A class of third graders from North Philadelphia recently wrote to Vice President Biden about reducing gun violence. This week, the Vice President sat down to share some of these children's words with you — and an expression that belonged to his mom: "out of the mouths of babes come gems of wisdom." Take a listen.

Visit WhiteHouse.gov/BeingBiden to check out all of the episodes and to sign up to receive email updates when new stories are posted.

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This week, President Obama traveled to Mexico and Costa Rica to reinforce the deep cultural, familial, and economic ties that so many Americans share with Mexico and Central America.

President Barack Obama arrives aboard Air Force One at Juan Santamaria International Airport, San Jose, Costa Rica.

May 3, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

President Obama arrived in Costa Rica on Friday — his first visit to the country — and participated in a bilateral meeting and joint press conference with Costa Rican President Chincilla, as well as a working dinner. During the press conference, the President spoke about the friendship and economic ties between our two countries:

Costa Rica shows the benefits of trade that is free and fair. Over the last few years, under the Central America Free Trade Agreement, our trade with Costa Rica has doubled, creating more jobs for people in both of our countries. Our partnerships are creating more opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including young people and women. As I told President Chinchilla, the United States will continue to be your partner as Costa Rica modernizes its economy so that you’re attracting more investment and creating even more trade and more jobs.

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In the fourth installment of "Being Biden," the Vice President tells the story behind a photo taken with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backstage at the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards. The two discussed their shared commitment to reduce violence against women and their call for all Americans to continue to speak out on this issue.

Vice President Joe Biden talks with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backstage during the Vital Voices Global Leadership Awards, at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, April 2, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

Learn more about the Administration's efforts to end violence against women at wh.gov/1is2many. Read our strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls globally here.

You can listen to the full series at whitehouse.gov/beingbiden, and also sign up to receive an email update when new stories are posted.

This morning, the White House released a special video message from the President. Watch it here:

Earlier today, the White House invited innovators from around the country to join a Google+ Hangout to discuss the Maker Movement, a growing community of young people and adults who are designing and building things on their own time.

White House innovation advisor Tom Kalil moderated the conversation with participants including: 11-year-old Super Awesome Sylvia, creator of the Super Awesome Maker Show; Dale Dougherty, founder of MAKE Magazine and creator of Maker Faire; Tara Tiger Brown, co-founder and executive director at LA Makerspace; Saul Griffith, co-founder of Otherlab; and Venkatesh Prasad, Ford technical leader. And in a first for White House Hangouts, a robot joined too.

During the Hangout, participants discussed the elements of an "all hands on deck" effort to elevate Making and also share their ideas on how we can get more young people interested in STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math). Here's what you missed:

We'll continue to host hangouts with key members of the Administration on a range of issues. Follow the White House on Google+ for updates from the Administration and opportunities to participate in upcoming Hangouts.

This week, the White House will continue a series of conversations with Administration officials on Google+. On Thursday, March 28th at 3:00 pm ET, White House innovation advisor Tom Kalil will join a Google+ Hangout to discuss the Maker Movement with leading innovators and Makers from around the country.

More and more Americans are becoming Makers, a growing community of young people and adults who are designing and building things on their own time. For example, 120,000 people participated in the May 2012 Maker Faire in San Mateo, California, sharing projects such as a flame-powered pipe organ, a fully automated ragtime band, and a 12-foot-tall aluminum robotic face controlled by 12 joysticks. 

President Obama believes we need to give more young people the ability to become Makers. As the President said at the launch of his Educate To Innovate campaign to improve science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, "I want us all to think about new and creative ways to engage young people in science and engineering, whether it's science festivals, robotics competitions, fairs that encourage young people to create and build and invent—to be makers of things, not just consumers of things." The Maker Movement can also promote innovation in manufacturing, one of President Obama’s top priorities. 

During the Hangout, Tom Kalil will discuss the elements of an "all hands on deck" effort to promote Making, with participants including:

• Dale Dougherty, Founder and Publisher of MAKE
• Tara Tiger Brown, Los Angeles Makerspace
• Super Awesome Sylvia, Super Awesome Maker Show
• Saul Griffith, Co-Founder, Otherlab
• Venkatesh Prasad, Ford

Watch the hangout with Tom Kalil live on WhiteHouse.gov, or tune in to the White House's Google+ page or YouTube channel. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WHHangout.

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Last week, we launched "Being Biden," an audio series that offers a glimpse into the Vice Presidency. In the latest installment, Vice President Biden takes you to St. Peter's Basilica, just after the Inauguration Mass of Pope Francis. Check it out:

You can listen to the full series at whitehouse.gov/beingbiden, and also sign up to receive an email update when new stories are posted.

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the Let's Move! website.

Earlier today, First Lady Michelle Obama hopped on Twitter to discuss Let's Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy. During the chat with people from around the country, Mrs. Obama shared her favorite cardio workout (it’s kickboxing), winter recipes she loves (and a great resource for Pinspiration), plus a new program that will bring physical activity back to schools (and how you can get involved).

Right now, the First Lady is answering your questions about @letsmove! on Twitter. Join with #AskFLOTUS: twitter.com/FLOTUS/status/…

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) March 11, 2013

Check out the full Q&A below, or over on Storify. And be sure to follow @FLOTUS and @LetsMove on Twitter for updates and news about the Let’s Move! initiative and how you can get involved.

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Today, President Obama signed a bill that both strengthened and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).  Thanks to the bipartisan agreement, thousands of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking will be able to access resources they need in their communities to help heal from their trauma.

Do you have questions about the Violence Against Women Act? On Friday, March 8th at 3:45 p.m. ET, we're holding a session of White House Office Hours on Twitter with Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President and Chair of the White House Council on Women and Girls, and Lynn Rosenthal, White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, to answer your questions.

Here's how it works:

• Ask your questions now and during the live event on Twitter with the hashtag #WHChat
• Follow the Q&A live through the @WHLive and @VJ44 Twitter accounts
• If you miss the live session, the full session will be posted on WhiteHouse.gov and Storify.com/Whitehouse

To learn more, you can check out a fact sheet on key provisions in the law and read the President's remarks. Be sure to follow @WhiteHouse for the latest updates and more opportunities to engage.

Ed. note: This post was originally published on the official Let's Move! website.

Earlier today, First Lady Michelle Obama joined her first ever Google+ Hangout live from the Blue Room of the White House. Continuing our series of “Fireside Hangouts” on Google+, Mrs. Obama participated in a virtual conversation about Let’s Move!, her initiative to ensure our nation’s kids grow up healthy and reach their full potential.

During the Hangout, the First Lady discussed the new Let’s Move! Active Schools program designed to bring physical activity back to schools, the importance of family dinner, steps to get healthier lunches into schools – and favorite dance moves (of course, it’s the dougie. And yes, everyone in the hangout dougied together.)  Watch the full video:

First Lady Michelle Obama participates in the “Let’s Move!” Google+ Hangout in the Blue Room of the White House.

March 4, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

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In less than two weeks, dangerous across the board budget cuts are slated to take effect, potentially threatening hundreds of thousands of jobs, our national security and our economic recovery. The President has laid out a specific plan with detailed cuts to avoid the sequester and reduce the deficit in a balanced way by cutting spending, reforming entitlements and closing tax loopholes for the wealthiest and big corporations – loopholes not available to the middle class — and Congressional Democrats have put forward a balanced approach as well.

The only party unwilling to compromise to avoid these devastating cuts are Congressional Republicans, who would rather see our recovery and middle class economic security be put at risk than close one tax loophole for big corporations and the wealthiest.

Tonight, in an effort to distract from this reality, the Leader of the Republican party took to the opinion pages of the Wall Street Journal to engage in an amazing act of revisionist history. Instead of communicating with the American people – who support a balanced approach to reduce the deficit – about finding a compromise, the Republican Leadership once again launched a series of false attacks instead of putting forward ways to resolve this issue in a bipartisan way.

So let's set the record straight.

1. Speaker Boehner asked “What spending are you willing to cut to replace it?” Here they are: The fact is, the President has a detailed, balanced plan with spending cuts. He is willing to make tough choices. Now it’s time for the Speaker to do the same. The Speaker has yet to name one tax loophole he’s willing to close? Not one.
2. The Speaker said the sequester is "an ugly and dangerous way" to cut spending. We agree. But in the past he’s led Congressional Republicans to threaten the sequester as a political tool. In the Wall Street Journal on January 6, 2013: “Mr. Boehner says he has significant Republican support, including GOP defense hawks, on his side for letting the sequester do its work. ‘I got that in my back pocket,’ the speaker says.”
3. In that same article in the Wall Street Journal Speaker Boehner boasts about using the sequester as leverage. “Republican willingness to support the sequester, Mr. Boehner says, is ‘as much leverage as we're going to get.’ That leverage, he reasons, is what will force Democrats to the table on entitlements.”
4. It’s time for Speaker Boehner to explain to the American people what he actually meant. The Speaker claims the sequester was a last minute agreement to resolve the debt limit increase the President wanted. Simply not true. In fact, it was the Speaker who praised the sequester at the time. Following the deal, he said “When you look at this final agreement that we came to with the White House, I got 98 percent of what I wanted. I'm pretty happy.” In fact, the final vote count was 269-161 – with 174 Republicans in favor. Speaker Boehner, Rep. Cantor and Rep. Ryan all voted yes.
5. Speaker Boehner argues the President has "put forth no detailed plan that can pass Congress". Here’s the plan.  It’s balanced and it includes spending cuts. The President is willing to make tough choices. It’s time for Speaker Boehner and Congressional Republicans to do the same.
6. Speaker Boehner claims we haven't been serious about entitlement reform. The opposite is true: Here’s the plan. It’s on the table. Now it’s time for Congressional Republicans to come to the table and take a balanced approach to avoid these devastating cuts.
7. Where is the Republican plan? The GOP bill expired. If they’re confident the draconian cuts will win support in Congress and more importantly – with the American people — they should bring it up for a vote.

Earlier this evening, President Obama sat down with Americans from across the country to discuss his State of the Union address and his plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class.

During the virtual conversation, the President answered questions about a range of topics, from steps to reduce gun violence to his plan to reward hard work by raising the minimum wage. The President also addressed some more personal questions from participants on recommended reading, Valentine’s Day plans and baby names.

President Barack Obama participates in a “Fireside Hangout” on Google+ with Americans from around the country to discuss his State of the Union Address, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.

February 14, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Check out the full video of the President’s Hangout below. And if you have thoughts about the State of the Union, you can share your Citizen Response with the White House using a new online tool.

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On Thursday, February 14th at 4:50 p.m. EST, President Obama will sit down with Americans from all across the country for a “Fireside Hangout” – our 21st century take on Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats. The President will join a live, completely virtual interview from nowhere other than the Roosevelt Room in the White House’s West Wing.

This online event comes just days after the State of the Union address, where the President laid out his plan to create jobs and strengthen the middle class. During the hangout, which is hosted and moderated by Google, the President will connect with people who are active online to discuss the policies and proposals in the speech.

Do you have a question that you’d like President Obama to answer? Right now, you can submit a text or video question for the President, and also vote on your favorites. Then, be sure to tune in for the hangout live on Thursday, February 14th at 4:50 p.m. EST. Watch it live on the White House YouTube Channel, Google+ page and at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Thursday’s event with the President is the latest in a series of Fireside Hangouts and White House engagement programs on Google+. Last month, Vice President Biden kicked off the series with a virtual conversation about reducing gun violence. And after President Obama presented his plan to fix our broken immigration system, Cecilia Muñoz, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, joined a Fireside Hangout on the issue.

The White House uses Google+, and other social media networks and online tools, to directly connect President Obama and his Administration directly with the American people. Since our inaugural White House hangout with President Obama after the State of the Union in January 2012, the White House has hosted hangouts about everything from healthy families to small business and mortgage refinancing to human trafficking.

More than 1.4 million people have followed the White House since we joined Google+ a little over a year ago — and we've invited those followers to join hangouts with senior staff and Cabinet members and come to the White House for special events, like our State of the Union Social and a Google+ photowalk. Follow us on Google+ to stay connected to the White House and get the latest updates on how you can engage. You can also check out the White House on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. Learn more about all the ways you can engage with the White House at WhiteHouse.gov/engage.

With Tuesday's State of the Union address only 39 hours away (9:00 p.m. ET), we're putting the final touches on a week that's jam-packed with opportunities to respond to the speech, get answers to your questions and join an online video-chat with the President.

In addition to some things that have been really popular for past "SOTU" Addresses, we've got some exciting new features to introduce. Here's the rundown:

When the President addresses the nation, the White House will provide something you can't find anywhere else: an enhanced version of the speech that offers charts, facts and other info as the President speaks (check out last year's here). You can watch live on WhiteHouse.gov/SOTU, through the White House mobile apps for iPhone, Android and iPad, and also on the official White House presences on YouTube, Google+, Hulu, Facebook, and Ustream. And if you'd like, you can embed the stream on your own site.

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Vice President Joe Biden participates in a Google+ Hangout about the Administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence, in the Secretary of War Suite in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex.

January 24, 2013.

(Official White House Photo by David Lienemann)

This afternoon, Vice President Biden sat down with Americans from around the country to talk about proposals to reduce gun violence in a live Google+ Hangout. During the virtual roundtable, participants from all different backgrounds asked the Vice President about topics ranging from an assault weapons ban to the Second Amendment and from mental health checks to making our schools safer. In case you missed the event live, check out the full video below, and learn more about the plan.

This "Fireside Hangout" was hosted by Google and moderated by Hari Sreenivasan of PBS NewsHour with guests including: Guy Kawasaki, an author and technology expert; Phil DeFranco, a media entrepreneur and host of the Phil Defranco show on YouTube;  Theresa Ttillett, a mother and grandmother living in Hartford, CT; and Kimberley Blaine, a blogger and therapist who leads several parenting communities on Google+. This was the Vice President's first hangout, and the first White House hangout of the second term. 

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This week, the White House will continue a series of conversations with top administration officials on Google+. On Thursday, January 24 at 1:45 p.m. ET, Vice President Biden will join the latest “Fireside Hangout” – a 21st century take on FDR’s famous radio addresses – to talk about reducing gun violence.

On January 16, President Obama and Vice President Biden released a plan to help protect our children and our communities by reducing gun violence. The plan outlines specific, common-sense steps we can take right now to help keep guns out of the wrong hands, ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, make our schools safer, and increase access to mental health services. Learn more about the plan here.

During the hangout hosted by Google and moderated by Hari Sreenivasan from PBS NewsHour, Vice President Biden will discuss the White House policy recommendations on reducing gun violence. Google+ users from the around the country will join the discussion, including Guy Kawasaki and Phil DeFranco. If you have a question, you can suggest it by writing it on the participants’ on Google+ pages. Watch the hangout with Vice President Biden live on WhiteHouse.gov, or tune in to the White House's Google+ page or YouTube channel.

We'll continue to host hangouts with key members of the President’s cabinet on a range of second term priorities. Follow us on Google+ for updates from the Administration and opportunities to participate in upcoming hangouts.

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Yesterday, on First Lady Michelle Obama’s birthday, the White House launched its newest Twitter account: @FLOTUS (short for First Lady of the United States). The White House uses Twitter to connect directly with Americans, and now you can get the latest from the Office of the First Lady.

@FLOTUS followers will get regular updates and photos from the First Lady’s team, plus special messages directly from the First Lady. Tweets signed “-mo”, like this one, are from Mrs. Obama.

Thanks for the warm welcome & birthday wishes! Join me & Barack for #MLKDay of Service this Saturday. Sign up: 2013pic.org/service –mo

— FLOTUS (@FLOTUS) January 18, 2013

In less than 24-hours, the account has racked up more than 75,000 followers – but we’re just getting started. Here are some of things you can expect to see from @FLOTUS:

• Behind-the-scenes photos and updates
• Opportunities to engage directly with the First Lady and the White House
• News about the First Lady’s initiatives, Let’s Move! @LetsMove and Joining Forces @JoiningForces

Take a look at some of the most popular tweets from FLOTUS' first day on twitter below, or over on Storify. If you have ideas on the kinds of updates or engagement you’d like to see from the new @FLOTUS account, or feedback about our online program generally, let us know on twitter with the hashtag #whweb.

[View the story “Follow @FLOTUS on Twitter” on Storify]

Follow @FLOTUS on Twitter

On First Lady Michelle Obama’s birthday, the White House launched its newest twitter account: @FLOTUS (short for First Lady of the United States). Take a look at @FLOTUS’ first day on twitter, and follow for updates.

Storified by The White House· Fri, Jan 18 2013 07:44:53

Already following @FLOTUS? Be sure to check out all of our official accounts:

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