Tag Archives: president

President Obama Praises Kalamazoo Central Students’ ‘Sense Of Community’

‘That moment right there changed my life,’ one graduating students exclaims after shaking hands with the president. President Barack Obama surprises students at Kalamazoo Central High School Photo: MTV News President Barack Obama made some new friends on Monday, when he delivered the commencement address at Michigan’s Kalamazoo Central High School, the winning school among thousands of entrants to the White House’s “Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.” Before delivering his speech, the president surprised the class of 2010 with an unannounced informal meeting, where he shook hands and exchanged one-on-one words with the impending graduates. “It was the most amazing thing ever that could ever happen to anybody,” one particularly enthusiastic student gushed, while another classmate chimed in, “That moment right there changed my life, just meeting the president.” During the surprise meeting, Obama praised the high school for its strong sense of community and its promising ideals. “If you carry with you the sense of community you’ve got here in your hometown, there is nothing you can’t accomplish,” he told the students. The president’s words touched Kalamazoo’s graduates greatly. As one student put it, “Giving our school so much praise and saying how much he loved the community and everything, him talking about education [and] going further — it was just really good.” But Obama didn’t even have to open his mouth to thrill the crowd, as his mere presence earned him instant rock-star status with Kalamazoo Central’s nearly 300 graduating seniors. Several students leapt up and down screaming at the top of their lungs, others were left in awe after shaking Obama’s own hand, while some even found the time to share the good news on social networking sites. “I just updated my Facebook status: ‘Just met Barack Obama and made friends with the Secret Service,’ ” one girl happily revealed. Although the reactions to Obama’s appearance varied from student to student, the overall vibe of excitement and pride hanging in the air at Kalamazoo Central High School was palpable. “This is the biggest moment in history and we’re all a part of it,” said one overjoyed classmate. “The whole class of 2010, I’m so excited to just be here in the moment.” “The biggest moment in history” might be something of an overstatement, but Obama’s arrival at Kalamazoo certainly armed the students with an emotional touchstone to look back upon as they move forward with the next phase of their lives. As one graduate astutely observed: “It’s incredible how one man can bring everyone together like that.” Get Schooled is a national program aimed at increasing high school and college graduation rates and promoting the importance of education, developed by Viacom in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Related Videos Race To The Top: President Obama Inspires At Kalamazoo Central High School

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President Obama Praises Kalamazoo Central Students’ ‘Sense Of Community’

Sarah Palin aide helped Nixon dump Jews from government

WASHINGTON – A top adviser to GOP star Sarah Palin was once dispatched by ex-President Richard Nixon to sweep Jews out of government service, newly released tapes show. Nixon aide Fred Malek's role as what Democrats call a “Jew counter” for the disgraced President was already well known, and he has spent decades apologizing for activities that later cost him a Republican National Committee job in the 1980s. But he remains a prominent GOP powerbroker. “The government is full of Jews,” Nixon griped to chief aide H.R. Haldeman in a July 1971 Oval Office recording released by the University of Virginia's Miller Center on Thursday. “Most Jews are disloyal.” The Republican President, who resigned amid the Watergate scandal in 1974, said he wanted Malek in charge of cleaning Jews out of “any sensitive areas.” “We've got to get a man in charge who is not Jewish to control the Jewish – do you understand?” Nixon said. “I sure do,” Haldeman answered. Ultimately, Malek turned over a list of more than a dozen Jews in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, files show. Most were fired. The Democratic Party fired off at least 13 e-mails to reporters blasting Malek – who ran George H.W. Bush's 1992 campaign – and forwarded unflattering stories about the new tape. Malek was recently named a budget adviser by Virginia's Republican governor, Robert McDonnell. “As Mr. Malek has said before, he has made mistakes in his life for which he has apologized, atoned and learned from,” Malek's spokesman Mark Corallo said. Back in 1971, Nixon only appeared dimly aware of the background of the West Pointer and Vietnam vet. “Malek is not Jewish?” he asked Haldeman, who replied that Malek was not. Many prominent Jews have rallied behind Malek, a successful GOP businessman and philanthropist, including Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), The Washington Post reported. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/04/2010-06-04_sarah_palin_aide_… http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/06/04/2010-06-04_sarah_palin_aide_… added by: cclark_productions

Obama Declares June LGBT Month

“NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2010 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon all Americans to observe this month by fighting prejudice and discrimination in their own lives and everywhere it exists. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand ten, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.” BARACK OBAMA http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/05/29/Obama_Declares_June_LGBT_Mont… All I can say is it’s about time! added by: ezrierin

‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Joins Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull In ‘I Like It’ Video: Watch It Now!

Iglesias’ first single from the ‘Jersey Shore’ Soundtrack features the tanned crew sneaking into his show. By James Montgomery The cast of “Jersey Shore” in the “I Like It” video Photo: Interscope Have your fists recovered yet? During the 2010 MTV Movie Awards pre-show, we were treated to the world premiere of the video for “I Like It,” the first single off the upcoming ‘Jersey Shore’ Soundtrack, a booming, club-ready track featuring Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and, yes, the entire cast of MTV’s breakout hit show. In the clip, all of your favorite “Jersey Shore” stars — Snooki, J-Woww, Pauly D, The Situation, to name just a few — do what they do best: crash a party, sneaking in to a packed, laser-lit club while Enrique and Pitbull rock hard onstage complete with a band (including a guitarist who looked suspiciously like Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman). Jersey’s finest go undercover as guitar techs, romance a bouncer and, yes, even pose as delivery men to gain access, eventually snagging some coveted backstage passes. And oh, yes, you can believe that once inside the club, much fist-pumping ensues, not to mention some hardcore flexing from the “Shore” fellas, and some super-sexy dance moves courtesy of the tanned and teriffic ladies. In addition to “I Like It,” the ‘Jersey Shore’ Soundtrack also features tracks from Lil Jon, LMFAO, Taio Cruz and Akon, and is due in stores July 20. The second season of “Jersey Shore” — which follows Snooki and crew down to Miami’s South Beach (and eventually back to Seaside Heights) — will premiere on Thursday, July 29, at 10pm ET/PT on MTV. Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com . Related Videos Enrique, Pitbull And Jersey Shore Throw Down For ‘I Like It’ Behind The Scenes At The 2010 MTV Movie Awards Jersey Shore Blow-Out At The Movie Awards Related Photos Behind The Scenes At The 2010 MTV Movie Awards 2010 Movie Awards: Full Fashion Recap Related Artists Enrique Iglesias Pitbull

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‘Jersey Shore’ Cast Joins Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull In ‘I Like It’ Video: Watch It Now!

‘Jersey Shore’ Season-Two Preview Teases The Gang’s Miami Road Trip

New season premieres July 29 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. By Todd Gilchrist Snooki in season two of “Jersey Shore” Photo: MTV News Can’t wait till July 29 for the “Jersey Shore” season-two premiere? Well, MTV News debuted an exclusive 13-minute clip from the new season during the MTV Movie Awards pre-show. Starting with a short recap of some of season one’s juiciest moments, fans can take a look at the setup of the new season and check in and see where the Shore-mates have been since the end of the last one. As an epic snowstorm descends on the Eastern Seaboard, the castmembers decide to head South to Miami, where they intend to bring their fist-pumping action to the topless beaches. Snooki reveals that “when she was done Snookin’ for love, she found an amazing gorilla juicehead,” with whom she’s enjoyed a two-month romance. But she says she’s open to getting in trouble, as long as the drinks are flowing down in Miami. “I feel like I’m going to be like a tornado — going from place to place destroying things.” After Snooki’s juicehead helps cover her in self-tanner — which she astutely points out that President Obama has raised taxes on — she and JWoww depart in a black SUV to make the trek down to Florida for season-two fun. Meanwhile, “brothers from another mother” Pauly D and “The Situation” hope to arrive in time to enjoy their pick of the plush Miami digs, but the duo make a detour in Myrtle Beach, where they load up on fireworks. Unfortunately, Pauly’s SUV gets stuck in the mud, and although they pass the time launching bottle rockets into the sky as an SOS for AAA, it ultimately takes two tow trucks and a new pair of Nikes to get Pauly and Sitch back on the road again. In another vehicle, Sammi “Sweetheart” announces unceremoniously that she and her season-one fella, Ronnie, have parted ways, and the two mutually agreed to be single. (We look forward to seeing how well that works out.) Ronnie in particular seems ready to be unfettered by long-term female companionship, although one of his well-wishing buddies warns him about “double-baggers,” girls whose attractiveness is so questionable that they require the guy to wear a bag over his head “in case hers falls off.” Finally, there’s Angelina, the self-professed “Kim Kardashian of Staten Island.” She announces that she’s looking forward to season two because she’s hoping it will give her a chance to “show everybody the real Angelina — not just the bitchy side.” That said, she freely admits that “the bitch of Staten Island is back and f—ing ready to party!” While Pauly and Sitch struggle to free themselves from the South Carolina mud, Snooki and JWoww arrive at a bar in Savannah, Georgia, where they try out local delicacies and turn down romantic advances. As they dine on fried pickles, a guy approaches with a pair of shot glasses and joins them for a drink. Snooki suggests that the guy “f—s his sister for a living,” but JWoww is a little kinder, saying he does not know how to hit on girls. If their opinions seem a little cruel, take comfort in the fact that the guy eventually offers his own version of iconic Jersey fist-pumping, which more or less earns all the criticisms that they volunteer about him. Check out the full clip online at midnight ET. Relive the wildest, funniest and most-jaw-dropping moments of the 2010 MTV Movie Awards, watch revealing red-carpet interviews and get exclusive movie clips after the show at MovieAwards.MTV.com . Season two of “Jersey Shore” premieres Thursday, July 29, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. Be there!

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‘Jersey Shore’ Season-Two Preview Teases The Gang’s Miami Road Trip

Celtics Reserve — We’re Going to the White House!

Filed under: P. Diddy , TMZ Sports Boston Celtics forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis is making an NBA Finals prediction — and shockingly he’s picking the team he plays for. Baby told our photog he planned on seeing President Barack Obama at the White House real soon — an honor only reserved… Read more

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Celtics Reserve — We’re Going to the White House!

Breaking: Oil Spill Could Hit East Coast By Summer |Green

The National Center for Atmospheric Research believes that oil from the leaking deep water rig in the Gulf of Mexico could impact much of America’s East Coast by summer. As reported by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Thursday, scientists using a detailed computer modeling program have created a video image of what they feel

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Breaking: Oil Spill Could Hit East Coast By Summer |Green

Robert Scheer: Treat Palestinians Like Jews

If nothing else, this assault on decency by the Israeli government was clearly intended to derail the peace talks that President Barack Obama has encouraged. But instead of calling Israel on its savagery, the U.S. is virtually alone in the world in its embarrassingly mild rebuke.

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Robert Scheer: Treat Palestinians Like Jews

Happy 4th Birthday, THG!

Four years to the day. That’s when The Hollywood Gossip entered the celebrity gossip world with a single news article. 6/6/06 . You couldn’t plan it any better. Fittingly, Lindsay Lohan was the topic of our first-ever story. What a wild ride it’s been since – for Lohan and her fellow celebs, for our entire staff and for readers. To commemorate our four birthday, THG takes a look back at the stars who generated the most buzz on our site for each of our 48 months covering celeb gossip. Not surprisingly, our girl has made a big splash again lately … Our journey began with LiLo, whose ankle-monitor antics continue to this day. June 2010: Miley Cyrus. The month is still young, but Miles already looks to have it wrapped up with her edgy, unwilling-to-be-tamed comments and behavior . May 2010: Kendra Wilkinson. Before she was one of the Girls Next Door , she was a sex tape star. Only now did she leak the tape and feign heartbreak, though. April 2010: Lindsay Lohan. One of the great train wrecks hit a new low, partying like crazy, bailing on a court date and later being slapped with ankle monitor. March 2010: Jesse James and Michelle McGee. A poor man’s Tiger, Jesse James’ and Bombshell’s cheating ways – and Nazi pics – were scandalously exposed. February 2010: Vienna Girardi. The controversial contestant on The Bachelor shocked the world by winning Jake Pavelka’s heart – and by still being with him. January 2010: Robert Pattinson. His popularity is always high. This month, it wasn’t a testament to any particular event, but to his widespread, mass appeal. December 2009: Tiger Woods. The fallout from his Thanksgiving night car crash spilled over into the whole next month, with a dozen-plus affairs coming to light. November 2009: Rachel Uchitel. One of the biggest sex scandals in history crushed the image of the world’s #1 athlete. Rachel Uchitel was Tiger’s #1 mistress. October 2009: David Letterman . The talk show host’s affairs with women who worked for him in the past caused big controversy and nearly ended his marriage. September 2009: Jon and Kate Gosselin. The reality TV couple’s already high-profile, public split reached new heights with dueling lawsuits and wars of words. August 2009: Lady Gaga . Of all the crazy tales out there in the gossip world, the Lady Gaga hermaphrodite pictures and rumors may have the post staying power. The image that gave rise to the Lady Gaga hermaphrodite rumors . July 2009: Michael Jackson. The King of Pop’s death June 25 took over the web for weeks as details of his demise unfolded and a new generation of fans was born. June 2009: Spencer Pratt. His marriage to Heidi on the season finale of The Hills and a ridiculous stint on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here were quite a combo. May 2009: Rihanna. Chris Brown beat her up months earlier, but it was mysterious, unexplained nude photo leak that sparked even more interest in the superstar. April 2009: Carrie Prejean. Miss California finished second in the Miss USA pageant, but first in posing for topless photos, and uttering absurd hypocritical quotes. March 2009: Adam Lambert. Speculation swirled about the sexuality of the eventual American Idol runner-up for months. But no one ever questioned his talent. February 2009: Melissa Rycroft. She won over The Bachelor – and millions of fans after Jason Mesnick chose her, only to dump her for runner-up Molly Malaney . January 2009: Natalie Dylan. Shameless publicity stunts are common in this era, but auctioning off one’s virginity to the highest bidder? That was a new one. December 2008: Kim Kardashian. Doing nothing noteworthy but always where celeb gossip blogs and photographers can find her, we can’t help but kover Kim. November 2008: Adrienne Bailon. Nude photos of the Cheetah Girl were leaked but turned out to be a total farce engineered by her agent to gain publicity. August-October 2008: Sarah and Bristol Palin . The Republican V.P. nominee Sarah Palin dominated news, as did her teen daughter, revealed to be pregnant. The Palins were, and still are always good for a story. July 2008: DeAnna Pappas. The Bachelorette ‘s pick of Jesse Csincsak over Jason Mesnick drew outrage. Months later, Jason would cause similar controversy. June 2008: Jaymes Foster. News that Clay Aiken knocked up a middle-aged woman named Jaymes rocked his fans. In September of that year, he came out. May 2008: Shayne Lamas. This bleach-blonde airhead was a lock to spark celebrity gossip interest – get dumped within weeks – after winning The Bachelor . April 2008: Audrina Patridge. The Hills star was already becoming a big deal but a nude photo “scandal” took interest in her to a new level. Ah, “leaked” pics. March 2008: Ashley Dupre. We deal with lots of attention whores, but few actual whores. The sexy call girl New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was boning fit the bill. February 2008: David Archuleta. David, 17 going on 11, won the hearts of millions on American Idol and defeated all but one singer in pursuit of the crown. January 2008: Adnan Ghalib. Who? The paparazzo who dated Britney Spears, natch! Their relationship fizzled when she was involuntarily hospitalized. Sad. December 2007: Jamie Lynn Spears. When Britney’s lil’ sis announced she was carrying Casey Aldridge’s baby at age 16, well, we weren’t really surprised. November 2007: Kim Kardashian. We knew that booty was somethin’ from the way Ray J rode it. But we’re surprised how far she’s ridden her 15 minutes. Kim has kome so far since the Ray J daze. Her sisters are famous too. October 2007: Heidi Montag. Speidi engaged! Heidi and Spencer call off wedding! Heidi and Spencer pose for bikini pics! You name it, we wrote about it. September 2007: Camila Alves. Upstaging a Vanessa Hudgens nude photo scandal is no small feat, getting engaged to Matthew McConaughey will do that. August 2007: Spencer Pratt. A master manipulator, Spencer Pratt has always known he’s a celebrity gossip magnet and exploited it like the best of them. July 2007: Amy Polumbo. This beauty queen’s allegedly “raunchy” pics captivated us. Unfortch, the pics were quite vanilla Spread eagle in jeans? Poor. June 2007: Joslyn Morse. Baseball star Alex Rodriguez was labeled “Stray-Rod” after his affair with a stripper who may or may not have an Adam’s apple. May 2007: Lauren Conrad. Beautiful without trying too hard, The Hills star has been a fixture on The Hollywood Gossip since its inception. We heart her! April 2007: Olivia Mojica. An American Idol reject whose sex tape brought her back to prominence took the traffic crown from another hopeful. Poetic. February & March 2007: Antonella Barba. She kind if sucked on American Idol … and in pics surfacing online of her going to town on some schmoe. January 2007: Britney Spears. Fresh off a split from K-Fed, Brit went on a binge of drinking, random sexual encounters and clubbing with no pants. It’s really a shame this friendship fizzled fast. December 2006: Paris Hilton. Disease-riddled. Useless. Always in the news. Back in the day, you could always count on the ho-tel heiress for gossip. November 2006: Chris Ivery. Grey’s Anatomy star Ellen Pompeo made a ton of headlines, for some reason, when she got engaged to Chris Ivery. September & October 2006: Lindsay Lohan. Incredibly, back then, Lindsay was still in the early stages of her downward spiral. Nowadays? Wow. August 2006: Kristin Cavallari. The former Laguna Beach star was, like, a big deal for a time there. She and Brody Jenner made a hot couple, too. July 2006: Nicole Richie. At this point, Nicole had not eaten since like 2004. Brody Jenner tried to force-feed her at the urging of Spencer Pratt. June 2006: Heather Mills. Heather Mills is a big loser, but boy, that peg-legged former call girl and digger of gold was a THG news cow for months.

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Happy 4th Birthday, THG!

Erykah Badu Strips Again For Vibe Cover

Singer says ‘Window Seat’ video was controversial because ‘sexuality that’s not for male consumption’ makes people uncomfortable. By Jayson Rodriguez Erykah Badu on the July cover of Vibe Magazine Photo: Vibe Magazine Erykah Badu appears to be topless on the cover of the new issue of Vibe, and in her interview with the magazine, she continues to discuss nudity in her “Window Seat” video . In the clip, which Badu debuted on her own website back in March, the singer strips her clothes off as she nears Dallas’ Dealey Plaza as a symbolic gesture of freedom. The move, however, drew criticism for a number of reasons, including the fact that the shoot occurred near the site of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. The singer also received backlash simply for disrobing in a video; online commentators suggested she was using sex to sell her music. Badu scoffed at that notion, though. “I look at some other videos. I’m not naming names, because I don’t want that to be mentioned. There is the thing with sexuality,” Badu told Vibe. “I’m naked for 13 seconds, and these people are naked the whole time and gyrating and saying come ‘lick on my lollipop’ and ‘suck on my cinnamon roll’ and, you know, suggesting sex. People are uncomfortable with sexuality that’s not for male consumption. Could be ’cause I did it in public too. Do you think people would have been complaining if I had on high-heel shoes?” Badu was charged with disorderly conduct over the video and later pleaded not guilty . Badu splits the June/July cover of Vibe with Nicki Minaj, whose cover shot portrays her as a sexy anime-style girl in a maid’s uniform. The pair follows Young Jeezy and Trey Songz, and Chris Brown and Drake as split-cover subjects in the magazine since it re-launched late last year. Which Vibe cover, Erykah Badu or Nicki Minaj, are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos The Evolution Of: Erykah Badu Erykah Badu’s ‘Window Seat’: Shot By Shot Related Artists Erykah Badu

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Erykah Badu Strips Again For Vibe Cover