BRIEFING ROOM

Liveblog: The President in Canada

President Obama is on his first foreign trip today -- to Ottawa, Canada's capital city. White House New Media staffer Jason Djang will be liveblogging the trip from the road.

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Playing, “Did you know?”

"Did you know that African American slaves helped to build this house?" First Lady Michelle Obama asked a group 6th and 7th graders on a visit to the White House Wednesday, an event celebrating African American History Month. She asked them a few more trivia questions, too, before ceding the floor to Sweet Honey in the Rock, an African American female a cappella group.

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Setting the bar high

It will be an enormous undertaking to ensure that the transparency and accountability that the President expects for Recovery.gov will be upheld. Peter Orszag, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), has sent a memo to the heads of federal departments and agencies explaining what's expected of them and offering advice for how to meet those high standards.