White House news

• Captive Syria reporter's family steps up release bid

  05-02-2015 23:44
  
  The family of journalist Austin Tice, missing in Syria since mid-2012, said Thursday they believe he is alive as they stepped up a campaign to win his release. "After almost two and a half years, we feel like we need to let everybody know our son is missing and can you please help us get him home," said Debra Tice, who appeared with husband Marc Tice at a news conference at the National Press Club organized by the media rights group Reporters Without Borders. Tice, 33, abducted near Da
  
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• Obama to seek new authority for force against Islamic State next week: congressional aides

  05-02-2015 23:27
  
  President Barack Obama will ask Congress for new authority to use force against Islamic State fighters next week, congressional aides said on Thursday. A House Democratic aide said lawmakers had been told they would receive the White House request next week. Earlier on Thursday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said he expected Obama to seek congressional authorization for using military force against Islamic State soon and also called for speeding up assistance to Jordan.
  
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• Obama to seek new authority for force against IS next week - congressional aides

  05-02-2015 23:27
  
  President Barack Obama will ask Congress for new authority to use force against Islamic State fighters next week, congressional aides said on Thursday. A House Democratic aide said lawmakers had been told they would receive the White House request next week. Earlier on Thursday, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said he expected Obama to seek congressional authorization for using military force against Islamic State soon and also called for speeding up assistance to Jordan.
  
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• White House asked to help journalist held in Syria

  05-02-2015 22:36
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The parents of a missing journalist detained in Syria and the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders are calling on the White House to help bring the journalist home safely.
  
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• Israel diplomats recalled over undiplomatic tweets

  05-02-2015 22:36
  
  The Israeli ambassador to Switzerland and a diplomat in India have been called home over comments critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the foreign ministry said Thursday. Among the alleged infractions was a re-tweet by Ambassador Yigal Caspi, citing criticism of Netanyahu's accepting a controversial invitation to address the US Congress over Iran's nuclear policy. "Every time one thinks Netanyahu has taken the relationship with the White House to the lowest point ever, h
  
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• Obama poised to ask Congress for new war authorization

  05-02-2015 22:30
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is poised in coming days to ask Congress for new authority to use U.S. military force against Islamic State militants, the White House said Thursday. But the top Republican in Congress warned it won't be easy to pass the measure and that it will be up to Obama to rally support from lawmakers and the public.
  
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• Obama's 'Big Data' privacy plans get lift from lawmakers

  05-02-2015 22:30
  
  The White House is working with a Republican congressman on the U.S. House of Representatives' leadership team and Democrats in both the House and Senate on a bill to protect data collected from students through educational apps. The legislation, aimed at ensuring kids' data is used only for educational and legitimate research purposes, is the first of President Barack Obama's "Big Data" privacy plans to gain traction in the Republican-controlled Congress. Obama has pushed to do more to protect
  
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• U.S. considers declassifying report on Saudi funding of al Qaeda

  05-02-2015 21:13
  
  By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration is considering whether to declassify still-secret sections of a congressional inquiry into the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks which examined Saudi Arabian support for Islamist militants, the White House said on Thursday. Interest in the 28-page section of the report was raised after an imprisoned former al Qaeda operative, Zacarias Moussaoui, said in deposition transcripts filed this week that more than a dozen prominent Saudi figures don
  
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• Pelosi: Talks focus on 3-year OK of force against militants

  05-02-2015 20:23
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is poised in coming days to ask Congress for authority to use U.S. military force against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, the White House said Thursday. But the top Republican in Congress warned it won't be easy to pass the measure and that it will be up to Obama to rally support from lawmakers and the public.
  
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• Russia, Ukrainian separatists haven't lived up to agreements - White House

  05-02-2015 19:23
  
  The United States is encouraged by efforts to find a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict but is concerned that agreements from previous such efforts have not been honoured, a White House spokesman said on Thursday. "One concern we have, however, is that previous diplomatic efforts have resulted in agreements that the Russians and the separatists that they back ... didn't live up to," said spokesman Josh Earnest.
  
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• 2 US House Democrats to skip Netanyahu speech

  05-02-2015 18:38
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two prominent U.S. House Democrats say they will skip Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress next month, saying they disapprove of House Speaker John Boehner's decision to invite the Israeli leader without consulting the White House.
  
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• 2 House Democrats to skip Netanyahu speech

  05-02-2015 18:35
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two prominent House Democrats say they'll skip Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress next month, saying they disapprove of House Speaker John Boehner's decision to invite the Israeli leader without consulting the White House.
  
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• What was a game guy doing in the White House?

  05-02-2015 18:30
  
  Mark DeLoura tried to find the intersection of games and education.
  
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• Scott Walker Makes Top Tier of White House Wannabes

  05-02-2015 18:26
  
  Although former Florida governor Jeb Bush is still getting ink for highlighting the plight of the poor and middle class in a speech Wednesday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is the new “it” aspirant for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. After a strong showing in a recent speech before a group of Iowa conservatives and a first-place showing in a Des Moines Register/Bloomberg poll, the combative Walker is dominating the national political discussion. Although his star temporarily faded
  
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• Top House Democrat hopes Netanyahu speech to Congress doesn't happen

  05-02-2015 18:17
  
  (Adds quotes from Pelosi, Boehner) WASHINGTON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - U.S. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said on Thursday she hopes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the U.S. Congress next month does not take place because Republican House Speaker John Boehner had invited him for political reasons. Netanyahu has been fending off criticism at home and abroad over his decision to accept the invitation to address Congress on Iran's nuclear program two weeks before the Israeli
  
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• Obama, at prayer event, calls Dalai Lama 'good friend'

  05-02-2015 16:48
  
  By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama warmly acknowledged the Dalai Lama but did not meet directly with him at a religious event in Washington closely watched by Beijing, which has warned against any exchange with Tibet's exiled spiritual leader. Obama, who greeted the Buddhist monk with a bow-like gesture, called him "a good friend" and "a powerful example of what it means to practice compassion and who inspires us to speak up for the freedom and d
  
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• DJ Patil has joined the White House to wrangle data issues

  05-02-2015 16:06
  
  DJ Patil, who has held of a number of jobs as a data scientist, most notably at LinkedIn, has joined the White House as a data scientist-in-residence with a focus on helping handle health care data, according ...
  
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• Obama after Steve Jobs gave him a sneak peek of the original iPhone: ‘If it were legal, I would buy a boatload of Apple stock. This thing is going to be really big.’

  05-02-2015 15:33
  
  Flickr/White House President Obama meets with Steve Jobs and other tech leaders at a 2011 dinner. President Obama’s chief campaign advisor David Axelrod has a new book “Believer” coming out, according to 9to5Mac, and it reveals that Obama got a sneak peek at the original iPhone. According to Axelrod, Steve Jobs met with Obama before he became president, showing him the soon-to-be unveiled iPhone. Obama was impressed. In 2007, Obama got a sneak peek at the iPhone during a private meeting w
  
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• Three Israeli diplomats risk dismissal over tweets

  05-02-2015 14:30
  
  The offending tweets came as Netanyahu, who is seeking a fourth term in office, fends off criticism at home and abroad over his plans to deliver a speech to the U.S. Congress on March 3, two weeks before Israel holds parliamentary elections. The White House has objected to the speech, which is expected to be critical of U.S. policy on Iran. Yigal Caspi, the Israeli envoy to Switzerland, had retweeted remarks by journalists accusing Netanyahu of endangering already shaky relations with Washington
  
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• FDA commissioner to stand down after six years: sources

  05-02-2015 12:24
  
  By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who for almost six years has overseen public health initiatives ranging from tobacco control and food safety to personalized medicine, disease control and drug approvals, is stepping down, according to a person briefed on the matter. The White House is expected to announce Hamburg's resignation later on Friday, the person said. FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Yao declined to co
  
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• Obama meets Muslim leaders

  05-02-2015 11:46
  
  Washington, Feb 5 (IANS/EFE) US President Barack Obama has met his country's Muslim leaders to discuss a range of national and foreign policy issues. Health reform, violence and discrimination against Muslims, the White House summit on extremism and the fight against the the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group were some of the matters discussed, the White House said in a statement Wednesday after the meeting.
  
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• Mothers Of Hostages Criticise US Policy

  05-02-2015 10:52
  
  Speaking to Sky News, the mothers of James Foley and Austin Tice cast doubt on whether media blackouts and a blanket ban on ransom payments are truly effective. Speaking at an event on press freedom in Washington DC, Mrs Foley said she hoped a new White House-ordered review on Americans held captive by terrorists overseas would bring changes. Mrs Foley said the US government had kept her "totally" in the dark about her son, who was beheaded by Islamic State militants in August last yea
  
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• U.S. FDA commissioner to stand down after six years: sources

  05-02-2015 10:19
  
  By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dr. Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who for almost six years has overseen public health initiatives ranging from tobacco control and food safety to personalized medicine, disease control and drug approvals, is stepping down, according to a person briefed on the matter. The White House is expected to announce Hamburg's resignation later on Friday, the person said. FDA spokeswoman Stephanie Yao declined to co
  
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• Mums Of American Hostages Criticise US Policy

  05-02-2015 09:36
  
  Speaking to Sky News, the mothers of James Foley and Austin Tice cast doubt on whether media blackouts and a blanket ban on ransom payments are truly effective. Speaking at an event on press freedom in Washington DC, Mrs Foley said she hoped a new White House-ordered review on Americans held captive by terrorists overseas would bring changes. Mrs Foley said the US government had kept her "totally" in the dark about her son, who was beheaded by Islamic State militants in August last yea
  
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• Exclusive: U.S. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to step down - source

  05-02-2015 07:24
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), who since 2009 has overseen a broad swath of regulation from tobacco control to food safety and personalized medicine, is stepping down, according to a source briefed on the matter. Hamburg's resignation is expected to be announced by the White House on Friday, the source said. FDA officials were not immediately available for comment in the early hours of Thursday morning. (Reporting by
  
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• Parents Of US Hostages Criticise Obama Policy

  05-02-2015 06:17
  
  Speaking to Sky News, the mothers of James Foley and Austin Tice cast doubt on whether media blackouts and a blanket ban on ransom payments are truly effective. Speaking at an event on press freedom in Washington DC, Mrs Foley said she hoped a new White House-ordered review on Americans held captive by terrorists overseas would bring changes. Mrs Foley said the US government had kept her "totally" in the dark about her son, who was beheaded by Islamic State militants in August last yea
  
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• Exclusive: Obama finds bipartisan support for first 'Big Data' privacy plan

  05-02-2015 06:15
  
  By Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House is working with bipartisan sponsors on a bill to protect data collected from students through educational apps - the first of President Barack Obama's "Big Data" privacy plans to gain traction in the Republican-controlled Congress. Obama has pushed to do more to protect privacy in an age when consumers leave a trail of digital footprints through smart phones, personal devices and social media - information that can be collected, analyzed
  
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• Top Obama communications advisers to step down, leaving hole in staff

  05-02-2015 01:40
  
  By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's top two communications advisers plan to step down in the coming months, leaving a hole in his senior staff as the White House tries to keep attention on an ambitious agenda before the 2016 presidential campaign. Dan Pfeiffer, a senior adviser and longtime member of Obama's inner circle, is stepping down in early March, and Jennifer Palmieri, the White House communications director, plans to leave later this spring. The moves
  
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• 2 top aides leaving Obama's White House

  05-02-2015 01:21
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two of President Barack Obama's highest-ranking advisers will step down from their posts in the coming weeks, White House officials said Wednesday, reshuffling the president's close-knit team for his final two years in office.
  
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• What does White House want from next Defense secretary? Clues at hearing

  05-02-2015 01:21
  
  When Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that he was stepping down last year, there was a great deal of speculation about what, precisely, the White House wanted from its new nominee, Ashton Carter. The Defense secretary’s focus has had to shift to a host of new challenges in the past year: the rise of the Islamic State, Russian aggression in Crimea, and a need to better train security forces in Iraq. With all these balls in the air, Dr. Carter offered some insights into his priorities
  
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• White House communications director Palmieri to step down

  05-02-2015 01:10
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri will step down from her post this spring, the second senior aide to President Barack Obama to announce a departure on Wednesday, a White House official said. Palmieri has been reported to be in the running for a top communications position in the presidential campaign of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if she decides to run. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Sandra Maler)
  
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• Obama's communications chief stepping down

  05-02-2015 00:35
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, will step down this spring, joining a string of top Obama aides leaving the White House.
  
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