In this week"s address, President Obama discussed one of the single most important steps to help grow middle-class wages expanding the number of workers who are eligible for the overtime that they have earned. Every week, millions of Americans work more than 40 hours but do not receive the overtime pay they deserve.
This week, the Department of Labor finalized a rule to extend overtime protections to 4.2 million more Americans, which will boost wages for working Americans by $12 billion over the next 10 years. This action will not only mean a better life for more American families, but will also strengthen our economy across the board. The President emphasized that he will continue to build an economy where everyone gets a fair shot to get ahead.
President Obama Speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner
WASHINGTON A U.S. Secret Service agent shot a man who brandished a gun near the White House on Friday while President Barack Obama was out golfing, and the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition, officials said.
The Secret Service, which protects the president and his family, briefly locked down the White House as a precaution, and Vice President Joe Biden was secured within the White House complex during the lockdown, a White House spokeswoman said.
Authorities later said there appeared to be no link to terrorism.
The shooting took place just off 17th and E streets, near what is known as the South Lawn outside the home and offices of the president.
A man carrying a gun approached a checkpoint shortly after 3 p.m. (1900 GMT) when uniformed Secret Service officers ordered him to stop and drop the weapon, the Secret Service said in a statement.
"When the subject failed to comply with the verbal commands, he was shot once by a Secret Service agent and taken into custody," the statement said.The man was taken to hospital in critical condition, the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said.
Authorities said they were investigating the motive.
"At this time, based on a preliminary investigation, there is no known nexus to terrorism," security agencies said in a joint statement.
A man who appeared to be in his mid-20s walked to a gate of the White House holding a silver-colored gun pointed at the ground, said Brett Polivka, a 26-year-old visitor from Texas who was near the south side of the White House.
"A couple officers drew their guns, went right at him and within two or three seconds we heard a gunshot," Polivka said.
The Secret Service, which also guards other top dignitaries, said all those under its protection were safe, but it did not say if Obama"s family was home at the time.
"Everyone in the White House is safe and accounted for," a White House official said.
The shooting followed several incidents that raised questions about the Secret Service"s performance.
In September 2014, a knife-carrying man jumped a fence and ran into the White House itself in one of the worst security breaches during Obama"s tenure.
That episode led to the resignation of the Secret Service"s director.
In March 2015, two Secret Service agents capped off a night of drinking by driving into a White House barricade inches away from a suspicious package that investigators were examining.
In 2011, a man hit the White House with automatic rifle fire, though damage to the building was not discovered for several days.
(Reporting by Megan Cassalla, Jeff Mason and Eric Walsh in Washington; additional reporting by Joseph Ax and Gina Cherelus in New York and Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Writing by Daniel Trotta; Editing by Tom Brown and Jonathan Oatis)
President Obama COMPLETE REMARKS at 2016 White House Correspondents" Dinner (C-SPAN)
Budding scientists are about to have their ideas heard in the Oval Office. The White House wants kids" science and technology ideas, and children from all over the country are invited to get involved. Students can thank Maryland third-grader Jacob Leggett for inspiring the opportunity, according to CBS Baltimore: while taking part in the sixth White House Science Fair, he asked President Obama whether he"d ever had a "kid science advisor." Though Leggett attended the fair in order to share his 3-D printer creations, his pitch would end up having a national impact.
On Thursday, Obama awarded both National Medals of Science and National Medals of Technology and Innovation, USA Today reported. While speaking in the East Room, he also announced his call for ideas from kid scientists. Though adults populate the Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, Obama wants to hear specifically from children.
Kids can submit science ideas to the White House through an online form. Obama is interested in students" strategies for tackling major problems, from climate change to cancer. He"s also hoping for kids" input on STEM education: how it"s working in schools across the country and how it can be improved. Children can share questions and let the president know what they"re working on in their communities.
Obama is a big believer in the importance of kids" contributions to scientific innovation. The White House shared his thoughts from the 2016 Science Fair:
One of the things I find so inspiring about these young thinkers is that they look at all these seemingly intractable problems as something that we can solve. There is a confidence when you are pursuing science. They don"t consider age a barrier. They don"t think, well, that"s just the way things are. They"re not afraid to try things and ask tough questions.
Since taking office, Obama established a reputation for being a strong supporter of the sciences. He committed to restoring "science to its rightful place" during his first inaugural address, according to MSNBC, and many of his policy decisions reflect that goal. The president reopened pathways to stem cell innovation that the Bush administration closed, advocated for integrity in the realm of research, and worked toward clean energy solutions for the country. During this year"s State of the Union, he announced the National Cancer Moonshot to support and accelerate oncology research, placing Vice President Biden at the helm. But just as Obama is dedicated to creating pathways for professionals to do their work more efficiently and effectively, he also appreciates the importance of raising a strong generation of young innovators to solve the problems of the future. Obama"s commitment to supporting kids in the sciences emerged when he founded the White House Science Fair, MSNBC reported; Obama said:
If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if youre a young person and youve produced the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too. Scientists and engineers ought to stand side by side with athletes and entertainers as role models, and here at the White House were going to lead by example. Were going to show young people how cool science can be.
Obama isn"t just mobilizing children to pursue careers in science; he"s taking their input now. The White House form invites kids to share what they love most about STEM fields while also asking them to pitch ideas to make the "country work better using science and technology." All submissions are due by Friday, June 17, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. The White House reported that there will be more opportunities to contribute going forward, so young scientists can count on their voices being heard.
Larry Wilmore COMPLETE REMARKS at 2016 White House Correspondents" Dinner (C-SPAN)
A man was shot by a Secret Service agent outside the White House grounds after approaching a checkpoint with a gun and refusing commands to drop it, officials said.
Jesse Olivieri, from Ashland Pennsylvania, approached a checkpoint on near 17th and E streets with a gun at around 3:06 p.m. and was shot in the chest, the Secret Service said. No one else was injured.
The shooting prompted a lockdown at the White House and sent heavily-armed officers fanning out across the complex and a sniper scanning the area from the top of the building.
"He was carrying a gun it was a silver gun in clear sight, walked through the fence line," said Larry Samples, who was on E and witnessed the shooting. "They immediately tried to stop him and came up to him," Samples said. "[Authorities] yelled multiple times "stop, stop, stop." He kept ignoring them."
Several law enforcement officials said they believe it may have been an attempt at suicide by cop, and that Olivieri said he wanted to die. "There is no known nexus to terrorism," police and the Secret Service said in a statement.
A Secret Service agent orders people into buildings near the entrance to the West Wing of the White House in Washington, Friday, May 20, 2016, after the White House was placed on security alert after shooting on street outside. Andrew Harnik / AP
D.C. Fire and EMS said Olivieri was transported to a hospital in critical condition. Rohail Khan, who said he was around 5 feet from the shooting, said he heard a single shot and then Secret Service yelled for everyone to get down.
Olivieri was allegedly brandishing the gun and was shot after refusing several commands to drop it, authorities said. Samples described him as around 5 feet, 10 inches tall with shaggy blonde hair. A weapon was recovered, officials said.
"I saw the Secret Service and officers coming around him," Samples said. "They surrounded him. They gave him multiple chances to stop his advance and he refused. He just kept walking. He had a gun in plain sight."
President Barack Obama was not at the White House. He was out for an afternoon of golfing, officials said.
Government sources said two Secret Service officers had eyes on Olivieri before he even pulled out the gun and had "shadowed" him. He was never inside the White House complex.
Taylor Cates was outside of the White House with her boyfriend when she spotted a man with the gun.
"He had a a gun out, just in plain sight. I mean, it wasn"t even hidden," Cates said. "He looked at me, then kept walking," she said.
Cates and her boyfriend and three other people nearby stopped, unsure what to do and afraid of getting any closer. She said the man weaved through a few crowds and approached the security gate.
"He had no facial expression at all," Cates said. "It was honestly terrifying," she said.
Washington, D.C., Metropolitan police will investigate the shooting, and the FBI will look into Olivieri"s background, according to law enforcement officials. Olivieri will likely be charged with assaulting a federal officer, officials said.
Park Police and Secret Service officers searched the Olivieri"s car, parked a few blocks away. He was taken to George Washington University Hospital. The White House lockdown was lifted by 4 p.m.
The Secret Service announced last year that it would be adding "temporary security enhancements" to the White House, including an anti-climb feature with sharp metal spikes on top of the fence surrounding the grounds, after a series of high-profile incidents.
In September of 2014, a man scaled the White House fence and made it all the way into the East Room before he was tackled and arrested. Omar Gonzalez, 43, pleaded guilty to charges related to the breach and was sentenced to nearly 1 1/2 years in prison. Prosecutors said he has a history with law enforcement where he described having "paranoid delusions."
President Obama Speaks at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner
CAIRO - The White House says it"s too early to say definitively what caused an EgyptAir flight to crash into the Mediterranean Sea.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest says investigators will consider all factors and possibilities. He says nothing has been ruled in or out. Earnest says the U.S. is ready to help with the investigation and that the U.S. Navy is working to deploy a P-3 Orion aircraft in the search.
The White House says President Barack Obama is getting multiple updates about the crash. Earnest says the president is sending his prayers to families of those on the place. Earnest says U.S. national security and aviation experts are in contact with their counterparts in France and Egypt to offer assistance.
8:58 update: EgyptAir crash deemed "more likely" terror act than tech failure.
Greek official says that a search plane has located two orange items believed to be from the plane.
Law enforcement sources say the FBI will offer assistance to investigators in the EgyptAir incident.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------6:22 update: French and Egyptian officials say that EgyptAir flight 804 crashed into the Mediterranean Sea.
The Greek defense minister says that EgyptAir flight 804 made abrupt turns and suddenly lost altitude.
Officials say the plane fell 22,000 feet then spun sharply before it disappeared.
The flight left Paris at 11:09 p.m. local time and lost contact at 2:30 a.m.3:15 a.m. was the expected arrival into the Cairo airport.
French President Francois Hollande says that "No hypothesis ruled out" on plane"s disappearance and crash.
Officials say no Americans were on board. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EgyptAir says an Airbus A320 carrying 56 passengers and 10 crew members has disappeared from radar.
The airline says Flight 804 from Paris to Cairo vanished 2:45 a.m. Thursday, Egypt time, 10 miles after it entered Egyptian air space.
A spokesman for the Egyptian civil aviation agency tells SkyNews Arabia that the plane most likely crashed into the sea.
