Meryl Streep, Stevie Wonder will receive the Medal of Freedom
President Obama announced Tuesday that Meryl Streep and Stevie Wonder are among the latest Americans who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The president will award the medals on Nov. 24 at the White House. The medal is the highest honor given to civilians in the U.S., The Associated Press reports, and it recognizes "contributions to U.S. security, world peace, and cultural achievement."
Composer Stephen Sondheim, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw, author Isabel Allende, and Ethel Kennedy are among the other recipients. Choreographer Alvin Ailey and Rep. Edward Roybal (D-Calif.), who founded the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, will receive the award posthumously.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"From scientists who kept America on the cutting edge to public servants who help write new chapters in our American story, these citizens have made extraordinary contributions to our country and the world," Obama said in a statement.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Meghan DeMaria is a staff writer at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked for USA Today and Marie Claire.
-
‘The surest way to shorten our lives even more is to scare us about sleep’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Book reviews: ‘The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game’ and ‘The Sea Captain’s Wife: A True Story of Mutiny, Love, and Adventure at the Bottom of the World’Feature Comparing life to a game and a twist on the traditional masculine seafaring tale
-
How Mississippi moved from the bottom to the top in educationIn the Spotlight All eyes are on the Magnolia State
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
