Home » President Obama » Latest Articles:

Political Quick Hits: June 14th Edition

June 14, 2013 Front Page, Politics No Comments

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

The Obama Administration announced this week that it is dropping its appeal of a judge’s decision which allowed the morning-after pill to be sold over the counter. The FDA says it will allow over-the-counter sales of a one-pill product “without age or point of sales restrictions.” “Today’s move by the administration means the safety and effectiveness of Plan B, not politics, will dictate access,” said Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state. (CNN)

June 7, 2013 Front Page, Politics No Comments

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg passed away Monday at the age of 89 from viral pneumonia. He served five terms in the U.S. Senate since 1982 and was the last surviving World War II veteran in the Senate. “Senator Lautenberg improved the lives of countless Americans with his commitment to our nation’s health and safety. From improving our public transportation to protecting citizens from gun violence to ensuring that members of our military and their families get the care they deserve,” said President Obama of the late senator. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has announced a special election in October to fill the seat through 2014. The Governor also announced that Jeffrey Chiesa, the state’s Attorney General, will serve as Senator until the special election.

May 31, 2013 Front Page, Politics No Comments

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

President Obama last Thursday, announced plans to change our country’s counterterrorism policy. He outlined stricter rules in regards to our controversial usage of drone strikes and again brought up wanting to close Guantanamo Bay. “Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end.That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.” President Obama said. He also asked Congress to loosen restrictions to move Gitmo prisoners to the United States.

May 17, 2013 Front Page, Politics No Comments

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

Minnesota continued a recent trend by becoming the 12th state to legalize gay marriage on Tuesday when Governor Mark Dayton signed a recently passed marriage equality bill into law. “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness should certainly include the right to marry the person you love,” Dayton said. The bill passed in the senate on Monday by a 37-30 vote. Couples will be allowed to marry starting August 1, 2013. The other states that currently allow gay marriage are: CT, DE, IA, ME, MD, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT, WA, and also the District of Columbia.

On Wednesday, the White House released more than 100 pages of e-mails in an attempt to quiet critics who think that President Barack Obama and his aides played politics with our national security following the deadly September 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The White House has always denied any type of cover-up. White House spokesman Eric Schultz said, “Collectively these emails make clear that the interagency process, including the White House’s interactions, were focused on providing the facts as we knew them based on the best information available at the time and protecting an ongoing investigation.”

President Obama on Thursday said he had no knowledge of the recent IRS scandal until the media exposed it last Friday. The IRS is under heavy scrutiny for singling out groups, particularly those with Tea Party ties, that were seeking tax-exempt status. President Obama has since repeatedly denounced the discriminatory behavior at the IRS. President Obama said, “What I’m absolutely certain of is that the actions that were described in that I.G. report are unacceptable.” On Wednesday, the Obama administration called for the resignation of acting IRS commissioner Steven Miller and the Justice Department announced that they will be investigating the matter. It is not yet known whether or not any laws were broken and if any criminal charges will be filed.

Finally, a bipartisan U.S house group has reached an agreement on immigration reform. The report says that the Democrats and Republicans involved will run it by their party leaders and colleagues and hopefully formal legislation will be introduced in June. “Filing a real bipartisan bill, a serious, enforceable commonsense bill is, I think, a huge step. But it’s the first step of the process, a very important step,” said Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida, one of the members of the bipartisan group.

May 3, 2013 Front Page, Politics No Comments

Here’s your weekly quick look at few developing stories in the political arena:

President Obama signed a bill that ends furloughs for air traffic controllers on Wednesday. The furloughs came from the automatic spending cuts from the sequester, which began in March. Millions of travelers have been affected recently by delayed flights across the country because of the furloughs. (Yahoo)

A Mississippi man has been charged in connection with the recent ricin-tainted letters that were sent to President Obama and other legislators. James Everett Dutschke was charged with possession and use of a biological agent as a weapon just days after prosecutors dropped charges against their first suspect, Paul Kevin Curtis. No illnesses were reported from the incident but ricin is a toxin with no known antidote. (CNN)

In Massachusetts, Democratic Rep. Ed Markey and Republican businessman and political newbie Gabriel Gomez will face each other in a special Senate election June 25th, after both won their respective primaries on Tuesday. They will be competing for the open Massachusetts senator position that has been left open since former Sen. John Kerry became Secretary of State. William “Mo” Cowan, appointed by Governor Deval Patrick, has been serving as interim senator until the election. (CNN)

On Thursday, Maryland became the 18th state to end the death penalty. The death penalty has been replaced in the state with a sentence of life in prison without the ability of parole. (Reuters)

Finally, on Thursday Rhode Island officially became the 10th state to legalize same-sex marriage when Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law. Weddings in the state can start taking place August 1st, when the law takes effect. (CBS News)