White House news

• Obama and Hillary Clinton meet at White House

  23-03-2015 23:52
  
  US President Barack Obama chatted with his former secretary of state Hillary Clinton at the White House on Monday, in a previously unannounced meeting. "President Obama and Secretary Clinton enjoy catching-up in person when their schedules permit," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said. Clinton, the firm favorite to lead the Democratic Party bid to replace Obama after the 2016 election, had been in Washington for an appearance with labor leaders.
  
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• Obama, Hillary Clinton meet privately at the White House

  23-03-2015 23:33
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton met privately at the White House Monday afternoon.
  
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• Obama, Clinton meet for hour-long chat at White House

  23-03-2015 23:32
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama met with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the presumed front-runner for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, for about an hour on Monday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. "President Obama and Secretary Clinton enjoy catching up in person when their schedules permit," Earnest said in an emailed statement. "This afternoon they met privately for about an hour at the White House and discussed a range of topics." He gave no further details on what
  
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• Ted Cruz seeks to enlist U.S. Christians for 2016 White House bid

  23-03-2015 23:17
  
  By Gary Robertson LYNCHBURG, Va. (Reuters) - Casting himself as the leader of a grassroots army, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz made an explicit appeal to Christian conservatives on Monday as he became the first major figure to jump into the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Cruz's unyielding tactics in Washington have made him a hero to many on the Tea Party right, but he has yet to break into the front ranks of what is shaping up to be a crowded field for the Republican nomination. Speaking
  
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• White House chief demands end to 50 years of Israeli occupation

  23-03-2015 22:58
  
  By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States expects the next Israeli government to end nearly 50 years of occupation and clear the way for a Palestinian state, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough told Jewish Americans on Monday. To cheers from the liberal Jewish group J Street, McDonough vowed to safeguard Israel and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's abandonment of a Palestinian state in the run-up to his re-election on March 17. Netanyahu is working to f
  
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• Canada-born Cruz eligible for US presidency

  23-03-2015 22:53
  
  Republican White House hopeful Ted Cruz is eligible to run for the US presidency despite being born in Canada, US legal experts believe. The US Constitution provides three criteria to be president: a person must be at least 35 years old, have resided in the US more than 14 years and be a "natural-born" citizen. If all children born on US soil are natural citizens, what about children born to American parents abroad? In an article published in March in the Harvard Law Review, lawyers Ne
  
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• Cruz embraces evangelicals in White House bid launch

  23-03-2015 22:49
  
  Republican Senator Ted Cruz -- a darling of the Tea Party -- adopted the tones of a charismatic preacher on Monday, speaking about the love of Jesus as he kicked off his 2016 White House bid.
  
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• US senator: Obama taking risk if Iran deal goes to UN first

  23-03-2015 22:26
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Republican senator warned Monday that the White House faces a "violent backlash" in Congress if it takes a nuclear deal with Iran to the United Nations before Congress.
  
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• White House warns Netanyahu that 'occupation must end'

  23-03-2015 22:04
  
  Washington (AFP) - The White House on Monday bluntly warned Israel that its occupation of Palestinian land must end, dismissing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's efforts to take back controversial campaign pledges.
  
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• Israel's Steinitz says world powers, Iran likely to agree bad nuclear deal

  23-03-2015 21:33
  
  By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Israel said on Monday it was probable that world powers and Iran would agree a "bad deal" on Tehran's nuclear programme and it would do all it could to toughen any accord before talks resume this week. "We think it's going to be a bad, insufficient deal," Strategic Affairs Minister Yuval Steinitz told Reuters in an interview before meeting French officials in Paris. "It seems quite probable it will happen, unfortunately." Fr
  
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• U.S. to fund Afghan forces at peak level through 2017: officials

  23-03-2015 21:26
  
  The United States will keep funding Afghan security forces at the targeted peak personnel level of 352,000 at least through the 2017 fiscal year, extending a financial commitment that has cost about $4 billion annually, U.S. officials said on Monday. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of a news conference at Camp David, the U.S. presidential retreat, where Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has been meeting with senior U.S. officials ahead of talks at the White House on Tuesday. At t
  
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• Senator: Obama risks backlash if Iran deal goes to UN first

  23-03-2015 21:18
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Republican senator says the White House faces a 'violent backlash" in Congress if a nuclear deal with Iran goes to the United Nations before Congress.
  
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• End-of-Day Wrap-Up: 3/23/15

  23-03-2015 21:07
  
  The freshman Senator kicked off the week with his announcement, making him the first major candidate to declare a White House run. The Tea Party favorite is widely thought to be a long-shot candidate, with some speculating that Cruz will pull the Republican presidential field to the right. He is the first major candidate to declare a White House run. Cruz's recent climate change denials drew the ire of California Governor Jerry Brown who said that the Texas senator is "absolutely unfit to be run
  
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• U.S. committed to Palestinian state, Netanyahu comments 'very troubling': official

  23-03-2015 20:43
  
  The United States cannot ignore Benjamin Netanyahu's comments disavowing a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict and looks to the next Israeli government to show its commitment to what Washington sees as the best hope for peace in the region, White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said on Monday. McDonough made clear that the White House remained rattled by Netanyahu's election eve comment last week that there would be no Palestinian state created on his watch. "The United States ha
  
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• Ted Cruz, heavy on faith, launches White House bid

  23-03-2015 20:39
  
  Ultra-conservative Republican US Senator Ted Cruz launched his White House quest on Monday, invoking his abiding faith in God as he effectively kick-started the 2016 presidential race. The 44-year-old Tea Party favorite from Texas chose Liberty University, the sprawling Christian evangelical bastion founded by Reverend Jerry Falwell, as the site of the official unveiling of his White House ambitions. Cruz is the first candidate to formally join what will be a crowded Republican field vying to be
  
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• TI joins US2020 to help mobilize 1 million STEM mentors by 2020

  23-03-2015 20:13
  
  DALLAS, March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) (TXN) announced today that the company will join US2020 to help mobilize 1 million STEM mentors annually by the year 2020. The partnership with US2020 will enable TI to provide its employees and retirees more opportunities to impact science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education as mentors, with an emphasis on reaching female and minority students who are underrepresented today in STEM careers.  The United States is pro
  
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• Obama, wowed by young scientists, announces new STEM pledges

  23-03-2015 20:03
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The small Lego machine inside the White House whirred, and in a moment it was turning the pages of a story book. One page flipped, then another, ever faster as President Barack Obama marveled at its efficiency.
  
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• White House chief of staff calls Netanyahu comments 'very troubling'

  23-03-2015 19:47
  
  The White House chief of staff emphasized the United States' enduring commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict on Monday and said Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu's comments disavowing that strategy cannot be ignored. "We cannot simply pretend that these comments were never made," Denis McDonough, one of U.S. President Barack Obama's top advisers, told a liberal Jewish American group.
  
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• Science Channel And Discovery Education Partner To Launch The SUPPORT OUR SCIENCE Initiative

  23-03-2015 19:42
  
  SILVER SPRING, Md., March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- In an announcement made today by the White House, Science Channel, the network that dares to question everything, and Discovery Education, the leading ...
  
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• EU joins Arab states in seeking access for UN rights envoy to Gaza

  23-03-2015 18:58
  
  * EU takes floor at debate snubbed by Israel, U.S. * Session follows Netanyahu rift with White House * Palestinian envoy denounces "inhuman blockade" of Gaza (Recasts after debate) By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA, March 23 (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) joined Palestinian and Arab delegations on Monday in calling on Israel to allow a U.N. human rights investigator to visit Gaza, while the United States and Israel snubbed the debate. Israel has not cooperated with special rapporteur Makarim Wibi
  
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• Change the Equation Launches "Start with STEM," Nationwide Campaign to Support the Expansion of Highest Quality K-12 STEM Education Programs

  23-03-2015 18:55
  
  Timed with today's White House Science Fair, Change the Equation has launched a nationwide campaign called Start with STEM, to drive corporate dollars and volunteerism to the nation's highest quality K-12 ...
  
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• Clinton urges non-partisan attack on economic inequality

  23-03-2015 18:40
  
  Hillary Clinton made an appearance with labor leaders Monday, calling for a non-partisan struggle against economic inequality in one of her last speeches before formally launching her expected bid for the White House. Clinton returned to a theme she has sounded frequently in recent months, lamenting the "ideological bunkers" that she said have prevented solutions from being found to the nation's problems. "It's really nice to get back into an evidence-based discussion, a
  
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• Gov. Jindal to decide on 2016 White House run in June

  23-03-2015 18:31
  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal will wait until the state legislative session ends in June before announcing whether he'll enter the 2016 presidential race.
  
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• U.S. ready for security challenges in Yemen despite withdrawal: White House

  23-03-2015 18:29
  
  The United States has the capability to handle security issues regarding Yemen despite the withdrawal of remaining U.S. forces there, the White House said on Monday. "The Unites States continues to have assets and resources in the region that will allow us to take steps where necessary to continue to apply significant pressure to extremists' targets," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said at a news briefing. Earnest said there was no timetable for the return of U.S. staff and military forces t
  
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• Udemy launches Teacher Tech Initiative to bring critical web development skills to K-12 teachers

  23-03-2015 18:27
  
  SAN FRANCISCO, March 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Udemy, the leading global marketplace for learning and teaching online, today announced the launch of a new initiative to bring free and discounted computer technology courses to K-12 teachers across the country, so teachers can better prepare students for the jobs of the future. The program, the Teacher Tech Initiative, was announced today at the fifth annual White House Science Fair as part of a broader initiative by the government and private com
  
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• Ted Cruz enlists U.S. Christians for 2016 White House bid

  23-03-2015 18:24
  
  By Gary Robertson LYNCHBURG, Va. (Reuters) - Casting himself as the leader of a grassroots army, Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz made an explicit appeal to Christian conservatives on Monday as he became the first major figure to jump into the 2016 U.S. presidential race. Cruz's unyielding tactics in Washington have made him a hero to many on the Tea Party right and a thorn in the side of the Republican establishment. Seeking to break into the front ranks of candidates, Cruz solicited the
  
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• Obama to host Iraq PM on April 14

  23-03-2015 17:49
  
  President Barack Obama will host Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi next month, the White House announced on Monday. "The prime minister's visit underscores the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq and the strong US commitment to political and military cooperation with Iraq in the joint fight against ISIL," a White House statement said. The two leaders' planned meeting come amid daily coalition air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq and Syria
  
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• Obama announces $240M in new pledges for STEM education

  23-03-2015 17:45
  
  President Barack Obama is highlighting private-sector efforts to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and math. At the White House ...
  
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• Cruz launches White House bid, vows to reclaim US promise

  23-03-2015 17:27
  
  Pledging to renew America's promise, ultra-conservative US Senator Ted Cruz launched his White House quest on Monday, effectively kick-starting the 2016 presidential race. Cruz is the first runner to formally join what will be a crowded Republican field vying to be their party's champion in the marathon slog to succeed President Barack Obama. It is a time to reclaim the constitution," Cruz told several thousand students gathered at Liberty University in Virginia. The 44-year-old T
  
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• Afghan president's message to US troops: 'Thank you'

  23-03-2015 17:19
  
  Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday expressed deep gratitude to US troops for their sacrifices in a visit that Washington hopes will mark a new chapter in relations with Kabul after years of friction. Speaking to soldiers and top US officials at a ceremony at the Pentagon, Ghani said "thank you" several times, saying his country will always appreciate the contributions of the more than 850,000 troops who have deployed to Afghanistan since the attacks of September 11, 2001. Ghani, w
  
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• FIRST® Students Honored at 2015 White House Science Fair

  23-03-2015 17:00
  
  FIRST® , a not-for-profit organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest and participatio
  
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• Visitor suffers heart attack inside the White House

  23-03-2015 16:47
  
  A man among the crowd at the White House...
  
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• Ted Cruz Is Running For President: 5 Obstacles Between Him and the White House

  23-03-2015 16:32
  
  Speaking at the largest Christian university in the country on the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz officially announced his campaign for president today, billing himself as the small-government, socially conservative antidote to the Obama administration. "It is a time for truth, it is a time for liberty, it is a time to reclaim the Constitution of the United States," Cruz said this morning at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
  
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• White House Easter Egg Roll to host Kelly and Michael live

  23-03-2015 16:27
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — Kelly and Michael visiting the White House? Eggs-actly!
  
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• Tea Party hero Ted Cruz announces U.S. presidential bid

  23-03-2015 16:23
  
  By Gary Robertson LYNCHBURG, Va. (Reuters) - Texas Senator Ted Cruz cast himself as a leader of a grassroots conservative army on Monday as he became the first major figure to jump into the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Monday. Speaking at Liberty University, an evangelical Christian school in Virginia, the Republican firebrand spoke about his religious faith and said he wanted to "reignite the promise of America." "The answer will not come from Washington. The Canadian-born
  
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• Afghan leader thanks U.S. troops as Obama expected to slow pullout

  23-03-2015 16:18
  
  By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani praised U.S. troops who have fought and died during more than 13 years of war in his country as he kicked off a visit to Washington on Monday to drive home the case for slowing the withdrawal of America forces. "This is a different relationship than we had under President Karzai. It's clearly more cooperative and better," said Jeffrey Eggers, a senior White House official.
  
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• Republican Ted Cruz Announces White House Run

  23-03-2015 16:02
  Ted Cruz has announced he will run for president, making him the first major Republican contender to formally announce his bid. The Texas senator laid out his case on Monday morning in a speech at Liberty University, an evangelical Christian school in Lynchburg, Virginia. Mr Cruz was cheered as he spoke of repealing President Barack Obama's healthcare law, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, America's tax-collection agency, and protecting gun rights. Mr Cruz has built a reputation
  
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• Obama to host Iraqi PM in mid-April

  23-03-2015 15:34
  
  Washington, March 23 (IANS) US President Barack Obama will host Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on April 14, the White House said on Monday.
  
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• Israelis fret about risk of isolation but concern may be overdone

  23-03-2015 15:34
  
  It is clear Netanyahu still has fences to mend with President Barack Obama, despite rowing back from his rejection of a two-state solution with the Palestinians, which prompted new calls for sanctions from campaign group BDS. While the United States talks about a "reassessment" of its ties with Israel, it has so far put little flesh on the bones of the suggestion, instead wielding it as a stern verbal warning to Netanyahu not to push the situation too far. On defence and security, the White Hous
  
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• Obama to host Japan's Abe to discuss security, trade

  23-03-2015 15:26
  
  By David Brunnstrom and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House next month for talks expected to focus on their joint response to China's rising power and efforts to finalize a major Asia-Pacific trade pact. Abe, who will spend eight days in the United States, will go to the White House on April 28 to discuss a range of economic and security issues as well as a formal state dinner, the White House said o
  
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• Federal Government Will Buy Many More Electric, Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles

  23-03-2015 15:00
  
  Through both regulations and incentive programs, the Federal government is making a concerted effort to lower the emissions of cars on U.S. roads. Last week, the White House announced plans to cut greenhouse-gas emissions from the government's 655,000 vehicles 30 percent by 2025. To achieve that goal, President Barack Obama is ordering Federal agencies to dramatically increase purchases of electric cars, plug-in hybrids, and other green cars, according to The Detroit News. By 2020, agencies
  
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• EPIX Original Documentary Underwater Dreams to Premiere with White House Screening  

  23-03-2015 15:00
  
  Premium entertainment network EPIX today announced that its original documentary Underwater Dreams, a story of skill and determination displayed by an underdog robotics team, will premiere on April 7th at 8pm ET/PT to coincide with a White House screening of the film earlier that day.
  
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• Obama to host Japan's Abe for state visit in April - White House

  23-03-2015 14:34
  
  U.S. President Barack Obama will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House for a state visit next month as part of Abe's eight-day visit to the United States, officials said on Monday. Abe will go to the White House on April 28 for meetings with Obama on a range of economic and security issues as well as a formal state dinner, the White House said in a statement. Obama and Abe will discuss a number of global topics, "including progress on the Trans Pacific Partnership,
  
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• Ted Cruz says he will run for US presidency

  23-03-2015 14:26
  
  Washington, March 23 (IANS) Republican Senator from Texas Ted Cruz has confirmed his intention to run for the US presidential election in 2016, Efe news agency reported. "I am running for president and I hope to earn your support," Cruz, one of the visible heads of the ultra-conservative 'Tea Party' movement, wrote on his Twitter account. He is the first Republican to officially announce his presidential aspirations, marking the beginning of a long electoral race for the White House, scheduled f
  
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• Obama hosting Iraqi, Japanese leaders next month

  23-03-2015 14:02
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama plans to host Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi at the White House next month to discuss their fight against the Islamic State.
  
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• First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and First Lady of Cambodia Bun Rany Meet with Students from Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program

  23-03-2015 14:00
  
  SIEM REAP, Cambodia--(BUSINESSWIRE)-- On Saturday, March 21, 2015, First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama, joined by Mrs. Bun Rany, First Lady of Cambodia, visited with 10 girls in Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program at a high school in Siem Reap, Cambodia, as part of Mrs. Obama’s tour to Japan and Cambodia to promote the White House’s recently launched “Let Girls Learn” initiative. Mrs. Obama chose to visit Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program in Cambodia for its
  
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• Obama to host Japan's Abe next month - White House

  23-03-2015 13:49
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the White House on April 28 for meetings as well as a formal State Dinner, the White House said. In a statement on Monday, the White House said the two leaders will discuss various issues "including progress on the Trans Pacific Partnership, Japan's expanding role in the Alliance and climate change." (Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Bill Trott)
  
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• Obama, Iraqi prime minister to meet April 14 in Washington - White House

  23-03-2015 13:27
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi will meet in Washington on April 14, the White House said in a statement on Monday. The two leaders will discuss a range of issues, "including continued U.S. support to Iraq to degrade and ultimately destroy" Islamic State in their White House meeting, the statement said. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Bill Trott)
  
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• CORRECTED - U.S. will not take floor at UN rights debate on Israel, Palestinians

  23-03-2015 11:46
  
  GENEVA (Reuters) - (Corrects to removes word "unprecedented" in paragraph 2, adds new 3rd paragraph to clarify) The United States will not take the floor at the main U.N. human rights forum on Monday during the annual debate on violations committed in the Palestinian territories, a U.S. spokesman told Reuters. The move at the 47-member state forum where Washington unfailingly defends Israel, follows signals that the Obama administration is undertaking a "reassessment" of relations with Israel. I
  
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• Obama to announce $240M in new pledges for STEM education

  23-03-2015 11:02
  
  President Barack Obama is highlighting private-sector efforts to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue education in in science, technology, engineering and math. At the White House ...
  
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