DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Harry Truman once called the White House a 'glamorous prison.' Here's what presidents and their families have said about living there.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

President Harry S. Truman referred to the White House as a "glamorous prison," and was criticized for wanting to add a balcony. Harry S. Truman on the White House grounds. Getty ImagesTruman wanted to put his own touches on his own personal "prison," as he referred to it, according to the Los Angeles Times. However, some politicians criticized the move, calling it an expensive attempt to ruin the look of the White House. In the end, the cost of the renovation was taken out of the existing presidential household budget, according to the White House Historical Association.

Persons: Harry S, Truman Organizations: Getty, Los Angeles Times, White, Historical Association

☆ Moms for Liberty leaders are behind a new charter school, which will have little government oversight even as taxpayers fund it
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Leaders of the conservative group Moms for Liberty are behind a new charter school in Charleston. AdvertisementSome leaders of Moms for Liberty, the conservative group that has pushed for "parental rights" in schools nationwide, are behind the opening of a new charter school. Tara Wood, the chair of Charleston's Moms for Liberty chapter and a member of the new charter school's board, told Business Insider in a statement that "Ashley River Classical Academy is not a Moms for Liberty school." "We are simply trying to protect our children from sexually explicit books," the group's Charleston chapter says on its website. Asked about the curriculum, Wood said: "What is so 'controversial' about the year our country was founded?"

Persons: —, Ashley, Tara Wood, Wood, Judd Legum, Legum, Trump Organizations: Liberty, Popular, Service, Classical Academy, CBS, Classical, Hillsdale College, Southern Poverty Law Center, MSNBC, Hillsdale, American Historical Association Locations: Charleston ., Mount Pleasent, Michigan, Charleston, United States

☆ Jill Biden unveils White House holiday decorations
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Christy Choi | Sam Fossum | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Complete with 98 Christmas trees, 72 wreaths and 2.8 miles of ribbon, the White House has been transformed into a classic winter wonderland for the holidays. The little engine that could: A vintage toy train chugs around the base of a Christmas tree in the Blue Room. The White House expects some 100,000 people to visit during the holiday season. Decorations in the Vermeil Room celebrate music and performance, complete with a mechanical theater featuring rotating United States Marine Band figures. Evan Vucci/APDeck the halls: The White House's China Room transformed into a dessert shop, tables laden with festive treats.

Persons: Santa Claus, Fraser, Jill Biden, Joy ”, ”, Biden, It’s, Evan Vucci, children’s, Gerald Ford, Kevin Dietsch, Saint Nick, Mandel Ngan Organizations: CNN, White, National Guard, Historical Association, United States Marine, Santa, Getty Locations: China, Santa, AFP

☆ Rosalynn Carter, former first lady and tireless humanitarian who advocated for mental health issues, dies at 96
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( Daniel Arkin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter poses for a portrait in New York City, New York, on Friday, September 23, 2011. Jimmy Carter, Democratic presidential candidate, and his wife, Rosalynn, share a moment aboard his campaign plane on Oct 24th, 1976. Rosalynn Carter during Habitat for Humanity - 2005 Jimmy Carter Work Project - Day 2 at Benton Harbor in Benton Harbor, Michigan, United States. A portrait of President Jimmy Carter and his extended family. Left to right: Judy (Mrs. Jack Carter); Jason James Carter; Jack (John William Carter); Annette (Mrs. Jeff Carter); Jeff (Donnel Jeffrey Carter); first lady Rosalynn Carter; daughter Amy Lynn Carter; President Carter; daughter-in law Caron Griffin Carter holding James Earl Carter IV; and son Chip (James Earl Carter III).

Persons: Lady Rosalynn Carter, Carter, Nikki Kahn, Rosalynn Carter, Jimmy Carter, Biden, Trump, Bess Truman, Harry Truman, Truman, Jimmy, Rosalynn, Eleanor Rosalynn Smith, Allethea Murray Smith, Wilburn Edgar Smith, Rosalynn's, Norfolk , Virginia — Jimmy's, John William, James Earl III, Donnel Jeffrey, Amy Lynn —, —, Jimmy's, Judy, Jack Carter, Jason James Carter, Jack, John William Carter, Annette, Jeff Carter, Jeff, Donnel Jeffrey Carter, Amy Lynn Carter, President Carter, Caron Griffin Carter, James Earl Carter IV, Chip, James Earl Carter III Organizations: U.S, RAND, First, Initiative, Washington, Getty, Washington Post, The Washington Post, Carter, White, NBC News, Democratic, Bettmann, Carter Center, Humanity, Georgia Southwestern College, U.S . Naval Academy, Habitat, Wireimage, Historical Association, Georgia, U.S . News Locations: New York City , New York, Washington, Georgia, Latin America, Israel, Ukraine, Colorado, Plains, Plains , Georgia, Benton Harbor, Benton Harbor , Michigan, United States, Norfolk , Virginia, Virginia, Hawaii, Connecticut, U.S

The White House Historical Association hopes to provide answers to some of those questions when it opens The People’s House: A White House Experience, in the fall of 2024. The center will feature a large cutaway model of the White House with rooms that, with the help of technology, can morph into the Green Room, the Blue Room or the Red Room. People will also learn about the slave labor that went into building the White House. About 500,000 people visit the White House yearly, McLaurin said. The White House Historical Association was created in 1961 by first lady Jacqueline Kennedy to help preserve the museum quality of the interior of the White House and educate the public.

Persons: ” Stewart McLaurin, president’s décor, —, McLaurin, ”, you’re, Jill Biden, Michael Douglas, Martin Sheen, ” Biden, Jacqueline Kennedy Organizations: WASHINGTON, Historical Association, House, Pennsylvania, Associated Press, White, Metropolitan Museum of Art, “, White House Locations: Washington, White, housekeepers, New York

☆ Analysis: Why Ukraine's plea for NATO membership is such a profound dilemma for the West
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

The president said that the alliance needed to lay out a “rational path” for Ukraine’s membership but that it was still short of some requirements for joining, including over democratization. NATO membership would also boost Ukraine’s bid to cement a democracy that was vulnerable before the war and fulfill the desire of many of its people to join the West. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat, last week introduced a resolution calling for a roadmap to Ukraine’s NATO membership as soon as it is practicable. “Guaranteeing Ukraine’s security would erode US security by increasingly the risk, obviously, of war with Russia,” he said. Even if Biden were to amend his position on accelerating NATO membership for Ukraine, he cannot ensure a successor would honor treaty obligations.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, ” Biden, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, Volodymyr Zelensky, Vladimir Putin, ”, –, Putin, stiffen, Lindsey Graham, Richard Blumenthal, “, We’re, Michael McCaul, Ben Friedman, ” Friedman, Donald Trump, Zelensky Organizations: CNN, NATO, Ukrainian, ABC News, Kremlin, Warsaw, South Carolina Republican, Connecticut Democrat, Ukraine, GOP Rep, House Foreign Affairs Committee, Texas Republican, Defense, American, Soviet, Russia Locations: Europe, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, Lithuania, Eastern Europe, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Baltic, Latvia, Estonia, Soviet Union, Bucharest, Sens, Connecticut, Russian, United Kingdom, “ State, Western Europe, Israel, Taiwan, United States, Eastern

☆ State Dinners: Who Gets Them, Who Doesn’t and Why They Matter
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As President Biden welcomes India’s prime minister to the White House, the two leaders will be looking for more than a fine vegetarian meal and a night of glitzy entertainment. Under the guise of pomp and pageantry, state visits are a chance for presidents to push foreign dignitaries to align with American interests. “These are not just dinners,” said Matthew Costello, a senior historian for the White House Historical Association. Before President Barack Obama hosted President Xi Jinping of China, the two countries negotiated for weeks over an arms control accord for cyberspace. President Ulysses S. Grant held the first state dinner for King David Kalakaua of Hawaii to strengthen trade.

Persons: Biden, ”, Matthew Costello, “, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Nikita Khrushchev, Barack Obama, Xi Jinping, Ulysses S, Grant, King David Kalakaua of Organizations: White, Historical Association, White House, Sputnik Locations: Washington, Soviet Union, China, King David Kalakaua of Hawaii

☆ Fact Check-Ukrainian coat of arms predates use of trident symbol by far-right nationalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Ukrainian coat of arms, a trident, is an official symbol of the country and dates back over a thousand years. The blue shield with a gold trident-like symbol is seen on the Military of Defense of Ukraine site and is currently listed as the country’s official coat of arms (here). FAR-RIGHT NATIONALISTS ADOPTED THE SYMBOLFar-right Ukrainian nationalists during the pre-WW2 era “naturally used symbols that were historically associated with Ukraine,” Mark Pitcavage, senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Center on Extremism said, including what is now the Ukrainian coat of arms. The Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), was founded in 1929 to “liberate Ukraine from Soviet rule and create an independent Ukrainian state,” according to Reuters reporting from 2015 (here). While far-right Ukrainian nationalists have used the trident symbol, the symbol is from a millennium earlier, is on Ukraine’s coat of arms, and is not proof Zelenskiy is connected to extremists.

☆ 10 fascinating theme parks that have closed forever
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

In April, we’re taking a thrilling ride into the world of theme parks. “We think of amusement parks as vibrant, colorful, noisy, cheerful places,” says Jim Futrell of the National Amusement Park Historical Association. Pripyat Amusement Park (Ukraine)The Pripyat Amusement Park was built right before the Chernobyl disaster. Yongma Land (South Korea)Once in a blue moon, abandoned theme parks find new life by adopting totally new functions. Faced with increased competition from Orlando’s modern theme parks, Cypress Gardens closed in 2009 and was eventually absorbed into LEGOLAND Florida.

Trinidad Gonzales, a professor of history and Mexican American studies at South Texas College, has been honored with the 2022 John Lewis Award for History and Social Justice. Refusing to Forget's work spurred an award-winning exhibit at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin — the first time the state had publicly addressed "La Matanza." He played a role in a five-year battle to help change state standards for high school Mexican American history classes. “We all knew internally that it wasn’t just simply a fight for Mexican American studies,” Gonzales told South Texas College. "We're fearful that they're going to try to eliminate Mexican American studies, African American Studies, Indigenous Studies and Asian American studies," Gonzales said in the interview.

☆ Biden’s granddaughter Naomi ties knot in White House wedding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It’s the first White House wedding with a president’s granddaughter as the bride, and the first one ever on the South Lawn. Naomi Biden walks to the White House in Washington, D.C. with first lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden on Oct. 11, 2021. The couple, who have been living at the White House, was set up by a mutual friend about four years ago in New York City and have been together ever since, the White House said. The White House announced the wedding in a statement following the small, private wedding in the Rose Garden. The White House Correspondents Association, which advocates for press access to the White House and the president, said it was “deeply disappointed” that the White House declined its request for press coverage of Naomi Biden’s wedding.

☆ White House wedding for Biden granddaughter Naomi
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, was set to be married on Saturday in what will be the 19th time in history the White House has been used for a wedding. The ceremony was scheduled for 11 a.m. (1400 GMT) on the South Lawn of the White House on a chilly mid-November day. A luncheon for family members and the wedding party inside the White House will follow the ceremony, ending with an evening reception featuring dessert and dancing. Jill Biden's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said the Biden family will pay for the wedding activities that occur at the White House, "consistent with other private events hosted by the first family and following the traditions of previous White House wedding festivities in prior administrations." This is something that the couple has decided," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday.

☆ Biden granddaughter Naomi married in White House wedding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Naomi Biden, the granddaughter of U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, was married on Saturday in what was the 19th time in history the White House has been used for a wedding. The ceremony, with no press access allowed, took place on the South Lawn of the White House on a chilly day. Naomi Biden is the daughter of the president's son, Hunter Biden, and his first wife, Kathleen Buhle. Jill Biden's communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, said the Biden family will pay for the wedding activities that occur at the White House, "consistent with other private events hosted by the first family and following the traditions of previous White House wedding festivities in prior administrations." This is something that the couple has decided," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Friday.

☆ ‘Here comes the bride’: White House to host its 19th wedding
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON — “Here Comes the Bride” will be heard at the White House very soon. Stewart McLaurin, president of the historical association, said special occasions at the White House aren’t soon forgotten. “It’s like being part of the American fabric.”A White House wedding is no guarantee of a lasting marriage. Lynda Johnson Robb said she never thought about a White House wedding, but circumstances practically dictated that she and Marine Capt. Red is her signature color and December nuptials meant the White House was already decorated for Christmas.

☆ An elephant-sized demon cat is said to appear at the US Capitol before national emergencies, according to reports as far back as 1862
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A demon cat is said to appear near the grounds of the US Capitol, the White House Historical Association says. Long considered a prophecy of coming tragedy, the first reported sighting of the demon cat was in the United States Capitol in 1862, during the Civil War. From then on, it was seen in the Capitol building basement before national emergencies, according to the White House Historical Association. "I can put enough pieces together to know where the legend came from," Livengood told Atlas Obscura. The White House Historical Association did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ Bidens celebrate their first Halloween at the White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden distribute Halloween candy to visiting children at the South Portico of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 31, 2022. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcomed trick-or-treaters to the White House to celebrate Halloween on Monday, their first time hosting such a celebration since taking office. Treats were also distributed by representatives from the Department of Education, Department of Transportation, NASA, United States Secret Service, Peace Corps, White House Fire Brigade and White House staff among others. The South Portico of the White House was decorated with fall colors, pumpkins, various shades of autumn, and songs such as "Ring of Fire," "Psycho" and "Hall of the Mountain King" set the mood. Halloween has been celebrated at the White House since the mid-20th century, according to the White House Historical Association.

Senate and House leadership from both parties manned the phones, contacting local, state and federal authorities to call up the National Guard, D.C. police and other security forces to secure the Capitol. These bipartisan efforts were led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who showed remarkable composure and leadership in the face of physical danger. She is also one of the most effective speakers in history, and she does it while battling the double standards that apply to powerful women. Days after the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, Pelosi’s caucus in the House passed the bill without a single Democratic defection. As Pelosi established a new vision for House leadership, she did so with careful attention to detail.

Search resuls for: "Historical Association"

17 mentions found