First Lady Pool Reports of October 24, 2021

FLOTUS Travel Pool #1: Rolling to JBA

Good morning, and happy Sunday!

I'll be your pooler for the First Lady's trip to Michigan and South Carolina. Pool has been tested, and we're rolling from the White House to JBA at 7:33am.

The plane flies first to Delaware Air National Guard Base, where we'll pick up FLOTUS before flying to Michigan.

Will send along background from OFL as soon as I get it.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #2: Wheels up to DANG

Pool arrived at JBA a little after 8am EST. After getting our temperatures checked, we're wheels up to DANG at 8:27am EST. Flight time is about 40 minutes.

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy is on board and will join FLOTUS at several events today.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #3: Wheels down at DANG

Pool was wheels down at DANG at 8:58am. We will hold on the plane for approximately 1.5 hours, at which point the First Lady will link up with the pool to fly to Freeland, Michigan.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #4: Wheels up, en route to MBS

FLOTUS arrived at DANG at 10:31am EST and boarded the plane. Pool did not see her board.

We are now wheels up to MBS International Airport (Freeland, Mich.) at 10:53am EST. Flight time is approximately 1.5 hours.

Staff list and background from OFL to come.

See you in Michigan!

FLOTUS Travel Pool #5: En route to Ziibiwing Center

We are wheels down at MBS International Airport in sunny Freeland, Mich. at 12:21pm EST. The First Lady deplaned at 12:29pm EST and waved to the pool. She was greeted on the tarmac by Mt. Pleasant Mayor Will Joseph.

The First Lady is wearing a bright green dress (or possibly sweater and skirt combo, hard to tell from afar!) with a tan blazer and matching belt and suede boots.

Motorcade is now en route to the Ziibiwing Center in Mount Pleasant, Mich., where FLOTUS and U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will hold a listening session with members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe on youth mental health. Drive time is about 45 minutes.

Background on the listening session provided by OFL is below, along with a list of staff and officials traveling with the First Lady.

Traveling with the First Lady:
The Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy
Anthony Bernal, Senior Adviser
Amber Macdonald, Speechwriter
Michael LaRosa, Press Secretary
Rory Brosius, Executive Director of Joining Forces
Mala Adiga, Policy Director
Jordan Montoya, Trip Director
Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs (BIA) (DOI)
Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (SAMHSA) (HHS)

Background:

The First Lady and U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy will hold a listening session on youth mental health, which will include members of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe (SCIT). Their visit will highlight how SCIT serves the mental health needs of youth and their families through a Project AWARE grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) is a five-year grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), which is part of HHS. Project AWARE aims to increase awareness of mental health issues by training educators and other adults who interact with school-aged youth on how to detect and respond to mental health issues, and connect children and families who may need mental health support with the appropriate services. SCIT's Project AWARE program serves students across three local education agencies: SCIT's Saginaw Chippewa Academy, Mount Pleasant Public Schools, and Shepherd Public Schools. The listening session will be held at Ziibiwing Center, which is SCIT's cultural center.
The Biden Administration has taken several actions to support and expand Project AWARE, including:

• Providing $30 million for Project AWARE through the American Rescue Plan.
• In August 2021, SAMHSA announced $54.3 million in first-year funding for 17 grantees, which includes two Native American tribes.
• President Biden's 2022 discretionary budget request includes a $60 million funding increase for Project AWARE, for a total of $191.5 million.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe is headquartered on the Isabella Reservation, adjacent to the city of Mt. Pleasant, in Isabella County, Michigan. There are approximately 2,700 enrolled members of Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #6: Listening session

Motorcade arrived at the Ziibiwing Center in Mt. Pleasant at 1:21pm EST.

FLOTUS and the accompanying officials were greeted outside by Tim Davis, Chief of Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, Melissa Isaac, Director of Education/Project AWARE, Dr. Kehli Henry, Project AWARE Coordinator, and two members of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Youth Council.

A group of about a dozen Chippewa tribe members then performed a traditional ceremonial greet featuring dancing, singing and drums.

The listening session is happening inside the center and began at 1:50pm EST. The list of participants as provided by OFL can be found below.

Biden delivered very brief opening remarks at 1:56pm EST.

"I'm a teacher, so I'm looking forward to what the kids have to say," she opened, empathizing that as a teacher she knows how difficult it was to go back to school during the pandemic.

Those quick remarks can be found here: <>https://otter.ai/u/NMI-MJc30WtztlCoUgLVbr3fnuE<>

The session, which is being moderated by the U.S. Surgeon General, is ongoing and expected to last about 40 minutes.

As a situational awareness, on the road leading into the center, a small group of protestors were holding signs that said, "TRUMP WON" and "#FJB."

And for the detail-conscious, CNN's Kate Bennett and I have confirmed that Jill's green ensemble is in fact a sweater and skirt - not a dress - and was last worn in her Vogue feature.

Listening session participants:
Mr. Tim Davis, Chief of Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Mrs. Melissa Isaac, Tribal Education Director and Parent
Mr. Nathan Isaac, Parent and Melissa's husband
Gimiwan, child of Melissa & Nathan (7 years old)
Mr. David Meshkowzii, Parent and Olivia's husband
Mrs. Olivia Meshkowzii, Parent and David's wife
Zaagiidiwan, child of David & Olivia (9 years old)
Shad, child of David & Olivia (8 years old)
Dr. Kehli Henry, Project AWARE Coordinator
Ms. Kelly Bechtel, Teacher at Mount Pleasant Middle School
Ms. Brogan Holmes, Counselor at Shepherd Elementary School
Mr. Mgizi Wemigwans, Senior at Mount Pleasant High School

FLOTUS Travel Pool #7: Listening session wrapped, headed back to airport

The listening session event wrapped at 2:40pm EST, after which FLOTUS participated in a photo line not visible to pool. Motorcade is now heading back to the airport in Freeland.

Some more details from the listening session:

Participants detailed their experiences involving mental health and trauma.

One man choked up as he spoke about his family's experience inviting two children into their family after their mother lost her struggle with substance abuse.

FLOTUS mostly listened to participants and spoke intermittently. She mentioned that she has also seen the mental health affects of the pandemic firsthand.
"I've seen that in my own classroom," she said. "Many of them have lost relatives to COVID. I wanted to come see this program, because I said to my staff, 'What are we going to help the teachers?' We want to do the right thing by our students and by our families."

She asked staff from Project Aware to detail what they are doing to help students with mental health and loss, to which they replied that they hold therapy groups for issues like social anxiety and provide comfort dogs for children in schools. Students are also provided with "calming corners" in the classroom, where they can move temporarily to take a mental health break while still listening to the teacher.

Biden talked about how some of the money from the American Rescue Plan was provided to teachers and stressed that teachers should be taught in their own training how to teach students to normalize prioritizing mental health.

She spoke about practices the staff at the college where she teaches take to support each other, noting that the women's group has started a communal garden. She also mentioned the importance of infusing positivity into her students' lives. "We're finding positive ways to help our children, to help our students."

Murthy asked everyone to go around at the end and share what is giving them hope at the moment.

"Our mental health problem is so great and the needs are so great, especially after this pandemic," the First Lady shared. "I knew Joe would see that and come up with this plan to give more money to mental health, and that's what he pledged to do. That's what gives me hope - that our nation is starting to heal."

Tribal members then presented the First Lady with a blanket, necklace - which she put on ("It matches my outfit!") - a strawberry-shaped basket, and a ribbon skirt.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #8: Wheels up, en route to Detroit

Motorcade arrived at MBS International Airport at 3:58pm EST after an uneventful ride. Pool saw FLOTUS board the plane at 4:00pm EST.

We're wheels up for Detroit at 4:12pm EST.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #9: Wheels down Detroit, en route to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah dinner

Plane touched down at 5:03pm EST in a chilly and rainy Detroit. FLOTUS deplaned at 5:10pm EST with US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who was holding an umbrella for both of them. FLOTUS is now wearing a long red coat and matching pumps.

She was greeted by the following members of the Michigan delegation, all holding umbrellas, per OFL: Mayor Mike Duggan (D, Detroit), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D, MI-12), Rep. Haley Stevens (D, MI-11), Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D, MI-14), Rep. Andy Levin (D, MI-09), and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-13).

Motorcade is now en route to the Marriott Renaissance hotel in Detroit for the annual Yeshiva Beth Yehudah dinner.

Some background on tonight's remarks, per OFL:
Tonight, the First Lady will deliver remarks at the annual Yeshiva Beth Yehudah dinner in Detroit, Michigan. The dinner's theme is "An Evening of Hope and Renewal." She was invited to deliver the dinner's keynote remarks by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D, MI). Surgeon General Vivek Murthy will also attend the event. Yeshiva Beth Yehuda is presenting this year's Outstanding Leadership Award to Ms. Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO of General Motors. President Biden spoke in-person at the Yeshiva Dinner in 2011 and shared a video message for their gala in 2020, which was held virtually. President Biden and Vice President Harris each shared a congratulatory message for this year's souvenir dinner journal. Previous high-profile guest speakers include President George W. Bush; First Lady Laura Bush; former Prime Minister Tony Blair; former Secretaries of State John Kerry and Colin Powell; as well as sitting and former governors, senators, and mayors.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #10: Arrived at Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center

Motorcade pulled into a garage at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center at 5:38pm EST for the Yeshiva Beth Yehudah dinner.

Pool is now holding in a large room away from the dinner, where Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is also holding.

FLOTUS remarks are expected around 7:20pm EST, which will be covered by pool.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #11: Wheels up to Charleston

The motorcade pulled into the Detroit airport at 8:35pm EST. Pool loaded the plane shortly after and didn't watch FLOTUS board.

We're wheels up en route to Charleston at 8:57pm EST. Approximately 1h 45 min flight.

FLOTUS Travel Pool #12: Wheels down in Charleston, arrived at RON

Plane touched down at Charleston International Airport at 10:36pm EST. FLOTUS deplaned shortly after and the motorcade left en route for the RON.

Motorcade arrived at the RON in downtown Charleston at 11:17pm EST.

See you tomorrow!