Good morning from The Oval. Come this time next year, we will be saying that on this day in 2011, Prince William and Kate Middleton became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. And quite the spectacle it was.
On this side of the pond, President Obama embarks on one of the more tragic days of his presidency, as well as one of the more triumphant, filled with poignant stories of death and destruction, recovery and resurrection.
It begins at the White House, where Obama will meet with participants in the 1968 Memphis Sanitation Strike, what the White House calls "an iconic campaign in civil rights and labor rights history, when public workers banded together for dignity, respect and a better life." All its participants later will be inducted into the Labor Hall of Fame.
From there, the first family will fly to Alabama, where the president and first lady Michelle Obama will view the damage from this week's vicious tornadoes. They will meet with Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley, state and local officials, and families affected by the storms.
Then it's on to Florida's Cape Canaveral for the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, which carries commander Mark Kelly -- husband of wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords -- into orbit. Before the launch, the first family will tour the Orbiter Processing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center, where space shuttle orbiters are maintained, tested and inspected between flights.
Giffords also will be present for the launch, marking her first time traveling since she was shot in the head in her Tucson district in early January. No word on whether the president and the congresswoman will meet, but we wouldn't bet against it.
His day not yet over, Obama will travel to Miami to deliver the commencement address at Miami Dade College.
As previously noted, the day already has been filled by remarkable events overseas. There was a wedding over there, as USA TODAY reported instantly.
The battle over the federal budget deficits and $14.3 trillion national debt is still gaining heat, as noted by the crowds turning out in Wisconsin to question Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, whose plan to transform Medicare and Medicaid Obama opposes.
The president is more of a basketball fan, but in football news, the Carolina Panthers predictably made Auburn quarterback Cam Newton the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
Lots more news on both sides of the pond, of course -- but The Oval has some post-nuptials pageantry to catch. Stay with us all day as the president makes his way south. And TGIF!
See photos of: Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Cam Newton, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Mark Kelly
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