shoes for a visit to St. John's Church on the
morning of Inauguration Day, accessorizing with a Cathy Waterman
necklace. Browne, an American designer better known for his menswear,
designed the coat based on the style of a man's silk tie.
Win Mcnamee / Getty Images
Michelle Obama arrived at the presidential inauguration on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Monday morning.
She
then arrived at the inauguration ceremony sporting a bejeweled J. Crew
belt, J.Crew gloves, Cathy Waterman earrings and Reed Krakoff boots. She
offered a slight peek at her Thom Browne dress on the way into the
inaugural luncheon, as well as a sweater by Reed Krakoff.
Experts
said her style choices, particularly the fact that she sought out Thom
Browne, show the first lady is a fan of fashion. "This is not a designer
that you would wander into your local mall and find," fashion critic
Robin Givhan said on TODAY Monday. "He's hard to find; he's very
unique." According to the White House, at the end of the inaugural
events, the outfit and accessories will be donated to the National
Archives.
Nicholas Kamm / AFP - Getty Images
President
Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters Sasha and
Malia arrive at St. John's Church on Monday morning.
Her
outfit was carefully coordinated with the first daughters, who dressed
in similar hues. Malia Obama wore J.Crew, while Sasha donned a Kate
Spade coat and dress.
Pool / Getty Images
President Obama takes the oath of office as Michelle holds the bible in the Blue Room of the White House on Sunday.
For President Obama's first swearing-in
on Sunday (he will be sworn in again on Monday in a public ceremony),
the first lady wore a navy blue Reed Krakoff Dress in the Blue Room at
the White House.
Charles Dharapak / AP
President
Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama arrive to speak to
supporters and donors at an inaugural reception for the 57th
Presidential Inauguration at The National Building Museum in Washington
on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013.
Later that night, she
sparkled in a black sequined Michael Kors boat neck dress for an
inaugural reception at the National Building Museum.
Jonathan Ernst / Reuters
The
first lady takes the stage with daughters Sasha and Malia at the Kids
Inaugural concert for children and military families on January 19.
The
first lady is known for mixing designer looks with low-key fashions,
often alternating between high-end pieces and more casual clothes from
J. Crew or H&M.
On Friday she opted for a more relaxed look at the Kids' Inaugural Concert
for the children of military families, wearing a white Alexander
McQueen shirt and black pants. The event was emceed by Nick Cannon and
featured performances by Katy Perry and Usher.
All eyes have also been on Michelle Obama's most striking style choice this weekend: her bangs.
The
president even addressed them at a reception to thank donors, saying,
"I love her bangs. She looks good. She always looks good."
New
York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor and Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief
Joanna Coles talk to TODAY's Erica Hill about how Michelle Obama's style
(did you see those bangs?) and substance have shaped the first term of a
remarkable first lady.
New
York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor tells TODAY's Savannah Guthrie
that White House insiders have told her they are surprised how
disciplined the Obama girls have been in the public eye and that she
feels the first lady will use her popularity to her advantage.
Getting up to say a few words at the inaugural luncheon at the
Capitol on Monday, President Barack Obama made a quip about the
relationship between his wife and House Speaker John Boehner.
The first lady and Boehner were seated side by side during the lunch and did not appear very comfortable with each other.
"Michelle and the speaker of the House came to a meeting of the minds
that I may be delaying the proceedings too much," Obama said. "And so
I'm just going to be extraordinarily brief and say thank you."
Vice President Biden's remarks at the inaugural luncheon. 01/21/2013 3:44 PM EDT
President
Obama addressed the nation following his swearing-in during the public
inauguration ceremony for his second term on the West Front of the U.S.
Capitol. In his remarks he stressed national unity and called on
lawmakers cooperate with one another to confront issues such as climate
change, job creation, civil rights, and budget issues, saying “We cannot
mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics,
or treat name-calling as reasoned debate.” The ceremony also included
the musical performances, a poetry reading, the oaths of office for
president and vice president.
Because the official inaugural day of January 20 was on a Sunday,
the president was officially sworn into office in a private ceremony at
the White House the previous day.
Twitter sends out this accounting
of tweets during President Obama's inaugural ceremony at the Capitol on
Monday. They topped out at 27,795 per minute when Obama said "We cannot
mistake absolutism for principle, or substitute spectacle for politics,
or treat name-calling as reasoned debate."
First lady Michelle Obama and her daughters
attend the 'Kids' Inaugural: Our Children. Our Future' concert in
Washington Jan. 19 on the weekend ahead of President Barack Obama's
second-term Inauguration. (Full story: Obamas join military families for kids' concert)
First lady Michelle Obama (center) and daughters Sasha
(left) and Malia wave to the audience during the 'Kids' Inaugural: Our
Children. Our Future' event in Washington Jan. 19.
Michelle Obama speaks.
Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha (center) and Malia watch as Usher performs.
Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and her grandchildren appear.
Michelle Obama (center) and daughters Sasha (left) and Malia walk on stage.
Michelle Obama (right) and daughters Sasha (second right)
and Malia (third right) arrive with Jill Biden and several of the
Bidens' grandchildren.
President Obama offered his appreciation Sunday to supporters and
urged them to enjoy the weekend's inaugural festivities, but also got
serious.
"I love Michelle Obama," the president said at the start of brief
remarks at a candlelight reception at the National Building Museum. "And
to address the most significant event of this weekend: I love her
bangs."
"She looks good, she always looks good," he added.
The first images of the first lady's new haircut emerged on Thursday,
her 49th birthday, and the new style has garnered mixed reviews.
Faced with blindness, deaf twins choose euthanasia
A pair of adult identical twins in Belgium
have been legally killed at their request, the men's doctor told journalists.
The
45-years-old men, who were born deaf, spent their lives
side-by-side — growing up together and then, as adults, sharing an
apartment and working as cobblers together, according to Belgian media
reports.
The men’s names have not been released but photographs of
the identical twins from the Antwerp region have been made available to
some media outlets.
Their doctor, David Dufour, told Belgium’s RTL Television over
the weekend that the two men had been losing their eyesight for several
years and soon would have been completely blind. The prospect of being
blind as well as deaf was unbearable to them, he said.
"They were fully aware of their decision," Dufour said.
After winning approval from the necessary authorities, the two men received lethal injections at a Belgian hospital in December.
Dufour
described their last moments: "They had a last cup of coffee and
everything was fine. They said goodbye to their parents and brother and
all was serene. They waved — and that was that."
Under a 2002 law,
Belgians are allowed to end their own lives if a doctor judges an
individual has made his or her wishes clear and is suffering unbearable
pain.
The case of the twins was unusual because the two men were
not approaching the end of their natural lives nor were they terminally
ill.
But Jacqueline Herremans, a member of the Belgian Commission
of Euthanasia, told RTL that they did meet the legal requirements as
their suffering was grave and incurable. When they became blind as well
as deaf, he said, they would not have been able to lead autonomous
lives, and that with only a sense of touch they had no prospects of a
future.
She acknowledged this was an exceptional case.
"Evidently
they had a particular destiny. They were two human beings who have
lived together, grown up together, worked together and wanted to die
together. Their suffering may not have been physical, but there was
psychological suffering," she said.
In 2010 and 2011, a total of 2,086 people died by euthanasia in Belgium, according to the country’s Euthanasia Commission.
Belgium
is now looking at introducing a legal amendment that would allow
children and those with dementia the option of seeking permission to
die. If passed later this year, the option of euthanasia will be
extended to minors affected by an incurable illness, or suffering that
cannot be alleviated.
It’s hard to turn on your TV or read an editorial page these days
without encountering someone declaring, with an air of great
seriousness, that excessive spending and the resulting budget deficit is
our biggest problem.
Such declarations are rarely accompanied by any
argument about why we should believe this; it’s supposed to be part of
what everyone knows.
This is, however, a case in which what everyone knows just ain’t so. The
budget deficit isn’t our biggest problem, by a long shot. Furthermore,
it’s a problem that is already, to a large degree, solved. The
medium-term budget outlook isn’t great, but it’s not terrible either —
and the long-term outlook gets much more attention than it should.
It’s true that right now we have a large federal budget deficit. But
that deficit is mainly the result of a depressed economy — and you’re
actually supposed to run deficits in a depressed economy to help support
overall demand. The deficit will come down as the economy recovers:
Revenue will rise while some categories of spending, such as
unemployment benefits, will fall. Indeed, that’s already happening.
(And
similar things are happening at the state and local levels — for
example, California appears to be back in budget surplus.)
Still, will economic recovery be enough to stabilize the fiscal outlook? The answer is, pretty much.
Recently the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities took Congressional Budget Office projections
for the next decade and updated them to take account of two major
deficit-reduction actions: the spending cuts agreed to in 2011,
amounting to almost $1.5 trillion over the next decade; and the roughly
$600 billion in tax increases on the affluent agreed to at the beginning
of this year. What the center finds is a budget outlook that, as I
said, isn’t great but isn’t terrible: It projects that the ratio of debt
to G.D.P., the standard measure of America’s debt position, will be
only modestly higher in 2022 than it is now.
The center calls for another $1.4 trillion in deficit reduction, which
would completely stabilize the debt ratio; President Obama has called
for roughly the same amount. Even without such actions, however, the
budget outlook for the next 10 years doesn’t look at all alarming.
Now, projections that run further into the future do suggest trouble, as
an aging population and rising health care costs continue to push
federal spending higher. But here’s a question you almost never see
seriously addressed: Why, exactly, should we believe that it’s
necessary, or even possible, to decide right now how we will eventually
address the budget issues of the 2030s?
Consider, for example, the case of Social Security. There was a case for
paying down debt before the baby boomers began to retire, making it
easier to pay full benefits later. But George W. Bush squandered the
Clinton surplus on tax cuts and wars, and that window has closed. At
this point, “reform” proposals are all about things like raising the
retirement age or changing the inflation adjustment, moves that would
gradually reduce benefits relative to current law. What problem is this
supposed to solve?
Well, it’s probable (although not certain) that, within two or three
decades, the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted, leaving the
system unable to pay the full benefits specified by current law. So the
plan is to avoid cuts in future benefits by committing right now to ...
cuts in future benefits. Huh?
O.K., you can argue that the adjustment to an aging population would be
smoother if we commit to a glide path of benefit cuts now. On the other
hand, by moving too soon we might lock in benefit cuts that turn out not
to have been necessary. And much the same logic applies to Medicare. So
there’s a reasonable argument for leaving the question of how to deal
with future problems up to future politicians.
The point is that the case for urgent action now to reduce spending
decades in the future is far weaker than conventional rhetoric might
lead you to suspect. And, no, it’s nothing like the case for urgent action on climate change.
So, no big problem in the medium term, no strong case for worrying now about long-run budget issues.
The deficit scolds dominating policy debate will, of course, fiercely
resist any attempt to downgrade their favorite issue. They love living
in an atmosphere of fiscal crisis: It lets them stroke their chins and
sound serious, and it also provides an excuse for slashing social
programs, which often seems to be their real objective.
But neither the current deficit nor projected future spending deserve to
be anywhere near the top of our political agenda. It’s time to focus on
other stuff — like the still-depressed state of the economy and the
still-terrible problem of long-term unemployment.
Is this what an assassination looks like? If this assailant’s gun had
fired, yes.
By KATHIANNE BONIELLO
From WIth POST WIRE SERVICES
Last Updated: 7:46 AM, January 20, 2013
Posted: 11:22 PM, January 19, 2013
He stared down death and survived.
In a bizarre and
brazen attack caught on TV yesterday, a Bulgarian political leader in
the middle of a speech found himself suddenly staring into the barrel of
a gun inches from his face.
Ahmed Dogan, 58, reacted with
lightning speed, surprising his much taller and younger would-be
assassin by swatting at the gun, which appeared to jam as the attacker
pulled the trigger.
Nearly 3,000 people were at the political conference in the
capital city of Sofia when the attacker leaped onto the stage next to
Dogan, head of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Party, which
represents ethnic Turks in Bulgaria.
AFP/Getty Images
DODGING DEATH: Bulgarian political leader Ahmed Dogan, who represents ethnic Turks, fends off a would-be killer yesterday at a conference.
EPA
Video showed the attacker pulling the trigger at least twice, but the pistol didn’t fire.
Dogan then batted at the weapon and tried to push past his attacker and run, but fell in the process.
The gunman was quickly swarmed by other political delegates, who threw him to the ground and kicked and punched him.
Police
eventually arrested the bloodied young man and took him to a hospital.
The weapon turned out to be a gas pistol, which fires tear-gas
cartridges.
Though usually considered a non-lethal weapon, gas pistols can be deadly at close range, experts say.
No
one knows how the attacker, an ethnic Turk identified as Oktai
Enimehmedov, 25, got past security with the pistol and two knives.
The burly Enimehmedov was wearing an ID badge around his neck.
Dogan has led the liberal MRF since its inception in 1990. His successor was to be chosen at the conference.
Ethnic
Turks and Muslims make up about 12 percent of the population of
Bulgaria, home to 7.3 million people, and have long suffered
discrimination.
Enimehmedov, dressed all in black, has a criminal
record for drug possession, robberies and “hooliganism,” according to
Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov.
No one knows why he attacked Dogan, who hours later returned to the conference unharmed, earning a standing ovation.
