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When Barack Obama was in Harvard Law School, he once alluded to businessman Donald Trump as representing the American Dream, but the tone wasn't entirely positive.

According to the new book, "Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama," the reference was in a paper the then-29-year-old had co-written with Robert Fisher titled, "Race and Rights Rhetoric."

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The Obamas post-presidency

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ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 27: Former United States first lady Michelle Obama smiles during a conversation at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017 on April 27, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Michelle Obama is making one of her first public speeches at the Orlando Conference since leaving the White House. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

Former U.S. President Barack Obama speaks during a meeting with youth leaders at the Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago to discuss strategies for community organization and civic engagement in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., April 24, 2017. REUTERS/Kamil Krzaczynski

MUMBAI, INDIA - NOVEMBER 7, 2010: US President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle wave as they board Air Force One to depart for New Delhi from Chattrapati Shivaji International airport in Mumbai on Sunday. President Barack Obama left the Indian city of Mumbai for New Delhi. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 18: Malia Ann Obama seen out in Manhattan on April 18, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 29: Malia Ann Obama is seen in Tribeca on March 29, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Alo Ceballos/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) The 44th President of The United States Barack Obama, poses backstage at The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Arthur Miller's The Price' on Broadway at The American Airlines Theatre on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

Former U.S. President Barack Obama sits on a boat during a kite surfing outing with British businessman Richard Branson during his holiday on Branson's Moskito island, in the British Virgin Islands, in a picture handed out by Virgin on February 7, 2017. Jack Brockway/Virgin Handout via REUTERS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

THIS IMAGE IS BINNED Former U.S. President Barack Obama tries his hand at kite surfing during a holiday with British businessman Richard Branson on his island Moskito, in the British Virgin Islands, in a picture handed out by Virgin on February 7, 2017. Jack Brockway/Virgin Handout via REUTERS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Former U.S. President Barack Obama and British businessman Richard Branson sit on a boat during Obama's holiday on Branson's Moskito island, in the British Virgin Islands, in a picture handed out by Virgin on February 7, 2017. Jack Brockway/Virgin Handout via REUTERS FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 08: Malia Obama is seen arriving at The Weinstein Company on February 8, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Alessio Botticelli/GC Images)

UNSPCIFIED, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS - FEBRUARY 1: In this undated image Former President Barack Obama takes a break from learning to kitesurf at Richard Branson's Necker Island retreat on February 1, 2017 in the British Virgin Islands. Former President Obama and his wife Michelle have been on an extended vacation since leaving office on January 20. (Photo by Jack Brockway/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Obama is seen walking in Soho on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Obama is seen walking in Soho on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Director Terry Kinney and The 44th President of The United States Barack Obama chat backstage at The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Arthur Miller's The Price' on Broadway at The American Airlines Theatre on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) (L-R) Malia Obama, The 44th President of The United States Barack Obama, Danny DeVito, Mark Ruffalo, Jessica Hecht and Tony Shalhoub pose backstage at The Roundabout Theatre Company's production of 'Arthur Miller's The Price' on Broadway at The American Airlines Theatre on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Ann Obama is seen out in Manhattan with friend on February 24, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Ann Obama is seen out in Manhattan with friend on February 24, 2017 in New York, New York. (Photo by Josiah Kamau/BuzzFoto via Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Malia Obama seen out in Manhattan on February 24, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Robert Kamau/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Michelle Obama leaves Upland restaurant on March 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 10: Barack Obama leaves Upland restaurant on March 10, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by James Devaney/GC Images)

ORLANDO, FL - APRIL 27: Former United States first lady Michelle Obama (L), and Robert A. Ivy, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Architects greet the audience during the AIA Conference on Architecture 2017 on April 27, 2017 in Orlando, Florida. Michelle Obama is making one of her first public speeches at the Orlando Conference since leaving the White House. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)

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The excerpt reads, "[Americans have] a continuing normative commitment to the ideals of individual freedom and mobility, values that extend far beyond the issue of race in the American mind. The depth of this commitment may be summarily dismissed as the unfounded optimism of the average AmericanI may not be Donald Trump now, but just you wait; if I don't make it, my children will."

According to a Vice report, "The paper argued that black Americans should 'shift away from rights rhetoric and towards the language of opportunity.' The way they saw it, 'Precisely because America is a racist society...we cannot realistically expect white America to make special concessions towards blacks over the long haul.'"

While Obama has maintained a relatively low profile since leaving office, he has been speaking out in defense of some of his signature policies which face uncertain futures under the Trump White House.

The former president was in Milan, Italy this week when he spoke out in favor of the Paris climate agreement and his administration's effort to fight climate change, reports CNN.

Days before that, he was in Boston prodding lawmakers to uphold his healthcare law.

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In law school, Obama co-wrote a paper referring to Trump as the American dream - AOL

An Oregon man who threatened on social media to kill former President Barack Obama and shoot FBI agents was sentenced Friday to 63 months in federal prison.

John Roos, 62, of Medford, Ore., had threatened on Twitter to kill Obama and his family on Facebook and to shoot FBI agents with hunting rifles. According to the Mail Tribune's review of court documents, Roos said he did not intend to carry out the threats but that they were meant to "blow off steam." According to an affidavit written by FBI Special Agent Jeffrey Gray, and reported by the Oregonian, Roos said that given the chance he would "punch Obama in the nose" because Obama "pisses him off."

"Violent social media posts are every bit as serious as those made in other venues," U.S. Attorney Billy Williams said in a statement. "We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute similar crimes."

Roos pleaded guilty to the threats and to possessing an unregistered explosive device. Federal agents arrested Roos on April 28, 2016, and found a loaded semi-automatic pistol in his vehicle and several pipe bombs in his home. According to a review of a federal complaint by the Oregonian, Roos was arrested outside the Veterans Affairs Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinic in White City, where he was a patient.

Roos was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Michael McShane, who also ordered that he serve three years of post-prison supervision upon his release.

Read more:
Man who threatened Obama's life on social media sentenced to 63 months in federal prison - Washington Examiner

David Garrows new biography of Barack Obama, Rising Star, contains this passage from an unpublished paper Obama is said to have written while a Harvard law student:

[Americans have] a continuing normative commitment to the ideals of individual freedom and mobility, values that extend far beyond the issue of race in the American mind. The depth of this commitment may be summarily dismissed as the unfounded optimism of the average AmericanI may not be Donald Trump now, but just you wait; if I dont make it, my children will.

First of allheh! Trump gets the last laugh once again.

Second: when will we kill the word normative? (Nota bene: I never use the word in the classroom, ever. And I banish it from my writing, except to ridicule it. Its a sign of intellectual laziness and shallowness.)

Third: Unfounded optimism of the average American? Just a minuteI thought one part of the essential American creed is that any average American can grow up to be president. Didnt Obama prove that to be true? So whats his problem?

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Everything Wrong with Obama in Two SentencesWith a Twist - Power Line (blog)

Former President Barack Obama falsely claimed thatLets Move,an initiative offormer First Lady Michelle Obama, helped bring down Americas obesity rates for our youngest kids for the first time in 30 years. In fact, research shows the obesity rate for 2- to 5-year-olds has been decreasing since 2004 long beforethe initiative began.

Its true that the obesity rate for young children continued to decline afterthe first lady launched Lets MoveinFebruary 2010, but theres no evidence that it contributed to that decline.

Obama made his claimat Seeds and Chips, a global food innovation summitthat took place in Milan, Italy, between May 8 and May 11.

President Obama, May 9: By working with schools, businesses and local leaders across America, Lets Move actually helped bring down Americas obesity rates for our youngest kids for the first time in 30 years.

We reached out to President Obamas spokesman, Kevin Lewis, for support for Obamas recentclaims. Over the phone, Lewis said Lets Move isnt still active but the mission continues through partnerships and relationships developed during the Obama Administration.

He alsopointed outthat Obama said Lets Move helped reduce obesity rates among 2- to 5-year-oldsin the United States, not that the initiativewas completely responsible for the drop. When we asked for proof that it helped, he said he wouldprovide some by email, but has yet to do so.

When research reporting a decline in the obesity rate of 2- to 5-year-olds was released in 2014, the White House put out a press release quoting the first lady. Though she was excited to see that rates had declined over 10 years, she didnt attribute the decline directly to Lets Move.

Michelle Obama, Feb. 26, 2014: I couldnt be more excited by the news that obesity rates for 2-5 year olds declined by 43% over the last 10 years. Progress of this magnitude can only be explained by the leadership and hard work we are seeing across this country.

Experts told us there is no evidence the initiativedirectly influenced childhood obesity rates.

The former first lady launched Lets Move with the goalof solving the challenge of childhood obesity within a generation. The initiatives programsaimed toensure that 60 minutes of physical activity [per] day is the norm in K-12 schools across the country and to encourage schools to incorporatesalad bars into lunches, among other goals.

As for achievements, according to the initiatives archived website, Lets Move [i]ncreased access to fruits and vegetables byproviding 3 million students with a salad bar, for example. Reaching over 12 million kids, the initiativealso equipped schools with a customized action plan to increase physical activity among children, the website says.

In unisonwith the initiatives launch in 2010,President Obama signed a memorandum toestablisha Task Force onChildhood Obesity. In a May 2010 report, the task force outlineda planthat aimed toreduce the U.S. childhood obesity rate to5 percent by 2030.

But since the launch of Lets Move, the obesity rate for all children aged 2 to 19 has remained stable. Between2009 and 2014, the obesity rate for 2 to 19 year olds hashovered around 17 percent, up from 10 percent for children surveyed in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Since the 1970s the percentage of U.S. children with obesity has more than tripled, reports theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

Michele Polacsek,a childhood obesity expert at the University of New England in Maine, told us by email that a diet including more sugary drinks likely played a notable rolein the rise in obesity for both children and adults.

Liquid calories are especially harmful because they dont displace other calories in our diet, she explained. A 200 calorie drink doesnt make a person feel full the way a solid food 200 calories would.

According to the CDC, [m]any factors contribute to childhood obesity, such as genetics, the speed of an individuals metabolism, eating behaviors and quantity of physical activity. Children with obesity are at a higher risk for other chronic health conditions, such as asthma and type 2 diabetes, says the CDC. They are alsomore likely to suffer from depression.

Unlikethe trend for children ages 2 to 19, some research hasshown a declining trend since 2004 in theobesity rate for children between 2 and 5 years old. In other words, thattrend began before the launch of Lets Move.

In a paper published in theJournal of the American Medical Association,Cynthia L.Ogden, an epidemiologist at the CDC, and others reported that the obesity rate was 7.2 percent for 2- to 5-year-olds surveyed between 1988 and 1994. This rate peaked at 13.9 percent for kids surveyed between 2003 and 2004.

The first decline in the obesity rate for 2- to 5-year-olds in more than a decade occurred between 2005 and 2006, when the rate dropped to 10.7 percent from 13.9 percent in 2003-2004.

Since the launch of Lets Move, the rate has fluctuated dropping to 8.4 percent between 2011 and 2012 and rising to 9.4 percent for the childrensurveyed between 2013 and 2014. However,Ogden told us by email that the estimates for 2-5 year olds in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 are not statistically different from each other.

What does statistically different mean?

Ogden and her group estimated the obesity rate for the U.S. population of 2- to 5-year-olds as a whole based on a sample of children in that age range. The obesity rate for the 2011 to 2012 survey sample group, for example, is8.4 percent.

For the population as a whole, the researchers can only estimate the rate withina range, which they call a confidence interval. The range for the 2011 to 2012 survey period, for example, is 5.8 to 11.7 percent.

This means Ogden and her group canconfidently say that the entire 2 to 5 year old populations obesity rate falls within that range, based on their analysis of the sample group. And the ranges for the 2011 to 2012 and 2013 to 2014 survey periods arent all that different from one another.

Overall, the researchers concluded the obesity rate for 2- to 5-year-olds rose steadily until it peaked in 2003 to 2004, and then began to decline.

ButMichael Goran, an expert in childhood obesity at the University of Southern California, isnt completely convinced by these numbers.

There has not been a consistent fall in obesity levels and levels tend to fluctuate from year to year, hetold us by email. We need to see a consistent change to make any more definitive conclusions.

Goran addedthere is no way to directly link/draw a line between what Lets Move did and changes in the obesity rate,as Obama claimed.

Polacsek, at the University of New England, also told us theres no evidence that Lets Movedirectly affected the obesity rate.

Polacsek added thatit would be very difficult to tie Lets Move back directly to national obesity rates especially given that obesity is a multifactorial problem and so many other programs were working to impact obesity rates at the same time.

Polacsek held backfrom making a definitive claim onwhether or nottheres a solid decliningtrend in obesity rates for 2- to 5-year-olds. But she did acknowledge that obesity prevalence percentagesfor 2- to 5-year-oldsjump around quite a bit. The number of participants for each survey period are actually pretty small once they are broken down by age, she explained, and thesmaller the numbers in analysesthe more likely they are to jump around. This means that Ogdens analysis is most useful when looking at multi-year trends but no conclusions should be drawn from one data point to the next, added Polacsek.

However, the CDC and the U.S. Department of Agriculture does have some additional evidence supportinga downward trend.

Researchers at these agencies looked at obesity trends from 2000 to 2014 forchildren ages 2 to 4 years old from low-income families who participated in theSpecial Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. This program provides food, health care referrals, and nutrition education to women and children under 5.

The researchersfound that the obesity rates decreased from 15.9 percent in 2010 to 14.5 percent in 2014. However, thats still above the 2000 rate, which was 14 percent.

The report adds that, Local, state, and national obesity initiatives, such as Lets Move, might be contributing to the modest declines in obesity by raising awareness of the problem of childhood obesity. But the report provides no definitive support.

Its also worth mentioning that its unclear whether or not programs started under Lets Move will continueunder the Trump administration.

In December 2010, Obama signed into lawtheHealthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which mandated the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update the meal patterns and nutrition standards for the school lunch program with the aim of reducing childhood obesity. In January 2012, the USDA finalized a rule that requires most schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat fluid milk in school meals, among other things.

But earlier this month, USDASecretary Sonny Perdue signed a proclamation thatbegins the process of restoring local control of guidelines on whole grains, sodium, and milk for school lunches. This includes allowing states to exempt schools from having to provide whole-grain products and beginning the regulatory process to allow schools to provide 1 percent flavored milk, which has added sugars.

Lets Movemay havecontributed to adecline in the obesity rate of young children, but theres no evidence of it, as Obama claimed. Experts say this would be a hard to measure, given that childhood obesity is a multifactorial problem.

Editors Note: SciCheck is made possible by a grant from the Stanton Foundation.

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2017-05-12 22:32:12 UTC

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Lets Move actually helped bring down Americas obesity rates for our youngest kids for the first time in 30 years.

Barack Obama

Former President

Speech in Milan, Italy

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

2017-05-09

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Obama on Childhood Obesity Rates - FactCheck.org

Just two days after the 2016 election, President Barack Obama warned President-elect Donald Trump against hiring Michael Flynn as his national security adviser. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

President Barack Obama personally warned then-President-elect Donald Trump against hiring Michael Flynn as his national security adviser last fall as Trump beganhis transition, current and former administration officials said on Monday.

Obama delivered his warning on Nov. 10, two days after the election, when Trump visited the White House and met with Obama in the Oval Office for what both men described at the time as a cordial conversation.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer confirmed the discussion, which was first reported by NBC News, but played down the seriousness of Obama's warning.

President Obama made it known that he wasnt exactly a fan of General Flynns, which frankly shouldnt come as a surprise to anyone, given that General Flynn had worked for President Obama [and] was an outspoken critic of President Obama's shortcomings, Spicer told reporters Monday at his daily briefing.

The revelation about Obama's warning to Trump came on the same day that former acting attorney general Sally Yates testified in Congress that she warned the White House's top lawyer in January that Flynn "was compromised by Russia" and could be blackmailed.

Flynn, a retired lieutenant general, served in the Obama administration as head of the Defense Intelligence Agency and was fired in 2014. He went on to become a top policy adviser to Trump and acted as a prominent surrogate on the campaign trail and in television interviews, harshly attacking Obamaand others in his administration.

Trump ignored Obama's advice and tapped Flynn to serve as his national security adviser in the White House, a position he held for just 24 days until he was forced out for having misled Vice President Pence about his private conversations with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

[Heres what we know so far about Team Trumps ties to Russian interests]

The president took appropriate action when he did, once he felt that General Flynn had misled the vice president, Spicer said.

Flynn's contacts with Kislyak and connections tothe Russian government have been the subject of inquiry by the U.S. government for months.

Spicer sought to pin blame for Flynn's troubles on the Obama administration, telling reporters, The question that you have to ask yourself, really, is that if President Obama was truly concerned about General Flynn, why didnt he suspend General Flynn's security clearance, which they had just approved months earlier?

The warning about Flynn was not a prepared talking point, a second former Obama administration official said, meaning it was not a subject that Obama had planned to raise with his successor. But as the two men discussed personnel, Obama expressed caution about putting Flynn in a high-level position. There were multiple reasons, the former official said, including Flynns performance leading the DIA, his attendance at the RT event in Moscow, and his controversial statements on Islam.

There wasnt certainly at the time the thought that hes compromised by his association with Russia, the former official said. It was more a confluence of red flags.

Greg Miller contributed to this report.

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Obama warned Trump against hiring Flynn as national security ...