Obama to award Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 people, including political ally Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, tennis legend Billie Jean King and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa.

The White House announced the list of recipients Thursday.

The medals are the first to be awarded by Obama and they represent the country's highest honor for a civilian. Obama will present the awards at a ceremony Aug. 12. Other names on the list are: Race for the Cure founder Nancy Brinker, physicist Stephen Hawking and civil rights activist the Rev. Joseph Lowery.

Former congressman Jack Kemp, who died in May, will receive a posthumous award.