Obama White House Brings Black Women to Power

Valerie Jarrett: Paycheck Fairness Act is a good start

(NEWSER) - The year is 2010, and women still get paid 77¢ cents for every dollar men earn. That's bad enough in and of itself, but when you consider that women are now the sole breadwinners for two-thirds of families, "equal pay is not only a matter of principle," writes Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett in a Washington Post op-ed. "It's a matter of survival." Jarrett lays out the numbers and makes a plea for the Paycheck Fairness Act now working its way through Congress. More»

Jarrett was looking for ideas on jobs, found whole bunch of crazy

(NEWSER) - Valerie Jarrett might be questioning the wisdom of "ask and you shall receive" after the Obama adviser asked small businesses on LinkedIn what steps they think "government should take to help American businesses spur job creation." What she got, the Business Insider reports, is "a long list of responses from protectionist business owners that want a handout." Some examples:

• Buy American: "Hey! I have an idea! Let's focus on the 'trades' and 'manufacturing,' and let's call it Made in America! Wow!"

Jarrett poised to take over for chief of staff who can't make nice

(NEWSER) - Rahm Emanuel’s frustration with the legislative process may lead him out of the White House, but it's not clear whether the president's volatile chief of staff will jump or be pushed. Emanuel, a former congressman, has a famously explosive temper that isn't going over well in the West Wing. Insiders tell the New York Post 's Page Six that top Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett is likely to succeed him. More»

Agency can regulate greenhouse gases under Clean Air Act

(NEWSER) - It's official: the Obama administration today declared greenhouse gases a threat to public health, which will allow the agency to use the Clean Air Act to regulate emissions without congressional approval, the Washington Post reports. "There are no more excuses for delay," said EPA administrator Lisa Jackson, who will appear at the climate conference in Copenhagen this week. "This administration will not ignore science and the law any longer." More»

Says election up to Afghan gov't; Obama decision may be delayed

(NEWSER) - Senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett says Abdullah Abdullah's withdrawal from next weekend's runoff election in Afghanistan won't complicate the White House's decision-making process on a war strategy. But Jarrett tells George Stephanopoulos that the president's decision could slide back to late November. “The President will make a decision when he is confident he has all the facts he needs,” she said. More»