Donnelly Backs Iran Nuclear Agreement
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Donnelly Backs Iran Nuclear Agreement

Senator Joe Donnelly announced today that he will support the proposed Iran nuclear agreement. Donnelly serves on the powerful Armed Services Committee and was viewed as a potential swing vote. “A nuclear-armed Iran would pose an unacceptable threat to the security of the United States and our allies. Only one thing can truly guarantee Iran…

President Obama Calls for Prison Reform in Speech to NAACP

President Obama Calls for Prison Reform in Speech to NAACP

In a speech to the annual convention of the NAACP in Philadelphia on Tuesday, U.S. President Barack Obama made the case for criminal justice reform that, at its most noteworthy points, candidly addressed the effects of overpolicing, the scourge of mass incarceration, and the impact of institutional racism. “In recent years, the eyes of more…

US, Cuba to Reopen Embassies as Countries Enter ‘New Chapter’
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US, Cuba to Reopen Embassies as Countries Enter ‘New Chapter’

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday that the United States and Cuba would restore full diplomatic relations and reopen their respective embassies in Washington, D.C. and Havana on July 20—a move he said would begin “a new chapter with our neighbors in the Americas.” “We don’t have to be imprisoned by the past,” Obama said in…

Report: Chicago to be Site of Obama Presidential Library
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Report: Chicago to be Site of Obama Presidential Library

Chicago helped build the political career of President Barack Obama. Now, the Windy City will be home to his presidential library, according to reports in the New York Times and Chicago Tribune. “Mr. Obama’s library will be in his adopted home, Chicago’s South Side, according to two people who were briefed about the decision. Both…

US to Remove Cuba from State Sponsors of Terrorism List
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US to Remove Cuba from State Sponsors of Terrorism List

U.S. President Barack Obama intends to remove Cuba from the American government’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, news outlets reported Tuesday afternoon. The news came after a much-anticipated meeting between Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro during last weekend’s Summit of the Americas meeting in Panama, the first such formal session between leaders of…

FULL TEXT: President Obama’s Speech on 50th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery Marches
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FULL TEXT: President Obama’s Speech on 50th Anniversary of Selma to Montgomery Marches

President Barack Obama, the First Family, former President George W. Bush and thousands of Americans commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery civil rights marches in an event that took place this past Saturday in Selma, Alabama. President Obama, who is the first African American president, delivered a poignant speech marking the occasion….

US to Slow Down Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan
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US to Slow Down Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan

The U.S. is slowing down its withdrawal from Afghanistan, despite long-held promises that the military would be out of the country by 2016, new Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said on Saturday. Carter told reporters in Kabul that the Obama administration is “rethinking” its counter-terrorism mission in Afghanistan and that the U.S. military wants to ensure…

Walmart’s Wage Increase Renews Minimum Wage Debate
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Walmart’s Wage Increase Renews Minimum Wage Debate

Nearly a half million workers in the United States will see a pay increase in April. Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, announced today that it was raising the base pay of its current and future employees to $9 an hour, a full $1.75 above the current national minimum wage. According to the company: Approximately 500,000…

Federal Judge Orders Preliminary Injunction on Obama’s Immigration Plan
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Federal Judge Orders Preliminary Injunction on Obama’s Immigration Plan

Immigration rights groups are slamming the ruling by a federal judge in Texas who has ordered a preliminary injunction against a set of immigration policy changes put forth by the Obama administration in an executive order last year. In a ruling handed down late Monday, Judge Andrew Hanen of the U.S. District Court in Brownsville,…

President Obama Unveils War Authorization Resolution Against ISIS
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President Obama Unveils War Authorization Resolution Against ISIS

President Barack Obama today made the case for military action against ISIS. The president unveiled a proposal to grant him authorization for the use of force. He is seeking a vote in Congress. “The so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria, and…