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President Obama to speak on Oklahoma disaster

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:38:21 -0400

President Barack Obama will be meeting with his disaster response team, including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, on Tuesday before delivering a statement on the devastating tornado that ...

Obama sends disaster chief to Oklahoma, plans statement

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:37:31 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sent his top disaster relief official to Oklahoma on Tuesday to help manage recovery efforts after a devastating tornado, the White House said. The president was being briefed on the emergency response in Moore, Oklahoma, and planned to make a 10 a.m. (1400 GMT) statement, it said. Obama spoke Monday night with Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin and U.S. Representative Tom Cole to express sympathy and condolences, the White House said. He has approved federal disaster funding to help victims support recovery efforts. ...

China's Xi will meet Obama earlier than expected

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:36:46 -0400

China's new leader Xi Jinping will confer with President Barack Obama next month in California, months earlier than expected, as both sides seek to stem a drift in relations, troubled by issues from cyberspying ...

Crews dig through night after deadly Okla. twister

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:31:40 -0400

Search and rescue crews worked through the night after a monstrous tornado barreled through the Oklahoma City suburbs, demolishing an elementary school and reducing homes to piles of splintered wood. At ...

Oklahoma lowers tornado death toll amid frantic search

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:28:39 -0400

By Carey Gillam and Ian Simpson MOORE, Oklahoma (Reuters) - Emergency workers searched for survivors in the rubble of homes, schools and a hospital in an Oklahoma town hit by a powerful tornado, but officials on Tuesday sharply lowered the number of deaths caused by the storm. The Oklahoma state medical examiner's office said 24 bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of Monday's storm, down from the 51 they had reported earlier. The earlier number likely reflected some double-counted deaths, said Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer for the medical examiner. ...

Gov't presses ahead on another leak case

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:14:30 -0400

In another case of the Obama administration investigating classified information improperly disclosed to reporters, the government is prosecuting a State Department expert on North Korea in a probe that ...

Obama, China's Xi to meet in June in California

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:08:45 -0400

President Barack Obama will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (shee jihn-peeng) early next month in California. The White House says the meeting will be Obama's first with Xi since Xi became president. ...

Former IRS commissioner heads to Hill amid scandal

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:01:43 -0400

Lawmakers are getting their first chance to question the former head of the Internal Revenue Service, the man who ran the agency when agents were improperly targeting tea party groups. Some of the questions ...

Jon Stewart Explains The Obama Administration's 'Random Guy' Defense

Tue, 21 May 2013 09:01:28 -0400

In the wake of what he is calling "Hurricane Scandy," last night Jon Stewart looked at Obama's defensive strategy: sending out a random guy to Sunday morning talk shows. Right now that guy happens to be Dan Pfieffer, a senior advisor to the president, but Stewart calls him "Kevin's older brother from Home Alone."

Column: What was journalist James Rosen thinking?

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:39:49 -0400

By Jack Shafer (Reuters) - Just open your Twitter feed and listen to the Washington press corps howl about the Obama administration's latest intrusion into their business. From the mainstream we hear the grousing of Washington Post National Political Editor Steven Ginsberg, Washington reporter John Solomon and the Associated Press's Matt Apuzzo. From the partisan corners come the protests of the Daily Caller's Tucker Carlson, the New Yorker's Ryan Lizza, Fox News Channel's Brit Hume, the Guardian's Glenn Greenwald and the chronically underemployed Keith Olbermann. ...

Apple's Cook to face Senate questions on taxes

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:51:22 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel says Apple Inc. is avoiding paying billions of dollars in U.S. taxes, but the world's most valuable company says it is complying with the laws and pays "an extraordinary amount" in taxes to the U.S. government.

Which came first: The chicken, the egg or the 10th Amendment?

Tue, 21 May 2013 06:08:03 -0400

A current brawl in Washington features a fight over who can sell eggs in California and if Congress is exceeding its 10th Amendment powers in a way that could scramble consumer prices.

Why You Can't Trust The White House (Even If Nobody's Lying)

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:43:50 -0400

“You and others have said that no one in the White House knew about IRS actions before getting the heads up on the inspector general's report last month,” George Stephanopoulos told senior White House adviser Dan Pfeiffer on Sunday. “Are you absolutely sure of that?”

After the Oklahoma Tornado, Obama Needs to Make FEMA Work

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:42:02 -0400

In the wake of the tornado that cut through Moore, Okla., on Monday, it's worth remembering, for a moment, how wrong things went after Hurricane Andrew.

Obama to meet with China's Xi in California June 7-8

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:18:08 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold their first meeting since Xi became president in March when they sit down for a June 7-8 summit in Rancho Mirage, California, the White House announced on Monday. The two leaders are likely to discuss ways to apply pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program after a period of bellicose rhetoric and threats from Pyongyang. The United States also has concerns about cyber attacks it says are emanating from China. ...

Obama to Address Nation on Oklahoma Tornadoes; Angelenos Head to Polls to Pick Next Mayor

Tue, 21 May 2013 05:01:42 -0400

Wake-Up Call! is Hotline's daily morning briefing on campaigns and elections. Click here to subscribe.WHAT'S NEWSPres. Obama "declared a major disaster exists" and "ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts" after Monday's tornado outbreak in central OK (release). Obama will address the nation "at about" 10 am EDT Tuesday morning (Politico).Sen. ...

America Has the Worst Tornadoes on Earth

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:42:05 -0400

Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

After the Oklahoma Tornado Comes Obama Needs to Make FEMA Work

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:38:23 -0400

In the wake of the tornado which cut through Moore, Okla. on Monday, it's worth remembering, for a moment, how wrong things went after Hurricane Andrew. Over 20 years ago, the Category 5 hurricane struck Florida. It was then the costliest hurricane in U.S. history, and the federal government's botched response earned scorn for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, charged with coordinating disaster relief. Victims stood in endless lines at relief centers. Supplies that could have been ready were not. Then-Sen. ...

Policy, discretion guide media sources probes

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:35:44 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was a rare moment in relations between the media and the government: In 2008, FBI Director Robert Mueller called the top editors at The New York Times and The Washington Post to apologize because the bureau had improperly obtained reporters' telephone records four years earlier.

Virginia Republicans Panicking Over Their Choice for Lieutenant Governor

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:33:32 -0400

A minister who compared gays to pedophiles and Planned Parenthood to the Klu Klux Klan is not the No. 2 candidate Republican Party reformers had in mind for the marquee race of 2013.

Analysis: Some Republicans see new scandal in Sebelius fundraising

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:06:09 -0400

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. ...

Republicans’ Hatred of Obama Blinds Them to Public Disinterest in Scandals

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:55:37 -0400

Red-faced Republicans, circling and preparing to pounce on a second-term Democratic president they loathe, do not respect, and certainly do not fear. Sound familiar? Perhaps reminiscent of Bill Clinton’s second term, after the Monica Lewinsky story broke? During that time, Republicans became so consumed by their hatred of Clinton and their conviction that this event would bring him down that they convinced themselves the rest of the country was just as outraged by his behavior as they were. ...

What Services Should Immigrants Get?

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:44:17 -0400

What are immigrants in the United States entitled to? Tax breaks? Health care? Disability insurance? Food stamps? As the Senate Judiciary Committee wades through a major immigration bill, it is clear that there is no consensus, even among the bill’s sponsors, about how to treat the immigrants who would become legal residents under the legislation.

America Has the Worst Tornados on Earth

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:43:12 -0400

Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

O'Malley using agenda, fundraising to explore 2016

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:11:23 -0400

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — His latest legislative achievements put him in the vanguard of his party's liberal base. He's been a top fundraiser for President Barack Obama. And he's ramping up his travel to help fellow Democrats around the country.

Republicans Are Watching Their Rhetoric on Obama Scandals

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:06:11 -0400

Wary of being perceived as overly partisan, Republican leaders are displaying unexpected message discipline about the trio of scandals facing the Obama administration, with rank-and-file members hesitant to conclude anything before Congressional investigations begin.

Quotations of the day

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:02:28 -0400

"I got a phone call from her screaming, 'Help! Help! I can't breathe. My house is on top of me!'" — Tiffany Thronesberry, who heard from her mother, Barbara Jarrell, shortly after a tornado roared through Oklahoma City's suburbs.

Committee nears final big immigration decisions

Tue, 21 May 2013 03:00:39 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Judiciary Committee hopes to nail down an elusive compromise on high-tech visas and may punt a controversy over gay marriage to the full Senate as it makes final drafting decisions on immigration legislation that grants a shot at citizenship to millions living in the country illegally.

Senate to debate crop insurance in farm bill

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:59:47 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is debating cuts to the federally subsidized crop insurance program as it considers a massive farm bill this week.

Senate panel nears final big immigration decisions

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:59:10 -0400

The Senate Judiciary Committee hopes to nail down an elusive compromise on high-tech visas and may punt a controversy over gay marriage to the full Senate as it makes final decisions on immigration legislation ...

White House says more farm subsidy cuts needed

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:59:05 -0400

The Senate is debating cuts to the federal crop insurance program as it considers a massive farm bill this week. The Obama administration said Monday it wants to see more cuts to agriculture subsidies ...

Huge tornado hits Oklahoma City suburb, kills 51

Tue, 21 May 2013 02:13:22 -0400

MOORE, Okla. (AP) — A monstrous tornado at least a half-mile wide roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods and destroying an elementary school with a direct blow as children and teachers huddled against winds up to 200 mph. At least 51 people were killed, including at least 20 children, and officials said the death toll was expected to rise.

IRS officials back on Capitol Hill hot seat over targeting

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:03:25 -0400

By John Whitesides WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel will try on Tuesday to pry more details out of current and former officials of the Internal Revenue Service about the agency's targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they sought tax-exempt status. Lawmakers are also expected to demand answers about why officials did not earlier share with lawmakers evidence that IRS workers in Cincinnati, Ohio, had inappropriately focused on search criteria that included "Tea Party" and "patriots. ...

Today in History

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:01:29 -0400

Today is Tuesday, May 21, the 141st day of 2013. There are 224 days left in the year.

More Obama aides knew of IRS audit; Obama not told

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:04:40 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House chief of staff Denis McDonough and other senior advisers knew in late April that an impending report was likely to say the IRS had inappropriately targeted conservative groups, President Barack Obama's spokesman disclosed Monday, expanding the circle of top officials who knew of the audit beyond those named earlier.

Factbox: Four key questions in the unfolding IRS scandal

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:39:03 -0400

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional and Justice Department investigators are examining the Internal Revenue Service over its inappropriate scrutiny of conservative groups that applied for tax-exempt status. President Barack Obama, seeking to contain the fallout as he pushes his second-term agenda, has denounced the behavior as "outrageous." After a Treasury Department report last week confirmed the targeting by the IRS, the tax agency became the focus of a criminal probe by the Justice Department. ...

Tea Party group sues IRS over inappropriate targeting

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:39:03 -0400

By Nate Raymond (Reuters) - A California-based Tea Party group sued the U.S. Internal Revenue Service on Monday in what marked the first lawsuit to stem from an investigation finding the agency singled-out conservative organizations. In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, the NorCal Tea Party Patriots accused the IRS of violating its constitutional rights due to the "intensive and intrusive scrutiny" it received while seeking tax-exempt status. ...

Timeline: Events in IRS 'Tea Party' scrutiny scandal

Mon, 20 May 2013 22:39:03 -0400

By Kevin Drawbaugh WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A controversy at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service involving extra scrutiny in 2010-2012 of politically conservative groups is dominating the political agenda in Washington, with congressional hearings set for Tuesday and Wednesday. ...

AP source: Treasury told WH of IRS disclosure plan

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:41:54 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Treasury official says the department told the White House twice that the IRS was preparing to make public its targeting of conservative political groups.

Pentagon to take over some CIA drone operations : sources

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:35:27 -0400

By Tabassum Zakaria and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration has decided to give the Pentagon control of some drone operations against terrorism suspects overseas that are currently run by the CIA, several U.S. government sources said on Monday. Obama has pledged more transparency on controversial counterterrorism programs, and giving the Pentagon the responsibility for part of the drone program could open it to greater congressional oversight. ...