This is View from the Hill’s weekly roundup of the most interesting news from D.C. to North Carolina.
Obama apologizes for art history remarks
A politician has apologized for a remark that learning a trade could be better for getting a job than an art history.
No, not Gov. Pat McCrory — President Barack Obama.
Last month at a speech in Wisconsin, Obama said students could have more potential learning skilled manufacturing than they would with an art history degree.
The remark led to University of Texas-Austin professor Ann Collins Johns to email Obama about the value of art history.
Obama responded to Collins Johns this week with a handwritten letter.
“I was making a point about the jobs market, not the value of art history,” Obama said in the letter.
Last year, Gov. Pat McCrory came under fire for making similar remarks about liberal arts and about funding schools depending on how many students get jobs.
While Obama apologized for the remarks, his statements show a bipartisan shift in how politicians value higher education.
Duke Medicine head gets new position at Institute of Medicine
Victor Dzau, president and CEO of Duke University Health System, was announced Announcements/IOM-Announces-Next-President.aspx as the next president at the Institute of Medicine.
Dzau was a council member for the institute from 2008-13, and a professorship in his name has been established at Harvard University.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences and works to provide unbiased medical advice to policymakers.
Dzau’s appointment means he will leave his position at Duke Medicine.
Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), who represents the district that includes Durham, praised the decision.
“Dr. Dzau’s shoes will be hard to fill, but our loss is the nation’s gain,” Butterfield said. “I am confident Dr. Dzau will continue to do extraordinary work that will benefit North Carolinians and all Americans.”
Price holds meeting at community colleges, speaks to surgeons
Rep. David Price (D-N.C.) visited two N.C. community colleges this week to discuss restoring unemployment benefits.
Price visited Alamance Community College on Wednesday to tour the campus.
Price also visited Wake Technical Community College, where he met with unemployed students. While there, he learned how the school works with students looking for work.
Price also delivered the keynote address to the American College of Surgeons in Chapel Hill about improving health care quality.
Below are a series of tweets from his visits.
Speaking AmCollSurgeons</a> in Chapel Hill on importance of healthcare quality-goes hand-in-hand w/accesibility <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=#ncpol&src=hash">#ncpol</a> <a href="http://t.co/W6JQfyKhV9">pic.twitter.com/W6JQfyKhV9</a></p>— David E. Price (RepDavidEPrice) February 19, 2014
Talking w/Pres. Scott & instructors waketechcc</a> who work w/unemployed folks teaching job search skills. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=#ncpol&src=hash">#ncpol</a> <a href="http://t.co/RBG17CuVZZ">pic.twitter.com/RBG17CuVZZ</a></p>— David E. Price (RepDavidEPrice) February 20, 2014
Just met waketechcc</a> Student Body Pres. David Roman. He plans to start UNC-CH in the fall. #ncpol pic.twitter.com/lftKJRtATL
— David E. Price (@RepDavidEPrice) February 20, 2014
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