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Ιαν 17 τις 6:10 μ.μ.

What Bob Dole can teach us  Former Senate Republican Leader Robert Dole will receive the Congressional Gold Medal today in a ceremony on Capitol Hill. President Donald J. Trump will speak about the importance of Dole’s legacy to conservatives and to Americans of all stripes. A celebrated war hero, Dole holds the record for longest-serving Republican leader in the Senate. He is widely known for his bipartisan, levelheaded approach to hot-button issues such as Social Security. As America reaches a crossroads on pivotal issues from immigration and security at our borders to opioids and crumbling infrastructure in our heartland, our leaders in Congress must look to Dole as a role model now more than ever. Watch the ceremony live at 3:00 p.m. E.T. 53 percent strong  “Women represent 53% of the electorate, but care about 100% of the issues,” read a large screen behind the Women of America discussion panels hosted by the White House yesterday. Female leaders from across the U.S. government joined mothers, business owners, law-enforcement officials, and other women for three panels overseen by Director of Surrogate & Coalitions Outreach Kelly Sadler: The first panel covered economics, with Ivanka Trump, Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, and U.S. Small Business Administrator Linda McMahon touting the effects of tax and regulatory reform on American businesses—more than a third of which are headed by women. The next panel discussed health care. White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway opened by addressing the “crisis next door” of opioid addiction. Seema Verma, director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, talked through her goal of empowering patients. The final group talked national security and public safety, joined by Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, Associate Attorney General Rachel Brand, and Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Sue Gordon. Gordon shared how the intelligence community has grown from a primarily male-dominated field to one achieving relative gender parity. Watch: President Trump joins A Conversation with the Women of America. A partner to help deter North Korea  President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan met with President Trump in a bilateral meeting at the White House yesterday. As an elected member of the United Nations Security Council for the remainder of 2018, Kazakhstan has become an even more crucial strategic partner. Beginning with the voluntary renunciation of its nuclear arsenal in 1992,Kazakhstan has proven itself to be a global leader on non-proliferation issues. Its relationship with America runs deep: The United States was the first country to recognize Kazakhstani independence on Christmas Day 1991. “Together, we are determined to prevent the North Korean regime from threatening the world with nuclear devastation,” President Trump said. Read more: Kazakhstan is a security partner for the 21st century. PHOTO OF THE DAY President Donald J. Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan during a working lunch | January 16, 2018 (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian) POTUS TODAY Today, President Trump will attend a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony honoring former Senator Bob Dole at the U.S. Capitol. This morning, Vice President Pence will host a breakfast meeting with President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan. In the afternoon, the Vice President will join President Trump in attending the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony. QUOTE No American—whether a nun, nurse, baker, or business owner—should be forced to choose between the tenets of faith or adherence to the law. Proclamation by President Donald J. Trump Tuesday, January 16, 2018, marks America’s celebration of National Religious Freedom Day. President Donald J. Trump made the observance official in a signed proclamation this week. Religious freedom has shaped the history of the United States since our forefathers sought refuge from religious persecution. Federal recognition of Religious Freedom Day began with President George H. W. Bush in 1993, and presidents have generally signed a new proclamation every year since. January 16 is the anniversary of the 1786 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom’s passage. Considered one of the foundational texts of a young America, the document outlined what principles constituted true respect by a government for freedom of religion. “All men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or affect their civil capacities,” wrote its author, Thomas Jefferson. The Virginia statute served as a model in many ways for the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which followed a few years later with its familiar words, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” In that spirit, Religious Freedom Day is a moment to celebrate and fight to protect religious freedom in America and around the world. “We will continue to condemn and combat extremism, terrorism, and violence against people of faith, including genocide waged by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria against Yezidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims,” President Trump writes in this year’s proclamation. The President’s commitment to religious freedom has guided the Trump Administration’s work during its first year: President Trump issued an executive order last May titled “Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty,” reinforcing the religious freedom protections of the Constitution and minimizing “undue interference by the Federal Government” in areas such as health care. The President and First Lady met with His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican later that month, discussing how religious communities could help combat terrorism and relieve human suffering in afflicted parts of the world. Vice President Mike Pence has been a forceful advocate for religious freedom, perhaps most visibly in a stirring speech delivered at the World Summit in Defense of Persecuted Christians last May. President Trump’s proclamation is a reminder that civic participation and religious observance shouldn’t be opposing forces. “The free exercise of religion is a source of personal and national stability,” the proclamation reads. “Faith breathes life and hope into our world.” Replace Your Lost Vital Documents  Thinking about traveling overseas or getting a new job? You'll need offical government documents for certain things. If you have lost or damaged your Social Security card, birth certificate or passport, learn how to get them replaced.  Smithsonian Science How: Working with Fossils Join Michelle Pinsdorf to understand her role as a fossil preparator and what goes into preserving fossils for both study and display. Register your class for this Smithsonian Science How Chat on Thursday, January 18 at 11 AM and 2 PM ET! Best Winter Public Lands What national parks are the best to visit during the winter? Use this DOI blog to learn about and explore the most beautiful and geographically significant public lands in the winter months with your students. Impact Education Policy! The Department of Education's School Ambassador Fellowship is looking for great teachers and school administrators to improve public education. The program helps develop and implement national education policy. Apply by January 31 for this great opportunity!