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As previously reported by The New American on June 12, President Barack Obama has fired Gerald Walpin, the inspector general who found out that Americorps funds were being misused at Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson’s St. HOPE Academy. Administration officials tried to strong arm Walpin into leaving quietly, but he would not acquiesce. Obama then claimed that he had lost confidence in Walpin and dismissed him, not even caring that it gave the appearance of punishing Walpin for catching a big Obama supporter in wrongdoing. The administration did attempt to characterize Walpin as being confused, disoriented, and unable to answer questions...

CBS, of all news outlets, is setting a high standard for ABC to meet Wednesday in its broadcasts from the White House. On Tuesday night, just a week after a “Reality Check” on how President Obama's claim that his government-expansion health care plan won't hike the deficit doesn't match reality, the CBS Evening News aired a story on how his plan would likely force many to lose their current health insurance and/or doctor. Katie Couric noted “72 percent of Americans say they favor a government plan that would compete with private insurers,” but “at the same time, nearly two-thirds are...

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration plans to kill a controversial Bush administration spy satellite program at the Department of Homeland Security, according to officials familiar with the decision. The program came under fire from its inception two years ago. Democratic lawmakers said it would lead to domestic spying. Document Police Chiefs' Letter to Napolitano. The program would have provided federal, state and local officials with extensive access to spy-satellite imagery — but no eavesdropping capabilities— to assist with emergency response and other domestic-security needs, such as identifying where ports or border areas are vulnerable to terrorism.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is set to sign into law an anti-smoking bill that will give the Food and Drug Administration unprecedented authority to regulate tobacco. Obama is scheduled to sign the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act during an event Monday in the Rose Garden. The law allows the FDA to reduce nicotine in tobacco products, ban candy flavorings and block labels such "low tar" and "light." Tobacco companies also will be required to cover their cartons with large graphic warnings.

SNIPWe'll get to all that. But first I want to mention a White House memorandum released last Friday to the heads of federal departments and agencies because it appears the Obama Administration wants to zone the oceans. The memo indicates that Obama is creating a task force that within 180 days will recommend "a framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning." What's called The Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force will make recommendations to the president on protecting ocean and Great Lake resources as they experience "growing demands" from "renewable energy, shipping and aquaculture." "This framework," the memo reads, "should...

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama used a congressional Democratic fundraiser in Washington to jab critics of his domestic and economic plans. Obama, speaking Thursday at a joint fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, ripped Republicans who have criticized the administration's efforts on economic stimulus spending and reforms to the nation's healthcare financial regulatory systems, The Hill reported. After ticking off legislation that he has signed into law, Obama took on Republicans who have attacked his administration for several of his big and costly initiatives.

WASHINGTON – The government is preparing to release a long-delayed internal report on the CIA's secret detention and interrogation program. How much of the document will be declassified for public view isn't yet known. The roughly 150-page report was expected to be released Friday, but a CIA spokesman said Thursday that government officials were still poring through the documents.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama said Saturday he wants to help pay for his health care overhaul by slowing Medicare and Medicaid spending, but hospitals, medical technicians and others are resisting. The high-stakes struggle over medical care is heating up as Obama declares the status quo unacceptable.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AG THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009 (202) 514-2007 WWW.USDOJ.GOV TDD (202) 514-1888 UNITED STATES RESETTLES FOUR UIGHUR DETAINEES FROM GUANTANAMO BAY TO THE GOVERNMENT OF BERMUDAWASHINGTON - The Department of Justice today announced that four detainees, Chinese nationals of Uighur ethnicity who had been held at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, have been resettled in Bermuda. These detainees, who were subject to release as a result of court orders, had been cleared for release by the prior administration, which determined they would no longer treat them as enemy combatants. The detainees were again cleared for release this year...

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The Times interviewed Paul Oquist, D’Escoto’s senior adviser for the conference, who sat beneath portraits of Fidel Castro of Cuba, Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua, among others. While meaningless United Nations hand-wringing over the North Korean nuclear weapons program garners the headlines, the world body is moving ahead with a global conference to lay the groundwork for world government financed by global taxes. The communist head of the U.N. General Assembly is leading the effort, but he is getting crucial support from "progressive" economists who advise the Obama Administration and the Democratic Party. The United Nations...

President Barack Obama receives a gift from Saudi King Abdullah at the start of their bilateral meeting at the King's Farm in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,Photo resized at ImageShack.com RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — From the moment Barack Obama stepped off Air Force One, his first visit to Saudi Arabia as president was filled with, well, pomp and pageantry fit for a king. His host was, after all, the monarch who presides over the oil-rich nation. King Abdullah staged an elaborate welcome ceremony, showered Obama with compliments, put up the president at his lavish desert horse farm and gave him...

Obama's meeting and scheduled speech in Cairo on Thursday drew condemnation from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who said in a taped message aired by Al Jazeera television that the U.S. leader had planted seeds for "revenge and hatred" towards the United States in the Muslim world. The message, which aired shortly after Obama's arrival in the kingdom, came a day after bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, called Obama a criminal and warned Muslims not to fall for his polished words, part of a propaganda effort to pre-empt Obama's Cairo speech. After sipping Arabic coffee at an airport welcome...

Unless something entirely unforeseen happens, confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor will be a lovefest for the Democrats who run the Senate Judiciary Committee. There will be much talk about Sotomayor's historic opportunity to become the first Hispanic on the Court, about her inspiring background, and about the sterling qualifications she would bring to the job. Sotomayor will have the majority party strongly on her side, and odds are things will end happily for her. For some Republicans, however, it will be hard to avoid thinking back a few years, to a confirmation hearing that didn't end happily...

US Embassies to Invite Iranian Diplomats to Celebrate Fourth of July The Obama administration has authorized its embassies to invite Iranian diplomats to U.S. Independence Day celebrations on the Fourth of July. Officials say the State Department sent a cable to all its embassies on Friday, telling them they "may invite representatives from the government of Iran" to their annual holiday parties.

Russian President may push 'new world currency'

LONDON -- President Barack Obama suggested that Iran may have some right to nuclear energy _ provided it proves by the end of the year that its aspirations are peaceful. SNIP SNIP "What I do believe is that Iran has legitimate energy concerns, legitimate aspirations," Obama said, adding that the international community also "has a very real interest" in preventing a nuclear arms race.

BREAKING:Soldier murdered in Arkansas; Update: Shooter a Muslim convert, opponent of military; Update: “Studied” in Yemen? Update IV: Police have identified the shooter as Carlos Bledsoe, but that’s not what he’s calling himself these days: A Muslim convert who said he was opposed to the U.S. military shot two soldiers outside an Arkansas recruiting station, killing one of the soldiers, police said Monday. “This individual appears to have been upset with the military, the Army in particular, and that’s why he did what he did,” Little Rock Police Lt. Terry Hastings said in a phone interview. “He has converted to...

Three men were accused of trying to threaten voters and block poll and campaign workers by the threat of force -- one even brandishing what prosecutors call a deadly weapon. Charges brought against three members of the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense under the Bush administration have been dropped by the Obama Justice Department, FOX News has learned. The charges stemmed from an incident at a Philadelphia polling place on Election Day 2008 when three members of the party were accused of trying to threaten voters and block poll and campaign workers by the threat of force -- one...

Roland Burris' colleagues in the U.S. Senate have been noticeably silent since the release of a secretly recorded phone conversation with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother. But back home, at least two state lawmakers are calling for Burris' swift resignation. Illinois state lawmakers are calling for swift resignation by U.S. Sen. Roland Burris, whose fighting allegations he worked with former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's brother on a favor for the governor in exchange for an appointment to the Senate seat. State Rep. Jim Durkin -- the ranking Republican on the impeachment panel who questioned Burris during his Jan. 8...