Topic: Barack Obama

Gun sales spike in some states, while others stock up on armored backpacks

The Sandy Hook Conn. school shooting has lead to mixed reactions amongst shoppers. Some states have seen record gun sales, while self-defense retailers have also noticed an increase.

Will cigarette companies get into the pot business?

Tobacco companies have been vague when asked whether they plan to manufacture marijuana products for Washington and Colorado. The legal pot market could bring the states hundreds of millions in tax revenues.

Stocks sink as budget deadline nears

Stocks closed down on Wall Street as a year-end deadline nears with no deal in hand to cut the US government's budget deficit. Telecommunications stocks and health care stocks fared the worst.

Social Security: Is reform needed now or not?

Negotiations over avoiding the 'fiscal cliff' have put Social Security back in the news. While the program isn't a money loser for the federal government, its trustees favor acting soon to keep it healthy.

Sandy Hook shooting: why Obama is acting fast (+video)

President Obama announced a White House-led effort that will send a proposal to Congress in a matter of weeks, focusing on firearms as well as mental health, school safety, and law enforcement.

Tax VOX
What changing the consumer price index would mean for taxpayers

Stinging Benghazi report leads to three resignations (+video)

An independent panel faults two State Department offices for the security shortcomings that contributed to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, on Sept. 11.

The Oath

New Yorker writer and CNN analyst Jeffrey Toobin offers an astute and thorough analysis of the relationship between the Obama White House and the John Roberts-led Supreme Court.

What's behind Russia's bill banning US adoptions?

The bill had originally been a smaller, tit-for-tat response to US legislation, but the Russian Duma has expanded it into a much broader anti-American measure that even Putin may not approve.

Opinion: Will John Boehner, President Obama master art of humility before 'fiscal cliff'?

John Boehner and President Obama continue their 'fiscal cliff' tussle over tax increases and spending cuts. But negotiating requires a healthy dose of humility. America's Founding Fathers, especially Madison and Franklin, knew this lesson well. We should look to them for guidance.

'Zero Dark Thirty' stirs controversy over torture scenes

'Zero Dark Thirty,' directed by Oscar winner Kathryn Bigelow, follows the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Fitch Ratings to US: Fix 'fiscal cliff' or risk credit downgrade

Fitch Ratings, a leading credit ratings agency, warned Wednesday that the US is likely to lose its top-notch debt rating if lawmakers cannot agree to a solution that prevents the economy from going over the 'fiscal cliff' at the end of 2012. Fitch Ratings called the resolution of the fiscal cliff and an increase in the debt ceiling 'pressing issues.'

Terrorism & Security
Panel on Benghazi attack heaps blame on State, citing 'systemic failures' (+video)

An independent panel investigating the 9/11 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi released a report finding that the State Department failed at securing the compound on multiple fronts.

Obama tapping VP Biden to lead push to curb gun violence (+video)

President Obama will announce on Wednesday that Vice President Joe Biden will lead an effort to come up with policies to address gun violence following the Newtown elementary school shootings last week.

Benghazi inquiry cites State Department failures (+video)

A new report faults failures within the U.S. State Department for the September attack in Benghazi which left four dead including Ambassador Chris Stevens. These failures may taint Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's record. 

Newtown students return to school (+video)

Students in Newtown, Connecticut, other than those from Sandy Hook Elementary, went back to school on Tuesday. Friday's mass shooting has left the community in recovery mode and politicians around the country rethinking the nation's gun laws. 

Drought's winter toll: Mississippi barges face losses while US blasts river (+video)

Traffic along 180 miles of the drought-stricken Mississippi will be curtailed for a month, at a cost of billions to the barging industry, to allow the US to blast rock formations and raise river levels.

The Monitor's top 11 US stories of 2012

From storms to politics, the year was a wild ride. What are the most meaningful US stories of 2012? Here's the Monitor's list, in roughly chronological order.

John Boehner's fiscal 'Plan B': What is it for and can it pass?

With a 'fiscal cliff' deal appearing closer than ever, Boehner offered up a fallback 'Plan B.' It seems designed to make Democrats uncomfortable and provide cover for Republicans ... if they pass it.

Social Security reform: What 'chained CPI' proposal by Obama means

Obama proposes revising the way Social Security benefits get adjusted each year to help retirees cope with inflation, as part of 'fiscal cliff' talks. Here's how 'chained CPI' would alter the status quo.

The Monitor's View: What Kerry, Hagel would bring to Obama diplomacy

Reports of Sen. John Kerry becoming Secretary of State, and Republican Chuck Hagel being tapped for Defense, hint at a new attempt to use 'soft power' in Obama's second term. But will it work?

Obama makes 'fiscal cliff' offer. Are contours of a deal emerging? (+video)

In fiscal cliff negotiations, President Obama is now proposing that tax hikes could begin with households earning $400,000, not the $250,000 that he has long called for.

Opinion: As fiscal cliff approaches, don't be fooled by the great Nordic myth

The Nordic countries are some of the happiest and most prosperous, which many attribute to socialist policies. That's a myth. As John Boehner and President Obama's 'fiscal cliff' debate over spending cuts continue, lawmakers should remember that socialism did not spell prosperity.

After Sandy Hook, teachers should be armed, says Texas Gov. Rick Perry (+video)

Texas Gov. Rick Perry  says he supports allowing teachers to carry concealed handguns in schools in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting. Perry also said that mental health issues should be considered as a way to make schools safer.

Hawaii's Inouye was current longest-serving senator, war hero

As a senator, Inouye became one of the most influential politicians in the country, playing key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals.