May 22 Obama signs bill eliminating ‘Negro,’ ‘Oriental’ from federal laws By Kamala Kelkar After it was unanimously passed with 380 votes, President Barack Obama signed bill H.R. 4238 on Friday, which amends two federal acts from the '70s that define “minorities” with terms that are now insensitive or outdated. Continue reading
May 21 The nation’s largest school districts are rushing to fill the coding gap By Michael D. Regan Only a quarter of America’s public schools are using a form of computer science in their classrooms, but that number is growing as schools create new coding programs. Continue reading
May 19 U.S. could lift arms embargo on Vietnam (which wouldn’t please China) By Matthew Pennington, Associated Press President Barack Obama could lift restrictions on arms sales when he makes his first visit to Vietnam next week. That would remove a final vestige of wartime animosity but would not please China, which views growing U.S. defense ties in… Continue reading
May 18 House bill would scale back number of free school meals By Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Wednesday weighed legislation that could lower the number of students receiving free and reduced-price meals at school. Continue reading
May 18 CDC director warns GOP bill is inadequate to fight Zika By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Wednesday that a House GOP measure to combat the Zika virus is inadequate to deal with the swelling threat to public health. Continue reading
May 17 Senate easily advances $1.1 billion in Zika funding By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Senate voted decisively on Tuesday in favor of a bipartisan $1.1 billion measure to combat the Zika virus this year and next, cutting back President Barack Obama's request but offering significantly more money to fight Zika than… Continue reading
May 16 Watch 1:41 Obama gives Medal of Valor to 13 heroes who were ‘just doing their job’ By PBS News Hour In our NewsHour Shares moment of the day, President Obama honored 13 law enforcement officers, including one who was killed in the line of duty, the Medal of Valor at the White House for their exceptional courage in the face… Continue watching
May 16 Watch 7:41 President ties Supreme Court punt on Obamacare birth control case to Garland stalemate By PBS News Hour Monday saw the evenly divided Supreme Court punt on two major cases, including a religious challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate. The no-decisions prompted President Obama to speculate the GOP’s refusal to consider Merrick Garland’s nomination might be… Continue watching
May 16 Senate obligated to vote on Supreme Court nominee, Obama says By Kathleen Hennessey, Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Monday he believes the Senate has a constitutional obligation to vote on a president's nomination to the Supreme Court, staking out a position at odds with Republicans and some legal scholars. Continue reading
May 16 3 months later, Congress ready to act on Obama’s call to battle Zika By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Congress is ready to act on President Barack Obama’s long-stalled request for emergency funds to combat the Zika virus, which has been linked to serious birth defects and other major health problems. Continue reading