Watch West Wing Week here.

Call for Action: On Monday, President Obama traveled to Connecticut to assure Newtown families and all Americans he has not forgotten about that community’s tragedy. The President urged Americans to press Congress to vote on gun legislation:

And now they’re going to start denying your families a vote when the cameras are off and when the lobbyists have worked what they do? You deserve better than that. You deserve a vote.

On January 16, President Obama issued 23 executive actions to help reduce gun violence, and called on Congress to pass laws that would help keep guns out of the wrong hands and make our schools safer. The President and Vice President have worked for common-sense measures to protect our children and our communities. Both have spoken with families of gun violence, mayors, law enforcement officers, community leaders and Americans across the country.

• Read President Obama's plan for commonsense measures to reduce gun violence 
• Show Your Support on Social Media: “I support common-sense steps to reduce gun violence. #NowIsTheTime to act. Share this if you agree:”
• Sign on and share your story to help support the President’s plan to protect our kids and communities
• Photo Gallery: Vice President Joe Biden Meets with Groups to Develop Proposals on Gun Violence
• Video: President Obama Introduces a Plan to Reduce Gun Violence

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President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama reported paying $112,214 in taxes last year on $608,611 in adjusted gross income, for an effective federal income tax rate of 18.4 percent, the White House announced Friday.

President Obama made less in 2012 than in any other year since taking office, with about 40 percent of the nearly $609,000 in income that he and first lady Michelle Obama reported coming from book sales. 

The White House has released the 2012 tax returns filed recently by President Obama and Vice President Biden.

Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made a combined $662,000 in 2012 -- $395,000 from the president's salary and $259,000 from other sources (mostly the president's books). The Obamas' income was down from $790,000 in 2011.

The White House Photo Office just released their latest behind-the-scenes photo gallery, which includes images from President Obama’s historic Middle East trip, candid shots with senior advisors, and events around the White House.

Check out some of the best images below, and see the full set of 36 photos on our Flickr gallery.

Click here to see the photo gallery.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It's a movie that first lady Michelle Obama says every American should see, and it premieres Thursday night here.

Because before Jackie Robinson donned a baseball jersey with the number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers — becoming the first African American player in the major leagues — he played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues.

This year, First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver commencement addresses at Eastern Kentucky University, Bowie State University, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School for Health Sciences and Engineering at Historic Pearl High (MLK).

The First Lady will be speaking at Eastern Kentucky University as part of her Joining Forces initiative because of its outstanding record supporting veterans and military families; she will be speaking at Bowie State University because of its legacy as Maryland's oldest historically black university; and she will be speaking at MLK Magnet as it is consistently ranked among the best public schools in the nation for its academic rigor and high graduation rate.

The commencement addresses will be open press, but space is limited. Members of the media who wish to cover the commencements must RSVP directly to the schools. Contact information is below.

Eastern Kentucky University
Mrs. Obama will deliver remarks at the Eastern Kentucky University commencement in Richmond, KY on Saturday, May 11 at 7:30 PM, where she will address graduates from the College of Education and the College of Business and Technology in the last of three ceremonies that day. The First Lady will be speaking at EKU as part of her Joining Forces initiative to support veterans and military families. The University has received national recognition in recent years for its commitment to helping veterans further their education. The university, one of only 16 Tillman Military Scholar Partner Universities in the nation, is recognized for its Veterans Success Center that is a one-stop-shop for numerous services, from specialized job placement for veterans to full-time advisors and counselors dedicated to serving their community. EKU is also a recipient of the “Best for Vets” honor by the Military Times EDGE magazine, as well as the “Military Friendly Schools” for G.I. Jobs Magazine, placing Eastern among the top colleges, universities and trade schools nationwide for embracing America’s student veterans. Already home to more than 1,275 veterans and their families. EKU is ranked 16th nationally among the 2013 “Best for Vets: Business Schools” by Military Times EDGE magazine.

To RSVP for this event, please contact the school.
Marc C. Whitt
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Chief Communications Officer
859-622-2301
marc.whitt@eku.edu

 
Bowie State University
The First Lady will speak at the commencement ceremonies for Bowie State University, in Bowie, MD, on the morning of Friday, May 17. Bowie State University is part of the rich legacy of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that have been instrumental in educating generations of African Americans. The President and First Lady both have recognized the important contributions of HBCUs across the country and have delivered commencement addresses to highlight their successes. This year commemorates Bowie State University's 148th anniversary as Maryland's oldest historically black university and one of the oldest in the nation. The University educates students from diverse academic and socioeconomic backgrounds, seeking a high quality and affordable public comprehensive university. Bowie State places special emphasis on the disciplines of science, technology, teacher education, business, and nursing within the context of a liberal arts education.

To RSVP for this event, please contact the school.
Damita Chambers
301-860-4311
dchambers@bowiestate.edu

Martin Luther King Academic Magnet High School for Health Sciences and Engineering
Mrs. Obama will deliver the commencement address to graduates of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet High School for Health Sciences and Engineering at Historic Pearl High in Nashville, TN on May 18 at 1:00 PM. The school serves approximately 1,200 students in grades 7 through 12 with a curriculum that emphasizes mathematics and science. Housed in the historic Pearl High School building, MLK is consistently ranked among the best public schools in the nation for its academic rigor and high graduation rate. The school recently unveiled a community-supported wellness center and students have been active in planting and caring for a community garden at the nearby community center; both efforts align with First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean’s healthy lifestyle initiatives. MLK is part of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, the nation’s 42nd largest district, which is preparing more than 81,000 students to excel in higher education, work and life with the goal of being the first choice for Nashville’s families.

To RSVP for this event, please contact the school.
Meredith Libbey
Special Communications Assistant to the Director Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
615-259-8656
Meredith.Libbey@mnps.org

 
In 2009, Mrs. Obama spoke at the graduation of University of California Merced’s first full senior class. She also addressed the Washington Math and Science Tech Public Charter High School Graduation in Washington DC. In 2010, Mrs. Obama addressed graduates of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the George Washington University, and the Anacostia Senior High School. In 2011, Mrs. Obama delivered commencement addresses at the University of Northern Iowa, Spelman College, and Quantico Middle High School. The First Lady also spoke to graduates and families at West Point. In 2012, Mrs. Obama spoke at the graduation of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), Agricultural and Technical State University (North Carolina A&T), and Oregon State University (OSU).

First Lady Michelle Obama delivers remarks on youth empowerment at a “Joint Luncheon Meeting: Working Together to Address Youth Violence in Chicago,” hosted by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in Chicago, Ill., April 10, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

First Lady Michelle Obama today brought a room filled with Chicago business and community leaders to tears as she challenged them to commit to the most important unfinished work of our lifetime -- widening the circle of opportunity for every last one of our children.

Mrs. Obama was in Chicago to address the Public Safety Action Committee, a new private-sector effort launched by Mayor Rahm Emanuel to address the violent crime that is taking a terrible toll on the youth of the great city she and I both call home.

As the First Lady pointed out, thousands of Chicago children are now living in neighborhoods where a funeral for a teenager is considered unfortunate, but not unusual; where wandering onto the wrong block or even just standing on your own front porch can mean putting yourself at risk.

This needs to change. In Chicago and across the country, we need to create ladders of opportunity for our young people. We need to give our children mentors who push them and nurture them. We need to teach them the life-skills they need to succeed. We need to give them alternatives to gangs and drugs – safe places where they can learn something and stay out of trouble. Every single child -- in cities like Chicago and all across America -- has boundless promise, no matter where he or she lives. 

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First lady Michelle Obama made a deeply personal entrance into the gun debate Wednesday, the eve of a showdown in Congress, by comparing herself to the honor student from her hometown killed by gun violence a week after performing in the presidential inaugural events.

CHICAGO — First lady Michelle Obama, with tears in her eyes and her voice cracking, spoke out for the first time here Wednesday about the gun violence afflicting young people in cities across the nation.