White House news

• AP source: Paul eyes April 7 to announce White House run

  17-03-2015 23:11
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Rand Paul's advisers are preparing to launch a White House bid on April 7.
  
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• Presidio Institute Announces Selection of 2015 Cross Sector Leadership Fellows

  17-03-2015 22:23
  
  The Presidio Institute today announced the selection of twenty-four professionals from businesses, non-profits, academia, philanthropy and government to participate in the Cross Sector Leadership Fellows program, a year-long, multi-city program created in partnership with BlackRock, McKinsey, the United States Office of Personnel Management, and the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic ...
  
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• Secret Service Chief Gets Public Drubbing

  17-03-2015 22:06
  
  New Secret Service Director Joe Clancy walked away from a budget hearing on Tuesday with a stern order from Congress: Fix your agency, and fast. The hearing before the House Appropriations Committee came a week after reports alleged that two top-level Secret Service agents drunkenly drove their vehicle into a White House barricade while D.C. police and other Secret Service agents were investigating a suspicious package at the scene. The March 4 incident at the White House was just the latest emb
  
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• US Secret Service has alcohol problem: director

  17-03-2015 21:55
  
  The US Secret Service director admitted to Congress on Tuesday that his agents often drink, even as he sought funding to build a life-size mock-up of the White House to improve training. Joseph Clancy, the tarnished agency's new boss, was grilled by lawmakers outraged over its latest embarrassing security lapse, in which two senior agents drove into White House barricades after a night of boozing, but were not detained or given breathalyzer tests. House Appropriations Committee members expr
  
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• Obama to promote U.S. jobs, investment to international executives

  17-03-2015 21:35
  
  By Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will promote U.S. business investment programs to executives from Google, BMW and other international companies on Monday at an administration-led summit to boost job creation in the United States. The Obama administration has been convening foreign delegates, investors and executives at its annual SelectUSA Investment Summit since 2011. This year's summit is designed to connect investors with local, state and regional economic
  
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• U.S. FCC inspector general reviewing net neutrality process

  17-03-2015 21:29
  
  The Federal Communications Commission's inspector general has opened an investigation into how the agency arrived at its new rules for Internet service providers, U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz said at a hearing on Tuesday. Republicans have accused the FCC, an independent agency, of being unduly influenced by the White House in setting stricter "net neutrality" rules earlier this year. The rules largely followed the tack that President Barack Obama publicly supported in a vide
  
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• White House says chances of Iran deal 50/50 'at best'

  17-03-2015 21:29
  
  The chances of clinching a nuclear deal with Iran are 50/50 "at best", the White House said Tuesday as negotiators in Switzerland raced against the clock to close the gaps. "In the mind of the president the odds have not moved," and "some of the most difficult issues ... have yet to be resolved," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in Washington. This followed comments from Iran's nuclear chief at the talks in Lausanne involving US Secretary of State John K
  
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• Exhibition of Syria torture photos shows 'depravity' of Assad regime

  17-03-2015 21:20
  
  A U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum director says graphic photos showing the corpses of Syrian torture victims reveal a “systematic killing machine” that is reminiscent of the images from Nazi concentration camps. In a chilling and potentially controversial exhibit that opens on Wednesday, the museum will put on public display for the first time photographs — smuggled out of Syria by a regime defector — that show the emaciated and burned bodies of suspected dissidents believed to have been
  
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• U.S. lawmakers press for urgent action on Secret Service scandal

  17-03-2015 20:43
  
  By Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service director was grilled by lawmakers on Tuesday who demanded to know why the agency, entrusted with the president's safety, was not taking action on agents accused of drunk driving on the White House grounds. Joseph Clancy, picked by President Barack Obama last month to turn around the country's top security service after a series of problems, told a House of Representatives committee that he has no power to fire officers at w
  
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• Japanese Prime Minister Abe to visit US next month

  17-03-2015 19:30
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet at the White House next month.
  
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• U.S. attorney general candidate Lynch caught in Senate logjam

  17-03-2015 19:17
  
  By Susan Cornwell and Lindsay Dunsmuir WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The nomination of Loretta Lynch, President Barack Obama's choice to be U.S. attorney general, suffered another potential delay on Tuesday when the Senate failed to end a standoff over abortion and human trafficking legislation. Democrats who oppose an abortion provision attached to the trafficking bill successfully blocked moves to limit debate, meaning it could drag on and crowd Lynch out of this week's Senate calendar. The
  
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• FCC Chairman Rejects GOP Claims That Obama Drove Net Neutrality Decision

  17-03-2015 19:03
  
  There was a lot more heat than light today from a House committee hearing exploring whether the White House secretly and  inappropriately directed the FCC’s recent decision to adopt tough net neutrality rules. GOP lawmakers battered FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler with questions that suggested he was doing the president’s bidding while he kept the public and lawmakers at bay. The seasoned former lobbyist kept his composure, and maintained that the process was  “one of the most…
  
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• GOP says Obama aides meddled in 'net neutrality'

  17-03-2015 18:50
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional Republicans on Tuesday accused independent regulators of bowing to White House pressure on "net neutrality," citing thousands of emails and other documents that show close coordination between the Federal Communications Commission and senior aides to President Barack Obama.
  
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• Obama to meet Italian PM next month

  17-03-2015 18:25
  
  US President Barack Obama will meet Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi in Washington next month, the White House said Tuesday. Obama's office said they would meet on April 17 to discuss the crisis in Libya and allied pressure on Russia over the situation in Ukraine. "Italy is a valued NATO ally and partner on a broad range of global challenges," it said, adding that Obama would also address trade. Italy is a leading member of the eurozone currency bloc and Obama is keen to n
  
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• FCC Chairman Denies Taking Orders from Obama on Net Neutrality

  17-03-2015 18:22
  
  FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on Tuesday used a House hearing to repeatedly deny Republican accusations that the FCC reversed course on its plan for implementing net neutrality only at the insistence of the White House and President Obama. “You have asked whether there were secret instructions from the White House. The answer is, ‘No,’” Wheeler told members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Instead he said the FCC made its decision based on the public record.
  
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• White House plays down chances of quick Iran deal

  17-03-2015 18:17
  
  The White House sought to temper optimism about a seemingly imminent nuclear deal with Iran on Tuesday, warning that some difficult issues are yet to be resolved. "In the mind of the president the odds have not moved," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest, warning that "at best" it is a 50/50 proposition. The US administration reacted coolly to the confidence of Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi, who was quoted as saying that "90 percent of the technical issu
  
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• Members of China-led bank should push for oversight -White House

  17-03-2015 17:58
  
  The White House said on Tuesday that countries considering joining a China-led development bank should push for strong oversight and other safeguards at the new institution. Several European allies said ...
  
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• 'O'Bama' nod to Irish heritage on St. Patrick's Day

  17-03-2015 17:58
  
  Sporting a green tie and waving a poetry anthology, US President Barack Obama marked St. Patrick's Day at the White House Tuesday, an opportunity, he joked, to "trot out" his Celtic roots. "This is an annual affair and always one of my favorites," Obama said, welcoming Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Enda Kenny to the Oval Office. Since coming to office Obama has embraced a tradition, began by president Harry S. Truman, of marking this festival of all things Erin.
  
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• U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew dodges Clinton email questions

  17-03-2015 17:21
  
  U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Tuesday would not say whether he knew that potential White House contender Hillary Clinton had sent him emails from a personal account while she was chief of the State Department. "I don't remember giving it a lot of thought at the time," Lew said at a hearing of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, in response to a question from Representative Sean Duffy, a Wisconsin Republican. Lew, who was a senior official at the State Department in 2
  
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• Secret Service wants $8 mn White House replica for training

  17-03-2015 16:55
  
  The US Secret Service has requested $8 million to build a replica of the White House to be used in training agents to prevent incidents like last year's mansion intrusion, the agency's director said Tuesday. At the current facility, for example, bike barricades are stand-ins for White House fencing, Clancy said. The Secret Service has been under intense scrutiny in recent years for a series of security lapses and breaches in behavioral protocol including agents drinking and consorting
  
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• Secret Service wants to build White House replica to train

  17-03-2015 16:47
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service wants $8 million to build a replica White House to help train agents after an embarrassing security breach last year.
  
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• Secret Service Chief 'Frustrated' by Latest Incident, Concedes It's His 'First Test'

  17-03-2015 16:46
  
  The new head of the Secret Service conceded today that the latest allegations of misconduct within his agency are his "first test" as he tries to chart a new course for the service. In addition, speaking before a House panel, director Joseph Clancy expressed concern that he learned about the allegations five days after initial reports that two senior-level Secret Service agents were "inebriated" and crashed into the White House grounds. "I should have been informed ... a
  
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• Secret Service director says he's working on agency culture

  17-03-2015 16:46
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — Two senior agents accused of being involved in a drunken-driving crash at the White House earlier this month appeared to "nudge" a large construction barrier as they drove through a secure area, Secret Service Director Joseph Clancy told lawmakers Tuesday. He said he didn't find out about the incident until days afterward.
  
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• Israelis vote as 'King Bibi's' reign hangs in the balance

  17-03-2015 15:43
  
  By Luke Baker JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Millions of Israelis turned out to vote on Tuesday in a tightly-fought election, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu facing an uphill battle to defeat a strong campaign by the center-left opposition to deny him a fourth term in office. If he wins he would be on track to become Israel's longest-serving prime minister, but would probably also prolong a prickly relationship with the country's main ally, the United States, at least as long as Barack O
  
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• Michelle Obama hits the dance floor on Ellen

  17-03-2015 14:01
  
  US First Lady Michelle Obama sat down for an interview that aired 16 March with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres about her children and their future outside of the White House. "No, absolutely not," said Obama. Obama said she is most looking forward to being able to roll down her car windows once her life outside of the White House begins.
  
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• Obama, Italy's Renzi to meet on Ukraine, Islamic State - White House

  17-03-2015 13:32
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will meet April 17 to discuss a range of security issues, including the crisis in Ukraine and ongoing efforts to counter Islamic State, the White House said on Tuesday. "Italy is a valued NATO ally and partner on a broad range of global challenges," it said in a statement. Italy is among the European allies working with the United States to address ongoing fighting in eastern Ukraine, where Russian-backed separatists s
  
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• Obama to host Italy's Renzi next month - White House

  17-03-2015 13:15
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will host Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on April 17, the White House said. "Italy is a valued NATO ally partner on a broad range of global challenges," it said in a post on Twitter. (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Lisa Lambert)
  
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• U.S. and Gulf airlines set to clash at aviation summit

  17-03-2015 13:00
  
  By Jeffrey Dastin WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top executives of U.S. and Gulf airlines will take their dispute over whether "open skies" deals have led to unfair competition to a high-profile public forum in Washington on Tuesday as each side ramps up efforts to sway U.S. regulators. Three U.S. airlines have accused their competitors from the Gulf of receiving more than $40 billion in government subsidies, and have called on the White House to address the claims in talks on "Open Skies
  
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• DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. Announces Sponsorship of Startup Incubator 1776

  17-03-2015 12:00
  
  WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont Fabros Technology, Inc. (DFT), a leading owner, developer, operator and manager of enterprise-class, carrier-neutral, large multi-tenant wholesale data centers, today announced a sponsorship of 1776, a global startup incubator located just blocks from the White House and DFT's corporate headquarters. The bronze-level sponsorship provides not only financial support and mentoring opportunities to 1776 and its members, but also the opportunity for
  
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• Kevin Jones, Cardinal Resources' CEO Invited to the White House Business Council to Discuss the President's Export and International Trade Agenda

  17-03-2015 11:00
  
  Cardinal Resources, Inc.'s , CEO Kevin Jones, has been invited to participate with the White House Business Council and Business Forward to discuss the President's export and international trade agenda ...
  
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• Boeing says UAE, Qatar are “key markets” as carriers head to US to address subsidy allegations

  17-03-2015 06:50
  
  The UAE and Qatar are “key markets” for Boeing, the US plane makers Middle East President, Jeff Johnson, said on Monday, a day before Emirates and Etihad Airways are expected to address subsidy allegations in the US. The US’ largest airlines, Delta, United and American, want the White House to take a look at the financials of Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, which they say have benefited from over $40 billion in government subsidies since 2004.
  
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• Monica Lewinsky highlights 2015 Ted Conference in Vancouver

  17-03-2015 05:53
  
  The TED Talks kicked off in Vancouver on Monday and among the celebrated guests is former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. It's the second year in a row the speakers conference described as "the ultimate brain spa" has been hosted at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The infamous former White House intern is at the conference to advocate for more compassion on social media and in the media.
  
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• Monica Lewinsky headlines TED 2015 Conference in Vancouver

  17-03-2015 05:53
  
  The TED 2015 Conference kicked off in Vancouver on Monday and among the celebrated guests is former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. It's the second year in a row the speakers conference described as "the ultimate brain spa" has been hosted at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The infamous former White House intern is at the conference to advocate for more compassion on social media and in the media.
  
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• Aneesh Chopra's new role: Tackling US unemployment with government data

  17-03-2015 05:32
  
  Washington, March 17 (IANS) Indian-American Aneesh Chopra, who was named by President Barack Obama as the first White House chief technology officer, is now working to make government data accessible for tackling unemployment. During his tenure, Chopra's role involved making government data more accessible. After leaving the White House, he has founded Arlington-based start-up Hunch Analytics, assembling a band of public officials, tech entrepreneurs and think-tank analysts whose focus is firmly
  
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• Still No Health Insurance? White House Offers an Extension on Sign Up

  17-03-2015 04:05
  
  The deadline for enrolling in a health insurance plan has passed, but some Americans are getting a final chance to sign up for health coverage. The Obama Administration recently announced a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Americans who didn’t sign up for health insurance for 2015 and owe a fee for not having coverage in 2014. You didn’t understand that the health care law requires you to have insurance (until after Feb. 15) or you didn’t understand how not having insurance would impact
  
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• Chicago mayor faults election opponent as lacking gravitas

  17-03-2015 02:38
  
  CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel aggressively dissected his re-election challenger's record and platform on Monday in the first head-to-head televised debate before next month's runoff election, but Cook County Commissioner Jesus Garcia came back at the former White House chief of staff with questions about the city's financial problems and violence.
  
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