Barack Obama: Latest News on the Former President - Page 158

Team Obama Told to Ditch Instant Messaging

Jan 18, 2009 6:15 PM CST

Team Obama Told to Ditch Instant Messaging

Obama's staffers give up their favorite lifeline

(Newser) - Team Obama will be chatting in the hall and by phone, Politico reports, because instant messaging just got the boot. Lawyers told them this week that programs like AIM and GChat, still staples of their daily operations, can't be used in the White House. "They just told us flat...

Mr. President, Tell Us a Story

analysis

Jan 18, 2009 5:53 PM CST

Mr. President, Tell Us a Story

Will Obama’s inaugural speech use a tale to inspire a spirit of collective sacrifice?

(Newser) - On the campaign trail, Barack Obama often punctuated his speeches with personal stories about a campaign volunteer or a city councilwoman. With the world ready to watch Obama’s inauguration speech Tuesday, John Dickerson wonders in Slate what stories Obama will tell to rekindle a sense of unity. "The...

Obama
'Has 4 Years
to Save Planet'

Jan 18, 2009 5:00 PM CST

Obama 'Has 4 Years to Save Planet'

Environmental crisis at tipping point—and US must show way

(Newser) - Carbon levels are skyrocketing, ice caps are melting, and global flooding is on its way if Barack Obama doesn’t do something about it, and quickly, a NASA scientist says. Top climate expert Jim Hansen says it’s crucial that within 4 years the next president change America—the world’...

'Anything Possible,'
Obama Tells Crowd

Jan 18, 2009 4:10 PM CST

'Anything Possible,' Obama Tells Crowd

(Newser) - Two days away from the White House, Barack Obama joined a vast throng today at a roaring, rollicking pre-inauguration celebration staged before marble monuments to past heroes. "Anything is possible in America," he said. "Despite the enormity of the task that lies ahead—I stand here today...

Crowds Thrill to 'Obamastock'

Jan 18, 2009 3:00 PM CST

Crowds Thrill to 'Obamastock'

Obamas attend services at historic church

(Newser) - A free inauguration concert that one attendee dubbed "Obamastock" kicked off today before tens of thousands of excited but chilly visitors in Washington, DC, the Washington Post reports. Fans sat patiently on blankets and waited in long security checkpoint lines as Denzel Washington took the stage to announce Bruce...

Obama Can't Win 'Em All

ANALYSIS

Jan 18, 2009 1:12 PM CST

Obama Can't Win 'Em All

Some conservatives can't get into the spirit of unity for the inauguration

(Newser) - Washington will be swimming in champagne for the inauguration Tuesday, but some conservatives are warning merrymakers to stop drinking the Obama Kool-Aid, Politico reports. “While we’re sitting around the campfire and trying to sing Kumbaya, our country is slipping away from us,” said one. Another predicted, “...

100 Families Gave $100K
to Obama

Jan 18, 2009 12:27 PM CST

100 Families Gave $100K to Obama

Rockefellers, Spielbergs among Barack's 'elite' donors

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s political efforts haven’t run purely on grassroots fuel: almost 100 families that gave $100,000 or more made up an “elite” group of repeat donors over the past 2 years, the Washington Post reports. Current donation rules make whopping contributions possible if donors distribute funds...

Thank Portrait for
Obama's Success:
Hope Artist

Jan 18, 2009 12:19 PM CST

Thank Portrait for Obama's Success: Hope Artist

LA graphic designer says image boosted power of art

(Newser) - The iconic Hope image of Barack Obama helped get the Illinois senator elected president, says the graphic designer who created the image. “It has exceeded my expectations almost from the get-go,” Shepard Fairey told Smithsonian magazine, adding that Obama’s “unique” look was an inspiration for him...

Angelou
on Michelle:
Welcome the
'Real Deal'

OPINION

Jan 18, 2009 10:52 AM CST

Angelou on Michelle: Welcome the 'Real Deal'

Poet celebrates future first lady as 'the real deal'

(Newser) - North Carolina, the state that gave us Jesse Helms and more than a few Klan members, went wild for Michelle Obama at a September rally as a stunned Maya Angelou watched, the poet recalls in the Washington Post. People of all races gave a thunderous welcome to the next first...

'Oedipally
Oddball W'
Makes His
Long Exit

OPINION

Jan 18, 2009 9:46 AM CST

'Oedipally Oddball W' Makes His Long Exit

While Bush hated doubt, Obama's 'delighted' by it

(Newser) - George W. Bush’s insecurity and aversion to doubt—“the psychological traits of an asphyxiated and pampered son”—led to his botched presidency, Maureen Dowd writes in the New York Times. Rather than being a source of presidential insight on Iraq and Saddam, Bush’s father was relegated...

Boss: 'US
Revealed
True Heart
Election Night'

Jan 18, 2009 6:13 AM CST

Boss: 'US Revealed True Heart Election Night'

Singer praises Obama, lashes out at Bush in interview

(Newser) - America has finally shown "its real face" with the election of Barack Obama, and "an exhilaration I've never seen" after a campaign victory, Bruce Springsteen told the Guardian. The singer, who has never worn his politics lightly, ardently campaigned for Obama. "Obama's a unique figure in history,...

In DC, Rash of Wary Tux
Renters Ahead of Inaugural

Jan 17, 2009 8:02 PM CST

In DC, Rash of Wary Tux Renters Ahead of Inaugural

(Newser) - Uninitiated DC men are scrambling to procure tuxedos for the inauguration, and they, luckily, have a few seasoned resources, the Washington Post reports. While inveterate ball-goers frequent Brooks Brothers and such, a younger class of invitees is flocking to the capital’s rental shops, where veteran tailors calm their jitters....

Obama Arrives in Washington

Slideshow of whistlestop tour

Jan 17, 2009 6:30 PM CST

Obama Arrives in Washington

(Newser) - Barack Obama rolled into Washington tonight on the last stop of his historic whistlestop train journey, the Washington Post reports. Obama retraced the path of Abraham Lincoln and called for a "new declaration of independence" for the nation. To see photos of the trip—which Joe Biden joined in...

North Korea Threatens to 'Shatter' South

Jan 17, 2009 5:21 PM CST

North Korea Threatens to 'Shatter' South

Pyongyang claims to have plutonium for 4 nuclear bombs

(Newser) - North Korea threatened to “shatter” South Korea today as reports surfaced that Pyongyang may have enough plutonium stocks to produce at least four nuclear bombs, the Guardian reports. The North said rising hostilities with Seoul compelled it to take “an all-out confrontational posture” over a disputed maritime border...

Obama Will Ban Torture—
But Considers a Loophole

Jan 17, 2009 12:38 PM CST

Obama Will Ban Torture— But Considers a Loophole

(Newser) - Barack Obama is set to prohibit waterboarding and other enhanced interrogation techniques by mandating the CIA follow the US Army Field Manual when questioning suspects, the AP reports. But as the president-elect debates whether to make the changes through legislation or presidential fiat, the incoming administration is also considering a...

Inaugural TV Deals Bring
Big Bucks, Controversy

Jan 17, 2009 11:07 AM CST

Inaugural TV Deals Bring Big Bucks, Controversy

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s inaugural organizing team has struck the most lucrative series of TV deals ever seen for its slate of inaugural events, raking in more than $5 million from various networks, the Washington Post reports. HBO landed the juiciest prize, paying $2.5 million for exclusive rights to tomorrow’...

Obama Embarks
on Symbolic
Train Ride
to DC

Jan 17, 2009 10:30 AM CST

Obama Embarks on Symbolic Train Ride to DC

(Newser) - Barack Obama undertook the final leg of his inaugural journey today, embarking on a whistle-stop train tour from Philadelphia that retraces Lincoln's journey to Washington a century and a half ago. Big crowds are expected along the way, and VP-elect Joe Biden comes aboard in Wilmington, Del. "Only a...

Obamas Urged to Turn the White House Green

Jan 17, 2009 9:22 AM CST

Obamas Urged to Turn the White House Green

Advocates push for new first family to take up organic farming

(Newser) - Advocates for all kinds of green causes are hoping to find newly fertile ground for their ideas at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the Wall Street Journal reports. Several groups are pushing for the president-elect to lead by example and plant an organic garden on the White House's ample grounds. Others urge...

Fear of Crowds, Cold
Deter Inauguration-Goers

Jan 17, 2009 8:54 AM CST

Fear of Crowds, Cold Deter Inauguration-Goers

Organizers scale back crowd estimations as Obama supporters heed warnings

(Newser) - The biggest gathering in Washington DC's history may be a little smaller than expected, the New York Times reports. Would-be visitors for Inauguration Day are starting to take heed of warning about crowds and cold, and many have decided to celebrate in their hometown instead. Officials still expect a logistical...

Man Nabbed in Mississippi for Obama Threats

Jan 17, 2009 5:45 AM CST