WASHINGTON (AP) â President Barack Obama will try to rev up Democrats in Ohio during a two-day visit, as the number of states that could swing to either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump narrows to just a handful. Obama heads to Columbus on Thursday to be the featured speaker at an annual dinner benefiting Ohio … Continue reading
Tag Archives: President Obama
Obama to meet with leaders of Iraq, Nigeria and Colombia
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will review military strategy against the Islamic State group, press nations to admit more refugees and review progress around the world, despite new challenges, when he makes his final appearance at the U.N. General Assembly session in New York next week, the White House said Friday. On the sidelines … Continue reading
William and Kate to host Kensington Palace dinner for Obamas
LONDON (AP) — President Barack Obama has a royal dinner date. Kensington Palace says Prince William, his wife Kate and his brother Prince Harry will hold a dinner for the president and first lady Michelle Obama during the U.S. leader’s visit to Britain this week. The royals’ office said that “their Royal Highnesses are very … Continue reading
US officials: The more we know about Zika, the scarier it is
WASHINGTON (AP) — The more researchers learn about the Zika virus, the scarier it appears, federal health officials say, as they urge more money for mosquito control and development of vaccines and treatments. Scientists increasingly believe the Zika virus sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean causes devastating defects in fetal brains if women become … Continue reading
White House: $589M to go to fight Zika virus
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal money left over from the largely successful fight against Ebola will now go to combating the growing threat of the Zika virus, the Obama administration announced Wednesday, April 6. Most of the $589 million would be devoted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for research on the virus and … Continue reading
Obama health law birth control plan returns to Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking up a challenge from faith-based groups that object to an Obama administration effort to ensure their employees and students can get cost-free birth control. The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday, March 23, on the sixth anniversary of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul in a case at … Continue reading
Obama arrives in Cuba for what he calls a “historic visit”
HAVANA (AP) — Stepping into history, President Barack Obama opened an extraordinary visit to Cuba on Sunday, eager to push decades of acrimony deeper into the past and forge irreversible ties with America’s former adversary. “This is a historic visit and a historic opportunity,” Obama said as he greeted staff of the new U.S. Embassy … Continue reading
White House launches two new initiatives on student absenteeism
by Mahogany Waldon The White House and the U.S. Department of Education have launched two new initiatives through the My Brother’s Keeper foundation to combat student chronic absenteeism. The My Brother’s Keeper Mentors initiative, along with 10 participating communities and the Ad Council, have partnered with a multi-million dollar campaign to raise awareness and to … Continue reading
Obama: ‘strange things’ happen when voters are scared
ATHERTON, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama said Thursday that “strange things” can happen in politics when voters are scared and that the angst people are feeling across the country is finding voice in both the Republican and Democratic parties. “We have to listen to that,” Obama said at a Democratic Party fundraiser at … Continue reading
Debate Takeaways: Clinton, Sanders appeal to SC, Nevada
MILWAUKEE (AP) — In the first Democratic presidential debate since Bernie Sanders’ sweeping victory in New Hampshire’s primary, the Vermont senator sought to build upon success and introduce himself to voters who may be open to an alternative to Iowa winner Hillary Clinton. The former secretary of state, meanwhile, tried Thursday night to assure … Continue reading
Obama moves to protect 1.8 million acres of Calif. desert
LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Barack Obama is granting national monument status to nearly 1.8 million acres of scenic Southern California desert, a move the White House says will maintain in perpetuity the region’s fragile ecosystem and natural resources, as well as provide recreational opportunities for hikers, campers, hunters and others. Obama, in California this … Continue reading
Timing is everything: Obama’s budget same day as NH primary
WASHINGTON (AP) — The main thing to know about President Barack Obama’s final, $4 trillion budget is that it comes on the same day as the New Hampshire primary, ensuring it gets minimal attention with all the focus on the White House contenders. The timing cements the impression that Obama realizes a Republican-led Congress is … Continue reading
Religion news in brief
Obama makes his first presidential visit to a US mosque CATONSVILLE, Md. (AP) — In a campaign season rife with concerns about terrorism, President Obama is visiting a mosque in Baltimore. While the president has visited mosques overseas, his stop Wednesday at the Islamic Society of Baltimore is his first visit to an American mosque … Continue reading
Federal coal sales moratorium shakes industry stronghold
GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) — Like a trusty pickup truck, Gillette has bounced through tough times before and pulled through, thanks to coal. Lately the bumps for an industry that’s brought wealth and jobs to this town are getting bigger — bankruptcies of major producers, pollution rules that have made burning coal more expensive and the … Continue reading
Obama promises party faithful: ‘Democrats will win’
BALTIMORE (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday promised his most fervent supporters on Capitol Hill the “Democrats will win in November” and said it’s going to take more than “phony tough talk and bluster” to defeat Islamic militants. Appearing before House Democrats at a retreat in Baltimore, Obama said the country is “doing … Continue reading
Democratic senator blocks Obama’s pick to head FDA
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator said Monday, Jan 25, he is blocking President Barack Obama’s nominee to head the Food and Drug Administration as he pressures the agency to be tougher on abuse of opioid painkillers. Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey said in a statement that he has put a hold on the nomination of … Continue reading
Obama contrasts Clinton’s pragmatism with Sanders’ idealism
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is casting the Democratic primary to replace him as a contest between Hillary Clinton’s pragmatism and experience versus Bernie Sanders’ idealism and liberalism. Obama, in his most extensive assessment to date of the 2016 Democratic primary, said Clinton is “wicked smart,” but that her strengths are also her weaknesses. … Continue reading
Obama to take in Detroit auto show as industry flourishes
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will take a victory lap Wednesday, Jan 20, in Detroit with a tour of the North American International Auto Show. The tour gives Obama the chance to highlight the industry’s remarkable turnaround over the past seven years, and to remind the public that his administration came to the industry’s … Continue reading
State of the Union | Full Text
THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS United States Capitol Washington, D.C. 9:10 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA: Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans: Tonight marks the eighth year that I’ve come here to report on the State of the … Continue reading
President Obama’s last State of the Union Address reflects on his presidency, gives hope for future
By Mahogany Waldon On Tuesday, Jan. 12, President Barack Obama gave his final State of the Union Address. Since coming into office in 2009, President Obama has been the face of change for the United States. His address reflected on the progress of the nation under his administration and spoke to the hopes for the … Continue reading
President Obama pushes executive order on gun laws and mental healthcare
by Mahogany Waldon President Obama issued an executive order on gun control laws and a plan to expand mental healthcare access in the U.S. on Tuesday, Jan 5. The order comes in light of the recent San Bernardino shooting in December. According to ABC, the U.S. has seen a three-fold increase in mass shootings since … Continue reading
The Latest: Obama orders flags at half-staff after shooting
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — The latest on the mass shooting at a social services facility in San Bernardino, California (all times local): 9:10 a.m. President Barack Obama is ordering U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff to honor the victims of the shooting in California that left 14 people dead December 2, 2015. The … Continue reading
White House and Department of Labor launch $100 million TechHire Grant Competition including $50 million for young Americans
Today, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, Cabinet Secretary and Chair of the My Brother’s Keeper Task Force Broderick Johnson, and Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, will travel to Baltimore, Maryland to announce new steps to advance the President’s TechHire initiative and expand opportunities for young Americans to get trained and placed into well-paying tech … Continue reading
Willie Mays, Yogi Berra among Medal of Freedom honorees
WASHINGTON (AP) — Baseball legends Willie Mays and the late Yogi Berra will be honored with the nation’s highest civilian award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. They are among 17 people who will be recognized by President Barack Obama at a Nov. 24 ceremony. Honorees from the entertainment world include Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, Stephen … Continue reading
Obama, Netanyahu emphasize need for Mideast peace
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday insisted they had not given up on the pursuit of Middle East peace, even as the prospect of an elusive agreement between Israelis and Palestinians appears further out of reach. Obama and Netanyahu’s meeting at the White House marked the first time the … Continue reading