White House news

• Monica Lewinsky is giving a TED talk

  03-03-2015 23:52
  
  Scott Gries/Getty Images Former White House intern Monica … Continued The post Monica Lewinsky is giving a TED talk appeared first on Business Insider.
  
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• Western leaders hint at more Russian sanctions over Ukraine

  03-03-2015 23:39
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama and European leaders on Tuesday warned Russia that they were ready to step up sanctions if there were further violations of a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine, officials said. The threats came in statements issued after a video conference that brought together Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as the head of the European Council. The virtual meeting took place amid continuing violence in Ukraine despite the two-week-old ceasefire accor
  
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• U.S. budget caps could complicate Israel's missile funding request

  03-03-2015 23:16
  
  By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mandatory caps due to resume this year for the U.S. defence budget could complicate Congress' ability to honour Israel's request for $317 million in extra funding for missile defence programs on top of $158 million already requested by the White House. U.S. lawmakers continue to strongly support Israel, but congressional aides said Israel's push for over $475 million in U.S. funding for missile defence programs in fiscal 2016 could run into trouble if Cong
  
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• Netanyahu warns US 'bad deal' would put Iran on nuclear path

  03-03-2015 23:02
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — In a direct challenge to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before Congress on Tuesday and bluntly warned the U.S. that an emerging nuclear agreement with Iran "paves Iran's path to the bomb." President Barack Obama pushed back sternly, saying the U.S. would never sign such a deal and Netanyahu was offering no useful alternative.
  
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• Excerpts from Netanyahu's speech and rejoinder from Obama

  03-03-2015 23:00
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a major address to Congress on Tuesday and warned against making a deal that could leave Iran on the path toward nuclear weapons. At the White House, President Barack Obama offered a pointed rebuttal during a brief Oval Office photo opportunity. Obama said he had read a transcript of the prime minister's remarks and that Netanyahu had offered no viable suggestions on how to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.
  
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• Guantanamo prisoner wants court to have U.S. Senate torture report

  03-03-2015 21:39
  
  By Lacey Ann Johnson FORT MEADE, Md. (Reuters) - Lawyers for a Saudi man held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba who is charged with orchestrating the suicide bombing of the USS Cole asked on Tuesday for a sealed copy of the Senate’s CIA torture report to be provided to a military judge for safekeeping. The request arose during a pre-trial hearing for Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, accused of being the mastermind of the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen that killed 17 sailors. The Senate committee report
  
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• Commissioner Ramsey: Could take decades to heal mistrust

  03-03-2015 21:31
  
  The police commissioner said Tuesday that recommendations he helped shape as co-chairman of a White House task force on modern policing would help officers build trust.
  
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• Netanyahu's speech to U.S. Congress gets mixed reception in Israel

  03-03-2015 21:25
  
  By Jeffrey Heller JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have made an argument that many Israelis support in warning Congress on Tuesday about a potential nuclear deal with Iran, but critics asked whether it was worth the widening rift with the White House. The address was broadcast live on Israeli television and radio, and came at a politically sensitive time -- just two weeks before a closely contested election in which Netanyahu is seeking a fourth term. Israeli political
  
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• U.S. proposes making Radio Marti, broadcaster to Cuba, independent

  03-03-2015 21:21
  
  By Arshad Mohammed, Warren Strobel and David Adams WASHINGTON/MIAMI (Reuters) - The White House has proposed turning Radio Marti, a U.S. government-controlled broadcaster created in part to undermine communist rule in Cuba, into a separate entity as Washington seeks rapprochement with Havana. The proposal, buried in the federal budget released last month, was made some six weeks after the United States and Cuba agreed on Dec. 17 to embark on an effort to restore diplomatic ties and normalize rel
  
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• Complete text of Obama’s remarks after Netanyahu speech

  03-03-2015 21:07
  
  President Obama spoke to reporters after Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu addressed Congress earlier Tuesday.
  OBAMA: Tell me when everybody's in. Everybody's all set? All right.
  Well, this is going to be the first opportunity that I have to get an extensive debriefing from Secretary Carter, who took a trip last week to Afghanistan and other parts of the region. He'll be giving me some impressions about how we're planning our drawdown and transition in Afghanistan. And talk about some other
  
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• Senate moving toward debate on Iran nuclear bill

  03-03-2015 20:52
  
  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday the chamber was moving toward debate on a bill that would require President Barack Obama to submit any final nuclear deal with Iran for Congress' approval. The White House has said Obama would veto the Iran Nuclear Review Act, which was introduced by Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the panel.
  
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• U.S. Senate moving toward debate on Iran nuclear bill

  03-03-2015 20:48
  
  U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday the chamber was moving toward debate on a bill that would require President Barack Obama to submit any final nuclear deal with Iran for Congress' approval. The White House has said Obama would veto the Iran Nuclear Review Act, which was introduced by Republican Senator Bob Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Democratic Senator Robert Menendez, the top Democrat on the panel.
  
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• A Power(less) Ranking: The Journalists in ‘House of Cards’

  03-03-2015 20:35
  
  When it comes to House of Cards, there’s a hierarchy of power that starts with Frank Underwood and trickles down like a grand pyramid scheme. While each season has seen different players enter the mix--Jackie Sharp has proven to be the most cunning and enduring of the bunch--the people that continue to be the most powerless are those in the media. From Zoe Barnes to Kate Baldwin, these are the sad few that continue to extract but never actually exert any power in Netflix’s hit series. ——
  
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• Obama, European leaders discuss Ukraine, global security

  03-03-2015 20:32
  
  WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and European leaders held a video conference on Tuesday to discuss the Ukraine crisis, and France said all agreed that a "strong reaction" would be necessary if the ceasefire reached last month in Minsk was violated. The talk held at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT) between Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as the head of the European Council, was also to cover global security issues, the White House s
  
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• Netanyahu's speech to Congress, in 3 minutes

  03-03-2015 20:26
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a joint meeting of Congress that removing economic sanctions on Iran would have terrible outcomes. Here are highlights from his speech.
  
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• White House threatens to veto Senate labor board measure

  03-03-2015 19:34
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama's advisers would recommend he veto a Senate resolution to overturn recent National Labor Relations Board reforms if the measure were to reach the White House, his administration said in a statement. The measure was introduced into the Senate last month and is awaiting further action by the full chamber, according to a government website that tracks legislation.
  
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• Emails latest knock to Clinton presidential bid

  03-03-2015 19:26
  
  Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign has not officially begun, but suggestions she may have violated federal records laws are the latest kink in her nascent White House bid. Reports that Clinton used only personal email accounts when Secretary of State have left her exposed to legal challenges and potentially more consequential allegations of evasiveness and political plotting. Amid suggestions Clinton may have breached the Federal Records Act -- which calls for official corresponde
  
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• Netanyahu slams 'a very bad deal' with Iran

  03-03-2015 19:24
  
  Washington, March 3 (IANS) In a defiant speech before a joint session of Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday slammed the deal the US and its allies are negotiating with Iran over its nuclear programme as "very bad". We're better off without it," he said, directly challenging President Barack Obama's argument that a diplomatic accord would be more effective than additional sanctions or military action. Any agreement that stops short of completely dismantling Tehran's nu
  
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• Netanyahu: Iran Nuclear Plan Threatens World

  03-03-2015 19:19
  
  Israel's Prime Minister has told Congress that Iran's nuclear programme is a global menace, as he warned strongly against a US deal with his country's archenemy. "We must all stand together to stop Iran's march of conquest, subjugation and terror," he said. But a senior US administration official criticised Mr Netanyahu, saying "the logic of the prime minister's speech is regime change". President Barack Obama has given the Israeli PM the cold shoulde
  
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• Netanyahu warns Congress against nuclear deal with Iran

  03-03-2015 19:19
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forcefully argued against a nuclear deal with Iran, telling a joint meeting of Congress on Tuesday that such an agreement would have the opposite effect of what the international community intends because it would effectively supply Iran with the means to produce a nuclear weapon.
  
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• Boehner Waves White Flag on DHS Spending Impasse

  03-03-2015 19:15
  
  House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) told his Republican members Tuesday morning they have no choice but to abandon their efforts to use Department of Homeland Security spending as leverage to block President Obama’s executive orders on immigration. After weeks of bickering and maneuvering that has divided House and Senate Republicans nearly as much as it pitted Republicans against the White House, the speaker reportedly will send a bill to the floor this afternoon to fully fund DHS through next
  
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• Benjamin Netanyahu vs. President Obama on the most important measure of all: Standing ovations

  03-03-2015 19:04
  
  Something "big" happened in Washington, D.C., today, which means that it's incumbent upon us in the political media to reduce it, like chefs with balsamic vinegar, to something palatable, measurable and disconnected from its original substance.
  
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• Netanyahu warns that nuclear deal ‘paves Iran’s path’ to a bomb

  03-03-2015 17:53
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forcefully argued against a nuclear deal with Iran, telling a joint meeting of Congress that such an agreement would have the opposite effect of what the international community intends, by effectively supplying Iran with the means to produce a nuclear weapon.
  
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• Obama, European leaders to discuss Ukraine, global security

  03-03-2015 17:12
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama and European leaders will hold a video conference on Tuesday to discuss the Ukraine crisis and global security issues, the White House said. Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as the head of the European Commission, will talk at 11:30 a.m. EST (1630 GMT), it said in a statement. The virtual meeting comes amid continuing violence in Ukraine despite a two-week-old ceasefire agreement, as leaders weigh the role for observers and peacekee
  
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• Iran Rebukes Obama Before Netanyahu Speech

  03-03-2015 16:35
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to give a historic speech to the US Congress, just as the row over Iran's nuclear ambitions heats up. Iran has labelled as "excessive and illogical" remarks by President Barack Obama about a possible deal with Israel's arch-foe over its uranium programme. Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly attacked the Iran talks, and the White House is wary he may reveal specific details to US lawmakers. On the eve of the speech, Mr Obama accused Mr
  
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• Netanyahu urging Congress to oppose deal with Iran

  03-03-2015 16:30
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Obama during a speech before Congress that has frayed relations between the United States and Israel and laid bare fissures between leading Jewish American groups and Jewish Democrats.
  
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• The Citi Foundation and Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund Expand Summer Jobs Connect to New Cities as Part of National Pathways to Progress Initiative

  03-03-2015 16:30
  
  Today, at the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability for Young Americans meeting hosted at the White House, the Citi Foundation and Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund announced that the District of Columbia and St.
  
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• Former State Department officials explain why the Clinton email ‘scandal’ is ridiculous

  03-03-2015 16:21
  
  REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton checks her PDA upon her departure in a military C-17 plane from Malta bound for Tripoli, Libya October 18, 2011. According to the State Department, Hillary Clinton’s use of a personalized email address during her time as secretary of state was no secret. “The State Department has long had access to a wide array of Secretary Clinton’s records — including emails between her and Department officials with state.gov accounts,”
  
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• U.S. top trade official to brief House Democrats on trade

  03-03-2015 15:40
  
  U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will brief Democrats in the House of Representatives on trade issues at a regular caucus meeting on Tuesday, a person familiar with the planning of the meeting said, while staff have been invited to a separate meeting at the White House. The person said Froman was invited to give a short briefing as part of the administration's regular outreach to lawmakers on the 2015 trade agenda, which includes an ambitious Pacific trade pact and legislation to streaml
  
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• Corrected - Michelle Obama heads to Asia to promote girls' education

  03-03-2015 15:14
  
  (Corrects to say Cambodian city, not capital, in paragraph two) WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First lady Michelle Obama will travel to Japan and Cambodia this month as part of a U.S. global effort to support education for girls, the White House said on Tuesday. Cambodia is one of 11 countries targeted by the Peace Corp initiative during the program's first year, the White House said.
  
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• O'Malley rules out Senate as decision over White House bid looms

  03-03-2015 15:00
  
  Former Maryland Governor and possible Democratic presidential candidate Martin O'Malley said on Tuesday he will not seek the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Barbara Mikulski. O'Malley, who left office in January and has said he is considering a run for the White House, told reporters in an email he hoped other candidates would step up to represent the mid-Atlantic state, but "I will not be one of them." The move allows O'Malley, 52, to keep the door op
  
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• Obama Outlines Vision for Criminal Justice Reform

  03-03-2015 14:50
  
  On Monday, President Obama outlined a broad vision for overhauling the nation’s criminal justice system. He suggested law enforcement agencies use independent investigations and special prosecutors, especially after fatal police interactions with citizens. He called for the creation of a National Crime and Justice Task Force, increased data collection, deeper police engagement in neighborhoods beyond law enforcement, and a rethinking of how the federal government distributes military equipment
  
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• Obama, European leaders to hold Ukraine crisis call

  03-03-2015 14:47
  
  President Barack Obama will hold a secure video conference with European leaders to discuss the crisis in Ukraine Tuesday, as Russia faces possible further sanctions for its role in the conflict. The White House said Obama would confer with leaders from Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the European Union on a conflict that has now claimed more than 6,000 lives.
  
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• Obama, European leaders to hold Ukraine crisis call: White House

  03-03-2015 14:12
  
  Washington (AFP) - The White House on Tuesday said President Barack Obama will hold a secure video conference with European leaders to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and other "global security issues."
  
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• O'Malley won't seek Mikulski seat, keeps White House option

  03-03-2015 14:07
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley says he will not seek the Senate seat of retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski. He is keeping open his option of running for president in a Democratic primary likely to include Hillary Rodham Clinton.
  
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• Sony Pictures TV Inks Deal With French Paybox OCS

  03-03-2015 14:02
  
  PARIS– French paybox Orange Cinema Series (OCS) has signed a multi-year with Sony Pictures Television (SPT) to gain exclusive first-window rights to the U.S. studio’s movies and TV series. OCS, which is majority owned by French telco Orange, will have access to all of SPT’s recent feature films including “Elysium,” “White House Down,” “Captain Phillips” and... Read more »
  
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• Obama, European leaders to discuss Ukraine, global security - White House

  03-03-2015 13:56
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will hold talks on Tuesday with European leaders to discuss the Ukraine crisis and global security issues, the White House said. Obama and the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as the head of the European Commission, will hold a video conference at 11:30 EST (1430 GMT), it said in a statement. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
  
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• Michelle Obama heads to Asia to promote girls' education

  03-03-2015 13:48
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - First lady Michelle Obama will travel to Japan and Cambodia this month as part of a U.S. global effort to support education for girls, the White House said on Tuesday. She will visit Tokyo and Kyoto in Japan from March 18 to March 20, and the Cambodian capital Siem Reap from March 21 to 22, it said in a statement. The initiative aims to reduce the number of girls - 62 million worldwide - who do not attend school, according to the administration. ...
  
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• Netanyahu speech: Does Bibi face oblivion if Congress gamble fails?

  03-03-2015 13:19
  
  Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a bear of a man. Traditionally, Netanyahu's reputation was of a politician who plays it safe. The Republican Speaker of the House, John Boehner, defied convention by inviting a foreign head of government to address Congress without consulting the White House. Worse, the Israeli Prime Minister accepted the invitation without consulting the White House.
  
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• Netanyahu takes fight over Obama Iran plan to Congress

  03-03-2015 12:20
  
  Israel's prime minister addresses the US Congress on Tuesday in an increasingly heated battle with the White House over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, as negotiations resume in Switzerland. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has attacked repeatedly the emerging Iran deal and is reportedly planning to unveil details to US lawmakers to show why he believes it poses a grave danger to Israel. "Netanyahu made all sorts of claims," he told Reuters on Monday. "This was going to res
  
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• Netanyahu to urge Congress to steer clear of deal with Iran

  03-03-2015 12:00
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress Tuesday morning, a speech that has frayed relations between the United States and Israel and laid bare fissures between leading Jewish American groups and Jewish Democrats -- long before it has even been delivered.
  
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• Netanyahu to urge Congress to oppose deal with Iran

  03-03-2015 12:00
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress this  morning in a  speech that has frayed relations between the United States and Israel and laid bare fissures between leading Jewish American groups and Jewish Democrats.
  
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• In much-anticipated speech, Netanyahu to address Congress Tuesday

  03-03-2015 12:00
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will address Congress Tuesday morning, a speech that has frayed relations between the United States and Israel and laid bare fissures between leading Jewish American groups and Jewish Democrats -- long before it has even been delivered.
  
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• Top US official warns Israel tensions could last until 2016

  03-03-2015 10:33
  
  A top US official Tuesday warned that the current tensions between traditional allies US and Israel could last until the end of the Obama administration in 2016. "There are moments of significant agreement and then there are moments of tactical disagreement," US deputy secretary of state Antony Blinken told French radio station Europe 1. "That's the nature of things and I imagine that will continue for the last two years of the Obama administration," added Blinken, who s
  
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• No 'disrespect' meant to Obama: Netanyahu

  03-03-2015 10:28
  
  Washington, March 3 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his speech to Congress scheduled for Tuesday is not meant to signal any "disrespect" for US President Barack Obama but he feels "a moral obligation" to warn lawmakers of the dangers of cutting a deal with Iran over its nuclear programme. The White House and Netanyahu, however, appeared far apart on how to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Netanyahu's speech will coincide with a new round of talks in Geneva b
  
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• Israel's Netanyahu to address Congress in speech that has strained ties with Obama

  03-03-2015 07:09
  
  By Dan Williams and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will escalate his campaign against U.S. President Barack Obama's Iran diplomacy on Tuesday in a speech to Congress whose staging has put unprecedented stress on the two leaders' already strained ties. Although cold-shouldered by the administration, Netanyahu has offered an olive branch, saying he meant no disrespect to Obama by accepting an invitation to address U.S. lawmakers that was orc
  
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• Obama slams Netanyahu's stand on Iran ahead of Congressional speech

  03-03-2015 06:54
  
  Washington, March 3 (IANS) Ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to the US Congress, President Barack Obama slammed his approach on a nuclear deal with Iran even as the Israeli prime minister struck a conciliatory note. Pointing to the 2013 interim deal with Iran, Obama told Reuters news agency on Monday that Netanyahu, who has come to Washington at the invitation of Republican speaker John Boehner in the face of White House opposition, has been wrong before.
  
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• Netanyahu takes fight against Obama's Iran plan to Congress

  03-03-2015 06:51
  
  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu goes to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for another round in an increasingly heated battle with the White House over Iran's nuclear ambitions. In a landmark speech to Congress, Netanyahu will seek to mobilise lawmakers to oppose an emerging deal with Tehran which is backed by President Barack Obama. Obama on Monday lashed out at his nemesis, pointing to Netanyahu's attacks on a previous interim US-Iran deal that paved the way for this week's ongoi
  
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• Man who tried to scale White House barrier won't be charged

  03-03-2015 04:23
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A man charged with trying to climb a barrier set up outside the White House has entered into an agreement with prosecutors to have his case dismissed.
  
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• After 7-year dry spell, South Carolina gets Obama back

  03-03-2015 02:36
  
  President Obama will visit South Carolina on Friday, his first visit since entering the White House.
  With his visit to Benedict College, a historically black private school in Columbia, S.C., Obama will have visited every state in the nation as president except for South Dakota and Utah -- two solidly conservative states.
  
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