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The US has criticized Russia for what it calls an “unfortunate decision” to deliver missiles to the Syrian government.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey said the shipment “will embolden the regime and prolong the suffering” that has killed 80,000.
The sophisticated anti-ship missiles could be used to counter any future foreign military intervention, US officials told The New York Times.
Some 1.5 million people have fled the conflict, says the UN refugee agency.
Most have fled to Jordan and Lebanon, but not all have been registered yet, meaning the true total is likely to be far higher, according to the UNHCR.
Meanwhile, Syria’s national production has dropped by 40% and the number of people living below the poverty line has risen from two million to five million in just two years, according to the man in charge of the UN’s plans for reconstructing Syria after the conflict.
Abdullah al-Dardari, a former deputy prime minister in President Bashar al-Assad’s administration, said the rebuilding what has been destroyed would cost up to $80 billion.
The US has criticized Russia for what it calls an “unfortunate decision” to deliver missiles to the Syrian government
Gen. Martin Dempsey’s description of Moscow’s decision to send missiles to Syria as “ill-timed and very unfortunate” comes amid growing alarm that chemical weapons may have been used in the country, something President Barack Obama has said would be “a red line”.
Russia is one of Syria’s few remaining allies and a long-term arms supplier to the Assad regime. Over the years, in contracts worth billions of dollars, it has sold thousands of tanks, artillery units, aircraft, helicopters and defense systems to Damascus.
In 2007, the two countries signed a deal on the supply of Yakhont missiles which, with a range of 300 km (200 miles), could prove a threat to warships in the Mediterranean.
Although there have been growing calls for arms to be channeled to the rebel fighters in Syria, there has so far been very limited enthusiasm in the West for outright military intervention.
But there is concern that the presence of sophisticated Russian-supplied weaponry will make it much harder to agree and carry out such intervention, implement a blockade or conduct targeted airstrikes in the future.
Without confirming reports of the missile shipment, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the supply of missiles did not break any international rules.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon met Sergei Lavrov in Sochi on Friday to discuss plans for an international conference to try to find a way of ending the Syrian conflict, which would aim to bring together the Syrian opposition and members of Bashar al-Assad’s government.
The UN estimates that 80,000 people have died in the uprising, and that some 4.25 million people have been displaced within the country.
The simmering conflict has raised tensions on Syria’s borders: On Friday, Turkish state media reported at least 10 people were killed when a fuel tank exploded in the southern town of Altinozu in Hatay province, where car bombs killed 50 people last week.
The fuel tank was set alight by smugglers during a raid by police, officials said.
Frustrated by the lack of international consensus on Syria, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had talks this week with President Barack Obama in Washington where he was expected to call for a more assertive stance.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday the UN should discuss imposing a no-fly zone inside Syria at the international conference being mooted.
“With respect to a no-fly zone… it is not a decision that could be taken between the United States and Turkey. It is something that would have to come through the UN Security Council,” he said.
Syria’s Russian-made military:
- Nearly 5,000 tanks; 2,500 infantry fighting vehicles; 2,500 self-propelled or towed artillery units
- 325 Tactical aircraft; 143 helicopters
- Nearly 2,000 air defense pieces
- 295,000 active personnel; 314,000 reserve personnel
Statistics: IISS
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Hosting Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the White House’s Rose Garden yesterday, President Barack Obama requested a standing Marine to open an umbrella and protect his head from the light rain that was falling.
However, according to Marine Corps regulations, not even the President of the United States can request a Marine to carry an umbrella without the express permission of the Commandant of the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corp Manual, which is the bible for all soldiers serving, specifically states that a soldier’s uniform dress code does not allow the carrying of an umbrella and “no officer or official shall issue instructions which conflict with, alter, or amend any provision without the approval of the Commandant of the Marine Corps”.
Indeed, male Marines are informed never to carry an umbrella from the earliest phases of training.
Regulation MCO P1020.34F of the Marine Corps Uniform Regulations chapter 3, rules out any use or carrying of an umbrella while a Marine is in uniform.
However, female Marines “may carry an all-black, plain standard or collapsible umbrella at their option during inclement weather with the service and dress uniforms. It will be carried in the left hand so that the hand salute can be properly rendered”.
During the press conference, President Barack Obama dodged questions about the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups, shifted responsibility for the Benghazi attack to Congress, and said he offers no apologies for the Department of Justice’s secret seizure of reporter’s phone records in search of a classified intelligence leak.
Hosting Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Rose Garden, President Barack Obama requested a standing Marine to open an umbrella and protect his head from the light rain
In a rain-soaked Rose Garden press conference originally intended to be a victory lap for the United States’ relationship with Turkey, Barack Obama stood alongside Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and fielded questions which quickly shifted to the trio of scandals that are engulfing his administration.
Addressing the Benghazi fallout pre-emptively before Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke, Barack Obama said that “at my direction, we’ve been taking a series of steps that were recommended by the review board”.
He spoke of various measures he was recommending, to “learn the lessons of Benghazi”. But he referred to the murders of four Americans there as an “incident”, not a terror attack.
The president said: “That’s why, at my direction, we’ve been taking a series of steps that were recommended by the review board after the incident. We’re continuing to review our security at high-threat diplomatic posts, including the size and nature of our presence; improving training for those headed to dangerous posts; increasing intelligence and warning capabilities.
“And I’ve directed the Defense Department to ensure that our military can respond lightning quick in times of crisis.”
His remarks focused on “properly funding” the State Department and Pentagon-run security at diplomatic posts, shifting the burden to Congress to “provide resources and new authorities so that we can implement all the recommendations of the Accountability Review Board which issued a report last month”.
Barack Obama said: “We’re going to need Congress’s help in terms of increasing the number of our Marine Corps Guard who protect our embassies.
“We’re not going to be able to do this alone.”
“’We need Congress.”
The review board is under fire for failing to interview high-level Obama administration figures, including then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Interviewing Clinton, Republicans on Capitol Hill have said, would have provided insights into who was accountable for lapses in security that left the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya vulnerable to attack.
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Acting head of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Steven T. Miller has quit after it emerged his staff singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny, President Barack Obama has announced.
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had asked for and accepted the resignation of IRS Acting Commissioner Steven Miller, he said.
“I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing like this happens again,” Barack Obama told a news conference.
The scandal has been one of several to rattle the White House in recent days.
Earlier on Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Holder faced four hours of questioning at a Congressional hearing on the IRS, the secret seizure of phone records from the Associated Press news agency, and the attack on the US consulate in the Libyan city of Benghazi.
Eric Holder told the House judiciary committee that it would take time for the FBI to determine if any laws had been broken by IRS personnel.
In a short statement to reporters at the White House, President Barack Obama said he had reviewed the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) report on the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups and found the “misconduct” uncovered was “inexcusable”.
“Americans are right to be angry about it, and I am angry about it,” the president said.
“I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in any agency, but especially in the IRS, given the power that it has and the reach that it has into all of our lives.”
“The IRS has to operate with absolute integrity.”
Steven T. Miller has quit as IRS head after it emerged his staff singled out conservative groups for extra scrutiny
To that end, Barack Obama revealed that the treasury secretary had requested and accepted the resignation of acting commissioner of the IRS.
“It’s important to institute new leadership that can help restore confidence going forward.”
Barack Obama said the treasury department would also put in place new safeguards to “make sure this kind of behavior cannot happen again” and that the IRS would begin implementing the TIGTA’s recommendations immediately.
In a letter to colleagues, Steven Miller said he would leave his role in June.
“There is a strong and immediate need to restore public trust in the nation’s tax agency,” he added.
Steven T. Miller took over leadership of the agency in November, when the five-year term of Commissioner Douglas Shulman ended.
At the time when conservative groups were targeted, Steve Miller was a deputy commissioner who oversaw the division responsible.
On Tuesday, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s report on the scandal placed the blame on “ineffective management”.
It found IRS managers had allowed “inappropriate criteria” to be developed and stay in place for more than 18 months, resulting in “substantial delays” in processing applications for tax-exempt status, and requests for “unnecessary information”, such as lists of donors.
Among the criteria used by the IRS Determinations Unit to flag groups for review, the TIGTA said, were having words like “Tea Party”, “Patriots” and “9/12” in their names; or manifestos that focused on the government’s fiscal policy and educating the public to “make America a better place to live”, or criticized how the country was being run.
Senior IRS officials told the watchdog that the decision to focus on conservative groups had not been influenced by any individual or organization outside the agency.
Some Republicans, including two high-profile governors, have called for a special prosecutor to investigate.
House Speaker John Boehner told reporters earlier on Wednesday: “My question is, who’s going to jail over this scandal?”
At least three Congressional panels are planning hearings, and House judiciary committee member Representative Darrell Issa said he had asked five mid-level IRS employees be made available for questioning.
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North Korea will no longer be rewarded for provocative behavior, said President Barack Obama at a joint news conference with South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye.
Flanked by President Park Geun-hye, Barack Obama told a White House briefing North Korea was more isolated than ever.
Park Geun-hye is on her first foreign trip since taking office in February.
Ahead of their meeting, US officials said North Korea had moved two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, lowering tensions.
“The days when North Korea could create a crisis and elicit concessions, those days are over,” Barack Obama told Tuesday’s briefing after meeting privately with Park Geun-hye in the Oval Office.
He added: “President Park and myself very much share the view that we are going to maintain a strong deterrent, we’re not going to reward provocative behavior, but we remain open to the prospect of North Korea taking a peaceful path.”
“So far, at least, we haven’t seen actions on the part of the North Koreans that would indicate they’re prepared to move in a different direction,” he said.
North Korea will no longer be rewarded for provocative behavior, said President Barack Obama at a joint news conference with South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye
The visit by Park Geun-hye, South Korea’s first female president, came as the US and South Korea mark 60 years of their military alliance.
Park Geun-hye said South Korea would not tolerate what she called North Korean aggression and escalation.
“Instead of just hoping to see North Korea change, the international community must consistently send the message with one voice, to tell them and communicate to them that they have no choice but to change,” she said.
Pyongyang was believed to have been preparing for a missile launch last month, having threatened attacks in the region.
The threats followed tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea in March after its third nuclear test.
North Korea has also been angered by wide-ranging annual US-South Korea military drills, which ended a week ago.
Meanwhile, the state-owned Bank of China said it was halting transactions from North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank on Tuesday.
It is thought to be the first time that a Chinese entity has made a move against North Korean interests following the recent tension.
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A US official said North Korea has removed two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, indicating a lowering of tension on the peninsula.
Pyongyang was believed to be preparing for a launch last month, having threatened attacks in the region.
The threats followed tough new UN sanctions imposed on North Korea in March after its third nuclear test.
North Korea has been angered by wide-ranging annual US-South Korea military drills, which ended a week ago.
The news that the missiles had been removed from the site on the east coast came on the eve of a summit in Washington between the US and South Korean presidents.
South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye is to hold talks with US President Barack Obama later on Tuesday, with the two expected to reiterate a commitment to strong ties. Park, Geun-hye who took office in February, will also address the US Congress on Wednesday.
The Musudan missiles had been ready to launch at any moment but North Korea had now “moved them”, an unnamed US defense official told AFP news agency.
North Korea has removed two medium-range missiles from a coastal launch site, indicating a lowering of tension on the peninsula
A report from South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, citing an unnamed senior government source, backed that up, saying Pyongyang appeared to have lifted its highest combat alert and moved the missiles, although their current location was not confirmed.
The move is the most tangible sign yet that North Korea has stepped back from its threats to launch missiles.
But a senior US official from the National Security Council warned that, given the North’s unpredictable behavior, it was “premature to celebrate it as good news”.
Pentagon spokesman George Little, who declined to comment directly on the missiles’ reported removal, told reporters “what we have seen recently is a provocation pause”.
“And we think that’s obviously beneficial to efforts to ensure we have peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.”
Meanwhile, the Beijing-based Bank of China said it was halting transactions from North Korea’s Foreign Trade Bank.
The US imposed sanctions on North Korea’s main foreign exchange bank after the recent nuclear tests and had urged other countries, including China, to cut ties with the bank.
The Bank of China made the announcement in a statement but did not provide further details.
This is the first time that a Chinese entity has made a move against North Korean interests following the recent tension, according to reports.
North Korea unveiled medium-range Musudan missiles during a military parade in 2010 but had not yet tested them.
Last month, South Korea raised its alert level to “vital threat” amid indications that Pyongyang was preparing for a launch.
At least one ballistic missile with an estimated 2,000-mile range had been fuelled and ready for launch, according to US and South Korean sources.
A test launch would be a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1718, passed in 2006, which states the North “must not conduct any further nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile”.
Pyongyang had issued a series of threats in apparent response to the expanded UN sanctions and the US-South Korea drills – which saw nuclear-capable B2 and B52 bombers flown over the Korean peninsula.
These included warnings of attacks on Japan, South Korea and US military bases in the region, and a pledge to restart a mothballed nuclear reactor that produced plutonium for its weapons programme.
In addition, it shut down an emergency military hotline between Seoul and Pyongyang, and later withdrew some 53,000 workers in April from Kaesong Industrial Complex on the border with South Korea.
Kaesong complex, which was launched in 2003, employed people from both countries and was seen as one of the last remaining symbols of inter-Korean co-operation.
The final South Korean workers left the factory last week – the first time they have done so since the zone began operating 10 years ago.
However the tone of the rhetoric from North Korea has softened somewhat in recent days, observers say.
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President Barack Obama has pledged once again to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amid a growing prisoner hunger strike there.
At the White House, Barack Obama said the detention centre was “contrary to who we are” and harmful to US interests.
The president cited recent convictions of terror suspects to argue the civilian justice system was adequate for such trials.
Congress has blocked efforts to close the prison, but Barack Obama said he would renew discussions with lawmakers.
Barack Obama told reporters he had asked a team of officials to review operations at Guantanamo Bay and said he was not surprised there were problems there.
“It is inefficient, it hurts us in terms of our international standing, it lessens co-operation with our allies on counter-terrorism efforts, it is a recruitment tool for extremists, it needs to be closed,” Barack Obama said.
He described the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay as a “lingering problem” that would worsen if it remained open.
“I think it is critical for us to understand that Guantanamo is not necessary to keep America safe,” the president told reporters.
Barack Obama said that with the war in Iraq over and detention authority in Afghanistan transferred to Afghan forces, the facility in Cuba was no longer necessary.
He said he would need the help of Congress to devise a long-term legal solution to the prosecution of detainees.
Barack Obama’s comments come amid a hunger strike that has spread in recent weeks to include more than 100 of the 166 inmates at the facility.
They are protesting against their indefinite detention. Most are being held without charge.
UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay has said Guantanamo Bay should be shut immediately.
Barack Obama has pledged once again to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, amid a growing prisoner hunger strike there
The UN has called the continued detention of so many people without trial a clear violation of international law, though it understands Congress has blocked Barack Obama from closing the prison.
Aid agencies are convinced the situation there cannot go on. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the only agency with access to individual detainees, says there is now an unprecedented level of desperation at Guantanamo.
On Tuesday, a UN spokesman said the force-feeding of prisoners was also a probable human rights violation.
“If it’s clearly against the will of the people who are being forcibly fed, then in a view of the World Medical Association and indeed our view, this would amount to cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment which is not permissible under international law,” said Rupert Colville, the UN spokesman on human rights.
In his remarks, Barack Obama seemed to support the US practice of force-feeding some hunger-strikers.
“I don’t want these individuals to die,” he said.
“Obviously the Pentagon is trying to manage the situation as best we can.”
The US has had to reinforce medical staff at Guantanamo Bay, with about 40 nurses and other specialists arriving at the weekend, according to a camp spokesman.
The strike began in February but spread in recent weeks to include more than 100 of the 166 people held at the facility.
Guantanamo officials deny claims that the strike began after copies of the Koran were mishandled during searches of prisoners’ cells.
A spokesman for the detention camp told Reuters news agency that 21 prisoners were being force-fed through tubes inserted through their noses, while five had been brought to hospital for observation but did not have life-threatening conditions.
Shorter hunger strikes have happened at Guantanamo since early 2002, when the US began bringing al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners there.
Violence erupted at the prison on April 13 as the authorities moved inmates out of communal cellblocks where they had covered surveillance cameras and windows.
Some prisoners used “improvised weapons” and were met with “less-than-lethal rounds”, camp officials said, but no serious injuries were reported.
Nearly 100 of the detainees have reportedly been cleared for release but remain at the facility because of restrictions imposed by Congress as well as concerns of possible mistreatment if they are sent back to their home countries.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote to National Security Council Director Tom Donilon last week asking for the administration to “renew its efforts” to transfer the cleared prisoners.
Dianne Feinstein and another committee member had earlier asked the Obama administration to temporarily halt the transfer of 56 cleared Yemeni nationals after an attempted bombing claimed by al-Qaeda in Yemen in December 2009.
Soon after his election, Barack Obama made closing Guantanamo Bay a top priority for his new administration, pledging to close it within a year of his inauguration in January 2009.
Barack Obama’s plan to transfer prisoners to maximum security prisons in the US and try some detainees in the civilian justice system met fierce resistance from lawmakers of both parties.
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This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD) saw President Barack Obama in pictures with Michelle-style bangs, quipping about Jay-Z and sideswiping at the media and his political foes.
The traditional send-up speech saw the President earn some laughter at his own expense but also land some funny blows against the media and the Republican Party.
Barack Obama opened with a soft joke about his time in office but increasingly moved onto more controversial territory – even joking about “burning books with Michelle Bachmann”.
The president said his advisers said he should stick to the traditional format and make jokes knocking himself down a peg or two.
Barack Obama added: “After four and a half years how many pegs are there left.”
“I still make rookie mistakes,” he told the 3,000 strong audience.
“Like, I’m out in California, we’re at a fundraiser, we’re having a nice time and I happened to mention that Kamala Harris is the best looking attorney general in the country. As you might imagine, I got trouble when I got back home. Who knew Eric Holder was so sensitive?”
“And then there’s the Easter Egg Roll, which is just supposed to be a nice event with the kids. I got out on the basketball court, took 22 shots, made 2 of them. That’s right, 2 hits, 20 misses. The executives at NBC asked, <<What’s your secret?>>.”
Swipes at the media’s expense are traditional fare at the event and Barack Obama seemed to have plenty of material – knocking CNN for mistakes and poking fun at the revolving door between politics and the media.
Referencing campaign adviser David Axelrod and the fact he is now working for MSNBC, he added: “It’s a nice change of pace because MSNBC used to work for David Axelrod.”
The president referenced his likeness to the Satan actor in The History Channel’s show The Bible saying that maybe the channel didn’t attend because they were too embarrassed for associating him with evil.
He then joked: “That never stops Fox News from turning up. They thought that comparison was not fair … to Satan.”
In another media joke, he added: “I remember when Buzzfeed was something I did in college around 2 a.m.”
Barack Obama wasn’t going to spare the chance to throw in a few barbs about the Republicans and their election campaign either.
“One thing [the Republican Party] agrees on is the need to do a better job of reaching out to minorities. And look, call me self-centered, but I can think of one minority they can start with. [Raises his hand] Think of me as a trial run, see how it goes.”
He spoke about reaching out to Republicans, quipping: “Some folks still don’t think I spend enough time with Congress. <<Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?>> they ask. Really? Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?”
Barack Obama vowed to take his “charm offensive” on the road to “a Texas BBQ with Ted Cruz, a Kentucky bluegrass concert with Rand Paul, and a book burning with Michele Bachmann”.
Addressing his re-election campaign, Barack Obama joked about his rivals attempts to discredit him.
This year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner saw President Barack Obama in pictures with Michelle-style bangs
“Did you know that Sheldon Adelson spent $100 million of his own money last year on negative ads? You’ve got to really dislike me to spend that kind of money. I mean, that’s Oprah money. … Sheldon would have been better off offering me $100 million to drop out of the race. I wouldn’t have taken it but I would have thought about it. Michelle would have taken it – you think I’m joking?”
The president made fun about conspiracy theories about his past, joking: “I’m not the strapping young Muslim socialist that I used to be.”
On his appearance, Barack Obama noted his graying hair and also presented a picture of himself photo-shopped with the First Lady’s style bangs.
He said he wanted “a little energy” and a “bit of change” for his second term with the new look.
Another photograph mocked the Bush library, opened earlier this week, and featured the new building alongside a giant “It’s His Fault” sign’.
In the multimedia routine, Steven Spielberg was on-hand to appear in a video mocking a movie on Barack Obama’s legacy.
Steven Spielberg said he called on Daniel Day Lewis to encapsulate the “lame duck, aloof” president.
President Barack Obama then appeared on screen pretending to be the method actor in the role.
In the event which was attacked in recent days for being too celebrity-focused, Barack Obama acknowledged his own controversial celebrity relationships.
He joked: “I’ve got 99 problems and now Jay Z is one.”
The President’s edgier material eased the way for host Conan O’Brien.
“As you all know, the president is hard at work creating jobs,” he joked.
“Since he was first elected, the number of popes has doubled. The number of <<Tonight Show>> hosts has tripled.”
He also leveled a few jokes at the media.
“If HuffPost is here, who’s covering 7 mistakes you’re making with bacon?” he asked.
In a popular topic for ridicule he also mocked CNN, joking: “Tonight’s dinner was halibut and filet, or as John King reported it: Lasagna and couscous.”
“Yes, a lot of online stars are in the room but, unfortunately, Matt Drudge couldn’t make it,” Conan O’Brien said.
“He had a prior commitment to teach a web design class in 1997.”
“Some people say print media is dying, but I don’t believe it,” Conan O’Brien added.
“And neither does my blacksmith.”
“It’s no surprise that Speaker John Boehner isn’t here tonight,” Conan O’Brien said.
“President Obama and John Boehner are kind of like a blind date between Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow. In theory, they understand each other’s positions but, deep down, you know nothing’s ever going to happen.”
NBC veteran Tom Brokaw turned down his invite this year claiming the event had become too tabloid.
One of America’s most respected journalists, Tom Brokaw said, it was last year’s appearance of Lindsay Lohan which was the final straw for him.
“The breaking point for me was Lindsay Lohan,” he told Politico on Friday.
“She became a big star at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Give me a break.”
The red carpet didn’t seem to disprove his point with dozens of celebrities from a-list to z-list lining up in their finest.
However, Conan O’Brien used the small screen attendees to his benefit.
Imagining the casting of a miniseries on Washington, the comedian ran through a series of potential lookalikes from Bob Barker as Vice President Joe Biden; an Easter Island Head as John Kerry; a Furby as Wolf Blitzer and – with one of the biggest laughs of the night – “tan mom” as Boehner.
The tradition of news outlets bringing stars to join their tables began when the cast of Saturday Night Live was brought down from New York to D.C. in the mid-1970s.
This year, celebrities had an Oscars-worthy parade of glamorous designer dresses and stylish suits on show – making it is as much an event for the fashion pack as the usual politicos.
Leading the perfect combination of the two, Michelle Obama arrived in a sequined black gown while Obama supporter and Vogue editor Anna Wintour opted for a white fur shawl.
Constance Zimmer and Kate Mara, who co-star as reporters in the political series House Of Cards, and Connie Britton, who plays an all-American country singer in Nashville, were some of the stars attending.
The women opted to show their patriotic colors with Constance Zimmer, 42, donning a red floaty frock, Kate Mara, 30, in a white floor-length gown, and Connie Britton, 46, in a blue mermaid-style creation.
It wasn’t only female celebrities invited along for the ride, Piers Morgan brought Gerald Butler along as his plus 1.
Kerry Washington, 36, star of the political drama Scandal, donned a dramatic black-and-white patterned gown.
“Just had my fitting with @Stephendatailor – my awesome go to tailor in DC! – getting EXCITED about tonight. #whcd,” tweeted Kerry Washington earlier in the day.
However, excited celebrities weren’t the only ones taking to Twitter to make their feelings known about the events.
Sarah Palin tweeted: “That WHCD was pathetic. The rest of America is out there working our asses off while these DC assclowns throw themselves a nerd prom.”
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Everett Dutschke from Mississippi has been arrested and charged in connection with the sending of letters containing ricin to President Barack Obama, Senator Roger Wicker and Judge Sadie Holland.
Everett Dutschke, 41, was detained at home in Tupelo on Saturday and handed over to US Marshals, police said.
He has been charged with possessing a biological agent with intent to use as a weapon.
Everett Dutschke has links to Paul Kevin Curtis, the man against whom charges were filed and later dropped, as well as the senator and judge.
Ricin is a naturally occurring protein, found in the castor oil plant, which is highly toxic. It is 6,000 times more poisonous than cyanide.
Tupelo Police Chief Tony Carleton said Everett Dutschke was taken into custody without incident at 01:00 on Saturday. His home had been under surveillance since Friday afternoon.
A law enforcement official told WTVA that Everett Dutschke was being held at the Lafayette County Detention Center.
Everett Dutschke from Mississippi has been arrested and charged in connection with the sending of letters containing ricin to President Barack Obama, Senator Roger Wicker and Judge Sadie Holland
The US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Mississippi said in a press release that Everett Dutschke had been charged with developing, producing and possessing “a biological agent, toxin and delivery system for use as a weapon, to wit: ricin”.
If convicted of the federal charge, he faces a maximum life term in jail and a $250,000 fine.
The office said Everett Dutschke was expected to appear in a district court in Mississippi on Monday.
Agents from the FBI and the US Capitol Police, as well as members of an anti-terrorist response team from the Mississippi National Guard, had searched Everett Dutschke’s home on Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as the premises of a former martial arts studio he ran in Tupelo.
Attention turned to Everett Dutschke after charges were dropped on Tuesday against Paul Kevin Curtis, a local Elvis impersonator.
A search of Paul Kevin Curtis’ home in nearby Corinth revealed no evidence to suggest he had sent the ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama, Senator Roger Wicker and Mississippi Judge Sadie Holland, officials said.
Hal Neilson, a lawyer for Paul Kevin Curtis, said Everett Dutschke’s name had been submitted on a list of people who might have had a reason to hurt his client.
Paul Kevin Curtis said he had worked with Everett Dutschke several years ago, and that they had discussed publishing a book called Missing Pieces, about an alleged conspiracy to sell body parts on the black market. Everett Dutschke decided not to publish the material, Paul Kevin Curtis added.
But Everett Dutschke told the Associated Press that he did not know Paul Kevin Curtis well, and that the last time they had contact was in 2010.
Judge Sadie Holland’s family is reported to have confronted Everett Dutschke at a political rally in the town of Verona in 2007, when he ran as a Republican against her son, Steve Holland, a Democratic state representative. Steve Holland said Everett Dutschke had made a derogatory speech about the Holland family, and that his mother had forced him to apologize.
Everett Dutschke said Steve Holland had exaggerated the incident, telling AP: “Everybody loves Sadie, including me.”
He is also reported to know Senator Roger Wicker.
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The US state department has revealed the annual list of gifts received by President Barack Obama from foreign governments in 2011.
Among the gifts from the British Royal Family and UK PM David Cameron to President Barack Obama were a china tea set, an eagle tapestry and a dog toy.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy gave the Obamas an array of luxury goods valued at $41,676.
Following US custom, the First Family and other US public officials seldom keep gifts from foreign leaders.
They are instead deposited with the US National Archives.
The US state department has revealed the annual list of gifts received by President Barack Obama from foreign governments in 2011
The gifts were reported in an annual filing by the US state department’s protocol office.
Queen Elizabeth II gave Barack Obama a red leather-bound volume entitled A Selection of Papers From the Royal Archives 1834-1897, signed photos of herself to several senior White House aides, and a brooch with gold leaves and coral flowers to First Lady Michelle Obama.
Prince Charles gave the Obamas a 15-piece china tea set.
British PM David Cameron gave the family a large tapestry with an eagle and American flag design by the Rug Company, silver bracelets for daughters Sasha and Malia, and a “bone-shaped chew toy with United Kingdom flag”, presumably for Bo, the family’s four-year-old dog.
The gifts from the Royal Family and David Cameron total about $7,137.
Canadian PM Stephen Harper gave Barack Obama a ball signed by the 2011 Toronto Raptors professional basketball team, as well as a “golden-framed 19th Century antique map of North America, surrounded by drawings of North American Indians, beavers”.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy presented the Obama family with an array of gifts on several occasions in 2011, among them a glass sculpture of Bucephalus, Alexander the Great’s horse, several Hermes bags, a 200 euro souvenir coin and a reusable grocery tote.
Barack Obama has warned his daughters Malia and Sasha that if they get tattoos, he and his wife Michelle will get matching ones on the same place on their bodies.
In an interview on NBC’s Today show, President Barack Obama said he hoped the “family tattoo” threat would discourage teen rebellion.
Barack Obama said he had warned Malia, 14, and Sasha, 11, that he and First Lady Michelle Obama would show off their matching tattoos on YouTube.
The girls are the first teenagers in the White House since Chelsea Clinton.
Barack Obama has warned his daughters Malia and Sasha that if they get tattoos, he and his wife Michelle will get matching ones on the same place on their bodies
Chelsea Clinton was 12 when her father President Bill Clinton took office in 1993.
In the interview the president also reacted to Michelle Obama’s recent remark that she was a “busy single mother”.
In her own interview with a local television news station, Michelle Obama quickly corrected herself.
Calling the first lady’s comment a slip of the tongue, Barack Obama added that at times – for instance when he was running for office – Michelle Obama was both working and looking after their daughters and may have felt like a single parent.
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Ricin suspect Paul Kevin Curtis has been released from jail as the US authorities have dropped the charges against the Mississippi man accused of sending letters poisoned with ricin to President Barack Obama and Senator Roger Wicker.
Paul Kevin Curtis was freed on Tuesday after prosecutors revealed the investigation had uncovered “new information”.
The letters addressed to Barack Obama and Republican Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker tested positive for the presence of the lethal toxin this month.
Meanwhile, investigators in the case are searching the home of another man.
Paul Kevin Curtis was arrested last week at his home in the town of Corinth, Mississippi and charged with sending letters to Barack Obama, Roger Wicker and a judge from Lee County.
But on Monday authorities searched Paul Kevin Curtis’ home and found neither ricin nor ingredients for the poison, an FBI agent testified in court. A search of his computer yielded no evidence he had researched how to make the toxin, the agent said.
Ricin suspect Paul Kevin Curtis has been released from jail as the US authorities have dropped the charges against him
In a news conference outside the courthouse on Tuesday, Paul Kevin Curtis thanked his family, friends, Jesus, Senator Roger Wicker and President Barack Obama.
Referring to investigators’ questions, he said: “I thought they said rice and I said, <<I don’t even eat rice>>.”
Paul Kevin Curtis, a musician and Elvis impersonator who also said he was a certified reflexologist, added: “I love my country and would never do anything to pose a threat to [Barack Obama] or any other US official.
“I would like to get back to normal, which for me means being the best father that I could be for my children and entertaining through my music.”
He was already well known to Senator roger Wicker because he had written to the Republican senator and other officials.
Paul Kevin Curtis’ lawyer Christi McCoy, whom Curtis described as a blonde, blue-eyed angel sent by God, told reporters she believed the FBI agents who had arrested and charged her client had “acted in good faith”.
Christi McCoy said she was unsure what new information prosecutors had but that the plot to frame her client was “very, very diabolical”.
According to an FBI affidavit released on Thursday, the letters read: “Maybe I have your attention now even if that means someone must die. To see a wrong and not expose it is to become a silent partner to its continuance.”
The letters were signed: “I am KC and I approve this message.”
As the case against Paul Kevin Curtis appeared to collapse on Monday and Tuesday, another man in nearby Tupelo, Mississippi, told the Associated Press authorities were searching his home in connection with the ricin letters.
Everett Dutschke said he was innocent, and the Associated Press reported agents from numerous law enforcement agencies had established a mobile crime lab near his home.
“I don’t know how much more of this I can take,” Everett Dutschke said.
No charges have been filed against him nor has he been arrested.
The search team also combed through an area of woods and ditches about a block from Everett Dutschke’s property.
Everett Dutschke said he and Paul Kevin Curtis had had a dispute, cutting off contact in 2010, after he threatened to sue Curtis for saying he was a member of Mensa, a group for people with high IQs.
“I’m a patriotic American,” Everett Dutschke, who unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the Mississippi House of Representative in 2007, said.
“I don’t have any grudges against anybody. I did not send the letter.”
Ricin, extracted from castor beans, is 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide.
It can be fatal when inhaled, swallowed or injected, although it is possible to recover from exposure.
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President Barack Obama has attended a memorial service for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing saying the attack’s perpetrators will be held accountable.
Barack Obama told an interfaith ceremony that everyone had been touched by the attack on their beloved city.
The president spoke as it emerged investigators had found clear video images of two potential suspects carrying black bags.
Two bombs were detonated near the finish line on Monday, killing three people and injuring more than 180.
There were several standing ovations as President Barack Obama spoke on Thursday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the main Roman Catholic cathedral in Boston.
President Barack Obama has attended a memorial service for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing
Before his visit, the president declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts, which would allow the state to access federal funding to deal with the aftermath of the attacks.
Barack Obama appeared in sombre mood as he joined city leaders, residents and victims at the prayer service.
He told the congregation: “The spirit of this city is undaunted; the spirit of this country shall remain undimmed.
“Everyone of us has been touched by this attack on your beloved city. Everyone of us stands with you. Because after all it’s our beloved city too.”
“They sought to intimidate us, to terrorize us,” he said.
Then added: “It should be pretty clear by now that they picked the wrong city to do it.”
Barack Obama was applauded as he warned the perpetrators of the attacks they would be brought to justice.
“We will find you,” he said.
“We will hold you accountable.”
Hundreds of people stood outside the cathedral during the service, while police at the bomb site listened to the president’s speech on the radios in their patrol cars.
Former Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney also attended the prayer ceremony.
Barack Obama is later expected to meet emergency workers and the families of victims.
On Thursday Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the FBI wanted to speak to two men, but did not say they were suspects.
“There is some video that has raised the question of those that the FBI would like to speak with,” Janet Napolitano said.
“I wouldn’t characterize them as suspects under the technical term, but we do need the public’s help in locating these individuals.”
She did not give details of what was seen on the tape.
Janet Napolitano would not say whether the attacks were suspected to be the work of a domestic or foreign group, but said the investigation was continuing “apace”.
She added that security had been ramped up at airports and transport hubs.
The FBI has denied a flurry of reports on Wednesday that a suspect had been arrested.
Investigators are going through thousands of images taken around the time of the attacks from security cameras, the media and people at the scene.
Officials have not said if they would publicly release more details of the case.
Correspondents say authorities are cautious about publicizing the relevant images, after the release of pictures relating to a 1996 bombing at the Atlanta Olympics led to the arrest of an innocent security guard, Richard Jewell.
A circuit board and battery pack – parts of a triggering mechanism – has been recovered.
The lid of a pressure cooker, apparently blown off during the explosion, was found on the roof of a nearby building.
Officials say the bombs consisted of explosives in pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The twin blasts killed three people: Martin Richard, 8, Krystle Campbell, 29, and Lu Lingzi, a postgraduate student from China.
Dozens remain in hospital following the bombs, many of them seriously injured.
It is reported that 10 victims have had limbs amputated. Nails and ball bearings were said to be embedded in their flesh.
At least 14 bombing victims, including three children, remain in hospital in a critical condition.
Paul Kevin Curtis from Mississippi has been charged with threatening President Barack Obama, after allegedly sending a letter containing suspected ricin to him.
Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested on Wednesday after letters were found addressed to Barack Obama and Republican Senator Roger Wicker.
Initial tests on the letters, identified at remote facilities, showed the presence of the lethal toxin.
The FBI has said there is “no indication of a connection” between the letters and Monday’s Boston Marathon attacks.
The letters addressed to President Barack Obama and Republican Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker were both postmarked Memphis, Tennessee, and dated April 8.
Paul Kevin Curtis has been charged with threatening President Barack Obama after sending a letter containing suspected ricin to him
According to US media citing intelligence sources, the letters read: “To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.”
They were reportedly signed: “I am KC and I approve this message.”
The FBI said Paul Kevin Curtis also allegedly sent a third letter positively identified for ricin to a Mississippi justice official.
The contents of the letter intended for President Barack Obama were being sent to an accredited laboratory for further analysis, the FBI said, with results expected in 24 to 48 hours.
Paul Kevin Curtis’ relatives earlier expressed shock at the news of his arrest, describing him as a natural musical performer who would impersonate Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly.
President Barack Obama decided not to dispatch any high-ranking members of his administration to former British PM Margaret Thatcher’s funeral on Wednesday, a move that has been heavily criticized on both sides of the pond.
According to the Associated Press, the White House sent ex-Secretaries of State George Shultz and James A. Baker III to lead the American delegation, which also includes Barbara Stephenson, the charge d’affaires at the US Embassy in London, and Louis Susman, former US ambassador to the UK.
British tabloid The Sun reported: “[…Downing] Street is most angered by rejections from Obama, First Lady Michelle and Vice-President Joe Biden. And none of the four surviving ex-US leaders – Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr., Bill Clinton and George Bush Jr. – is coming either.”
“The response contrasts with glowing US tributes on the day Lady Thatcher died. A No 10 source said last night: <<We are a little surprised by the White House’s reaction as we were expecting a high-profile attendance>>. The <<snub>> came ahead of the Boston marathon <<bomb outrage>>.”
Barack Obama’s decision not to dispatch any high-ranking members of his administration to Margaret Thatcher’s funeral has been heavily criticized
However, British PM David Cameron’s spokesman refuted reports that the Obama administration snubbed Margaret Thatcher.
“Absolutely not and that the seniority of the America dignitaries attending was reflective of her global stature,” spokesman Jean-Christophe Gray told reporters on Tuesday.
“He welcomed the fact that two former Secretaries of State with whom Lady Thatcher had worked very closely were attending, saying it was testimony to the esteem in which she was held.”
Meanwhile the New York Post editorial page called the US representation “underwhelming.”
“As the world bids farewell to Lady Margaret Thatcher today, it’s hard not to notice that America’s official presence at the state funeral for England’s most significant prime minister since Winston Churchill will be underwhelming,” wrote The Post, which is owned by Margaret Thatcher’s ally Rupert Murdoch.
“Instead of sending a high-ranking member of his own administration to lead the official delegation, President Obama has dispatched two former Republican secretaries of state, George Shultz and Jim Baker. Nothing against these men, but we can forgive the British for regarding Obama’s choice as yet another snub.”
The kicker: “What makes Washington’s little acts of thoughtlessness so telling is that they attract more attention than doing the right thing would.”
UK’s The Guardian dubbed it a “distinctly low-key official representation”.
“The US is to send distinctly low-key official representation … While Barack Obama was invited, he has opted to send a presidential delegation comprising no serving politicians.”
Paul Kevin Curtis has been arrested in Mississippi after letters containing suspected ricin were sent to President Barack Obama and Republican Senator Roger Wicker.
The alleged sender, Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, is a resident of Mississippi.
Initial tests on the letters, identified at remote facilities, showed the presence of ricin, a lethal toxin.
The FBI has said there is “no indication of a connection” between the letters and Monday’s deadly attack in Boston.
The letters addressed to President Barack Obama and Republican Mississippi Senator Roger Wicker were both postmarked Memphis, Tennessee, and dated April 8.
Paul Kevin Curtis has been arrested in Mississippi after letters containing suspected ricin were sent to President Barack Obama and Republican Senator Roger Wicker
According to US media citing intelligence sources, the letters read: “To see a wrong and not expose it, is to become a silent partner to its continuance.”
The letters were reportedly signed: “I am KC and I approve this message.”
The FBI said Paul Kevin Curtis also allegedly sent a third letter positively identified for ricin to a Mississippi justice official.
The contents of the letter intended for Barack Obama were being sent to an accredited laboratory for further analysis, the FBI said, with results expected in 24 to 48 hours.
Earlier, police questioned a man in the near the Capitol who had a backpack containing sealed envelopes, but he was not taken into custody.
Reports of suspicious packages and envelopes also led to areas within two Senate office buildings being cleared temporarily.
Meanwhile Democratic Senator Carl Levin said an aide had received a suspicious-looking letter and that the authorities were investigating. The staff member had no symptoms, Senator Carl Levin said in a statement, but was staying overnight in hospital as a precaution.
All congressional mail has been sorted and tested off-site since letters laced with anthrax were posted to two senators in 2001.
A spokesman for the Secret Service, which protects the US president and his family, said it was liaising with the Capitol Police and the FBI to trace the origins of the letters.
Ricin, extracted from castor beans, is 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide.
The toxin can be fatal when inhaled, swallowed or injected, although it is possible to recover from exposure.
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US officials have denied recent reports that a suspect has been detained over Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings.
The Associated Press and CNN cited law enforcement officials as saying someone was in custody, but police and the FBI in Boston denied the reports.
Earlier, officials reportedly said a suspect had been identified from security video by the race finish line.
A press conference is due to be held at 17:00 ET.
Police and journalists arrived at a courthouse in Boston amid confusion over whether a suspect had been held in connection with the attacks, which killed three people and left more than 170 injured.
US officials have denied recent reports that a suspect has been detained over Monday’s Boston Marathon bombings
“Contrary to widespread reporting, there have been no arrests made in connection with the Boston marathon attack,” the FBI said in a statement.
“Over the past day and a half, there have been a number of press reports based on information from unofficial sources that has been inaccurate.”
The Associated Press reported that the anonymous law enforcement official who was the news agency’s source for the report that someone was in custody had insisted it was true, even as it was widely disputed.
President Barack Obama, who plans to attend an interfaith service on Thursday in honor of the victims in Boston, labeled the attack an act of terrorism.
Investigators have been sifting through thousands of pieces of evidence, ranging from video recorded on mobile phones to fragments of shrapnel removed from the victims’ legs.
Officials said a circuit board and battery pack – parts of a triggering mechanism – had been recovered and the lid of a pressure cooker, apparently blown off during the explosion, was found on the roof of a nearby building.
The bombs are believed to have consisted of explosives placed in 1.6-gallon (6-litre) pressure cookers, one with shards of metal and ball bearings, the other with nails.
Nobody has claimed responsibility for the bombs, which a source said had been placed in black bags and left on the ground.
Doctors treating the wounded say their injuries indicate that the bombs contained metal shards and other shrapnel. A number of victims have had limbs amputated.
Boston Medical Center trauma surgery chief Peter Burke said hospitals were saving “large quantities” of fragments extracted from victims for the police. They include metal, plastic, wood and concrete.
“We have a lot of lower extremity injuries, so I think the damage was low to the ground and wasn’t up,” Dr. Peter Burke said.
“The patients who do have head injuries were blown into things or were hit by fragments that went up.”
At least 58 of the injured have been released from various hospitals around the city, according to AP.
Of those that remain, a five-year-old child, a nine-year-old girl and 10-year-old boy were among 17 victims listed as in a critical condition.
The first explosion went off close to the finish line at about 14:50 local time on Monday.
Seconds later, as rescuers were rushing to help the injured, another explosion went off nearby.
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The Secret Service has intercepted a letter addressed to President Barack Obama containing a “suspicious” substance.
The service said the letter was identified at a remote facility where White House post is screened.
The letter arrived at the facility on April 16, the same day a letter intended for Senator Roger Wicker tested positive for the lethal toxin ricin.
A spokesman for the Secret Service, which protects the US president and his family, said it was liaising with the Capitol Police and FBI to trace the origins of the letter.
“This facility routinely identifies letters or parcels that require secondary screening or scientific testing before delivery,” Edwin Donovan said.
The Secret Service has intercepted a letter addressed to President Barack Obama containing a “suspicious” substance
ABC are quoting sources saying the letter addressed to Barack Obama has tested positive for ricin but that the contents would be sent to an accredited laboratory for further analysis, as the preliminary results need further verification.
Ricin, extracted from castor beans, is 1,000 times more toxic than cyanide.
It can be fatal when inhaled, swallowed or injected, although it is possible to recover from exposure.
Correspondents say there is a heightened sense of alert in the capital after the deadly bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon but there is no indication so far of any connection between the two incidents.
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President Barack Obama has condemned the Boston Marathon bombings as a “terrorist act”.
Barack Obama said attack, close to the finishing line, was “heinous and cowardly”, but that the motive and culprit were not yet known and no-one was in custody.
Three people were killed, including 8-year-old Martin Richard, and more than 170 injured by the bombs.
The FBI, which is running the investigation, has said there are no “known additional threats” to Boston.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick says an interfaith service will be held for the victims on Thursday morning, attended by President Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama has condemned the Boston Marathon bombings as a terrorist act
In his first briefing after Monday’s attacks, Barack Obama had refrained from referring to terror attacks – a choice of words that drew criticism from some quarters.
Today the president said: “Any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians it is an act of terrorism.”
Barack Obama stressed it was not yet known whether an organization – either domestic or foreign – or a “malevolent individual” was responsible, nor what the motive might have been.
“Everything else at this point is speculation,” he said.
“It will take time… but we will find whoever harmed our citizens and we will bring them to justice.”
The first explosion went off close to the finish line at about 2:50 p.m. local time on Monday.
Some 23,000 runners were taking part in this year’s Boston marathon, which was being watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The marathon is held on Patriots’ Day, a Massachusetts state holiday which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution in 1775.
Thomas Grilk, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association, said the race was “an integral part of the fabric and history of our community” and would go ahead in 2014.
“We are committed to continuing that tradition with the running of the 118th Boston Marathon in 2014,” he said.
The London Marathon – the next major international marathon – is to go ahead on Sunday, with police saying they have well-rehearsed security plans.
The London Marathon organizers have said they will hold a 30-second silence at the start as a mark of respect for the Boston Marathon victims.
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Francine Wheeler, the mother of a victim of last year’s Sandy Hook shootings, has replaced President Barack Obama to deliver the weekly US presidential radio address.
Francine Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son Ben was killed in Sandy Hook shooting last year, used the nationally-broadcast statement to call for tighter gun controls.
Asking a citizen to deliver the weekly address is a highly unusual move.
The move comes as Barack Obama attempts to ratchet up pressure on the US Congress, which is due to debate new gun laws.
In an often emotional statement, Francine Wheeler recalled waiting for her son to return home following the shootings, and said the “tidal wave of anguish” resulting from that day had yet to recede.
She said new gun laws were needed to prevent more deaths.
Francine Wheeler, the mother of a victim of last year’s Sandy Hook shootings, has replaced President Barack Obama to deliver the weekly US presidential radio address
“We have to convince the Senate to come together and pass commonsense gun responsibility reforms that will make our communities safer and prevent more tragedies like the one we never thought would happen to us,” she said.
Francine Wheeler’s son Ben was killed along with 19 other children and six staff when 20-year-old Adam Lanza opened fire at his elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
The address was broadcast on radio and released as a video online.
This week senators are due to debate new laws that will extend background checks to gun sales made at gun shows and over the internet.
The measures are the result of a bipartisan deal struck between Republican and Democrat senators last week.
Senators later voted to debate the legislation, but no new laws have yet been passed.
A White House call for a ban on assault weapons and a limit to the capacity of ammunition magazines that can be sold has not gained traction among lawmakers.
In a statement President Barack Obama said Francine Wheeler’s message was one that “every American should hear”.
“This shouldn’t be about politics,” the president said.
“This is about doing the right thing for families that have been torn apart by gun violence, and for all our families going forward.”
The influence of America’s gun lobby in Washington remains strong, and means the measures being discussed are by no means certain to become law.
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According to his newly-released tax returns documents, President Barack Obama made $608,611 in 2012, down more than 20% from 2011.
The decline in Barack Obama’s pay comes as sales of his books slow.
Barack Obama’s presidential salary is $400,000.
The President and First Lady Michelle Obama paid an effective tax rate of 18.4% and donated $150,034 to 33 different charities.
Barack Obama’s tax rate will rise next year under a recent agreement with Congressional Republicans.
President Barack Obama made $608,611 in 2012, down more than 20 percent from 2011
“Under the president’s own tax proposals, including limitations on the value of tax preferences for high-income households, he would pay more in taxes while ensuring we cut taxes for the middle class and those trying to get in it,” said White House press secretary Jay Carney in a statement accompanying the release of the president’s and vice-president’s tax returns.
President Barack Obama also paid $29,450 of state income tax in Illinois, the White House said.
About two-thirds of the Obamas’ charitable contributions were given to the Fisher House Foundation, an organization that provides assistance to military servicemen, veterans and their families.
Barack Obama’s earnings have declined significantly from 2009.
In 2009, Barack Obama’s first year in office, he earned $5.5 million, mostly from sales of his books Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope.
Vice-President Joe Biden and his wife Jill reported $385,072 of income and paid $87,851 of federal tax.
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Jay-Z has defended his trip to Cuba with his wife Beyonce in a new song titled Open Letter.
Jay-Z released Open Letter after two US politicians asked about the famous couple’s visit to the island.
The government officials from Florida asked if Jay-Z and Beyonce’s visit was officially licensed.
US citizens are not allowed to travel to Cuba as tourists but can obtain licences for academic, religious, journalistic or cultural exchange trips.
Jay-Z has defended his trip to Cuba with his wife Beyonce in a new song titled Open Letter.
On his new song, Jay-Z raps about his distaste for politicians and says: “Want to give me jail time and a fine, let me commit a real crime.”
Beyonce and Jay-Z are both supporters of President Barack Obama.
Jay-Z’s Open Letter raps: “Obama said, <<Chill, you gon’ get me impeached, you don’t need this (expletive) anyway, chill with me on the beach>>.”
“I done turned Havana into Atlanta… Boy from the hood, I got White House clearance.”
The White House said President Barack Obama did not personally approve Beyonce and Jay-Z’s trip to Cuba.
When asked about the lyrics, White House spokesman Jay Carney joked: “I guess nothing rhymes with treasury.”
“It’s a song. The president did not communicate with Jay-Z over this trip.”
US Treasury officials said Beyonce and Jay-Z’s trip to Cuba was licensed as a cultural exchange.
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President Barack Obama has unveiled a $3.77 trillion budget plan that includes new taxes on the wealthy along with cuts to benefit programmes.
The White House is offering to cut pensions and healthcare costs, but only in return for $700 billion in new revenue.
However, Barack Obama’s plan is viewed as having no chance of being fully enacted by the deadlocked Congress.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell branded the budget a “left-wing wish list”.
The Democratic president will host a dinner for senior Republicans on Wednesday evening to sell his proposals.
Conservatives have refused to agree to new revenue after passing tax rises on earnings over $400,000 in January.
Barack Obama has unveiled a $3.77 trillion budget plan that includes new taxes on the wealthy along with cuts to benefit programmes
Congressional Democrats, meanwhile, have balked at Barack Obama’s compromise offer to cut Social Security pension payments.
The Obama budget aims to reduce the US deficit by an additional $1.8 trillion over 10 years, bringing total potential reductions to $4.3 trillion, according to administration estimates.
Cuts in the plan include about $400 billion to government health spending, and about $130 billion from Social Security, by changing the way cost-of-living adjustments are calculated.
Elderly and disabled recipients with the lowest incomes would be shielded from the changes.
The cost-of-living adjustments would also raise $100 billion in revenue over 10 years through changes to tax brackets.
Additional cuts would include $100 billion each from military and domestic programmes as well as reductions in farm subsidies and federal employee pension programmes.
President Barack Obama proposes raising revenue by eliminating income deductions for the top 2% of earnings and includes the president’s oft-repeated Buffett Rule, requiring households with incomes of more than $1 million to pay at least 30% in taxes.
The plan also includes some new spending aimed at improving the US economy, including $50 billion in infrastructure and $1 billion for 15 manufacturing institutes across the country.
Barack Obama has previously cited infrastructure spending as the best possible investment to propel an economic recovery.
The president’s blueprint would replace automatic, across-the-board cuts – known as sequestration – to both military and domestic programmes that began on March 1st.
Those cuts took effect after Democrats and Republicans failed to agree to another plan to cut spending and reduce the US budget deficit.
Negotiations over the next US budget are expected to run into the summer, but the White House says the document released on Wednesday is not an opening offer.
“I have already met Republicans more than half way,” Barack Obama said in the White House Rose Garden.
“So in the coming days and weeks I hope that Republicans will come forward and demonstrate that they’re really as serious about the deficit and debt as they claim to be.”
But House of Representatives budget committee Chairman Paul Ryan argued that Republicans had made enough concessions.
“It goes over old ground. It takes more from families to spend more in Washington,” said the Wisconsin congressman, who was the Republican vice-presidential candidate last year.
Paul Ryan’s budget proposal, already passed in the Republican-controlled House, sets out $4.6 trillion in deficit reduction.
Most of the savings would be realized through reductions in healthcare spending and other domestic programmes, without additional tax revenue.
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President Barack Obama made an emotional plea as he urged lawmakers to vote on gun control legislation that appears to be stalling in Congress.
Speaking in Connecticut where 26 people died in Sandy Hook massacre last year, President Barack Obama said citizens must demand action.
Opinion polls have shown a majority of Americans support a ban on assault weapons and other gun control measures.
But gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), have been lobbying politicians against the bill.
President Barack Obama made an emotional plea as he urged lawmakers to vote on gun control legislation that appears to be stalling in Congress
“The day Newtown happened was the toughest day of my presidency,” Barack Obama said in his speech at Hartford, not far from Newtown, scene of the mass shooting four months ago.
“But I’ve got to tell you, if we don’t respond to this, that’ll be a tough day for me too.”
The Associated Press news agency reports there were tears in Barack Obama’s eyes as he described Newtown parent Nicole Hockley, who has said every night she asks her 6-year-old son Dylan to come to her in her dreams so she can see him again.
“If there’s even one thing we can do to prevent a father from having to bury his child, isn’t that worth fighting for?” Barack Obama asked, amid repeated standing ovations from the crowd.
He called for a vote on his three gun legislation priorities – strengthening background checks on gun buyers, limiting the size of ammunition magazines to 10 rounds, and a ban on assault weapons.
However, the US Senate recently ditched the proposed ban on assault weapons and on high-capacity magazines, saying there was not enough support for the measure.
On Monday, Barack Obama said curbing gun violence was more important than partisan politics.
“Connecticut, this is not about me,” he said.
“This is not about politics.
“This is about doing the right thing for all the families who are here that have been torn apart by gun violence.”
Eleven parents of young children who were killed in the Newtown school shooting returned to Washington DC with Barack Obama aboard his official plane, Air Force One.
They are due to lobby members of Congress who have not yet backed the gun control bill.
Barack Obama said: “Nothing’s going to be more important in making sure that the Congress moves forward this week than hearing from them.”
The president criticized Republicans who have threatened to use a procedural tactic known as a filibuster to delay a vote on the gun bill.
Thirteen senators have said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid they would take such action, after he brought the bill to the Senate floor for debate on Monday.
“Some back in Washington are already floating the idea that they may use political stunts to prevent votes on any of these reforms. Think about that,” said Barack Obama.
“They’re not just saying they’ll vote <<no>> on ideas that almost all Americans support.
“They’re saying they’ll do everything they can to even prevent any votes on these provisions. They’re saying your opinion doesn’t matter. And that’s not right.”
Barack Obama’s speech came a week after Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy signed sweeping gun-control measures into law.
Connecticut follows the states of Colorado and New York in passing tighter state gun laws.
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Chelsea Clinton says she simply wants her mother to take it easy as speculation swirls over whether Hillary Clinton will run for the White House in 2016.
“Right now, I want her to rest,” Chelsea Clinton said in an interview with Parade magazine.
“Ultimately I want her to make whatever she thinks is the right decision. I always want to help her in any way I can, because I unapologetically and unabashedly am deeply biased toward my mother.”
Hillary Clinton, 65, has said she has no plans for a second presidential bid, but she hasn’t ruled it out. She stepped down as Secretary of State in February.
Hillary Clinton has said she has no plans for a second presidential bid in 2016, but she hasn’t ruled it out
Chelsea Clinton, 33, has been a loyal supporter and advocate for her mother, appearing at her side throughout her ultimately failed bid for the Democratic nomination in 2008.
Democrats argue among themselves whether Hillary Clinton has the desire and energy to go through the grueling campaign process she knows so well.
However, many see Hillary Clinton as a prohibitive favorite whose head start would be so big that other potential candidates might starve for funds and attention.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll in January found that 67% of Americans held a favorable view of Hillary Clinton, which is her highest rating since the poll began measuring her popularity in the 1990s.
The poll has been held through Hillary Clinton time as First Lady, her eight years in the Senate representing New York and her time as Secretary of State.
“It’s hard to overstate the breadth and depth of enthusiasm for a Hillary run,” said Doug Hattaway, a former campaign aide of Hillary Clinton and now a Washington-based consultant.
Hillary Clinton built a national base of supporters in 2008, when she lost a hard-fought nomination fight to Barack Obama, and she’s widely respected after her turn heading the State Department, Doug Hattaway said.
“A lot of donors, volunteers and potential campaign workers will wait to hear what she decides before committing to other candidates,” he said, although “anyone with their eye on 2016 is already working on it.”
Mo Elleithee, a top spokesman for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign, said it’s much too early to know.
“My advice to everyone is to chill out,” Mo Elleithee said.
“There’s no need for all this breathless anticipation at this point.”
In the Parade interview, Chelsea Clinton also spoke out about how her grandmother, Dorothy Rodham, encouraged her to get involved with her family’s work.
“She thought I wasn’t doing enough with the opportunity I’d been given to be Chelsea Clinton,” Chelsea Clinton said.
“I’d chosen to kind of live in the recesses, to work very hard and try to be a good person.
“I hadn’t planned on or expected to have a public dimension in my life. But I was starting to feel like I had a responsibility to at least try to make more of a difference.”
During a televised interview last week First Lady Michelle Obama accidentally called herself a single mother.
Michelle Obama was talking about healthy foods as part of her ongoing Let’s Move! initiative and made the slip when she was discussing how the demands of raising a family can leave little time for nutritious cooking in a CBS interview.
First Lady Michelle Obama accidentally called herself a single mother
“Believe me, as a busy single mother,” Michelle Obama said, before quickly correcting herself: “Or I shouldn’t say single – as a busy mother.”
Michelle Obama’s remarks came the same day that the President was criticized for remarking that California’s Kamala Harris is the ‘best looking attorney general’ in the country.
Though Michelle Obama did not comment on her husband’s gaffe, she did try explaining her slip-up by adding: “Sometimes, you know when you’ve got the husband who’s president it can feel a little single. But he’s there.”
Though Barack Obama is obviously busy, leaving much of the child-rearing on Michelle’s shoulders, she does have a good idea about what she is talking about.
When Barack Obama was a Senator and living in Washington, D.C. during the work week, Michelle raised the two young girls on her own in Chicago.
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