The First Lady and President Joe Biden to Travel to New Orleans for Cancer Moonshot Event
Plus, the second gentleman welcomes Gwen Walz saying, 'I got your back' on campaign trail.
Weekly Wrap is a collection of headlines from the past week. Some publications have paywalls.
President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden are expected to visit New Orleans next week for a Biden Cancer Moonshot event, a joint initiative between the two and the administration to further the efforts to cure and prevent cancer.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, with approximately 600,000 deaths annually, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Appropriate screening and timely follow-up care help to detect cancer early and improve outcomes for patients. However, significant disparities in cancer screening and follow-up care persist, particularly among individuals of different income levels, insurance statuses, and racial or ethnic backgrounds.
On Wednesday, marking National Health Center Week, HHS, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $9 million to 18 HRSA-funded health centers to improve access to life-saving cancer screenings in underserved communities, according to an news release by HHS.
Health centers will partner directly with National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers to expedite patient access to cancer care and treatment. These awards advance the Biden Cancer Moonshot mission to prevent 4 million cancer deaths by 2047 and end cancer as we know it. This effort builds on work supported by the 21st Century Cures Act to expand use of proven cancer prevention and early detection strategies to reduce cancer risk in all populations.
“HHS supports efforts to help people live longer, healthier lives. That’s why we are doing all we can to make cancer prevention and screening services accessible to all Americans,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra in the news release. “The funding for health centers announced today is another step towards reducing health disparities across races, ethnicities, genders, and incomes—which is essential to realizing the President’s goal of ending cancer as we know it.”
Two years ago, the Bidens reignited the Cancer Moonshot and set two national goals: To decrease the cancer death rate by at least 50% over 25 years and to improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer. The Biden-Harris Administration placed a strong emphasis on cancer screening, since Americans missed more than 10 million cancer screenings during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic and patient outcomes are drastically improved with early detection.
Today’s awards build on HRSA’s previous investment of $11 million in 2023 and $5 million in 2022 announced as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot.
Forbes
WATCH: President Biden And First Lady Dr. Jill Biden Depart Take Air Force One To Rehoboth Beach, DE
Aug. 8, 2024 — President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden depart New Castle, Delaware, en route to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. View here
Yahoo! News
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Sends Tim Walz’s Wife A Heartfelt Message
Aug. 6, 2024 — Kamala Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, shared a heartfelt message with Tim Walz’s wife in a phone call on Tuesday following the announcement that the Minnesota governor will be Harris’ running mate. In a post on X captioned “Welcome to the team, Gwen. I’ve got your back,” the second gentleman captured a phone call that he had with Walz’s wife and shared words of support, emphasizing that he was in the same position a few years ago. Read more
East Wing Magazine
'The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon' Challenges Accounts of the Former First Lady
Aug. 6, 2024 — There are scant reports of what life was like for former First Lady Pat Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal before her husband, President Richard Nixon, resigned from office 50 years ago this week.
For decades, she has been defined in part by a troubling depiction of her by esteemed journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein in their 1976 book The Final Days, which examines the final months of Richard Nixon’s presidency.
It was at the height of the Watergate scandal when then First Lady Pat Nixon returned from a South American goodwill trip in 1973 and, according to The Final Days, was “distraught and even more underweight than usual. She was becoming more and more reclusive, and drinking heavily. On several occasions members of the household staff came upon her in the pantry of the second-floor kitchen, where the liquor was kept, in the early afternoon. Awkwardly, she had tried to hide her tumbler of bourbon on the rocks.”
The claims by anonymous sources that Pat Nixon was “reclusive” and a heavy drinker in The Final Days haven't been significantly challenged—until now. Read more
The Press Democrat
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff Acknowledges Affair Contributed to Breakup of First Marriage
Aug. 5, 2024 — Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff acknowledged Saturday that he had an extramarital affair years ago that contributed to the breakup of his first marriage.
“During my first marriage, Kerstin and I went through some tough times on account of my actions," Emhoff said in a statement, first reported by CNN. "I took responsibility, and in the years since, we worked through things as a family and have come out stronger on the other side.” Read more
Cape Gazette
Bidens Coming to Town Aug. 8 for a Weekend Beach Visit
Aug. 5, 2024 — For the first time since announcing he won’t seek re-election, President Joe Biden is expected to be in town this weekend. According to a Daily Guidance and Press Schedule issued Aug. 7 by the White House, the president and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden are expected to arrive at their North Shores home on Thursday. The guidance says that prior to coming to the beach, the Bidens will be in Wilmington to meet with campaign staff. Read more
The Hill
Michelle Obama praises Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles for 'Sisterhood and Sportsmanship' on Olympic Podium
Aug. 5, 2024 — Former First Lady Michelle Obama applauded United States Olympic gymnasts Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles for their “sisterhood and sportsmanship” after they both dropped to one knee to honor Brazilian star Rebeca Andrade for her gold medal. Read more
The New Yorker
“Me, Lania”: A First Lady’s Memoir
Aug. 5, 2024 — Chapter 1. Caviar Wishes, Metamucil Dreams
As a little girl in Slovenia, I had the same dreams as any child: to immigrate to America on a bogus “genius visa,” to model acrylic sweaters in a catalogue, and to meet a rich man almost twice my age and enter into a financially advantageous marriage with as little physical contact as possible. Read more
Page Six
Melania Trump Steps Out with Burberry Bag and 'FLOTUS' Luggage
Aug. 3, 2024 — Melania Trump has made her intentions clear — and in style. Despite the former first lady sometimes skipping the chance to be by her husband Donald Trump’s side during his intense campaign for the 2024 presidency, she made it clear where she plans to be at the start of 2025 by stepping out in New York City Saturday carrying Louis Vuitton luggage adorned with a “FLOTUS” tag. Read more