Celebrities, athletes among Obama’s list of 21 Medal of Freedom honorees
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this Aug. 21, 2015, file photo, former NBA star and current owner of the Charlotte Hornets, Michael Jordan, smiles at reporters in Chicago. President Barack Obama is honoring Jordan, Cicely Tyson, Tom Hanks, and others with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
WASHINGTON >> President Barack Obama is honoring actors Robert DeNiro, Cicely Tyson, Tom Hanks and Robert Redford with the nation’s highest civilian honor.
They are among 21 people Obama plans to recognize with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House on Tuesday.
Honorees from the sports world include basketball players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Michael Jordan, along with veteran sports broadcaster Vin Scully.
Entertainers include Ellen DeGeneres, Diana Ross and Bruce Springsteen.
Other honorees are philanthropists Bill and Melinda Gates, polymath physicist Richard Garwin, architect Frank Gehry, designer Maya Lin, “Saturday Night Live” producer Lorne Michaels, attorney Newt Minow, mathematician and computer scientist Margaret H. Hamilton, and Eduardo Padrón, president of Miami Dade College in Florida.
Posthumous honors will go to Native American advocate Elouise Cobell and Rear Adm. Grace Hopper.
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15 responses to “Celebrities, athletes among Obama’s list of 21 Medal of Freedom honorees”
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Really!!?? As if the wall of accomplishments isn’t enough, or the money they have received is not enough already. If there were truly an award given to the public, it should be honoring those who have a direct effect on people like, teachers, police officers, fire fighters……..these are the true public hero’s.
Ditto.. By the way, SA attempts to support this locally in Michael Tsai’s column, “Incidental Lives”. (I tried to get Mr. Tsai to get the SA Editorial Board to change it to “Everyday People”. Everyday people who make a difference in our Community. In fact, there’s one in today’s edition, http://www.staradvertiser.com/category/hawaii-news/incidental-lives/
A good list of deserving Americans — leaders beyond their main area of excellence. The whole nation is better because of them.
Reads like a list of campaign donors to democratic party machine. USA is better because of each of them? What a joke!
noheawilli: I thought the very same thing and GONEGOLFIN, I couldn’t agree with you mire. Why are celebrities and sports stars getting a Medal of Freedom award? What have they done? Thus should be recognizing ordinary everyday people doing good things.
Don’t believe but it’s true Noheawilli
you got that right noheawili..now dis a’ama crab can retire on his favorite pohaku on papahanaumokuakea a’ama sanctuary
auwe!
OMG! Ellen DeGeneres? really?
Too bad Julian Assange is Australian.
O’s Legacy?
Bruuuuuce!
What better way to belittle an Honor than you to give it to Hollywood and Basketball players? Freedom? HOW SO? What an ASS we have for a President.
Bill and Melinda Gates are most deserving for the work they do world wide. Margaret Hamilton absolutely deserves recognition. But an SNL producer? A designer? Broadcaster? Athletes? And I thought DeNiro was Leaving the USA if Trump was elected? Along with Cher,Streisand,Dunham,Schumer…
Just happy he is getting closer to the end of his term!
hey, what about sharpton, brazille, jesse jackson and all the blm crowd?