Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category

WeCrashed Star O-T Fagbenle on Finding the Right Fake Ears to Play Barack Obama in Showtimes First Lady – Variety

O-T Fagbenle has a message to former president Barack Obama, whom he portrays in the upcoming Showtime series First Lady, set to premiere April 17: Barack, call me.

Fagbenle discussed his upcoming turn as the 44th president, alongside Viola Davis Michelle Obama, at the premiere of Apple TV Pluss WeCrashed on Thursday at the Academy Museum. But did he try to contact President Obama to prepare for his role?

I did try and get in contact with him, of course!, Fagbenle said. This is what happened: Viola knows Michelle, and Viola had been chatting to Michelle, so I was like, Yo, ViVi, yo, help me out, bro, you got a hook up! So she put me in contact with the personal assistant of the president, and Im like, Im in. Yo, me and B are gonna play a bit of golf together.

But once it came down to actually corresponding with the former president, Fagbenles excitement was slightly dimmed. He continued, I said, Look Im filming in three months, can we chat? And I got a message back saying lovely message Barack would love to, but hes booked up. Hes booked up for three months? Just say you dont wanna see me, bro. Just say you dont want to see me.

The Emmy-nominated British actor also spoke about embodying the president, whom Fagbenle said he really, really studied in order to play the very well-known figure.

If youre playing Lincoln, no one knows what Lincoln was like. But even if youre playing Nixon, how many people can really recognize that Nixon hand movement?, Fagbenle said. But Barack Obama came alive during the social media movement, hes one of the most recognizable people, so [the challenge was] finding a way of playing a character, discovering a character and not doing an imitation, but at the same time doing enough that people arent like, Who the hells that guy playing?'

He continued, It was very hard Playing him over the span of 15 years is a challenge, as well, but it was a beautiful challenge.

Fagbenle wore prosthetics to capture Obamas signature ears: They gave me prosthetics that were his size, but they looked too big on my head so they actually had to give me smaller ears than he has to make it look realistic.

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WeCrashed Star O-T Fagbenle on Finding the Right Fake Ears to Play Barack Obama in Showtimes First Lady - Variety

Sasha and Malia Obama steam up the sporty look in tiny shorts and sports bras on hike in LA – MEAWW

Sasha and Malia Obama cemented themselves as true Los Angeles celebrities after they were spotted taking a grueling hike in the Hollywood heat.

The former First Daughters of 44th President Barack Obama relocated to the West Coast earlier this year. The duo was photographed enjoying a scenic uphill walk just days after being spotted dining out at a lavish LA restaurant with their mother, former First Lady Michelle Obama.

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The Obama sisters put forth a sporty display during their hike, with Sasha, 20, wearing a tiny pair of black workout shorts that she coupled with a black T-shirt that was tied up into a crop top. Meanwhile, older sister Malia, 23, donned a black Nike sports bra and black leggings. Both completed their looks with black sneakers and several accessories, including colorful beaded necklaces and a rainbow-themed anklet. Sasha flaunted long bright green nails that matched with her green water bottle. Meanwhile, her iPhone was tucked into the waistband of her shorts. Malia sported a more low-key look, wearing a plain scrunchie on her wrist and leaving her braids to hang down her back. Malia was seen carrying a white water bottle and held her phone in her hand with what appeared to be a car key on a small stuffed animal keychain.

The images, obtained by The Daily Mail, showed the sisters chatting throughout their hike. At one point, both young women were seen leaning over to catch their breath as they made their way up a steep hill. The sisters also took in the stunning nature scenes around them, even pausing to pick some bright yellow flowers. However, they were not accompanied by any security or Secret Service. Former Presidents and their spouses are granted Secret Service protection for life, but the same policy only covers their children if they are under the age of 16. Sasha and Malia lost their Secret Service protection shortly after the Obamas left the White House. Nonetheless, they have been spotted with agents whenever they are in the company of their parents.

The sisters' outing came just days after former President Obama revealed that he had tested positive for Covid-19. The 60-year-old father-of-two said he had a "scratchy throat" but was otherwise "feeling fine." He noted that Michelle was still negative for the coronavirus.

I just tested positive for COVID. Ive had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative.

Its a reminder to get vaccinated if you havent already, even as cases go down.

"Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative," Obama tweeted. "It's a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven't already, even as cases go down," he added. Obama did not reveal whether his daughters had been tested, considering they had seen their mother just days before the former POTUS shared the news about his positive test result. However, it is assumed that he did not come into contact with his children, who moved to the West Coast earlier this year and adapted quickly to the Hollywood lifestyle.

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Sasha and Malia Obama steam up the sporty look in tiny shorts and sports bras on hike in LA - MEAWW

Obama has tested positive for COVID – NPR

Former President Barack Obama speaks in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Obama says he has tested positive for COVID. Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images hide caption

Former President Barack Obama speaks in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. Obama says he has tested positive for COVID.

Former President Barack Obama says he has tested positive for COVID-19.

"I just tested positive for COVID," he wrote on Twitter on Sunday. "I've had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise. Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted, and she has tested negative. It's a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven't already, even as cases go down."

A 2010 White House doctor's report found Obama was in "excellent health" but was encouraged to give up smoking. The report also noted that Obama's total cholesterol was borderline, at 209 milligrams per deciliter at the time.

Many flooded the former president with get well soon messages, including World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"I wish you a swift and easy recovery from #COVID19, President @BarackObama - and I couldn't agree with you more: it's important for people to get vaccinated," he wrote.

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Obama has tested positive for COVID - NPR

The Story Of Shannon Richardson, The ‘Walking Dead’ Actress Who Mailed Deadly Poison To President Obama – All That’s Interesting

Shannon Richardson appeared in shows like "The Vampire Diaries" before mailing letters laced with ricin to Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg in 2013 then framed her husband for it.

When Shannon Richardson contacted the FBI in May 2013, they had no immediate reason to doubt her. She claimed to have found ricin, a lethal compound derived from castor beans, in the New Boston, Texas, home she shared with her husband. She also claimed to have found the address of President Barack Obama jotted down nearby.

Richardson, who had small roles in shows like The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries, told the FBI that her husband had mailed the poison to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well. Her clear, detailed descriptions of small, brown-ish bean residue told authorities all they needed to know or so they thought.

When they investigated her claims on May 30, the FBI discovered that Richardsons husband was desperate to divorce her. Furthermore, every internet search at their home about producing ricin had been made when he was at work. Now the prime suspect, Shannon Richardson admitted to mailing the letters herself.

Born on Aug. 31, 1977, in Bowie County, Texas, Shannon Rogers had a turbulent childhood that potentially impacted her relationships into adulthood. Abandoned by her mother when she was 2 years old, she was the oldest of three children and was raised in Doraville, Georgia, by her General Motors-employed father.

While Shannon Richardson would get married twice only to be divorced both times before ever meeting her third husband, Hollywood grew genuinely interested. Richardsons career truly began to take off in the late 2000s with bit parts in shows like The Vampire Diaries and The Walking Dead and films like The Blind Side.

Twice-divorced with five children, the single mother and aspiring actress found love in Nathaniel Richardson. They married in 2011 and settled in New Boston, Texas, where Richardson became pregnant with her sixth child in late 2012. Her husband, a U.S. Army veteran, would later recall her being desperate to be famous.

Despite the impending birth of their first child together, Nathaniel Richardson was desperate to file for divorce. Embittered, Shannon Richardson responded by starting to order supplies from the internet to frame him and ideally garner nationwide sympathies and fame.

With lye, syringes, and castor beans, she made ricin. The substance is so lethal that it can kill its subjects via ingestion, injection, or mere inhalation. She sent three letters to Obama, Bloomberg, and Mark Glaze of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns nonprofit on May 20 while her spouse was at work as a military mechanic.

Whats in this letter is nothing compared to what ive got in store for you mr president, the letter to Obama read. You will have to kill me and my family before you get my guns. Anyone wants to come to my house will get shot in the face.

Shannon Richardson would later claim that she never intended for her letters to reach their targets, and that the high-profile status of her victims would prevent them from ever passing through security. Fortunately, she was correct when all three envelopes were intercepted before reaching Obama, Bloomberg, or Glaze.

In the meantime, Richardson would practically incriminate herself and help investigators solve the case faster. According to an FBI affidavit, she contacted the authorities on May 30, 2013, and described finding pebble-like beans of brownish color in her house and a note on her husbands desk bearing addresses.

When the FBI searched the couples laptop, however, they confirmed that relevant searches and documents were made on dates and times when her husband wasnt home. Richardson finally confessed after failing a polygraph, but claimed the idea was her husbands. She claimed he made her print the labels and mail the letters.

Arrested on June 7, 2013, the pregnant actress admitted to the disturbing details in order to reach a plea agreement. She revealed that she had created an email address, PayPal payment account, and opened a P.O. Box in her husbands name and waited for him to go to work on May 20 in order to prepare her mail.

According to his attorney John Delk, Nathaniel Richardson was rather pleased with the outcome as he had narrowly avoided being framed for three failed assassinations. He wasted no time in separating his life from the women who betrayed him, and divorced Shannon Richardson within weeks.

While a criminal complaint revealed the FBI had used undisclosed mass surveillance in cooperation with the U.S. Postal Service to identify Richardson as the perpetrator, she agreed to a plea deal by Nov. 22. Charged with manufacturing and possessing a biological weapon, she was sentenced to 18 years on July 16, 2014.

I never intended for anybody to be hurt, said Richardson. Im not a bad person, I dont have it in my to hurt anyone.

After learning about Shannon Richardson, read about Barack Obamas mother Stanley Ann Dunham. Then, learn how British millennial Samantha Lewthwaite became a Muslim terrorist.

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The Story Of Shannon Richardson, The 'Walking Dead' Actress Who Mailed Deadly Poison To President Obama - All That's Interesting

High gas prices didnt doom Obama in 2008 and they might not sink Biden in 2022 – Vox.com

Soaring gas prices, like inflation generally, will likely hurt President Bidens popularity and Democrats political prospects. But theres some debate over just how threatening the price increase will be, and whether there is a clear connection between gas prices and election outcomes.

Prices are rising across the country. According to US Energy Information Administration data, the average price for a retail gallon of gasoline has risen by about 25 percent in the past two months, and by about 70 percent since President Biden took office. Bidens decision to block US imports of Russian oil may well send prices even higher, as he acknowledged last week. (The future is uncertain, though oil prices have fallen back down somewhat in recent days.)

The effects of the broader trend have only begun to ripple through the American political system, and the potential consequences for Biden arent clear: Vladimir Putin bears primary responsibility for the most recent shock, and Bidens approval rating has actually risen by about 2 percentage points in recent weeks to around 43 percent, per FiveThirtyEights tracker, though that could be a temporary bounce from his State of the Union address. Still, if these high prices continue, theyll certainly be a centerpiece of Republicans attacks in this years midterm elections.

Will those attacks work? The effect of gas prices specifically is tougher to disentangle than one might think. One issue here is that gas price shocks often precede recessions or are accompanied by other economic woes. That makes it difficult to suss out whether its expensive gasoline or those other economic factors that are affecting voters. Some analysts have concluded its more the latter, and that gas prices on their own dont seem to affect elections much.

However, a study by Laurel Harbridge, Jon Krosnick, and Jeffrey Wooldridge found that rising gas prices seemed to hurt presidential approval: Between 1976 and mid-2007, each 10 cent gas price increase was followed by about a 0.6 percentage point drop in approval rating. (Prices have risen by about $1.73 since Biden took office, which would correspond to about a 10 point drop in approval. Thats about the decline hes seen since his inauguration, though there are surely other factors at play as well.)

One thing thats very clear, though, is that politicians believe high gas prices are very important. Thats illustrated in a noteworthy but mostly forgotten episode from the 2008 presidential election, when, for a brief stretch, gas prices hit record highs and it looked like they could determine the outcome of the election, sending the campaigns into a frenzy of position-taking.

A lot has changed in the 14 years since, but there are still some useful lessons from the 2008 saga.

By the spring of 2008, polls suggested that Democrats were narrow favorites to retake the White House. Incumbent president George W. Bushs approval ratings were in the toilet, bogged down by a weakening economy and his long, bloody Iraq war. Barack Obama led both in a long primary battle with Hillary Clinton and in polls against GOP nominee presumptive John McCain, giving him a good shot to become the nations first Black president.

And then, all of a sudden, the presidential campaigns became consumed by the price of gas. Gas prices soared in the first several months of 2008 at their peak in June, they were 30 percent higher than they were in January of that year. (The national average price rose to $4.16 a gallon in that span, equivalent to $5.48 in inflation-adjusted dollars.)

When asked in an open-ended format to name the economic or financial problem they have been hearing the most about in the news lately, fully 72% of Americans point to gas and oil prices, the Pew Research Center wrote in June 2008. No other issue comes close. The housing and mortgage crisis is a distant second. (Serious problems related to subprime lenders had become evident in 2007, and investment bank Bear Stearns had been bailed out in March 2008, but the crisiss biggest moments hadnt happened yet.)

So out came the policy proposals. McCain and Clinton both proposed a federal gas tax holiday; Obama pooh-poohed it, calling it pandering that would achieve little, and economists agreed.

Yet after the primary wrapped up in June and gas prices kept rising, Obama concluded he needed to offer voters something, and announced he supported a windfall profits tax on oil companies. (Economists dismissed this as pandering that would achieve little.)

Yet though the conventional wisdom is that bad economic conditions hurt the incumbent party, Republicans were surprisingly optimistic that the gas price issue could benefit them. The party soon coalesced around the message that what Americans needed was more oil and, specifically, to lift the federal ban on offshore oil drilling (drill, baby, drill, as the eventual slogan went). This was awkward for Democrats. Many in the party hated the idea due to potential environmental damage, and others pointed out it would be years before new drilling had even the slightest possible effect on prices. But it polled extraordinary well, getting 73 percent support.

Democrats squirmed, and as the summer went on, they gradually concluded they had to cave. In July, the number two Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin, said he and Majority Leader Harry Reid were open to drilling and responsible production. And in August, after Obamas lead dropped several points in polls, he said he could support offshore drilling as part of a broader energy bill, and that hed tap the countrys Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and drive down prices further. If the 2008 election was going to be fought on gas prices, Obama wasnt going to lose it by seeming intransigent.

In the end, all this position-taking was overtaken by events. The financial crisis of the Great Recession kicked into high gear that September, resulting in plummeting stocks, plunging demand, rising unemployment and falling gas prices. By Election Day, gas prices had dropped so much that they were about 22 percent lower than at the start of 2008. So the great gas price election showdown did not transpire.

The midterm elections are still nearly eight months away, and so theres ample time gas prices to move in either direction. But there are some comforting, and some not-so-comforting, implications in the 2008 gas price wars for Joe Biden.

Biden could take heart in the fact that the incumbent party the GOP managed to put Democrats on the defensive on this issue. Perhaps that means that its not inevitable that hell be blamed by voters for high gas prices, and that with the proper messaging, he can avert that outcome.

Yet its not clear that will work out so well for Democrats this year. For one, its the midterms, which is almost always a perilous election cycle for the incumbent presidents party. The issue of high gas prices may also inherently advantage Republicans somewhat, since the GOP is the party more identified with support for untrammeled fossil fuel production rather than environmental concerns. So though Bush was president as gas prices soared in 2008, the GOP could push an offshore drilling advocacy message.

Biden does not have the same play available to him he cant outflank Republicans on drilling, as indeed theyre already calling on him to massively expand domestic production far beyond Democrats comfort level. Still, he could be encouraged by the fact that, even before the 2008 financial crisis replaced that years gas price problem with something more dire, the Republican attacks werent enough to totally sink Obama in the polls.

While many global trends affecting the price of oil are out of Bidens hands, he does have the advantage of being able to use the powers of the presidency to ease the pain somewhat. Last November, he already announced he would tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try to ease price increases, which he expanded on during his State of the Union address.

But by blocking Russian oil imports to the US, hes now embracing a policy he admits could send prices higher. Defending freedom is going to cost, Biden said last week. Now he has to hope voters agree that cost is worth it.

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High gas prices didnt doom Obama in 2008 and they might not sink Biden in 2022 - Vox.com