DAILY SNAPSHOT
Friday, July 11, 2015

Weekly Address: Making Our Communities Stronger Through Fair Housing

In this week's address, the President discussed a new rule announced by his Administration earlier this week to make it easier for communities to implement the Fair Housing Act.

For nearly 50 years, the Fair Housing Act has prohibited landlords from turning away tenants because of race, religion, sex, national origin, or disability, and has made a big difference in this country. This week, the Administration announced new steps to provide communities with the tools they need to ensure that housing is fair, and that no American's destiny is determined by a zip code.

Watch the President's Weekly Address here.

An Update on Our Strategy to Degrade and Destroy ISIL

At the Pentagon on Monday, President Obama provided an update on the U.S. mission to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group ISIL.

Watch the President's full statement, and learn more about the U.S. strategy against ISIL.

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President Obama Designates 3 New National Monuments

Yesterday, the President designated three new national monuments: Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and Basin and Range in Nevada. Together, these striking places demonstrate the wide range of historic, cultural, and natural values that make America's public lands so treasured.

President Barack Obama signs National Monument designations in the Oval Office, July 10, 2015. The three new monuments include Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, Waco Mammoth in Texas, and the Basin and Range in Nevada. Standing behing the President, from left, are: Victor Knox, National Park Service, April Slayton, National Park Service, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Chief Tom Tidwell, Randy Moore, Forest Service, and Director Neil Kornze. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

With these new designations, President Obama has now used the Antiquities Act to establish or expand 19 national monuments. Yesterday's addition of three national monuments will protect more than 1 million acres of public land, adding to the more than 260 million acres of public lands and waters President Obama has protected for future generations -- more than any other President.

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The 2015 Kids' "State Dinner"

Yesterday, the First Lady hosted the 2015 winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge -- a nationwide recipe challenge for kids that promotes cooking and healthy eating -- for the annual Kids' "State Dinner."

The 55 aspiring young chefs, along with their parents or guardians, joined the First Lady for a healthy lunch, featuring a selection of the winning recipes; a special performance by the cast of Disney's hit musical "Aladdin"; and a visit to the White House Kitchen Garden.

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To see more from the past week, watch the latest edition of West Wing Week here.