A senior administration official confirms the first woman to serve as U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor.

A White House release described the Presidential Medal of freedom as an honor presented to individuals "who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

The White House had previously announced former University of Tennesee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt and former Polish Underground officer Jan Karski, who was one of the first people to provide accounts of the Holocaust to the outside world, will also receive honor.

A ceremony honoring them will take place sometime later this year at the White House.

(CNN) – President Obama praised more than 50 teachers at a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday. The educators were previously honored by their states and territories as Teachers of the Year. President Obama told the group “I wouldn’t be here today if it were not for teachers like these.”

On Monday, The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced that Rebecca Mieliwocki, a 7th grade English teacher from California, is the 2012 National Teacher of the Year. The 14-year veteran educator said, ““I have an unshakeable understanding that when children have a strong education, they can do anything.”

Earlier in an interview, Mieliwocki said, “I'm not the best teacher in America; I'm one of so many.”

California chose Mieliwocki as the state’s Teacher of the Year from among its roughly 287,000 teachers. The state’s selection process included a written application, visits by officials to her classroom and an interview. Mieliwocki is known for her teaching techniques at Burbank Middle School. She would play music on her iPad while students work, or use playing cards to select students randomly to read in class.

Read more over at CNN's education blog Schools of Thought.

For the third year in a row, the White House is holding a conference focused on women but they insist politics has nothing to do with it.

The White House Council on Women and Girls is hosting the White House Forum on Women and the Economy where business leaders, education leaders, and Cabinet secretaries will discuss a gamut of issues from healthcare to workplace flexibility to help for small businesses run by women. President Obama will address the diverse group of participants when he gives the keynote remarks in the morning session.

There will also be breakout sessions where there will be further discussions on ways to help women's lives better through economic and social policy. Several Cabinet secretaries, like Attorney General Eric Holder and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will lead panel discussions.

The White House will also be releasing a 55-page report on all the ways various departments and agencies have implemented policies to benefit women. Some examples of those initiatives are focusing on equal pay for women, affordable college education, tax cuts that benefit women, and healthcare policies, like the recent controversial coverage of contraceptives.

A senior administration official says the president in interested in these topics and the work of the council because he "comes by it naturally." The president was raised by a single mother and also "he is married to a strong woman who juggled her career and her family and now has two wonderful daughters who he hopes will have the best and equal opportunities in life," the senior administration official added.

Critics say this conference is just part of the president's political plan to appeal to women in an election year. The White House insists this has been planned for months and is just part of his overall focus since he created the Council for Women and Girls in the beginning of his administration.

“So why are we focusing on small businesses with a Small Business Job Creation Act? Are we discriminating against big businesses?,” Jay responded. “We’re focusing on women because there are a number of issues that are important with regards to women in the economy, women’s safety, women in education, that are very distinct and important, and we’re proud to host the conference.”

In what the Obama administration is describing as another step in its attempts to increase the public's access to the White House, the First Lady’s office announced on Tuesday that the Google Art Project will be creating a virtual 360-degree tour of the historic building’s public rooms.

Launched in early 2011, the Google Art Project provides virtual tours of many of the world’s preeminent art museums. As a public museum, a private residence, and the executive office of the President, the White House fills many roles. It will join museums like the National Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Google's site.

The statement from the First Lady's office announcing the partnership included quotes from a video address featuring Michelle Obama will be posted on the Google Art Project’s White House site. In the remarks, the first lady emphasizes the White House’s role as “the people’s house.”

“Thousands of people have walked these halls and gazed at the artwork,” Mrs. Obama will say in the video. “They’ve examined the portraits of Washington, Lincoln, and Kennedy. They’ve imagined the history that’s unfolded here. And now you can do all of that without leaving your home. So go ahead, look around, enjoy the history and the beauty of these rooms. Because after all, this is your house, too.”

The release announcing the new partnership between the White House and Google goes on to explain that “the White House is the only building in the world that is simultaneously the home of a head of state, the executive office of a head of state, and is regularly open to the public for tours.”

Check out the tour at the Google Art Project.

10:15AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing/ Oval Office/ Closed Press
10:45AM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors/ Oval Office/ Closed Press
11:45PM THE PRESIDENT departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews/ South Lawn / Open Press
12:00AM THE PRESIDENT departs Joint Base Andrews en route Seoul, Republic of Korea / Out-Of-Town Travel Pool Coverage
Briefing Schedule
12:30PM Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney

President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit the demilitarized zone that splits the Korean Peninsula in two for the first time on Sunday.

His planned visit to the heavily fortified border is part of a three-day trip to South Korea to participate in a summit meeting about nuclear security in Seoul.

Top officials from 54 countries including China and Russia will attend the summit meeting next week, but its message of international cooperation has been overshadowed by North Korea's announcement last week that it is planning to carry out a rocket-powered satellite launch in April.

CNN's Paul Steinhauser reports the Obama campaign has announced they raised $45 million in February. That's a significant uptick from January of this year but about $10 million off the pace from the same period four years ago:

(CNN) - President Barack Obama's re-election campaign reported Monday that they raised more than $45 million in February.

The campaign made their early morning announcement on Twitter.

Obama's re-election team says 348,000 people donated to the president's campaign last month, with 105,000 being first time contributors. The campaign highlighted their small dollar grassroots efforts, saying the average donation last month was $59.04, with 97.7% of all donations being $250 or less.

The $45 million raised for the Obama re-election effort and for the Democratic National Committee is up from the $29.1 million the Obama re-election campaign raised in January, and brings to more than $300 million the amount brought in since the president organized his re-election efforts last April.

MORE here

(CNN) - It’s a rare chance to beat President Obama at his own game.

The basketball-fan-in-chief has unveiled his bracket in a highly choreographed ESPN special for the last three years. The same drill is expected this year before the first games begin Tuesday.

But now the president’s reelection campaign is soliciting supporters to fill out their own bracket and will publish the names of all the individuals whose brackets end up out-performing the president’s.

Of course, there is a catch. In the process of filling out a bracket, participants are required to divulge personal information like their e-mail address and zip code –valuable commodities to any campaign seeking to expand its potential fundraising network.

Obama’s bracket will be released before Tuesday’s first round of games in Dayton, Ohio, where the president – along with British Prime Minister David Cameron – will attend an early-round game featuring Mississippi Valley State vs. Western Kentucky.

The president has gone 1-3 in calling the NCAA championship winner. In 2009, he correctly forecasted North Carolina would be cutting down the nets on the final weekend. But he wrongly went with Kansas in 2010 and 2011. The Jayhawks fell during the Elite 8 round in 2011 and were upset in the second round in 2010.

Update:  The White House Readout of the president's call:

President Obama called Russian President-elect and Prime Minister Putin to congratulate him on his recent victory in the Russian Presidential election.  President Obama highlighted achievements in U.S.-Russia relations over the past three years with President Medvedev, including cooperation on Afghanistan, the conclusion and ratification of the START agreement, Russia’s recent invitation to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and cooperation on Iran.  President Obama and President-Elect Putin agreed that the successful reset in relations should be built upon during the coming years.  The President said that he looked forward to hosting President-Elect Putin at the G-8 Summit in May at Camp David.  The two leaders outlined areas for future cooperation, including strengthening trade and investment relations arising out of Russia’s pending accession to the WTO. President Obama and President-Elect Putin agreed to continue discussions on areas where the United States and Russia have differed, including Syria and missile defense. President Obama and President-Elect Putin agreed to continue their efforts to find common ground and remove obstacles to better relations.

Aboard Air Force One just now Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced that President Obama would be placing a call to President-elect Vladimir Putin during his flight to Virginia this morning.

"Technology-willing it's probably occurring right now," Earnest said just before 11:30 AM.

He did not provide a preview of what the two leaders would talk about on the call, but he did say that the White House would be providing a read out later this afternoon. So stay tuned.

The 1600 Report's daily roundup of what the White House is reading this morning online and in the papers:

Stocks: Investors await jobs report (CNN Money)

Greece Pushes Through Debt Swap as Euro Chiefs Ready Rescue (Bloomberg)

Oil Rises a Third Day on Greek Debt Swap, U.S. Economy (Bloomberg)

White House Works to Shape Debate Over Health Law (NY Times)

Israel’s ex-spy chief says more efforts needed before considering attack on Iran (AP)

Lebanon snubs U.S. plea to protect Syrian rebels (Reuters)

Sherrod firing: emails reveal White House role (AP)