Tag: White House

Tennessee Lawmakers At White House To Discuss Gun Control

Post author By Kailynn Johnson
Post date December 14, 2023

Tennessee’s state legislators convened at the White House to discuss gun violence and prevention on Wednesday, December 13th.

According to White House officials, this was “the largest White House convening of state legislators to discuss gun violence prevention, and falls right before state legislative sessions kick off in 2024.”

Attendees included Sen.Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis,) Sen. London Lamar (D-Memphis,) Rep. Karen Camper (D-Memphis), and Rep. Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis,) among other state lawmakers.

Akbari, who also led a breakout session during the event, said that their goal is to “save lives by enacting common sense policies that stop gun violence and reduce violent crime rates.”

“In my hometown of Memphis, we have an urgent need to get illegal guns off the streets and there are great ideas from this convening that we will bring back to Tennessee to accomplish that goal,” said Akbari.

Earlier this year, data released by the Shelby County Crime Commission and Memphis Police Department revealed that more than 70 percent of Memphis’ reported crimes for the first three quarters of 2023 had involved guns. This was a 10 percent increase compared to the same time period in 2022.

Lamar, who also serves as Senate Democratic caucus chairwoman, said “whether they’re at home, school, work, or church, Tennesseans just want to feel safe from gun violence.”

“To make that a reality we have to break the cycles of violence terrorizing our communities and restore some common sense to our gun safety laws,” said Lamar. “The White House convening on gun violence prevention was all about equipping state legislators with policy tools to stop shootings before they happen, and I am looking forward to introducing legislation to get illegal guns off our streets and address the root causes of crime.”

During the meeting, legislators also heard from Vice President Kamala Harris, who oversees the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Harris briefed lawmakers on the Biden Administration’s “Safer States Initiative.”

According to officials, this initiative was designed to “combat gun violence at the state level.” The White House also released the “Biden-Harris Safer States Agenda.”

The agenda includes recommendations and key actions that states should take, such as establishing a state office of gun violence prevention, investing in evidence-informed solutions to prevent and respond to gun violence, and reinforcing responsible gun ownership.

Officials said in order to help states advance this agenda, the United States Justice Department has announced “two new executive actions to reduce gun violence.”

“The Safe Storage Model Legislation details how states can require the safe storage of firearms, including in vehicles, and hold individuals liable for harm caused by unsecured firearms,” reads a statement from the White House. “Lost and Stolen Firearms Reporting Model Legislation provides states with a framework for requiring that a person promptly report the loss or theft to law enforcement.”

Tags gun legislation, Joe Biden, Memphis Crime, memphis gun, state legislators, White House

News News Blog News Feature

Tennessee Receives More Than $4.2 Million to Address Maternal Mortality

Post author By Kailynn Johnson
Post date October 3, 2023

The state of Tennessee has received more than $4.2 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) to address the problem of maternal mortality.

This award is to support the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which the HRSA describes as “a whole-of-government strategy to combat maternal mortality and improve maternal health, particularly in underserved communities.”

The United States has historically held one of the highest maternal mortality rates. A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the U.S. maternal mortality rate had increased 40 percent from 2020 to 2021.

Maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as “the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes.”

The White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis said that this is a “longstanding” problem and has been “exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent trends in hospital obstetric unit closures in rural areas.”

“Women who live in rural America — where there are many maternal care deserts — are about 60 percent more likely to die,” said the blueprint.

Accessibility is an issue that contributes to increased maternal mortality rates in Memphis. Information released to CHOICES from the City Health Dashboard said that “60.3% of live birth are to African American and 35.4% of African American women who gave birth lacked adequate prenatal care.” In comparison, “15.3% of white women in Memphis lacked access to adequate prenatal care.”

The White House also said that Black women are “three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related complications.” Tennessee’s 2021 Maternal Mortality Rate Annual Report showed that “non-Hispanic Black women” are 3.9 times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to “non-Hispanic white women.”

“The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to reversing these trends and making the U.S. the best country in the world to have a baby,” said HRSA in a statement.

HRSA is investing $2 million into supporting nurse midwifery programs at the University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University. They said this is to grow the maternal health nursing workforce and expand access to care.

The HRSA awarded $750,000 to expand screening and treatment for “maternal depression and other mental health and substance use disorders.” According to HRSA, this includes teleconsultation support, and other resources to “better meet their patients’ behavioral health needs.”

The organization is also investing $1,309,006 into maternal health research. This is to “establish a new research network that will support minority serving institutions of higher learning to study the disparities in maternal health outcomes and identify effective methods and strategies.”

An investment of $170,233 is also being made to help new mothers and their families with Medicaid eligibility redeterminations, said the HRSA.

Tags Biden Harris administration, maternal health crisis, maternal mortality, maternal mortality rate, White House

News Blog News Feature

MEMernet: Majestic Grille Tweeted by the White House

Post author By Toby Sells
Post date June 23, 2021

On Tuesday, the White House (yes, that one) tweeted examples of how the closure of the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, which it just called “the Mississippi River bridge,” was hurting the area economy.

In a five-part tweet, the White House featured quotes from West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon, a dentist, a business owner, and it noted that revenues at Southland Casino Racing were down 33 percent since May.

Here's how the Mississippi River bridge closure is affecting nearby residents' lives and their economy: 1/5

West Memphis Mayor Marco McClendon says, “This has completely crippled our city in so many different ways, from just the quality of life to the economic impact.” https://t.co/QYh1HXXo6C
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2021

One tweet featured Patrick Reilly, co-owner and chef at The Majestic Grille Downtown.

Patrick Reilly, who co-owns Majestic Grille in downtown Memphis, said his regulars from Arkansas aren’t making the re-routed drive to his restaurant. “They’re calling and saying, ‘We’re sorry, we’re just not going to do it,’". 4/5
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 22, 2021

The restaurant responded with a Facebook post that reads, “thanks for shining a light … on the struggles we’re facing due to the I-40 bridge closure. Not only are our [Arkansas] guests canceling reservations, vendor deliveries are delayed and staff can’t get to and from work. All this on top of massive revenue loss from COVID. It’s time to pass President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Plan!”

Tags Hernando DeSoto bridge, Memphis, The Majestic Grille, Twitter, White House

News Blog News Feature

Federal Mass Vaccination Site to Open at Pipkin Building

Post author By Toby Sells
Post date March 31, 2021
No Comments on Federal Mass Vaccination Site to Open at Pipkin Building

A federally run mass-vaccination site will open next week at the Pipkin Building, White House officials announced Wednesday, March 31st.

The Memphis site is one of three such sites opening next week, Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in a briefing Wednesday morning. Other sites will open next week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Greenbelt, Maryland.

Each of these sites will be able to administer 3,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine each day, Slavitt said. They are also the first federally run mass-vaccinations sites in each of their respective states.

On Monday, the federal government opened sites in Gary, Indiana, and St. Louis, Missouri. These are among the 25 mass-vaccination sites opened by the federal government. Together, these sites can administer 95,000 doses of the vaccine each day, Slavitt said.

Slavitt said the sites are to accelerate the vaccine program and to “reach the communities that have been most hurt by the pandemic.”

We need to keep case numbers down so we can save lives and give people the chance to get vaccinated in April, May, and June so we can enter the summer on the strongest footing possible.
Andy Slavitt
acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

“All these efforts are on behalf of one thing: saving lives,” Slavitt said. “We need to keep case numbers down so we can save lives and give people the chance to get vaccinated in April, May, and June so we can enter the summer on the strongest footing possible.”

For the federal vaccination program, Slavitt asked for help from local government leaders. He asked for governors, mayors, and other elected officials to reinstate mask mandates in their jurisdictions.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said resources in place now will be directed to other points of distribution (PODs) across the county.

This also means we can redirect what had been allocated to Pipkin to our other fixed sites and Community PODs, increasing availability all across the county. To date, we have surpassed 300,000 doses administered, and we will continue to do even more.
— Mayor Jim Strickland (@MayorMemphis) March 31, 2021

Tags COVID-19, Memphis, vaccinations, White House

Intermission Impossible Theater

New Ballet Ensemble’s After School Program Recognized by the White House

Post author By Chris Davis
Post date November 10, 2014

Briana Brown (L), Her grandmother Belinda Lowery (R), and Lil Buck (C). At the White House.

I could tell you what perfect beauty looks like. But it’s so much more effective to show you. Before going any further take a second to click on the video embedded below and watch as 17-year-old New Ballet Ensemble student Briana Brown receives some very good news. Also, pay careful attention to the face of her grandmother, Belinda Lowery. It’s the best thing you’ll see all day, I promise you.

New Ballet Ensemble’s After School Program Recognized by the White House

Now that your heart is all warm and happy, here’s the backstory. Today at 1:00 p.m.CST, Brown and 11 other young people from across the country will meet First Lady Michelle Obama, to accept the prestigious National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award on behalf of their respective after school programs. The award honors programs that go beyond basic arts training to change kids’ lives.

“It’s highly competitive,” says Katie Smythe, NBE’s founding director.

The White House award is being presented just days after NBE’s most famous alum, Charles “Lil Buck” Reilly was profiled in the Wall Street Journal. Buck, and fellow NBE alum, Maxx Reed, who performed on Broadway in Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark, are both returning to Memphis this month and will dance with Brown in Nut Remix, the fusion company’s annual, Memphis-specific answer to The Nutcracker.

Those interested in seeing the award ceremony live can watch at this link. Also, I asked Brown a few questions before she left for Washington D.C. Here’s a taste of what she had to say.

More to come.

Intermission Impossible: What brought you to New Ballet Ensemble.

Briana Brown: I was seven years old and my mom brought me in because she had a friend whose daughter came here. My mom always wanted to keep me active and I thought it was a really cool after school activity. I started off with basic ballet training, but as the years went by I flirted with other genres like jazz, and a little bit of contemporary.

Was this your first experience with dance?

I took a little tap and did gymnastics, but it wasn’t serious. It was just something my mom tried out, but I didn’t like it.

What made New Ballet Ensemble different?

I was intrigued by how everybody was doing the exact same things together. It was different and I was interacting with people I might not even talk to otherwise. I was a single child at the time. I didn’t have that many friends or a lot of interaction with people at all.

But what is it that made dance more interesting to you than gymnastics?

It was about expression. It was a way to express yourself in a whole different way. Being onstage to tell a story instead of trying to beat someone or to win something. You’re performing and entertaining people. At the same time you’re having fun, so it’s win-win.

Was there a special moment when you knew dance was your thing?

It took a long time to realize this is what I want to do. I didn’t have my “Oh my God, this is important to me” moment until I was 12. It happened onstage, believe it or not. I was in a pose, and the curtains were closing, and I remember feeling so sad because I wanted to do more, to keep dancing. It was a performance of Nut Remix. I was snow. It felt like a movie: No, no! Don’t close the curtains! It just felt so great to be there, with the adrenaline, and the lights, and the people all around me. Wow. It was a pivotal moment for me.

What were your favorite classes in school when you started dancing?

English classes. Anything related to expression.

So dance was, for you, an extension of that, really.

Yes, it was.

New Ballet has changed a lot in 10-years. Can you look back and describe what it looked like to you through seven-year-old eyes?

When I started [NBE] wasn’t where it is now. It was still in the icehouse [on Central]. There were maybe 70 people in the room. And I think I was the only one that didn’t come prepared. Everyone had on a pink leotard, and pink tights, and ballet flats. I had on a white T-shirt and black pants. I was not ready.

The thing that’s neat is how, over the time you’ve been with NBE, the company and school has evolved into a unique place where classical and street styles mingle pretty freely. What’s it been like to watch that?

I’ve always thought that New Ballet was the kind of place that gathered people from every spectrum of our city. That’s exactly what Miss Katie [Smythe] did. She had a vision, and these people came together, and they formed relationships with each other based on their own individuality. That’s what creates things like Nut Remix. The Nutcracker is a classic ballet, but we take it to another level by setting it on Beale Street. That makes us unique. And it’s very special to me, having an opportunity to be part of a community where I can interact with so many people. So many kids don’t ever have a chance to interact with people who are different than them. Kids who go to school in Orange Mound don’t really interact all that often with people from St. Mary’s. At least not the way we do here. And the bonds we form are so strong.

Tags Michelle Obama, National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, New Ballet Ensemble, White House

Politics Politics Feature

Bush to Welcome Al Gore to White House Monday

Post author By John Branston
Post date November 25, 2007

Wow. This won’t be at ALL awkward.

From AP: Seven years ago, it was Bush v. Gore. Now, Bush is hosting former Vice President Al Gore at the White House – this time as a Nobel laureate.

The president has invited this year’s U.S. winners of Nobel prizes to the White House on Monday, Nov. 26.

Gore and the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shared the Nobel Peace Prize for efforts to educate and raise awareness about the effects of manmade climate change.

The other invitees:

— University of Chicago professor Roger B. Myerson, Eric Maskin from Princeton University and Leonid Hurwicz, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Minnesota. The three won Nobel prizes in economics for their work on how people’s knowledge and self-interests affect their behavior in the market or in social situations, such as voting and labor negotiations. Hurwicz is unable to attend.

— Mario Capecchi of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and Oliver Smithies from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. Their work led to a powerful and widely used technique to manipulate genes in mice, which has helped scientists study heart disease, diabetes, cancer, cystic fibrosis, and other diseases.

Tags Bush, Gore, Nobel, White House