DAILY SNAPSHOT
Friday, August 14, 2015

A Historic Trip to Havana:

The last time we had an embassy in Cuba was in January of 1961, when we severed diplomatic relations at the height of the Cold War.

Today, more than 54 years later, Secretary of State John Kerry is in Havana to re-open our embassy and take a historic step forward in our efforts to normalize relations with the Cuban government and people.

Follow along here to get the latest as Secretary Kerry re-opens our embassy in Havana.

The White House Just Joined Spotify: Listen to the President's Summer Playlist

The White House joined Spotify today -- and our inaugural playlist was hand-picked by none other than President Obama.

LISTEN HERE

How We Changed the White House Blog

We took a number of steps to improve the blog experience this week. Find out what they were and tell us what you think should be next.

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The White House Digital Team Picks: Our Favorite Blog Posts of All Time

To commemorate the new changes to the White House blog, we've selected our favorite posts of all time. You'll want to check this one out.

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"My visit to Havana, the first by a U.S. Secretary of State in 70 years, comes nine months after President Obama announced a new approach to relations with Cuba. It is an approach based on the ties that bind our people, the interests shared by our governments, and the mutual respect that should characterize relations between two proud nations -- even when our policies collide."