Politics

It’s a Dad-Daughter Overnighter in New York for the Obamas

Published

10 years ago

July 18, 2015

President Barack Obama, accompanied by his daughter, Sasha, second from right, and her friends, walks through Central Park in New York, Saturday, July 18, 2015. Obama is spending a mainly personal weekend with his daughters in New York City. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Nancy Bernac, ASSOCIATED PRESS

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s inevitable: At some point, teenage kids just aren’t that into their parents anymore.

President Barack Obama, parent to two teenage daughters, set out to combat that trend by hanging out with his girls in New York.

The trio, plus some of the girls’ friends, seemed intent on packing a lot into their 24 hours together in the city.

But no one was out of the hotel door too early on a rainy Saturday morning after zigzagging around Manhattan in dad’s motorcade into the wee hours on Friday night.

The visitors finally emerged about 11:30 a.m., as the sun broke though, and they made made a beeline for Central Park, joined by the president’s sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng and her husband, Konrad Ng.

They strolled along the park’s pathways, bringing pedicabs, bikers, skaters, horse-drawn carriages and walkers to a screeching halt as people whipped out cellphones to capture the moment.

A Saturday afternoon Broadway matinee was in the offing, believed to be “Hamilton,” the hit hip-hop musical about the Founding Fathers.

The Obamas had lingered past 11 p.m. over dinner at an Italian place in Greenwich Village on Friday and took an after-hours tour of the Whitney Museum that lasted until midnight.

A New York weekend was Obama’s idea. He often laments that his girls are less interested in spending time with him now that they are older. But the concept gets a little complicated, of course, when dad is the president.

Obama’s every move requires massive security precautions that tie the bustling streets of New York in knots, and he can attract throngs of onlookers in an instant.

Hearty cheers went up from the street corner late Friday as the Obamas left Carbone; a crowd had massed outside the restaurant when word spread that he was there.

This is not the ideal environment for father-daughter bonding.

But after more than 6 1/2 years in the White House fishbowl, Malia, 17, and Sasha, 14, have adjusted to all the attention and they know how to carry on.

Sasha and two girlfriends hopped aboard Air Force One for the trip to New York without even a hint that they had noticed the photographers and TV cameras pointed in their direction Friday.

Malia was there to meet them in New York. She has been interning on the set of HBO’s “Girls” this summer.

First lady Michelle Obama, who sat this trip out, already had her own bonding time with the girls when she took them along on an official trip to England and Italy last month. She’s already seen “Hamilton,” anyway.

Both Obamas have been growing increasingly sentimental as they watch the little girls who entered the White House in 2009 grow into young women.

“They’re hitting the age where they still love me, but they think I’m completely boring. And so they’ll come in, pat me on the head, talk to me for 10 minutes, and then they’re gone all weekend,” the president told an interview last month. “They break my heart.”

Beyond New York’s innate appeal, Obama’s visit to the city also may have given the president a chance to give more thought to where the family will land when they leave the White House in January 2017. New York is among the cities that get the most speculation.

Malia is entering her senior year in high school and has been making the rounds of prospective colleges. She has visited a number of New York schools as she tries to figure out where to study after she graduates. New York University, Barnard College and her father’s alma mater, Columbia University, have all been in the mix.

Obama was scheduled to return to Washington on Saturday night. He’ll be back in New York for a few hours on Tuesday for one last appearance with Jon Stewart on “The Daily Show” and a Democratic fundraiser.

___

Follow Nancy Benac on Twitter at http://twitter.com/nbenac.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

3 days ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

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2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Lori Wilson — Advocate for Equity, the Environment, and More

Her rise has also included several historic firsts: she is the only Black woman ever appointed to lead the influential Assembly Transportation Committee, and the first freshman legislator elected Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. She has also been a vocal advocate for vulnerable communities, becoming the first California legislator to publicly discuss being the parent of a transgender child — an act of visibility that has helped advanced representation at a time when political tensions related to social issues and culture have intensified.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City). File photo.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City) joined the California Legislature in 2022 after making history as Solano County’s first Black female mayor, bringing with her a track record of fiscal discipline, community investment, and inclusive leadership.

She represents the state’s 11th Assembly District, which spans Solano County and portions of Contra Costa and Sacramento Counties.

California Black Media spoke with Wilson about her successes and disappointments this year and her outlook for 2026.

What stands out as your most important achievement this year?

Getting SB 237 passed in the Assembly. I had the opportunity to co-lead a diverse workgroup of colleagues, spanning a wide range of ideological perspectives on environmental issues.

How did your leadership contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians this year?

The Black Caucus concentrated on the Road to Repair package and prioritized passing a crucial bill that remained incomplete during my time as chair, which establishes a process for identifying descendants of enslaved people for benefit eligibility.

What frustrated you the most this year?

The lack of progress made on getting Prop 4 funds allocated to socially disadvantaged farmers. This delay has real consequences. These farmers have been waiting for essential support that was promised. Watching the process stall, despite the clear need and clear intent of the voters, has been deeply frustrating and reinforces how much work remains to make our systems more responsive and equitable.

What inspired you the most this year?

The resilience of Californians persists despite the unprecedented attacks from the federal government. Watching people stay engaged, hopeful, and determined reminded me why this work matters and why we must continue to protect the rights of every community in our state.

What is one lesson you learned this year that will inform your decision-making next year?

As a legislator, I have the authority to demand answers to my questions — and accept nothing less. That clarity has strengthened my approach to oversight and accountability.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians are facing currently?

Affordability and access to quality educational opportunities.

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2026?

Advance my legislative agenda despite a complex budget environment. The needs across our communities are real, and even in a tight fiscal year, I’m committed to moving forward policies that strengthen safety, expand opportunity, and improve quality of life for the people I represent.

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2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, Champion of Reparations, Housing and Workers’ Rights

In 2025, McKinnor pushed forward legislation on renters’ protections, re-entry programs, reparations legislation, and efforts to support Inglewood Unified School District. She spoke with California Black Media about the past year and her work. Here are her responses.

Published

1 week ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood). File photo.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr., California Black Media

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) represents

California’s 61st Assembly District.

As a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC),

McKinnor was elected in 2022. She chairs the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation and leads the Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee. McKinnor also served as a civic engagement director, managed political campaigns, and worked as chief of staff for former Assemblymembers Steven Bradford and Autumn Burke.

Looking back on 2025, what do you see as your biggest win?

Assembly Bill (AB) 628. If rent is $3,000, people should at least have a stove and a refrigerator. It’s ridiculous that people were renting without basic appliances.

I’m also proud that I was able to secure $8.4 million in the state budget for people coming home from incarceration. That includes the Homecoming Project, the menopause program for incarcerated women, and the Justice Leaders Program.

How did your leadership help make life better for Black Californians this year?

After the Eaton Fire, I pushed to get the same kind of support for affected areas that wealthier regions get after disasters.

I also did a lot of work building political power— establishing the Black Legacy PAC and California for All of Us PAC so we could support Black candidates and educate voters. We also called voters to make sure they understood Prop 50.

People need to understand this: there are only 12 Black legislators in the Capitol. Folks act like we can just walk in and pass reparations, but that’s not how it works.

What frustrated you most this year?

The governor did not have the political will to sign these bills: AB 57 and AB 62. They both passed overwhelmingly in the Assembly and the Senate. We did the work. The only person who didn’t have the political will to sign them was the governor.

The public needs to ask the governor why he didn’t sign the bills. We can’t keep letting people off the hook. He has to answer.

I also introduced AB 51 — the bill to eliminate interest payments on Inglewood Unified School District’s long-standing state loan — held in the Appropriations Committee. That was frustrating,

What inspired you most in 2025?

The civil rights trip to Alabama was life changing. We visited the Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. We took members of the Black, Latino, Jewish, and API caucuses with us. It changed all of us.

People aren’t always against us — they just don’t know our history.

What’s one lesson from 2025 that will shape how you approach decisions next year?

The legislative trip to Norway taught me that collaboration matters. Government, labor, and industry sit down together there. They don’t make villains. Everybody doesn’t get everything they want, but they solve problems.

What’s the biggest challenge facing Black Californians in one word?

Inequity. It shows up in housing, wealth, stress – all these things.

What’s the number one goal you want to accomplish in 2026?

Bringing back AB 57 and AB 62, and securing money for the Inglewood Unified loan interest forgiveness.