U.S. President Barack Obama arrives for a campaign event at the Wolcott House Museum Complex in Maumee, Ohio July 5, 2012. Obama is on a two-day campaign bus tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania.







President Barack Obama speaks at the Wolcott House Museum Complex in Maumee, Ohio, Thursday, July 5, 2012. Obama is on a two-day bus trip through Ohio and Pennsylvania.












MAUMEE, OH - JULY 05: U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at a campaign event at the Wolcott House Museum Complex July 5, 2012 in Maumee, Ohio. Obama is traveling by bus through Northern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania for a ''Betting on America'' campaign tour. The president highlighted his administration’s efforts to improve the economy by creating manufacturing jobs and rescuing the American auto industry and also taking swings at the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
























MAUMEE, OH - JULY 05: U.S. President Barack Obama greets supporters after speaking at a campaign event at the Wolcott House Museum Complex July 5, 2012 in Maumee, Ohio.






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President Barack Obama speaks from the White House balcony as he and first lady Michelle Obama start an Independence Day celebration with a barbecue, concert and a view of fireworks, Wednesday, July 4, 2012, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.








President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama visit with service members on the White House balcony, while hosting an Independence Day celebration, consisting of a barbecue, concert and a view of the national fireworks celebration from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 4, 2012.




US President Barack Obama holds a baby during an Independence Day celebration including a barbeque, concert and a view of fireworks for military members and their families and members of the administration the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, July 4, 2012.












President Barack Obama poses for a photo during a visit with service members at the White House Independence Day celebration Wednesday, July 4, 2012, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.


President Barack Obama puts on a red, white, and blue hat, while visiting with service members during the Independence Day celebration on the from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 4, 2012.



President Barack Obama holds up a baby while visiting with service members during the White House Independence Day celebration Wednesday, July 4, 2012, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.








Washington Nationals baseball team mascots Thomas 'Tom' Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt attend an Independence Day celebration for military members, their families, and members of the administration hosted by US President Barack Obama on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, July 4, 2012.


U.S. President Barack Obama slaps hands with a child during Independence Day celebrations on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on July 4, 2012.


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Neon nature
A technicolor grove of "Supertrees" is illuminated on July 2 during a light and sound show at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore.

The 150-foot-tall Supertrees are constructed from concrete and steel and feature a vertical garden consisting of 163,000 plants from more than 200 species of flowers. The massive artificial trees are part of the ambitious park project, which opened free to the public on June 29.




Beautiful and sustainable
The Supertree Grove glows a brilliant green and magenta as rain falls during the light and sound show.

In addition to being a stunning attraction filled with beautiful flowers and breathtaking aerial walkways, the trees are equipped with special planting panels that power nearby buildings by generating solar power and collecting rainwater.


http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/stories/photos-supertrees-illuminate-singapore-sky

https://twitter.com/OFA_MN/status/215089947374403584/photo/1

A group of young people parody U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's last name by intentionally misspelling it as R-MONEY as they march in a Fourth of July parade in Takoma Park, Maryland July 4, 2012. Millions of Americans headed for parades and fireworks shows on Wednesday to mark a sweltering Fourth of July holiday, some even celebrating as the nation's founders did - without electricity. Parts of Takoma Park, a suburb of Washington, D.C. , remained without power during the parade.

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney buys lemonade as he participates in the Fourth of July Parade in Wolfeboro, N.H. , Wednesday, July 4, 2012.

http://www.barackobama.com/

President Barack Obama gestures during a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in Washington.








Service members listen to President Barack Obama during naturalization ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 4, 2012.



Service members take part in a naturalization ceremony in the East Room of the White House with President Barack Obama, Wednesday, July 4, 2012, in Washington.


US President Barack Obama stands alongside as US Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano administers the oath of citizenship during a naturalization ceremony for active duty US service members in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, July 4, 2012.





President Barack Obama greets service members after they became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 4, 2012.




US President Barack Obama shakes hands with Alexey Isachenko (2nd R) of the US Army and originally from Russia, alongside other active duty US service members, after they became US citizens during a naturalization ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, July 4, 2012.



WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 4: U.S. President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with USMC Lance Cpl. Byron Acevedo as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano look on during a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room of the White House July 4, 2012 in Washington, DC. Obama welcomed the new citizens on America's 236th Independence Day.


President Barack Obama hugs Marine Lance Corp. Byron Oswaldo Acevedo during a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 4, 2012. From left are, Acevedo, Obama, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas, and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.







President Barack Obama applauds in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 4, 2012, for a group of U.S. service members during a naturalization ceremony.




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The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release July 04, 2012
Background on Military Naturalization Ceremony at the White House

WASHINGTON, DC - On July 4, 2012, President Obama will deliver remarks at a naturalization ceremony for active duty service members in the East Room of the White House. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas will present the countries of the candidates for naturalization and Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano will deliver the oath of allegiance. The audience will be composed of the service members and their families.

Other Senior Administration Officials will also be speaking at naturalization ceremonies around the country, including Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in New York, Small Business Administrator Karen Mills and Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley in Massachusetts, Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz in Virginia, and Cabinet Secretary Chris Lu in Maryland.

The President hosted similar naturalization ceremonies at the White House on May 1, 2009 and April 23, 2010.

The following active duty service members are expected to attend as candidates for naturalization:

Byron Oswaldo Acevedo, born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, enlisted in the Marine Corps in April 2010 from Providence, Rhode Island. Lance Corporal Acevedo has served in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and served in Helmand province, Afghanistan in a Quick Reaction Force and Aerial Interdiction Force. His personal awards and decorations include a Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal, Nato Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal.

more...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/07/04/background-military-naturalization-ceremony-white-house

Romney Advisers Reveal Strategy: Ignore Journalists, Pander To Right-Wing Conspriacy Websites
By Judd Legum on Jul 1, 2012 at 12:42 pm



In a stunning interview with Breitbart.com, two top advisers to Mitt Romney revealed the campaign’s plan to largely ignore journalists in favor of right-wing conspiracy websites.

From the beginning of the campaign, Romney has pointedly avoided news outlets who might pose tough questions. The press dubbed it “the Mittness Protection Program.” As the campaign wore on, Romney has refused to answer direct questions about major policy issues central to the campaign. For example, Romney has still not stated whether he would undo Obama’s order ending deportations for many young undocumented immigrants.

Romney campaign spokesman Lenny Alcivar recently outlined how the campaign will avoid journalists and cooridnate and communicate their message through Brietbart.com and the Drudge Report:

When this election is over, one of the lessons that will be learned by the mainstream media is that they no longer have a toe-hold on how Americans receive their news. Never before – in a way that has taken Democrats off stride – have we seen the confluence of an aggressive online community, led by Breitbart, and an aggressive campaign team not willing to cede an inch of ground to Democrats. This combination has created a new political reality. We no longer allow the mainstream media to define the political realities in America. The rise of Breitbart, Drudge and others, combined with an aggressive Romney campaign is a powerful tool in the arsenal of the conservative movement.

…The governor will no longer allow the mainstream media to dictate the terms of this debate. This is just the beginning… We are witnessing the rise of the center right media.

more...
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/07/01/509328/romney-advisors-reveal-strategy-ignore-journalists-pander-to-right-wing-conspriacy-websites/