WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday paid tribute to comedian Mel Brooks, chef Jose Andres, NPR interviewer Terry Gross and others at a White House ceremony celebrating “creators who give every piece of themselves to their craft.” The three were among two dozen artists, writers, playwrights and performers awarded the 2015 National Medals … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi will strategize about the upcoming offensive to take back the northern city of Mosul when they meet on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. Increasingly, and not without irony, Iraq has become the bright spot in Obama’s campaign against the Islamic … Continue reading
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — When Hillary Clinton returned to the campaign trail this week after a brief illness, she promised a more aspirational finish to her White House bid. And she used Michelle Obama as a guidepost. “As Michelle Obama said in her fabulous speech at the Democratic Convention, when we go to the polls … Continue reading
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — A bell from a Virginia church founded by slaves is being shipped from Virginia to the nation’s capital so it can be rung Sept. 24 at the dedication of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The Virginian-Pilot (http://bit.ly/2cbKyM1 ) reports that the bell of First Baptist Church of … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite formidable opposition across the political spectrum, President Barack Obama is using his final months in office to fight for congressional approval of a 12-nation free trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Administration officials say Obama would speak about the trade agreement at each stop during his trip to China and Laos. … Continue reading
TRIANGLE, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama and the first family are hiking at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia. Their visit Sunday comes as the National Park Service’s celebrates its centennial. The president has marked the week by creating a national monument in Maine and expanding a monument off Hawaii. Admission to national parks … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — THE ISSUE: The rich keep getting richer while more Americans are getting left behind financially. Income inequality has surged near levels last seen before the Great Depression. The average income for the top 1 percent of households climbed 7.7 percent last year to $1.36 million, according to tax data tracked by Emmanuel … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump’s latest accusation against President Barack Obama — that he’s putting U.S. enemies ahead of America’s own people — is thrusting him into uncharted territory for the presidential candidate of any major political party. Trump spent the first days following the Orlando nightclub massacre hinting Obama was sympathizing with or even … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — Malia Obama was just 10 years old and longing for a promised puppy when her family moved into the White House. She’s marked plenty of life’s milestones over the past seven years while growing up in the public eye: getting and shedding braces, learning to drive, making college tours, even spending brief … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — With calls growing for him to quit, Bernie Sanders came to the White House on Thursday for a meeting that President Barack Obama hoped to use to try to nudge the Vermont senator to accept defeat in the Democratic race. Obama planned to endorse Hillary Clinton after the meeting. The high-profile meeting … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The latest developments in the 2016 campaign for the presidency. All times EDT: 11:38 a.m. President Barack Obama and Bernie Sanders are meeting in the Oval Office. Obama greeted Sanders as he arrived at the White House and the two walked past the sun-bathed Rose Garden — and a pack of snapping … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is running out of time and options to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba, so officials are scrambling to release as many prisoners as possible and considering novel legal strategies that include allowing some men to strike plea deals by video-teleconference. Another option would be to send … Continue reading
HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam (AP) — Wrapping up a historic visit to Vietnam, U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday May 18th, praised the country’s next generation of leaders for being more conscious of the environment than previous ones and urged them to “do something about” climate change. During his final public event here, Obama … Continue reading
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — When Texas takes up always-contentions revisions of science and social studies coursework in 2017, a former schoolteacher who believes dinosaurs were on Noah’s Ark and Democrats killed John F. Kennedy won’t have a vote. Mary Lou Bruner lost her Republican primary runoff for a seat on the powerful Texas State Board … Continue reading
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — President Barack Obama on Sunday May 15, urged college graduates to shun those who want to confront a rapidly changing world by building walls around the United States or by embracing ignorance, as he delivered a sharp and barely concealed critique of Donald Trump. Obama used his commencement speech at Rutgers … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 