WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has approved its $1.1 billion plan to combat the Zika virus. That sets the stage for difficult negotiations with House Republicans over how much money to devote to fighting Zika and whether to cut Ebola funding to help pay for it. The 68-30 vote added the Zika measure to an … Continue reading
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — President Barack Obama on Sunday May 15, urged college graduates to shun those who want to confront a rapidly changing world by building walls around the United States or by embracing ignorance, as he delivered a sharp and barely concealed critique of Donald Trump. Obama used his commencement speech at Rutgers … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — A year off between high school and college is becoming a popular choice for U.S. students and it has caught the eye of President Barack Obama’s daughter, Malia. The White House says the high school senior will enter Harvard in 2017, not later this year as had been widely expected. The elder … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama’s turn as a media critic this week may not have thrilled many journalists, but it has forced a new look at how a media-saturated presidential campaign is being covered. Obama’s challenge to reporters to be more probing comes at a time the media is facing two seemingly contradictory … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama’s plan to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba slammed into a wall of Republican opposition on Tuesday, stopping cold Obama’s hope for a bipartisan effort to “close a chapter” that began in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. The long-awaited proposal, which was requested by Congress, … Continue reading
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday, Jan 21, praised Louisiana’s new Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, for his decision to expand the state’s Medicaid program to provide health care coverage to thousands of residents. “He’s already delivering for the people of Louisiana,” Obama said. Edwards’ predecessor, Republican Bobby Jindal, had refused to expand … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama recognized 17 Americans with the nation’s highest civilian award on Tuesday, including the first African-American woman elected to Congress, one of the greatest catchers in baseball history and a “Funny Girl.” “Today we celebrate some extraordinary people: innovators, artists and leaders who contribute to America’s strength as a nation,” … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is hoping to generate early momentum for international climate talks in Paris next week by holding one-on-one meetings there with the leaders of China and India. While in Paris, the president also will meet with the leaders of island nations at risk from the effects of global warming, the … Continue reading
PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pittsburgh company that enrolls more than 100,000 students at for-profit trade schools and colleges across the U.S. is not admitting wrongdoing as part of a $95.5 million settlement with the Obama administration. The settlement was announced by the Justice Department on Monday. It resolves allegations that Education Management Corp. used illegal … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly Paris attacks have intensified Republican opposition to letting thousands of Syrian refugees come to the United States. Republican presidential contender Marco Rubio on Sunday said the United States cannot do so because it’s impossible to know whether people fleeing Syria have links to Islamic militants — an apparent shift from … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s proposal to deport millions of undocumented immigrants is unrealistic and would cost the nation hundreds of billions of dollars. In an interview Thursday with ABC News, Obama suggests imagining the images on screens flashed around the world as parents are dragged away from … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The cast album from the Broadway smash “Hamilton” has done something few such recordings have done in quite some time. How long? Since Richard Burton was King Arthur onstage — the first time. Atlantic Records said last week that “Hamilton” has so far sold over 54,000 albums, had more than … Continue reading
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled against President Barack Obama’s plan to protect an estimated 5 million people living in the United States illegally from deportation. In a 2-1 decision Monday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a Texas-based federal judge’s injunction blocking the administration’s immigration initiative. Republicans had … Continue reading
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — President Barack Obama toured a drug rehab and met with former inmates Monday in the rough-and-tumble city of Newark, calling on the nation to ensure those regaining their freedom get a second chance instead of a return ticket to prison. Although his visit boosted his campaign for a criminal justice overhaul, … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Monday signed into law a bipartisan budget bill that avoids a catastrophic U.S. default and puts off the next round of fighting over federal spending and debt until after next year’s presidential and congressional elections. Obama praised the rare bipartisan cooperation behind the deal, saying that 2-year agreement … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 