White House news

• Fox 21 TV Studios Lands White House Book ‘The Residence’ For Cable Drama Produced By Kevin Spacey & Megyn Kelly

  23-04-2015 23:21
  
  In a very competitive bidding situation, Fox 21 Television Studios has optioned the book The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower about the relationship between the White House residence staff and the various First Families spanning several administrations. The non-fiction book will be developed as a cable drama executive produced by Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti of Trigger Street. In her first foray into scripted TV producing, Fox News Anchor Megyn Kelly is attached as a…
  
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• Obama honors Patriots for Super Bowl win, community service

  23-04-2015 23:11
  
  President Barack Obama honored the New England Patriots for winning the Super Bowl despite a ''huge distraction'' and ''media circus'' over underinflated footballs in their conference championship game. Obama recognized the NFL champions Thursday during a White House ceremony on the South Lawn. ''That whole story got blown a little out of proportion,'' Obama said of the so-called ''deflategate'' investigation as the
  
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• Obama teases Patriots over 'deflategate'

  23-04-2015 23:07
  
  NFL champions the New England Patriots got a barbed welcome to the White House on Thursday, with President Barack Obama teasing the team about the "deflategate" scandal. The Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in a thrilling Super Bowl 49 in February to capture their fourth National Football League crown. "I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events, but with the Patriots in town, I was worried that 11 out of 12 of them would fall flat," Obama joked. The jibe prompte
  
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• Amfoot - Obama teases Patriots over 'deflategate'

  23-04-2015 22:49
  
  - NFL champions the New England Patriots got a barbed welcome to the White House on Thursday, with President Barack Obama teasing the team about the "deflategate" scandal. The Patriots beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 in a thrilling Super Bowl 49 in February to capture their fourth National Football League crown. "I usually tell a bunch of jokes at these events, but with the Patriots in town, I was worried that 11 out of 12 of them would fall flat," Obama joked.
  
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• Patriots' White House visit has Obama's deflate-gate joke, no Tom Brady

  23-04-2015 22:35
  
  Tom Brady wasn't around to hear President Barack Obama's deflate-gate joke during the New England Patriots' visit to the White House.
  
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• U.S. strike inadvertently killed U.S., Italian hostages; Obama apologises

  23-04-2015 21:28
  
  By Will Dunham and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike in January targeting an al Qaeda compound in Pakistan near the Afghan border inadvertently killed an American and an Italian who had been held hostage for years by the group, U.S. officials said on Thursday. President Barack Obama apologised and said he took "full responsibility" for all counterterrorism operations, including this one. The deaths were a setback for a longrunning U.S. drone strike programme that
  
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• This pot business leader crashed the White House’s first Tech Meetup

  23-04-2015 21:07
  Rafael Lopez, left, and Megan Smith, CTO of the United States at the White House Tech Meetup. “Cannabis Tech Meetup and New Tech Seattle,” he said proudly.
  
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• Obama says of Lynch confirmation, 'America will be better off'

  23-04-2015 21:06
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday that America will be better off now that the Senate has "finally" confirmed Loretta Lynch as the next U.S. Attorney General, according to a White House statement. Obama cited criminal justice reform, cybercrime and national security among issues that Lynch will address. Lynch, 55, is the first black woman to become the top U.S. law enforcement official. (Reporting By Julia Edwards; Editing by Sandra Maler)
  
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• U.S. strike inadvertently killed U.S., Italian hostages; Obama apologizes

  23-04-2015 21:04
  
  By Will Dunham and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. drone strike in January targeting an al Qaeda compound in Pakistan near the Afghan border inadvertently killed an American and an Italian who had been held hostage for years by the group, U.S. officials said on Thursday. President Barack Obama apologized and said he took "full responsibility" for all counterterrorism operations, including this one. The deaths were a setback for a longrunning U.S. drone strike program that h
  
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• Obama takes responsibility for accidental killing of hostages

  23-04-2015 20:14
  
  Washington, April 23 (IANS) US President Barack Obama said on Thursday that he took "full responsibility" for a counter-terrorism operation in January against Al Qaeda which accidentally killed two hostages. "As president and as commander-in-chief, I take full responsibility for all our counter-terrorism operations, including the one that inadvertently took the lives of Warren (Weinstein) and Giovanni (Lo Porto). I profoundly regret what happened," Obama told reporters. Earlier in the day, a Whi
  
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• Russell Wilson unveils his White House dinner date and it's not Ciara

  23-04-2015 19:55
  
  Wilson posted a video to Facebook on Thursday announcing that his grandma will be his date to the dinner in Washington DC. Ciara was listed as Wilson's date on the official guest list that was emailed to the Post. Now just because Wilson is taking his grandma doesn't mean Ciara won't be there and if she is there, she'll likely be sitting at Wilson's table and that's mainly because you can't just "get in" to the White House.
  
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• White House says counterterrorism strike followed protocols

  23-04-2015 19:49
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama did not specifically sign off on the counterterrorism operation on an al Qaeda compound that killed two hostages, but the operation followed protocols aimed at preventing civilian deaths, the White House said on Thursday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the government had hundreds of hours of surveillance of the compound including "near continuous" surveillance in the days before the operation in the remote region around the Afghanistan-Pakis
  
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• US to compensate families of hostages killed in strike

  23-04-2015 19:35
  
  Washington (AFP) - The White House on Thursday said the United States would compensate the families' of an American and Italian hostage killed in a counter terrorism operation near the Afghan-Pakistan border.
  
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• White House says independent review of hostage deaths under way

  23-04-2015 19:31
  
  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An independent inspector general is reviewing the U.S. counterterrorism operation that killed two hostages and will make recommendations on how to prevent that from happening again, the White House said on Thursday. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the government will compensate the families of American doctor Warren Weinstein and Italian aid worker Giovanni Lo Porto, who were killed in the operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area. He declined to provide de
  
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• Obama takes blame for strike that killed two hostages

  23-04-2015 19:25
  
  The White House said Thursday that a US operation in January against an Al Qaeda compound near the Afghan-Pakistan border killed one American and one Italian hostage, along with an American member of the jihadist group. Another American, Al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn, was killed, "likely in a separate US government counterterrorism operation." "No words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy," the White House said, revealing the previously classified finding
  
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• U.S. House passes second "threat-sharing" cybersecurity bill

  23-04-2015 18:19
  
  The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to pass a bill that extends liability protection for companies that share information about cyber attacks, if they give the data to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The House voted 355 to 63 in favor of the bill, a companion to a measure the chamber passed on Wednesday making it easier for private companies to share information about cybersecurity threats with each other and the government without fear of lawsuits. The l
  
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• Adam Gadahn: California rocker turned Al-Qaeda mouthpiece

  23-04-2015 18:04
  
  Adam Gadahn, the Al-Qaeda spokesman believed killed in a US operation, was a teenage rock music fan who grew up on a Californian goat farm before he was drawn into radical Islam. The White House announced Thursday that US intelligence thinks Gadahn died in January in a "counterterrorism operation" in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. As an English speaker and senior Al-Qaeda propagandist, he was one of the most high-profile figures in the global jihadist movement and a regular on
  
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• Two hostages killed in anti-terror operation, admits US

  23-04-2015 17:58
  
  Washington, April 23 (IANS) The White House said on Thursday that a US counter-terrorism operation in January killed two hostages, one American and an Italian, held by Al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan, Xinhua news agency reported. "It is with tremendous sorrow that we recently concluded that a US government counter-terrorism operation in January killed two innocent hostages held by Al Qaeda," said a White House statement. "Analysis of all available information has led th
  
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• US Accidentally Killed Two Al Qaeda Hostages

  23-04-2015 17:47
  
  President Barack Obama has said he "profoundly regrets" the accidental deaths of two hostages in a US counter-terrorism operation in January on the Pakistan-Afghan border. Mr Obama told a White House news conference the US had believed the target was an al Qaeda compound with no civilians present. He said the operation also killed al Qaeda members. Two other Americans - both al Qaeda leaders - were killed in US raids in the same region, according to a White House statement.
  
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• Seahawks QB Russell Wilson might be dating pop singer Ciara

  23-04-2015 17:42
  
  The Washington Post, looking over AOL's guest list for the White House dinner, noticed that it included Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson “and his date Ciara.”
  
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• CORRECTED: American, Italian hostages inadvertently killed in U.S. operation - Obama

  23-04-2015 17:35
  
  (Corrects name of widow to Elaine, not Emily, in paragraph 14) By Will Dunham and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An American and an Italian who had been held hostage for several years by al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were inadvertently killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in January, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. On behalf of the United States government, I offer our deepest apologies to the families," Obama said in an appearance at the Wh
  
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• REFILE-UPDATE 3-American, Italian hostages inadvertently killed in U.S. operation- Obama

  23-04-2015 17:28
  
  (Corrects name of widow to Elaine, not Emily, in paragraph 14) By Will Dunham and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - An American and an Italian who had been held hostage for several years by al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were inadvertently killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in January, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. On behalf of the United States government, I offer our deepest apologies to the families," Obama said in an appearance at t
  
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• Obama takes blame for operation that killed two hostages

  23-04-2015 17:24
  
  The White House said Thursday that a US operation in January against an Al Qaeda compound near the Afghan-Pakistan border killed one American and one Italian hostage, along with an American member of the jihadist group. Another American, Al-Qaeda spokesman Adam Gadahn, was killed, "likely in a separate US government counterterrorism operation." "No words can fully express our regret over this terrible tragedy," the White House said, revealing the previously classified finding
  
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• Gay marriage a difficult issue for GOP White House hopefuls

  23-04-2015 17:24
  
  NEW YORK (AP) — For Democratic politicians, same-sex marriage has become an easy issue: They're for it. But many Republicans, notably the presidential hopefuls, face a far more complicated landscape.
  
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• American, Italian hostages inadvertantly killed in U.S. operation - Obama

  23-04-2015 17:05
  
  By Will Dunham and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An American and an Italian who had been held hostage for several years by al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were inadvertantly killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in January, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. On behalf of the United States government, I offer our deepest apologies to the families," Obama said in an appearance at the White House. The operation in which American doctor Warren Weinst
  
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• American killed in Pakistan was working to develop business

  23-04-2015 17:03
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — A 73-year-old American man who the White House says was killed during a counterterrorism operation in Pakistan was an international development worker described as passionate about his work.
  
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• Obama's trade agenda set to face House Democrats' objections

  23-04-2015 17:02
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans pushed White House-backed trade legislation toward committee approval on Thursday despite strong objections by Democrats demanding stronger labor and environmental standards as well as a ban on currency manipulation by Asian nations.
  
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• American, Italian hostages inadvertently killed in U.S. operation - Obama

  23-04-2015 17:02
  
  By Will Dunham and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An American and an Italian who had been held hostage for several years by al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were inadvertently killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in January, President Barack Obama said on Thursday. On behalf of the United States government, I offer our deepest apologies to the families," Obama said in an appearance at the White House. The operation in which American doctor Warren Weinstein a
  
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• Government Decides Not to Put a Moat Around the White House, Unfortunately

  23-04-2015 17:00
  
  Last year's White House fence jumper incident prompted the National Park Service to consider new methods of beefing up White House security, and since there are no bad ideas in brainstorming, one of the ideas that was reportedly considered...
  
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• U.S. lawmakers to again push currency rules for trade deals

  23-04-2015 16:43
  
  U.S. lawmakers will press again on Thursday to punish currency manipulators in legislation key to closing a Pacific trade pact, despite warnings from the White House the move could derail a central plank of the administration's outreach to Asia. Democrats on the House of Representatives Ways and Means committee will offer changes to toughen currency rules in a bill designed to streamline the passage of trade deals through Congress, according to a document seen by Reuters. A list of Democratic am
  
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• Former White House Adviser Says US Gov't Sees Positive Impact of Games

  23-04-2015 16:30
  
  "There's an interest in seeing if games can be used to address societal challenges."
  
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• US killed Americans held by, working with al-Qaeda

  23-04-2015 16:28
  
  A U.S. counterterrorism operation killed two hostages taken by al-Qaeda, the White House announced Thursday.
  
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• White House: Two Al-Qaeda hostages killed in US operation

  23-04-2015 16:10
  
  Washington (AFP) - The White House admitted Thursday that a January US operation against an Al Qaeda compound near the Afghan-Pakistan border killed one American and one Italian hostage, along with an American member of the jihadist group.
  
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• U.S. acknowledges January operation killed American, Italian hostages

  23-04-2015 16:01
  
  (Adds details on hostages, operation throughout) WASHINGTON, April 23 (Reuters) - One American and one Italian who had been held hostage by al Qaeda in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan were killed in a U.S. counterterrorism operation in January, the White House said on Thursday. The operation in which American doctor Warren Weinstein and Italian Giovanni Lo Porto were killed also resulted in the death of an American al Qaeda leader, Ahmed Farouq, the White House said.
  
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• White House: Americans held by, working with al-Qaida killed

  23-04-2015 15:44
  
  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says U.S. counterterrorism operations killed American and Italian hostages held by al-Qaida, as well as two Americans who were working with the terror organization.
  
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• US Accidentally Kills Two Al Qaeda Hostages

  23-04-2015 15:42
  
  The White House has said that an American and Italian hostage were accidentally killed in a US counter-terrorism operation on the Pakistan-Afghan border. The White House said that two other Americans - both al Qaeda members - were killed in US raids in the same region. One of them, Ahmed Farouq, died in the same operation that resulted in the deaths of Dr Weinstein and Mr Lo Porto, said the White House.
  
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• White House: US counterterrorism operations killed Americans held by and working with al-Qaida

  23-04-2015 15:37
  
  White House: US counterterrorism operations killed Americans held by and working with al-Qaida.
  
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• Lincoln Chafee’s 2016 run might matter more than you think

  23-04-2015 13:22
  
  Lincoln Chafee says that when he first got the idea to run for president, he went to see Michael Bloomberg, who, like Chafee, has belonged to both parties and to neither. Bloomberg, the former New York mayor, said he had concluded that you needed to run from inside a party in order to mount a credible White House campaign. (I don’t think he’s right, especially if you’re like the 10th-richest man in America, but that’s a conversation for another time.)
  
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• Ciara to Attend White House Correspondents' Dinner With Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson

  23-04-2015 06:00
  
  Rumors started swirling that Ciara had found a new beau this weekend, after the "Body Party" singer was spotted Sunday (April 19) with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at a Mariners game in Seattle.
  
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• Ciara to Attend White House Correspondents' Dinner With Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson

  23-04-2015 06:00
  
  Rumors started swirling that Ciara had found a new beau this weekend, after the "Body Party" singer was spotted Sunday (April 19) with Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson at a Mariners game in Seattle.
  
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• US senators debate Obama powers on free trade pacts

  23-04-2015 05:42
  
  A US Senate panel voted to give President Barack Obama authority to "fast-track" a massive Pacific trade accord, adding a provision opposed by the White House that addresses currency manipulation. In a marathon debate, the Senate Finance Committee considered dozens of amendments to the so-called trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation, a bipartisan measure that supporters say is crucial to getting the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership -- deemed the largest free-trade agreement ev
  
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• Trade bill key to Pacific pact clears Senate panel

  23-04-2015 04:59
  
  By Krista Hughes WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Legislation to give the White House "fast track" authority to nail down a Pacific trade pact cleared its first hurdle in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday as a committee backed the bill and sent it to the full Senate for consideration. Approved by the Senate Finance Committee on a 20 to 6 vote, the legislation would prohibit Congress from amending trade deals, instead allowing for just up-or-down votes. TPP is central to President Barack Obama'
  
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• U.S. trade bill key to Pacific pact clears Senate panel

  23-04-2015 04:30
  
  Legislation to give the White House "fast track" authority to nail down a Pacific trade pact cleared its first hurdle in the U.S. Congress on Wednesday as a committee backed the bill and sent it to the full Senate for consideration. Approved by the Senate Finance Committee on a 20 to 6 vote, the legislation would prohibit Congress from amending trade deals, instead allowing for just up-or-down votes. TPP is central to President Barack Obama's strategic shift toward Asia.
  
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• White House Correspondents Dinner Preview: Hollywood to Mix with D.C. at ‘Nerd Prom’

  23-04-2015 02:23
  
  This week a new podcast and video was launched called Washington Insider, billed as featuring content on “how money, power and celebrity drive politics and power in America’s capital city.” It’s no coincidence that the launch of the site — from producers Tammy Haddad, Simon Marks and Julianne Donofrio — is on the same week as... Read more »
  
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• Democrats blast U.S. House Benghazi probe as out to get Clinton

  23-04-2015 01:31
  
  By Mark Hosenball and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Democrats on Wednesday criticized a Republican-led probe of the 2012 attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, as a political assault on Hillary Clinton, citing a possible delay in its final report until 2016, while a related State Department letter seen by Reuters stoked further controversy. The letter described the investigating committee's "top priority" as collecting Clinton's emails about Beng
  
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• Russell Wilson taking Grammy-winner Ciara to White House dinner?

  23-04-2015 00:48
  
  Seattle might not have won the Super Bowl this year, but that's not going to keep Russell Wilson from visiting the White House. 
  
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