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President Barack Obama is ready to offer cuts to Americans’ pensions to strike a deficit deal with Republicans, a White House official says.
In return, Democratic Barack Obama wants higher taxes on the rich.
The president will outline his budget plan next Wednesday, April 10.
Barack Obama’s proposal is to cut the deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years, say administration officials.
But Democrats would oppose cuts to pensions, while Republicans have refused to accept tax rises.
President Barack Obama is ready to offer cuts to Americans’ pensions to strike a deficit deal with Republicans
Under the deal trailed by the White House, Barack Obama would support lowering the inflation measure used to calculate cost-of-living increases in Social Security pensions.
The plan will also include reductions in Medicare spending for the elderly, much of it by targeting payments to healthcare providers and drug firms.
The senior administration official who discussed the so-called grand bargain spoke anonymously because the budget has yet to be released.
Barack Obama will seek to wine and dine Republican lawmakers as he hosts a dinner for them after unveiling his budget on April 10.
The president’s plan also envisages making pre-school education available to more children by increasing taxes on tobacco.
He discussed the main elements of his plan with Republican House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner last December during previous fiscal talks.
Those negotiations ended at the beginning of this year with John Boehner accepting tax rises on earnings of more than $400,000, returning rates to levels seen during the Clinton administration.
But the Republican deal-maker is likely to balk at the idea of another tax rise on the rich.
Congressional Democrats and labor groups, meanwhile, are expected to staunchly oppose cuts to pensions and healthcare.
“Millions of working people… will be extremely disappointed if President Obama caves in to the long-standing Republican effort to cut Social Security,” Senator Bernard Sanders, a liberal independent from Vermont, said earlier this week.
In a budget proposal passed by the Senate last month, Democrats called for nearly $1 trillion in new tax revenue and no cuts to Social Security or Medicare.
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President Barack Obama has apologized to California Attorney General Kamala Harris for the “good looking” remarks he made at a fundraising event on Thursday.
Barack Obama described Kamala Harris, a long-time friend, as “the best-looking attorney general in the country”.
Kamala Harris’s spokesman said she strongly supported Barack Obama but would not say whether she had accepted his apology.
Critics have cited the remark as an example of the ongoing hurdles women face in the workplace.
Speaking after Kamala Harris at the fundraising event in California on Thursday, Barack Obama said she was “brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly what you’d want in anybody who is administering the law and making sure that everybody is getting a fair shake”.
President Barack Obama has apologized to California Attorney General Kamala Harris for the “good looking” remarks he made at a fundraising event on Thursday
Then the president added: “She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country… It’s true. Come on. And she is a great friend and has just been a great supporter for many, many years.”
On Friday, the White House said President Barack Obama had spoken to AG Kamala Harris to apologize for the “distraction” created by his comments.
“He did not want in any way to diminish the attorney general’s professional accomplishments and her capabilities,” press secretary Jay Carney said.
Jay carney added that the president “fully recognizes the challenge women continue to face in the workplace and that they should not be judged based on appearance”.
Writers and bloggers have commented that although Barack Obama is a personal friend of Kamala Harris and a strong supporter of women’s rights, his remarks were inappropriate.
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President Barack Obama is being accused of sexism for publicly remarking on California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s good looks at a fundraiser in San Francisco yesterday.
Barack Obama said of Kamala Harris: “She’s brilliant and she’s dedicated, she’s tough…She also happens to be, by far, the best looking attorney general.”
The president added: “It’s true! C’mon!”
According to a pool reporter who attended the event, Barack Obama was doting on Kamala Harris, “noting a couple of times that she is, objectively, easy on the eyes”.
Commentators both liberal and conservative immediately took to Twitter to blast the president’s remarks as “unsettling”, “disgraceful” and “disrespectful”.
President Barack Obama is being accused of sexism for publicly remarking on California Attorney General Kamala Harris’s good looks at a fundraiser in San Francisco
“Obama’s comment about Kamala Harris is disgraceful and really terrible for workplace equality,” wrote Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine.
Rebecca Traister, writer for The New York Times Magazine and Salon: “On What planet in [Barack Obama’s] mind did he think that sounded like the right thing to say?”
Barack Obama’s supporters argue that the president and Kamala Harris, who is not married, are good friends and that it shouldn’t be considered a crime to compliment a women on her obvious good looks.
“The fact that this has in some way become a story about his overall respect of women (or lack thereof) is a slap in the face to the first lady, the first daughters, and every other woman who appreciates a compliment that extends far beyond appearance from the president or any other man,” Angela Rye, a Democratic political consultant, told Politico.
First Lady Michelle Obama has not commented on the controversy , but she did have a slip-up of her own on Thursday in a TV interview where she accidentally called herself a “single mother”.
During an interview with Burlington, Vermont CBS affiliant WCAX, Michelle Obama was discussing healthy foods and how the demands of raising a family can leave little time for nutritious cooking.
“Believe me, as a busy single mother,” Michelle Obama said, before quickly correcting herself: “Or I shouldn’t say single – as a busy mother.”
Explaining her slip-up, Michelle Obama added: “Sometimes, you know when you’ve got the husband who’s president it can feel a little single. But he’s there.”
Kamala Harris, 48, is a Democratic favorite and a trailblazer in her home state.
Her mixed race descent – having been born of an Asian Indian mother who emigrated to the U.S. from Chennai and a Jamaican American father- made her the first female, African American and Asian American attorney general in the state.
On top of that, Kamala Harris is the first Indian American attorney general in the US.
Kamala Harris’ career shows no sign of stopping, as she is regularly mentioned when pundits speculate about possible Supreme Court nominees should a new judge be appointed during President Barack Obama’s second term.
Another possible track for her is the gubernatorial one, as attorney general is a common springboard position for those hoping to climb the local ladder.
Little is known about Kamala Harris’ current romantic situation, except that she was in a serious relationship with the former mayor of San Francisco Willie Brown.
Kamala Harris and Willie Brown were a serious item and dated when he was the Speaker of the California State Assembly, but they reportedly broke up in 1998.
There are no pictures of President Barack Obama and Kamala Harris together at Thursday’s event, which was a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee held at the home of John Goldman, the heir to the Levi Strauss fortune.
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President Barack Obama has decided to give 5% of his salary back to the government to show solidarity with the federal workers who took pay cuts during the sequester.
According to White House sources, Barack Obama will surrender 5% of his compensation in an effort to do his part during the period of fiscal cutbacks, the Associated Press reported.
The president’s move comes as hundreds of thousands of public service workers will be sent home without pay for a number of days over the next six months in an effort to cut spending.
President Barack Obama will give 5 percent of his salary back to the government to show solidarity with the federal workers who took pay cuts during the sequester
The US President’s annual salary is $400,000, meaning that a 5% pay cut would amount to $20,000 for the year.
That said, it is unclear whether Barack Obama will extend this measure so that it lasts a year, and he will only likely continue it as the sequester is in effect.
As a result, the cut will be retroactive, starting at the beginning of this month as that is when the sequester went into effect.
The cut will amount to about $1,666 per month.
Barack Obama isn’t the only politician making an effort to show solidarity with his lesser-paid colleagues, as a bevy of other Democrats have done the same.
According to USA Today, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his deputy director Ashton Carter have announced that they will not accept a portion of their salaries during the period of the sequester.
They did not specify how much of their salary they will be giving up.
Senators Claire McCaskill and Mark Begich- both Democrats- have publicly stated that they will be making similar gestures. Cynics could take issue with Mark Begich’s involvement, as he announced plans to work with Republican Senator Tom Coburn to figure out areas to cut the projected $85 billion in spending that is needed to help fix the country’s financial crisis.
Adding to his possible motives, it also comes the year before he is up for re-election in Alaska.
There have not been any reports of Republicans making similar gestures.
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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off the annual White House Easter Egg Roll this morning, welcoming 30,000 of visitors, children and families, into the grounds of their home.
First off, the Obamas took to the South Lawn to help young competitors in the traditional egg-rolling race and later took a well-earned break reading aloud snippets from their favorite books.
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama kicked off White House Easter Egg Roll 2013
The theme of this year’s event was Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You! – fitting with Michelle Obama’s campaign to lower childhood obesity rates by encouraging physical activity.
“We are so excited. The Easter Egg Roll is the biggest event that we have here on the South Lawn of the White House each year.
“Today we’re going have more than 30,000 people pass through this yard in celebration of nutrition, and health, and activity,” Michelle Obama announced from the balcony of the White House as the sun made a welcome appearance.
First daughters Malia and Sasha Obama also played a role in today’s event.
After President Barack Obama recited passages from his favorite book Chicka, Chicka, Boom Boom, they read aloud the popular children’s picture book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?.
Like their parents, Malia and Sasha Obama opted for casual wear, and looked comfortable dressed in jeans and sneakers.
Michelle Obama joined her daughter in the reading corner, narrating passages from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.
“Thanks for coming, have fun,” the first lady said after her story-time session, which was also attended by the family pet, Bo the dog. She instructed him to keep his paws off her white pants.
The president’s basketball and tennis courts were open for play, along with an obstacle course and yoga garden.
A dance party was set up at the Hop To It Stage, and professional athletes and coaches were helping teach their sports in the Eggtivity Zone.
Among the stars scheduled to attend were Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, NASCAR driver Danica Patrick, gymnast John Orozco and Washington Wizards point guard John Wall.
Two of the younger celebrities in Monday’s lineup are Oscar-nominated actress Quvenzhane Wallis, star of Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Robbie Novak, who plays Kid President in a series of popular YouTube videos.
A track suit-clad Elmo and other Sesame Street Muppets performed and encouraged exercise.
The White House had warned more than 35,000 expected attendees that the 135-year tradition could have been cancelled because of budget battles with Congress this year.
White House tours have been called off because of government-wide spending cuts, but the egg roll was not.
The National Park Service, which organizes the event, says it’s largely funded by sales of commemorative wooden eggs, plus some private donations.
The park service would not say how much the event costs.
The White House said 14,500 eggs were dyed for the egg roll and hunt, with another 4,500 hard-boiled eggs available for children to decorate.
There are also special eggs that make a sound like a chirping bird so visually impaired children can participate in the hunt.
Yesterday the First Family attended an Easter service at St. John’s Church.
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President Barack Obama has signed the so-called Monsanto Protection Act bill into law.
The bill, the HR 933 continuing resolution, was written in part by the very billion-dollar corporation that will benefit directly from the legislation.
President Barack Obama has signed the so-called Monsanto Protection Act bill into law
Buried 78 pages within the bill exists a provision that grossly protects biotech corporations such as the California-based Monsanto Company from litigation.
With Barack Obama’s signature, agriculture giants that deal with genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and genetically engineered (GE) seeds are given the go-ahead to continue to plant and sell man-made crops, even as questions remain largely unanswered about the health risks these types of products pose to consumers.
In light of approval from the House and Senate, more than 250,000 people signed a petition asking President Barack Obama to veto the spending bill over the biotech rider tacked on, an item that has since been widely referred to as the Monsanto Protection Act.
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President Barack Obama is ending his Middle East tour with a trip to the famous ruins of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan.
The diplomatic part of his visit ended on Friday when he met King Abdullah and pledged an additional $200 million to help Syrian refugees in Jordan.
Correspondents say Barack Obama’s four-day visit has yielded mixed results.
The US president brokered an Israeli rapprochement with Turkey but there was little progress on the Palestinian issue.
Barack Obama’s Marine One helicopter touched down near Petra after an hour-long flight from the Jordanian capital, Amman.
The site of the ancient city, which is carved into rose-red stone, dates back 2,000 years and is Jordan’s top tourist attraction, drawing more than half a million visitors each year.
President Barack Obama is ending his Middle East tour with a trip to the famous ruins of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan
Most of Barack Obama’s time in the Middle East was spent in Israel where he held several meetings with PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
A highlight of the visit came when Benjamin Netanyahu apologized to Turkey for “any errors that could have led to loss of life” during the 2010 commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade.
Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed to compensate the families of the nine Turkish activists who were killed.
Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he had accepted the apology, “in the name of the Turkish people”.
Barack Obama also briefly visited Ramallah in the West Bank to meet Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority.
The US president urged Palestinians to drop their demands for a freeze in Israeli settlement-building as a precondition for peace talks.
However, a spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas said the Palestinian leader had told Barack Obama the precondition remained in place.
Speaking to an audience of young Israelis in Jerusalem, Barack Obama praised Jewish nationhood before turning the argument around by stressing the need for Palestinians to share these same values of self-determination and justice.
“It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow up in a state of her own living their entire lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements of her parents every single day,” Barack Obama said.
President Barack Obama is due to return to Washington later on Saturday.
President Barack Obama and Miss Israel Yityish Aynaw, an Ethiopian Jewish immigrant, dined together at an official state dinner in Jerusalem, where the White House had requested her presence.
Barack Obama was in Jerusalem as part of a four-day trip to Middle East, visiting Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.
Yityish Aynaw, who goes by “Titi”, made history last month by becoming the first black Miss Israel.
After the dinner, Yityish Aynaw gushed about meeting President Barack Obama in an interview with the Israeli publication Yediot Aharonot.
“He’s an exciting man, a world-class hunk, charming and an extraordinary gentleman,” she said.
Yityish Aynaw and Barack Obama were introduced by Israeli President Shimon Peres
Yityish Aynaw and Barack Obama were introduced by Israeli President Shimon Peres.
“You are very beautiful,” Barack Obama told her, according Israeli media.
“And Michelle would have been very happy to be as tall as you are.”
Yityish Aynaw, 22, said she recalled learning about Barack Obama in high school.
“I did a research project about him in high school and I know he is a very powerful man, charismatic, and he achieved a lot on his own by virtue of the fact that he believed in himself and this stuck with me,” Yityish Aynaw told CNN.
She was working as a sales clerk when a friend entered her name into Israel’s beauty pageant.
Yityish Aynaw has lived in Israel since she was 10, when she was orphaned and went to live with her grandparents.
She recalled going to an Israeli boarding school without knowing a word of Hebrew and said some of the kids there made fun of her Ethiopian name.
“What is <<Yitayish>>? This is my name. But it sounds weird,” she told reporter Daniel Estrin in an interview.
“There were times they’d call me <<Tayish>>. In Hebrew that’s a kind of animal. You know?”
More than a quarter of all Israeli TV viewers watched Yityish Aynaw, who became an army officer after graduation, win her crown a couple weeks ago.
“It’s time that someone from my community, someone with my skin color, who is Israeli just like everyone else, represent the country,” Yityish Aynaw said.
“I feel like I made history, that I blazed a trail.”
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President Barack Obama has pledged to Jordan an additional $200 million to help deal with the growing number of Syrian refugees in the country.
After talks in Amman, Barack Obama said the funds – if backed by Congress – would help provide more humanitarian aid.
Some 450,000 Syrians have fled to neighboring Jordan since the unrest began in 2011, putting huge pressure on the Jordanian authorities.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s King Abdullah ruled out closing Jordan’s border with Syria.
Barack Obama said he would ask Congress to provide additional funds as “budget support” to help the Syrian refugees.
He said this would help improve basic services at refugee camps along the Jordan-Syria border.
President Barack Obama has pledged to Jordan an additional $200 million to help deal with the growing number of Syrian refugees in the country
The US is already the largest single donor of humanitarian assistance to Syrian refugees.
The number of Syrians who have fled the country to escape the conflict between the government and rebel forces reached one million earlier this month, according to the UN High Commission for Refugees.
The UN says half of those leaving Syria are children, most of them under 11 and often traumatized by their experiences.
Along with Jordan, the many Syrians are seeking shelter in Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt.
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Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Turkey for “any errors that could have led to loss of life” during the 2010 commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade.
Benjamin Netanyahu also agreed with Turkey’s PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan to compensate the families of the nine activists who were killed.
Israel’s prime minister had previously only expressed regret for the deaths.
The deal was brokered by US President Barack Obama during his visit to Israel.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said he had accepted the apology, “in the name of the Turkish people”.
In the past, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has always given two conditions for restoring bilateral relations with Israel – an apology and compensation for victims’ families.
Nine people were killed on board the Turkish aid ship, Mavi Marmara, when it was boarded by Israeli commandos while trying to transport aid supplies to Gaza in May 2010 in spite of an Israeli naval blockade.
The Israeli government admitted mistakes were made in intelligence-gathering and planning, but insisted its commandos used lethal force because activists had attacked them.
The activists said the troops had opened fire as soon as they boarded the vessel, which was in international waters at the time.
The incident provoked an international outcry and led to a major deterioration in relations between Turkey and Israel.
Benjamin Netanyahu has apologized to Turkey for “any errors that could have led to loss of life” during the 2010 commando raid on an aid flotilla that tried to breach the Gaza blockade
Before departing for Jordan on Friday afternoon, Barack Obama revealed that Benjamin Netanyahu and Recep Tayyip Erdogan had just spoken by telephone.
“The United States deeply values our close partnerships with both Turkey and Israel, and we attach great importance to the restoration of positive relations between them in order to advance regional peace and security,” President Barack Obama said in a statement released by the White House.
A statement issued by Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that in the telephone conversation with Recep Tayyip Erdogan he had expressed regret over the deterioration in bilateral ties and noted his “commitment to working out the disagreements in order to advance peace and regional stability”.
“The prime minister made it clear that the tragic results regarding the Mavi Marmara were unintentional and that Israel expresses regret over injuries and loss of life,” it added.
“In light of the Israeli investigation into the incident, which pointed out several operational errors, Prime Minister Netanyahu apologized to the Turkish people for any errors that could have led to loss of life and agreed to complete the agreement on compensation.”
The two leaders had also agreed to continue to work on improving the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian Territories, the statement said.
A statement from Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s office said the two prime ministers had agreed on making arrangements for compensation for families of the dead activists.
“Erdogan told Benjamin Netanyahu that he valued centuries-long strong friendship and co-operation between the Turkish and Jewish nations,” it added.
Benjamin Netanyahu’s change of heart is a clear indication of the diplomatic clout that the US still wields with its two key allies in a turbulent region.
The prime minister’s call to his Turkish counterpart was apparently made from a trailer at Tel Aviv airport while Air Force One sat on the ground waiting to depart.
The unglamorous setting and the last-minute nature of the call suggests the deal may not have been easy to broker.
Israeli officials said the apology had become possible after Recep Tayyip Erdogan qualified earlier comments about Zionism in an interview with a Danish newspaper.
Benjamin Netanyahu expressed “appreciation” for the comments, his office said.
Former Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman called the decision to apologize a “serious error”, Israeli news site Walla reported.
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President Barack Obama is concluding his trip to Israel and the West Bank by paying his respects to victims of the Holocaust and visiting Bethlehem.
Barack Obama went to the Yad Vashem museum after seeing the graves of Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, and former Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin.
He is touring Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity before flying to Amman for talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama urged Israelis and Palestinians to resume peace talks.
Barack Obama told an audience of some 2,000 young Israelis in Jerusalem that they could be “the generation that permanently secures the Zionist dream” or “face growing challenges to its future”.
“The only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine,” the president warned.
Hours earlier, after holding talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, Barack Obama urged Palestinians to return to the negotiating table even if Israel did not meet their condition of halting Jewish settlement construction.
“If we’re going to succeed, part of what we’re going to have to do is to get out of some of the formulas and habits that have blocked progress for so long,” he said.
“Both sides are going to have to think anew.”
About 500,000 Jews live in more than 100 settlements built since the 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.
Barack Obama began his third and final day in Israel by travelling to the grave of Theodore Herzl, who died in 1904 before his dream of a Jewish homeland was realized.
Accompanied by Israeli President Shimon Peres and PM Benjamin Netanyahu, he laid a wreath and placed a small rock on the headstone, a Jewish custom.
“It is humbling and inspiring to visit and remember the visionary who began the remarkable establishment of the State of Israel,” Barack Obama wrote in the visitors’ book.
“May our two countries possess the same vision and will to secure peace and prosperity for future generations.”
Barack Obama is concluding his trip to Israel and the West Bank by paying his respects to victims of the Holocaust and visiting Bethlehem
Barack Obama then walked to the grave of Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated by a right-wing extremist after a peace rally in support of the Oslo Accords in 1995.
He again laid a wreath and placed a rock on the headstone, and reportedly told Yitzhak Rabin’s children and grandchildren that he had been “a great man”, adding: “Sometimes it is harder to embark on peace than to embark on war.”
Barack Obama later visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, which he said illustrated the depravity to which man could sink but also served as a reminder of the “righteous among nations who refused to be bystanders”.
“The state of Israel does not exist because of the Holocaust, but with the survival of a strong Jewish state of Israel, such a holocaust will never happen again,” he added.
The Church of the Nativity was originally built in 399 above a cave traditionally believed to be the birthplace of Jesus and rebuilt after fire in the 6th Century, it is among the holiest sites in Christianity.
On Friday afternoon Barack Obama will fly to Jordan, where he plans to hold talks with King Abdullah and spend the night.
Barack Obama and King Abdullah are expected to discuss Jordan’s struggle to cope with the influx of more than 350,000 refugees from Syria, the stalled Middle East peace process, and efforts at political reform in the kingdom.
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Yityish Aynaw, an immigrant orphan from Ethiopia, who became the first black Miss Israel last month, has been invited to Thursday’s gala dinner with visiting President Barack Obama.
Yityish Aynaw arrived in Israel at 12. Her mother had just died, leaving her an orphan as her father had died years earlier.
Her mother’s parents, who were among thousands of Ethiopian Jews already living in Israel, arrived in Addis Ababa to fetch Yityish and her older brother.
In their new home, Yityish Aynaw and her brother had to learn Hebrew from scratch.
After school, like most other Israelis, she performed military service. She then stayed on in the army and was serving as an officer when she left, after three years, in September last year.
Yityish Aynaw, an immigrant orphan from Ethiopia, who became the first black Miss Israel last month, has been invited to Thursday’s gala dinner with visiting President Barack Obama
Before she was selected as Miss Israel on February 27, Yityish Aynaw was a manager in a shoe shop in Netanya.
During the competition she named the black American civil rights leader Martin Luther King as one of her heroes.
Yityish Aynaw says she hopes her victory will “achieve the acceptance of everyone in Israel”.
Ethiopians often complain about discrimination when it comes to jobs, education and housing. There were even allegations last year that some new Ethiopian immigrants have been given contraceptive injections against their will.
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President Barack Obama has met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a historical visit to the West Bank.
Barack Obama has said that the US is “deeply committed” to creating a sovereign state of Palestine.
Speaking after talks with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Barack Obama said Israeli settlement activity was not “appropriate for peace”.
US Secretary of State John Kerry would, the president added, devote time and energy trying to bring the two sides closer.
Mahmoud Abbas said the two men had held “good and useful” talks in Ramallah.
However, Palestinian expectations of Barack Obama’s visit have been low, analysts say.
President Barack Obama has met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a historical visit to the West Bank
On his first visit to Israel as US president on Wednesday, Barack Obama vowed strong support for the country.
At talks on Wednesday, Barack Obama and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict
Speaking in Jerusalem, President Barack Obama said a central element of securing a lasting peace in the Middle East “must be a strong and secure Jewish state where its security concerns are met, alongside a sovereign and independent Palestinian state”.
Two rockets were fired from Gaza into southern Israel on Thursday morning, Israeli officials say, but there were no reports of anyone being hurt. A further two rockets fired from Gaza reportedly fell inside Gaza itself.
Mahmoud Abbas condemned “violence against civilians, whatever its source, including the firing of rockets”, according to a Palestinian spokesperson.
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Barack Obama’s armored limo broke down on the way to Tel Aviv airport as the US president is making a historic visit to Israel.
The custom General Motors Cadillac limo was relegated to a pick up truck after the driver accidentally put gas in the engine instead of diesel.
President Barack Obama arrived in Tel Aviv Wednesday afternoon local time, and earlier that morning, the limo that was designated to his hotel was unable to move after the driver made the silly mistake.
Local news reports allege that it was the President’s limo that was shipped over specially from Washington that broke down so he was forced to use the second vehicle that they brought over from the U.S.
The limo was pictured by local station 24 Hour News when it was on the back of a flatbed truck.
Since the car was not able to take him from the airport, thankfully the president was always scheduled to leave the airport via helicopter in order to avoid passing through the Palestinian checkpoints that interrupt the route from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem.
The US Secret Service put out a statement about the incident, saying that it was a situation where it pays for them to be prepared.
“One of our protective vehicles experienced mechanical problems in Israel earlier today. This is why we bring multiple vehicles and a mechanic on all trips,” said Edwin Donovan, a spokesman for the Secret Service.
“Situations like this are planned for extensively by our advance teams so that the President’s itinerary is unaffected by these types of issues.”
They did not confirm that whether or not the driver used gas or diesel, and if that was the cause of the malfunction.
Barack Obama’s armored limo broke down on the way to Tel Aviv airport as the US president is making a historic visit to Israel
Barack Obama’s first stop was to Israeli President Shimon Peres’ house, and after planting a ceremonial tree and giving brief scripted remarks, he drove off in an armored limo.
Given the Secret Service statement, it appears that the President drove off in the second limo while the American technician worked on the first.
President Barack Obama started off the trip by apologizing to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as he was overheard saying: “It’s embarrassing, our entourage. My wife, Michelle, teases me mercilessly.”
The US president isn’t kidding about the fact that he travels with a crew: the Israeli government issued a press kit that reports Barack Obama has a 600-person entourage, and they will occupy all 233 rooms in the King David Hotel during their stay.
By comparison, Madonna has a 200-person entourage when she tours, meaning that the President has a crew three-times the size of the best-known Material Girl.
Barack Obama must enjoy hanging out with a familiar group, as he reportedly agreed to do a cameo in the upcoming movie version of the show Entourage.
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Barack Obama has arrived in Tel Aviv for his first trip to Israel as US president.
After landing in Tel Aviv, BarackObama also referred to the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process, saying “peace must come to the Holy Land”.
US officials have tried to lower expectations of any significant headway on restarting the peace process.
Syria, and Iran’s nuclear ambitions are expected to loom large in talks.
Correspondents say Israelis are more preoccupied with instability in the wider Middle East region than with breathing new life into the peace process, which broke down in 2010 amid a dispute over continued Israeli settlement construction.
Settlement supporters are a big force in Israel’s new coalition government.
Barack Obama was welcomed at Ben Gurion airport by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s President Shimon Peres.
After being introduced to Israeli ministers and dignitaries, Barack Obama said the US would “never lose sight of an Israel at peace with its neighbors”.
The US president added: “The United States stands with Israel because it is in our fundamental security interests to stand with Israel. Our alliance is eternal. It is forever.”
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Thank you for defending Israel’s right to unequivocally defend its right to exist.”
Barack Obama has arrived in Tel Aviv for his first trip to Israel as US president
Barack Obama is due to hold separate talks with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his three-day visit.
In the US, Barack Obama has been criticized for not having visited Israel in his first term as president, with some saying it shows he is not close enough to the country.
That is despite his administration’s repeated assertion that the two countries share an “unbreakable alliance”.
Thousands of Israeli and Palestinian security officers have been assembled in Jerusalem and the Palestinians’ de facto capital in the West Bank city of Ramallah, ahead of his trip.
The state of the economy and social issues dominated Israel’s last election, and Barack Obama has said he is not going to the region bearing any grand peace plan.
Barack Obama’s relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu has been notoriously frosty and one recent opinion poll suggested a mere 10% of the Israeli public had a favorable opinion of the US president.
The main event of this trip is a speech to the Israeli people – Barack Obama’s main task is to build bridges and improve his image, which could give him more leverage over the new Israeli government.
Yesterday, Palestinian protesters gathered in Ramallah and Bethlehem, some throwing shoes at images of Barack Obama and others driving over his portrait, reports said.
Demonstrator Huwaida Arraf told Reuters news agency that Barack Obama’s visit was “a slap in the face”.
“People are angry and disappointed that this far into his presidency, Obama has done nothing, and aid to Israel’s occupation continues to flow,” he said.
Meanwhile, Israeli demonstrators gathered in Jerusalem to demand barack Obama free Jonathan Pollard, imprisoned in the US in 1987 for spying for Israel.
Barack Obama’s three-day visit to Israel:
- Wednesday: Meets PM Benjamin Netanyahu
- Thursday: Meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
- Friday: Visits Bethlehem’s Church of Nativity and later departs for Jordan
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Barack Obama couldn’t partake in tasting a delicious menu of lobster, potato chips and blueberry pie on Thursday at a dinner with Senate Republicans because his taster hadn’t verified the food was safe.
According to Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins, though he couldn’t indulge, Barack Obama “looked longingly at it”.
Susan Collins had organized the Thursday dinner, held in the Lyndon B. Johnson Room off the Senate chamber, and paid homage to her home state with a bevy of local delicacies.
She said that the menu included: “University of Maine recipe for healthy lobster salad – I pointed that out to the president in keeping with the first lady’s initiatives and Fox Family Potato Chips made in Aroostook County where I’m from and wild blueberry pie full of anti-oxidants,” according to an audio clip obtained by the Daily Caller.
Barack Obama couldn’t participate at a dinner with Senate Republicans because his taster hadn’t verified the food was safe
“We did have a little ice cream on the pie too, also made in Maine, Gifford’s Ice Cream. So in all seriousness this was well received,” Susan Collins told the press after the meeting that lasted 90 minutes.Though GOP Senators who attended the event enjoyed the cuisine, the honored guest had to exercise self control and watch the others pleasure their taste buds.
“Apparently he has to have essentially a taster, and I pointed out to him that we were all tasters for him, that if the food had been poisoned all of us would have keeled over,” Susan Collins said.
“He did look longingly at it and he remarked that we have far better food than the Democrats do, and I said that was because I was hosting.”
The security service keeps details of its security measures for the president under wraps but it is widely suspected that Barack Obama travels with a food taster.
Former basketball star Dennis Rodman, who recently visited North Korea, says Kim Jong-un doesn’t want war with the United States.
Kim Jong-un just wants President Barack Obama to call him.
Dennis Rodman, the highest-profile American to meet Kim Jong-un since he took power in North Korea in December 2011, says Barack Obama and Kim share a love of basketball, so “let’s start there”.
The former NBA star is just back from a visit to North Korea with the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team and camera crews for the upcoming HBO series VICE, during which he spent two days with Kim Jong-un.
In his first interview about the trip, Dennis Rodman spoke on ABC’s This Week.
“He wants Obama to do one thing: Call him,” Dennis Rodman told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
“He said, <<If you can, Dennis – I don’t want [to] do war. I don’t want to do war>>. He said that to me.”
The trip took place amid strained ties between the U.S. and North Korea over the North’s recent underground nuclear test.
Kim Jong-un is regarded as one of the world’s most oppressive leaders in a nation that builds prison camps and lets millions of its citizens starve to death.
In stark contrast to the poverty of his citizens, Kim Jong-un welcomed the group with a feast, ice skating, and an aquarium visit.
Dennis Rodman, who recently visited North Korea, says Kim Jong-un doesn’t want war with the United States
Upon returning, Dennis Rodman shocked many by praising Kim Jong-un.
“I love him,” he said.
“He’s awesome.”
Dennis Rodman stood by the controversial statement during his ABC interview.
“No, I’m not apologiz[ing] for him,” Dennis Rodman said.
“You know, he’s a good guy to me. Guess what? He’s my friend. I don’t condone what he does… [but] as a person to person – he’s my friend.”
Dennis Rodman is the first widely-known American to meet with Kim Jong-un since he became head of North Korea, succeeding his Kim Jong-il, who died in 2011.
Kim Jong-un has followed in his father’s footsteps, defying U.N. sanctions by pursing a nuclear arms and missiles program he says is aimed at the U.S.
He also shared a love of basketball with his father, and is particularly fond of the 1990s Chicago Bulls championship teams, which included Dennis Rodman.
On his trip the two watched an exhibition game between the Globetrotters and North Korean players, with Dennis Rodman telling Kim Jong-un before the crowd: “You have a friend for life.”
“I’m not a politician,” Dennis Rodman wrote on Twitter.
“Kim Jung-un & North Korean people are basketball fans. Love everyone. Period. End of story.”
The U.S. State Department has distanced itself from the visit and will not debrief Dennis Rodman on the meeting.
The decision not to talk to Dennis Rodman has been characterized as “ridiculous” by some intelligence experts.
“There is nobody at the CIA who can tell you more personally about Kim Jong-un than Dennis Rodman, and that in itself is scary,” said Steve Ganyard, a former deputy assistant secretary of state.
Dennis Rodman expects to return to North Korea.
“I’m not like a diplomat,” he said.
“I’m [going to] go back, do one thing and find out more, what’s going on. Find out more.”
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Mitt Romney revealed today during his first interview since he lost US presidency that he believed in his heart he was going to win the election and go on to the White House, and that “it kills me” not to be president.
Former GOP candidate Mitt Romney, 65, said today in his first interview since losing the election that while he believed he was going to become commander-in-chief, early polling numbers spelled out trouble, and he began to have a “slow recognition” that Barack Obama would win once seeing that Florida was a close race.
In the interview with Fox News Sunday, Ann Romney, 64, also confirmed during the show that she was approached by ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, but turned it down, saying: “I would have loved to have done it…(but) I’m not really as flexible as I should be.”
The interview, led by Fox News’ Chris Wallace, was taped earlier this week, but aired Sunday morning.
It brushed upon Barack Obama’s second term, current events, and Mitt Romney’s newest grandchildren.
Mitt Romney reflected over his campaign, saying that he did not do a satisfactory job connecting with minority voters, and said that Republicans in general must strive to do better in appealing to black and Hispanic voters.
He later joked that he did better in his second run for the White House than he did the first time around – when he lost the 2008 nomination to Arizona Sen. John McCain. Regardless of his success making it as the GOP nomination, he said he won’t run for a third time.
Mitt Romney compared the experience of running for the presidency to riding a roller coaster. He told Chris Wallace: “We were on a roller coaster, exciting and thrilling, ups and downs.
“But the ride ends, and then you get off. And it’s not like, <<Oh, can’t we be on a roller coaster the rest of our life?>> It’s like, no, that ride’s over.”
Mitt Romney first interview since losing US election with Fox News Sunday
Mitt Romney’s wife Ann compared the experience to the service that the Romneys have carried out within the Mormon church.
“In our church, we’re used to serving and you know, you can be in a very high position, but you recognize you’re serving. And now all of a sudden, you’re released and you’re nobody. And we’re used to that. It’s like we came and stepped forward to serve.
“And you know, the other part of it was an amazing thing, and it was really quite a lot of energy and a lot of passion and a lot of – a lot of people around us and all of a sudden, it was nothing,” she said.
“But the good news is we like each other,” Ann Romney joked.
Sharing the next phase of their lives, the couple additionally took a moment to present their family’s latest additions after becoming grandparents to 20 children on Valentine’s Day.
Mitt and Ann Romney cradled their son Craig’s newborn twins before the cameras, one seen in a pink blanket and the other in blue.
The family has kept a low profile since Mitt Romney’s concession to President Barack Obama last November. The couple has been spotted doing ordinary things, such as going to see “Twilight” and, most recently, shopping for cereal at Target.
Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, lost to President Barack Obama by a margin of 332 to 206 electoral college votes.
He spent the month after the failed White House bid in solitude at his beachfront mansion in La Jolla, near San Diego, reflecting upon the campaign.
But almost four months on it is thought Mitt Romney is ready to return to public life and political debate.
Mitt Romney is also due to address the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington next month.
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President Barack Obama has signed into effect a wave of steep spending cuts which he has warned could damage the US economy.
The cuts – known as the sequester and drawn up two years ago – will take $85 billion from the US federal budget this year.
Last-ditch talks at the White House to avert the reductions before Friday’s deadline broke up without agreement.
The IMF has warned the cuts could slow global economic growth.
The cuts were designed to be so brutally painful that politicians would be forced to agree on a better way of balancing the books.
However, as the midnight deadline loomed on Friday, Barack Obama and Republican congressional leaders still failed to agree on a way to avoid them.
The two sides are at odds over Barack Obama’s insistence on raising taxes as part of any plan for tackling the country’s $16.6 trillion debt.
After the White House talks broke up, Barack Obama blamed Republicans for the impasse.
“They’ve allowed these cuts to happen because they refuse to budge on closing a single wasteful loophole to help reduce the deficit,” he said.
Barack Obama warned the cuts – if fully realized – would slow US economic growth by half of 1% and cost 750,000 jobs.
“We shouldn’t be making a series of dumb, arbitrary cuts to things that businesses depend on and workers depend on,” he said.
The sequester was drawn up in mid-2011 as Congress and the White House feuded over raising the debt ceiling and how to slash the huge US deficit.
Republicans wanted deep cuts in spending while Democrats insisted on raising taxes.
At the end of 2012 Congress and the White House struck a dramatic deal to avoid what was dubbed the “fiscal cliff”, that included expiring tax breaks and the sequester.
Republicans agreed to Barack Obama’s demand to raise taxes for the rich and Congress postponed the deadline for the budget cuts until March 1.
President Barack Obama has signed into effect a wave of steep spending cuts which he has warned could damage the US economy
About half the cuts will come from the defence budget. Incoming defence secretary Chuck Hagel has warned of “significant impacts” on the military.
Chuck Hagel said the cuts “will cause pain, particularly among our civilian workforce and their families”.
“Let me make it clear that this uncertainty puts at risk our ability to effectively fulfill all of our missions,” Chuck Hagel said.
“Later this month, we intend to issue preliminary notifications to thousands of civilian employees who will be furloughed [put on unpaid leave].”
Defence officials say 800,000 civilian employees will have their working week reduced. They say they will also have to scale back flight hours for warplanes and postpone some equipment maintenance.
The deployment of a second aircraft carrier to the Gulf has also been cancelled.
On Friday, Republican House Speaker John Boehner reiterated his party’s refusal to allow taxes to rise and challenged the gridlocked US Senate to pass a bill first before the House acted on a plan.
“Let’s make it clear that the president got his tax hikes on 1 January,” he said as he left the White House.
“The discussion about revenue, in my view, is over. It’s about taking on the spending problem.”
Correspondents say attention will now turn to the next congressional challenge – a possible shutdown of the US government if no funding bill is passed in the next month.
On March 27 a temporary federal budget that has kept the federal government running since 2012 is due to expire.
House Republicans have said they will vote on a bill next week to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year, on September 30, but keep in place some automatic cuts taking effect on Friday.
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US political leaders are meeting for last-ditch talks at the White House, amid the prospect of steep budget cuts.
Cuts worth $85 billion, originally passed in an effort to push Congress to strike a budget deal, are due to become law by the end of Friday.
President Barack Obama is hosting Democratic and Republican leaders, as a blame game rages in Washington. Congress has adjourned for the weekend.
The IMF has said the cuts could have an impact on global growth.
Analysis in the US suggests the nation’s GDP (economic output) could grow by just 1.4% in 2013 if the cuts are not delayed or replaced. US GDP grew by 2.2% in 2012.
The White House meeting comes as prospects for a deal to avert the cuts, known as the sequester, appear extremely slim.
Budget bills from both parties were defeated in the Senate on Thursday.
Although Republicans and Democrats both say they want to reduce the budget deficit, estimated at $845 billion this year, the president accused Senate Republicans of allowing the cuts to proceed.
Barack Obama favors what he calls a “balanced” approach to deficit reduction, mixing cuts with tax rises for some Americans.
“They voted to let the entire burden of deficit reduction fall squarely on the middle class,” he said of his rivals, in a statement on Thursday.
Barack Obama criticized Republicans for refusing to close “a single tax loophole that benefits the well-off and well-connected.”
The president said that by not doing a budget deal to avoid the cuts, Congress would impose a “self-inflicted wound” on America.
But Republicans contend that the president and his advisers created and proposed the idea of the cuts during budget negotiations in 2011.
House Speaker John Boehner has referred repeatedly to “the president’s sequester”, according to Politico.
John Boehner and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, as well as the Senate’s Democratic majority leader Harry Reid and Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, arrived at the White House for talks that began at 10:18 EST, officials said.
Reports say Barack Obama is still hoping to push for a wider fiscal deal to reduce the deficit by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.
But attention will also turn to the next congressional challenge – a possible shutdown of the US government if no funding bill is passed in the next month.
US political leaders are meeting for last-ditch talks at the White House, amid the prospect of steep budget cuts
The cuts are split roughly evenly between military and domestic programmes, but effects will be felt over time rather than immediately.
While hundreds of thousands of jobs are expected to be lost, no US government programmes will be closed down entirely. Cuts to healthcare provision for the elderly will be limited.
The scale of cuts will increase gradually over 10 years, totalling $1.1 trillion by 2023, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
If there is no agreement, they are scheduled to be signed into the federal budget by President Barack Obama by 23:59 local time on Friday.
When Barack Obama signs an order later on Friday, a process to cut the defence budget by 10% and other programmes by 8.5% will be set into motion.
Millions of federal workers could face up to 22 forced days off without pay this year.
The cuts will not happen overnight – they will be spread over the next seven months and many think Congress will agree to a deal sooner rather than later.
In the Senate on Thursday, a Democratic plan blocked by Republicans proposed nearly $30 billion in future cuts in defence spending and a minimum tax rate on incomes exceeding $1 million.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said there were “no preconditions” on what could be discussed in Friday’s meeting.
With Republicans refusing to allow tax rises and Democrats vowing to protect cherished social programmes, Congress is just weeks away from its next budget battle.
On March 27 a temporary federal budget that has kept the federal government running since 2012 is due to expire.
Failure by Congress to enact a new stop-gap budget could see parts of the federal government shut down.
House Republicans said they would vote on a bill next week to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year, on September 30, but keep in place some automatic cuts taking effect on Friday.
Meanwhile the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said the global economic recovery could be harmed by the automatic spending cuts.
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After First Lady Michelle Obama wore a red and white check dress by online fashion retailer ASOS.com last year it quickly became a sellout.
Now fashionistas who missed out stealing Michelle Obama’s style the first time round can get their hands on the dress again as it has gone back on sale today.
The cotton skater dress is back in stock and currently available to buy for the bargain price of £55 ($85).
Michelle Obama, who regularly tops lists of the world’s best dressed women, has worn the sleeveless dress herself on more than one occasion.
Then last August when Michelle Obama joined her husband on the campaign trail as he sought re-election, she opted for the ASOS number again, this time wearing it with a wider black belt and ballet flats.
As if endorsement from the First Lady wearing it wasn’t enough, ASOS got even further free advertising when an image of Michelle Obama while wearing the dress while hugging Barack became the most shared picture in history on social networks.
After First Lady Michelle Obama wore a red and white check dress by online fashion retailer ASOS.com last year it quickly became a sellout
Barack Obama’s campaign team posted the image that was taken over the summer on his Twitter and Facebook accounts when it was announced he had won another term as President, along with the caption “another four years”.
The president’ss online campaign manager told Time Magazine the picture was chosen because it summed up the “elation, relief and joy” they were all feeling at that historic moment.
The picture was then retweeted 816,000 times on Twitter shared more than 4 million times on Facebook – breaking records for both social networks.
ASOS was launched in 2000 with the aim of helping twenty-somethings replicate the style of the stars at affordable prices. Now more than a decade on, its success means they’re now setting the trends as well as following them.
A new North Korean propaganda video posted on YouTube has portrayed President Barack Obama and American troops in flames and says the country conducted its recent nuclear test because of U.S. hostility.
The video, posted on Sunday, follows a string of critical rhetoric against the United States.
Another video posted earlier this month showed an American city, with similarities to New York, being attacked by missiles.
The most recent video was posted by a YouTube account affiliated with a pro-reunification government agency, shows a blazing fire superimposed over footage of Barack Obama.
The video ends with a generic simulation of a nuclear device exploding underground, appearing to refer to North Korea’s recent nuclear test.
The U.S. currently is negotiating in the Security Council for stronger U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang following a February 12 nuclear test in the far northeast, the country’s third since 2006.
Pyongyang released the clip on Uriminzokkiri – Korean for “Our Nation” – which distributes new and propaganda.
A new North Korean propaganda video posted on YouTube has portrayed President Barack Obama and American troops in flames and says the country conducted its recent nuclear test because of U.S. hostility
According to the Global Post, the backing track to the clip comes from a video gamed, Elder Scrolls Oblivion.
North Korea has said the aim of the nuclear test was to bolster its defenses in the wake the hostility of the U.S., which is pushing for sanctions on North Korea.
The country has already told key ally China that it is prepared to stage one or two more tests this year to force the United States into diplomatic talks, a source said.
North Korea also warned its neighbor South Korea on Tuesday that it faces “final destruction” as it took part in a UN conference on disarmament.
U.S. Ambassador Laura Kennedy said she found North Korea’s threat profoundly disturbing and later tweeted that it was “offensive”.
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President Barack Obama played golf with Tiger Woods in Florida on Sunday as he took a break from work during President’s Day weekend.
The unexpected golf pairing came as Barack Obama enjoys a “boy’s weekend” away from his wife and daughters, making his decision to spend the afternoon with one of the world’s most notorious philanderers even more pointed.
Though it would be an intimidating round – undoubtedly for both parties – Barack Obama warmed up on Saturday by playing with Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon.
After getting pointers from Butch Harmon, Barack Obama must have been feeling good about his game as he played with the Masters’ Champion and Jim Crane, who owns The Floridian Yacht and Golf Club where they were seen playing.
Golf Digest reporter Tim Rosaforte reported that Barack Obama warmed up for the “historic” round with Tiger Woods and Jim Crane.
No photos of the trio have been released and the president’s normal pool reporter was barred from covering the event, but gossip is flying at the country club as members tried their best to get an insight into how the round was going.
“Not going to turn this into Tiger Tracker, but from pro shop at Floridian we received word TW holed out greenside bunker No. 1 for birdie,” Tim Rosaforte tweeted.
While this is the first time that Barack Obama has played golf with Tiger Woods- who has won the most titles in the storied sport- it is not the first time that they have met.
The disgraced golfer did a reading at one of the President’s inaugural festivities in 2009 and followed that up with a visit to the White House.
That visit took place five months before his long list of affairs was exposed so it is unclear whether or not Tiger Woods and barack Obama have spoken since. Their four hours on the course will leave them with plenty of time to talk, however.
During his round on Saturday, Barack Obama played with Jim Crane as well as Texas-based lawyer Tony Chase, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, utility executive Milton Carroll and the President’s close friend Eric Whitaker who he has known since he lived in Chicago.
Both Milton Carroll and Jim Crane have donated to Democratic campaigns, and Tony Chase hosted an Obama fundraiser during the presidential campaign last year.
Barack Obama played golf with Tiger Woods in Florida on Sunday as he took a break from work during President’s Day weekend
The Florida club is used to having some high-profile guests, as conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh talked about his times playing there during his show on Saturday.
“I was a proud and honored member of the Floridian,” he said.
“The president’s got himself a good, old-fashioned guys golf weekend.”
President Barack Obama is enjoying a break from his family this weekend after flying to Florida for a golf getaway, while the First Lady and daughters Sasha and Malia will be skiing in Aspen, Colorado, the White House confirmed on.
Tiger Woods’ old instructor Butch Harmon and his son, Claude III, are reportedly flying in to work with Barack Obama at the club’s new high-tech learning facility, which Harmon helped design.
“I’ve played golf with Ike, Nixon, Ford and President Bush 41,” Butch Harmon told Golf Digest.
“I never played with President Clinton. I met him in the Oval Office. It’ll be interesting. I know the president is a real keen golfer. I’m looking forward to it. It should be fun.”
“He’s a left-handed player, I’ve seen film of his swing before,” said Butch Harmon.
“It’ll be fun to get him down in the learning center, show him stuff in his golf game and see how he takes it to the course. He’s just like all of us that play golf. He wants to get better.”
Barack Obama was flying on Air Force One from an official event to promote his economic proposals in his adopted hometown of Chicago to West Palm Beach, Florida, for the weekend getaway.
“The president is looking forward to spending President’s Day weekend with some friends in Florida, and I’m sure they’ll take advantage of the opportunity to play some golf,” said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.
The Tom Fazio-designed private course and club is owned by Jim Crane, who also owns the Houston Astros baseball team.
According to the course website, members and guests also have the use of eight cottages, a deep-water marina, a 61-foot Viking Yacht, a boat and a private helicopter service, a spa and fitness center and a teaching facility.
Colorado is where Michelle Obama and first daughters have spent their past two Presidents’ Day weekends. In 2012, they went skiing at Buttermilk Mountain and stayed at the home of Aspen Ski Company owners Jim and Paula Crown, according to the Aspen Daily News. In 2011, they went skiing in Vail.
Vice President Joe Biden and his family, according to the White House, will also be in Colorado this weekend on vacation.
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The European Union and the US will begin formal talks on a free-trade agreement, paving the way for the biggest trade deal in history.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the announcement following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.
A deal would bring down trading barriers between the two biggest economies in the world.
EU-US trade is worth around 455 billion euros ($613 billion) a year.
Barack Obama announced US support for talks as part of his annual address to Congress on Tuesday, saying a free-trade deal would “boost American exports, support American jobs and level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia”.
In a joint statement, US and EU leaders said trade between the US and EU supported millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We are committed to making this relationship an even stronger driver of our prosperity,” the statement said.
The EU estimates that a “comprehensive and ambitious agreement” will boost annual GDP growth by 0.5%.
It is not clear how long the talks will take, but similar trade deals have involved years of negotiations.
The idea was discussed following the formation of a working group in 2011, and the formal talks may begin in the summer, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said.
He said the deal would focus on bringing down remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade, and standardise technical regulations, standards and certifications.
The European Union and the US will begin formal talks on a free-trade agreement, paving the way for the biggest trade deal in history
Free trade between the US and the EU has been under informal discussion for years.
Previously politicians have been discouraged from pursuing free trade deals for fear of exposing domestic industries to greater competition from abroad.
But Steve Davies from the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank, said the economic crisis in Europe has injected more urgency into the talks.
“It’s happening now because there has been seriously depressed growth in the EU, and this will be good news for economic growth,” he said.
“On the American side, the critical factor is that Obama is now in his second term, so he doesn’t have the protectionist pressures from US businesses to worry about.”
Steve Davies said agriculture was likely to be particular area of contention, along with intellectual property, which could lead to political wranglings on both sides of the Atlantic.
Uniunea Europeana și SUA încep tratativele pentru acordul de liber schimb, care va duce la crearea celui mai mare acord comercial din istorie.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso made the announcement following President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address.
A deal would bring down trading barriers between the two biggest economies in the world.
EU-US trade is worth around 455 billion euros ($613 billion) a year.
Barack Obama announced US support for talks as part of his annual address to Congress on Tuesday, saying a free-trade deal would “boost American exports, support American jobs and level the playing field in the growing markets of Asia”.
In a joint statement, US and EU leaders said trade between the US and EU supported millions of jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We are committed to making this relationship an even stronger driver of our prosperity,” the statement said.
The EU estimates that a “comprehensive and ambitious agreement” will boost annual GDP growth by 0.5%.
It is not clear how long the talks will take, but similar trade deals have involved years of negotiations.
The idea was discussed following the formation of a working group in 2011, and the formal talks may begin in the summer, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said.
He said the deal would focus on bringing down remaining tariffs and other barriers to trade, and standardise technical regulations, standards and certifications.
The European Union and the US will begin formal talks on a free-trade agreement, paving the way for the biggest trade deal in history
Free trade between the US and the EU has been under informal discussion for years.
Previously politicians have been discouraged from pursuing free trade deals for fear of exposing domestic industries to greater competition from abroad.
But Steve Davies from the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank, said the economic crisis in Europe has injected more urgency into the talks.
“It’s happening now because there has been seriously depressed growth in the EU, and this will be good news for economic growth,” he said.
“On the American side, the critical factor is that Obama is now in his second term, so he doesn’t have the protectionist pressures from US businesses to worry about.”
Steve Davies said agriculture was likely to be particular area of contention, along with intellectual property, which could lead to political wranglings on both sides of the Atlantic.
President Barack Obama has urged US Congress to back government action to revive the country’s sluggish economy, in his annual State of the Union speech.
Barack Obama promised “smarter” rather than bigger government for “the many, and not just the few”.
He also called for action on gun violence, climate change and immigration reform.
In the Republican response, Senator Marco Rubio urged Barack Obama to drop his “obsession” with raising taxes.
Speaking in the House of Representatives, Barack Obama told his audience that his generation’s task was “to reignite the true engine of America’s economic growth – a rising, thriving middle class”.
“We have cleared away the rubble of crisis, and we can say with renewed confidence that the state of our union is strong,” Barack Obama said in an hour-long address.
Delivering growth and jobs will be the “North Star that guides our efforts”, he added.
But he insisted that nothing he planned would raise the deficit “by a single dime”.
Barack Obama proposed reforms to reduce the cost of Medicare, a federal healthcare programme for pensioners, but argued “we can’t just cut our way to prosperity”.
In his speech, Barack Obama went on to call for federal investment in infrastructure, clean energy and education.
And he vowed to act on climate change himself if Congress failed to enact legislation.
“I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change…,” he said.
“But if Congress won’t act sooner to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”
President Barack Obama has urged US Congress to back government action to revive the country’s sluggish economy, in his annual State of the Union speech
Barack Obama also said he would reduce by more than half the number of US troops in Afghanistan over the next year.
He asked Congress to raise the minimum wage, called for legislation to ensure women are paid equally to men, and announced a commission to improve the voting process.
On gun control, Barack Obama said an “overwhelming” majority of Americans supported “common-sense reform” on firearms, including tighter background checks and restrictions on “weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines”.
And he urged gun-control opponents to allow a vote in Congress on his proposals.
“The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote,” the president said.
He also praised bipartisan efforts to draw up an immigration reform bill, adding that if he is sent legislation: “I will sign it right away.”
Less than a day after North Korea tested a nuclear device, Barack Obama said the US will “lead the world in taking firm action in response to these threats”.
Barack Obama will take to the road in the coming days to push his economic recovery proposals, stopping in the US states of North Carolina and Georgia and in his hometown of Chicago, Illinois.
Senator Marco Rubio, a possible 2016 Republican presidential candidate, delivered his party’s official riposte.
In it, he attacked Barack Obama’s economic policies and said “more government isn’t going to help you get ahead, it’s going to hold you back”.
The Cuban-American senator, who also made his address in Spanish, referred to the pain felt by residents of the working-class neighborhood in which he grew up.
He told Barack Obama: “I don’t oppose your plans because I want to protect the rich. I oppose your plans because I want to protect my neighbors.”
The Florida senator also warned the president that the “tax increases and the deficit spending you propose will hurt middle-class families”.
Underscoring conservative divisions, immediately after the Rubio speech Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul delivered the Tea Party’s rebuttal to Barack Obama’s address.
He said both parties had failed voters by driving up trillion-dollar deficits.
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