White House news

• Why Obama's Paid Family and Sick Leave Plan Is Awesome For You

  15-01-2015 23:11
  Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/ “How many working parents know that sinking feeling from sending their child off to school with a fever?” asks White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett in her Wednesday post, “Why We Think Paid Leave Is a Worker’s Right, Not a Privilege,” on LinkedIn. “And how many moms and dads have been denied the ability to bond with their newborn, or to care for an aging parent, all because they could not afford to miss work?” Too many, according to President Barack Oba
  
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• Obama tries again to get paid leave for more workers

  15-01-2015 22:29
  
  President Barack Obama launched a fresh push Thursday to bring paid sick and family leave to working parents and other private-sector employees as the White House unveiled proposals that could benefit ...
  
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• Exclusive: White House says net neutrality legislation not needed

  15-01-2015 22:17
  
  By Alina Selyukh and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday said legislation was not necessary to settle so-called "net neutrality" rules because the Federal Communications Commission had the authority to write them. Republicans in Congress are trying to drum up support for a bill that would counter the FCC's upcoming new rules. "In terms of legislation, we don’t believe it’s necessary given that the FCC has the authorities that it needs under
  
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• Pimco names ex-White House advisor Sperling as consultant

  15-01-2015 22:07
  
  Pacific Investment Management Co has hired Gene Sperling, a former economic adviser to two U.S. presidents, as a consultant on U.S. economic policy issues, the investment management firm said on Thursday. Sperling will participate in Pimco's economic forums, provide input to the firm's Investment Committee, work with the firm's portfolio management group and engage clients around the world.
  
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• Obama, Merkel discuss increased violence in Ukraine

  15-01-2015 21:51
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have discussed their concern about increased violence in eastern Ukraine.
  
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• Obama, Merkel express concern about Ukraine in call

  15-01-2015 21:47
  
  President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed concerns over an increase in violence in Ukraine during a call on Thursday, the White House said. "The two leaders discussed their support for a robust package of international financing for Ukraine as it implements an ambitious series of reforms," the White House said in a statement.
  
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• PIMCO Names Former White House Advisor Gene Sperling as Consultant on U.S. Economic Policy Issues

  15-01-2015 21:29
  
  PIMCO, a leading global investment management firm, has named Gene Sperling, a former principal economic advisor to two U.S. Presidents, as a consultant to the firm on U.S. economic policy issues. Mr. ...
  
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• Obama to answer queries on YouTube after annual speech

  15-01-2015 19:57
  
  President Barack Obama will answer questions from YouTube creators in a live interview two days after his State of the Union address, the Google-owned video service said Thursday. "This year we're doing something we've never done before: bringing a handful of YouTube creators directly to the White House to talk with the president in person in a live broadcast on Thursday, January 22," Google News Lab director Steve Grove said in a blog post. The interview will be done by Beth
  
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• YouTube Stars Will Interview Obama After The State Of The Union

  15-01-2015 19:53
  
  YouTube Bethany Mota snapping a selfie at the White House A cadre of YouTube stars including teenage makeup artist Bethany Mota, comedian GloZell and self-proclaimed geek vlogger Hank Green will interview President Obama about concerns facing them and their audiences, YouTube announced today in a video. “Mr. Obama! My subscribers want to know… who’s your favorite YouTube creator?” Mota says to the camera before posing for a selfie in the White House. The three mention topics they plan to
  
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• Obama prepared to roll out budget proposal Feb. 2

  15-01-2015 19:35
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is prepared to unveil his proposed budget for the federal government on Feb. 2, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday.
  
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• How Obama Is Already Stumping for the Dems in 2016

  15-01-2015 19:14
  
  In another preview of President Obama’s State of the Union address next week – a preview that was itself previewed by White House senior advisor Valerie Jarrett in an article she posted Wednesday on LinkedIn, the job networking site – Obama is clearly demonstrating he’s already thinking toward 2016 and the Democrats’ prospects for that election. On Thursday the president is pressing Congress to adopt a law requiring employers with more than 15 workers to let those workers accrue up to
  
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• Kerry wants to give Paris 'big hug' after attacks

  15-01-2015 18:45
  
  US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday he wants to give Paris a "big hug" after last week's Islamist attacks in the French capital. "My visit to France is basically to share a big hug for Paris and express the affection of the American people for France and for our friends there who have been through a terrible time," Kerry said in Bulgaria. Kerry arrived in Paris on Thursday for talks on Friday with French President Francois Hollande. The White House was forced
  
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• YouTube Stars to Interview President Obama After State of the Union

  15-01-2015 18:25
  
  The White House has invited three top YouTube creators — Bethany Mota, GloZell Green and Hank Green — to interview President Obama next week, two days after his Station of the Union address. Obama has participated in video chats on YouTube and via Google+ Hangouts after the State of the Union every year since 2010. This year... Read more »
  
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• Hearing on states' suit against Obama immigration plan to begin in court

  15-01-2015 17:47
  
  By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas is set to hear arguments on Thursday in a lawsuit brought by two dozen states that seeks to block Obama administration efforts to reduce the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants. The case led by Texas and supported by several other Republican-controlled states said President Barack Obama's executive order in November violated U.S. constitutional limits on presidential powers. The hearing will be at the
  
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• Obama hosts Britain's Cameron in wake of Paris attacks

  15-01-2015 16:27
  
  President Barack Obama and Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron were to begin two days of meetings at the White House Thursday focusing largely on joint anti-terror efforts, in the wake of last week's attacks in Paris. The spokesman said Obama and Cameron would have a "working dinner" late Thursday, followed by "a whole set of formal meetings" on Friday.
  
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• US eases travel, trade with Cuba from Friday

  15-01-2015 16:01
  
  The United States will ease travel and trade restrictions with Cuba on Friday, implementing last month's agreement to begin normalizing ties with the Cold War-era foe. "Today's announcement takes us one step closer to replacing out-of-date policies that were not working and puts in place a policy that helps promote political and economic freedom for the Cuban people," Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Thursday. While a US trade embargo remains in effect, the rule changes will
  
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• Kerry to give 'big hug' to Paris after militant attacks

  15-01-2015 13:43
  
  By Arshad Mohammed and Tsvetelia Tsolova SOFIA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday his visit to France was to give a "big hug" to Paris after the deadly attack by Islamist gunmen on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. President Barack Obama's administration drew criticism from Republican opponents at home for not sending a senior figure to a unity march in the French capital following the shootings, and the White House later conceded that Washington
  
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• Hearing on states' suit against Obama immigration plan to begin in U.S. court

  15-01-2015 13:10
  
  By Lisa Maria Garza DALLAS (Reuters) - A federal judge in Texas is set to hear arguments on Thursday in a lawsuit brought by two dozen states that seeks to block Obama administration efforts to reduce the threat of deportation for millions of undocumented immigrants. The case led by Texas and supported by several other Republican-controlled states said President Barack Obama's executive order in November violated U.S. constitutional limits on presidential powers. The hearing will be at the
  
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• U.S. Secret Service dumping senior officials after security lapses

  15-01-2015 06:25
  
  By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service will remove four senior officials while another has opted to retire, the latest shake-up after a series of security lapses at the agency charged with protecting the president, an agency official said on Wednesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmedActing Director Joseph Clancy had told the four assistant directors who oversee the agency's missions of protection, investigations, technology and public affair
  
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• Obama, Cameron vow to stand firm against Islamist extremists

  15-01-2015 05:10
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron vowed a united front on Wednesday against the threat posed by Islamist extremists and their "distorted ideology." In a joint opinion article that appeared in Thursday's Times of London newspaper and released on Wednesday night in Washington, Obama and Cameron outlined the principles of the U.S.-British alliance ahead of two days of White House meetings. Obama and Cameron, noting the Paris attacks last week agains
  
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• NJ's Christie courts potential White House supporters in SC

  15-01-2015 01:56
  
  COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A day after delivering a State of the State address widely seen as an informal kick-off to a potential campaign for president, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie traveled to South Carolina on Wednesday to court potential donors in the early-voting state.
  
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• US sends Kerry to France after missing rally for attack victims

  15-01-2015 01:39
  
  US Secretary of State John Kerry arrives in Paris Thursday to pay tribute to victims of last week's jihadist attacks, after a furore over the absence of a senior US official at a mass rally in the wake of the shootings. Kerry's visit comes after the White House was forced to admit it had made a mistake in not sending a higher-ranking representative to the mammoth march against terrorism attended by dozens of world leaders on Sunday. The United States was conspicuous by its absence as i
  
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• Chris Christie courts potential White House supporters in SC

  15-01-2015 01:32
  
  COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is courting supporters in South Carolina as he lays the groundwork for a potential presidential campaign.
  
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• Exclusive: U.S. lawmakers push ahead on Iran sanctions - senior senator

  15-01-2015 01:30
  
  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers will press ahead with a plan for more sanctions on Iran, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said on Wednesday, despite White House warnings that they risked derailing nuclear talks. Lawmakers, who say they fear Obama administration negotiators may not take a hard enough line with Tehran, are also at work on a separate bill to have Congress approve any final agreement on Iran's nuclear pr
  
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• Obama to renew push for paid leave for working parents

  15-01-2015 00:15
  
  President Barack Obama is renewing his push for paid leave for working parents. White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett said Obama on Thursday will again call on Congress to pass legislation to let ...
  
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• Senator Rand Paul blasts Common Core education program in New Hampshire swing

  15-01-2015 00:01
  
  By Ted Siefer MANCHESTER, N.H. (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Rand Paul took aim in New Hampshire on Wednesday at Common Core national education standards as he looked to strengthen ties with voters in the first-in-the-nation primary state before an expected 2016 White House run. With its libertarian leanings, New Hampshire is seen as hospitable territory for Paul's small-government beliefs. His father, former Texas U.S. Representative Ron Paul, finished second in the 2012 New Hampshir
  
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