Aug 28 Obama: 'no strategy yet' for U.S. military action in Syria By Julie Pace, Associated Press President Barack Obama played down the prospect of imminent U.S. military action in Syria on Thursday, saying "we don't have a strategy yet" for degrading the violent militant group seeking to establish a caliphate in the Middle East. Continue reading
Aug 28 White House prepares to defend coming executive orders on immigration By Josh Lederman, Associated Press "The question is how broadly can the president extend the categories and still stay on the side of spectrum of ensuring the laws are faithfully executed?" said Cristina Rodriguez, who left the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel in 2013… Continue reading
Aug 28 Obama debates seeking congressional approval to launch airstrikes in Syria By Julie Pace, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama faces a familiar question as he contemplates airstrikes in Syria: Should Congress have a say in his decision? Obama was barreling toward strikes last summer when he abruptly announced that he first wanted approval from… Continue reading
Aug 27 U.S. considering new relief mission in Iraq By Robert Burns, Associated Press The Obama administration is considering launching a humanitarian relief operation for Shiite Turkmen in northern Iraq who have been under siege for weeks by Islamic State militants, U.S. defense officials said Wednesday. Continue reading
Aug 26 Obama unveils plans to improve mental health care for veterans By Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press His standing with veterans damaged by scandal, President Barack Obama on Tuesday defended his administration's response to Veterans Affairs lapses that delayed health care for thousands of former service members, but conceded more needed to be done to regain their… Continue reading
Aug 25 Watch What should the U.S. do about the Islamic State? By PBS News Hour Islamic State fighters captured the last major military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, bolstering its influence in the already unstable region. The U.S. kept up airstrikes against the group over the weekend, amid growing talk of an expanding ai… Continue watching
Aug 25 Busy end of August awaits as Obama returns to Washington By Jim Kuhnhenn, Associated Press WASHINGTON — While in office, former President George H. W. Bush once plaintively asked, "What is it about August?"… Continue reading
Aug 23 After Foley murder, will Obama change stance on Syria? By Julie Pace, Associated Press For three years, President Barack Obama has resisted the pull of potential U.S. military action in Syria, even as the civil war's death toll climbed toward 200,000. Now, in light of the extremist group's murder of American journalist James Foley,… Continue reading
Aug 22 How many vacation days has President Obama taken? By Associated Press President Barack Obama as of Friday has spent all or part of 138 days on vacation, less time away from the White House than his predecessors. Here's a look at how they compare. The totals exclude trips to the Camp… Continue reading
Aug 22 Obama administration announces new birth control fixes for religious groups By Josh Lederman, Associated Press Seeking to quell a politically charged controversy, the Obama administration announced new measures Friday to allow religious nonprofits and some companies to opt out of paying for birth control for female employees while still ensuring those employees have access to… Continue reading