During this holiday season, President Obama gives thanks in his weekly address for all of the blessings we share as Americans, and expressed his gratitude to the brave men and women who are defending our freedom around the world.

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Today, President Obama pardoned Cobbler, the National Thanksgiving Turkey, in a ceremony at the White House. This year marks the 65th anniversary of the National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation, and the first time the American people cast their vote via the White House Facebook page to decide which of two turkeys would receive the honor.

Although Cobbler was selected for the title of National Thanksgiving Turkey, both he and his alternate, Gobbler, received a pardon. The two 19-week old, 40-pound turkeys were named by elementary school students Rockingham County, Virginia, where the turkeys were raised. 

President Obama, the First Lady and daughters Malia and Sasha will be taking two not-so-lucky turkeys to a local food bank this afternoon, and he asked that "every American to do what they can to help families who are in need of a real Thanksgiving this year."

Tomorrow, in the company of friends and loved ones, we will celebrate a uniquely American holiday.  And it’s a chance for us to spend time with the people we care about and to give thanks for the blessings that we enjoy; and to think about just how lucky we are to live in the greatest nation on Earth.

But it’s also a time to remember those who are less fortunate -– and this year, that’s particularly true for our neighbors in the Northeast who have lost their homes and their possessions, and even their loved ones to Hurricane Sandy. 

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On Sunday, Vice President Biden traveled to the New Jersey Shore and the City of Hoboken to personally survey the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy and meet with first responders on post-storm response and recovery efforts. The trip began with a helicopter flight along the shoreline of Monmouth and Ocean Counties to provide the Vice President an overhead view of the destruction Sandy brought to the North Barrier Islands.  He was joined by Senator Bob Menendez, Congressman Jon Runyan, and New Jersey Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno.

Once he landed, the Vice President received briefings at the Seaside Heights City Hall and Volunteer Fire Department by Seaside Park Mayor Robert Matthies, Seaside Heights Mayor William Akers of Ocean County Freeholder John Bartlett, Jr, Seaside Heights Fire Chief James Samarelli and Police Chief Thomas Boyd. Vice President Biden had the opportunity to meet and thank local first responders, many of whom had also lost their own homes during the storm. 

While the Vice President found the briefings to be very informative, putting boots in the sand was key to getting a full appreciation of the conditions on the island. As Vice President Biden surveyed the beach at Seaside Park, he was able to see first-hand how an “engineered” beach can diffuse the impact of storm surge waves, better protecting homes and businesses close to the shore. Representatives from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) discussed the range of federal programs available to address damage to public beaches. 

President Barack Obama delivers opening remarks at the U.S. – ASEAN Leaders Meeting at Peace Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 19, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

In Cambodia, President Obama’s final stop on his trip to Asia, the President met with the leaders of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) to deepen our ties with members of the key Asian multilateral organization.

ASEAN is the United States’ fourth largest export market, and includes two of our treaty allies, one of our closest security partners, several emerging regional powers. Additionally, its nations are located along some of the world’s most important trading routes and sea lines of communication. 

While in Phnom Penh, President Obama also attended the East Asia Summit, a gathering of leaders from ASEAN as well as six other Asia-Pacific powers. The United States’ economic and security future is inextricably linked to the region, and President Obama used the summit to explore with other Asia-Pacific leaders ways to enhance cooperation on the region’s most pressing challenges, including energy, maritime security, non-proliferation, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Editor's note: This post was originally published on www.sba.gov.

In between the Black Friday sales and the Cyber Monday deals is Small Business Saturday (November 24th) – a day set aside to support the small businesses that play a vital role in creating jobs and economic opportunities all across the country.

Small businesses are the back bone of our communities. And when we shop small, we not only get great products and services, but we support our neighbors and strengthen our local economies.

Over the last two decades, small and new businesses have been responsible for creating two out of every three net new jobs in the U.S., and today over half of all working Americans own or work for a small business.

Last year, Small Business Saturday gave a boost to many of these Main Street businesses, with more than 100 million Americans shopping at independently-owned small businesses. And this year we can do even better!

So what can you do to participate?

• If you are a business owner, register your business at www.shopsmall.com so your customers know where to find you and you can receive free Small Business Saturday promotional materials. You can also make sure you’re prepared for the holiday season by checking out SBA’s advice at www.sba.gov/saturday.
• If you are a customer, learn which businesses in your community are participating in Small Business Saturday at www.shopsmall.com. The website provides information on businesses currently registered and how you can rally your community to support the initiative.

By shopping small, we can help America’s small businesses do what they do best: grow their businesses, create good jobs, and ensure that our communities are vibrant.

I encourage you to join small business owners and the more than one hundred million people who were part of Small Business Saturday last year.

Shop small this holiday season. I know I will.

President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton view the Vihan of the Reclining Buddha while touring the Wat Pho Royal Monastery with Head Monk Chaokun Suthee Thammanuwat in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

The first nation on the itinerary for President Obama's Asia trip is Thailand -- America's oldest friend on the continent, with diplomatic ties stretching back nearly 180 years.

Though his stop to the country lasted for less than one full day, the President visited a Buddhist temple at the Wat Pho monastery, met with Thai King Bhumibol Adulyadej, held a joint press conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, and enjoyed a dinner hosted by the prime minister at the Government House in Bangkok.

President Barack Obama, with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Ambassador Kristie Kenney, left, meet with King Bhumibol Adulyadej of the Kingdom of Thailand, at Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 18, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Watch the West Wing Week here.

Here’s a quick glimpse at what happened this week on WhiteHouse.gov:

Let’s Get to Work: Last Friday, the President laid out his strategy for finding the right approach to move the country forward. He stated his plans to reach out to members of Congress, labor and business leaders, and other citizens to gather ideas and input. Standing alongside him in the East Room of the White House was Vice President Joe Biden—and 14 others stood behind him at the podium. Learn who those 14 individuals are.

Veterans Day: On Sunday, the President, Vice President, First Lady, and Dr. Biden honored our nation’s fallen warriors, veterans and military families at Arlington National Cemetery. Together, they laid a wreath to “remember every service member who has ever worn our nation’s uniform.” Read the President’s remarks at Arlington National Cemetery here.

Celebrating Diwali: On Tuesday afternoon, the White House celebrated Diwali, a holiday observed annually by Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and some Buddhist throughout India and across the world. Known as the “festival of lights,” Diwali offers time for both reflection and celebration. South Asian American community leaders, elected officials, entrepreneurs, Administration officials, and Vice President Biden came together on Tuesday to commemorate the holiday. Read the President’s statement on the Observance of Diwali here.

The President’s News Conference: On Wednesday, the President held a news conference to answer questions about his plans for the next four years. He emphasized his commitment to help American families and small businesses get back on track:

I’ve got a mandate to help middle-class families and families that are working hard to try to get into the middle class. That’s my mandate. That’s what the American people said. They said: Work really hard to help us. Don’t worry about the politics of it; don’t worry about the party interests; don’t worry about the special interests. Just work really hard to see if you can help us get ahead -- because we’re working really hard out here and we’re still struggling, a lot of us.

Watch the full news conference here.

President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta in the East Room of the White House, November 16, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)

Two years ago today, the President presented the Medal of Honor to Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta—the first living service member from the Iraq or Afghanistan wars to receive it. During the award reception in the East Room of the White House, the President offered deep gratitude for his service, and candidly remarked how much he respected Sergeant Giunta:

Now, I’m going to go off-script here for a second and just say I really like this guy," said the President to laughter and applause.  "I think anybody -- we all just get a sense of people and who they are, and when you meet Sal and you meet his family, you are just absolutely convinced that this is what America is all about.

Read the President's full remarks here.

Watch Staff Sergeant Salvatore Giunta’s Medal of Honor ceremony here.

President Barack Obama talks with residents on Cedar Grove Avenue during a walking tour of Hurricane Sandy storm damage in Staten Island, N.Y., Nov. 15, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

On Thursday, the President travelled to New York to assess the storm damage of Hurricane Sandy, and meet with local residents, first responders, and elected officials coping with the recovery process. He promised the communities affected by the storm full support from the federal government every step of the way as they begin to rebuild.

Alongside New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Administration officials, the President surveyed some of the most devastated areas of New York from Marine One, including Breezy Point, a Queens neighborhood where more than 100 houses burned to the ground. Following his aerial tour, the President spoke with Staten Island residents, first responders, and volunteers about the recovery process that lies ahead. 

White House photographers were on hand to document the trip. Check out the photo gallery below:

Learn more:

• Watch the President’s full remarks here
• Read about the President’s tour of the storm damage in New Jersey
• Find out how you can help survivors of Hurricane Sandy