
****
Today (all times Eastern)
10:15: The President joins a President’s Export Council Meeting, Eisenhower Executive Office Building
12:15: Josh Earnest briefs the press
12:30: The President delivers a statement on the situation in Iraq
2:15: The President awards Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.), the Medal of Honor, East Room
****
On This Day


President Obama and celebrity chef Bobby Flay grill steak, corn and barbeque chicken at the Kick Off Young Men’s Barbeque on the South Lawn of the White House, June 19, 2025 (Photo by Samantha Appleton)

****

****

Pete Souza: “The President and German Chancellor Angela Merkel listen to remarks by Berlin Mayor Klaus Wowereit at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. The last time I had been here was in 1987 on the opposite site of the Gate when President Reagan had challenged Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev to ‘tear down this wall.'” June 19, 2025




First Lady Michelle Obama, with her daughters Malia and Sasha, Auma Obama, President Obama’s half sister, and German Chancellor’s husband Joachim Sauer visit the Berlin Wall memorial at Bernauer Strasse on June 19, 2025 in Germany



First Lady Michelle Obama, President Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her husband Joachim Sauer attend the dinner given in honor of President Obama at the Orangerie of Schloss Charlottenburg palace on June 19, 2025 in Berlin, Germany



Pete Souza: “A beautiful evening just after sunset as the President and and First Lady boarded Air Force One at Tegel Airport prior to departing Berlin, Germany.” June 19, 2025
****
MooOOOooorning everyone, apologies for the news-less R&S, a gazillion things came up again, will try to catch up through the day.

























Beautiful!
What? No Way!
Today, the New First is Second……..
I yield the GOLD graciously; where are you?
Hi Cindy - enjoy the gold cup :)
Hiya 99ts!
THANK YOU!
Happy BEAUTIFUL Friday morning to you!
Hello!
Happy Beautiful Thursday to you gobrooklyn!!!
CONGRATULATIONS ON 2nd!
I YIELD THE GOLD-I WAS 1ST ON EARLY BIRD CHAT.
Today, the New 1st is 2nd place.
Have a very WONDERFUL AND BLESSED DAY! I am still praying for your full and complete recovery {{{{gobrooklyn}}}
Thanks, Cindy! You have a great day too.
Good Morning gobrooklyn!
Morning!!
Morning everyone:) Happy Thursday! Chips, no need for ANY apologies here for your R/S pictorial. It’s wonderful.
HAPPY BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY desertflower and Simi!!!
Wishing you an AWESOME and WONDERFUL DAY-ENJOY!!!!
You too, Cindy! Thanks. gb, hope you’re doing well today and have a spring in your step and a smile on your face! {{gb}}
Hey, Chips! Gave a shout out to your website on twitter. Someone had the impression that if POTUS announces a program/initiative then the press would cover it. LOL!!! Poor child has no idea. That person asked me for examples of press ignoring POTUS and I was able to do that because I read The Obama Diary every day. Thank you and everyone that contributes. :) :)
Hi gb - winning them over 1 at a time! - 6 years in and they still think the press reports the news! Do hope he/she enjoys TOD
12:30 statement from president.
Happy Thursday to you Jovie!
Does anyone know what this is about?
Have an AWESOME DAY!
Good Morning TOD Family!
A fabulous Thursday to you all!
HAPPY JOYOUS THURSDAY TO YOU Dakota!!!
Have a WONDERFUL DAY-ENJOY!!
That’s scary.
Good morning TOD ohana.
Morning CEB!
Have a WONDERFUL DAY!
Thanks; the same to you. Hope where you are is as beautiful as it is here in NE Fla.
Oh boy. Here comes the Liberal backwash.
Morning JER…..Happy Thursday to you!
Thank you for posting. I was asking about this earlier; wondering what would be covered.
Have an AWESOME DAY!
Hi Cindy. Have a great day too and also to all TOD.
Fantastic. Hope her career continues to soar and soar!
Absolutely gorgeous, inside and out!
That’s a pretty girl. I want to meet her.
Good morning Layla and HAPPY BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY TO YOU!
I pray for you daily and hope that you are healing day-by-day {{{Layla}}}; keep the faith and keep believing in miracles.
Have a very JOYOUS and BLESSED DAY!
Blessings,
Good morning Cindy! Good days and bad days but always keeping the faith! TY for your prayers, I need them. Have a spectacular day!
YOU BETCHA!!!
Morning Nerdy Wonka and Happy BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY TO YOU!
Thank you for posting Lupita’s beautiful pictures, she is stunning, and it’s true; black really is BEAUTIFUL. I am so glad that she found her place and walk in confidence of who she is. Her life story of dealing with her color is so touching and I am happy that she didn’t give up.
She is such a wonderful breath of fresh air in so many ways.
Did you see that she optioned the rights to “Americanah”? It will be produced by Brad Pit’s Plan B company, who produced 12 Years a Slave. Cannot wait to see that!
“Americanah centres on two young Nigerians, Ifemelu and Obinze, who are separated after falling in love. Determined to leave a nation riven by military dictatorship, Ifemelu secures a place at an American university. Obinze is unable to secure a visa for a country suffering the aftermath of 9/11 and instead suffers as an undocumented immigrant in London.”
When I see how Lupita’s beauty is admired and how Michelle’s health real woman figure is looked to for inspiration, I know that the tears of many African American women and girls are being wiped away and replaced with confidence and pride in their own unique beauty. When I was a young girl and woman, dark skin black girls were looked down upon (still are in some places), our lips were considered to be too thick (and now people get injections to plump theirs up), our hips and butts deemed too big (and now everyone wants some back), and our natural hair too kinky and to be straightened at any cost and in any way. Now, many are beginning to realize that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors and that the best form of beauty is that of a kind and generous heart. We still have a long way to gone from being considered to be “mule women” (from Zora Hurston’s Their Eyes were Watching God) to being seen and appreciated for who we are. I was one of those girls who was too dark, too skinny, and considered by some to be too smart for my own good. But all of these things were something to be embraced and my life, my God’s good grace, has been filled with accomplishments and opportunities. One final note on the beauty aspect: almost 20 years ago I completely embraced my natural curls and have been “happy to be nappy” in so many ways.
Should be “healthy real woman figure” and “a long way to go…”
DITTO!
Sooooooo BEAUTIFULLY stated CEB; have walked a mile on the same path and know exactly what you mean. Have been there, gone through that and settled it; I am a BEAUTIFUL, Intelligent Black Woman and I know who I am : )
HOLY MOLY! “My comment is waiting moderation” it tells me from a scary red box with an exclamation point attached to it!! RELEASE ME!!!!!!! Please :)
The red means drone attack. Beware! :)
I thought so! Something REALLY bad….can you guys see it, or only I can see this? I’ve never been put in moderation here before like so many of you have….I guess WP thought it was my turn to get messed with:)
WP uses a magic random number generator - and that red box - they just know you have done something bad - the GOP uses the same system to decide which of PBO’s policies to attack today.
gm df - getting very chilly here - so I assume your world is warming up!
Well, the GOP doesn’t need little ole ME to spin them up and make them paranoid and batshit crazy:) They got that DOWN!
We’re “warming up” :) :) Been nice the past few days. Around 100…..supposed to “warm” closer to 108 this weekend. You have to wonder what constitutes DAMN HOT by the weather people in Phoenix :) They have such a boring job that the only “work” they really have to do is choose the right adjective to describe dry, sunny hot…dayafterdayafterdayafterdayafterday….. I WISH for cool…enjoy it, 99ts!!
Does anybody like Tamron? That chick on msnbc?
I can’t stand this chick. :)
I don’t like most of the MSNBC hosts - including Tamron.
Her word annunciation is annoying .
She’s hit or miss. So many of the are.
them
Good, Good, Morning. Good a Rainy Stormy Day, in my neck if woods.
Au :star: for Cindy 2X in a roll. Congrats.
Thanks for the Memories, Lady Chips ob this fabulous R&S.
HAPPY SPLENDID THURSDAY TO YOU Nena20409!
Thank you for the Gold. Today, the “NEW 1st” is 2nd place; don’t want to be greedy : )
I was refreshing the page when it popped up, so I am yielding but I am keeping the Early Bird Chat gold : )
You, Cindy earned it ;) Enjoy.
Oil prices at a nine month high. So, the president is making a statement at 12:30?
Interesting, isn’t it?
Chips and NW, thank you so much for lifting me up each morning with such magnificent, poignant, glamorous and proud moments from the last few years with our First and Second Families. I savor every moment. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I’m smiling at the Presidential Seal on POTUS’ apron! And I can feel the heaviness in the hearts of FLOTUS and the girls as they pay their respects to the long history of the Berlin Wall.
I love the tight partnership btwn PBO and Joe. Here’s the video that goes with that memory of that Fatherhood Town Hall:
Morning again everyone, sorry for the news-less R&S, one of those days :-(
Chips, you NEVER need to apologize!!! With all you and NW do that last thing either of you should feel is pressure. We so appreciate all your efforts given that both of you have significant other obligations and you do everything at TOD merely to support our community and our President.
Thank you!!
{{{{Bob}}}} Thank you Bob!
I o agree with what Bob…said…There is NO other place like the TOD Village…and i thank whoever or whatever led me here…..ty Ms Chipsss…and NW…for all the work you do…to support the President and his awesome agenda…
Bad hair day? :) I had one of those today - also 1st world problems attacked me.
:-) A severely bad hair day, 99ts - but I do have some happy news: I found an old hairbrush, so I now look like a supermodel. Have chained it to the table just in case you know who gets any ideas.
So pleased that life can move on past the “Mystery of the disappearing hairbrush” - I should mention - that twice in my life I have lost objects which disappeared into the nether regions - and both reappeared about 3 years later - and both in the linings of suitcases - so maybe that is the missing clue.
layzee, layzee, layzee.
It’s all good, Chips. You have a life (and Danny). We are so thankful for all that you do at all times.
Newsless days are worrisome.
IIRC, some of the biggest news days start from a “newsless” base.
:-) I’m sure there’s plenty of news I could have posted arapaho415, just didn’t have the time!
:lol::roll: :lol:
I am with Ms Giffords ;) <3 + <3 + <3 = <3
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gabby-giffords-50-cent-first-pitch
double stack pizzas???? yeah, kill me sooner.
also. too. how you supposed to eat that damn thing? even fork and knife won’t cut it.
Hacksaw ?
more like frigging axe.
>-I >-I >-I
And a salute to what YOU do Chips.
No Apologies needed, Ever ;) where <3 is in abundance. That is what YOU, Lady have created here at TOD!
With NW. :star:
LL , LP, Zizi2, Amk :bear:
The TOD Twitter Brigades <3
Viva TOD!
:-) Thank you Nena!
daymn, these african chillies are really hawt. love it.
So there will be a split screen: one for PBO’s Iraq statement, the other for the telescope mountaintop blast.
A win-win proposition, hopefruit2 sez….
Indeed
Last comment on the previous thread (as per usual) from me:
Hillary is in Los Angeles today for a book signing… the local all-news radio station @knx1070 is providing full coverage, but it’s not something I can stomach listening to — all about 2016, and here at TOD, our focus is on #LandslideDems2014.
The other top news story here is about the consistency downward trend of new unemployment claims. Anecdotally, EVERY fast food and retail store that I’ve been to recently has a “Now Hiring” sign, and appear to be desperate to hire new employees. After the GWB 2008 meltdown, tons of retailers closed here (affluent exurbia, where the rich got richer and everyone else suffered). For instance, the car dealerships that line the Ventura freeway here went through major upheaval — we no longer have a Nissan dealership (my car brand), replaced by a Rolls-Royce/Bentley dealership, which underscores how well GOP trickle-down economies work (not).
It will be a long time before I forgive WJC (repeal Glass-Steagall) or GWB for what they did to the US economy and the regular joes of the middle-class.
However, it looks like the SoCal economy is poised for takeoff, which is great and encouraging news.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Let’s sit back and watch between now and November, when retailers will truly be desperate for help while MSM ignore this fact (or find some fault of the Obama Adm. to attribute the teensiest negative news) while voters happily cast their ballots because all of their friends and family have jobs. LOL.
EGADS, this explains a lot:
There seems to be a certain individual by the name of “Professor Crunk” on Twitter, who is getting on everyone’s last nerve with her griping about PBO not doing enough for Black women/girls, and even accuses PBO of “not caring about Black girls.” What exactly is her issue? Why should she attack the President simply because he developed the “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative? I don’t get it.
I just dialed into that mess to see what everybody was talking about. It’s beyond stupid and probably just another LOOK AT ME ploy.
Looks like another attention-seeker hoping to cash-in on the “attack President Obama” money train…
Yes, indeed. Long line of those, unfortunately.
I’m letting her have it on Twitter now….her logic is poor.
There you go HP:-)
5. “The US should intervene with air power against ISIS.” The Sunni radicals are not a conventional army. There are no lines for the US to bomb, few convoys or other obvious targets. To the extent that their advance is a series of urban revolts against the government of PM Nouri al-Maliki, the US would end up bombing ordinary city folk. The Sunnis already have resentments about the Bush administration backing for the Shiite parties after 2003, which produced purges of Sunnis from their jobs and massive unemployment in Sunni areas. For the US to be bombing Sunni towns all these years later on behalf of Mr. al-Maliki would be to invite terrorism against the US.
A good read.
http://www.juancole.com/2014/06/myths-radical-advance.html
6. “US interests are threatened by the ISIS capture of Mosul.” It is difficult to see what precise interest the hawks are thinking of. Petroleum prices are slightly up because the pipeline from Kirkuk to Ceyhan in Turkey is closed. But it only does a few hundred thousand barrels a day on good days. Most oil in Iraq is produced in Basra in the Iraqi deep south, Shiite country where ISIS is unlikely to gain sway. And in any case high petroleum prices may be good for the US. More Americans should be using public transport, moving to the city from the suburbs, buying electric vehicles and electric plug-in hybrids and putting solar panels on their roofs to power their EVs. These steps are desirable to fight climate change and for economic health. Wars for oil are so 20th century.
Happening now:
Now that’s a POWER Team….some creative person needs to make an action music video featuring this group…
This is a room full of everyone of urgent importance in the matter, including his WH counsel.
Lupita Nyong’o on Winning the Oscar, Becoming the Face of Lancôme, and Her First Cover of Vogue
by Hamish Bowles | photographed by Mikael Jansson
In little more than a year, Lupita Nyong’o has made the leap from serious student to Oscar-winning actress and head-turning fashion star. Hamish Bowles catches up with Hollywood’s newest golden girl.
Marrakech in May is unseasonably tagine-hot. Hapless tourists are being felled by sunstroke merely from sauntering across the city’s pulsing medina square, which is all but abandoned by the native food and trinket traders, snake-charmers, and storytellers who will throng it in the desert cool of evening.
But in the oasis sanctuary of the Ksar Char-Bagh, all is balmy dolce far niente. A luxe spa hostelry built in imitation of a castle-like fort in the middle of the Palmeraie, it has crenellated towers that hide a private dipping pool and afford views down to a central marbled courtyard modeled on Granada’s Moorish Alhambra, and across the palm groves to the distant Atlas Mountains. Guests are lounging poolside in the shade of an allée of date palms, seemingly oblivious of the Academy Award–winning deity in their midst, who is the focus of the Vogue cover shoot in full fluster around them.
Lupita Nyong’o is cucumber-cool, as beautiful and hieratic as an ancient Egyptian statue of a cat goddess, dressed in Prada’s magenta Deco-print dress licked with silver that is dazzling against her luminous skin. Lupita instinctively falls into graceful attitudes; she can’t help herself. “She knows the camera, she knows her angles,” notes an approving Phyllis Posnick, Vogue’s Executive Fashion Editor, who, it should be noted, does not suffer fools gladly but is in some kind of awe of this particular subject.
http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/lupita-nyongo-first-vogue-cover/#1
She is so stunningly beautiful! I was so taken by her beauty that I almost missed seeing the cobra! OMG! The only thing that she and I share…is that we wear our hair the same way:) Liberating and wonderful! (Head’s up, Chips…no hairbrush needed!)
Ugh! I couldn’t sleep last night. Now I am at work trying to remove the screw the whole world filter that I am seeing through as a consequence.
It’s probably karma for that really bad Pythagoras joke.
yup, pythagorean revenge.
Better’n Montezuma’s.
got THAT right! :)
Montezuma Castle, on the other hand, is pretty freakin’ cool even though Montezuma had nothing to do with it. Have you been there?
here comes mehicans’ revenge.
Smartypants has the answer to the Prof. Crunk thing on Twitter…seemed like a no brainer to me, but whatever. Someone pass this along to them?
http://immasmartypants.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-what-about-me-syndrome.html
Heads up:
http://theobamadiary.com/2014/06/19/the-president-delivers-a-statement-on-the-situation-in-iraq/