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Obama sets limits on drone use, steps for closing Guantanamo

May 23, 2013 18:03
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will lay out a new U.S. policy on Thursday that limits the use of armed drones to times when Americans face an "imminent" threat, administration officials said. Obama's policy will make clear that the United States respects the sovereignty of other nations and prefers to capture and detain extremists when possible.

Obama approval ratings remain steady, riding through the ups and downs of economy, controversy

The Canadian PressMay 23, 2013 03:30
WASHINGTON - The economy is recovering, the White House is dealing with multiple controversies, and President Barack Obama appears generally unaffected either way. He's getting no significant uptick in approval from gains in housing, jobs and the stock market. Likewise, he has so far seen no downtick from the recent storms over the terror attack in Benghazi, Libya, the targeting of conservative groups by the IRS and a leak investigation that has swept up the phone records of Associated Press journalists.

Under fire from loyalists, White House admits 'potholes' in handling IRS scandal

May 22, 2013 18:30
By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Facing criticism from Democratic loyalists, the White House acknowledged on Wednesday that President Barack Obama's team has struggled to get its story straight on who knew what when about the IRS targeting of conservative groups.

Budget office: Obama would veto House Republicans' student loan plan

The Canadian PressMay 22, 2013 16:01
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama on Wednesday threatened to veto legislation by House Republicans that would avert a doubling of student loan interest rates on July 1 but allow them to vary with the markets going forward. The White House issued the warning a day before the full House was scheduled to vote on the bill. Leaders from both parties expected the legislation to pass the House over the objections by Obama and many fellow Democrats, who argued that the lower rates would give way to higher ones later.

Analysis: Some Republicans see new scandal in Sebelius fundraising

May 21, 2013 03:15
By David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With the White House already reeling from three major controversies, some Republican lawmakers are zeroing in on what they perceive is another possible scandal tied to President Barack Obama's landmark health reform law just as it nears implementation.

Obama to meet China's Xi in California on June 7-8: White House

Kyodo News InternationalMay 20, 2013 21:45
U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on June 7 and 8 in California for the first time since Xi took office in March, the White House said Monday. The two leaders will "review progress and challenges in U.S.-China relations over the past four years and discuss ways to enhance cooperation," the White House said. U.S. National Security Adviser Tom Donilon will make a three-day visit to Beijing from May 26 to prepare for the meeting, it said.

Obama agenda withstanding IRS focus on tea party groups, Benghazi fallout, other controversies

The Canadian PressMay 18, 2013 04:01
WASHINGTON - Despite Democratic fears, predictions of the demise of President Barack Obama's agenda appear exaggerated after a week of cascading controversies, political triage by the administration and party leaders in Congress and lack of evidence to date of wrongdoing close to the Oval Office. "Absolutely not," Steven Miller, the recently resigned acting head of the Internal Revenue Service, responded Friday when asked if he had any contact with the White House about targeting conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status for special treatment.

His political problems boiling in capital, Obama takes a road trip to promote a jobs agenda

The Canadian PressMay 17, 2013 04:45
BALTIMORE - President Barack Obama tried on Friday to leave behind the political battles that have overshadowed his second-term agenda, saying lawmakers should work on creating more middle-class jobs in the slowly growing economy. "Our work is not done, and our focus cannot drift," Obama said.

Obama picks senior White House budget official to run troubled IRS as 2nd top official leaves

The Canadian PressMay 16, 2013 17:46
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama picked a senior White House budget official to become the acting head of the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday, the same day another top official announced plans to leave the agency amid the controversy over agents targeting tea party groups. Obama named longtime civil servant Daniel Werfel as the acting IRS commissioner. Werfel, 42, currently serves as controller of the Office of Management and Budget, making him a key player in implementing recent automatic spending cuts known as the sequester.

IRS officials tell Congress they were unaware of targeting

May 16, 2013 15:45
By John Whitesides and Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Internal Revenue Service officials told Congress on Tuesday they were unaware of the agency's targeting of conservative groups for extra tax scrutiny until recently and were not deliberately misleading lawmakers last year when they did not reveal the practice.
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