On This Day: President Obama and his daughter Sasha watch the National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, DC, December 9, 2025
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Today
11:50: The President delivers remarks at an event commemorating the 150th anniversary of the 13th Amendment; U.S. Capitol
2:20: Meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin
4:05: Hosts a Hanukkah reception; East Room
7:35: Hosts a second Hanukkah reception; East Room
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On This Day: President Obama, with mother-in-law Marian Robinson, daughters Sasha and Malia, and First Lady Michelle Obama, react as they push the button to light the National Christmas Tree during a ceremony on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Dec. 9, 2012 (Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
White House.gov
A gaaaaaaaaaazillion thanks to Nerdy and LL for all their fantabulous work yesterday, huuuuuugely appreciated!
Morning everyone!
Good Morning & Congrats on 1st to the incomparable. Have a wonderful day Chips, Danny.
Morning Roberta!
Greetings and Salutations, Great Queen of TODlandia! 😃
I trust the brisk morning chill has you invigorated and ready for the day’s battles. How’s that cold?
Oooooh, look at that, how beautiful!!! Recovering nicely Dame Delicious, thank you!!!
Oooooooh, that is super gorgeous. Thank you, Dudette!
Hiya meta! I think so too! Gorgeous! Wouldn’t want to be in it though — unless nice, warm Range Rover is just out of camera shot. 😆
Along with a piping hot cup of java!
Helloooooo…
OMG, that is the cutest funniest thing ever!!!!!! :lol: Morning Duuuuudette!!!
Don’tcha wanna kiss those cheeks! Such a cutie!
Good Morning Dudette, that was cute. What an adorable little boy.
I know, right? Oh da cuteness!
GM Roberta!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE!! Could you just eat that sweetness with a spoon! Adorable:)
Smother that sweetie with kisses, I would! 😍
so, donald decked yet?
Cool haps this morning for us space geeks! 🚀
This is interesting…..
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/12/08/3729435/schwarzenegger-fed-up-with-climate-deniers/
Arnold Schwarzenegger posted a note on Facebook on Monday that made a very good point about climate change and renewable energy: It really doesn’t matter what you believe.
The former California governor addressed people who think climate change is a conspiracy or a hoax, and asked them whether the deaths from pollution are acceptable, whether fossil fuels will last forever, and — to paraphrase greatly — what kind of world they want to live in. This excerpt pretty much sums up his argument to climate deniers.
There are two doors. Behind Door Number One is a completely sealed room, with a regular, gasoline-fueled car. Behind Door Number Two is an identical, completely sealed room, with an electric car. Both engines are running full blast.
I want you to pick a door to open, and enter the room and shut the door behind you. You have to stay in the room you choose for one hour. You cannot turn off the engine. You do not get a gas mask.
I’m guessing you chose the Door Number Two, with the electric car, right? Door number one is a fatal choice – who would ever want to breathe those fumes?
Good morning, Chips and TODers. Here’s to a good day for all!
4th Woman since 1927 when they began naming Man of the Year.
Congrats, Chancellor Merkel.
Merkel is Time’s Person Of The Year.
Well deserved for she is the only one to fight against european version of xenophobia.
//
TIME Managing Editor Nancy Gibbs revealed that the woman who courted controversy in 2015 by opening her nation’s border to hundreds of thousands of refugees and managed Europe’s debt crisis as the choice in a TODAY show exclusive Wednesday morning.
The magazine bestowed the title on the 61-year-old world leader “for asking more of her country than most politicians would dare, for standing firm against tyranny as well as expedience and for providing steadfast moral leadership in a world where it is in short supply.”
Merkel is the first individual woman to receive the “Person of the Year” recognition since TIME changed its title from “Man of the Year” in 1999. Women, however, have been recognized as part of a group, such as last year’s winner, “Ebola Fighters.”
http://news.rediff.com/commentary/2015/dec/09/german-chancellor-angela-merkel-is-times-person-of-the-year/fc2a0ac1c0ba060a743219c43ca5baad
Good Morning Esteemed Prince of Furstiness! 😆
I like this pick! Well-deserved!
I have been telling people that Angela Merkel is helping our country to imagine a female president. I think Hillary Clinton will benefit from this imagining.
Thanks to amk for the article. Let’s push for more boycotts of everything Trump touches.
And then there’s this sorry prospect. Yet another hideous error from Netanyahu.
The Dick Cheney of the Jews. Black hearts both.
I just heard on the news that Trump has been vote out of his visit to Isreal
I know his trip to Jordan got cancelled but I think he’s still going to Israel to meet Netanyahu.
Hi meta, I just heard about the vote to ban him in Isreal this morning on KTLA. Maybe you can check their online news site
Oh, I see what you mean. Thanks.
Meta, I would so love to see this so-called presidential bid by the loudmouth lead him into another bankruptcy. Ms Karma-its your turn now!!
CHIPS!!! Can you help me??:) Thanks:)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017313413
Here ya go DF!!
The Republicans are terrified that Trump will cost them seats all over the place…I hope he does. I hope he stays in and talks and talks and talks….it’s really, really painful to hear and know that there are people out there that really agree with him…..but he is toxic to the Republican Party right now…and if I have to listen to this now, to have peace and responsible governing later…for generations, for my children…so be it.
HA! Wonder if anyone will say “both sides do it!” now??????? Double dog dare:)
They will try. Can’t help themselves.
Hahaha ROFL. Chips, I put this in a tweet. 😂😂👊✊👍👌
Lindsey Trump might not represent your party twenty years ago, but Donald Trump is your Party today. He represent those racists base 100%.
+ 1,000,000,000,000,000,000
G’morning Chips, TOD, lurkers, and congrats Roberta on #1! :) Happy Wednesday everyone. :)
I don’t know HF, I thought Chips had that tied up. I will gladly take on 2nd. (Furst) :-)
Wonderful to see the wholesome goodness of the Obama family after a day of bile spewing from the GOP. There’s a poison at work in this country and it’s our President and those who support and love him who can provide the antidote. I’m going to continue to believe that the good and decent people of this country will outnumber the hate-filled ones in the end. We have to reach out to them and assure them that they’re not alone.
Absolutely! I really believe that there are more good people here than these ugly things we’ve been focused on lately….the good ones need to go out and VOTE! This is the PERFECT lesson to have a teaching moment about the responsibility of being a good citizen that votes…
Beautifully said jg! Thank you for this!
Same old story with the GOP:
This is the America we are proud of:
Excellent.
Excellent. If only the corrupt idjits on teevee did that.
Thank you, meta. I would love to see headlines like this across the country. Enough is enough.
We really need some comfort in the midst of all this insanity and dreariness.
Detroit has had a large community of Muslims for decades, including the Nation of Islam
If boris effing johnson calls you a lunatic ….
Ha, I know, right?!
This!
Took the words right out of my mouth!
What does that say about the people who support Donald Trump?
Morning, Chips. I have to say I love the phrase ‘stupefying ignorance.’ Leave it to the Brits to come up with clever wording.
Morning Jackie!! It was so brilliant. Boris Johnson is the only conservative on earth who I can’t dislike, he’s an absolute howl. Even when he got stuck on that wire thing, he was epically funny:
Hah! I never never saw this. Won’t ask why he was on a zip wire. It’s just cook that he was.
:-) He was trying to promote the 2012 Olympics in London, but it went a touch wrong! His life is full of moments like that, eg this one when he was playing in a charity football game and almost killed an opponent!!!
so?
fer real! :) :)
Good morning Ms. Chips, Danny and TOD family, I hope all is well with everyone this lovely Wednesday morning. Congrats Roberta, on being first this morning.
To all, I hope you have a mellifluous and soothing day today. <3 <3 <3
Thank God that President Obama is still the President of The United States of America. ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆 ⭐🏆
Good Morning Friend! It’s so nice to see you! Thank you for the very kind greeting!
Everyday that Barack Obama remains President is a Great Day in America! 🎉👍🏾👌🏾💪🏾🇺🇸
Hey Dudette, it’s always great to see and hear from you. 👌👍👊✊
Yep!0
egg.sack.lee
Perfect.
Okay, this toon gets the prize for the day. Thanks, AMK.
Howdyyyy! ! ! ☺️ And GoOd MoRnInG everyone! Hope everyone’s day goes well. It’s been so long since I’ve posted I had to resign back in. It is not showing on my iPad that I liked the page, yet my graviton is there. My computer problems seem insurmountable this morning. There was an update to iPad yesterday. See what it does now.
I’m grateful TOD is here and the core group still updates on all things good about Pres. Obama. My mental health suffers if I read anything more than a word or two from the clown car. Not going to let the RWNJ get me down like last Christmas and then the creeps on Twitter. It’s why I resort to the beauty and calming photos of nature and the animals in it. It’s also comforting to know Pres. Obama shares a similar view on Mother Nature.
Did any of you with a MacBook update to El Capitan recently? It wouldn’t download for me. Think I erased any traces of the download.
Enough about me, I will try to read more of the last posts. Unfortunately my eyes get tired too soon to finish anything.
Thanks for being here TOD.
^5 ^5
That’s the best. Il Douche is self-radicalized. I love it!
Good Morning TODVille.
There’s a kind of health revulsion to extreme self centeredness. I feel the same way about those that would consider voting for Trump as I do about him, repulsed.
Catrst, I get angry and disappointed at those who support the ‘rabid coyote,’ but I think that many of them are ill-educated and easily led. For decades, these people have been fed poisonous bile from the likes of Rush Limbaugh and other hate radio jocks and from FOX and right wing tv pundits. Unfortunately, they haven’t got the sense or brain capacity to see that they’re being manipulated. Those that do have the brains-GOP leaders and members of Congress-deserve all the revulsion they get if they support the rabid one.
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/0org9p/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-donald-trump-the-white-isis
With all of the buffoonery on TV, I hope that this positive reality show makes it to air. Not thrilled with the title, however, the concept sounds outstanding…
Ah yes! Heard about this a while back! Thanks for the reminder!
OF COURSE YOU DID! You’re our resident STEM geek! <3 your passion for STEM!
This should be really good. I’m privileged to have read and seen August Wilson’s full Century Cycle.
Thanks, meta. I wonder if the 1795 senators made any more sense than the current crop.
You are reading my mind on this. I try very hard not to be cynical but I must say these are very trying times. We are being tested, that is for sure.
Good Morning, Everyone :)
Good morning TOD :)
For real ….
next up, germany to ban this hateful megalomaniac.
Yup.
So far, no Syrian refugees or nationals. All Europeans.
I will say this again…
THIS IS THE GOP’s Problem..
NOT, if Trump is a plant.
BAM!.
True!
Oh hell yeah!
Second that! So excited for this. A lot of my ancestors worked in the UGRR.
H/T POU
This is link to the one-on-one video interview on Chicago Tonight show. Rahm faces City Council tomorrow at 9am and will be addressing this issue. Can only imagine the discussion because a bunch of the aldermen are up for re-election in March and some of them ain’t looking good either…
Mayor Emanuel on Police Reform, Accountability
The Chicago Police Department is the subject of national scrutiny following the shooting deaths of two African-American males at the hands of on-duty police officers.
The release of video footage depicting the deaths of Laquan McDonald and Ronald Johnson – both killed in October 2014 – has raised questions about police accountability, training and use of force, in addition to how police-involved shootings are investigated.
Tonight, Mayor Rahm Emanuel joins political correspondent Paris Schutz for a one-on-one discussion about police reform and related topics. We’ll ask about the dash-cam video footage depicting the shooting deaths of McDonald and Johnson and the subsequent fallout from these cases, including the announcement Monday of a federal investigation into the CPD, questions surrounding a $5 million settlement paid to the family of McDonald, the firing of superintendent Garry McCarthy and calls for the mayor’s resignation and that of State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez.
We’ll also ask the mayor about a possible Chicago Teachers Union strike and forthcoming layoffs as Chicago Public Schools tries to close a $480 million budget gap. While Emanuel has called on the state to step up with aid for CPS, Illinois is in the sixth month of a budget standoff with no end in sight.
Your questions
We asked viewers of “Chicago Tonight” to tell us what questions you have for the mayor. Many of you wanted to know why the mayor signed off on a $5 million settlement to the family of McDonald prior to the release of dash-cam footage depicting his death. Others simply wanted to know, “When will the mayor resign?”
On our website, Timothy Searl wrote, “Did individual Chicago police officers lie about the circumstances of the shooting? … Is there a systemic problem within the Chicago police department of a cover-up mentality?”
Jayburd2020 said, “The City of Chicago has paid out more than a half billion dollars over the last decade to settle police-abuse cases … Why have you never attempted to reform the police department if only out of financial prudence … ?”
On Facebook, Debra Jean asked, “Will you release TIF money to fulfill the City’s obligations and AVOID a teacher strike?”
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2015/12/08/mayor-emanuel-police-reform-accountability
Really heartbreaking and disgusting what a shitty Senate Majority Leader we’re stuck with!
LUPITA!!!
More pics at Tom and Lorenzo:
http://tomandlorenzo.com/2015/12/lupita-nyongo-for-madame-figaro-magazine/
Wow! She is a natural.
Goddess!
Woooooot!
Chat away
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/12/09/chat-away-728/
twitter truth:
Oliver Willis @owillis
perhaps if the press hadn’t spent so much time bothsidesing the issues and instead reported the truth we wouldnt have our fascism problem