President Obama delivers a statement on homeland security following a briefing on the recent Paris terrorist attacks.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Washington Journal: Dean Scott on Paris Climate Change Negotiations
Bloomberg BNA’s Dean Scott discusses upcoming climate change talks in
Paris next week, during which leaders will negotiate a United Nations
deal aimed at reducing the impact of greenhouse gases worldwide.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Washington Journal: Jacqueline Pata on the National Congress of American Indians
Jacqueline Pata, executive director of the National Congress of
American Indians, discusses the state of Native American communities,
their priorities, and federal efforts to assist the population.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Thanksgiving Meals Available at National Action Network
The National Action Network will host its annual Thanksgiving Day Meal at the House of Justice, the organization's Harlem headquarters, located at 106 West 145th Street at Malcolm X Blvd.
The event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Some of the dignitaries that will be on hand include: Rev. Al Sharpton,
President of National Action Network and members of the community; NYC
Comptroller Scott Stringer; Marc Morial, President
& CEO of National Urban League (NUL), and former Congressman Harold Ford, Jr.
Source: The National Action Network
Former Gang Member: "I Don't Care if it's Called Snitching, I'm Doing What's Right"
This report was orginally broadcast on July 29, 2015. From The G-Man has posted it in its continuing effort to save America's youth from a life of gangs, guns and violence.
Source: Fox2Now, KTVI
National Security Council Notes: The Terrorist Attack in Tunisia
The following statement was issued by National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price.
The
United states condemns in the strongest terms yesterday's terrorist
attack against members of Tunisia's security forces. We extend our
deepest condolences to the families
and loved ones of those killed and wounded. We are prepared to assist
Tunisian authorities in the coming days as they investigate this attack.
Terrorists have sought to use fear and violence to undermine the
important gains the Tunisian people have made in
pursuit of a democratic, stable, and prosperous country. We will
continue to provide robust security, economic, and governance support as
they build upon the progress achieved since 2011.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
The Execution of Laquan McDonald
By Justin Glawe
This is what convinced prosecutors to indict Officer Jason Van Dyke on first-degree murder. It is horrifying.
CHICAGO — Laquan McDonald was lying in the fetal position when Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke pumped more than a dozen bullets into the 17-year-old boy’s body, killing him.
After being turned around by the first shots, McDonald hits the
ground. Puffs of smoke can be seen rising from his body as bullets
penetrate and strike the pavement behind him. At the end of the
16-second ordeal, Van Dyke’s partner kicks away a knife McDonald was
carrying, which was the only thing that prevented Van Dyke from
reloading his weapon.
This is tantamount to first-degree murder, according to Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez, who charged Van Dyke on Tuesday.
Click here for the full article and video of the shooting.
Warning: Many may find the footage extremely disturbing and upsetting. Viewer discretion is advised.
Source: The Daily Beast
President John F. Kennedy's Funeral (November 25, 1963)
Uploaded to YouTube on Apr 17, 2011
The
funeral Service for President John F. Kennedy. The state funeral of
John F. Kennedy took place during the three days that followed his
assassination on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.
The body of the president was brought back to Washington, D.C. and placed in the East Room of the White House for 24 hours. On the Sunday November 24, his casket was carried on a horse-drawn caisson to the U.S. Capitol to lie in state. Throughout the day and night, hundreds of thousands lined up to view the guarded casket. Representatives from over 90 countries attended the state funeral on Monday, November 25. After the Requiem Mass at St. Matthew's Cathedral, the late president was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
The body of the president was brought back to Washington, D.C. and placed in the East Room of the White House for 24 hours. On the Sunday November 24, his casket was carried on a horse-drawn caisson to the U.S. Capitol to lie in state. Throughout the day and night, hundreds of thousands lined up to view the guarded casket. Representatives from over 90 countries attended the state funeral on Monday, November 25. After the Requiem Mass at St. Matthew's Cathedral, the late president was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery.
Source: tapsbugler
I-Team: Children in NYC Shelters Denied Buses to School, Forced to Take Long Subway Trips
By Melissa Russo and Evan Stulberger
Many of the city’s most vulnerable
children – those living in homeless shelters and temporary housing --
are being denied buses to school, the I-Team has learned.
Under federal
law, children living in shelters and temporary housing are entitled to
free transportation due to their vulnerable state. But in many cases in
New York City, the free transportation they get is not a big yellow
school bus, but a small yellow MetroCard for long, exhausting subway
trips.
“It’s not really fair,” said one mom living with her two children in a
domestic violence shelter who asked that her name not be used out of
privacy concerns.
Click here for the full article and video.
Source: NBC New York, I-Team Investigations
Protesters Block Chicago Streets Over Video of Laquan McDonald's Killing
Hundreds of protesters closed a major Chicago intersection Tuesday
night after authorities released a "disturbing" dashcam video of the
moment a cop shot 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times last year.
Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke, 37,
turned himself in Tuesday and was ordered held without bond on a charge
of first-degree murder in Laquan's death in October 2014.
City and state police walked alongside
demonstrators, who largely remained peaceful as they clogged the
intersection of Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue in the South Loop.
The protest started when 30 to 40 people met in an art gallery after
City Hall released the graphic video, saying they were there to reflect
and to discuss their emotions.
Click here for the full article, photos and related videos.
Russia's Gazprom Cuts Off Gas Supplies to Ukraine
MOSCOW — Russia's state-controlled gas company
is halting supplies to Ukraine, its chief executive said Wednesday, less
than two months after the two countries struck an EU-sponsored deal.
Gazprom's CEO Alexei Miller said Russia sent the
last shipment to Ukraine at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday and send no
more because Ukraine has not paid in advance for future supplies.
Click here for the full article.
Source: NBC News
December Deal for British EU Reform Difficult – Chief EU Negotiator
Reuters, 25/11 15:17 CET
By Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin
DUBLIN (Reuters) – It will be
difficult but not impossible for officials renegotiating Britain’s EU
membership to have a framework ready for substantial discussion at next
month’s European Union summit, the EU’s chief negotiator said on
Wednesday.
Prime Minister David Cameron is trying to win concessions
from other leaders ahead of a referendum on British membership promised
by the end of 2017 amid opinion polls that show British perceptions of
the EU are changeable.
There had been some hope that at least the bulk of a deal
might be ready for the European Council to endorse at its next meeting
on Dec. 17-18 but officials and diplomats fear there may not even be a
narrowing of differences by then.
Click here for the full article.
Source: Euronews
WMO Warns 2015 the Hottest Year on Record
This year will be the hottest on record and next year could be even hotter, according to a new report.
The World Meteorological Organisation says a combination of the El Niño weather pattern and human behaviour is causing temperatures to rise.
Decisions taken at a summit
of world leaders in Paris starting on Monday could keep global
temperature rises within 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) over
pre-industrial times, a target set down in 2010 to try to prevent
dangerous climate change.
“Yes, it’s still possible to keep to the 2 degree target but the more we wait for action the more difficult it will be,” WMO director-general Michel Jarraud told a news conference.
Click here for the full article and video.
Source: Euronews
France Mounts “Unprecendented” Security Steps for Global Climate Talks
France has begun mounting a massive security operation ahead of next week’s global climate conference in Paris.
A total of 143 heads of state and government are due in the French capital on Monday and large demonstrations planned for the
eve of the gathering have been banned amid security concerns.
France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said: “on top of the
8,000 police officers at the borders, 2,800 police officers will be
patrolling the site of the conference. Mobile units, riot squads and
gendarmerie units will be called on at an unprecedented level.”
Click here for summary and video.
Source: Euronews
Tunisia: Deadly Bus Blast Kills at Least 12
At least 12 people have died in what is thought to have been a suicide bomb attack on a bus full of Tunisian presidential guards.
The capital Tunis is now under curfew and a 30-day state of emergency has been announced.
Ambulances rushed at least seventeen wounded people from the scene
of the explosion on Mohamed V Avenue, close to the Interior Ministry.
Authorities say the guards were boarding the bus to be taken to the presidential palace on the outskirts of the city.
It’s the third major attack in Tunisia in 2015.
In March gunmen killed twenty one tourists at the capital’s Bardo
Museum, while in June an Islamist militant opened fire on foreigners at a
beach hotel in the resort of Sousse.
Click here for video.
Source: Euronews
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Presidential Medal of Freedom Ceremony
President Obama awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 17
recipients, including baseball player Yogi Berra, violinist Itzhak
Perlman, director Steven Spielberg, Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and
composer Stephen Sondheim.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
State Department Briefing
Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner briefs reporters and responds to their
questions on a variety of international topics, including the downing of
a Russian military jet by Turkey and the subsequent fallout from the
incident.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Defense Department Briefing
Spokesman Peter Cook briefs reporters and responds to their questions
on a variety of military-related topics, including the downing of a
Russian military jet by Turkey after it entered Turkish air space, as
well as the ongoing fight against ISIS.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
National Security Council Notes: The President's Meeting on ISIL
President
Obama today convened his National Security Council to discuss the
response to recent terrorist attacks by ISIL. The President was briefed
that there is currently
no specific, credible threat to the homeland from ISIL. The President
was also briefed on ways we can enhance our existing security and
intelligence cooperation with partners, building on recent discussions
at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey. The President
directed his national security team to continue to intensify ongoing
efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL, including working with our partners
to increase our military cooperation in the counter-ISIL campaign,
disrupting foreign fighter networks, halting ISIL
expansion outside of Syria and Iraq, and disrupting any ISIL external
plotting efforts. The President emphasized that degrading and
destroying ISIL will continue to require coordination and cooperation
among a wide range of global partners, and the United
States is strongly committed to continuing to lead the shared efforts
of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Oval Office Chat: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey
The President
spoke today by phone with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to
discuss Turkey’s downing of a Russian aircraft. The President expressed
U.S. and NATO support for Turkey’s
right to defend its sovereignty. The leaders agreed on the importance
of deescalating the situation and pursuing arrangements to ensure that
such incidents do not happen again. They reiterated their shared
commitment to efforts to degrade and ultimately
destroy ISIL.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
President Obama Joint News Conference with French President Francois Hollande
President Obama and French President Francois Hollande speak to
reporters about the Paris terrorist attacks in a joint news
conference. President Obama also responds to questions on a Russian
fighter jet that was shot down near the Turkish border.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Chris Christie Remarks on National Security
Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ) delivers remarks on national security
and U.S. intelligence capabilities at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
Hunger in the U.S.
Billy Shore talked about his organization, Share Our Strength, and its
estimate that one in five children in the U.S. lives in a family that
doesn’t have enough to eat. He also spoke about possible state and
federal solutions to food insecurity.
Click here for video.
Source: C-Span
The Second Estimate of GDP for the Third Quarter of 2015
Jason Furman
WASHINGTON, DC – Jason Furman, Chairman
of the Council of Economic Advisers, issued the following statement today on
the second estimate of GDP for the third quarter of 2015.
Third-quarter economic growth was
revised upward as domestic demand continued to grow at a solid pace. Slowing
foreign demand continues to weigh on overall growth, underscoring the
importance of policies that promote strong and consistent domestic demand
instead of unnecessary austerity and fiscal brinksmanship. That’s why Congress
needs to finish its business this year: passing a complete budget that builds
on last month’s bipartisan budget agreement, increasing investments in surface
transportation infrastructure, and reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank.
FIVE KEY POINTS IN TODAY'S REPORT
FROM THE BUREAU OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS (BEA)
1. Real Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) rose 2.1 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter, according to
BEA’s second estimate. In the third quarter, GDP grew at a
faster pace than originally estimated, but at a slower pace than the 3.9
percent rate in the second quarter. Third-quarter GDP growth was boosted by
consumer spending (which rose 3.0 percent), business fixed investment (which
rose 2.4 percent) and residential investment (which rose 7.3 percent). However,
inventory investment—one of the most volatile components of economic
output—subtracted 0.6 percentage point from overall growth. Net exports
continued to weigh on output, subtracting 0.2 percentage point amid slowing
global demand. Export growth remains well below the pace observed earlier in
the recovery. Overall, real GDP rose 2.2 percent over the past four quarters.
Real Gross Domestic Output (GDO)—the
average of product-side and income-side measures of output—rose 2.6 percent in
the third quarter, a faster pace than GDP alone. But in the second quarter—including
upward revisions to wages and salaries—GDO is now estimated to have grown 3.0
percent at an annual rate, somewhat slower than GDP. CEA research suggests that GDO is
potentially more accurate than GDP (though not typically stronger or
weaker) over the long term. GDO is estimated to have grown 2.2 percent over the
past four quarters, the same pace as GDP.
(Click on the graphs to increase their size.)
2. Third-quarter real GDP growth was revised up 0.6 percentage point at an annual rate. The upward revision was more than accounted for by a smaller decline in inventory investment than initially estimated, contributing 0.9 percentage point to the GDP growth revision. A modest downward revision to net exports partially offset that shift, reflecting both lower exports and higher imports than previously estimated. Services consumption growth was also revised down slightly. On balance, these revisions tend to move third-quarter growth more in line with longer-term trends, with net exports weighing on growth and inventories having a smaller impact.
3. Changes in inventory
investment, including the third-quarter decline, tell us little about
underlying growth trends. The change in inventory investment is an especially
volatile component of economic output, frequently adding or subtracting a full
percentage point or more from annualized GDP growth in a given quarter. But
over longer time periods, quarterly fluctuations in inventory investment tend
to cancel one another out and have little impact on long-term growth. For
example, although changes in inventory investment subtracted 0.6 percentage
point from growth in the third quarter, they have had a negligible impact on
average growth over the past year.
If the economy grows at its post-crisis
trend of 2.1 percent per year, inventories would need to grow by about $50 billion
per year to keep pace with overall sales. Inventory investment has been above
that level lately, consistent with a rising inventory-sales ratio. Inventory
investment did grow less quickly in the third quarter, but the pace of
investment remains well above the $50 billion pace consistent with a stable
inventory-sales ratio and average GDP growth. Especially when considering the
recent high level of inventory investment, there is further scope for declines
in inventory investment in the coming quarters.
4. Residential investment
growth has picked up over the past year. Over the past
four quarters, residential investment has grown 9.2 percent—the strongest
four-quarter growth rate since the bounce-back from the financial crisis in
2012 and 2013. One encouraging sign for residential investment is household
formation, which includes young adults moving into their own residence.
Formation has grown sharply during the past year, providing scope for
increasing residential investment. Housing demand is expected to continue to
strengthen as household formation rises, credit availability improves, and the
labor market continues to strengthen.
One important structural challenge
facing the supply of housing is the rise in excessive or unnecessary land use
regulations. While land use regulations sometimes serve reasonable and legitimate
purposes, they can also give extra-normal returns to entrenched interests at
the expense of others. I recently discussed these trends—and their links to both
aggregate growth and rising inequality—at the Urban Institute.
5.
Real private domestic final purchases (PDFP)—the sum of consumption and fixed
investment—rose 3.1 percent at an annual rate in the third quarter and is
growing at a faster four-quarter pace than overall GDP. Real
PDFP—which excludes noisier components like net exports, inventories, and
government spending—is generally a more reliable indicator of next-quarter
GDP growth than current GDP. To the extent that systematic patterns emerge
in global growth, however, the information contained in exports may contain an
important signal about the headwinds we face from abroad. Overall, PDFP rose
3.2 percent over the past four quarters, compared with 2.2 percent GDP growth
over the same period. The especially large gap between PDFP growth and GDP
growth is largely attributable to net exports, reflecting slowing growth abroad.
As the Administration
stresses every quarter, GDP figures can be volatile and are subject to
substantial revision. Therefore, it is important not to read too much
into any single report, and it is informative to consider each report in
the context of other data that are becoming available.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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