public service

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Michelle Obama to GWU Grads: 'Keep Giving'

First lady urges new alumni to stay involved

(Newser) - When Michelle Obama agreed to be George Washington University's commencement speaker, she challenged the school's 5,000 seniors to do 100,000 hours of community service. They completed 163,980 hours, reports the Washington Post , spurring the first lady to joke at today's ceremony that if she had known they...

Harvard Law Kills Free Tuition Program

Too many takers for deal that required 5 years of public service

(Newser) - Harvard Law School has suspended a free tuition program for students willing to work in public service after twice as many students as expected signed up. The Public Service Initiative, which waives tuition for students who pledge to work for the government or nonprofit organizations for 5 years after graduation,...

'Hit the Bitch' Site Preaches Against Violence

Danish 'game' takes unusual approach to PSA

(Newser) - It’s supposed to be a PSA against domestic violence, but ‘ Hit the Bitch ’—a webgame from a Danish advocacy group—takes things to a disturbing level. Users manipulate a big onscreen hand to beat a model, with their score advancing from “100% pussy” to “...

Obama, Bush 41 Tout Public Service

(Newser) - A bipartisan call for public service got a warm reception today at Texas A&M, where George HW Bush welcomed President Obama and 44 hailed 41 as "an inspiration to us all." At a forum celebrating the 20th anniversary of the former president's Points of Light Institute, Obama—...

Colleges Encourage 'Gap Year' With Cash

(Newser) - Colleges around the country are making it easier for high school graduates to delay college and instead put in a year or more of public service, the Christian Science Monitor reports. More than 80 schools have partnered with AmeriCorps to give students tuition credits in exchange for such service. Others,...

Michelle to California Grads: We Need You

First lady exhorts public service as 12K attend speech to 500 grads

(Newser) - While her husband’s commencement speeches were plagued by controversy, Michelle Obama received adoration from graduates at the University of California, Merced, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. During a 29-minute address on a 100-degree day, the first lady encouraged graduates to pursue public service careers. “We are going to...

First Lady Joins Elmo to Push Exercise

Sesame Street visit 'the best thing i've done,' First Lady says

(Newser) - Talk about a power couple: Michelle Obama has teamed up with Elmo to film a public service announcement about the importance of exercise and healthful eating, reports Entertainment Tonight. Michelle, a lifelong Sesame Street fan, said meeting the iconic furry character was "probably the best thing I've done” since...

Va. Repairman Swiped $170K From Meters

William Fell made off with a sixth of city's total meter revenue

(Newser) - A repairman stole $170,000 in coins from parking meters in Alexandria, Va., during the past 12 months, the Washington Post reports. William Fell, 61, looted meters in the early hours of the morning before his maintenance shifts, police say. Wary of depositing his ill-gotten gains, Fell kept the coins...

Obama Triples Size of AmeriCorps Program

(Newser) - President Obama today signed a bill to triple the size of the AmeriCorps national service program to 250,000 positions over eight years, CBS News reports. Obama signed the legislation with Sen. Ted Kennedy—"one of the finest leaders we've ever had"—nearby. The law, named after Kennedy,...

Knightley Stars in Domestic Violence Ad

Spot shows successful actress' encounter with abusive partner

(Newser) - Keira Knightley gets roughed up in a new TV ad on domestic violence, the Guardian reports. Knightley, playing herself, returns home to be accused by her abusive partner of an affair with a co-star. As he beats her, the camera pulls out to reveal that they are on a film...

Obama Pitches Public Service—On the Net

USAService.org connects volunteers to projects

(Newser) - Barack Obama, like John F. Kennedy before him, has issued a call to service in a novel medium. For Kennedy it was television, and Obama, unsurprisingly, is using the Internet to drum up volunteerism, Time reports. USAService.org allows willing citizens to find projects, or even organize them, and capitalizes...

I'll Have to Work Twice as Hard If Appointed: Kennedy

JFK daughter admits she'd be 'unconventional choice' for Senate seat

(Newser) - Caroline Kennedy understands she will have to work to gain the respect of the public and her peers if she is appointed to the US Senate. "I came into this thinking I have to work twice as hard as anybody else," Kennedy told the AP. "I am...

Top Grads Flood Nonprofit for 'Lowly' Teaching Jobs

Job-hungry grads swamp nonprofit org

(Newser) - Students from the nation’s elite colleges are in hot pursuit of low-paying, high-stress jobs, the Washington Post reports. Inspired by Barack Obama’s message of hope and disillusioned by a battered Wall Street, prospective graduates have boosted applications to Teach for America alone by 50%. “I don’t...

Way More Than Just Standing By Her Man
Way More Than Just Standing By Her Man
ANALYSIS
Aug 25, 2008 1:59 PM CDT

Way More Than Just Standing By Her Man

Michelle Obama's public service a boon to Barack's rise

(Newser) - When Barack Obama met Michelle Robinson, she was on the fast track at a prestigious Chicago law firm. As the story goes, Obama took her with him when he left to start a public life, surprising Michelle’s friends and family. But Mrs. Obama’s own entrée into not-for-profit...

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