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Krishanti Vignarajah, a former policy director for former first lady Michelle ObamaMichelle ObamaIllinois makes 'Barack Obama Day' a state holiday Bill Clinton wishes Obama happy birthday: 'I love a good balloon' The Hill's 12:30 Report MORE, is enteringthe race for Maryland governor.

I am running for Governor because I am worried my daughter will not have the same opportunities my parents gave me when they brought our family here when I was a baby girl," Vignarajah, 37, said in a statement. "I hope Marylanders will agree the best man for the job is a woman.

The former Obama administration official also ripped the state's current Republicangovernor, Larry Hogan, accusing him of running a "deficit in leadership."

"Most of my life, Maryland has beena beacon of hope, opportunity, innovation, and courage.We led the nation in school performance, job creation, and conservation," she said. "But today too many of the students who can least afford to be left behind have been forgotten altogether. Too many workers have been left out. And our precious Chesapeake Bay faces its greatest risks in decades."

Five other Democrats are already vying for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. They includePrince Georges County Executive Rushern Baker; Alec Ross, a tech entrepreneur and Obama State Department alum; Maryland state Sen. Richard Madaleno; attorneyJames Shea; and Ben Jealous, a former NAACP president who has the backing of Sen. Bernie SandersBernie SandersFive tough decisions for the GOP on healthcare Booker on hug with McCain after healthcare vote: 'I'm a hugger' Former DNC chair criticizes whiny left MORE (I-Vt.).

Others, including policy consultant Maya Rockeymoore, the wife of Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), have expressed interest in running as well.

Rep. JohnDelaney (D-Md.) announced in July that he would forego a gubernatorial run and would instead mount a bid for the White House in 2020.

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Former Michelle Obama aide enters Maryland governor's race - The Hill

Before he was president, Barack Obama served the state of Illinois as a state and U.S. senator. And before that, the former chief executive made a name for himself as a community organizer on Chicagos South Side. Obamas old grassroots activism grounds have already been named the site of his presidential library (even though there are some concerns that its construction will do the very things he once fought against in the community. Sorry, just keeping it real). But the point is, theres a lot of mutual love between this state and the 44th president, which is why Governor Bruce Rauner has just declared Obamas birthday a commemorative holiday. Starting in 2018, August 4 will be celebrated as Barack Obama Day in Illinois, according to NBC Chicago.

Because its a commemorative holiday, like the one honoring Ronald Reagan, and not a state holiday, therell be no mandatory office or school closures, or time off for state employees. Illinois Democrats initially pushed for an official state holiday, but apparently some lawmakers were upset that the Gipper hadnt received such a high honor himself. Still, its one more state holiday than the current president is likely to ever getTrump did, after all, fail to win his home state of New York in the 2016 election. But given the current state of things, we might not get the chance to celebrate the first Barack Obama Day.

[via The Daily Beast]

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Trump is going to be so pissed about Obama getting his own holiday - A.V. Club (blog)

Apple Musics stand-alone Carpool Karaoke series has officially launchedand its first guest was Will Smith. Late Late Show host James Corden was on hand to get things started, jamming out to some of the musician-actors older hits, including Gettin Jiggy Wit It and Boom! Shake the Room. But the true highlight came when Smith revealed that he has actually been in talks to play Barack Obama in a movie. By which we mean, Smith has talked about it. With the former president himself.

Corden asked between songs if Smith had ever been approached for the role. Smith admitted that he once talked with Obama about the possibilityand that Obama came at him with a pretty sick burn. He told me that he felt confident that I had the ears for the role, Smith said. Truthfully, hes not wrong.

Although only a taste of the full Apple Music series is available on YouTube, its a pretty enticing collection of momentsincluding Corden and Smith singing Gettin Jiggy Wit It alongside a full marching band. The full version of Carpool Karaoke on Apple Music will include more songs, including the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song, of course. This teaser video also includes moments from other performances, including Game of Thrones stars Maisie Williams and Sophie Turner, who really put their hearts into a rousing rendition of Wrecking Ball.

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Carpool Karaoke: Watch Will Smith Relive a Sick Burn from Barack Obama - Vanity Fair

Former U.S. President Barack Obamas connections to Kenya are well known.

So it was perhaps not entirely surprising that Obama, whose father was a Kenyan student in the United States, spoke out ahead of the East African countrys election Tuesday, appealing for a peaceful and credible vote and urging Kenyans to reject tribal and ethnic hatred.

Obamas message stood in stark contrast to that of the current administration of President Donald Trump. The president himself, busyissuing threats to North Korea and tweeting about the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, has not personally commented on the elections in Kenya, a key U.S. partner in fighting Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Shabab in Somalia and a major recipient of U.S. aid.

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A supporter of the Jubilee Party of Kenya wearing a mask of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta poses with others attending a campaign rally in Nairobi, Kenya, on July 21. SIMON MAINA/AFP/Getty

The State Department and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson have also been noticeably quiet. The Kenya elections did not come up once in an on-the-record press briefing held by Tillersons deputy, John Sullivan, on Tuesday, the day when Kenyans went to the polls. The department as a whole does not appear to have spoken on the issue since April 6, when it issued a travel alert warningof the potential danger of traveling to Kenya during the election period.

Related: A brutal murder in Kenya highlights why its election matters to the U.S.

In the case of other elections, such as the presidential race in Rwanda, the State Department has waited until after the polls to comment, and so a statement may be forthcoming. However, observers see the election as crucial in cementing Kenyas democracy and avoiding the kind of ethnic violence that followedthe 2007 vote and led to the deaths ofmore than 1,000 people, and Obamas comments have highlighted the Trump administration's silence.

In his Monday statement, Obama reflected on his presidential visit to Kenya in 2015. I said then that Kenya was at a crossroadsa moment of extraordinary promise but also potential peril, said Obama. As Kenyans vote in your election, the choice is once again in your hands.

The former U.S. President Barack Obama waves alongside Uhuru Kenyatta before boarding Air Force One prior to his departure from Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, on July 26, 2015. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty

Obama called upon incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition challenger Raila Odinga and other political leaders to reject violence and incitement; respect the will of the people; urge security forces to act professionally and neutrally; and work together no matter what the outcome.

The former president also said any disputes around the result should be resolved peacefully, through Kenyas institutions and the rule of law. By Wednesday morning, it was not clear if that call had been heeded: Odinga claimed that the electronic systems of the electoral commission had been hacked using the identity of a murdered official and that preliminary results showing Kenyatta as the victor were fake.

Obama said in his statement that the run-up to the election had already seen too much incitement and appeals based on fear from all sides. But he added that the Kenyan people could make clear that you will reject those that want to deal in tribal and ethnic hatred.

Obama concluded his remarks by describing himself as a friend of the Kenyan people and asking Kenyatta, Odinga and all Kenyans to work for a future defined not by fear and division, but by unity and hope.

Obamas father, Barack Obama Sr., was a student in Kenya who studied at the University of Hawaii, where he met Obamas mother, Stanley Ann Dunham. The pair married in 1961 and had their son, Barack, in the same year. The couple divorced in 1964 and Obama Sr. returned to Kenya, where he died in 1982.

Since coming to office, Trumphas spoken to Kenyatta in a March phone call that mentioned the economic partnership and mutual dedication to overcoming security challenges shared by the two countries. Kenyatta is one of a small handful of African leaders to hear from Trump as president, while the State Department's top Africa position remains vacant since his January inauguration.

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Obama and Trump: Former President Calls for Peace in Kenya ... - Newsweek

Enter a true global leader: Barack Obama.

Obama, whose father was from Kenya and who remains a beloved adoptive native son, spoke out about the elections, imploring leaders and law enforcement to behave responsibly.

"I urge all Kenyans to work for an election -- and aftermath -- that is peaceful and credible, reinforcing confidence in your new Constitution and the future of your country," he said in a statement. "Any disputes around the election should be resolved peacefully, through Kenya's institutions and the rule of law."

President Donald Trump has had nothing to say about the election. He's spent this week on vacation, tweeting about a senator who criticized him and complaining, yet again, about the "fake news" of every reputable news source in the country.

His presidency has become an international embarrassment, partly because of the cloud of Russian collusion, but largely because of Trump himself and the choices he makes: the trigger-finger tweeting that makes him seem more pubescent than presidential, the colossal ego he puts before the good of the country, the rambling and incoherent verbiage that makes some suspect something's not quite right.

Obama has been largely silent during this calamity of a presidency. His absence from the public eye has allowed too many of us to forget what it means to be a true statesman. His message to the Kenyan government and its citizens to respect the election results and avoid violence, is a timely and necessary reminder: a public servant's role is to serve the public. It is to motivate and inspire, not to rage and whine.

It's a sad and telling state of affairs when a former president has more influence on an important American ally than a sitting one. It's not just that Trump hasn't said anything about the Kenyan elections, it's that any statement he made would likely be met with a collective shrug. He's not just widely reviled and disliked here -- he's mocked.

Obama remains respected at home and abroad, his name met with smiles and nods from many Kenyans and Americans alike. Say the name "Trump" and you'll get snickering and eye rolls.

Leadership is about policy, but it's also about professionalism, competence and character. Whether you agree with Obama's politics or not, it's hard to deny that he commands a room, that his statements about global affairs, even months after his presidency ended, command attention and respect. We may disagree over his strategy and his decisions, but it's clear that Obama took his service to the country seriously, and that he continues to be thoughtful about how best to occupy his new role.

While Trump wastes his time and ours on social media, Obama uses his position for diplomacy and human rights, turning the eyes of the world toward Kenya, whose people want peaceful and fair elections. Obama's statement helps them move toward their wish, by letting the Kenyan power players, the army and law enforcement know that more of the world is watching. This is what it means to be presidential, not petulant.

We never knew how good we had it.

Link:
Obama shows Trump how to be presidential - CNN