President Barack Obama smiles with Emma Didlake, the oldest known World War II veteran at 110 years old, in the the Oval Office of the White House. Didlake was a Private during the course of her service and her decorations include the Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal
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CBS News: Obama Meets With Oldest U.S. Veteran
President Obama met with a 110-year-old woman believed to be the nation’s oldest veteran at the White House Friday. The president said it was a “great honor” to speak with Emma Didlake, a longtime Detroit resident and veteran of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II. “It’s a great reminder of not only the sacrifices that the greatest generation made on our behalf but also the kind of trailblazing that our women veterans made,” Mr. Obama told reporters. “We are so grateful that she is here with us today.”
President Obama meets with 110-year-old Emma Didlake, the nation's oldest living veteran cbsn.ws/1HWePWR http://t.co/SaBhGQGf34
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CBS News Politics (@CBSPolitics) July 17, 2025Known to family as “Big Mama,” Didlake was a 38-year-old wife and mother of five when she “wanted to do something different” and signed up for the WAAC in 1943, said her granddaughter, Marilyn Horne. She served stateside for about seven months during the war, as a private and driver. After she was discharged, she and her family moved to Detroit in 1944 - and she quickly joined the local NAACP chapter. She marched with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963, and received a lifetime achievement award two years ago from the chapter.
More here
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Had a great visit today with Emma Didlake - our oldest living veteran at 110-years-young! She's a true American hero. http://t.co/EeeIC3AK4A
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President Obama (@POTUS) July 17, 2025****
Me the lurker!
What a great time to reveal yourself! Congratulations Ahero62. May have you as fulfilling a life as Emma Didlake!
Finally, after many years I finally got 1st place! Thanks Chips, this place is refuge for many of us.
Congrats!
Congrats Ahero62 on your FIRST FURST! :-)
Way to AH62! Congrats!
Thanks VC, talking to oneself is not easy! I guess everyone is off to start their weekend.
TODAY
JULY 17th, 2001
Harvard University Study Reveals Re-Segregation of American Public Schools
On July 17, 2001, Harvard University’s Civil Rights Project published a study on the resegregation of school districts more than 45 years after the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown v. Board of Education declared legally-mandated racial segregation in public education unconstitutional. In the study, then-Harvard Professor of Education and Co-director of the Harvard Civil Rights Project, Dr. Gary Orfield, evaluated statistics from the 1998-1999 school year and concluded that school districts across the nation and particularly in the South were resegregating at an alarming rate, with many Southern school districts returning to segregration levels of the early 1970s.
…………………….. //
http://racialinjustice.eji.org/timeline/07-17/
THERE ARE SEVERAL RADICAL DARKENED SOULS WHO PRETEND TO BE HUMAN BEINGS IN THIS COUNTRY…BUT…THE LIGHT IS SHINING ON THEM AND THEY CANNOT HIDE!
Wow, how historic is this??!!
Very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very historic! :)
+1 !!
Dad-Daughter’s Night!!
Subject: Travel pool #1- Andrews arrival
Marine One wheels down at Joint Base Andrews at 5:14 pm
POTUS was down the steps of Marine One at 5:18 pm. He was accompanied by Sasha Obama and two friends of the first daughters, all of whom are minors who the White House is declining to identify for privacy reasons.
THIS……………………………..IS VERY EXCITING…PBO HAS TO BE BEAMING!
awe…so sweet.
‘Her decorations from her time in the service include the Women’s Army Corps Service Medal, American Campaign Medal, and World War II Victory Medal.’
An earlier pic of Emma Didlake
Ladies, in those days, always had gloves when they stepped out and often a hat.
Been looking for you - a few friends down under
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-18/uss-george-washington-aircraft-carrier-centre-talisman-sabre/6628388
I imagine they’ll boost your economy a bit when they get ashore for liberty call. ;-)
As long as they don’t boost the population - should be fine.
Ha! Anything could happen.
Yes, we did.
Yes and you wore slips and nylons and the only piercings were your ears ……No tattoos either!
What a pretty lady - then and now
No kidding! Mrs. Didlake looks fantastic and at least 30 years younger than her actual age.
Yo, y’all. <3
Yo. <3
:) {{{{{ JO’B }}}}}
Congrats on your 1st first, Ahero62 :)
Thrilled for Pvt Emma Didlake, WAAC!! Thank you NW for featuring her great time with PBO.
You’re welcome, Bob! :)
Friday, July 17, 2025
Justice Department Reaches Settlement in Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Maricopa County, Arizona, and Maricopa County Sheriff
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced today that it has reached a partial settlement in its civil rights lawsuit against Maricopa County, Arizona, and Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph M. Arpaio. The settlement resolves the United States’ claims that the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) conducted unlawful detentions of Hispanics during worksite raids of local businesses in violation of the Fourth and 14th Amendments, and retaliated against critics of Sheriff Arpaio and MCSO in violation of the First Amendment. The parties have filed a joint motion requesting that the federal district court in Arizona approve and agree to enforce the settlement agreement. The parties also reached a separate settlement resolving the United States’ claim that MCSO failed to provide adequate language access for limited English-proficient Hispanics in MCSO jails in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“The resolution of these claims, with the important safeguards against future constitutional violations included in these agreements, is in the best interests of the people of Maricopa County,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Mark Kappelhoff of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office changed many of their practices after the commencement of our litigation, and these agreements ensure that progress continues and the Constitutional rights of the people of Maricopa County will be protected for the long term.”
……………….. snip …………………………
Today’s agreements resolve the majority of the claims involved in the division’s lawsuit, filed in May 2013, against Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa County. That lawsuit alleged four patterns or practices of unconstitutional conduct: (1) discriminatory policing against Hispanic persons in MCSO’s saturation patrols, general traffic enforcement and worksite operations targeting Hispanic immigrants, (2) detentions in violation of the Fourth Amendment during MCSO’s worksite raids targeting Hispanic immigrants, (3) failures in the provision of language access to Hispanic LEP jail inmates and (4) retaliatory police action against critics of Sheriff Arpaio and MCSO. Last month, the federal district court of Arizona granted the United States’ motion for partial summary judgment on its discriminatory policing claim, finding that the United States was entitled to judgment on its claims that MCSO had engaged in discrimination against Hispanics in its enforcement of traffic laws. A remedy on that issue is still to be determined by the court. The parties are in ongoing discussions to resolve the remaining claims in the division’s lawsuit.
The agreements, as well as a description of the division’s previous investigation of and litigation against the Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio and Maricopa County, will be available at: http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/spl/.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-reaches-settlement-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-maricopa-county-arizona
And, the beat goes on …..
Bibi won’t listen.
Wednesday, July 15, 2025
Protecting the Economic Security of Servicemembers
Courtesy of Acting Associate Attorney General Stuart F. Delery
Today, as we observe Military Consumer Protection Day, I want to highlight the resources available to help servicemembers and veterans protect themselves against fraud and make informed decisions about managing their money. Protecting the rights and interests of the brave men and women of our military is a priority for the Department of Justice. The Department endeavors to protect the health, safety, and economic security of servicemembers and veterans through criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions, including cases that help recoup money lost through fraud, loan defaults, and the abuse of federal funds. We work closely with the Department of Defense, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and other agencies to identify and address the greatest threats to members of the military and veterans as consumers. And U.S. Attorneys’ Offices around the country have established strong working relationships with military installations in their districts, collaborating with JAG Corps officers and others.
Military Consumer Protection Day also gives us an opportunity to focus on the federal and state laws directed at safeguarding the rights of servicemembers and veterans. …………………………………………………………
We want to make sure servicemembers know about these protections – and know how to take advantage of them if they encounter illegal practices. The Department’s recent successes in enforcing the SCRA demonstrate the breadth and importance of the rights it creates. For example, the SCRA can protect servicemembers facing problems related to –
►Student Loans: ………..
►Auto Repossession: ……………..
►Storage Auctions: …………………..
►Mortgage Foreclosures: …………………
……………………………………..
We encourage servicemembers and veterans to be proactive in rooting out consumer fraud as well. If you think your rights under the SCRA or other statutes have been violated, or if you think there is a fraud scheme targeting servicemembers in your area, please reach out to your commander or legal services on your base.
………………………………………………… //
http://www.justice.gov/opa/blog/protecting-economic-security-servicemembers
Malia might still be interning on that show, and she might meet POTUS and Sister at the hotel.
Summer internship for Lena Dunham’s show Girls.
/in exasperation/ Where is LPlains when I’m paying attention to sports?
You won’t watch the WWC in Canada, but you will watch cycling during the PanAm Games? ….I guess it is a start :cool:
‘Some of you may know that I hail from Canada, the country to the north of most of you that only occasionally enters your consciousness when someone mentions Drake or Bieber. Our nation’s symbolic birthday is July 1 and so some brands are looking to capitalize. Molson, maker of ‘Canadian’ beer, is one such brand, but its project involved some real technical chops powered by Google’s software. The key ingredient here is Google’s Speech Recognition API (though others like its translation services are also at work). The API lets the fridge recognize voice input in up to 40 different languages, with the ultimate goal of recognizing the single phrase “I am Canadian” (Molson’s longtime marketing slogan).
Once the fridge recognizes that signature phrase in six different languages, the door unlocks and it gives up its precious cargo of Molson Canadian cans. The working fridge was built by digital studio ThinkingBox (you can see the making of featurette below), and will actually appear in functional form in Toronto during the upcoming PanAm games..continued’
smh - the ‘stuff’ you find! I still want an intro to your research assistants. :D :D
Will take them to my grave :mrgreen:
#meanie #likeunowho2
Us Desi people have those wonderful redeeming qualities….carry it like a badge of honor :grin:
*Teeheehee* Did you see me type #likeyourcompatriot, then erase it? :D :D
egg.sack.lee
DO NOT tell her anything.
O be quiet, you!
that was egg.sack.lee I was telling lp to be.
there ya go.
Canada’s women won the Pan Am Games team pursuit title on Friday night in Milton, beating the United States in the gold medal race by nearly seven seconds.
The time – 4:19.664 – from Allison Beveridge, Laura Brown, Jasmin Glaesser, and Kirsti Lay is a Pan Am Games record and the win made it three straight gold medals in as many races for Canada in track cycling at Toronto 2015.
In the next medal event, Monique Sullivan (who won the women’s team sprint a night earlier with Kate O’Brien) made it four straight for Canada by grabbing the keirin title. The double Pan Am gold medallist beat Lisandra Guerra of Cuba in a very close finish.
Go check the medal count….also U.S. only sends their scrubs to the PanAM. All training for World Championships and Brazil 2016. Congrats though…..
I was tickled by the beer fridge and couldn’t wait to show the different segments to Offspring who had gone to the movie with friends. :( Turns out he had seen them already ….on TV. And no, I do not feel out of it because I don’t watch TV! [well, ….a little bit …. this time]
At least we connected on something subliminally….glad someone in your family is aware that it is 2015 :???:
:D :D :D He’s marginally better than I when he’s home. Doesn’t even bother to have a TV where he lives when at college.
Who cares about medal count - not me. I am perfectly happy with the results of the race in question [so I have *something* to wave under your nose]! :D :D
I’m glad you are happy Canada came in first…because you obviously haven’t been representing any medals on TOD….ouch!!!
I’m not greedy
.
.
like some people. I can be happy with one, or two wins.
/whisper - BTW, we have more gold /
Love it!
SALUTE SOLDIER…SEMPER FI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Psst, Sue, MARINE!
‘On the afternoon when this all began, before an evening when Demaryius Thomas took a massive step into NFL stardom and lore, the Denver Broncos wide receiver pulled out a Sharpie and wrote the names of two women on the inside of his left arm: Katina and Minnie. He looked down at the arm often that day, a reminder of the women who gave him strength and motivation and perseverance and life. “I’d thought about quitting football,” Thomas told me during an intimate interview in early 2012 about his path through physical injuries and personal heartbreak. “But I told them I wouldn’t quit something I started. “That’s part of the reason I wrote their names on my arm. I wanted to remember to never quit.” During that game, while his mother and grandmother were serving long prison sentences for drug-related charges, Thomas caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow on the first snap of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. In many ways, it marked a major chapter in his life.
And this week has now done the same.
In the shadows of national sports news about Thomas’ new five-year, $70 million contract with Denver, something else miraculous happened two days earlier in what might be one of the most rewarding three-day spans that a man can expect to ever experience. On Monday, President Barack Obama granted commutations to 46 federal prisoners locked up for non-violent drug charges, noting “their punishments didn’t fit the crime” and that they would have received lighter terms under new sentencing guidelines. In a press release from the White House, which lists those 46 names of otherwise unrecognizable citizens, the 33rd name is equally undistinguishable: Katina Stuckey Smith, sentenced to 292 months of prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. Yes, Smith is Thomas’ mom. And she’s coming home to Thomas in November. “These men and women were not hardened criminals, but the overwhelming majority had been sentenced to at least 20 years,” said Obama, invoking what he called one of the most profound powers of the Presidential office. “Fourteen of them had been sentenced to life for nonviolent drug offenses. So their punishments didn’t fit the crime.”…continued’
LP, is his grandmother still in prison?
Yes.
Yes, she got double the sentence….she was actually the big crack dealer and his mom had Demaryius when she was only 16. Here is a profile of him from last year.
Awesome Post, NW.
110 y.o. 1905 Dob. Wow!
Congrats Ahero62 on your Furst Gold :star: :)
POTUS Schedule next week
Abbreviated Summation.
I AM SO HAPPY ABOUT PBO GOING TO KENYA…I WILL BE WATCHING EVERY STEP AND HOPE THERE ARE LOTS OF PIX!…:) MOST OF ALL I HOPE HE ENJOYS EVERY DARNED MOMENT AND WE WANT FAMILY PIX TOO PLEASE!
And the GOP can’t even find time to get a bill through congress!
The GOP are very busy right now, planning for their down time. It has been exhausting for them watching PBO turn what they expected to be a ‘lame duck wind-down’ of his remaining time in the Oval Office, into one massive achievement after another. They are weary from anticipation - as they have NO IDEA what he will do next. They are the eff’ing lame as*’oles…( I like animals so much, it aggravates me to always personify animals, who are innocent of the human guile for deceit and defamation.) (I will spare y’all further elaboration, you know what I’m sayin’.)
They be like that rooster standing outside of KFC - no idea what will happen next.
You’re welcome, Nena.
Whew! Energizer Bunny President.
THERE IS NO WAY THAT MRS. DIDLAKE LOOKS 110 YEARS OLD…THEN AGAIN…WHAT IS 110 SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE…SHE IS BEAUTIFUL AND PROBABLY BRIMMING WITH SO MANY STORIES!!!
A HEAVY RAIN HAS COOLED OFF THE HEAT AROUND HERE AND I CAN FINALLY OPEN THE WINDOWS AND GET SOME FRESH AIR…OUR POLICE CHIEF FROM OUR DESTINATION APACHE RESERVATION CALLED TODAY…HE CAN’T WAIT FOR US TO GET OUT THERE. I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING HIM ON MY VISIT IN SEPTEMBER AND ENJOYING SOME NATIVE AMERICA HUGS!
I AM OFF NOW TO LISTEN TO THE PEACE OF THE FALLING RAIN………………….BLESSINGS EVERYONE…<3
This is during rush hour traffic, too, and some of the drivers are apparently not reacting well - not knowing the cause of some of the holdups (per MSNBC coverage).
I feel for CA.
In MN, with over 15K lakes, water everywhere…….how I wish CA could get some of our water.
Me either. I’ve only lived here 16 years and have never seen it either. Scary.
Very scary!
Yes.
Had to:) Chicago is touring with EWF:) What a show!!
Thanks for the heads up! They are in Camden, NJ on August 15th and Atlantic City on September 6th. I’m going to make one of these shows. Haven’t seen Chicago live since 1972 and EW&F since 1975… Great show to celebrate my Sept 4th birthday.
They’re here this coming Tuesday…I don’t know if I can make that one…would I love to see them! I’ve seen Chicago several times…always great. I’ve never seen EWF..so that would be a huge treat:)
) Your birthday is the day after my son’s :)
Never forget.
Hi everybody. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Congratulations Ahero62 for your win today. One lurker to another, it’s good to post every now and then. The O Diary is the best place to be! Chow! Time to chow down now. I luv my President. :smile:
http://thesource.com/2015/07/7/wale-and-michelle-obama-are-teaming-up-for-a-new-initiative/
http://thesource.com/2015/07/17/wale-and-michelle-obama-are-teaming-up-for-a-new-initiative/
Hope this one works - just missing the 1 from 17
Thank you 99ts.
From 2004…they’ve been doing this for awhile! They are naturally suited to play together:)
In the category “You just can’t make up this stuff up”
And here’s Donald J. Trump’s response……Very, very, very Not Grown up……WTG Trump……keep talking fool.
Nasty vile bully pouring out of him every day. What an ugly creep.
The very fact that this vulgar Limbaugh-like male can be even considered as a potential candidate to lead the U. S. boggles my mind. One would think that the minute he expressed interest then started his crazy routine he would have been sidelined by the media!
OMG how crude. He could never take 1/4 of the criticism PBO has endured.
not even one percent of the criticism…
so, what is usa today, the so called msm, doing for its part? does it call out the openly racist and hos hateful rhetoric?
Good evening Nerdy, Chips & TOD! Time to catch up…. :) Thanks NW for this excellent post featuring a historic meeting!
:)
This little law breaking chickenshit SOB is going down…
http://www.kpho.com/story/29576154/demonstrators-call-on-sheriff-joe-arpaio-to-resign
A demonstration against the Maricopa County sheriff had the 4th Avenue Jail in lock down mode for hours Friday. Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the last thing he wanted was riot activity inside the maximum security facility.
This, as hundreds of demonstrators gathered on the steps of the sheriff’s office, calling for the immediate resignation of Sheriff Arpaio. The rally was spearheaded by the Puente Human Rights Movement and National Netroots Nation in an effort to call attention to what they say are racist deportation acts, scrutiny by the sheriff and ICE agents inside the jail.
“I think he’s racially profiling everyone; he’s sending people down a deportation machine and there’s no reason for there to be agents there anymore,” Francisca Porchas with Puente Arizona.
A riot?? You mean a peaceful, purposeful protest, Joe? Damn dipshit…he NEEDS TO GO!!
May I also add that the largest lawsuit issues with MCSO and Arpiao haven’t been resolved yet with the DOJ….more shit will hit the fan. He could get jail time. Sweet karma.
That dude belongs in jail ….
He certainly does. His time is coming…..can’t come soon enough. He has done such damage to this county….and cost the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars…
Isn’t this about the resolution of the lawsuit? When I mentioned it up above I was thinking of you, but I didn’t notice mention of jail time when I scanned it earlier.
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-reaches-settlement-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-maricopa-county-arizona
He can take that white racist Cliven Bundy to jail with him!
Really, Impeach PBO already ;)
Not a fan of Josh’s, but this one is actually worth reading. TY Nena!!
;)
why are the cars burning?
Brush fire that jumped the highway
during rush hour….if only my NOT Olympic pool was nearby…
Wildfire jumped onto the freeway. Probably very windy.
Fast moving Brush Fire with high winds raging with sparks jumped in to the highway with stranded abandoned parked vehicles……Hence, Infernos and combustion.
still. car is a metal.
It’s a freeway and the fire swept across so they drove into a very dangerous situation.
Tires aren’t..all over after that.
Petrol.Gas. Seats. Tires. Plastic. Wood. Engine oil. :)
how terrifying!!!
It’s a windy stretch of the I-5 and it’s always full of traffic both ways, so when the smoke slowed the traffic, flames came across and people began running and abandoned their vehicles. Now highway patrol needs vehicle keys so the cars can be moved off the freeway.
Why would you take the time to lock your car and take the keys if there’s a fire on the freeway? That’s like locking your house door when you are escaping a fire…..
I think it was automatic. Not all the doors were locked but keys weren’t there. Maybe because house keys are on the rings.
Hi GGail!
That’s why I keep house keys separate from car keys. In the 70’s when L.A. was having a lot of car jackings a friend suggested I separate them and have ever since.
Ditto!!!
Climate change baby ……
Oh stop! There’s no such thing as climate change!
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/07/17/3681260/june-2015-hottest-year-record/
Here in the PNW, our water reserves have been downgraded again. Massive die-off of sturgeon, 30 lakes and rivers have been closed to fishing, and low water levels causing slowing of currents have created a challenging environmental survival threat for all our fish. Crops are ripening too early, or are immature due to lack of rain. The winter snowpack was meager for the past two winters, predictions next winter will be even worse. And this was a rain forest, once upon a time.
Yes, df and MP …. it’s happening and it’s accelerating … and that’s actually not a surprise to anyone paying attention … these past 40+ years.
Hey GOPers and Trump……these are Hard Facts……Good Luck with your 24/7 hating on the Hispanic Community.
what disruption in ‘political process’? racism? wars? taxcuts for 1%ers?
fucking idjits.
Wonderful!! Daddy/girls night:)
Can you imagine having Barack Obama as your DAD??!!!!
NO:) But he sure would make a fine little brother:)
I’m just wondering what it’s like to be Sasha and Malia. I mean, how lucky can a child get?
Truly…very, wonderfully, amazingly lucky!
Love that place. Can just imagine how thrilled the girls are!!!!
I can just imagine the high level of bliss within the Heart of our gentle, loving Dad-in-Chief!! <3
So very true, MP. Am sure he’s spent the entire evening totally enchanted by his lovely daughters and their friends!!
Am I right that Alaska and Utah expanded Medicare this week? If so, VICTORY.
yes)
The economics of not doing so are going to crush recalcitrant @GOP Governor’s and these two dudes (and some key members of their Legislatures) not only ‘got the memo’ they decided to save their political butts and act.
AK was announced 2/3 days ago.
30th and 31st States.
Grazie.
Rand Paul, who’s your daddy?
FACT ….
New post.
http://theobamadiary.com/2015/07/17/cluck-cluck-the-day-away/
Hi Everyone!
Having a Margarita!