LIVE
REM 213
SOURCE: POOL
LOCATION: NEW YORK, NY
10:30 a.m. -- Makes personnel announcement;Blue Room, City Hall.
Note: Announcement will include an update on H1N1 virus.
]]"}; urgentitems[1] = {title: "WH Netanyahu arrival LIVE Stakeout rem 232 10:10am", guid: "45ec8236", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#45ec8236,2009-05-18", pubdate: "Monday-May. 18 2009-9:18AM EST", content: "[CDATA[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with President Obama begins at 10:30am. The initial meeting is closed before it will be opened to pooled press.
We will have live pictures from the West Wing driveway arrival beginning at 10:10am on rem 232.
]]"}; urgentitems[2] = {title: "WH Briefing moved to 1500 LIVE rems tbd", guid: "43ec8236", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#43ec8236,2009-05-18", pubdate: "Monday-May. 18 2009-9:18AM EST", content: "[CDATA[ ]]"}; urgentitems[3] = {title: "EDIT: Peterson has arrived for hearing (no pics yet)", guid: "59ec8214", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#59ec8214,2009-05-18", pubdate: "Monday-May. 18 2009-9:13AM EST", content: "[CDATA[ ]]"}; urgentitems[4] = {title: "TAPE: MORE WH travel pool tape/Obama NH cuts - rem 209", guid: "3ceb94bb", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#3ceb94bb,2009-05-17", pubdate: "Sunday-May. 17 2009-4:53PM EST", content: "[CDATA[PATH 2 / POOL 4 / NY REM 209
THIS IS THE SECOND TAPE OF TRAVEL POOL CUTS
(FRIST TAPE FED ON SAME PATH FROM 1624-1644)
]]"}; urgentitems[5] = {title: "EDIT:3 More NY schools close in response to Flu-like Symptoms", guid: "36eb94bb", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#36eb94bb,2009-05-17", pubdate: "Sunday-May. 17 2009-4:53PM EST", content: "[CDATA[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, May 17, 2009
(212) 788-5290
Health Commissioner Frieden and Schools Chancellor Klein Announce City Will Close Three Additional School Buildings in Response to Increased Flu-like Symptoms
City monitoring situation and reassessing daily; New Yorkers with underlying, chronic health conditions should seek medical attention if exposed to flu
May 17, 2009 - Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced that the City Health Department has recommended closing three more school buildings in Queens for up to five school days after documenting unusually high and increasing levels of influenza-like illnesses. The three school buildings will be closed beginning Monday, May 18th.
The three school buildings are:
M.S. 158Q (Marie Curie School; 1,143 students) in Bayside: 41 students were documented with influenza-like illness last week.
Our Lady of Lourdes (424 students) in Queens Village: 37 students were documented with influenza-like illness last week.
Q025 building (1,320 students) in Flushing, which includes I.S. 25Q or Adrien Block (825), the World Journalism Preparatory (445) and Q233 at Q025 (50): 27 students were documented with influenza-like illness last week in this building. All three of these schools will be closed beginning Monday.
Late last week the city closed five schools in Queens (I.S. 238, P.S. 16, I.S. 5, JHS 74 and P.S. 107) and one in Brooklyn (I.S. 318) after documenting confirmed cases of H1N1 at I.S 238Q, and unusually high levels of flu-like symptoms in the other schools. The Health Department continues to work with the Department of Education to reassess the situation daily and make decisions regarding school closures on a case by case basis.
"We are now seeing a rising tide of flu in many parts of New York City," said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden. "With the virus spreading widely, closing these and other individual schools will make little difference in transmission throughout New York City, but we hope will help slow transmission within the individual school communities. Given the large number of cases, it is entirely possible that in the coming days there will be people with severe illness from flu, particularly among people who have underlying health problems."
"Our primary goal is to reduce the number of people who get seriously ill from the flu," Frieden continued. "If you have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, emphysema, and asthma and have been exposed to someone with flu, see your doctor. Flu spreads, and that is what the H1N1 virus is doing. While the symptoms of H1N1 (SO) flu seem to resemble those of seasonal flu so far, the H1N1 virus appears to be spreading more rapidly at this time. Only time will tell how far, wide and long it will spread." Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein said, "Closing schools is a serious decision, particularly because it creates tremendous burdens for parents. We will be providing curriculum material on-line. Also, parents will be able to pick up the material at schools and other locations."
In addition to suspending some schools with unusual clusters of illness, the Health Department advises any New Yorker who has flu symptoms and also has an underlying health condition such as asthma, pregnancy, emphysema or other lung disease or diabetes; a compromised immune system or cancer; to seek medical treatment. In addition, if an individual with such a medical condition has household or other close contact with someone with influenza, they should see their doctor to determine whether preventive medicine is needed. For students, staff, and household members of affected students and staff at schools which have been closed, those who have an underlying medical condition as stated above should also see their doctors to discuss the need for preventive medicine. Symptoms of H1N1 (SO) include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. Any New Yorker experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment. The best way to prevent additional cases of flu in schools is to stay home when sick, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and wash hands frequently. For those who are ill, the recommendation is to stay home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours. Eating pork or pork products cannot spread H1N1 (SO) flu. The most effective way to lower the risk of spreading the flu is for anyone with a fever, cough or sore throat to stay home. The City's Health Department urges everyone to continue taking these basic precautionary steps:
Cover your mouth when you cough, either with your sleeve or a tissue or handkerchief.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Try to avoid household or other close contact with sick people.
If you are sick with a fever, cough or sore throat, stay home for at least 24 hours after all of your symptoms are gone.
Stay away from clinics and hospitals unless you have severe symptoms, and notify your doctor or the clinic before you arrive, or as soon as you arrive, so that you can be appropriately isolated from others.
School and day care administrators, employers and managers of group living facilities should make sure to do the following to avoid the spread of illness:
Keep shared spaces clean and well ventilated.
Group living facilities should separate people who are sick
Schools and employers should encourage those who are sick to stay at home, but should not require doctors' notices to let healthy people return.
Encourage hand washing and the covering of mouths when coughing. Educational posters are available on the Health Department's website in English, Spanish and Chinese at www.nyc.gov.
Influenza can evolve in unpredictable ways; it is impossible to know whether H1N1 will dwindle, remain the same, or surge in coming weeks, and whether the illness will remain mild. Some severe cases may occur, including in people with underlying risk factors, such as young children, the elderly, and people with chronic medical conditions. The Health Department is watching closely for signs of increased virulence.
###
MEDIA CONTACTS: Jessica Scaperotti (DOHMH) (212) 788-5290 Margie Feinberg (DOE) (212) 374-5141
]]"}; urgentitems[6] = {title: "WH Transcript: Obama Notre Dame remarks", guid: "3eeb94b5", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#3eeb94b5,2009-05-17", pubdate: "Sunday-May. 17 2009-4:53PM EST", content: "[CDATA[THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release May 17, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana
3:06 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, first of all, congratulations, Class of 2009. (Applause.) Congratulations to all the parents, the cousins -- (applause) -- the aunts, the uncles -- all the people who helped to bring you to the point that you are here today. Thank you so much to Father Jenkins for that extraordinary introduction, even though you said what I want to say much more elegantly. (Laughter.) You are doing an extraordinary job as president of this extraordinary institution. (Applause.) Your continued and courageous -- and contagious -- commitment to honest, thoughtful dialogue is an inspiration to us all. (Applause.)
Good afternoon. To Father Hesburgh, to Notre Dame trustees, to faculty, to family: I am honored to be here today. (Applause.) And I am grateful to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your graduation.
And I also want to thank you for the honorary degree that I received. I know it has not been without controversy. I don't know if you're aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by. (Laughter.) So far I'm only 1 for 2 as President. (Laughter and applause.) Father Hesburgh is 150 for 150. (Laughter and applause.) I guess that's better. (Laughter.) So, Father Ted, after the ceremony, maybe you can give me some pointers to boost my average.
I also want to congratulate the Class of 2009 for all your accomplishments. And since this is Notre Dame --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: Abortion is murder! Stop killing children!
AUDIENCE: Booo!
THE PRESIDENT: That's all right. And since --
AUDIENCE: We are ND! We are ND!
AUDIENCE: Yes, we can! Yes, we can!
THE PRESIDENT: We're fine, everybody. We're following Brennan's adage that we don't do things easily. (Laughter.) We're not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes. (Applause.)
Now, since this is Notre Dame I think we should talk not only about your accomplishments in the classroom, but also in the competitive arena. (Laughter.) No, don't worry, I'm not going to talk about that. (Laughter.) We all know about this university's proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world -- Bookstore Basketball. (Applause.)
Now this excites me. (Laughter.) I want to congratulate the winners of this year's tournament, a team by the name of "Hallelujah Holla Back." (Laughter and applause.) Congratulations. Well done. Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the "Barack O'Ballers" did not pull it out this year. (Laughter.) So next year, if you need a 6'2" forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live. (Laughter and applause.)
Every one of you should be proud of what you have achieved at this institution. One hundred and sixty-three classes of Notre Dame graduates have sat where you sit today. Some were here during years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare -- periods of relative peace and prosperity that required little by way of sacrifice or struggle.
You, however, are not getting off that easy. You have a different deal. Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation and for the world -- a rare inflection point in history where the size and scope of the challenges before us require that we remake our world to renew its promise; that we align our deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age. It's a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations -- and a task that you're now called to fulfill.
This generation, your generation is the one that must find a path back to prosperity and decide how we respond to a global economy that left millions behind even before the most recent crisis hit -- an economy where greed and short-term thinking were too often rewarded at the expense of fairness, and diligence, and an honest day's work. (Applause.)
Your generation must decide how to save God's creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it. Your generation must seek peace at a time when there are those who will stop at nothing to do us harm, and when weapons in the hands of a few can destroy the many. And we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity -- diversity of thought, diversity of culture, and diversity of belief.
In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family. (Applause.)
And it's this last challenge that I'd like to talk about today, despite the fact that Father John stole all my best lines. (Laughter.) For the major threats we face in the 21st century -- whether it's global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease -- these things do not discriminate. They do not recognize borders. They do not see color. They do not target specific ethnic groups.
Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone. Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history.
Unfortunately, finding that common ground -- recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a "single garment of destiny" -- is not easy. And part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man -- our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin. We too often seek advantage over others. We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar. Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game. The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice. And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see here in this country and around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.
We know these things; and hopefully one of the benefits of the wonderful education that you've received here at Notre Dame is that you've had time to consider these wrongs in the world; perhaps recognized impulses in yourself that you want to leave behind. You've grown determined, each in your own way, to right them. And yet, one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, bringing together men and women of principle and purpose -- even accomplishing that can be difficult.
The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm. The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts. Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in an admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son's or daughter's hardships can be relieved. (Applause.)
The question, then -- the question then is how do we work through these conflicts? Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort? As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate? How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?
And of course, nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.
As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called "The Audacity of Hope." A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an e-mail from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the Illinois primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election. He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life -- but that was not what was preventing him potentially from voting for me.
What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my website -- an entry that said I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose." The doctor said he had assumed I was a reasonable person, he supported my policy initiatives to help the poor and to lift up our educational system, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable. He wrote, "I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words." Fair-minded words.
After I read the doctor's letter, I wrote back to him and I thanked him. And I didn't change my underlying position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my website. And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me. Because when we do that -- when we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe -- that's when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.
That's when we begin to say, "Maybe we won't agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions.
So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let's reduce unintended pregnancies. (Applause.) Let's make adoption more available. (Applause.) Let's provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term. (Applause.) Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women." Those are things we can do. (Applause.)
Now, understand -- understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away. Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable. Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction. But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.
Open hearts. Open minds. Fair-minded words. It's a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition. (Applause.) Father Hesburgh has long spoken of this institution as both a lighthouse and a crossroads. A lighthouse that stands apart, shining with the wisdom of the Catholic tradition, while the crossroads is where "differences of culture and religion and conviction can co-exist with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love." And I want to join him and Father John in saying how inspired I am by the maturity and responsibility with which this class has approached the debate surrounding today's ceremony. You are an example of what Notre Dame is about. (Applause.)
This tradition of cooperation and understanding is one that I learned in my own life many years ago -- also with the help of the Catholic Church.
You see, I was not raised in a particularly religious household, but my mother instilled in me a sense of service and empathy that eventually led me to become a community organizer after I graduated college. And a group of Catholic churches in Chicago helped fund an organization known as the Developing Communities Project, and we worked to lift up South Side neighborhoods that had been devastated when the local steel plant closed.
And it was quite an eclectic crew -- Catholic and Protestant churches, Jewish and African American organizers, working-class black, white, and Hispanic residents -- all of us with different experiences, all of us with different beliefs. But all of us learned to work side by side because all of us saw in these neighborhoods other human beings who needed our help -- to find jobs and improve schools. We were bound together in the service of others.
And something else happened during the time I spent in these neighborhoods -- perhaps because the church folks I worked with were so welcoming and understanding; perhaps because they invited me to their services and sang with me from their hymnals; perhaps because I was really broke and they fed me. (Laughter.) Perhaps because I witnessed all of the good works their faith inspired them to perform, I found myself drawn not just to the work with the church; I was drawn to be in the church. It was through this service that I was brought to Christ.
And at the time, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was the Archbishop of Chicago. (Applause.) For those of you too young to have known him or known of him, he was a kind and good and wise man. A saintly man. I can still remember him speaking at one of the first organizing meetings I attended on the South Side. He stood as both a lighthouse and a crossroads -- unafraid to speak his mind on moral issues ranging from poverty and AIDS and abortion to the death penalty and nuclear war. And yet, he was congenial and gentle in his persuasion, always trying to bring people together, always trying to find common ground. Just before he died, a reporter asked Cardinal Bernardin about this approach to his ministry. And he said, "You can't really get on with preaching the Gospel until you've touched hearts and minds."
My heart and mind were touched by him. They were touched by the words and deeds of the men and women I worked alongside in parishes across Chicago. And I'd like to think that we touched the hearts and minds of the neighborhood families whose lives we helped change. For this, I believe, is our highest calling.
Now, you, Class of 2009, are about to enter the next phase of your life at a time of great uncertainty. You'll be called to help restore a free market that's also fair to all who are willing to work. You'll be called to seek new sources of energy that can save our planet; to give future generations the same chance that you had to receive an extraordinary education. And whether as a person drawn to public service, or simply someone who insists on being an active citizen, you will be exposed to more opinions and ideas broadcast through more means of communication than ever existed before. You'll hear talking heads scream on cable, and you'll read blogs that claim definitive knowledge, and you will watch politicians pretend they know what they're talking about. (Laughter.) Occasionally, you may have the great fortune of actually seeing important issues debated by people who do know what they're talking about -- by well-intentioned people with brilliant minds and mastery of the facts. In fact, I suspect that some of you will be among those brightest stars.
And in this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you've been raised and educated. Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake. Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey. In other words, stand as a lighthouse.
But remember, too, that you can be a crossroads. Remember, too, that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt. It's the belief in things not seen. It's beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us. And those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.
And this doubt should not push us away our faith. But it should humble us. It should temper our passions, cause us to be wary of too much self-righteousness. It should compel us to remain open and curious and eager to continue the spiritual and moral debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame. And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us even as we cling to our faith to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works and charity and kindness and service that moves hearts and minds.
For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It's no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule -- the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love. The call to serve. To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.
So many of you at Notre Dame -- by the last count, upwards of 80 percent -- have lived this law of love through the service you've performed at schools and hospitals; international relief agencies and local charities. Brennan is just one example of what your class has accomplished. That's incredibly impressive, a powerful testament to this institution. (Applause.)
Now you must carry the tradition forward. Make it a way of life. Because when you serve, it doesn't just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community. It breaks down walls. It fosters cooperation. And when that happens -- when people set aside their differences, even for a moment, to work in common effort toward a common goal; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another -- then all things are possible.
After all, I stand here today, as President and as an African American, on the 55th anniversary of the day that the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Brown v. Board of Education. Now, Brown was of course the first major step in dismantling the "separate but equal" doctrine, but it would take a number of years and a nationwide movement to fully realize the dream of civil rights for all of God's children. There were freedom rides and lunch counters and Billy clubs, and there was also a Civil Rights Commission appointed by President Eisenhower. It was the 12 resolutions recommended by this commission that would ultimately become law in the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
There were six members of this commission. It included five whites and one African American; Democrats and Republicans; two Southern governors, the dean of a Southern law school, a Midwestern university president, and your own Father Ted Hesburgh, President of Notre Dame. (Applause.) So they worked for two years, and at times, President Eisenhower had to intervene personally since no hotel or restaurant in the South would serve the black and white members of the commission together. And finally, when they reached an impasse in Louisiana, Father Ted flew them all to Notre Dame's retreat in Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin -- (applause) -- where they eventually overcame their differences and hammered out a final deal.
And years later, President Eisenhower asked Father Ted how on Earth he was able to broker an agreement between men of such different backgrounds and beliefs. And Father Ted simply said that during their first dinner in Wisconsin, they discovered they were all fishermen. (Laughter.) And so he quickly readied a boat for a twilight trip out on the lake. They fished, and they talked, and they changed the course of history.
I will not pretend that the challenges we face will be easy, or that the answers will come quickly, or that all our differences and divisions will fade happily away -- because life is not that simple. It never has been.
But as you leave here today, remember the lessons of Cardinal Bernardin, of Father Hesburgh, of movements for change both large and small. Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family, the same fulfillment of a life well lived. Remember that in the end, in some way we are all fishermen.
If nothing else, that knowledge should give us faith that through our collective labor, and God's providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other's burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that more perfect union. Congratulations, Class of 2009. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
END 3:37 P.M. EDT
---
]]"}; urgentitems[7] = {title: "TAPE:rem 267 Obama Pastor Harkin in Dallas, KDFW", guid: "4cec7b06", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#4cec7b06,2009-05-17", pubdate: "Sunday-May. 17 2009-2:13PM EST", content: "[CDATA[tape
Location: Dallas, Tx
Rev. Derrick Harkins was pastor at New Hope Baptist Church, most frequent pastor for Pres. Obama, need to talk to him after Sunday service.
He speaks on Obama and Notre Dame.
Preaching at 9am at Union Cathedral for their 7th anniversary celebration
214-914-4064
church is at 125 Sunset Ave.
Senior Pastor is Richie Butler
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Rhetta A. Bowers
Union Cathedral
3523 McKinney Ave., Box 396
Dallas, Texas 75204
www.unioncathedral.com
rhettab@verizon.net <mailto:rhettab@verizon.net>
Phone: 214-914-4064
Advisor to President Obamas
Office of Faith Based Initiatives
to speak at Union Cathedral
7th Anniversary Celebration
Dallas, TX --- May 6, 2009 --- Union Cathedral (www.UnionCathedral.com <http://www.UnionCathedral.com>), a dynamic, non-denominational, Dallas congregation where Reverend Richie L. Butler serves as Senior Pastor, will celebrate its 7th Anniversary on Sunday, May 17. The Reverend Dr. Derrick Harkins, Senior Pastor of Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., will be the guest preacher.
Dr. Harkins has advised President Obamas Office of Faith Based Initiatives, and he is a frequent guest on CNN and National Public Radio. In the first familys post-election search for a church home in Washington, D.C., Nineteenth Street Baptist Church is one of three churches they have visited.
Prior to Dr. Harkins pastorate in Washington, D.C., he was the Senior Pastor of New Hope Baptist Church in Dallas, where he and Reverend Butler served together. While in Dallas, Dr. Harkins served as President of the Greater Dallas Community of Churches and was a founding board member of the Dallas Leadership Foundation and the Morals and Values Project.
Union Cathedral is a Dallas-based community of faith where the word, worship, and work intersect. Union Cathedral is in the business of reviving the human soul while revitalizing the urban core. The church is building people and community through its members relationships with God and others.
Union Cathedrals Founder and Senior Pastor, Richie L. Butler, is an SMU graduate and former football captain, earned a Masters degree from Harvard, received the 2008 SMU Distinguished Alumni Emerging Leader Award, and was recently recognized by Dallas CEO magazine as one of the 17 Stars of Tomorrow in Commercial Real Estate.`
Union Cathedral holds its Sunday services at 9:00 a.m. in the chapel of Cliff Temple Baptist Church at 125 Sunset Avenue in Dallas.
A reception in the Fellowship Hall will follow the 9:00 a.m. anniversary service on May 17, 2009.
For more information: www.unioncathedral.com <http://www.unioncathedral.com> or see Union Cathedrals Facebook page
Contact: rhettab@verizon.net <mailto:rhettab@verizon.net>
Phone: 214-914-4064
Or - 214-752-8660
###
]]"}; urgentitems[8] = {title: "WH: Obama Notre Dame tick tock & REMS", guid: "28eb940f", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#28eb940f,2009-05-17", pubdate: "Sunday-May. 17 2009-1:13PM EST", content: "[CDATA[LIVE HEAD ON - PATH 1 / POOL 3 / NY REM 208
STEVE BROWN LIVES - PATH 2 / POOL 4 / NY REM 209
LIVE STREAMBOX/FOX UNI CUTS - REM 286 (STREAMBOX 12)
1400 Notre Dame Commencement Begins (OPEN; LIVE)
1400 Trustee's announced and processes to seating area, South Dome
1402 Platform Party announced and processes onto stage
1405 Announce presidents - Notre Dame President Fr. John Jenkins and President Obama
They process onto stage Band plays Ruffles and Flourishes, followed by Hail to the Chief
1406 End of procession
Convocation convened - by Dr. Thomas Burish, Provost
Announce the playing of "America the Beautiful", sung by Fr. Foster, and introduction of the Invocation - by Dr. Burish
1408 "America the Beautiful" is played by the band and sung by Fr. Foster
1410 Invocation - Adrienne Murphy
1413 Presentation of Valedictorian Candidates - by Dr. Burish
1418 Introduction of the Valedictorian and Valedictory Address - by Dr. Burish
1420 Valedictory Address - by E. Brennan Bollman
1430 Introduction of Conferring of Honorary Degrees - Dr. Burish
For each individually; Dr. Burish reads citation, Fr. Jenkins gives degree, Mr. Notebaert and Dr. Pace places hood over honorary degree recipient, and picture taken
President Obama (doctor of laws)
Steven Beering (doctor of laws)
Myles Brand (doctor of laws) - Note: Will not be there due to health, still be announced.
Fritz L. Duda (doctor of laws)
Don Michael Randel (doctor of laws)
Randall T. Shepard (doctor of laws)
Cindy Parseghian (doctor of science)
Patrick Finneran (doctor of engineering)
1443 Introduction of Commencement Address speaker - Fr. Jenkins
1448 Commencement Address - President of the United States, President Obama (will run approx 20-22 mins)
1515 Award and Prize winners are announced - Dr. Burish
(Faculty teaching and recognition; and student achievements)
1525 Introduce Chairman of the Board - Dr. Burish
Introduce Judge John Noonan -- Mr. Notebaert
1528 Spirit of the Laetare Medal remarks - Judge John T. Noonan
1538 Presentation of candidates for degrees
Degrees conferred
1558 Charge to the graduating class - Fr. Jenkins
1602 Benediction and Blessing - Fr. Jenkins
1605 Closing of the Convocation - Dr. Burish
Band plays, and Fr. Foster sings, the alma mater "Notre Dame our Mother"
1607 Presidents (Jenkins and Obama) leave the stage go out ramp at Gate 8, and then to Gate 6 for President Obama's departure
]]"}; urgentitems[9] = {title: "WH pulls Treasury Dept spox to assist on SCOTUS nominee", guid: "34eb941f", link: "/urgent_queue/index.html#34eb941f,2009-05-17", pubdate: "Sunday-May. 17 2009-1:13PM EST", content: "[CDATA[from Major Garrett
A senior Democrat familiar with Obama White House plans tells Fox that Stephanie Cutter, top communications strategist for Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, will move to the White House on a temporary assignment to guide the president's Supreme Court nominee through the confirmation process.
The assignment is only for this confirmation task and does not suggest Cutter will be moving permanently into the Obama West Wing. At this point, the source said, it appears Cutter will return to the Geithner portfolio after Obama's first Supreme Court pick is confirmed.
White House sources tell Fox the pick will not be made before Memorial Day weekend. It appears likely Obama will announce his court choice before leaving Washington for a much-anticipated speech in Egypt to the Muslim world on June 4.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday Obama had conducted no personal interviews for the post. A top Obama confidant said the list of those under consideration grew last week with the addition of former Bush Deputy Attorney General James Comey, 48. Aides advocated for Comey's inclusion on the short list because he's not an appeals court judge, has national security and law enforcement experience (a former federal prosecutor) and rebelled against Bush's post-9/11 phone and internet surveillance tactics.
Cutter was a top spokeswoman for the Obama transition and served as First Lady Michelle Obama's senior adviser and chief of staff during the general election campaign. Cutter is a long-time aide to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts, and was communications director for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.
END IT
]]"};