Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts tagged as “White House”

FILM REVIEW: Thumbs Up for "White House Down"

By goodblacknews on July 8, 2013

Download-White-House-Down-Wallpaper-Movies-745x558WHITE HOUSE DOWN  Cast: Channing Tatum (John Cale), Jamie Foxx (President Sawyer), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Finnerty), Jason Clarke (Stenz), James Woods (Walker), Richard Jenkins (Raphelson), Joey King (Emily Cale) Directed by: Roland Emmerich  Rated: PG-13    Sony Pictures

Lesa Lakin
Review by Lesa Lakin

 I figured out pretty quickly how great this movie experience was going to be and it started the second I decided to question the price of my ticket (it seemed a few bucks higher than usual).  I confidently uttered to the guy behind the counter as I looked at the digital price board, then at my ticket, and finally at my phone for the correct time:  “Hey… isn’t this supposed to be the matinee price?”  I was ripe with evidence for a 10 a.m. AMC price battle.  But Counter Guy was ready for me – he had that gleam those movie nerds get when they are super excited to share some precious movie nerd information with a movie-going civilian.  He told me I was lucky, for I would be seeing the film in… ETX!  “Okay… E…T… what?  Do I really need that?  Is it worth the extra few bucks?”  He calmly leaned in and said, “Trust me, if you don’t see White House Down in ETX…you’ll regret it.”  (I gave a quick “I doubt that” glance he wisely chose to ignore.) “It’s the enhanced theater experience and totally worth it,” he proclaimed.
The situation made me chuckle and I wasn’t in the mood to haggle anymore.  Besides, I was about to miss the previews, not to mention I’d have to wait another 30 minutes to see the non-ETX version.  So I was in, and Counter Guy seemed pleased I backed off so quickly.  White House Down in ETX… recommended by Brian… and after all that, I’ve got to say, I enjoyed every bit of my enhanced theater experience.
White House Down may be down (ranked #6 this week)… but don’t count it out.  This film is downright fun and exactly what I expected it to be – loud, funny and non-sensically entertaining, but in a good way.  It’s a summer formula blast-and-laugh movie.  Even though it didn’t blow the competition out of the water, if you are willing to go with it and have fun, it certainly delivers.  I readily admit that the premise is sort of nuts.  Divorced, ex-soldier, capital cop, John Cale (Channing Tatum), scores a Washington favor and gets his politically-obsessed daughter, Emily Cale (Joey King), a trip to accompany him to the White House while he interviews for his dream job of working Secret Service detail for the President (Jamie Foxx).  Okay… so maybe that makes sense.  
But then he randomly discovers that an old friend (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is doing the interviewing.  Okay, I’ll drink the Kool-Aid and buy that coincidence… but where it gets just straight-up preposterous is when Emily decides (after her Dad has lied to her about his chances of really getting the job) to take the White House tour and they run into the President who does a quick “shout out” to Emily’s blog followers and oh, guess what, today is the day that bad guys out-smart everyone and take over the White House.  The bad guys’ paramilitary is ridiculously armed and seems to outwit everyone on the White House staff.  They take out most of the in-house Secret Service and cops so it’s up to John Kale to save POTUS, his daughter and the world.  And oh, did I mention World War III might happen and the bad guys also have missiles?  And regardless of ALL THAT… I bit.  It’s Popcorn Flick 101 and it’s awesome.  The whole cast of White House Down gives some surprisingly memorable performances.  In fact, the casting for this film is so spot-on, the actors help you forget that what they are saying really shouldn’t make any sense… but they sell it and it works.
This film doesn’t try to be anything that it isn’t, and you know it the minute the leads hit the screen.  Tatum is the “Every Guy” every guy thinks he could be and the guy girls want to believe they can get.  He’s got that quiet hunk thing going for him.  Foxx is meeker than we are used to seeing on screen, but it works… he’s supposed to be POTUS after all (and despite having to play “Presidential,” he still manages to bring some funny).  There is something very clever about teaming seasoned Jamie Foxx with the younger Channing Tatum, and the film offers several throwbacks to Gen-X times.  There are pagers, Air Jordans and heck, just blowing up the White House (Independence Day anyone?  Which, btw, was also directed by Emmerich) fondly recalls the 90s.  But even the blockbuster/comic book film generation can appreciate this one… if they give it a shot.
Although I’m grateful to Brian at AMC, I know the non-ETX version would have captured my fancy just fine, because White House Down is surefire summertime fun.

Obama Honors First Time WNBA Champ Indiana Fever

By goodblacknews on June 14, 2013
President Barack Obama (C), listens to coach Lin Dunn (R), speak during an event to honor the reigning WNBA champion Indiana Fever, at the White House, June 14, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama welcomed the team to the White House to celebrate their 2012 title. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
President Barack Obama (C), listens to coach Lin Dunn (R), speak during an event to honor the reigning WNBA champion Indiana Fever, at the White House, June 14, 2013 in Washington, DC. President Obama welcomed the team to the White House to celebrate their 2012 title. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama honored the WNBA champion Indiana Fever on Friday, calling the players role models for young athletes — even those on his daughter Sasha’s basketball team. The team captured its first title last October, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 and bringing home Indiana’s first basketball title since 1973.
Obama said the Fever’s season was an inspiration for basketball fans everywhere, including his daughter, whose team he sometimes coaches. He pointed out that the Fever came into the playoffs as underdogs and had lost to the Lynx during the regular season, then rallied to take the championship.
“For her to have wonderful role models like this who work hard and know how to play like a team, are incredibly poised, are competitors but also show good sportsmanship, that’s the kind of models you want for your children,” Obama said.

Obama Observes 50th Anniversary of Equal Pay Act

By goodblacknews on June 10, 2013

President Barack ObamaWASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is calling attention to the 50th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act that aimed to eliminate gender wage disparities, making the case for strengthening the law that President John F. Kennedy signed in 1963.
Obama, speaking to an audience almost entirely of women, says women continue to be paid less than men. He says: “This is the 21st century. It’s time to close that gap.”
The event’s focus on women’s pay comes during a week when Obama is paying special attention to Democratic constituent groups. On Tuesday he will speak at the White House in support of an overhaul of immigration laws. He will be fundraising for the Democrats on Wednesday. On Thursday he will observe LGBT Pride Month with remarks at the White House.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press via thegrio.com

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice to Take Over as Obama's National Security Adviser

By goodblacknews on June 5, 2013
FILE - In this Feb. 12, 2013 file photo, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice speaks at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. President Barack Obama's top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, marking a significant shakeup to the White House foreign policy team. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle, File)
In this Feb. 12, 2013 photo, U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice speaks at a news conference at U.N. headquarters in New York. (Associated Press/Craig Ruttle)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s top national security adviser Tom Donilon is resigning and will be replaced by Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. who has been a lightning rod for Republican criticism over faulty explanations for the attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Donilon has been a key foreign policy adviser to President Barack Obama. But the 58-year-old had been expected to depart sometime this year, with Rice seen as the likely candidate to replace him. Her selection is sure to anger congressional Republicans, who have accused the administration of inconsistency and a cover-up in the Benghazi attacks.

Rice, a close Obama confidante, came under withering criticism from Republicans as part of the investigations into the deadly attack on a U.S. compound in Benghazi. Relying on talking points from the intelligence community, Rice said in television interviews that the attacks were likely spontaneous, which was later proven incorrect.

Obama considered nominating Rice as his second-term secretary of state, but she withdrew amid the GOP criticism, saying she didn’t want her confirmation fight to be a distraction for the White House. The president instead nominated John Kerry, who easily won confirmation from his former Senate colleagues.

Michelle Obama Garden Harvest 2013: Hurricane Sandy-Battered School Kids Join First Lady To Gather Summer Veggies

By goodblacknews on May 31, 2013

Michelle Obama
April showers brought more than May flowers for first lady Michelle Obama and a group of elementary school children from two New Jersey schools seriously damaged by Hurricane Sandy, Monday.  Students from Union Beach Memorial School in Union Beach, N.J., and Long Beach Island Grade School in Ship Bottom, N.J., joined Obama to harvest crops, such as lettuce and broccoli, planted in the White House garden in April.
“One of the reasons why we wanted to invite you guys is I understand that given all that you guys have been through,” she said. “Many of your schools got damaged in Sandy, right? — but despite that, you guys are still going to school every day, and you’re working on eating healthy … And it hasn’t been that easy, but you guys have managed to get through the school year way on top of the game, and we’re just very proud of you,” she added.
The children’s visit to the White House coincided with President Obama’s visit to their home state of New Jersey to highlight rebuilding efforts in coastal areas damaged during Hurricane Sandy last fall.

Michigan's Jeralean Talley, 114, is now the Oldest Living American

By goodblacknews on May 26, 2013

Talley and godson Tyler Kinloch pictured with one of the seven catfish she caught at the Trout Farm in Dexter, Mich., on June 16, 2012.
Jeralean Talley and godson Tyler Kinloch pictured with one of the seven catfish she caught at the Trout Farm in Dexter, Mich., on June 16, 2012. (COURTESY OF MICHAEL KINLOCH)

Be nice, worship God and eat pigs’ feet: That’s how Jeralean Talley of Inkster, Michigan says she lived to celebrate her 114th birthday today — and be crowned the oldest person in the United States. Using census records, the Gerontology Research Group verified her title after the previous oldest American, Elsie Thompson, died at 113 in March. Talley is still a youngster, relatively speaking, compared to the world’s oldest person, Jiroemon Kimura, who is 116 and lives in Japan.
In a phone conversation on the eve of her 114th birthday, Talley told TIME, “I feel okay.” These days, the supercentenarian lives with her daughter Thelma Holloway, 75, and says she passes the time by watching The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Wheel of Fortune as well as listening to baseball on the radio – though she doesn’t have a favorite team. She can stay up as late as midnight and feasts on her favorite foods: potato salad, honey buns, McDonald’s chicken nuggets and Wendy’s chili.

First Lady Lauds American Express' $1M Donation to Preserve DC Slave House

By goodblacknews on May 25, 2013
First lady Michelle Obama is surrounded by schoolchildren from Willow Springs Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., after they performed part of a play at the Decatur House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Site and home to the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, in Washington, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The events were part of an announcement of a major philanthropic effort to preserve the Decatur House.1 (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
First Lady Michelle Obama is surrounded by schoolchildren from Willow Springs Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., after they performed part of a play at the Decatur House, a National Trust for Historic Preservation Site and home to the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, in Washington, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The events were part of an announcement of a major philanthropic effort to preserve the Decatur House.1 (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama said Wednesday that stories of toil and sweat by slaves once held at a historic home within sight of the White House are an important part of U.S. history, including her own personal story, and are “as vital to our national memory as any other.”
The first lady commented as American Express announced its donation of $1 million to the White House Historical Association to preserve Decatur House and pay for education programs for children. The nearly 200-year-old house is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and operated by the association.
Most of the money will be spent to preserve the building’s former slave quarters, where about 20 men and women “spent their days serving those who came and went from this house” and their nights “jammed together on the second floor of the slave quarters, all the while holding onto a quiet hope, a quiet prayer that they, too, and perhaps their children, would someday be free,” Mrs. Obama said.
The red-brick, three-story townhouse built in 1818 has been home to many, including several secretaries of state.  Mrs. Obama, briefly invoking her ancestry as a descendant of a South Carolina slave, said even more history came from the back of Decatur House, where the slave quarters were located, “the kind of stories that too often get lost, the kinds of stories that are a part of so many of our families’ histories, including my own.”

Obama Signs Bill Awarding 1963 Birmingham Bombing Victims Congressional Medal of Honor

By goodblacknews on May 25, 2013
US President Barack Obama (4th L) signs a bill in the Oval Office designating the Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate the four young girls killed during the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, as (L-R) Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Dr Sharon Malone Holder, Attorney General Eric Holder, Rep Terri Sewell (D-AL), Thelma Pippen McNair, mother of Denise McNair, Lisa McNair, sister of Denise McNair and Dianne Braddock, sister of Carole Robertson look on May 24, 2013 in Washington, DC. The medal, the highest Congressional civilian honor, was given posthumously to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair who died September 15, 1963 when a bomb planted bywhite supremacists exploded exploded at the church. (Photo by Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty Images
US President Barack Obama (4th L) signs a bill in the Oval Office designating the Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate the four young girls killed during the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, as (L-R) Birmingham Mayor William Bell, Dr Sharon Malone Holder, Attorney General Eric Holder, Rep Terri Sewell (D-AL), Thelma Pippen McNair, mother of Denise McNair, Lisa McNair, sister of Denise McNair and Dianne Braddock, sister of Carole Robertson look on May 24, 2013 in Washington, DC. The medal, the highest Congressional civilian honor, was given posthumously to Addie Mae Collins, Carole Robertson, Cynthia Wesley and Denise McNair who died September 15, 1963 when a bomb planted bywhite supremacists exploded exploded at the church. (Photo by Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty Images

President Barack Obama is set to sign a bill Friday that awards the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to the four African-American girls killed in the 1963 Birmingham church bombing. The children were murdered when a bomb planted by white supremacists exploded at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, in September 1963.
The deadly blast at the church, which civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. used as a meeting place, was pivotal turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and sparked support for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Not only did the explosion kill the four girls- — Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Denise McNair – another 22 people were injured.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian award given in the United States. It is awarded to people “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient’s field long after the achievement.”

Desiree Rogers Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to Choose Chicago Board

By goodblacknews on May 21, 2013
Former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers pauses prior to a reception in honor of International Women's Day hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the East Room of the White House March 8, 2010 in Washington, DC. The reception honored women from around the world and their achievements. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers pauses prior to a reception in honor of International Women’s Day hosted by U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the East Room of the White House March 8, 2010 in Washington, DC. The reception honored women from around the world and their achievements. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

NBC Chicago – Desiree Rogers is adding another line to her resume.  Mayor Rahm Emanuel tapped the former White House social secretary to chair the board of Choose Chicago.

Rogers is currently the CEO of Ebony and Jet.  Choose Chicago is a marketing organization that works to lure businesses, tourists and conventions to the city.  Rogers takes over for Bruce Rauner, who is expected to run for Illinois governor on the Republican ticket.

Rogers and Emanuel worked together in the Obama White House during his time as chief of staff.  Click here to read more.

article by Marcus Riley via thegrio.com

Michelle Obama, Prince Harry Honor Military Families at the White House

By goodblacknews on May 10, 2013
Michelle Obama and Prince Harry
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 09: HRH Prince Harry (L), stands with first lady Michelle Obama during an event to honor military families at the White House on May 9, 2013 in Washington, DC. Prince Harry will be undertaking engagements on behalf of charities with which the Prince is closely associated on behalf also of HM Government, with a central theme of supporting injured service personnel from the UK and US forces. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama played hostess to a royal on Thursday, as Britain’s Prince Harry dropped by to kick off a weeklong visit to the U.S.  The soldier-prince and Mrs. Obama hosted a pre-Mother’s Day tea for a group of military moms and their kids, with the prince even chipping in as the kids made gift bags for their mothers.

After that, Harry headed off to the Russell Senate Office Building, where he was treated like a rock star by a crowd of about 500 screaming onlookers (mostly women and girls).  Back home, Harry serves as a co-pilot gunner in the British Army, and has served in Afghanistan. Championing military families has been one of Mrs. Obama’s signature causes, along with Dr. Jill Biden, her partner in the Joining Forces initiative.
article via thegrio.com