Philadelphia. The Supreme Court heard its first cases in the summer of 1791. The core began to hear arguments about the provisions of the bill of rights. They were put into operation. Clicks you can see the comments at a National Constitution center in philadelphia, tonight, on cspan. Also speaking, jeb rush. It starts at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Here are some of our featured programs. Elena kagan at university. Glenn kessler on the biggest pinocchios. On cspan 2, but tv a book tvs afterwards. Sunday, jonathan yardley, who retired after 33 years with the washington post. 3, the civil war. Find our complete Television Schedule at cspan. Org. Email us or send us a tweets. Follow us on twitter. Quickset next, president obama and his family attend the National Lighting ceremony out by the white house. Wilsonks and rita introduced the first family. Here are our hosts. It tom hanks and rita wilson. And i want to tell you, good evening all right. Thats the way to do it. Hey, welcome to president s park, everybody. You can see, we are just across the street from the white house on a wonderful winter night here in washington, d. C. This is the 92nd annual National Christmas tree lighting, a Great Holiday tradition here in the Nations Capital that dates back to the coolidge administration. Honey, heres a very fun fact. Did you know that Calvin Coolidge played the harmonica and had two pet raccoons . How do you know that . His facebook page. [laughter] thank you, drummer. I love that. Calvin coolidge, obviously very big into social media. Millions of americans will be celebrating this season with their own holiday traditions, but tonight were glad you joined all of us here for a terrific night of music and more. And how about a hand for the president s own United States marine band . [applause] and each one of them could do 140 pushups. [laughter] a very special welcome and word of thanks to all the men and women in uniform serving around the world. God bless you youre in our hearts. We think of you every day. Now, it is our great honor to welcome the first family of the United States. [applause] i am now going to recite your names. Mr. President , mrs. Obama, malia and sasha. And mrs. Robinson. Happy christmas hello, everybody is everybody ready to calm down . Were going to start from five. We want to say thanks, first of all, to tom and rita. We hope theyre ready. We hope everybody watching at home is getting in the christmas spirit. Were going to start counting down right now. Lets do it five, four, three, two, one [applause] well, i think its time for a story. And i was going to suggest Something Like talking toys or magic trains that take kids to the north pole. But i understand there is a tradition on this stage of reading the night before christmas. To help us out, we are joined by monet davis, the 13yearold pitching sensation who took the Little League world series by storm and she has just been named the sports kid of the year by Sports Illustrated magazine. There you go. And it is my great honor to welcome the first lady of the United States, michelle obama. [applause] how are you guys doing . Id love to see you too are we ready to read . Im ready. All right. Are you ready for the story . Twas the night before christmas when all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings were hung, by the chimney with care, in hopes that st. Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads. And mamma in her kerchief and i in my cap had just settled our brains for a long winters nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, i sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window i flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the newfallen snow gave a lustre of midday to objects below. When what to my wondering eyes did appear but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. I knew in a moment he must be st. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled and shouted and called them by name. Now dasher, now dancer, now prancer and vixen. On, comet on, cupid on, donner and blitzen to the top of the porch to the top of the wall now dash away, dash away, dash away, all as leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the housetop the courses they flew, with the sleigh full of toys and st. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, i heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As i drew in my head and was turning around, down the chimney st. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed in all fur from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes, how they twinkled his dimples, how merry his cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry his droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, and the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face and a little round belly that shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf. And i laughed when i saw him, in spite of myself. A wink of his eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know i had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word but went straight to his work and filled all the stockings and turned with a jerk. And laying his finger aside of his nose, and giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But i heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight happy christmas to all, and to all a good night good job. Is that okay . Okay. Good job come on. Lets go. Lets get out of here. Okay. Ladies and gentlemen, why dont we give them a round of applause [applause] our next performer is a talented songwriter and and what youll do is youll play the point guard who is the allstar. And ill play the substitute that rarely gets into the game. Um, im sorry. Im hearing some crosstalk. Okay. Our next performer is shots in my driveway, im getting pretty good, mr. President. Pretty good. Not so much on the left hand. Tom, what are you doing . Im just down here reading the teleprompter with the president of the United States. Okay. I know. But were in the middle of the show. And why are you sitting next to the president . Well, im pitching him a film idea. You see, i understand hes going to have some free time in a couple of years. Gonna want something to do. Im hoping that he and i can make a movie together. Really . [applause] yes. See . What is the idea . Well, its about two handsome bodacious cops. [laughter] who fight crime during the day and at night, they play basketball in the nba. Wow tom, that that sounds like a really great idea. Its called mr. Clutch and the touch. [laughter] well, i will be the first in line to see that film. Now, im thinking, mr. President , meryl streep as the team owner and abdi as our head coach. Tom, while you work on that, lets get back to the music. Please welcome the multigrammywinning singer, songwriter and actor neyo. Merry christmas Merry Christmas im dreaming tonight of a place that i love even more than i normally do and though i know its a long road back i promise you please welcome the secretary of the interior, and the president and chairman of the National Park foundation, the honorable sally jewell. [applause] hello, everyone thank you for being here and thanks so much to the National Park foundation and the National Park service for hosting this wonderful holiday tradition year after year. Id like to offer each of you a personal welcome to president s park, which is managed by the National Park service and the department of the interior. And of course, home to the first family. And were so delighted theyre here today. Its a great honor to help care for the extraordinary system of 401 National Parks that commemorate our history, our culture and our incredibly beautiful landscape. Im also proud of the thousands of dedicated federal employees and many, many volunteers who care for our public lands, our waters and our wildlife for the benefit of all americans. We are blessed with the spirit of the holidays. When many traditions mark this darkest month of the year, of love, of giving, of family and friends. Its a time of year when we are reminded that its truly better to give than to receive and that our lives ultimately are measured not by what we acquire or the positions we hold but by how much we love and are loved by others. So for the next few weeks, this beautifully decorated tree will stand as a symbol of this spirit, shining its light in our Nations Capital. And i trust, in the hearts of all who visit. So its now my honor to welcome someone whose leadership and example inspires me and us to be forces for good in our communities and in our nation. Ladies and gentlemen, the 44th president of the United States of america, barack obama. [applause] Merry Christmas, everybody we saw this party going on out back and we thought wed join you. I want to thank secretary jewell for not only the introduction but for all that you and everybody who is part of the interior department and the park service do to protect the magnificent outdoors for our children and for future generations. And i want to thank jonathan jarvis, dan wenk and everybody at the National Park service, and the National Park foundation, for putting on this special event each and every holiday season. I want everybody to give it up for our charming christmas host tonight, tom hanks and rita wilson [applause] we have so enjoyed the incredible performers, including the one and only patti labelle. [applause] and finally, thanks to all of you who are here and watching at home, for joining us to celebrate this wonderful holiday tradition. Back in 1923, school kids here in washington wrote a letter to the white house, asking if they could put a Christmas Tree on the south lawn. And more than 90 years and a few different evergreens later, the National Christmas tree still stands as a symbol of hope and holiday spirit, and we still gather as a country each year to light it. We still have school kids involved too. But this year, theyve given all the state and territory trees surrounding the National Christmas tree their First Digital upgrade. Young women from all 50 states use their computers, using their coding skills, to control the colors and patterns of the lights on these trees. So thanks to those wonderful students. It is incredibly impressive. Its actually one of the few things that tom hanks can not do. [laughter] but while lighting the tree has entered into the 21st century, the story that we remember this season dates back more than 2,000 years. Its the story of hope. The birth of a singular child into the simplest of circumstances, a child who would grow up to live a life of humility and kindness and compassion, who traveled with a message of empathy and understanding, who taught us to care for the poor and the marginalized and those who are different from ourselves. And more than two millennia later, the way he lived still compels us to do our best to build a more just and tolerant and decent world. Its a story dear to my family as christians but its meaning is one embraced by all people in all countries around the world, regardless of how they pray or whether they pray at all, and thats to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be one anothers keepers, to have faith in one another. And in Something Better around the bend, not just at christmas time but all the time. And finally, this christmas, we count our blessings and we give thanks to the men and women of our military, who helped make those blessings possible. And as we hold our loved once tight, lets remember, the military families whose loved ones are far from home. They are our heros. And they deserve our heartfelt gratitude and our wholehearted support. [applause] so on behalf of michelle, malia, sasha, mominlaw, and our reindeer, bo and sunny, i want to wish all of them, and i want to wish all of you a very, very Merry Christmas and a holiday filled with joy. God bless you, and god bless the United States of america [cheering and applause] jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way oh what fun it is to ride in a onehorse open sleigh hey jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way oh what fun it is to ride in a onehorse open sleigh hey jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way oh what fun it is to ride in a onehorse open sleigh jingle bells jingle bells jingle all the way oh what fun it is to ride in a onehorse open sleigh