What we’re watching Friday

Obama makes push for vocational and educational training
President Barack Obama is expected to speak on the importance of funding for educational and vocational training Friday. The Hill reports the president will recommend a 2014 spending plan which prioritizes funds for schools and argues that these training programs will help students secure middle-class jobs.

President Obama plans to deliver remarks Friday afternoon in Brooklyn, N.Y., after visiting Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH). Students at P-TECH graduate with a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in an applied science.

Americans bypassing federal exchanges for insurance
Instead of buying insurance plans off of the Healthcare.gov website, Reuters reports that many Americans are choosing to buy directly from the insurance companies.

Norway won’t be part of team to help destroy Syria’s chemical weapons
Norway turned down a U.S. request to accept some of Syria’s chemical arms for destruction. Foreign ministry officials in Oslo cited time constraints and external factors as reasons for Norway’s reluctance to participate.

Bo Xilai will remain in jail
The high court in the Shandong province of China has rejected Bo Xilai’s appeal of his life sentence in prison. Bo was removed from office in 2012 amid a scandal, in which his wife, Gu Kailai, was convicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Bo, a former member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China, was convicted for taking bribes of $3.3 million.