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Straits Times: US First Lady Michelle Obama Visits Qatar; Makes Stop At United States Air Base In Qatar
First Lady Michelle Obama visited the largest US air force base outside the United States Tuesday on the first full day of a Middle East tour. “This isn’t an easy post; you guys are doing the tough work,” she told the assembled servicemen and women at Al-Udeid base, the forward headquarters for the US Central Command outside the Qatari capital. Obama is in Qatar as part of a seven-day regional tour during which she is expected to focus on the issue of “cultural beliefs” obstructing girls’ education.
She is set to make a keynote speech at the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) in Doha Wednesday, as part of her well-publicised efforts to promote girls’ education globally. In an email ahead of her trip, Obama wrote that 62 million girls across the globe are not going to school at all, urging support for the Let Girls Learn initiative that she launched with President Barack Obama earlier this year. Obama was accompanied by late-night talk show host Conan O’ Brien as part of the morale-boosting visit to troops. O’Brien, whose Conan programme airs on TBS cable television, put on a show for the troops, part of which will be broadcast later this year.
More here
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First Lady Michelle Obama meeting with Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development in Doha
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US First Lady #MichelleObama visits #Qatar; makes stop at United States air base str.sg/ZEog https://t.co/Bpczx4URQX
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The Straits Times (@STcom) November 03, 2025****
First Lady Michelle Obama shakes hands with Qatar Emir Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani
First Lady Michelle Obama is introduced by Conan O’Brien to speak to U.S troops stationed at Al Udeid air base
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Michelle Obama and Conan O’Brien visit troops in Qatar. nyti.ms/1WuCaw3 via @EricSchmittNYT https://t.co/dzQdZOKIA7
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NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) November 03, 2025****
First Lady Michelle Obama greets members of the military at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Photo by Amanda Lucidon
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When you're on a base and @FLOTUS asks you to drop and give her fifty, you give her fifty of your @TeamCoco best instagram.com/p/9o3clKvZGk/
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Conan O'Brien (@ConanOBrien) November 03, 2025****
Instagram: When you’re on a base and #FLOTUS asks you to drop and give her fifty, you give her fifty of your @TeamCoco best. -Conan #MissionConan #JoiningForces
Thanks a traaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazillion Nerdy!!!!
:star:
:)
Thank you so much for these pics of the FLOTUS on her very important mission….
What a beautiful and luminous First Lady we have. My heart aches to think that a day will come when she will no longer officially represent this country wherever she goes. No one will ever measure up to her.
It looks as if it’s going to be a loooong night getting PA election results. Only five percent of state wide districts have reported in so far and no results have not yet been recorded in our county, although polls closed at 8:00. I have been fooled in the past by early voting results, so will not make any assumptions until we’ve got much higher numbers.
I’m excited. I love when the first couple travel but even more when they are together.
Thank you NW. Thanks also to JER and Chipsticks for giving us a update on the First Lady trip.
Brokaw is trashing Obamacare. Pointed out that Bevin ran against Obama and Obamacare and obviously that worked. Asked if this should be seen by DEMS as forerunner to 2016 general election. UGH!!!!!
PBO run on ObamaCare and won with a significant margin
Voters in Kentucky are not a ‘bellweather’ for 2016. It’s a red state which could be expected to revert back to a Republican governor. Brokaw is a jackass for making any other assumptions.
You are right Brokaw is a old jackass.
The south has been a wash for the dems for decades. So, tom -I-get-paid-millions-for-my-nonsense-brokaw can go, fuck himself.
The dems need to concentrate on swing states, howard’s 50 state strategy was and still is just a hype.
I so agree, AMK. Dean’s idea was a good one, but it would have to be executed over years and involve a sustained commitment of resources and on the ground staff. There was never going to be that commitment from the national party. Some day, there may be demographic changes in some southern states that will enable a Democrat to win a major office, but it won’t be any time soon.
but in 2008…the President showed it was possible to win…with a 50 state focus…..that is why…those same southern states began their process of voter suppression and SCOTUS helped by gutting the VRA…but i agree with you Jackie that there is no commitment from the DNC…to follow in the PBOs footsteps…they have their own version of ODS….
The DEMS in KY capitulated to racism by calling Obamacare, KY Connect because they demagogued Obamacare….chickens come home to roost…
the MSM once again is disengenous…by not pointing this out…they continue the demogogery by blaming the President…this is our MSM
some context from Ohio elections:
although there was an anti-gerrymandering issue on the ballot in Ohio, the majority of people I have talked to over these months & the media are more interested in the marijuana issue - but even this is not enough to get many of them to the booth;
on the marijuana issue:
- a few companies (I think 6) had sponsored the legalization of medical marijuana and had put a clause about a limit to the number of growing sites;
- the limited number of growing sites by a few companies, gave the conservatives in the state ( and of course dominating the legislature), an opening where they put labelled the issue a monopoly & opposed it on those grounds;
- using the monopoly argument of “big marijuana”, the conservatives also added another issue on the ballot opposing monopolies in the state constitution;
so, confusion was abound and by emphasizing their “anti-monopoly” argument, the results may be based on this hostility to “big marijuana”
Question for anyone: in a thread today, someone mentioned Carson being on the ballot on all the states, especially the early ones. How can one find out if he is indeed on ballots, which ones, etc. Anyone here know how to verify that info?
TN, I believe that every state has its own rules for putting candidates on their primary ballots, their own deadlines and their own requirements for circulating signature petitions. Presidential candidates have to go through the same hoops that everyone else does. At this point in PA NO ONE is on the ballot for 2016 because we are still in 2015 and it’s illegal to collect signatures this early. So whoever is saying that about Carson is probably describing an intention, not an accomplishment.
Thanks, Jackie.
I think I heard last night that Trump got the number of signatures to be on NH’s primary ballet. He’s the only one I’ve heard that has done it and I don’t know the rules for the other states.
Baileys prize crowns Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as its ‘best of the best’
Half of a Yellow Sun has been named the best winner from the last decade of the women’s prize for fiction
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http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/nov/02/baileys-prize-crowns-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-as-its-best-of-the-best
From the article:
Author and journalist Muriel Gray, who chaired the judging panel in 2007 when Adichie won the award at the age of just 29, said that “while it’s sometimes pompous to call a book ‘important’, it’s appropriate to say it of Half of a Yellow Sun”.
“For an author, so young at the time of writing, to have been able to tell a tale of such enormous scale in terms of human suffering and the consequences of hatred and division, whilst also gripping the reader with wholly convincing characters and spellbinding plot, is an astonishing feat,” said Gray. “Chimamanda’s achievement makes Half of a Yellow Sun not just a worthy winner of this most special of prizes, but a benchmark for excellence in fiction writing.”
Her competition:
The 10 winners of the second decade were:
2006 - On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Chair, Martha Kearney)
2007 – Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Chair, Muriel Gray)
2008 – The Road Home by Rose Tremain (Chair, Kirsty Lang)
2009 – Home by Marilynne Robinson (Chair, Fi Glover)
2010 – The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (Chair, Daisy Goodwin)
2011 – The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht (Chair, Bettany Hughes)
2012 – The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Chair, Joanna Trollope)
2013 – May We Be Forgiven by AM Homes (Chair, Miranda Richardson)
2014 – A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride (Chair, Helen Fraser)
2015 – How to Be Both by Ali Smith (Chair, Shami Chakrabarti)
28% turnout. You deserve what you vote for and/or are too unmotivated to go out and vote for.
So, basically 14%+1 determined the fate of the rest?
Hey LL, has the Mamba made his retirement speech yet?
See if he had been taken college courses - he would have a career to fall back on and could give his ego a rest and go do something else. What is Kobe without a basketball?
Rachel just said that Congress will be working 111 days in 2016. Isn’t that just great. Wouldn’t you love to work 111 days a year and get paid for the entire year.
And fake cry about it too! :) It’s so hard …. Icky!
Well, that works out to nearly $1568.00 A DAY…for doing jacksquat. Talk about takers!!
I think we are beating the wrong drums here. Any congress critter has to spend his time splitting his time between visiting his/her constituency and being at DC. paul fucking ryan is using this argument rather effectively.
Nonstop flight: 2 1/2 hours…people spend more time than that sitting in traffic everyday. Fucking crybaby.
still, as a voter, I am gonna be pissed off if my critter turns up only during election time.
True, amk. They are supposed to “work” within their districts, not just live the “good life” in D.C.
bella…this is part of the obstruction…if they are not in session then they cannot advance anything…forcing the President to use his powers to get stuff done….
but our citizenry is not engaged enough to do anything about this….
the President says it is about us….
what is the DNC doing…
Wonderful pictures of First Lady Michelle, representing us with style and intelligence wherever she goes!
at least PA court races seem to be going well for dems
http://6abc.com/politics/2015-local-election-results-for-pennsylvania-/1055346/
why there are so many (3) dem candies for the state supreme court?
AM, I’m holding my breath, praying that these results will hold through the night. There were three vacancies on the PA Supreme Court-the first time in history. Each party has three candidates. So far, the Dem candidates are drawing higher numbers and if- by some miracle-all three won, Dems would dominate the state Supreme Court. I’m not sure what areas of the state have still to report in, so the numbers could change as conservative counties report their vote. That’s why I’m not not going to believe anything until all the votes are counted.
ok, three state sc vacancies.gotcha. all 3 seem to be polling 20% with the rethugs at 14% with 69% reporting. fingers crossed.
Yep, that’s why I have all fingers and toes crossed. If the three Dems win, this will be-in the immortal words of Donald Trump -“Yuuuuge” news for Pennsylvania.
It’s 74% now and the dems are still in the lead. I do not know what the comfort number is here, 90%? 95%?
Oh, AMK, I’m really trying to control my excitement here. If this state pulls off this kind of win, it will be Hallelujah Choruses all around. I think I’m still haunted by the Gore loss in 2000 and want to have super triple confirmation before I actually believe something.
82% with all 3 dems leading at 19% and rethug up by 1% to 15%.
vacancies due to retirement and scandal
Okay?
Well, Hf, at least they’re getting around to reporting it. I wondered how many resources were wasted on the manhunt.
Not only wasted resources; but, ill will. This police death was one of the ones blamed on the “Black Lives Matters” movement…
Indeed, Jazziz! Now lets see if all the right winger politicians, and their media enablers, who were quick to blame “Black Lives Matters,” for the cop’s death, come clean and apologize for their false accusations!
Some good news.
And with that, I’m out. Been a crap day. Fight with the missus. Later.
This is great news about Ohio!!! I wish all states had a means of getting initiatives on the ballot. We would have to have a constitutional amendment in this state to get this to happen and there’s zero chance of that.
As we wait for final Pa results, just wanted to say that I’m a huge fan of Supreme Court candidate, Christine Donohue, and will be very thrilled if she wins tonight. I’ve met her several times and she is a genuinely fine and caring human being as well as a distinguished lawyer. Our state would be in good hands if she makes it to the state Supreme Court.
Some idiot on LOD said that Dems running on PO’s record in 2016 would be risky and probable. That’s a paraphrase but was his message. They’ve all got their marching orders!!!!!
Tn, I think they believe that if they say it often enough it will be true. We all know that PBO has been a magnificent president and any Dem who wants to win had better acknowledge that truth and embrace it.
The First Lady’s shoes are everything. I love the dress too. I’m in love with the whole look.
I am, as well. The shoes are unbelievably gorgeous!
Okay, 80 percent of districts have reported in, according to the PA state website, and the three Dem Supreme Court candidates are still ahead. Since I can no longer keep my eyes open, I am going to go to sleep on the hope that these results hold. Hope tomorrow brings good news.
CBSPhilly says the DEMS declared winners…
YES! THE DEMS SWEPT THE PA SUPREME COURT RACE!
and in other news, THE DEMS SWEPT THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL RACE IN MY BOROUGH!
Yea for PA! Get this: Three Dems elected to city council in Knoxville!!!!!! Yes, city itself is more Dem, but still, three. Of course, Mayor Rogero was reelected…..unopposed!
Yay. Go PA.
dems win in PA superior court and commonwealth court. yay, fwiw.
Awesome! Now let’s keep busy in all the other states & keep these crazies in that proverbial town car, no gas or airbags ‘cos they hate regulations after all! :)
yup, it’s a clean sweep for dems in all court elections. 5/5. tom wolf must be pleased as a punch. :)
well toddy pa gotv peeps like jackie.
Indeed. In the made up words attributed to that socialist-kenyan-whatever: Harambee! ;)
Indeed amk! I just posted something similar downthread. This is very heartening. I also sent the same tweet (separately) to Dave Weigel and Chris Cillizza (both idiots who jumped to blame PBO for the moronic voters electing Bevin).
Good evening TOD! Nerdy, thank you for the wonderful compilation of FLOTUS’ day. Love seeing photos of her when she’s traveling. I don’t recall another time when she traveled with an entertainer, although I do remember when PBO took Brad Paisley with him to Afghanistan.
Jackie, so happy that PA voters did the right thing! Nice to see some good news. On KY, Alex Wagner did a phone interview with a local reporter. It was his view that the ACA was NOT the big issue in the campaign, despite what the analysts are saying. Rather, he thought the issue driving the voters in KY was coal and they blame PBO and Democrats for the loss of coal jobs in the state. That actually makes more sense to me. Of course, it does not absolve the Democratic party for another loss. It is going to take decades for the party to recover from the losses inflicted upon it by DWS.
And it does cause concern for 2016.
The ACA will certainly be an issue after the many thousands get kicked off Medicaid coverage. And the Dems in KY will have no one to blame except themselves for not voting and for not making it an issue.
I will just add to that the impact of hospitals going bankrupt, and state govt . facing the massive loss of Medicaid funding. People of KY are going to get a first hand experience of what the destruction of the tea party is all about.
I have a feeling that it might not be as easy kicking people off Medicaid as we think. Everything you point to Bill R is reason enough for the new Gov and legislation to keep things going for awhile. Once they Governments get money it’s hard to let it go verses never having it in the first place. If people start getting thrown off Medicaid the other legislators might not fare very well the next time around.
This is for jackiegrumbler. Congrats to you and all the PA Dems who worked to make this happen, not by cowardly running away from PBO, and passively going along with GOP talking points, but by embracing him fully, ENGAGING and INFORMING the voters of what’s at stake and what needs to be done to improve THEIR lives. :)
BFD, JackieG! Am so thrilled! Now let’s all do the same in all states. Our true fight is in local elections, let MSM Etc. keep their eyes on shiny objects of Prez elections. We’ll keep Our Agenda en route if we win the ground, i.e., every state’s local, under the wire elections. Pretty Please, let’s just do it! :)
HF…this is started with Wolf…who embrace the President when he ran for office in 2012….he was one of the few who did…it was unheard of to unseat an incumbent Gov…but with the help of the President…FLOTUS and members of OFA…we did it….
this continues to have a ripple effect…. smilin
in Philadelphia…Kenny won…his plans include … dismantle stop and frisk…reform the police department…
it was a good day…
curious about what the turnout % was
piss poor 25%. it’s twitterdom. so ton of salt and all that.
You’re exactly right about this PF58! I recall last year, when Wolf was smart enough to not fall for the bullshit about PBO being deliberately spread by the GOP allies in the media, and he (and his supporters) reaped the rewards in FULL. To this day, his gift of embracing PBO is still giving in PA….
GE/GM TODville.
For JackieG and Jazziz2 and to the voters of PA:
YESSSSSSSSS
Pf, I am doing the happy dance now. What a night!!!! These SC judicial appointments are for TEN years, which means these are the guys who will be in place during the next redistricting. I think Pennsylvanians understood the importance of this and are so sick and tired of the absurd redistricting we been living with, that they said, “enough.”
did you treat yourself with champagne ? you deserve it. :)
Good Morning Everyone!
Have a fantastic day
good morning TOD. Having to share computer with son of late… missing so much here.. off to catch up :) Thanks Nerdy for this posting on FLOTUS, so proud of her and how she represents us out in the world :)
Morning everyone:) Guess all in all it was a good election day for Dems! Yeah for sanity!
About KY and coal (and everyone else and coal….this train will keep on rolling no matter WHAT those dinosaurs that love fossil fuels want!)
http://www.vox.com/2015/11/3/9665194/states-clean-power-plan-no
I heard it’s a mixed bag. KY & VA were a washout while PA & NJ were clean sweeps. Mebbe I am wrong.
GM all.
In all the comments on KY and its possible loss of the exchange, would some of those affected not be able to go to the Federal site?
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2015/11/04/more-on-kentucky/
Good explainer…
Thanks df.
Morning!
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/11/04/early-bird-rise-and-shine-129/
In other good news from last night, one of the Latino/AA candidates we worked hard for edged out a tea party R for a seat on the City Council and a dear Latino friend won a seat on the city’s school board. These are small steps, but they’re a beginning. All of the state level judges (both D and R) running in PA spent a lot of time and money touting their individual credentials and achievements. The fact that ALL the Dems won in a clean sweep tells me that voters put the credentials aside and voted for the party. Maybe, must maybe, the Republicans have soiled their brand enough that people are getting sick of them.
AMEN….i told everyone…friends… neighbors….. and family….just push that Straight DEM button…..yayyyyboooooooo