Tag Archives: US History

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Atlantans responded with an incredulous “how dare you!” Saturday after President-elect Donald Trump kicked off the MLK holiday weekend with a twitter rant saying most of Atlanta is in “horrible shape and falling apart” and describing Georgia’s U.S. Rep. John Lewis — a civil rights icon — as “All talk, talk, talk — no action or …

A partial transcript: Our success depends on our participation, regardless of which way the pendulum of power swings. It falls on each of us to be guardians of our democracy; to embrace the joyous task we’ve been given to continually try to improve this great nation of ours. Because for all our outward differences, we all share the same proud …

Well, you know how this is going to go. Via press release from the US Mint:  We have chosen “Remembering our Past, Embracing the Future” as the Mint’s theme for our 225th Anniversary year. This beautiful coin truly embodies that theme. The coin demonstrates our roots in the past through such traditional elements as the inscriptions United States of America, …

Oh yes, you will need tissues. Via Talking Points Memo: President Barack Obama surprised an emotional Joe Biden Thursday with a farewell tribute where he presented the vice president with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Obama gave the entire Biden clan a glowing tribute, including his children, grandchildren and wife, Jill Biden. He described Biden and Jill as “an all-American …

From laughter at Trump to sorrow and deep abiding thanks to President Obama, whose farewell speech begins at 9PM Eastern. ABC News reports on what to expect: In a farewell address to the American people Tuesday night, President Obama is expected to reaffirm his belief in the ability of ordinary Americans to bring about positive change in country, according to …

The Daily Mail reports: Thousands waited for hours in single-digit temperatures to try to snag a ticket to President Barack Obama’s farewell speech in Chicago. People began lining up well before sunrise for Saturday’s 8 am ticket distribution, saying they want to show their appreciation and soak in the final moments of his history-making presidency. The lines stretched for blocks …

The Chicago Tribune reports: Ten days before President-elect Donald J. Trump takes office, President Barack Obama will say goodbye from the same city that launched his political career. The presidential farewell will take place on the evening of Jan. 10 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. In an email expected to be sent out Monday morning, Obama said he was taking his …

NBC News reports: President Barack Obama and the first lady shared a bittersweet goodbye — and a few laughs — in their final Christmas video message to the country released Saturday. There was even a throwback when Michelle Obama introduced a clip of their first Christmas address in 2009, when the president — with hair that was noticeably less gray …

Bloomberg reports: What’s perhaps most remarkable about the attorney general’s opinion is how it grounded its argument in Cherokee tradition. In a section titled “Perpetual Partnership and Marriage in the Cherokee Nation,” Hembree devoted significant attention to a ceremony of devotion that was traditionally performed between two men at an annual festival. Hembree quoted in its entirety an eyewitness description …

The Associated Press reports: John Glenn, an astronaut, senator and old-fashioned American hero, died Thursday at the age of 95, the Columbus Dispatch reported. Glenn was the last survivor of the Mercury 7, selected in 1959 as NASA’s first group of astronauts. He became the first American to orbit the Earth on Feb. 20, 1962. It was a solo flight, …

The Huffington Post reports: Last month, Netflix released a dialogue-free teaser for its upcoming movie “Barry.” On Monday, The Huffington Post is debuting the first full-length trailer for the film. In the newly released footage, you can see actor Devon Terrell’s take on Barack Obama, as the young Columbia University student overcomes several obstacles throughout his schooling, such as a …

The Chicago Tribune reports: Tom Hayden, the preeminent 1960s radical who roused a generation of alienated young Americans, became a symbol of militancy by leading riotous protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and added Hollywood glamour to his mystique with an activist partnership and marriage to film star Jane Fonda, died Oct. 23 in Santa Monica, Calif. He was …

For today’s LOL file via Yahoo News: With just a little over a month until election day, Donald Trump has racked up zero major newspaper endorsements, a first for any major party nominee in American history. While newspaper endorsements don’t necessarily change voters’ minds, this year’s barrage of anti-Trump endorsements could actually move the needle come November, experts say. “It’s …

Slate recaps: The first trailer for Jackie, Pablo Larraín’s portrait of then–first lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, is all about Natalie Portman, and with good reason—the actress’ performance drew rave reviews at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, with some even suggesting the Oscar for Best Actress is hers to lose. The biopic’s new trailer cuts between different moments in the …

Some historical perspective via Politico: No candidate in Donald Trump’s position at this stage of the campaign has gone on to win the popular vote in November in the modern polling era. That’s the sobering news confronting the Trump campaign as it seeks to rebound from his recent slump. Those who have studied presidential campaigns since 1952 — the advent …

The Hill reports: Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s fact-check of first lady Michelle Obama’s comments about waking up “every morning in a house that was built by slaves” has sparked major controversy. On his program, “The O’Reilly Factor,” Tuesday night, the top-rated cable news host said working conditions were relatively favorable for slaves who helped build the White House more …

Icelandic Water today launched a print and video campaign which gently teases the United States over the possibility of having our first women president. After all, the announcer notes, Iceland elected its first woman president nearly four decades ago. “What is this, 1980?” The print campaign also wryly observes an uptick in Americans who are considering moving overseas. See it …

From the Orlando Sentinel: Michelangelo Dominguez’s mother watched with pride Monday morning as the 13-year-old and other Boy Scouts picked hundreds of weathered American flags from the lawn outside the Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando. He helped collect mini-flagpoles stuck in the dirt around wet teddy bears and melted candles left for the 49 victims killed more than a month …

Vanity Fair recaps: Sick of the summer box-office doldrums? Focus Features is here to bolster your belief in important, non-franchise filmmaking with the first trailer for Loving, a powerful biopic about Richard and Mildred Loving—the interracial couple who changed the course of American history by fighting for their right to be married in the 1960s. From filmmaker Jeff Nichols, Loving …

Today President Obama celebrated the designation of the Stonewall National Monument in his weekly video address to the nation, comparing the Stonewall Inn to other historic sites like Independence Hall and Kitty Hawk. Watch below. The president went on to recap LGBT progress during his administration. An excerpt: Over the past seven years, we’ve seen achievements that would have been …