White House encouraged by changes in situation in Ferguson, Missouri

EDGARTOWN Mass. (Reuters) - The Obama administration has been pleased by changes in the situation in Ferguson, Missouri, where tensions have eased recently after earlier violent clashes between protesters and police following the shooting of an black teenager, the White House said on Friday. "We've been encouraged by what we've seen in the past few days," White House spokesman Eric Schultz told reporters at a briefing. "The president and many of us in the White House are closely monitoring and receiving regular briefings on the situation in Ferguson," Schultz added. (Reporting by Susan Heavey and Bill Trott in Washington and Steve Holland in Massachusetts)