In Michelle Obama's opinion "everyone would know" if she was divorcing her husband The former first lady said it wouldn't be a secret if she was splitting from former President Barack Obama, during a May 1 episode of "The Diary of a CEO" podcast with host Steven Bartlett The former collegiate head basketball coach Robinson said if the pair were having marriage problems "I'd be doing a podcast with (Barack Obama)." Michelle Obama breaks silence on skipping Trump's second inauguration Marriage and more: Sign up for USA TODAY's Keeping It Together newsletter Obama revealed why she decided to skip Trump's second inaugural ceremony "My decision to skip the inauguration – or my decision to make choices at the beginning of this year that suited me – were met with such ridicule and criticism," Obama explained during the episode "People couldn't believe that I was saying no for any other reason They had to assume that my marriage was falling apart "I'm here really trying to own my life and intentionally practice making the choice that was right for me and it took everything in my power to not do the thing that 'was right,' or was perceived as right but do the things that was right for me," she added on "IMO." Michelle Obama hits back at divorce rumors that start when she makes 'a choice for myself' Obama echoed her earlier comments about why she skipped the event to Bartlett in the "Diary of a CEO" episode as a box-checking person who has been checking her whole life always going high … I think I just told myself 'I think I've done enough of that,' and if I haven't But the Higher Ground co-founder said the differences in her and the former president's respective personalities actually make them more compatible he showed up in my life as the opposite of a box checker but somebody that I describe in my book as an 'ultimate swerver.' He did nothing by the book," she said Michelle Obama doesn't believe in coddling kids Obama said that even though she was strict with her daughters she felt it was important for them to make their own mistakes "And I think nowadays a lot of parents are trying to live their kids' lives for them so that they don't make any mistakes and don't feel any sense of failure which keeps them from learning," Obama told her cohost Craig Robinson and her two guests The "Becoming" author also spoke about how she wanted her daughters to make sound decisions on their own meaning she had to stop overparenting them which means that I've got to let go," Obama said She added that she tried to give her kids more rope before they went to college "And I think that the reverse happens now is that everybody's trying to hold on to their kids But one day they're going to get out there and the only thing that is for certain for kids getting out in the world is they're going to get hit with some failure," Obama said she says parents should start letting them make decisions early on "Choosing the knucklehead boyfriend and holding your tongue and showing them that you trust them so that when they do fail Obama's comments come as more parents are rethinking how they raise their children This parenting style frowns upon punitive methods while emphasizing respect and understanding of children's emotions Similarly, permissive parenting involves not setting or enforcing many rules for kids While this parenting style can foster a stronger bond between parents and their children it may lead to kids having trouble with self-regulation In a personal essay for Business Insider, child psychologist Michele Borba wrote that parents can instill resilience in their kids by letting them fail She wrote that one way would be for parents to stop trying to fix their kids' problems step back and subscribe to a new parenting behavior: 'Never do for your child what your child can do for themself,'" Borba wrote A representative for Obama did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours Former senior Barack Obama administration officials criticised former US president Joe Biden’s Gaza policies on a foreign policy podcast on Thursday both former senior Obama administration officials According to a video from the podcast shared by the Drop Site News who served as deputy national security advisor says: “Israel doesn’t want to end the war … if they were willing to end the war The idea that they need to continue to fight the war against Hamas in Gaza - I’m sorry You’re just talking about an already traumatised people who are being bombed in tents with no food and medicine.” former national security council spokesperson “What a total fucking disgrace the Biden administration’s policy on Gaza was… Loyalty to Netanyahu blinded him to the carnage The excerpts from the podcast have created interest on social media this week with many people saying that these former US administration officials speak only when it is “too late” Liberals only feel comfortable condemning war and slaughter once they're made sure it's too late to change any policy or to save anyone Many on social media reacted to the excerpts from the podcast with anger, saying that thousands of people have been talking about the atrocities done by Israel and “the real reasons why Israel does not want to end the war” Social media users also pointed out the hypocrisy of these former US administration officials who have always “sided with the Zionists” but are now speaking up Amazing almost 2 years later they grow some spines and a conscience, they didn’t say a word about this when their king Biden was to be reelected unchallenged, glad they suddenly care about children again… thanks @DropSiteNews news almost doing great work In early January, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised to continue Israel's war on Gaza in part as a bid to stop far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from exiting his coalition Netanyahu also faces the wrath of the electorate and pending corruption cases against him once the war in Gaza is over Israel also unilaterally violated the Gaza ceasefire in February after refusing to proceed to the second phase which would have secured the release of all remaining captives Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected offers from Hamas for their release Many have argued that if the Netanyahu government had genuinely prioritised bringing the hostages home, a deal could have been reached long ago without which Netanyahu’s coalition would collapse The ceasefire in Gaza has effectively collapsed as it transitions from one phase focused on the release of Israeli captives to the messier question of who will govern the Gaza Strip An investigative report aired by Israel’s Channel 13 has alleged that the Biden administration knowingly permitted Israel’s military campaign in Gaza to persist well beyond any defined strategic objective senior US officials privately acknowledged the offensive had devolved into “killing and destroying for the sake of killing and destroying” The investigation also claims the US was complicit in political interference, diplomatic obfuscation, and the derailment of peace efforts. Drop Site News shared the translations of the findings on social media Copyright © 2014 - 2025. Middle East Eye Only England and Wales jurisdiction apply in all legal matters Middle East Eye ISSN 2634-2456 2025 3:32AMLori Healey died Saturday at age 65 an Obama Foundation executive and CEO of McPier.CHICAGO (WLS) -- Chicago is mourning Lori Healey Her roles included chief of staff for former Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, CEO of McPier and executive with the Obama Foundation Healey's family said she peacefully passed away Saturday after a battle with pancreatic cancer Former Mayor Daley shared the following statement:"Lori Healey was a brilliant leader whose tireless spirit and deep commitment to public service set her apart From major civic developments to international events Lori's clarity of vision and gift for collaboration made her an essential force in our city's most important achievements She was so much more than a colleague-she was like family Her passing is a profound loss for me personally and for so many others in our great city who continue to feel the impact of her extraordinary life I extend my deepest condolences to her family and the many people whose lives she touched." Obama Foundation CEO Valerie Jarrett shared the following statement:"Chicago is a better city because of Lori Healey Lori established herself as one of the most respected and sought-after voices in both the public and private sector thanks to her brilliance Lori could connect with anyone in any room: heads of state She was generous with her time and passionate about living a purposeful life and a mighty force for good She enhanced the beauty and vitality of our neighborhoods while mentoring countless young people Lori not only oversaw the massive construction effort on the South Side but also dedicated herself to inspiring and mentoring young women in construction we will miss her faithful and radiant friendship I extend our heartfelt condolences to her partner Walt and all those who were lucky enough to know and love her." City Club of Chicago CEO Dan Gibbons shared the following statement:"We are heartbroken by the passing of Lori Healey our cherished friend and board member at the City Club of Chicago and unwavering commitment to our city will never be forgotten She leaves behind a legacy of impact and leadership that will continue to inspire us all for generations." SEE ALSO | Funeral arrangements announced for former Illinois Governor George Ryan Wilson's new shoes, the "A’One," will be available starting May 6 The first of two commercials was released on May 3 to the theme of the nursey rhyme "Miss Mary Mack" but with lyrics changed to reflect Wilson and her impact a second commercial was released which was called "Teaching the pro." it features a young girl showing Wilson how to play "Miss Mary Mack" and sing the "A'ja Wilson is on top" theme song from May 3's commercial Obama graduated from Harvard and has worked on different film projects in the past While it's not confirmed when this Nike commercial was shot on the same day Wilson's jersey was getting retired by the program Wilson filmed a sit-down interview with actress Issa Rae to promote her new clothing line and shoes with Nike In the first commercial from May 3, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley had a cameo as she danced into a restaurant wearing both a shirt and visor with Wilson's Nike logo on it Wilson gave Staley and some other people in her inner circle a pair of her shoes already Staley raved about the shoes comfortability In the Las Vegas Aces preseason game on May 2 against the Dallas Wings a video released showing Wilson giving all her Aces teammates a pair of the pink shoes Wilson is beginning her eight season with the Aces 1 overall by the organization in the 2018 WNBA Draft she became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,000-points in a single season STATUE STALEY: What South Carolina coach Dawn Staley hopes people see when they look at her statue On May 11, 2024, Wilson was playing in a preseason game with the Aces in Colonial Life Arena, and revealed to the world she was getting a signature shoe with Nike the "A'One 'Pink A'ura'" will be $110 ($90 for kids) and available to purchase starting at 10 a.m Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin 2025Foc KanAll products are independently selected by our editors Malia Obama is a very busy 26-year-old. When she's not giving us fashion inspiration while hanging out with her younger sister, Sasha Obama, she's working as a director she directed the A'ja Wilson “A'One” shoe vignette in connection with the main commercial for the launch of her Nike signature sneaker The A’One is a new silhouette — and Wilson’s first Nike signature shoe It was designed to “push her performance to new heights and leave defenders in the dust.” This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from think again,” Wilson said in a press release This silhouette is meant to deliver the ultimate blend of comfort and versatility engineered to give hoopers everything they need — cushioning The Cushlon ST2 foam works with a firmer base to deliver explosive responsiveness and smooth allowing athletes to stay ready for every play It also features a reimagined traction pattern that lets you cut While the supportive insole and breathable mesh upper lock you in for unstoppable This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from taking control from the jump and dominating the floor on every play,” Wilson says we designed the shoe to both support my game and to provide young hoopers a tool to help them level up delivering exactly what I need to push my performance and inspiring the next generation to give it their all on every play.” Malia Obama — another iconic young Black woman — served as director in the secondary vignette for the launch of the A'One shoe which features Wilson and one of the young girls The little girl is teaching Wilson the commercial's main song (a remix of the popular nursery rhyme “Miss Mary Mack” featuring details about Wilson) that plays throughout the commercial LOIC VENANCE/Getty ImagesObama has written and directed other projects working on the Amazon Prime Video series Swarm working with athletic fashion brands like Nike we hope to see a lot more merging of fashion and sports in the near future Where Did All The Tween Fashion Go? All the Beauty Products We Spotted at the 2024 Olympics 9 Sunscreens Teen Vogue Editors Swear By for Year-Round Protection From Rose Water to Eyeliner, An Ode to Middle Eastern & North African Beauty I Dressed Like Bella Hadid for a Week to Find the Best Plus-Size Alternatives These Trendy Backpacks Will Elevate All Your School 'Fits What Is Underconsumption Core? Experts Explain the Trend Putting Dirty Shoes All Over Your Feed Sign in See all responsesHelp In this episode of The Ayn Rand Institute Podcast Elan Journo and Ben Bayer discuss the Trump administration’s move to restart nuclear talks with Iran by rehashing Obama’s failed deal This podcast was recorded on April 28, 2025 and posted on April 30, 2025. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Watch archived podcasts here Ibis Slade is a junior fellow at the Ayn Rand Institute and a content creator He focuses on American intellectual and moral history Explore unique philosophical content that challenges conventional views — in courses you can take on the go Media Inquiries Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter You’ll also receive a FREE copy of our book which are tied to the launch of the WNBA star's signature shoe Dia Dipasupil/Getty; Monica Schipper/Getty Blue Heron Farm, the Martha's Vineyard estate where former President Barack Obama and his family vacationed, is set to be listed for sale, according to Brian Dougherty of Corcoran on Wednesday Dougherty will be co-agent on the listing of Blue Heron Farm on Cobbs Hill Road with Maggie Gold Seelig from MSG Group Real Estate Five properties combine to make the 30-acre farm according to the town of Chilmark's assessors database The total property value is assessed at approximately $36 million Blue Heron Farm Properties LLC sold the property to Blue Sky MV LTD for $19,940,000 the farm sold to Blue Heron LLC for $21,925,000 Alex Salomon and Hume Steyer are listed as managers for the LLC President Obama arrivesIn July 2009, the Vineyard Gazette reported that then-President Obama would vacation at the the farm in August In 2014, the Obamas returned to the Vineyard to stay at 72 Gosnold's Way in Chilmark Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. Andrew joined Newsweek in 2021 from The Boston Globe. He is a graduate of Emerson College. You can get in touch with Andrew by emailing a.stanton@newsweek.com either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content President Donald Trump has floated a 100 percent tariff on films produced in other countries but one of his chief political rivals would mostly be shielded from the policy if it goes into effect Trump wrote in a Truth Social post Sunday that he wants to impose the tariff on movies produced in other countries as a way to help save the "dying" film industry How the tariffs may be implemented and enforced remains a question Hollywood is facing on Monday as films are not a material good affected by his other tariffs such as the 145 percent tariffs on all Chinese imports Trump has argued that the tariffs would boost U.S manufacturing and close the trade deficit with other countries despite economists warning the policy would mean Americans will pay more for consumer goods His film tariff suggestion was met with some pushback from industry leaders as it's common for movies to film in the U.S said on Monday that "no final decisions on foreign film tariffs have been made," the Associated Press reported The tariffs would have little effect on former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama's film production company That's because most of the production already takes place in the United States Higher Ground Media has produced four feature films—Fatherhood Leave the World Behind was filmed primarily in New York Rustin primarily in Pittsburgh and Worth in Oregon have also primarily focused on American subjects and thus have been filmed domestically Newsweek reached out to Higher Ground Media for comment via Facebook message formerly Twitter: "There is no basis in economic reality to impose tariffs on a product you have a trade surplus in Trump is doing this simply because the wealthy powerbrokers in the film industry in California have never seen him as anything more than a clown and he wants to extract whatever petty vengeance he can with his final years of relevancy on this planet." professor of economics at the University of Michigan on X: "If Trump is serious about tariffs on movies Tariffs have not traditionally been applied to services and the United States is a massive net exporter of services We would be extremely vulnerable to any service-based retaliation." on Truth Social: "The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States This is a concerted effort by other Nations and I am authorizing the Department of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands It's unclear whether Trump will actually impose the film tariff His tariff on Chinese imports remains in effect but other reciprocal tariffs have been put on a 90-day pause that began on April 16 to allow countries to have more time to negotiate new trade deals Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that is factual and fair We value your input and encourage you to rate this article Newsletters in your inbox See all Over the years, Malia Obama has been slowly but surely cementing her place in the fashion world with her effortlessly cool street style her official red carpet appearances have been few and far between Back in September 2024, the former first daughter most notably attended the Deauville American Film Festival in France wearing a full look from Vivienne Westwood's fall 2024 ready-to-wear collection, and that's pretty much the last time we've seen her make a public appearance But could she make an exception for the Met Gala which featured Donald Glover as one of its executive producers Malia Obama during the premiere of The Heart at Sundance on January 18 Although she has remained out of the spotlight for most of these achievements, she could take a more proactive approach as she joins or leads new projects — and the Met Gala, notoriously known for its private and no-social-media policies could be the perfect event for a budding style icon like Obama While most people think Met Gala invites are reserved for fashion darlings and insiders, celebrities from all walks of pop culture are also guests at the event, often invited by brands that purchase a table for the fundraiser who is also on the more private side of fame has attended the event three times in the past — in 2017 which had the theme of Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion named after Met Gala mastermind Anna Wintour and also took the time to praise the famed editor Back the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama with Vogue EIC Anna Wintour and Metropolitan Museum of Art president Emily K Rafferty at the Anna Wintour Costume Center Grand Opening on May 5 “I'm here because I'm so impressed by Anna [Wintour]'s contributions not just to the fashion industry but to the many causes she shares and cares about particularly this great American museum,” the former First Lady said at the time "This centre is for anyone who is curious about fashion and how it impacts our culture and our history And we know that that curiosity is out there." Given her ties to pop culture and her status as an emerging fashion star we have a feeling it's more likely a matter of “when” rather than “if” Malia Obama would attend the Met Gala and we will certainly be keeping our eyes peeled (and manifesting!) until the day hopefully attends Underneath Chappell Roan’s Hannah Montana Wig? A Pop Star for the Ages Is Your New Favorite Song Real or AI? Bridgerton Showrunner Clarifies Benedict’s Sexuality & Talks Francesca’s Queer Plot Twist The Borders of Country Music Are Finally Crumbling Sometimes You Gotta Pop Out and Show Your Alignment With Abusers A New Generation of Pretty Little Liars Takes on the Horrors of Being a Teenage Girl VCHA Talk Debut Journey, Touring With TWICE, and Making the Most of Every Moment Is Anime “Cool” Now? Megan Thee Stallion & More Experts Have Thoughts Gaten Matarazzo Talks Spoilers, Dustin Henderson, and Growing Up on Stranger Things Internet Mean Girls Came After Avantika. She Continues to Laugh Sign in President Obama’s conversation with Hamilton College President Steven Tepper on April 3 The conversation was part of the school’s Sacerdote Series I just need to acknowledge that there are some nerves on stage STEVEN TEPPER: It’s easy to talk to a current sitting president BARACK OBAMA: Hard act to follow after Anna I also understand that she’s on the basketball team and I appreciate the fact that she didn’t mention that her bracket is doing better than mine and we talk about people who have front stage lives and backstage lives and we’ve seen your front stage life in so many ways up on stage in the Rose Garden giving speeches STEVEN TEPPER: But what is life like now out of the White House I’m splitting time between the work for the foundation Michelle and I set up the Obama Foundation to train the next generation of leaders here in the United States and around the world (Cheers.) I am also finishing the second half of my presidential memoirs which in case any of you feel sorry for yourself “Absolutely not,” but I do enjoy having written when it’s finished I’m hoping to get to the finish line on that Beyond that look I was in a deep deficit with my wife so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things STEVEN TEPPER: We would love to ask you what you’re doing we really pride ourselves on graduating master communicators You’re one of the best communicators in the modern era Could you let us in a little bit into your creative process BARACK OBAMA: I think the first thing to note is that at least when I started as a politician and public speaker there are some people who are naturally gifted I think that the first thing to know about speaking or communicating generally is if you practice like everything else I actually believe that the single most important thing about being an effective communicator is having conviction If you know what you believe as a starting point then you will naturally communicate that conviction to other people you’ll see a lot of people who will try to sound a certain way or they’re worrying about trying to get the zinger one liner or the pithy quote but I was pretty good about trying to figure out what I believed in and then try to say it as best I could That’s probably the most important piece of advice there’s some mechanical things like actually write out what you’re going to say you’re probably going to be better if you actually sit down and try to figure it out ahead of time Talk like a normal human and not like a book I’m always puzzled by people who in speaking to an audience whether it’s an audience of ten or an audience of 10,000 will try to go out of their way to talk in ways that they’d never talk to their friends or neighbors or family members or coworkers or fellow students Part of how to talk like a human is to tell stories I wasn’t necessarily as good as I should have been when I first started It was usually because I was filling my speeches up with facts and policies We get information from stories about our own experience When I first started on the campaign trail with all those facts and policies What actually made me into a better communicator was when I started actually listening to the stories of the people I was meeting the challenges that they had gone through as a minority group or the things they’d overcome Weaving that into a broader story about how we could work together and live together that’s what ended up working for me when we bring in young people who are already incredibly accomplished these are doctors who’ve set up women’s clinics in Sub-Saharan Africa or folks who are battling the opioid crisis in Appalachia or people who are working on climate policy at the highest levels a lot of what we do initially is just get them to practice listening Because the other thing that happens is when you listen and you get a sense of other people’s priorities then you have the capacity to also reach people who do not agree with you on everything who don’t think exactly like you or have the exact same priorities or perspectives as you do That means that you can reach a broader audience STEVEN TEPPER: Has there been an idea that was important to you that you have not been able to communicate as effectively as you wanted to (Laughter.) They mock me and ridicule me at the dinner table there are things that I cared deeply about but couldn’t move at least Congress and apparently couldn’t move the country forward and a woman mentioned that she had been in Sandy Hook in Newtown right after I had been elected to my second term the fact that we live in a country in which routinely children are killed or I understand wanting to have a firearm for protection I don’t really understand what it is that we’re doing in allowing semiautomatic weapons in people’s hands (Applause.) But I could not persuade enough of the country and certainly enough of Congress to prioritize that There have been a lot of injustices and bad ideas in the world that lasted a pretty long time folks decide they want to go back to bad ideas Maybe you’ve opened the door for some tougher stuff here It appears that many people in this country have lost not only trust in government the relevance of democratic norms that undergird our government BARACK OBAMA: Let me preface this by saying what everybody knows which is I have deep differences of opinion with my most immediate successor — who’s now president once again There are a host of policies that we could be discussing where I have strong opinions there was a broad consensus between Democrats liberals around a certain set of rules where we settle our differences That basic notion of American democracy as embodied in our Constitution and our Bill of Rights said all of us have worth that we’re going to set up a system in which there’s rule of law and separation of powers and an independent judiciary a freedom of worship and freedom of the press and an assurance that if we go before the law there will be an impartial process to make decisions It doesn’t mean there weren’t corrupt politicians It doesn’t mean there wasn’t abuse of power there were vast differences in terms of access and influence and having a megaphone even though that ideal wasn’t always observed I do believe that our commitment to those principles has eroded and I think it eroded in part because the government itself got really big What that meant is sometimes it felt distant and unresponsive I think part of what happened also is that it’s to agree to disagree and have forbearance to people who you don’t agree with if they all look like you There was one Hispanic in the United States Senate You had a sense of how different it was by looking at the men’s gym in the Senate versus the women’s gym and old guys walking around not wearing enough stuff (Laughter.) Then the women’s gym was basically a modified closet with a bike because there just weren’t that many have this or that perspective in terms of being fiscally conservative or socially moderate we all went to the same club and we all talked about the same things Now it’s a little harder to agree to disagree without being disagreeable if your sense is maybe doesn’t think exactly the way I think I’m more prone to feeling attacked or threatened made us a little more tribal in our politics Then the economy wasn’t working for everybody had to do with the fact that government wasn’t as responsive as it should have been I think one of the most important aspects of our democratic practice is having a well-informed citizenry which is reliant on a free and we saw them over the course of decades I don’t think what we just witnessed in terms of economic policy and tariffs is going to be good for America I’m more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they don’t give up students who are exercising their right to free speech I am more troubled by the idea that a White House can say to law firms “If you represent parties that we don’t like we’re going to pull all our business or bar you from representing people effectively.” That kind of behavior is contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans (Laughter.) I just want to be clear about this applause.) Imagine if I had pulled Fox News’ credentials from the White House press corps Imagine if I had said to law firms that were representing parties that were upset with policies my administration had initiated that you will not be allowed into government buildings We will punish you economically for dissenting from the Affordable Care Act or the Iran deal We will ferret out students who protest against my policies It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me (Applause.) I say this not on a partisan basis This has to do with something more precious which is who are we as a country and what values do we stand for I think this is one of the challenges that we have and I saw this even before the last election That’s all abstract stuff because it’s not affecting the price of eggs One of the things that has distinguished us in the past has been this basic idea that we are a rules-based society I can support one candidate instead of another and I don’t have to worry that the police are going to come harass me or my customers We take for granted the idea that we don’t have to pay bribes or hire somebody’s cousin in order to get a business permit It has very concrete impacts on all of our lives This is the first time I’ve been speaking publicly for a while Let me just close this portion of my remarks by saying it is up to all of us to fix this (Applause.) It’s not going to be because somebody comes and saves you The most important office in this democracy is the citizen I do think one of the reasons that our commitment to democratic ideals has eroded is that we got pretty comfortable and complacent It has been easy during most of our lifetimes to say you are a progressive or say you are for social justice or say you’re for free speech and not have to pay a price for it It’s not enough just to say you’re for something; you may actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a little bit we will lose some business because we’re going to stand for a principle and we’ll pay our researchers for a while out of that endowment and we’ll give up the extra wing or the fancy gymnasium — that we can delay that for a couple of years because academic freedom might be a little more important there is a cost to challenging the powers that be particularly if they’re abusing that power and I’ve noticed this among some wealthier folks who after George Floyd they were right there and a bunch of companies were talking about how they cared about diversity But what that tells me is it was okay when it was cool and trendy and when it’s not is what each of us has to examine in our own hearts are we going to stick to that when it’s tough not when it’s easy We believe in freedom of speech; do we stand up for freedom of speech when the other person talking is saying stuff that infuriates us and is wrong and hurtful For university students and for your generation I think that’s important because part of how we got confused around some of these issues is that those who claimed to be fighting on behalf of social justice and freedom of speech and equality I’m glad to hear that on campus here you focus on the Common Ground initiative I have been absolutely clear throughout my presidency the idea of canceling a speaker who comes to your campus trying to shout them down and not letting them speak not only is that not what universities should be about You let them speak and then you tell them why they’re wrong Sort of the delicacy of sensibilities in classrooms Michelle and I talk about this all the time you will deal with people in the world who don’t like you and say mean things about you and then you think you get on the job — you will have horrible bosses on occasion or coworkers who say obnoxious things and it may turn out that in some cases they’re actually good people that just didn’t use the right word for something Some of these principles are ones in which it’s not just one side or the other that hasn’t been true to and it’s important now for us to refocus our attention on who are we and what we believe STEVEN TEPPER: You mentioned Common Ground It’s trying to model how to disagree and how to have debates in civility and compromise You probably have talked to your girls about how to defend but also how to listen and polarization is at the highest level ever Seems like the partisan wedge just keeps digging in getting deeper but it also feels like that ability to see each other What are the strategies for bridging those divides right now which is just being curious and listening to other people and getting their stories and getting their getting context During the negotiations around the Paris Agreement the key was to get China and India bought in on them taking responsibility for reducing their emissions setting standards despite the fact that most of the existing greenhouse gasses up there were created by the West during the long period of our industrialization I could have gone to President Xi or Modi and said we’re only going to do something if you do exactly what we do But that wouldn’t have taken into account the fact that each American has a much bigger carbon footprint than they do They’re at a different stage of development in India You’ve got a third of the country that still doesn’t have electricity if I don’t listen and understand their perspective if I think that I can talk to a leader of India and dismiss the pressures on him to deliver basic electricity I understand you can’t leave half a billion people in poverty and are there ways in which we can encourage you to leapfrog dirty energy and go straight to clean energy And we may give you help with subsidies or new technologies then not only am I not going to get their cooperation I’m not going to solve the problem that’s in my interest to solve but that’s true of every interaction that we have with people something we understand in our own relationships Everybody’s got a family member who says crazy stuff We don’t just see them through that single lens We also see the wonderful things that they — you may have an uncle who at Thanksgiving is just wacky but is also that standup guy who helped you learn how to play hockey or is always there to haul people around during a snow storm or is generous to a fault with his friends And I think this relates to one of the contributors of polarization I’m not such a Luddite that I don’t have a phone and social media accounts and all that stuff I would not have gotten elected president had I not been for us being probably one of the earliest adapters of social media The reason was because my campaigns were so broke initially that I had to rely on 20-year-old volunteers who actually understood it But I always tell this story about one of the changes that happened in terms of social media the two dominant social media platforms were My Space and Meetup (Laughter.) And you weren’t getting fancy videos through this thing this is like buffering and weird sounds coming out of the phone and all that stuff I always used meet up as an interesting example We would have entire states that got organized but just a bunch of volunteers would use Meetup to contact or advertise sending them materials about my positions on issues and where I stood on this or that But for those of you not familiar with Meetup the name of the platform kind of gives it away you actually meet up after you’ve contacted somebody (Laughter.) What would end up happening would be let’s say the Idahoans for Obama were hosting this first meeting in the church basement at some place And people would show up and they’d look around the room And you’d have a middle-aged Army veteran with a crew cut and you’d have a black woman with a nose ring and you’d have a mom with some kids in a stroller And it turned out that whatever your idea of an Obama supporter was but once you had a chance to sit down and meet them and have a conversation with them and heard their stories not only did you get a new perspective about who Obama voters were but you got a new perspective about who your neighbors were now they had to go knock on doors with people who were even more different we have these siloed communities online that never meet And anybody who strays from the orthodoxy or the dogma that exists online can be attacked because it’s easier to go after somebody if you’re not sitting with them face to face And it makes you embarrass that you were such a jerk I say all this to say that the more we can encourage practices that just get people talking to each other and working together on something in the real world the more likely we are to break down some of that polarization and rebuild trust And a bunch of mediating institutions that used to do that bowling leagues — a lot of the decline in those voluntary associations because it’s so much — not even having to shop You don’t even have just the casual interaction with the person at the store that might give you some sense of that person who doesn’t look like me isn’t scary Those are the things that pull us out of our isolation which is why we have to be that much more intentional and now trying to get back to that kind of interaction and be intentional about doing it and Hamilton won the NESCAC championship this year in hockey STEVEN TEPPER: There’s a lot of good uncles out there BARACK OBAMA: As somebody who grew up in Hawaii it’s fair to say that I do not play hockey (Laughter.) And it was no accident that I used the hockey example which was an example of good communications your uncle is the guy who taught you how to surf it might have kind of gone over people’s heads The future is racing towards us at accelerating speeds and you’ve long recognized that AI can be a force for good but you’ve also been very cautious about needing guardrails to help us make sure it’s safe and fair and ethical to bring their authentic intelligence into this world of emerging technologies where everything in our lives are shaped by them How are we to adopt or resist or explore or consider It’s just you haven’t quite noticed it yet I had the odd distinction of essentially being the first real digital president Smartphones really don’t start getting broadly adopted until about 2010 It gives you a sense of how recent this is that’s how recent these changes have happened and the reason is that its applications aren’t just in the communications and information area It has potential application across the board it’s an extension of this long trend towards automation but it’s not now just automating manufacturing processes or the use of robot arms these platforms be able to perform really high level — what we consider to be really high level intellectual work not necessarily the ones that you purchase or that you just get through the retail ChatGPT but the more advanced models that are available now to companies We’re talking highly skilled jobs that pay really good salaries has been entirely a seller’s market in Silicon Valley The best coders will be able to use these tools to augment what they already do because the computer or the machine will do it itself That’s going to duplicate itself across professions it’s one of the reasons I mentioned to you when we were backstage that I would argue right now like one of the top 1% of in terms of understanding how to code you’re better off with liberal arts education I would say that the biggest questions we are going to face as more and more of the capacity of AI gets introduced and gets into manufacturing and law firms and accounting and a whole bunch of white collar professions and it will be just as disruptive as it was for factories Manufacturing in areas like this — steel mills and textiles is tell as good a story or show compassion or be able to inspire a child or build a sense of team work and get people to understand and believe in a common mission that’s going — there will be more need for that than ever that’s sort of some a bit of practical advice whenever you have big disruptions like this that is going to require us to reorganize our societies How do I get enough income to feed my family All of us will be facing some questions about: we’re producing a lot of stuff And how do we get purpose and meaning in our lives because work isn’t just a way of making money It also gives us our life shape and direction and a sense that we matter and we’re going to have to have to figure that out And then the effects on what is already a problem which is the death of facts and reason and logic in our information space One of the things about being the first digital president was I was filmed so much pretty much any image of anybody doing anything And what that means is the need for us all to recommit to sorting out what’s true and what’s false to understand the way that images can tap into the reptile side of our brain and feed anger and resentment rather than hope Those are the kinds of issues that we’re going to deal schools with their students to grapple with we’re not going to be — we cannot cooperate if we don’t see the same facts or something like that — (laughter) — and I’d rather have a square one instead of a pentagon then we can have a conversation about that but your foundation is really built around — and your purpose post presidency has been to lift up this next generation of leaders across the world You want to inspire others to commit to change Here you are sitting in a room of future leaders but they will lead with accelerated impact Thinking about the work of the foundation and advice for this group of students describe why I think it was important for our foundation to operate there was a consensus in this country around just the basics of democracy Even if we had disagreements on tax policy or abortion or what have you there was an agreement in terms of how our societies and our politics needed to function One of the remarkable things about America is that we did the same to a great degree for the world all of you have grown up in an international order that was largely created by the United States and its allies after World War II Out of the rubble that and the carnage that had destroyed Europe and destroyed much of Asia and it was so shocking that I think people pulled back we’re the most powerful country at this point We were relatively protected because of geography we’ll set up a rules-based system internationally that allows for freedom of navigation and rules governing trade And we’re going to have an alliance with Europe because even though we are the most powerful country we’re better off if we can figure out how to get everybody to cooperate government actively try to destroy that order and discredit it we’re going to be better off if we can just bully people into doing whatever we want and dictate the terms of trade all the time And what that doesn’t seem to — what doesn’t seem to be registering right now in some of our decision makers is the fact that that was a huge force multiplier for us Even people who didn’t like us and disagreed with us oftentimes went along with us because they said It helped China lift a billion people out of poverty It meant that if there was a pandemic or a disease like Ebola that there was an international system to try to fix that not just in the United States but from every continent to practice this notion that if we all agree on certain core values of everybody’s got dignity Sometimes it’s in your self-interest to help people who have less than you then to attack you or get sick and spread diseases that hit your kids that is based on some agreement about not blowing each other up or invading each other that that ultimately is going to be better for all of us I think this other idea that might makes right and the powerful bully the weak that is sort of been the default rule for most of human history An international order where you cooperate instead of fight it’s not surprising that when things are disruptive and people get scared and just in the same way that sometimes those who are running democratic institutions in the United States didn’t always do things right the same was true for how we managed international affairs Sometimes there were countries like China that did cheat on trade and they needed to be dealt with There were times where we did dumb things and did bully people despite our ideals or tried to reorganize entire countries in ways that were destined to fail this system we set up created the wealthiest there’s a whole bunch of stuff we need to fix One of the challenges of globalization was the fact that it did accelerate inequality And it was very good for corporations that could operate internationally but they oftentimes weren’t willing to share that bounty with their own populations if you’re a worker in the United States and you saw and I’m glad that the stock market is booming But that wasn’t a problem of globalization That was a failure of policy here in the United States to help — that we didn’t do enough to help people who weren’t benefitting from globalization But the main message that we try to impart on leaders in the foundation is that these values of cooperation and rule of law optimism about the ability of humans to work together and solve their problems and the belief that we are all God’s children the idea of inclusion is somehow been deemed illegal regardless of their skin color or gender or sexual orientation or nationalities that they all have worth and that I can communicate with them and cooperate with them Those values that — we think those are the values that are worth fighting for and that will ultimately lead to better outcomes I do want to leave you with that we’ve been talking a lot each president gets to kind of design their own rug I had a bunch of quotes that were stitched into the rim of the oval rug He may not have — it may not have originated with him but it bends towards justice.” And it obviously denotes optimism that things do get better is a recognition that change does not happen overnight And the two presidents up here on this stage were lucky enough to be born during this sort of anomalous period in history in which each decade things pretty much got better for the majority of people If you had to choose a moment in history in which to be born especially if you were born in the United States or advanced economies history zigs and zags and goes up and down and there are times of conflict and there are times of stupidity and there are times of danger And I guess the main message I have for all of you which we talk a lot about with our leaders do not get discouraged because you don’t fix everything all at once Don’t get discouraged because racism still exists in the world that’s kind of — humans aren’t that bright And then it’s taught to us and passed on to us Women are still treated badly in a lot of the world and in our country the fact that women are operating superior to men in many ways Even something as existential a threat as climate change because what’s the point?” And people talk about like we’re not going to hit sort of the target levels of two degrees Centigrade increase but the difference between it getting three and a half degrees warmer and three or four and two and a half that might save a billion people living in coastal areas around the world It might make the difference between whether we maintain progress in our civilization or we don’t but you’re not going to fix it all at once not only do you usually end up getting better outcomes You’re going to feel better about yourself and you’re going to find fellow travelers what share those values STEVEN TEPPER: Your hope continues to inspire And can we give President Obama a big round of applause for joining us at the most important liberal arts college in the world -- See all responsesHelp Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker the WNBA preseason tipped off with a handful of exhibition games While there were plenty of exciting highlights from the court one of the biggest storylines took place off the hardwood Nike aired the first commercial for Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson's signature sneaker The Nike A'One makes its highly anticipated launch tomorrow the advertisement drove up hype thanks to its authentic and artistic style After the video went viral among hoopers and sneakerheads online the world learned that Malia Obama was credited as one of the directors for the ad Nike’s commercial for A’ja Wilson’s signature ‘Nike A’One’ shoe—directed by Malia Obama.pic.twitter.com/m80kC2GyQq Behind-the-scenes pictures and videos from the team working on the commercial shows Obama holding a camera in one hand while offering instructions to Wilson and a young actor In addition to making us all feel really old it is cool to see former President Barack Obama's oldest daughter carving her own lane in the entertainment industry (especially when it overlaps with the sneaker world) Obama has been credited as a director for the primary commercial but appears to have been the principal director for the minute-long vignette which took a far more artsy approach while maintaining essential elements of the overall marketing campaign FUN FACT: Malia Obama was one of the directors on @_ajawilson22's latest Nike ad 👏 https://t.co/dbEiFdkA9Z pic.twitter.com/3U4RcsHH3y Nike is just starting the rollout of Wilson's debut basketball shoe so fans can expect more viral videos and exciting developments along the way for the Nike A'One In the meantime, the Nike A'One officially launches in the "Pink A'ura" colorway for $110 at 10:00 a.m. EST tomorrow, May 6, on the Nike SNKRS app Online shoppers can expect the sneakers to sell out quickly online With the WNBA regular season quickly approaching sneakerheads can count on more heat from Wilson and Nike Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your most important footwear news Caitlin Clark Returns to Iowa in the Nike Kobe 5 "Bruce Lee" colorway. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander honors his mom with a new all-black colorway of his Converse sneakers. Donovan Mitchell's seventh adidas sneaker drops early in Cleveland for the NBA Playoffs. Jalen Brunson unveiled the Nike Kobe 5 Protro "WTR" colorway. Angel Reese debuted a player-exclusive colorway of the Reebok Engine A in the WNBA preseason opener. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Make Money Easy – Create Financial Freedom and Live a Richer Life Get inspiring greatness content delivered directly to your email and phone The Story Speaking Programs Impact Contact Get my New York Times Bestselling book, Make Money Easy! Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson reveal how growing up in a tiny Chicago apartment shaped their values and outlook on life From Craig “vetting” Barack Obama during a pickup basketball game to Michelle navigating the pressures of the White House their conversation uncovers how family bonds grounded them through extraordinary circumstances What makes this sibling dynamic special isn’t just their impressive achievements but their authentic connection – Craig bringing lightness and joy while Michelle delivers wisdom and perspective Their shared belief that “home is about who’s there not where you are” resonates deeply as they explain how they raised confident children amid extreme privilege and spotlight by teaching them that success comes from character IMO Podcast Michelle’s book Becoming Michelle’s book The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times Craig on Instagram Michelle on Instagram And now let’s jump into episode 1767 of The School of Greatness! The School of Greatness shares inspiring interviews from the most successful people on the planet—world-renowned leaders in business and literature—to inspire YOU to unlock your inner greatness and live your best life Get your weekly dose of GREATNESS delivered straight to your inbox or phone Join a Community over 200 Million on their Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Sitemap My Story Sponsorship Featured Money Relationships Mindset Manifestation Health Books Summit of Greatness Chasing Greatness Documentary Greatness.com Earlier this year, Maher hosted Kid Rock on his Club Random podcast, on which the musician urged Maher to be open to an invitation from the president for a meeting Kid Rock then encouraged Trump to go through with the meeting despite Maher’s criticisms of him Maher compared his experience with both presidents as far as he never did my show when he did every other show I had to go on the air and beg him on my 60th birthday in his eighth year in office and shame him into it basically,” Maher said I mean it could have been fun and funny if he came and did my show in the studio like he did many other shows.” Maher’s meeting with Trump was also not in front of a studio audience but in the White House where Maher got a tour and saw the Lincoln Bedroom as far as just feeling free to just speak exactly how I feel I felt freer to do that with Trump than Obama or Clinton That’s emblematic of the way the two parties have kind of switched as far as which one has the stick up their a**,” Maher said “Trump is a kind of — I’m sorry — but in person he’s definitely the kind of guy you know you just feel like you can say anything and you don’t have to censor it KID ROCK CONFIRMS ‘PLEASANT’ MEETING BETWEEN TRUMP AND MAHER Maher’s coverage of Trump has largely remained the same following the meeting he continues to criticize the Trump administration Malia Obama put her Harvard University bachelor’s degree to good use by directing a new commercial for A’ja Wilson The WNBA phenom stars in a new Nike commercial for her ‘A’One’ sneakers the release starts with the Pink A’ura colorway which will be available for purchase beginning May 6 at 10 a.m “The A’One is meant to go the distance, taking control from the jump and dominating the floor on every play,” Wilson said in a statement For Obama, who professionally goes by Malia Ann, the commercial is one of her many entertainment projects. She’s previously been behind the camera for the 2023 short film, “The Heart,” which debuted at Sundance Film Festival last year. The 26-year-old also wrote the film, as well as served as co-writer of former Prime Video series “Swarm.” More than a year after making her directorial debut Barack and Michelle Obama's oldest daughter Malia Obama is once again behind the camera—this time Malia Obama is checking off more milestones on her résumé The eldest daughter of former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama has once again stepped behind the camera—this time as the director of basketball star A'ja Wilson’s latest Nike commercial Alongside a photo of the two on-set reposted to A'ja’s Instagram Story May 4 “Vignette directed by Malia Obama.” In the commercial which is for the WNBA star’s new A'One sneaker A'ja and a young actress sing a cute nursery rhyme about being at the top of her game centered around a grieving son whose mom left him with an unusual request in her will "The film is about lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret," she shared in a YouTube video last January "but I also think it works hard to uncover where tenderness and closeness can exist in these things." "The challenge for us is letting us give them any help at all," Barack shared of his daughters during an October episode of The Pivot Podcast "I mean they're very sensitive about this stuff They're very stubborn about it." Though the former commander-in-chief warned his eldest daughter that complete anonymity would be difficult ‘You do know they'll know who you are,'" the 63-year-old continued I want them to watch it that first time and not in any way have that association.' So I think our daughters go out of their way to not try to leverage that." Keep reading for a look at more celebs detailing their first-ever jobs.. "I think I've had every kind of job," the Barbie star said in a video for the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 2010 "Before [the long-running Australian soap opera] Neighbours I've worked in restaurants behind the bar The Oscar winner scooped ice cream at Baskin-Robbins before she delivered Mystic Pizza Once upon a time, he worked at an El Pollo Loco in Hollywood. "Man's gotta eat," Pitt said on Ellen in 2019 adding that he felt "no shame" about his days dressed as a chicken for the fast food chain Other gigs to pay the rent included moving furniture and chauffeuring strippers around. The latter admittedly got "really, really depressing," Pitt said during a 2007 Oscars roundtable "even though it was really good money I needed at the time." he met a woman who was in an acting class he decided to check out and the rest is history The Oscar-winning actor and producer didn't go to medical school before scrubbing into E.R. in 1994 "I had a lot of rotten jobs," Clooney said on the Late Show With David Letterman in 2012 The first day I sold one [policy] and the guy died." The English actor didn't mind the idea of a day job The late-night host started off working in a grocery store minus having to scrape gum off the welcome mats The Thor star got his first job at 14 "cleaning breast pumps" at a pharmacy the machines would come back," he explained But Hemsworth wasn't one to nurse a grudge the Oscar winner sold popcorn and peanuts at Oakland Athletics games a tear-free gig since there's no crying in baseball was a great way to earn money to buy a car As a teenager she worked at a grocery store near her father's barber shop in Nashville and "hated it with a passion," she recalled during a 1992 visit filmed for The Oprah Winfrey Show. Not least because she "wasn't allowed to talk to the customers," she said But Winfrey diligently showed up for work without fail "The only thing that got me out of the store," she said "was the fact that I got myself a job in radio broadcasting." While sharpening her acting chops at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theater the Oscar winner supported herself bartending "I learned a lot of accents as a bartender," Bullock told the Associated Press "A lot of girls came in looking for rich husbands Art reflects life: The Magic Mike star's own days as a male stripper under the stage name "Chan Crawford" inspired the 2012 box office hit The rapper revealed she started off waiting tables at Red Lobster restaurants: "I've gotten fired from all three or four of them." Mindy worked behind the counter at a video store "I think I learned nothing from it." The Notebook alum once worked at McDonald's The Independence Day star says she was inspired to go into the entertainment industry after seeing Diana Ross and Michael Jackson in concert but she "never forgot" where she started: Working at a hot dog stand The actor's first job was cleaning up at a local barbershop when he was 11 years old he learned a lot about acting and "hustling!" The first daughter, who graduated from university of Southern California in 2023, reportedly had a summer job waiting tables and working the takeout window at a seafood restaurant on Martha's Vineyard when she was 15 Emma worked behind the counter at a dog treat bakery Before her star-making role as Rachel on Friends the actress made her allowance cleaning toilets ("I'm actually pretty good at it," she's said) and was later a bike messenger in NYC the actor spun tunes at an Australian nightclub under the name "Russ Le Roq" to pick up women The Wolverine actor manned the counter at a 7-Eleven in Sydney before being fired for talking to the customers too much. The manager "just wanted me to get them out," he told Fast Company 'There's no one else here and I want to chat.'" The star of The Deer Hunter and Hairspray was already a child actor—"I was in sketches with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin," Walken told The Guardian "Never got paid a cent!"—when he spent a summer as a trainee lion tamer in the circus when he was 16 "Who's going to turn that down?" he said "I would come into the cage and wave my whip." would "lazily get up and sit like a dog and maybe give a little roar," he continued The Transformers star previously worked at a smoothie shop, where once a week someone had to dress up as a piece of fruit and stand by the highway to entice customers. "I was a banana," Fox said on Ellen in 2012 The Poosh founder's first job was as a movie production assistant, where, she told Us Weekly she yelled "cut" and "rolling" all day Getting sacked actually took "a lot of work," he added sharing that he racked up 32 days of being OOTO in his first two years "You find yourself suddenly working at a law firm," Butler explained "and you follow that through and you think having done something that— in truth—I don't care about The Hannah Montana star moonlighted as a house cleaner with Sparkles Cleaning Service before landing her life-changing Disney Channel role "I had one normal job and I actually liked it," Cyrus said on Tyra in 2008 Even before the comedian earned minimum wage busing tables at a Red Lobster in Queens he was a paper delivery assistant for the New York Daily News "I loaded trucks at the Brooklyn plant over on Pacific St.," Rock told the publication in 2014 "I have actual fond memories of working not just with my father "I used to scrape shrimp into the garbage can and then load up the dishwasher They kept me in the back because I had really f--ked-up teeth and they didn't want people to think that shrimp f--cked up your teeth." The No Doubt singer was once just a girl working at a Dairy Queen I fit in my outfit," Stefani said of her high school-era job during a segment on The Voice in 2014 But she could sample the goods all day and not gain an ounce at her next job working the makeup counter at a department store In an anecdote seemingly ripped from an episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia DeVito shared on a 2022 episode of the The Always Sunny podcast that he dabbled in posthumous hairdressing for funerals after which he styled several more corpses "I would go to the morgue and they're there they're done up by the mortician," he recalled "I would take their hair and use the dry setting lotion and curl the hair take it out and fluff it up a little." Michelle Obama spoke out against in response to rumors she and former President Barack Obama are allegedly set to divorce emphasizing that "everyone would know" if they broke up Michelle Obama is tuning out the noise Amid rumors that she that she and former President Barack Obama were planning to divorce after 32 years of marriage the former first lady addressed the speculation head on—and firmly set the record straight "If I were having problems with my husband, everybody would know about it," the 61-year-old said on the April 30 episode of the Diary of a CEO podcast and he would know it and everybody would know it 'Let me tell you what he did.'" Michelle’s emphatic denial of divorce rumors comes just weeks after the Becoming author—who shares kids Malia 63—first broke her silence while detailing the decisions she has made for herself since leaving the White House in 2017 "We, as women, I think we struggle with disappointing people,'" Michelle shared on the April 9 episode of the Work in Progress with Sophia Bush podcast they couldn't even fathom that I was making a choice for myself That they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing." "This couldn't be a grown woman just making a set of decisions for herself "But that's what society does to us Who am I doing this for?' And if it doesn't fit into the sort of stereotype of what people think we should do then it gets labeled as something negative and horrible." Michelle isn’t the only member of the family to weigh in the state of the marriage as her husband of over three decades also detailed how their marriage has changed since exiting the White House after his eight years as President "I was in a deep deficit with my wife," Obama told Hamilton College President Steven Tepper at an April 3 event "so I have been trying to dig myself out of that hole by doing occasionally fun things." Read on to see couples who have been together for more than 50 years.. 'It's stay going.' There's a lot to be said about that So we're not in each other's face all the time but yet we have the things we love to do together He was the one I was supposed to have and vice versa." "That it's just children out here being raised by women ‘We are going to stay together no matter what When you find joy in life's daily activities, Bonnie says your marriage could last forever. "We're very happy," she told People when celebrating 72 years of marriage in January "We sit in this house and we do things He reads his New York Times and he does Cameos mostly And we do conventions and things like that And we would do anything for each other." These high school sweethearts celebrated their 50th anniversary in November 2020. "There's no technique," Ron told People just one year earlier "There's no tactic other than communication is really important You have to learn to communicate and have difficult conversations in constructive ways." After meeting during a production of West Side Story in the '60s, this couple continues to savor every moment together with gratitude. "Every once in a while, I'll be looking out the window, and I'll think, 'I feel pretty good,'" Christopher told New York Times Magazine in February 2022 After 65 years of marriage, the couple has found their groove away from the spotlight in Long Island, New York. In an interview with The New Yorker Alan said he and his wife enjoy playing chess during the day and ladder ball before dusk it's a nice dinner and a quality TV show It's not noisy in the country," he said in June 2022 Through sickness and in health! After Martin recovered from a heart attack and nervous breakdown in the late '70s, he recalled a few words his wife told him. "It was very serious, and she handled it like a pro," he told Closer Weekly in 2016 "She had me laughing in the most dire circumstances 'Don't take yourself so seriously.' Every day is a celebration with this dame." After meeting in 1971, Lily and Jane have been inseparable. When asked to share advice for other couples, Lily kept it simple. "We all have a secret," Lily told reporters in 2019 "It's just the secret is that you're committed and care and you want it to work out You don't want to walk away from something that's important." Marni Rose McFall is a Newsweek reporter based in London Marni joined Newsweek in 2024 from Frasers Group and had previously written for Cosmopolitan She is a graduate of The University of Edinburgh You can get in touch with Marni by emailing m.mcfall@newsweek.com Former first lady Michelle Obama addressed the current state of U.S politics during an appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast Newsweek reached out to a press representative for Obama via email for comment Michelle Obama, the wife of former President Barack Obama served as first lady from 2009 to 2017 and has remained a prominent figure in the media since leaving the White House including writing the bestselling memoir Becoming and starting a new podcast with her brother IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson Speaking on the podcast about the current state of political leadership in America "You don't understand a lot about the world," she continued "You've been told a lot of things about who people of my skin color are and haven't understood their 'why' can lead us down some dark tunnels "That ability to give some perspective that allows them to not take all that hate in and to really see the light in people "As a box-checking person who has been checking her whole life trying to always be an example...I think I just told myself Discussing her podcast "Let's keep up the mentoring that we were taught Let's create our table and be a place where people can come for a little bit of advice and conversation," she said on The Diary of a CEO podcast: "When you put yourself in other people's shoes this is still the country that elected Barack Obama twice." New episodes of IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson drop every Wednesday Newsweek is committed to journalism that's factual and fair Hold us accountable and submit your rating of this article on the meter. Sign in See all responsesHelp The former first lady said she's "not a martyr" and would be working through her marriage publicly if she had skipped Trump's inauguration because of tension with Barack Megan Cartwright is Newsweek's Deputy Entertainment Editor pop culture and entertainment news stories Megan joined Newsweek in 2022 from New York where she was the Senior Editor for In Touch Life & Style and Closer magazines and had previously interned at MTV She is a graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University You can get in touch with Megan by emailing m.cartwright@newsweek.com Former first lady Michelle Obama has spoken out about what some perceived as a "mistake" she made after moving into the White House Newsweek contacted Michelle Obama's representative for comment via email On Tuesday's Radio Andy call-in episode of SiriusXM's Let's Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa Michelle Obama said she was criticized for prioritizing motherhood following her husband's presidential win "How difficult was that to raise your daughters in the public eye under constant threat total scrutiny all the time?" host Kelly Ripa asked adding: "What kind of a force field or human shields did you have to invent for them "It took a lot of intentionality," the former first lady said "I don't know if you remember when Barack first came into office and the question was posed to me: 'What's your agenda?' And as a person who had held a job and run nonprofits and been an associate dean and on and on and on "So I instead focused on the thing that I really was worried about She added that her kids were her "first priority" when the family first moved into the White House I'm going to focus on making sure that they get settled I'm going to spend a lot of time making sure that their lives are normal," Michelle Obama said Some women said "it was selling out," which "surprised me," she added "I thought that many women as mothers would understand how difficult it is to raise whole people," she continued even while we do jobs and we change the world—in my view that remains my most important job on this planet." Ripa commented on the expectations Michelle Obama's daughters may have faced: "I'm sure there's tons of pressure also on being not just a good student but an exemplary student There's almost that unfair curve of 'you have to be better than the best because this is what is expected of you.'" "We call that the Obama tax for them," Michelle Obama said "It's like you'll have it the rest of your life She continued: "Let me just say that having my brother, his family, my mom—having them come on a regular basis and having the White House feel like our house on Euclid Avenue and I'm grateful that they were willing to be on that journey with us." Let's Talk Off Camera With Kelly Ripa airs Tuesdays at 5 p.m ET on SiriusXM's Radio Andy channel and is available to stream wherever listeners get their podcasts The former first lady and her brother host the IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson podcast This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page which included addressing the nation about Hurricane Irene and issuing press statements following the death of Senator Ted Kennedy The classic clapboard home is nestled in the heart of the island A long gated driveway ushers guests to the seven-bedroom a rounded dining room boasts picturesque views of the Atlantic Ocean Get a year of unlimited access for $25 $20 per month A living area in the home Elsewhere on the property is a five-bedroom guesthouse. There is also a 150-year-old barn, relocated from Pennsylvania, which is outfitted with traditional Cape Cod–style cedar shingles and a wraparound porch. Down by the waterfront is a boathouse equipped with a private dock on a secluded stretch of Tisbury Great Pond. Additional amenities include a pool and an accompanying poolhouse and equestrian riding rings are found around the plot Maggie Gold Seelig of MGS Group Real Estate and Brian Dougherty of Corcoran Property Advisors hold the listing An aerial shot of the estate’s tennis court The Studio Has Tons of A-List Cameos—Including Some of the Best Midcentury-Modern Architecture in LA 50 Cent’s Houses: Exploring the Rapper’s Over-The-Top Real Estate Portfolio The Full House Victorian in San Francisco Sells for $6 Million The Residence Offers a Peek Inside the White House—but What Really Goes Into Running the President’s Private Quarters? Severance Twists the Mundane Trappings of the Office Into a Mind-Bending Hellscape Inside Lana Condor’s Completely Transformed Dream Home Actor Walton Goggins and Director Nadia Conners Imagine a New Life in the Hudson Valley 5 Secrets of the SNL Sets You Probably Didn’t Know Not a subscriber? Join AD for print and digital access now Browse the AD PRO Directory to find an AD-approved design expert for your next project. We’ve detected that JavaScript is disabled in this browser Please enable JavaScript or switch to a supported browser to continue using x.com You can see a list of supported browsers in our Help Center Help Center 2025Malia Obama is more than just the daughter of a former president — she's also a talented filmmaker and her latest project is her most high-profile yet The 26-year-old stepped behind the camera to direct a new Nike ad for basketball star A'ja Wilson's new sneaker line 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 Wilson shared a snap from the set of the commercial to her Instagram Stories on May 4 “Vignette directed by Malia Obama.” posted by both Wilson and Nike's official account the Las Vegas Aces player and a young girl sat on the front porch of a house clapping their hands and singing a song to the tune of "Miss Mary Mack." Fans in the comments were definitely impressed with Malia's work 🔥🥹 I cried so what," wrote one person "These are the most beautiful ads I have ever seen Everything about this rollout has been done with such a great deal of intention and care 💫" a second Instagram user chimed in "These ads are perfection 🙌🏽❤️💫." This isn't the first time Malia has made an impression with her directorial efforts. In 2024, her film The Heart debuted at Sundance. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she described the movie as being about "lost objects and lonely people and forgiveness and regret." Sign in My remarks as delivered at the Obama Foundation’s Democracy Forum in Chicago, Illinois. Hello, everybody! Hello, everybody! Have a seat! Thank you! So this idea, that each of us has to show a level of forbearance towards those who don’t look or think or pray like us, that’s at the heart of democracy. And that’s hard. Even in relatively homogeneous countries, it’s hard. It’s not easy to maintain. Look what happened just this week in South Korea. But it’s especially hard in big, multi-racial, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious countries like the United States. In fact, one way to think about the U.S. Constitution is as a rulebook for practicing pluralism. So you get a Bill of Rights that allows us to think, and speak, and worship, and assemble, and vote on an equal basis, free from government coercion. And with that freedom, we can voice our beliefs and try to persuade others and form coalitions, compete for support, and elect representatives who will then go and negotiate and compromise and hopefully advance our interests. A majority rule determines who wins and who loses, but the separation of powers and an independent judiciary ensure that the winners don’t overreach to try to permanently entrench themselves or violate minority rights. And just like in a basketball game or tennis match, we agree in advance that so long as the rules of the game are followed, the losers will accept the outcome of any given result, even if they still don’t like the other side. Knowing that they’ll have another turn to try and come out on top the next time. So that’s the theory. That’s how pluralist democracy is supposed to work. It’s the story that kids like me who grew up in the Sixties and Seventies were taught in school; what politicians and journalists wax nostalgically about when they talk about the good old days when both society and political parties were more genteel and less vicious and America came together to promote the common good. Of course, in America at least, the reality never fully matched the ideal. Everybody watched Gilligan’s Island even if they didn’t admit it! See, I know what generation you’re from! (Laughter). But the biggest reason that American pluralism seemed to be working so well mainly had to do with who it left out. The fact is, for most of our history, our democracy was built on top of a deeply entrenched caste system — formal and informal, based on race and gender and class and sexual orientation. A system that excluded or severely limited big chunks of the population from the corridors of power. And with the Cold War over, with generations scarred by Vietnam and Iraq and a media landscape that would shatter into a million disparate voices, appeals to a common national story or a common national purpose increasingly fell on deaf ears. Today, we are seeing successful efforts around this country and around the world to reinvigorate pluralist values. And rather than just repeat what you’ve already heard from some of our panelists, I’m just going to quickly summarize a few quick principles for us to consider in our work: Point Number One: Building bridges is not contrary to equality and social justice in fact, it is our best tool for delivering lasting change. Now today, there is a perception, among some advocates, that being adversarial is the main way to make change. Compromise and civility only serve to entrench existing power structures. It creates a presumption that our identities are all singular and static — because you’re a male you automatically have certain attitudes and let’s face it, you’re a part of the patriarchy. I have two daughters and a wife and sometimes I’m sitting at the dinner table, like ‘What, what did I do?’ They pick on me, all the time! You know that Broderick! I’m the brunt of every joke, I’m like a sitcom dad. Or if you’re not black, you don’t understand, you don’t have standing to talk about race. My status trumps yours. Framing issues that way may keep things simple. It’s easy to tweet. Is it still tweeting? Okay. Xing, I don’t know. It may feel satisfying in the short term. Unfortunately, it actually reinforces the sense that we are inevitably, immutably divided and that makes it harder for people to reimagine how they might see themselves and they might see others. In order to build lasting majorities that support justice — not just for feeling good, not just for getting along, to deliver the goods — we have to be open to framing our issues, our causes, what we believe in in terms of “we” and not just “us” and “them.” Third Point: Pluralism works better when it is about action and not just words. Some of you probably remember this right after George Floyd was killed, you got all of these corporations that were putting up ads, and hosting convenings and then they’re instituting mandatory seminars for the workers, where everybody has to get together and talk about how they’re probably racist, and how deep the problem runs in our society. It won’t eradicate people’s prejudices, but it will remind people that they don’t have to agree on everything to at least agree on some things. And that there are some things we cannot do alone. Megachurches — I’m sorry, brother? Are you in — you know what I’m saying is true. (Laughter). A lot of our best work will happen from the bottom up instead of the top-down. If we’re going to get better at pluralism, it’s going to happen in the neighborhoods, in the communities where we spend our time, and in the schools where our kids develop the skills and learn how to negotiate and work together across differences. Now, at this point you may be thinking, “All that sounds pretty good, but pluralism depends on everyone following a certain set of rules, that’s what you say, Obama. What happens when the other side has repeatedly and abundantly made clear they’re not interested in playing by the rules?” That is the power of pluralism. That’s how we break this cycle of cynicism that’s so prevalent in our politics right now, and ultimately, that’s how we’re going to solve some of the greatest challenges of our time. See all responsesHelp In an interview with the Jay Shetty Podcast former First Lady Michelle Obama revealed her fears for immigrants and people of color in America's current political climate Newark International Airport was faced with pandemonium on Monday after hundreds of flights were delayed and more than 150 canceled following a FAA-ordered ground stop due to low cloud cover CNN’s Brynn Gingras was live from Terminal B where many international passengers were stranded for hours The jury selection in Sean "Diddy" Combs' racketeering and sex trafficking trial started today CNN's Kara Scannell explains who the prospective jurors are and who has been dismissed CNN senior political commentator Van Jones shares what he thinks is an “extraordinary” action that President Donald Trump has done in his second term and CNN political commentator Shermichael Singleton shares one critique of the president After Trump's suggestion to reopen Alcatraz as a working prison CNN's Veronica Miracle hopped aboard the ferry and visited the island – along with its throng of tourists – to get a first-hand look at how $60M in tourism revenue could be at risk if the president's plans come to fruition President Donald Trump announced he wants to turn Alcatraz Island into a working prison CNN’s Veronica Miracle visited the prison’s first cellblock to see how infrastructure decay could significantly hamper reopening the facility Freeman visited Motor Vehicle offices in New Jersey where residents successfully tried to figure out the correct documents to get a REAL ID Still others scrambled to figure out if their IDs were compliant with new TSA rules President Donald Trump touted the idea of 100% tariffs tacked onto movies that are made outside the US. Several movie studio and streaming industry executives who spoke with CNN are downright apoplectic because, they believe, the president hasn’t thought about the ramifications of his proposal, which could decimate an iconic industry, CNN’s Brian Stelter and team reports CNN's Kaitlan Collins speaks with former Vice President Mike Pence about President Donald Trump's second term in office and whether Americans will buy the president's argument that children having to make do with fewer toys Heidy Sánchez was deported from Florida to her native Cuba even though both her daughter and husband are US citizens Former Vice President Mike Pence accepted the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for his actions on January 6 Pence refused to overturn the election after President Trump's repeated pressure and grandson Jack Schlossberg presented the award '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" Former Vice President Mike Pence has received the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for "putting his life and career on the line" for certifying the 2020 election on Jan Pence defied President Donald Trump and dozens of Republican lawmakers by refusing to halt the congressional certification process of the 2020 election results on Jan. 6. A mob of Trump supporters descended on the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to stop the transfer of power to then President-elect Joe Biden with some explicitly calling for violence against Pence to support the peaceful transfer of power under the Constitution of the Untied States of America," Pence said upon accepting the award on Sunday the daughter of the former President John F presented the award to Pence at the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston They said in a statement that Pence’s decision “is an example of President Kennedy’s belief that an act of political courage can change the course of history.” More: What former VP Mike Pence said as he received the JFK Profile in Courage Award "January 6 was a tragic day," Pence said "But it became a triumph of freedom and history will record that our institutions held when leaders in both chambers in both political parties reconvened the very same day and finished democracy's work under the Constitution." unsuccessfully ran against Trump in 2023 for the Republican party presidential nomination and has publicly split from his former running mate over Jan Kathryn Palmer is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr Michelle Obama and Barack Obama's daughters Malia Obama and Sasha Obama made a rare appearance in a photo from their friend Destin Conrad's album release party Michelle Obama and Barack Obama's daughters might be in the running for most stylish celeb kids Malia Obama and Sasha Obama recently stepped out to attend their friend Destin Conrad's Love On Digital album release party and their rare appearance at the event proved that they are as fashionable as ever In a photo of their outing shared to Instagram April 24 matched her burgundy leather jacket to her long auburn hair style while posing next to Destin And on the "In The Air" singer's other side was Sasha who looked chic in a Western-inspired ensemble that included light-wash jeans and a cropped white tank top the 23-year-old accessorized with a brown belt and an oversized oval pendant necklace "I got 2 celebrate love on digital twice with my loved ones in LA and new york my heart is so full and my album comes out tonight," Destin captioned the photo along with several other snaps from the celebrations we had a fuckin time thank you to everyone who came to celebrate me i love u guys much." And fans certainly took note of Malia and Sasha's presence in the musician's roundup with several pointing out that the sighting was a pleasant surprise "The obamasss??" one user commented under the carousel "HOLD ON SASHA & MALIA WHAT." "That was a lot of work," Michelle explained during an April 29 appearance on SiriusXM's Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa "and it got harder as they got older." Malia is enjoying her college years at the prestigious Harvard University she is enrolled at the University of Michigan The Obama family don their finest ensembles for their final Christmas card in the White House The sisters stick close to their respective parents while arriving in Martha's Vineyard for a weekend getaway in 2016 Malia flashes her little sis an approving thumbs up while she earned some one-on-one time with none other than Ryan Reynolds at their first state dinner in 2016 the Obama ladies look more than ready for their historic trip Former President Barack Obama's little girls prove they're not so little anymore while arriving at the 2015 turkey pardoning over the Thanksgiving holiday Malia and Sasha join their extremely accomplished mama on a trip to Italy in 2015 The three Obama women cuddled closely for an adorable snapshot taken while visiting the Great Wall of China in 2014 The teenagers begrudgingly carry on the Turkey Day tradition in 2013 The pair rock matching purple coats for their father's second inauguration ceremony after the 2012 presidential election Right before delivering his 2012 acceptance speech Obama graces the stage with the three most important women in his life Sasha and Michelle kick off the 2012 holiday season with the epic delivery of their 19-foot Christmas tree The 2012 Democratic National Convention brought the pair and their mama together in celebration of Obama's nomination The 2011 Christmas in Washington gala wouldn't be complete without an appearance from its most high-profile residents TNT's Christmas in Washington event in 2010 brings the family together yet again The sisters are all smiles at their first-ever turkey pardoning event at the White House in 2009 Malia and Sasha lovingly wrap their arms around their ‘rents for the official family portrait in 2009 The nation was introduced to the Obama girls early on during the 2008 presidential election A young Malia shares a bonding moment with her proud pops while on the campaign trail in 2007 When the White House was just a twinkle in this foursome's eyes Obama's 2004 Senate run delivered this precious picture Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s 23-year-old daughter Sasha Obama wore a super-cropped top and low-rise jeans in a rare photo with her sister Malia Obama Sasha Obama’s choice of fashion is sending the internet into a spiral The 23-year-old daughter of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama recently posed with her sister Malia Obama in a rare photo—and her skin-baring style has earned a wave of praise In the snap shared to Instagram April 24 by musician Destin Conrad Sasha sported a pair of low-rise jeans and a highly-cropped white tank top that exposed her stomach she completed her look with a Western-inspired belt a brown oval pendant necklace and black spaghetti straps from her bra peeking out over her shoulders many social media users weighed in with their thoughts “I just wanted to take this moment to say if Sasha Obama has no fans,” one user said in an April 30 TikTok video The TikToker also commented on Sasha’s lack of public social media “The day she decides to have one public profile—whether that be YouTube Tiktok—I'm gonna be the first follower She is just on everyone's inspo board.” “She has the 90s naturally beautiful glow!!” another raved “Sasha Obama is literally my entire pinterest board.” One user even applauded Sasha for embracing a longtime style faux pas “I be so embarrassed about my bra straps showing As for what Sasha and Malia are up to these days beyond setting fashion trends "They are amazing," Michelle said on a December episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show. "Sasha is in school, Malia has a budding career in film. They are smart, they're funny, they're wise in their own ways and I love spending time with them." Keep reading to see more of Sasha, as well as her sister Malia, over the years. After taking a gap year, Malia is enjoying her college years at the prestigious Harvard University. As for little sis Sasha, she is enrolled at the University of Michigan. The Obama family don their finest ensembles for their final Christmas card in the White House. The sisters stick close to their respective parents while arriving in Martha's Vineyard for a weekend getaway in 2016. Malia flashes her little sis an approving thumbs up while she earned some one-on-one time with none other than Ryan Reynolds at their first state dinner in 2016. Upon touching down in Cuba in 2016, the Obama ladies look more than ready for their historic trip. Former President Barack Obama's little girls prove they're not so little anymore while arriving at the 2015 turkey pardoning over the Thanksgiving holiday. Malia and Sasha join their extremely accomplished mama on a trip to Italy in 2015. The three Obama women cuddled closely for an adorable snapshot taken while visiting the Great Wall of China in 2014. The teenagers begrudgingly carry on the Turkey Day tradition in 2013. The pair rock matching purple coats for their father's second inauguration ceremony after the 2012 presidential election. Right before delivering his 2012 acceptance speech, Obama graces the stage with the three most important women in his life. Malia, Sasha and Michelle kick off the 2012 holiday season with the epic delivery of their 19-foot Christmas tree. The 2012 Democratic National Convention brought the pair and their mama together in celebration of Obama's nomination. The 2011 Christmas in Washington gala wouldn't be complete without an appearance from its most high-profile residents. TNT's Christmas in Washington event in 2010 brings the family together yet again. The sisters are all smiles at their first-ever turkey pardoning event at the White House in 2009. Malia and Sasha lovingly wrap their arms around their ‘rents for the official family portrait in 2009. As is the tradition in the Obama family, the trio enjoys Christmas 2008 in Hawaii. The nation was introduced to the Obama girls early on during the 2008 presidential election. A young Malia shares a bonding moment with her proud pops while on the campaign trail in 2007. When the White House was just a twinkle in this foursome's eyes, Obama's 2004 Senate run delivered this precious picture. Your source for entertainment news, celebrities, celeb news, and celebrity gossip. Check out the hottest fashion, photos, movies and TV shows! © 2025 E! Entertainment Television, LLC A Division of NBCUniversal. All rights reserved. were all smiles in the picture looking like the spitting image of their parents who managed to make a white cropped tank top and a pair of light wash jeans look like they were made just for her she gets extra credit for flawless hair and a beat that is beating emphasizing that she doesn’t want to live in a world where people don’t appreciate Sasha’s beauty noting that only someone as fierce as Sasha could make people lose their minds while her black bra strap is peeking out from underneath a white tank Mykel Montana couldn’t help but notice how grown and gorgeous the Obama girls look noting on TikTok that none of the current First Children could even come close to making jeans and a tank top look good “THEY COULD NEVER. NOT EVEN WITH AI,” cosigned someone in the comments. Years before Barack and Michelle Obama were home owners on Martha's Vineyard they were summer renters of a stunning 30-acre property in Chilmark the Obama family rented this amazing estate known as Blue Heron Farm for a reported $50,000 per week each summer that property was sold in 2011 to British architect Norman Foster for $22.4 million who did not want to keep renting to the Obamas during the summer season But now Foster is selling Blue Heron Farm for an asking price of $39 million and the former summer haven of a U.S President is about to get another new owner For a few summers the Obamas spent their summer's at Blue Heron Farm on Cobbs Hill Road in Chilmark The house sits on a 28.5-acre property overlooking Tisbury Great Pond that also includes an apple orchard a golf course and a barn brought in from Pennsylvania It also once welcomed Bill and Hillary Clinton who attended a party at the home back in 1998 Blue Heron Farm was never actually owned by a former president The Obamas only rented the estate for three summers but they clearly fell in love with life on Martha's Vineyard because the did buy themselves a property there eventually the couple finally put down permanent roots in their favorite vacation spot buying a seven-bedroom, 6,892-square-foot home for $11.75 million That home was used for Barack's 60th birthday party in 2021 and is still reportedly owned by a trust that the Obamas are part of See inside home on Martha's Vineyard's South Shore below Years before Barack and Michelle Obama were home owners on Martha's Vineyard, they were summer renters of a beautiful property in Chilmark that's now for sale.\nRead More For a few summers the Obamas spent their summer's at Blue Heron Farm on Cobbs Hill Road in Chilmark. The house sits on a 28.5-acre property overlooking Tisbury Great Pond that also includes an apple orchard, a golf course and a barn brought in from Pennsylvania. It also once welcomed Bill and Hillary Clinton, who attended a party at the home back in 1998. Despite all that presidential history, Blue Heron Farm was never actually owned by a former president. The Obamas only rented the estate for three summers, but they clearly fell in love with life on Martha's Vineyard because the did buy themselves a property there eventually. In 2019, the couple finally put down permanent roots in their favorite vacation spot, buying a seven-bedroom, 6,892-square-foot home for $11.75 million. That home was used for Barack's 60th birthday party in 2021 and is still reportedly owned by a trust that the Obamas are part of. See inside home on Martha's Vineyard's South Shore below. Sign in Official White Photo by Adam SchultzJoe Biden has been one of America’s most consequential presidents, as well as a dear friend and partner to me. Today, we’ve also been reminded — again — that he’s a patriot of the highest order. Sixteen years ago, when I began my search for a vice president, I knew about Joe’s remarkable career in public service. But what I came to admire even more was his character — his deep empathy and hard-earned resilience; his fundamental decency and belief that everyone counts. This outstanding track record gave President Biden every right to run for re-election and finish the job he started. Joe understands better than anyone the stakes in this election — how everything he has fought for throughout his life, and everything that the Democratic Party stands for, will be at risk if we allow Donald Trump back in the White House and give Republicans control of Congress. For now, Michelle and I just want to express our love and gratitude to Joe and Jill for leading us so ably and courageously during these perilous times — and for their commitment to the ideals of freedom and equality that this country was founded on. See all responsesHelp we asked 99 nature lovers – including Margaret Atwood Kate Winslet and Michael Palin – how he has helped us see the world with fresh eyes He may have told us things 40 years ago that science has updated I came to realise that every time we recognise something human in creatures we are also recognising something creaturely in ourselves That is central to the rejection of human supremacism as the pernicious doctrine it is that our ecosystems are all interconnected and that if just one country is doing the right thing but other countries are not With Barack Obama in 2015 Photograph: Chuck Kennedy/The White/BBC/PAArundhati RoyAuthorHe showed how every living thing on this planet is connected to another living thing we control nothing except perhaps for the lever that could destroy everything Attenborough was a revered BBC senior manager – but he refused to be director general broadcasterWhen I was starting out in television I saw a clip of David and his director discussing a piece to camera for The Private Life of Plants “But what are we actually trying to say here?” then went on to deliver something succinct but with immense insight That simple remark has remained with me ever since Making The Private Life of Plants in 1993. Photograph: Neil Nightingale/naturepl.comHelen JukesAuthorThe number of times I’ve typed “Attenborough slug sex” into YouTube … David brings us the weird AuthorI was living in Edinburgh when David Attenborough’s first series launched Nobody was to be seen on the streets on those nights They were all home watching – a look at nature as they had never seen it before BBC Natural History UnitThirty-five years ago David told me after the series we were working on I think the lesson there is: for a long and happy life With Mike Gunton in 2023. Photograph: PA Images/AlamyGeorge MonbiotGuardian columnistA few years ago, I was sharply critical of Sir David for downplaying the environmental crisis on his TV programmes Most people would have reacted badly but remarkably he took this and similar critiques on board and radically changed his approach Booker prize-winning authorI can never forget the nightmarish bird-eating snake that tricks its prey into thinking it’s a spider David Attenborough has taught me humility; humans are amazing but only as amazing as every other creature Green party MPI’ll never forget the mountain gorillas in Life on Earth welcoming David with such trust and playfulness I’d never appreciated their immense gentleness “It seems unfair man should have chosen the gorilla to symbolise all that is aggressive and violent when that’s the one thing the gorilla is not and we are.” Prime minister of BarbadosHis voice has stirred the conscience of our planet and awakened generations to the wonder and urgency of protecting our natural world Wildlife and documentary cameramanDavid’s deep concern for conservation extends to his camera crews Producer Mike wanted him to drive a snowmobile but David was hesitant when I proposed lying on the snow while he zoomed past “Imagine the paperwork if I run you over.” Gentoo penguin meets leopard seal in 2019 Photograph: BBC/PAMorgan FreemanActorI’ve spent hours captivated by his storytelling and reminded of the beauty and fragility of the world we share David Attenborough is one of my favourite narrators bringing the wonders of our planet to life in a way that’s both inspiring and unforgettable swift campaignerAttenborough taught me to convert my deep love of birds into action to save them The average return date of swifts to Britain is his birthday I discovered the power of storytelling to move entire nations to love He inspired me to tell African stories through African eyes In northern Kenya in 1961, with Elsa the lioness, whose story was turned into Born Free, a film and later a wildlife conservation charity Photograph: BBC Pictures ArchivesLily ColeModel environmental advocateDavid Attenborough has taught that any hope of protecting the extraordinary biodiversity of our planet begins with curiosity don’t go down on one knee and tell him how much he’s inspired you that’ll be much more up his street.” We presented some awards together and the only one who’d talk to us was David Attenborough who told us the more they tried to stop it being seen was to receive an award at the Canadian embassy I told him I admired him for arriving with so little fuss With Michael Palin in 2002 Photograph: Richard Kendal/BBCMaria Isabel Sánchez VegaraAuthor of children’s book David Attenborough: Little People a friend sent him a dried seahorse for his fossil collection The tiny treasure sparked a decision – he would become a naturalist It’s a beautiful reminder that even the smallest gift can ignite a passion that lasts a lifetime Captain of RRS Sir David AttenboroughSir David taught me not to take yourself too seriously While we were building the Royal Research Ship Sir David Attenborough I had the idea that he could record the onboard announcements – and he kindly agreed Newcomers get a good chuckle when we play his message about the status of the toilets Wildlife cameramanFor 30 years I’ve worked as a wildlife cameraman beneath the waves Yet in my mind David Attenborough often speaks – giving voice to wonder Filming Life on Earth in 1979 Photograph: BBC Picture PublicityJane FondaActor activistI have watched every one of his documentaries but particularly how he shows us the interconnectedness of the natural world: everything matters Poet laureateDavid’s broadcasting style isn’t just about the science of the natural world His voice is one of wonder that we have the good fortune to exist in the same space and time as these bewildering children’s TV presenterDavid Attenborough taught me everything about the natural world as a young boy arriving in the UK from Sudan He instilled the excitement in me to follow my dream of becoming a wildlife cameraman Co-organiser of Glastonbury festivalThere is a spark a shimmer of youth in him – you can see it when he talks to children we were lucky enough to meet him and my youngest kid asked “Which is your favourite country and where would you most like to live?” He said astonishing wildlife and the diversity in landscapes At Glastonbury in 2019 Photograph: David Levene/The GuardianChloe CobhamFormer neighbourMy dad lived next door to David Attenborough when I was six we discovered what my father remembers to be a chipmunk in our kitchen regaled the chipmunk tale and asked some inane questions about jellyfish He quickly responded with a handwritten letter assuring me he remembered the incident and answering my queries These songs are examples of ancient forms of land stewardship Could their old truths be central to his campaign today to bring about societal change to protect our beleaguered wildlife providing a bridge between my urban home and the jungles and deserts of faraway places The first time I met him was the day my wife was due to give birth to our second child It was the best day of my life … for two reasons Filming in the Suguta valley in northern Kenya in 2013 Photograph: David Chancellor/BBCDave ReayClimate scientistDavid has shaped my entire life brutal; that all species matter and in harming nature we harm ourselves He’s also made clear that I make awful cups of tea ConservationistHe has done more than anyone to educate people around the globe about the magic of the natural world so more and more are working to protect the environment and the ecosystems that support life With Jane Goodall in 2010 Photograph: Wenn Ltd/AlamyJay GriffithsWriterFrom the start he spoke to animals in friendship and presented them to us as friends to see them not as aliens or prey but “persons” in their own right we are a force powerful enough to destabilise our planet,” David once said we are powerful enough to save it.” He has taught us we must unite to tell leaders enough is enough he waves goodbye to a Manx shearwater chick taking off on a 6,000 mile flight rooting for the individual bird while also teaching us the wonder its journey represents Birdwatching in 1995 Photograph: Marinepics Ltd/ShutterstockBen GoldsmithEnvironmentalistMy love of wildlife has been nourished by David’s documentaries since childhood The best moments I spent with my late father were watching footage of wildlife including from our garden: blue tits raising their young Nature writerI was once asked to speak at a World Land Trust fundraiser So was its patron – which is why I refused: “You can’t ask me to follow David Attenborough.” They insisted – and it was then I realised I’ve been following him all my life The world would be a better place if everyone else was to follow him EnvironmentalistI have seen young people increasingly disenchanted wrestled from the biophilic human tendency to lean towards the natural world It’s Sir David who has stirred up the restless curiosity that brought us back nature writerSir David is the closest we have to a real-world Gandalf or Merlin tech-wizardry and a host of animal familiars AuthorHe has opened hearts and minds to the connection we share with every species and renewed in us the understanding that we are the sisters and brothers of all those with whom we share this planet He has passed on his knowledge and love of the wild world and given us a chance as a species to redeem ourselves With orangutans at London zoo in 1982 Photograph: Mirrorpix/Getty ImagesEd MilibandUK secretary of state for energy and net zeroNobody has done more to fill us with awe about our world or to inspire us to protect and preserve it for future generations writer David is an honest broker in a time of increasing divisions even between groups who identify as nature lovers but seem to be at war to speak out for the natural world with compassion and purity of vision ComedianBefore doing something I’m unsure about his role as our national moral compass is the most important presenterIn an age of celebrity for celebrity’s sake Despite being one of the most famous people on the planet he remains humble and puts the focus of his passion – the natural world – front and centre Working on Zoo Quest in 1954 Photograph: © David AttenboroughAlan TitchmarshGardener presenterSir David fostered in this Yorkshire lad a love of the natural world I have met him several times and recall one pat on the back when “A safe pair of hands.” I feel bashful about repeating it but treasure our encounters BroadcasterEven though he’s travelled the globe seeing rare and endangered wildlife he still comes home to admire the blackbirds in his garden An important reminder to recognise the extraordinary in the ordinary I won a school award for “trying hard” and bought Life on Earth by a certain D Attenborough This fabulous book lit a fire in my 12-year-old soul with a burning desire (like him) to spark an interest in the natural world in anyone willing to listen TV presenterWhen you see something you’ve never seen before Someone who tells the story without making themselves the story With Kate Humble in 2010. Photograph: Hilary Jeffkins/BBCDiane BoydAuthorAs a wolf and carnivore biologist, I was amazed by David’s show on pitcher plants which ingest insects and mice through mimicry and entrapment Who knew these beauties could be so dangerous Author of The Beekeeper of AleppoI have been haunted by David Attenborough’s stark warnings about the climate crisis I learned from him that fires should regenerate a landscape I visited a burned-down forest near Athens where once lived birds of prey and foxes and weasels and butterflies and bats and snakes and lizards The Wildlife Trusts CEOThe Victorian tradition of natural history was very much about cataloguing species almost in isolation from their environment watching The World About Us with boiled eggs and toast for Sunday night tea Sir David taught me to celebrate the infinite connections of Life on Earth you’re the birdman!” were David’s first words to me “I don’t really know much about birds.” Not false modesty but because he has always seen himself as a popular communicator rather than an academic expert as I discovered while interviewing him for the series Birds Britannia during which he offered his insights into what birds truly mean to “the health of the human spirit” while delighting in the noisy parakeets in his garden With daughter Susan and cockatoo Georgie in 1957 Photograph: Smith Archive/AlamyRowan WilliamsTheologian poetThere are people who seem to think concern for the natural world somehow sidelines characteristically human concerns David Attenborough makes it clear deep attention to our environment nourishes all that is most humane and generous in us – and if we lose this capacity for caring attention And I chose to communicate what I passionately care about: our planet.” I thought that was perfect I love that he inspired my friend’s daughter with a long replying to her scribbled little note as a very young fan AuthorThe chief thing learned from David Attenborough is that longevity in the service of a leading interest is one of the most powerful things in the world just when you would think there is nothing more to be said about the mole or the seal David finds a new lyricism in the ordinary denizens of the natural world going about their business wholly unaware of being observed and gushed over by this passionate Englishman With Ben Okri at the Observer Magazine ethical awards in 2009 Photograph: Suki Dhanda/The GuardianInger AndersenExecutive director of the United Nations Environment ProgrammeAs part of Blue Planet II Sir David captured the beauty of our oceans and the threats they are facing including the impacts of plastic pollution It helped build momentum behind a global call to action I’ve learned it’s OK to be critical of your heroes People have called for him to be more outspoken and it’s working: recent documentaries have highlighted the plight of the natural world in the face of the climate and consumption crises I’ve also learned the spider-tailed horned viper has a tail that resembles an arachnid presenterDavid’s voice and vast knowledge have long been a soundtrack to my journey of connecting with nature I cried at the beautiful mating ritual of the Clark’s grebe Making the 1976 series The Discoverers Photograph: Barry Boxall/BBCPhilip BernieHead of BBC sport contentAmong his many extraordinary achievements David Attenborough notably advanced sport on television when he was controller of BBC Two in the late 60s He was responsible for Wimbledon being the first regular colour TV offering and for developing snooker as a TV sport writerI’ve watched David Attenborough’s programmes my whole life and what I am inspired by other than the obvious warmth and intelligence is the economy of his writing and the music of how he delivers the lines: the pauses how he can imbue even a single word with wit Writer, founder of RestoreThe lesson I remember from David is, when creating a sequence, “don’t just show what has happened, but why it is important”. We spent two years setting up shoots in Sumatra for Our Planet, trying to capture orangutans using tools for the first time But it was the emotional resonance of the wider setting that made the story; here they were Black2Nature founder As a child who was aware their love of birds was seen as odd I lived for each Attenborough documentary that came to our living rooms His love of birds helped me learn mine wasn’t weird that it makes sense to be excited by the natural world humans are part of With Mya-Rose Craig in 2016 Photograph: courtesy of Mya-Rose CraigLizzy CrottyAustralian conservationistWhen I met Sir David what struck me most was his sense of humour we won’t last if we don’t find joy along the way Author of Cry of the WildIt’s not the epic elements of David’s work that stay with me – the high drama of a hunt across the plains or the ant’s eye view of an aphid – but his childlike wonder at it all David shows us it’s intellectually respectable to love the non-human world Travel writerBritain’s rich tradition of nature writing wouldn’t exist without David His documentaries introduced me to nature as narrative The shock of the revelation that chimpanzees sometimes hunt other animals – and behave in uncannily familiar ways – still lingers AuthorWatching his presentation of the male bowerbird’s efforts to lure a mate I realised nature contains more wonders than can be observed in a single lifespan but a lifetime can be spent learning from its secrets Elizabeth Bishop described the qualities she admired in Charles Darwin: exactness of attention and openness to mystery Behind the patient collector of “facts and minute details” she glimpsed a “young man … sliding giddily off into the unknown” She could have easily been describing David Attenborough has helped us see the world with greater respect With the Zoo Quest team in 1956 Photograph: © David AttenboroughHuw CordeyWildlife documentary-makerDavid radiates confidence and calmness (although I discovered on a shoot he has a phobia of rats) I was once working with him in Bristol when he got a call to say there’d been a mix-up and he had a speaking engagement in St Paul’s in London that afternoon – he was doing the keynote speech “I waved my arms around a bit and it seemed to work.” Comedian, musician, writerHis elegant, unceasing advocacy for the planet is an example to us all. To paraphrase the Victorian naturalist and explorer Alfred Russel Wallace he is himself one of the great productions of nature conservationistDavid Attenborough’s unwavering voice follows you when you’re out in nature thanks to my naive explorer complex (which he also inspired) his embodiment of the joy and wonder of the natural world authorI was honoured to interview the great man and wanted to sit at his feet and listen to him for hours – he has so much wisdom He saved me when I was editing my book while camping in remote Zimbabwe The only wifi was at anti-poaching stations and when I showed them a pic of me and him I was given all the internet access I needed David Attenborough’s Madame Tussauds waxwork with Lorraine Kelly in 2023 Photograph: Ken McKay/ITV/ShutterstockHelen MacdonaldAuthorLife on Earth was a foundational experience for me Deeply serious and founded on cutting-edge science ActorBefore the digital world filled our everyday lives full of species that thrived before their natural habitats came under such serious threat He is someone I would swim through stormy seas to meet In a declining world when we desperately need compassionate anchors showing us depths and beauty that won’t be with us forever forming a picture for future generations of just how vital it is to stay educated ComposerI’ve been a film composer all my life, telling stories with music. I’ve worked on countless movies – some great which expresses something that can’t be elegantly expressed in images or words alone Sir David and the BBC Natural History Unit came knocking on my door and seduced me with the truth and beauty of extraordinary pictures tales of courage and a love of the world we have the honour to share with fascinating and extraordinary creatures always spoken gently with his extraordinary human spirit and intellect reaching out to us – profoundly moving and kind full of hope and love – convincing me that now Mayor of LondonHe is a guiding light in our efforts to make London a more sustainable city his influence can be felt across our green and blue spaces Chair of Natural EnglandI have never forgotten Sir David telling of the huge significance of the evolution of grasses They are the basis of food webs that include grazing mammals and predators such as lions authorHis whole life has been a remarkable journey but the last couple of decades are a powerful reminder that long experience can produce deep clarity Abseiling down a living wall in 2016 Photograph: Toby Smith/Geoff Robinson PhotographyMelissa HarrisonAuthorThere’s respect and patience in his approach to nature: it’s not all drama and spectacle and not inserting yourself into what’s unfolding Just sitting on a riverbank watching fish flick about feels like something David showed me how to do Professor of environmental biologyI first met David with a bat in my hand We were at an event with throngs of people and he made a beeline for me as soon as he saw the bat It turns out they are among his favourite animals authorI came to the UK from Pakistan in 1973 My dad banned “western” TV but Life on Earth was allowed – Attenborough’s storytelling made everything fascinating whether it was about exotic creatures such as cheetahs or insects in our gardens My sense that nature is a source of delight but that we have a responsibility to protect it comes from him Co-director of YoungwildersAttenborough taught me nature is something we do together – not just watch “over there” this is strongest when he’s interacting with wildlife (my favourite is him observing a bowerbird’s nest) Seeing ourselves as active participants in nature is key With a pygmy goanna in 1984 Photograph: Fairfax Media Archives/Getty ImagesBono and Ali HewsonMusician and activist/businesswomanIn a world full of noise to sing without singing is a gift beyond us mere vocalists Your melody lines bounce around the cathedral that is the natural world and bring us to awe … We feel the divinity in every tiny thing You bring us silence as we wait for the gurgle clack and roar of the animal kingdom We have listened to your voice in our home for as long as I can remember … It’s been a voice of wonder … You coral expertI was brought up on Life on Earth I received the book as a birthday present before I turned 13 then waited with bated breath for episodes flown to Kenya on VHS video I wonder that his words now sound close to a semi-obituary for nature that can yet be beautiful but must be at a new balance with our overbearing species Co-author with David Attenborough of Ocean: Earth’s Last WildernessI remember watching in The Life of Mammals a blue whale breaking through the water as he perched in a small boat only a metre or so away so there were no drones or satellite tags to help them locate the whale Most of us would have said “wow” or waffled a few rehearsed facts I’ve learned many things from working with him but the one that stays with me is the power of turning expert research into a fascinating story Filming A Life on Our Planet with Colin Butfield in 2018 Photograph: Conor McDonnellChris WatsonMusician I was standing with David at the north pole The Russian helicopter that had flown us there had just taken to the air to film him standing alone on the ice I had stayed to keep him company and would duck behind a slab of sea ice when the helicopter returned we observed that in one direction was the US while to our left was Europe and farther over was Asia All the time zones on the planet converged at our feet presenterThe UK named a research vessel for him and I saw it being built and talked to him about it His excitement was focused on the science it would enable new knowledge and new perspectives on the natural world that would come with it It was humbling to see such indomitable curiosity alongside the absolute conviction that nature will always have something fascinating to teach us AuthorDavid taught us to look below the surface I received the Life on Earth book as a school prize in 1979 he’s taught us all how to see what’s really happening not just in nature but in the wider shifting world whether discussing politics or a new species I’m inspired by his willingness to be a voice for nature in the corridors of power as well as our living rooms Club promoterYou might not think of David Attenborough as having a big impact on clubbing, but in 2018 a student party my friend Will and I threw, celebrating him We turned a Leeds venue into a jungle and filled it with cardboard cutouts and masks realising he’d taught a generation to find excitement and happiness in the natural world former UN human rights commissioner and climate envoyOur family loved watching David Attenborough’s films With Mary Robinson receiving an honorary degree from Trinity College Dublin in 2008 Photograph: PA Images/AlamyElif ShafakAuthor making “the invisible” more visible and bringing the “far away” closer to our homes and thus our hearts In an age in which we need to connect the dots and see how deeply interconnected we all are beyond borders he is a bridge builder between cultures and continents Conservation biologist, ecotoxicologistIn 2016 David Attenborough wrote a letter on behalf of the World Land Trust, for which I worked, opposing plans to build an environmentally disastrous road bridge across the Kinabatangan River in Borneo. The Guardian published extracts of his letter in early 2017 wildlife campaignerSir David’s introduction to nature’s beauty galvanised me to campaign for wildlife in cities He inspired me to find spectacles on my London doorstep: stag beetles battling in Hillingdon With Kabir Kaul in 2023 Photograph: Megan McCubbinRoger HallamExtinction Rebellion co-founderDavid has shown us how beautiful the world is beyond words And also taught us that words alone will not save what is left to save UK environment secretaryAs we look to the future we must build on David’s trailblazing achievements to transform nature from a story of loss to one of hope so our children and their children can enjoy the future that is their birthright College News More than 5,000 people listened as Obama engaged in an hour-long casual conversation with Hamilton President Steven Tepper in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House as part of the College’s Sacerdote Great Names Series. The former president opened by sharing that he hasn’t spoken in public recently He spends the majority of his time split between work with his Obama Foundation training the next generation of leaders and finishing the second half of his presidential memoir “In case any of you feel sorry for yourself this is like 50 term papers,” he said That comment drew a collective laugh from the many students in the crowd and led to a broader discussion about what it takes to be a good communicator Obama said that one must have strong convictions and articulating them effectively requires a willingness to both share your own experiences and listen to others “What made me a better communicator was listening to stories of the people I was meeting.” He admitted that when he first embarked on the presidential campaign trail in 2007 “What made me a better communicator was listening to stories of the people I was meeting,” he said “By knowing their lives and what they’ve gone through — losing a job the challenges they had gone through … their fears their hopes — weaving that into a broader story about how we can work and live together “When you listen … you have a capacity to also reach people who don’t agree with you on everything who don’t think exactly like you or have the same priorities or perspectives and you can reach a broader audience,” he said Tepper next asked the former president to share his thoughts on why many Americans seem to be losing trust in government shared a broad consensus around basic notions of democracy as embodied in the Constitution and Bill of Rights and an assurance that if one goes before the law there will be an impartial process to make decisions. “I do believe that our commitment to those principles has eroded in part because the government itself got really big and felt distant and unresponsive,” he said While Obama acknowledged that he disagrees with many of the policies of the current White House “I’m more deeply concerned with a federal government that threatens universities if they don’t give up students who are exercising their right to free speech,” he said “The idea that a White House can say to law firms if you represent parties that we don’t like we’re going to bar you from representing people effectively That kind of thing is contrary to the basic compact we have as Americans Imagine if I had pulled Fox News’ credentials from the White House press corps “It’s unimaginable that the same parties that are silent now would have tolerated behavior like that from me or a whole bunch of my predecessors I say this not on a partisan basis,” he added “This has to do with something more precious which is ‘who are we as a country and what values do we stand for?’” To put issues of the day in historical context Obama reminded the audience that in many ways the idea that “might makes right” has been the default rule for most of human history and an international order where countries cooperate instead of fight is still a bit fragile He acknowledged that in building our democracy mistakes have been made along the way and many issues remain to be addressed most peaceful era in human history,” he said Obama further observed that another reason our commitment to democratic ideals has dissolved is that many Americans have become comfortable and complacent “It’s been easy during most of our lifetimes to say you are progressive or say you are for social justice or say you’re for free speech and not have to pay a price for it,” he said “Now we’re at one of those moments where it’s not just enough to say you’re for something you might actually have to do something and possibly sacrifice a bit As for strategies for how we as a society can begin bridging divides the former president recalled another time early in his presidential campaign Social media was in its infancy and young volunteers on his team were employing Meetup to arrange gatherings of supporters in their local area People from all walks of life met to learn more about Obama’s position on issues while at the same time getting to know each other we have siloed communities online that never meet and only reinforce ideas that everybody agrees with the more likely we are to break down some of that polarization and rebuild trust,” he said The introduction of widespread use of social media and smartphones coincided with Obama’s time in the White House Although those technologies changed the way we communicate he sees Artificial Intelligence as having a far broader and disruptive implication across professions Obama closed by giving the audience advice regarding resilience Each president has the opportunity to design a rug for the Oval Office and his had several quotes stitched into it used: “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” What Obama found inspiring about this is the message that things do get better Change may not happen as fast as one might like and sometimes there are setbacks. “Progress is slow and it’s hard Do not get discouraged because you don’t fix everything all at once is what’s needed — understanding that if you work hard you’re still going to fail sometimes,” he said “The right thing isn’t always going to be rewarded but you are going to live a better life.”