One of the best parts of the Holiday Season is spending time with the special people in your life. And for me, that means getting some help from my best friend for our annual christmas weekly address. Mrs. Obama given how our first christmas weekly address went, i realized that barack needed all the help he could get. [pause] this is our first christmas in the white house. [laughter] you have got to pull it together. [laughter] mrs. Obama celebrating the holidays in the white house over these past eight years has been a true privilege. Weve been able to welcome over half a million guests. Our outstanding pastry chefs have baked 200,000 holiday cookies. And barack has treated the American People to countless dad jokes. President obama although a few got a frosty reception. Mrs. Obama this years white House Holiday theme is the gift of the holidays, and our decorations reflect some of our greatest gifts as a nation from our incredible military families, to the lifechanging impact of a gr
Well be addressing, head on, the number 10 killer in our nationsuicide, which disproportionately affects our veterans and for the first time ever, congress is stepping in to help those with an eating disorder get access to real medical care. And well be expanding our Mental Health workforce, because today, half the counties in america do not have a single psychologist or psychiatrist. One bill wont solve everything, but these desperately needed reforms will bring help. And where there is help, there is hope. To the sandy hook families and all those who made this possible, who gave their time and took a stand, thank you. To anyone out there struggling, looking for answers, know that you are not alone. We are with you. We are fighting for you. Although many doubted we would make it this far, here we are. And in a new year, with a new administration, we will keep working to get real treatment to those who need it. This is what christmas is all about peace, goodwill, and above all, love. S
Urban Radio Networks and author of the presidency in black and white cup close view of three president s and race in america. Also the author of democracy in black how race still enslaves the american soul and pulitzer davidwinning journalist come author of barack obama, the story. Watch indepth live from noon until 3 00 p. M. On sunday at book tv on cspan2. The new congress meets for the first time in january and will include several new members. We spoke of one of the incoming freshmen during a visit to capitol hill. Representative vicente gonzales, a democrat from texas. Tell us what you doing before you won this seat . I have been practicing law for almost two decades in texas and im also licensed in new york. I have been a lawyer for 20 years. Why did you leave that profession . There was an open seat. I have been fighting for working families in south texas and we have a lot of successes there. I can bring that same fight to washington to try to bring the necessary resources to o
On twitter and facebook. We will get to these stories this morning in the morning he news sites as well. News this morning of a horrific plane crash in the black sea near sochi in russia. Russian military plane carrying performers scratches off of sochi. That is the site of the 2014 winter olympics. 92lane carrying 19 people people crashed. The the news crash report from bloomberg this morning. Open phones here on washington journal this morning. Some of these stories closer to home in the Washington Post writing about donald trump and the fate of his foundation. Plans to dissolve charity. Timeline unclear amid investigation. They write that president elect donald trump plans to shut down his charitable foundation. There is actually some reaction from democrats on that as well. The hill reporting, dems salm trump over Christmas Foundation announcement. They slammed trump for the Christmas Even announcement that he would dissolve his charitable foundation. National Committee Call his an
Andthey were vigilant about standing up and making their in voices heard. We have at our convention in las vegas in july of 2016. A vegas in july of 2016. We were at the Convention Center which was not too far from the site of the hotel where the workers were trying to get their and in first contract. We had approximately 5500 delegates and guests at the convention. We broke off the convention one afternoon and had a march and a rally at the trump hotel showing support and solidarity for those workers. It is a big deal for them and a big deal because they stuck it through. They made their voices heard. They fought for that contract. It is a good sign for them. That is what it is going to take. It is going to take across the country working people and families standing together and making their voices heard so there is a level playing field. They have the ability to achieve the American Dream. Susan let me turn it over to ted. Ted i would like to ask you about president elect trumps pic