Second grader gets handwritten letter from Vice President Biden
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- Downtown Montessori Academy second grader Myles Nelson thinks he knows how to stop gun violence.
New MU poll shows Ryan, Clinton are top 2016 pres. nominees
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A new Marquette Law School Poll finds U.S. Rep.
8 Oak Creek officers named "Top Cops" by President
Washington D.C. (WITI) -- Eight members of the Oak Creek police department were named some of America's "Top Cops" by President Obama on Saturday, May 11th.
Obama administration emails raise new questions on Benghazi
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- An e-mail discussion about talking points the Obama administration used to describe the deadly attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, show the White House and State Department were more involved than they first said in the decision to remove an initial CIA assessment that a group with ties to al Qaeda was involved, according to CNN sources with knowledge of the e-mails.The talking points have become a political flashpoint in a long-running battle between the administration and Republicans, who say that officials knew the attack last September 11 was a planned terror operation while they were telling the public it was an act of violence that grew out of a demonstration over a video produced in the United States that insulted Islam.That was the story that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told five days later when she made the rounds of all five Sunday morning television talk shows.Obama administration officials have long said that Rice was using official talking points that were edited almost exclusively by the intelligence community.The attack also occurred two months before the November election, in which President Barack Obama's campaign often pointed out that it had "decimated" al Qaeda.White House spokesman Jay Carney on Friday called the controversy a "distraction" from the facts and said the administration had raised the possibility of extremist involvement from the start.He told reporters the administration was careful with information on Benghazi and was open with the public once facts were established.An interagency discussion over the talking points to describe the attack just days previous that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans included the White House, State Department, CIA, FBI and Justice Department officials.A senior administration official told CNN that the e-mails were made available to Congress earlier this year and nothing contradicts what it has said."The White House made stylistic edits to the talking points to emphasize that the investigation was ongoing as to who was responsible" and to simplify certain phrasing, the official said.Carney added that the only edit made by the White House or the State Department was to change the description of the targeted facility to a diplomatic post from consulate.The e-mail exchange and alterations to the talking points were first reported by ABC and The Weekly Standard and confirmed by CNN appear to contradict that assertion.A source familiar with the matter said then-State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland raised concerns over the CIA's first version of the talking points, saying that they went further than what she was allowed to say about the attack during her briefings and that she believed the CIA was attempting to exonerate itself at the State Department's expense by suggesting CIA warnings about the security situation were ignored.Carney said on Friday there was a "deliberative process" around the talking points involving several agencies.
Focus in Benghazi hearings shifts from Pres. Obama to Clinton
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Barack Obama's been in the bull's eye of Republicans and conservatives since 2008, but after Wednesday's hearing on last September's terror attack in Benghazi, Libya, many on the right are shifting their aim at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Soon after the hearing by the GOP-led House Oversight Committee looking into the events surrounding the death of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, a recently formed pro-Republican opposition research group blasted out an e-mail with the headline "Benghazi Hearing Raises Serious Questions About Clinton."America Rising PAC then followed up Thursday with a Web video which it says outlines "the serious questions raised about Hillary Clinton's leadership yesterday in a House Oversight Committee hearing."The Republican National Committee and American Crossroads, the Karl Rove-backed pro-GOP super PAC, also issued e-mails critical of Clinton, America's top diplomat at the time of the attack last September 11.
What the Obama administration has said about the Libya attack
(CNN) -- Questions surrounding the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans were in the spotlight again on Capitol Hill.Here's a look at notable comments made by administration officials, publicly and in interviews with CNN, since the attack:-----2012September 12 -- President Barack Obama"The United States condemns in the strongest terms this outrageous and shocking attack. ...
Doomed Libya ambassador: 'We're under attack'
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Late on the night of last September 11, U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens spoke to his deputy for the final time from the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya."Greg, we're under attack," Stevens told Gregory Hicks.Within hours, Stevens and three other Americans were dead, victims of an armed terrorist assault that has since become a political and foreign policy flashpoint in Washington's partisan wars.The dramatic narrative recounted by Hicks at a six-hour Republican-led House hearing on Wednesday reflected the knowledge of a high-level insider who was in Libya that long night and was deeply involved in trying to react to events.His efforts to determine the circumstances of the attack and muster help for those under siege in eastern Libya were later praised by his superiors and by President Barack Obama.The step-by-step account riveted the Republican-led Oversight Committee proceeding that was also marked by sharp partisan exchanges over the merits of continued congressional inquiries over the attack.Republicans once again accused the Obama administration of trying to cover up the fact that it was a well-orchestrated assault by militants, failing to adequately explain events to the public, and then refusing to cooperate with congressional investigators.Democrats once again accused Republicans of using tragedy for political gain.Hicks -- praised by Republicans as a "whistleblower" -- was joined at the witness table by Eric Nordstrom, a former regional security officer in Libya, and Mark Thompson, the State Department's acting deputy assistant secretary for counterterrorism.Our goal "is to get answers, declared committee chairman Rep.
Ahead of visit, U.S. and South Korea ties stronger than ever
(CNN) -- On the eve of meetings between President Barack Obama and South Korean President Park Geun-hye, a White House official says the recent saber rattling by North Korea has only strengthened the relationship between the allies.Daniel Russel, White House special assistant and senior director for Asian affairs, told reporters on a conference call Monday Obama will use Park's visit to "reaffirm the strong commitment" of the U.S. to the defense of the Republic of South Korea.Park will meet with Obama in the Oval Office Tuesday, followed by a working lunch and a joint news conference with the two leaders.Monday a U.S. official confirmed to CNN that two North Korean Musudan missiles have been withdrawn from a launch site in the eastern part of the country and sent to a storage facility.Last month, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to attack the United States, South Korea and Japan with nuclear weapons.Russel told reporters it would be "premature" to make a judgment about whether the North Korean "provocation cycle is going up, down or zig-zagging." He said, "No one should be prepared to declare a victory yet," referring to the reports of North Korean missiles being moved off the launch sites.Russel said Tuesday's meeting between Obama and Park would make it "crystal clear" the two leaders stand "shoulder to shoulder" in terms of policy toward North Korea.Russel saying the U.S. and its partners would need to see "credible and irreversible steps" signaling a commitment on the part of North Korea to end their nuclear program and completely denuclearize the peninsula before the U.S. and its allies would consider adjusting sanctions against North Korea.Tuesday's talks will also focus on economic cooperation between the U.S. and South Korea, as well as other political and security issues including Afghanistan, Syria, climate change and clean energy.Park made history in February by becoming South Korea's first female president.
Pres. Obama: 'Do not foresee' American boots on ground in Syria
(CNN) -- U.S. President Barack Obama does not foresee a scenario of "American boots on the ground in Syria," telling reporters Friday that it would not be good for the United States or for that country."As a general rule, I don't rule things out as commander-in-chief because circumstances change," Obama said during a joint news conference with President Laura Chinchilla of Costa Rica, where the president stopped during a three-day visit to the region."...Having said that, I do not foresee a scenario in which boots on the ground in Syria, American boots on the ground in Syria, would be good for America or be good for Syria."Obama said he has consulted with leaders in the region, who want to see stability return to Syria, and "they agree with that assessment."Even so, the president said that if the United States confirms the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government against its people, "that's a game changer for us."He did not elaborate on what steps would be taken, repeating as he has said previously that the United States would wait until it has more details of evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria before making any decision on whether to alter strategy."We have evidence that chemical weapons have been used.
'A new Mexico is emerging,' Pres. Obama says
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama said Friday he came to Mexico to break down stereotypes between the United States and its neighbor to the south.Speaking at the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, Obama said that too often the relationship between the United States and Mexico is "trapped in old stereotypes," where Mexicans see America as trying to wall itself off from Mexico and Americans see Mexico through the sensational headlines of violence in the war on drugs."I have come to Mexico because it is time to put old mindsets aside," Obama said. "It's time to recognize new realities, including the impressive progress in today's Mexico."He said it is clear that "a new Mexico is emerging," highlighted by a growing economy, a robust democracy and new generation of youth empowered by technology."I see a Mexico that is taking its rightful place in the world," he said.In a tip of the hat to the overwhelming number of Latinos that helped re-elect Obama in 2012, the president said, "Without the strong support of Latinos, including so many Mexican-Americans, I would not be standing before you today as president of the United States."Throughout much of Obama's only speech in the country, the president framed two domestic issues in the United States -- guns and immigration -- as issues that affect the daily lives of Mexicans, too.On immigration, the president appeared confident that immigration reform, an issue Obama says he intends to work closely with the Mexican government on, will be passed."I'm optimistic that -- after years of trying -- we are finally going to get it done this year," Obama said after describing his plan as one that strengthens border security, improves legal immigration and "gives millions of undocumented individuals a pathway to earn their citizenship." And on guns, Obama framed the issue, one the president made a priority after 20 students and six adults were killed at a school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, as something that would save both American and Mexican lives."We also recognize that most of the guns used to commit violence here in Mexico come from the United States," the president said. "I will continue to do everything in my power to pass common sense reforms that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, that can save lives here in Mexico and back home in the United States."In interviews before the speech, however, most students in the crowd did not mention guns or immigration as issues they hoped the president would discuss.
U.S., Mexican presidents vow greater economic cooperation
(CNN) -- Two issues -- security and immigration -- often get too much attention when it comes to talking about the U.S.-Mexico relationship, U.S. President Barack Obama said Thursday.Now, Obama said, it's time to forge deeper economic connections to create more jobs and more trade on both sides of the border."That's the focus of my visit," he told reporters after meeting with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto in the country's capital.But even as Obama and Peña Nieto pushed to shift the tone more toward trade and economics, security issues loomed large over Thursday's meeting.Peña Nieto said his government remains committed to fighting organized crime, but that the United States and Mexico must "cooperate on the basis of mutual respect, to be more efficient in our security strategy that we are implementing in Mexico."Obama stressed that the countries will continue to cooperate closely on security, but he didn't specify how."I agreed to continue our close cooperation on security, even as that nature of that close cooperation will evolve," he said.It's up to the Mexican people, Obama said, "to determine their security structures and how it engages with other nations, including the United States."In the meantime, he said, the United States remains committed to reducing the demand for drugs north of the border, and the southward flow of illegal guns and cash that help fuel violence."I think it's natural that a new administration here in Mexico is looking carefully at how it's going to approach what is obviously a serious problem," Obama said, "and we are very much looking forward to cooperating in any ways that we can to battle organized crime."High-profile cartel takedowns were a hallmark of former President Felipe Calderon's tenure.
Man accused of sending ricin- laced letters to appear in court
(CNN) -- A 41-year-old Mississippi man accused of sending ricin-laced letters to President Barack Obama and others will appear in court Thursday where a judge will decide whether he should remain in custody.James Everett Dutschke was arrested April 27, and many of the accusations against him were detailed in an affidavit unsealed Tuesday.On April 22, federal authorities searched a trash receptacle from Dutschke's Tupelo home and found, among other items, different types of yellow paper, address labels and a dust mask.
100 days into second term, Pres. Obama holds news conference
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama confidently declared that his administration will get things done in Washington despite an atmosphere he described as divided and politically dysfunctional.Speaking at a press conference 100 days into his second term, Obama fielded a range of questions on topics including Syria and the Boston Marathon attack, and he defended his administration's actions and positions.Noting that lawmakers have blocked initiatives like averting forced budget cuts and expanding gun control, one questioner asked if Obama still had "the juice" to get his agenda through Congress."I think it's a little, as Mark Twain said, you know, 'Rumors of my demise may be a little exaggerated at this point," Obama said at the White House."We understand that we're a divided government right now.
FBI did its job in Tsarnaev probe, President Obama says
(CNN) -- Federal intelligence officials are looking at whether more could have been done to prevent the Boston Marathon attacks, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, though he added that he's not aware of any missteps."Based on what I can see so far, the FBI performed its duties.
Obamacare applications go from 21 pages to three
(CNN) -- Applications for health insurance coverage under President Barack Obama's sweeping healthcare law will go from 21 pages to three, according to a White House official, who said the change was part of an effort to simplify the implementation of Obamacare."The President wants the Administration to be as flexible and nimble as possible in implementing the ACA law," the White House official said, referring to the law's official name, the Affordable Care Act. "It is a complex undertaking, and it is particularly important to the success of the law that enrollment into the Markteplaces be as user friendly as possible."Starting this fall, the some 15 million Americans who buy health insurance on the individual market will be able to shop for and enroll in health insurance through state-based exchanges, with coverage taking effect in January.
Charlotte mayor nominated for transportation secretary
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama tapped Anthony Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday to become his next transportation secretary."I know Anthony's experience will make him an outstanding transportation secretary," Obama said at an announcement ceremony in the White House East Room."He's going to be extraordinary effective," Obama continued.If confirmed by the Senate, Foxx would replace Ray LaHood, who said in January he wouldn't serve a second term.
Charlotte mayor to be nominated for transportation secretary
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama will tap Anthony Foxx, the mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday to become his next transportation secretary, a White House official with knowledge of his decision said Sunday.If confirmed by the Senate, Foxx would replace Ray LaHood, who said in January he wouldn't serve a second term.
FAA suspends furloughs, typo or not
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A typo is keeping President Obama from signing legislation designed to end budget-related FAA air traffic controller furloughs blamed for widespread flight delays, a congressional source told CNN Saturday.But the fix is going into effect anyway, and the system will be back to normal by Sunday, the FAA said.Apparently the holdup boils down to an "s" needing to be added somewhere in the Senate version of the bill -- it's not clear which word is the culprit.The House fixed the typo in the version it passed Friday, and the Senate plans to fix it on Tuesday, a senior House GOP aide told CNN.
President Obama: 'Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere'
(CNN) -- President Barack Obama on Friday chided recent state efforts to enact tougher abortion laws and became the first sitting president to address Planned Parenthood when he spoke at a gala for the group."When you read about some of these laws, you want to check the calendar.
Hundreds gather for memorial for victims of Texas plant explosion
WACO, Texas (CNN) -- A row of 12 coffins, each draped with a flag, symbolizes the human cost of an explosion that destroyed much of a small Texas town and left the residents of that town searching for answers.Hundreds of firefighters from across the nation and other first-responders joined grieving families and President Barack Obama and the first lady at the Ferrell Center in Waco, site of a memorial service Thursday for some of the people killed in a fertilizer plant explosion last week in the nearby town of West.The president told the crowd that no words adequately describe the courage displayed by those who died."What I can do is offer the love and support and prayers of the nation," Obama said.Obama told the families and friends of the those killed that they were not forgotten, saying "our hearts have been here in your time of tribulation."He promised them the nation will help them rebuild and reclaim their small community of about 3,000 people.Before the president and first lady Michelle Obama joined the residents of West at the service at Baylor University, the president's helicopter flew over West and circled several times over the flattened structures and scarred earth.The Obamas met privately with the families after the service.Texas Gov.