President Obama announced on Monday a landmark agreement with pharmaceutical companies that pledged $80 billion in prescription drug discounts over the next 10 years.
Obama's financial reform plan requires stockbrokers to act in the best interests of their clients ("fiduciary responsibility"). Requiring brokers to operate under a fiduciary standard could force them to offer products that are less costly and more tax-efficient.
A former South Carolina election official apologized Wednesday for his Internet posting that compared a gorilla to an ancestor of first lady Michelle Obama, calling his comments "a flippant remark made without thinking."
Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor was born in South Bronx, and is 55. Here father died when she was nine and, she was raised by her mother. Obama’s historical nomination is a reminder of why it is important to have qualified people of color in positions of power.
President Obama, in a statement Monday, said that Chrysler now has a new lease on life with the decision by Judge Gonzalez of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of New York, to approve its sale. According to the President, this paves the way for the new Chrysler to successfully emerge from bankruptcy as a new, stronger, more competitive company for the future.
President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama had a night out last Saturday in New York. The president said he had promised to take his wife to a Broadway show during the campaign. The trip to New York, involved only three Gulfstream jets, three helicopters, scores of reporters, road closures,....
President Barack Obama signed today, a Proclamation with regard to National Hurricane Preparedness Week 2009. Among other things, the proclamation calls on all Americans, including private citizens, business, and the non-profit sector, to plan ahead and help secure the safety and property of those who face advancing storms.
President Barack Obama has given a ringing endorsement to embattled House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday. According to the President, she has "just been cracking the whip and, you know, making Congress so productive over these last several days. We are grateful for her. Pelosi is in the middle of a controversy with the CIA over waterboarding.
Atlantis astronauts, john Grunsfeld and Drew Feustel began their work Thursday to repair damage to Hubble. It is the first of five spacewalks which will be conducted. The two astronauts will replace the existing Hubble camera with a new improved one capable of taking better images.
Not even Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Florida, is spared from the Chrysler dealer consolidation announced Thursday. Buchanan's Dodge dealership in Venice, is among those scheduled to be terminated.
Donald Trump announced that Carrie Prejean will keep her crown as Miss California. Prejean has been caught up in a lot of controversy given that she opposes same-sex marriage, a position not substantively different from President Obama. The President publicly opposes same-sex marriage, favoring instead, civil unions.
General Motors' shares continued to dive Tuesday reaching its lowest level in 70 years and closing at $1.15. This gives GM a market value a little over $700 million. By contrast, Toyota which beat out GM last year as the world's biggest automaker in sales, is valued at $120 billion. Many analysts believe that GM is headed for Chapter 11 and will file for bankruptcy protection in about three weeks or so.
Vice President, Joe Biden, who delivered the commencement address at Syracuse University recently, let it be known that his dog is smarter than President Obama's dog. In a question and answer session with students at Bellevue Elementary School, the Vice President said, "The new dog I have is only five months old and his name is Champ. My dog is smarter than Bo, his dog."
The nomination of Florida's Craig Fugate, to head FEMA is being held up because of "political posturing" and the White House is calling Republican Sen. David Vitter out on it. Fugate, President Obama's choice to head FEMA, has been praised by both democrats and republicans. Vitter has taken advantage of a Senate tradition wherein senators could delay taking action on nominees.
President Obama Tuesday announced steps to further his Administration’s commitment to advance biofuels research and commercialization. Specifically, he signed a Presidential Directive establishing a Biofuels Interagency Working Group, announced additional Recovery Act funds for renewable fuel projects, and also announced his Administration's notice of a Proposed Rulemaking on the Renewable Fuel Standard.
The White House on Thursday, announced that applications for the Fall 2009 White House Internship Program are due by Tuesday, May 26. Those selected to participate in the program will gain valuable job experience and an inside look at the life of White House staff while building leadership skills.
U.S. health authorities have confirmed the first death from the H1N1 Virus, more popularly known as Swine Flu, on Wednesday, in Texas. The victim is a 23-month old tot. President Obama in an early morning new conference urged local authorities to be vigilant in reporting new suspected cased. He also said that schools should consider closing temporarily, if it was confirmed that the virus was present among its student population.
According to The Harris Poll of 2,355 U.S. adults surveyed online in March, a majority of consumers believe advanced technology could be the answer to many of the challenges the U.S. faces today, whether it is a stalled automobile industry, an ailing education system or expensive medical costs.
Richard Besser, Acting Director of the federal Centers for Disease Control said that, "I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection", as swine flu cases are investigated. A U.S. health official said that at least five people are in hospital with swine flu in the United States, three in California and two in Texas.
Pressure is mounting on President Obama to open a new investigation into how suspected terrorists were interrogated under the Bush administration. On Thursday, some 250,000 petitions were delivered to Attorney General Eric Holder demanding an independent prosecutor. It is widely believed that the techniques used to interrogate terrorists suspects, which included waterboarding, amounted to torture. The Bush administration has always denied that it tortured anyone.
Congressman Alan Grayson joined a bipartisan group of Representatives to approve the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act in the Financial Services Committee Wednesday afternoon. Congressman Grayson said, “Banks have to make their profit by lending, not by rip-offs and big fees. This bill protects the consumer from predatory banking, just at the time when people need that protection the most.”
President Obama, in an about face, indicated that he would not stand in the way of any inquiry into the Bush administration's use of harsh interrogation techniques used on terrorists suspects. Moreover, he left the door open for any action the Justice Department might take against those who created the legal justification for use of such techniques. Obama's stance was in stark contrast to the earlier White House position that, the nation should look forward rather than focus on the past.
Tuesday, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, during which he announced a major call to service. The President said, a week from tomorrow marks the 100th day of his administration. And in those next eight days, he asked every American to make an enduring commitment to serving their community and their country in whatever way they can.
Monday, President Obama held his first cabinet meeting, and made clear that relentlessly cutting out waste was part and parcel of their mission to make the investments necessary for recovery and long-term stability. Many of the agencies have already taken some extraordinary steps to consolidate, streamline, and improve their practices. According to Obama, $100 million there, $100 million here, pretty, soon, even in Washington, it adds up to real money.
The Orange County Legal Aid Society & the Central Florida Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association are hosting Citizenship Day on Saturday, April 18th. This event is being hosted at two locations in Orange County. Immigration lawyers will be on hand to provide free legal assistance to low-income individuals intending to apply for citizenship.
President Barack Obama, along with Vice President Biden and Secretary LaHood, announced a new U.S. push today to transform travel in America, creating high-speed rail lines from city to city, reducing dependence on cars and planes and spurring economic development. The President released a strategic plan outlining his vision for high speed rail in America. The plan identifies $8 billion provided in the ARRA and $1 billion a year for five years requested in the federal budget as a down payment to jump-start a potential world-class passenger rail system and sets the direction of transportation policy for the future.
