People: Obama, wife, daughter Malia arrive in Martha’s Vineyard for vacation
President Barack Obama on Saturday fled Washington for his familiar spot on Martha’s Vineyard for a two-week summer vacation, which comes as the U.S. is engaged in airstrikes against Islamic militant targets in Iraq.
Obama, along with wife Michelle, daughter Malia and dogs Bo and Sunny, arrived at a Coast Guard station on Cape Cod before heading to the island off the Massachusetts coast. The presidential motorcade wove its way around Martha’s Vineyard before pulling down a secluded drive that led to the Obamas’ rented vacation house.
The Obamas’ youngest daughter, Sasha, was not on Air Force One, but the White House said she would be joining the family for part of the vacation.
The president spent just 30 minutes at the house before taking off for the golf course. Joining Obama for a round at the Farm Neck Golf Club were former NFL player Ahmad Rashad, NBA player Ray Allen and Cyrus Walker, the cousin of White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Obama has spent at least part of his summer in Martha’s Vineyard each year he has been president except 2012, when he was running for re-election.
Rowling contacts girl after shooting
The teenage survivor of a shooting rampage that claimed the lives of her parents and four siblings at their suburban Houston home has drawn the attention of Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling. Rowling’s publicist says the British author sent Cassidy Stay a letter and package.
Publicist Rebecca Salt isn’t describing the contents, saying the package is private.
Speaking at a public gathering days after the shootings last month, the 15-year-old girl paraphrased a quote by Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of the Hogwarts school of wizards from the Harry Potter books. Stay said: “Happiness can be found even in darkest of times, if one remembers to turn on the light.”
Stay survived a head wound by playing dead. Her aunt’s ex-husband, Ronald Lee Haskell, faces multiple capital murder charges in the shootings.
The birthday bunch
Actress Rhonda Fleming is 91. Singer Ronnie Spector is 71. Rock singer-musician Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) is 67. Country musician Gene Johnson (Diamond Rio) is 65. Singer Patti Austin is 64. Actress Rosanna Arquette is 55. Actor Antonio Banderas is 54. Journalist-blogger Andrew Sullivan is 51. Actress Angie Harmon is 42.