Topic: Barack Obama
Top galleries, list articles, quizzes
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Where do things stand at Guantánamo? Six basic questions answered.
President Obama this week pledged to “reengage” with Congress to find a way to close the terror detention camp at the Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, naval base. The renewed focus comes as 100 of the 166 detainees are reported to be engaged in a hunger strike. Here is a brief look at where things stand now.
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4 ways US can boost cyber security
The US needs a proactive cyber foreign policy that goes beyond naming and shaming. Here are four steps the US can take to bolster its diplomatic efforts to address cybersecurity threats.
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15 promising nonfiction books for spring 2013
April showers bring May flowers. Here's some fresh non-fiction to check out this spring while you enjoy the new greenery.
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5 steps to bipartisan cuts in Medicare – and the deficit
Medicare is the single greatest contributor to long-term deficits. If Democrats and Republicans cooperate on waste-cutting ideas – many of which are backed by President Obama – both parties stand to gain. Here are five ways Congress should act.
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Briefing
After the 'sequester,' now what?
$85 billion in across-the-board cuts to defense and social programs took effect March 1. The cuts must occur this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Here's how things look.
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Hunger strike: Obama reiterates vow to close Guantanamo
About 100 of the 166 detainees at the Guantanamo Bay prison are participating in a hunger strike. The forced feeding of hunger strikers has drawn renewed human rights attention.
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Ricin case against Everett Dutschke tightens
Ricin was found in the former martial arts studio of Everett Dutschke, charged with sending poison-laced letters to President Barack Obama and other public officials. Ricin was also found on a dust mask and other items he threw in the trash.
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Obama 'red line' on Syrian chemical weapons gets a bit grayer
President Obama has said Syria's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line.' Evidence is mounting, but Obama's desire for an international response throws prospects for action into doubt.
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Dysfunction in D.C. leads to soaring cynicism among Millennials
Only 1 in 4 Millennials think the US is headed in the right direction, according to a poll released by the Harvard Institute of Politics, and 48 percent think their vote won't make a difference.
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The Monitor's View: Revenge, or fear of it, must not lead Syria to chemical warfare
President Obama and other world leaders must speak directly to both Assad and rebel leader about avoiding revenge killings. That is necessary to prevent escalation of the war with chemical weapons.
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Appalachian Trail not forgotten: Women voters still wary of Mark Sanford
Monday's debate in the South Carolina congressional race between former Gov. Mark Sanford and Elizabeth Colbert Busch underscored Sanford's problems with women voters.
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Castro daughter to US: Raul's daughter to accept award for gay rights advocacy
Castro daughter to US: Mariela Castro will attend the Equality Forum's annual conference on civil rights for lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgender people, according to Malcolm Lazin, the advocacy group's executive director.
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$70 million per seat: Russia raises price for NASA astronauts on Russian rockets
The $424 million deal between NASA and the Russian Space Agency represents flights to and from the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft, as well as training, for six astronauts in 2016 and the first half of 2017.
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Is Obama's second term sunk? 'Maybe I should just pack up and go home.'
On the 100th day of his second term, President Obama laughed at the suggestion he may have run out of 'juice' for his agenda and expressed optimism on immigration reform.
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Global News Blog As South Korea and US end military drills, how will North Korea react?
Many Korea watchers speculated that once joint military drills ended, so would increased tensions with North Korea. But at least one analyst says this might be the moment the North lashes out again.
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Boston bombings a wild card in Massachusetts Senate primary today
Ed Markey leads heading into Tuesday's Massachusetts Senate primary, but Stephen Lynch hopes to gain ground by attacking Markey's record on security, especially after the Boston bombings.
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Tax VOX How to improve the tax subsidy for home ownership
In spite of its widespread use and large fiscal cost, the mortgage interest deduction does little to promote home ownership, Toder writes. It provides no subsidy to the nearly two-thirds of taxpayers who do not itemize and only a modest subsidy to those in the 15 percent bracket.
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Boston bomber defense: Suspect's defense team gets major boost with Clarke
Judy Clarke's clients have included the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, who killed three people and injured 23 during a nationwide bombing spree between 1978 and 1995; Susan Smith, a woman who famously drowned her two children; Atlanta Olympics bomber Eric Rudolph; and most recently Jared Loughner, who shot former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in the head.
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Opinion: Obamacare faces new legal challenge: Its 'tax' still violates the Constitution
The Supreme Court saved Obamacare by deeming the law's individual mandate a 'tax.' But in that case, the law violates the Constitution's Origination Clause, which says all tax bills must originate in the House, not the Senate. Letting the law stand sets a dangerous precedent.
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Ricin suspect's home is 'uninhabitable' after FBI search, lawsuit alleges
Charges against Kevin Curtis for mailing ricin-poisoned letters have been dropped, but investigators searching for ricin wreaked havoc at his house, says his lawyer, leaving his home unlivable. The lawsuit seeks damages to cover temporary housing, the destroyed and damaged property, and legal fees.
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Backlog consequences: VA withholds bonuses
The VA is withholding bonuses from senior officials who oversee disability claims and will instead spend the money to reduce the backlog, officials announced Monday. In fiscal 2011, when $2.8 million in bonuses were awarded, the number of disability claims pending for longer than 125 days jumped from less than 200,000 to nearly 500,000.
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Putin, Obama speak again amid probe into Tamerlan Tsarnaev
Boston bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev remains the focus of investigation in both Russia and the US, as authorities seek to learn how he became radicalized. Here are four other developments in the case.
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Gun vote backlash: Five senators who said 'no' see ratings plunge
Approval ratings have plummeted for five senators who voted against expanded background checks for gun buyers, says a PPP survey. But only one is up for reelection in 2014. Will it still matter in 2016 or 2018?
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Pre-K programs take biggest state funding hit ever
Pre-K study finds that states' total spending on early childhood education dropped by more than $400 per pupil for the 2011-12 school year – and about $1,100 per pupil over a decade.
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Can cooperation on Boston bombings bridge US-Russia distrust? It will be hard. (+video)
Since the Boston bombings, Russia has shared intelligence and Putin and Obama have pledged to cooperate. But US-Russia distrust runs deep, experts caution.
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Better fuel economy matters to more US consumers, survey finds
US consumers appear to be latching onto the drive for fuel economy, with almost 3 in 5 saying it will be a 'very important' factor in the next vehicle they buy, a survey shows.
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When 'terror' doesn't mean 'terrorism'
The public conversation loses something when terror – a human emotion – becomes an all-purpose synonym for terrorism, a political or ideological tactic.
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Energy Voices Sally Jewell: How 'green' is the new Interior secretary?
Sally Jewell's first moves as secretary of the US Interior Department show so far that she's embracing her dual legacy as an environmental steward with rare ties to the oil industry, Graeber writes.
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Decoder Wire Black voter turnout up, but Dems can't take 'Obama effect' for granted
A new study signals that black voter turnout is up, but analysts say that Democrats can't assume the trend will last beyond the 'Obama effect.' Moreover, Republicans are reaching out to minorities.
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USA Update Obama adds cabinet diversity by picking Anthony Foxx for Transportation
Moving to complete his second-term cabinet, Obama names the youthful mayor of Charlotte, N.C., Anthony Foxx, to the Transportation post. He would be the second African American in the cabinet.
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