Jun 17, 2013 11:00pm

President Obama: NSA Spying Programs ‘Transparent’

President Obama said that two National Security Agency programs recently revealed through leaked secret documents were “transparent” and, in an interview with PBS’s Charlie Rose on Sunday, he dismissed concerns that the programs were vulnerable to abuse by government officials. “It is transparent,” Obama said in… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 5:37pm

Obama, Putin Don’t ‘Coincide’ On Syria But Call for End to Violence

SLIGO, IRELAND — Emerging from a two hour meeting at the G8 summit, President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed that the bloodshed in Syria must stop and that there should be a renewed push for negotiations. They also stated the obvious: their positions… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 2:46pm

‘Bridge-Builder’ Lawyer Picked to Spearhead Guantanamo Closing

Cliff Sloan, a top Washington lawyer, has been chosen as the State Department’s special envoy to close Guantanamo Bay, marking a step forward in what has been an arduous effort to fulfill President Obama’s campaign promise to close the prison. “This announcement reflects the administration’s commitment… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 12:46pm

Lightning Rod Ex-’Obamacare’ Official to Run for Mass. Governor

Donald Berwick, a former controversial figure in the Obama administration who served as the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said he will run for governor of Massachusetts next year. “As a doctor, an educator, an innovator and someone who has dedicated… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 12:40pm

First Family Explores O’Bama’s Irish Roots in Dublin

SLIGO, Ireland – While President Obama is busy at the G8 Summit, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha are off exploring their family’s Irish roots. Visiting Trinity College in Dublin this afternoon, the first family viewed archives documenting the president’s Irish family… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 12:33pm

Supreme Ct. Rejects Proof of Citizenship for Federal Elections in Ariz.

The Supreme Court today struck down part of an Arizona law that requires proof of citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections. Arizona’s Proposition 200 passed in 2004 and required, among other things,  any registrant who does not have a driver’s license… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 8:20am

The Note: Syria Comes To Ireland

By MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) NOTABLES GAMING OUT THE G8:  The civil war in Syria is expected to dominate much of the discussion as President Obama sits down with the Group of Eight leaders in Northern Ireland today, just days after the White House confirmed the… Read More »

Jun 17, 2013 7:07am

Obama Tells Northern Ireland’s Youth the ‘Fate of Peace Is Up to You’

SLIGO, Ireland – After decades of violence in Northern Ireland, peace there serves as a “blueprint” for ending conflicts around the world, President Obama said today, though cautioning that “there’s still much work to do.” “You set an example for those who seek a peace… Read More »

Jun 16, 2013 5:05pm

Obama Attends Daughter’s Dance Recital on Father’s Day

President Obama celebrated Father’s Day today by attending his daughter Sasha’s dance recital in North Bethesda, Md. Obama was seen outside the Music Center at Strathmore with his arm around his daughter Malia and walking with first lady Michelle Obama, who extended a special Father’s… Read More »

Jun 16, 2013 4:58pm

Cheney: NSA Monitoring Could Have Prevented 9/11

Former Vice President Dick Cheney defended the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs today, saying that had they been in effect over a decade ago, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks might have been prevented. “Now, as everybody has been associated with the program said if we… Read More »