On behalf of Major League baseball players, I was honored today to stand with the First Lady at Camden Yards as we kicked off a new partnership with the Let's Move! campaign.

As we gathered with local RBI and Boys & Girls Clubs of America youth, I was struck by the First Lady's wisdom and courage to confront childhood obesity and her ongoing commitment to making a difference. I’m sure there are other, politically safer, social issues to champion, but this is not a problem that can be solved simply by pretending it does not exist. Nor is this a problem we can afford to ignore.

First Lady Michelle Obama greets Baltimore Orioles' players at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Md. The First Lady promoted the "Let's Move!" initiative by helping two kids, Christina McCray and Jordan Antwon Lewis, throw out the first pitch at a Major League Baseball game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles July 20, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)

The Major League Baseball Players Association is excited about the Let's Move! campaign because it promises to actually do something about a serious problem facing our youth, rather than just talk about it. Today we kicked off a new public service campaign featuring 30 MLB players, one from every Club, that will run in stadiums, online and on media with the Ad Council later in the summer.

Ed. Note: Cross-posted from the brand new Energy Blog.  Also check out the Department of Energy's new Facebook and Twitter accounts launched today.

Today marks the second and final day of the world’s first Clean Energy Ministerial. We want you to be part of it. That’s why we’re webcasting all of today’s proceedings as they happen, so you can observe and weigh in on the discussion. Watch it live from 10am to 5pm today. As you watch, we invite you to submit your questions and comments directly via:

• Twitter with the #CEM hashtag
• Facebook
• Or email, newmedia@hq.doe.gov.

At today’s Middle Class Task Force event Vice President Biden addressed two issues that affect the lives of women across our nation: closing the gender wage gap and balancing the demands of work and family. For the majority of American families, it is no longer the case that one parent is the breadwinner while the other is the caregiver. Women now make up nearly half of the labor force, and men and women are more evenly sharing care-giving responsibilities at home.  American families’ economic security depends in part on ensuring equitable pay, regardless of who is bringing home the paycheck, and on helping Americans balance work and family obligations.

The Obama Administration has already made great strides towards achieving these important goals, through actions such as passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, creation of the Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force, and hosting a White House forum that showcased the best practices in workplace flexibility. But there is still much work to be done.

Today, we are announcing the White House’s launch of a Work-Flex Event Starter Kit to encourage greater dialogue around workplace flexibility at the community level and bring people together to start making changes.