White House news

• Can’t we put our own house in order?

  12-02-2015 23:40
  
  So a petition was raised on the US White House website calling for President Barack Obama's attention to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's rejected appeal on his sodomy conviction and his five-year jail sentence. Then there was another petition raised on the same website calling for the US government to respect the sovereignty of Malaysia and its people and not interfere in internal affairs.
  
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• New Pentagon chief could collide with White House

  12-02-2015 23:28
  
  Ashton Carter, a hard-charging intellectual known for blunt talk, was confirmed as US defense secretary Thursday, and he could soon find himself at odds with a White House that clashed with previous Pentagon chiefs. The Senate -- by a vote of 93 to five -- overwhelmingly approved Carter, an accomplished defense technocrat with degrees in Medieval history and theoretical physics. His comments provoked a quick response from a White House known for its penchant for exerting tight control. Carter ha
  
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• US welcomes Ukraine ceasefire deal

  12-02-2015 23:20
  
  Washington, Feb 13 (IANS) The US welcomed the ceasefire deal reached following peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany in Minsk, to put an end to the fighting in Ukraine, a White House statement said Thursday. The leaders of the four countries announced that a ceasefire would begin in the strife-torn eastern Ukraine from Sunday, following marathon talks in the Belarusian capital. The agreement represents a "potentially significant step" towards a peaceful resolution of the confli
  
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• Biden in Iowa: 2016 candidate must run on Obama-Biden record

  12-02-2015 23:16
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that Democrats running for president in 2016 should embrace the record that he and President Barack Obama have built.
  
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• U.S. plays down new Russia sanctions as ceasefire deal eyed

  12-02-2015 23:14
  
  The United States played down the chances of new sanctions on Russia while it assesses whether a deal to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine, including the withdrawal of Russian forces and equipment, is carried out. The agreement envisages a ceasefire between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists taking hold from Sunday, the withdrawal of heavy weapons from the front lines and constitutional reform to give eastern Ukraine more political autonomy. While saying it had not taken the possi
  
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• White House threatens veto of Gitmo transfers restrictions

  12-02-2015 22:44
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama would veto legislation to restrict detainee transfers out of the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba prison.
  
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• Obama would veto bill to stop transfers of Guantanamo prisoners: White House

  12-02-2015 22:26
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama would veto a bill being considered by Republicans that aims to freeze all transfers of terrorism suspects out of the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters on Thursday. The bill was proposed by Republicans in the wake of attacks by Islamic militant gunmen in Paris in January. (Reporting By Julia Edwards; Editing by Sandra Maler)
  
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• Exclusive: Transportation Department pushes tough oil train standards - sources

  12-02-2015 22:09
  
  By Patrick Rucker and David Ljunggren WASHINGTON/OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Transportation Department has recommended crude oil trains be reinforced and advanced braking systems installed to prevent accidents from becoming fiery disasters, according to sources familiar with the plan. The proposal, which now faces a White House review, envisions safety improvements that public advocates endorse but oil and rail leaders have said would mean high costs for modest safety gains. The plan would require ad
  
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• When Kids Pay for Adults’ Stupid Mistakes

  12-02-2015 22:07
  Photo by Rob Carr/ It was a classic Cinderella story: The young players on the Jackie Robinson West Little League baseball team captured the hearts of the nation when they became the first all African-American team to win the U.S. Championship this summer. They were a team based out of Chicago’s South Side, known more for gun violence than victories. After their wins, Jackie Robinson West was celebrated in a citywide parade, invited to the White House to meet the President and the First Lady,
  
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• Ahead of White House Summit at Stanford, ISACA CEO Underscores Need for Cybersecurity Collaboration and Workforce Development

  12-02-2015 22:03
  
  ISACA CEO Matt Loeb, who is attending the White House Summit for Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection on Friday at Stanford University, underscored the need for public and private collaboration to prevent, detect and respond to sophisticated cyber threats.
  
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• Congress to postpone sending Keystone-pipeline bill to Obama

  12-02-2015 22:00
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders are delaying sending a bill authorizing the Keystone XL oil pipeline to the White House for a likely veto until after the recess break.
  
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• Security Head of Iberdrola USA to Attend White House Summit on Cybersecurity

  12-02-2015 21:12
  
  ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The White House has invited the vice president of security at Iberdrola USA to attend the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford ...
  
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• House GOP pushes tax cuts despite veto threat over costs

  12-02-2015 20:48
  
  House Republicans are advancing a series of tax cuts this week affecting millions of businesses and individuals, despite White House veto threats over adding more than $300 billion to the budget deficit ...
  
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• Obama and Pakistan's Sharif agree to meet - White House

  12-02-2015 20:44
  President Barack Obama and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif spoke by telephone on Thursday about counterterrorism and other issues, and agreed to meet, the White House National Security Council said on Twitter. The two leaders "expressed the intent to meet at a mutually convenient time," the White House said, and agreed to continue to strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Obama "welcomed the improved relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and noted appre
  
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• Biden in Iowa: Dems in 2016 should run on what Obama's done

  12-02-2015 20:28
  
  DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden says the 2016 White House election will be a choice between continuing President Barack Obama's policies or going with a failed Republican approach from the past.
  
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• House GOP pushes tax cuts despite veto threat over cost

  12-02-2015 20:22
  
  House Republicans are pushing through a series of tax cuts this week affecting millions of businesses and individuals, despite White House veto threats over the cost. Together, the tax cuts would add more ...
  
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• President Obama Signs Into Law Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act

  12-02-2015 20:13
  
  Wounded Warrior Project® joined President Obama, veterans, and mental health advocates today at the White House for the signing of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for Americ
  
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• Top Wall Street Executives To Gather At White House Cybersecurity Summit

  12-02-2015 20:12
  
  For the first time ever, President Obama has called on best-in-class executives from several sectors to convene at Stanford University on Friday in order to discuss how to move forward with his cybersecurity ...
  
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• Philadelphia named 2016 Democratic Convention host city

  12-02-2015 19:34
  
  The northeast US city of Philadelphia will host the Democratic National Convention set for late July 2016, the party announced Thursday. "We believe that it was our proven track record of hosting big events safely and efficiently... paired with our city's tremendous amenities" that put Philadelphia on top, the city's mayor Michael Nutter said. Philadelphia, with 1.5 million people, is predominantly Democratic, and its state of Pennsylvania is considered a key swing state in p
  
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• US says Ukraine deal 'potentially significant'

  12-02-2015 19:27
  
  The United States cautiously welcomed a brokered ceasefire in the 10-month war between Ukraine and pro-Moscow rebels Thursday, but insisted the deal must be implemented and honored. "The agreement represents a potentially significant step toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict and the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty," the White House said in a statement. The deal was negotiated between leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine after marathon talks that ended early
  
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• Exclusive - Obama set to announce executive order on cyber security threat data

  12-02-2015 19:22
  
  By Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is expected to announce an executive order directing the government and companies to share more information about cyber security threats in response to attacks like that on Sony Entertainment . As in other policy areas where Obama has been unable to get legislation through the now Republican-controlled Congress, the White House is turning to more limited administrative actions to advance its agenda as much as it can. The announcemen
  
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• RedSeal Joins White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University

  12-02-2015 18:50
  
  RedSeal , the end-to-end provider of network visibility and intelligence to evaluate and strengthen network defenses, today announced that the company will participate in the White House Summit on Cybersecurity ...
  
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• Obama war power plan in search of its first supporter

  12-02-2015 18:30
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans criticized President Barack Obama's day-old request to authorize the use of force against Islamic State forces on Thursday as too weak for the job of defeating the terrorist group, and the House's top Democrat conceded the White House faces a stern challenge in passing legislation.
  
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• The White House Invites Fortinet CEO Ken Xie to Participate in the Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection

  12-02-2015 18:23
  
  Fortinet® -- a global leader in High Performance Cyber Security Solutions, today announced that Ken Xie, founder, chairman and CEO, will participate in the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer ...
  
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• Despite Iowa visit, Biden fading from 2016 campaign chatter

  12-02-2015 18:19
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Coming to Iowa, even for an official White House trip, Joe Biden will find no shortage of speculation about his political future.
  
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• A New and Unimproved Ceasefire

  12-02-2015 18:03
  
  There are plenty of reasons to be pessimistic about the new Ukrainian ceasefire that was signed in Minsk, Belarus, on Thursday morning after nearly 17 hours of negotiations. The first is the fact that there was already a ceasefire signed in Minsk, Belarus, back in September, which failed to end the violence between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. Earlier this month, the violence had intensified to the point that the White House was openly talking about arming Ukr
  
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• NAFCU President & CEO Dan Berger To Attend White House Summit on Cybersecurity & Consumer Protection

  12-02-2015 17:59
  
  National Association of Federal Credit Unions President and CEO Dan Berger will attend President Barack Obama’s White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University on Friday, Feb.
  
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• Obama Wire: Michelle Obama Modernizes a Fusty White House Dining Room

  12-02-2015 17:39
  
  Photo by Amanda Lucidon courtesy of White House Photo After six years in the White House, Michelle Obama has finally embarked on a major redecorating project for the late 18th-century neoclassical mansion on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The First Lady decided...
  
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• US: Ukraine deal could be major step toward peace

  12-02-2015 17:39
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says a new peace deal between Russia and Ukraine could be a significant step toward peacefully resolving the conflict.
  
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• White House - true test of Minsk deal on Ukraine to come

  12-02-2015 17:38
  
  The White House said on Thursday that the Minsk deal to end fighting in eastern Ukraine was a "potentially significant step" but said heavy weapons must be withdrawn from the region and called on Russia to withdraw soldiers and equipment. "The true test of today's accord will be in its full and unambiguous implementation, including the durable end of hostilities and the restoration of Ukrainian control over its border with Russia," the White House said in a statement.
  
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• Michelle Obama Modernizes a Fusty White House Dining Room

  12-02-2015 17:24
  
  Photo by Amanda Lucidon courtesy of White House Photo After six years in the White House, Michelle Obama has finally embarked on a major redecorating project for the late 18th-century neoclassical mansion on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The First Lady decided...
  
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• Do Some Women Choose to Make Less Than Men?

  12-02-2015 16:26
  
  The White House reports that as recently as 2010, women made only 77 cents to the dollar earned by men. The Office for National Statistics stated that in the last four decades, females in the United Kingdom still earn less money than the males. A recent study by the London Business School proposed that that female social entrepreneurs in the United Kingdom actually chose to pay themselves 29 percent less than their male counterparts. This research, conducted by Saul Estrin, researcher and visiti
  
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• Vectra Networks' CEO Invited to Participate in White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection

  12-02-2015 14:17
  Vectra Networks, the leader in real-time detection of cyber-attacks in-progress, today announced that two of its executives have been invited and will participate in the White House Summit on Cybersecurity ...
  
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• Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer and Eric Schmidt all just snubbed Obama

  12-02-2015 13:10
  Oscar Siagan/Monica Schipper/Justin Sullivan/Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer, Larry Page and Eric Schmidt (L-R). On Friday, Apple CEO Tim Cook is attending a White House cybersecurity summit, where he’s expected to discuss whether Apple’s encryption policies are aiding criminals. But he may be the only major tech CEO to attend. According to a report from Bloomberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer, and Larry Page and Eric Schmidt have all snubbed the summit, opting
  
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• Former top U.S. officials urge lifeline for export credit agency

  12-02-2015 12:06
  
  Former top U.S. officials have urged Congress to keep the Export-Import Bank alive to shore up the United States' economic and security interests. In a letter sent to Congressional leaders late on Wednesday, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of Defense William Cohen and 10 other senior figures said exporters helped spread American values and strengthen its interests overseas and Ex-Im was an important tool to compete and secure business in overseas mar
  
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• The Spectacular Way Too Big Failure of Dodd-Frank

  12-02-2015 11:30
  
  “Too big to fail” became a mantra used to leverage massive taxpayer bailouts of financial institutions. By the time 2010 rolled around, the two sides could agree on one thing: changes were necessary to unwind “too big to fail.” Conservatives wanted to push government out of lending and finance through tax and regulatory reforms that would end rent-seeking behaviors that perpetuated it. Since Democrats controlled Congress and the White House in the spring and summer of 2010, they chose th
  
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• The Spectacular Too Big Failure of Dodd-Frank

  12-02-2015 11:30
  
  “Too big to fail” became a mantra used to leverage massive taxpayer bailouts of financial institutions. By the time 2010 rolled around, the two sides could agree on one thing: changes were necessary to unwind “too big to fail.” Conservatives wanted to push government out of lending and finance through tax and regulatory reforms that would end rent-seeking behaviors that perpetuated it. Since Democrats controlled Congress and the White House in the spring and summer of 2010, they chose th
  
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• Former envoy behind White House petition on Anwar says US did the same with Suu Kyi

  12-02-2015 10:01
  
  KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — A petition urging the US to make freeing Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim a priority in its foreign policy with Malaysia is not “unprecedented” as the White House took similar steps...
  
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• Wisconsin's Walker the latest 2016 prospect with a UK hiccup

  12-02-2015 09:21
  
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The United Kingdom ought to be the friendliest of soil for White House hopefuls looking to pad the resume with a little foreign policy experience.
  
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• Obama says it will take 'some time' but IS will lose

  12-02-2015 07:30
  
  London, Feb 12 (ANI): United States President Barack Obama has said that the Islamic State (IS) will lose as he asked Congress to authorize use of military force to take on the terror outfit. Flanked by the Vice-President Joe Biden, and the U.S. secretaries of state and defence at the White House, Obama said that he was convinced that the U.S. should not get dragged into another prolonged was in the Middle East but added that fighting IS would take "some time." However, he added that this is did
  
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• Potential Republican candidates tread carefully on Islamic State

  12-02-2015 07:11
  
  By Steve Holland and Alistair Bell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans exploring a 2016 White House run are pounding away at President Barack Obama's strategy for stopping Islamic State militants but, wary of Americans' war fatigue, are so far providing few specifics on what they would do differently. The renewed threat posed by Islamic militants is emerging as the top foreign policy issue for the 2016 race, and Obama's submission to Congress on Wednesday of a draft authorization o
  
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• Dr M claims US peeved because ‘agent’ Anwar jailed

  12-02-2015 06:45
  
  KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad laughed off today Washington's criticism of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's second sodomy conviction, saying the White House was only...
  
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• Some potential 2016 candidates fault Obama war powers plan

  12-02-2015 00:32
  
  Some Republicans who want to succeed President Barack Obama in the White House are voicing concern that his request to Congress for a limited authorization to use military force against Islamic State terrorists in the Middle East isn't robust enough.
  
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• Retailers Call on White House to Intervene in West Coast Port Labor Dispute

  12-02-2015 00:25
  
  The National Retail Federation issued the following statement today from Vice President for Supply Chain Jonathan Gold on the news that terminal vessel operations at the West Coast
  
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• War against Islamic State: 5 questions Obama will have to address

  12-02-2015 00:09
  
  President Obama on Wednesday sent draft legislation to Congress seeking lawmakers' authorization for use of military force to fight the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. While the legislation allows the United States to use force against the Islamic State or “associated persons or forces,” it limits that authorization to three years and does not allow US military forces for any “enduring offensive ground combat operations.” The wording is meant to give the president wiggle room for target
  
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