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President Obama will return 5 percent of his salary to the Treasury Department, a senior White House official tells ABC News, a sign of solidarity with the federal workers who face furloughs due to the sequester cuts. “The president has decided that to share in the sacrifice being made by public servants across the federal government that are affected by the sequester, he will contribute a portion of his salary back to the Treasury,” a White House aide said.

For the first time since 1971, there will be no air show at Offutt Air Force Base this year. Base officials announced Wednesday that because of operating budget uncertainties tied to the federal budget sequestration, the show and open house scheduled for Aug. 24-25 have been canceled. “The Department of Defense and the Air Force are facing difficult fiscal challenges, which requires us to make some tough decisions here at Offutt,'' said Col. John Rauch, commander of Offutt's 55th Wing. “One of these tough decisions includes cancelling this year's air show.''

The tours for the public may be canceled, but the fun continues at the White House, where President Obama and First Lady Michelle are indulging in exclusive entertainment even as furloughs begin to hit the White House itself. Tuesday evening, the Obamas were treated to a viewing of the movie “42,” which chronicles the life of Jackie Robinson, watching it in the White House theater with the film’s cast and crew in attendance. Earlier, in the day, the White House added an official gloss to the event by throwing in a “42 Film Workshop” for kids in the State Dining...

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle will host a star-studded roster of music legends April 9 for another glitzy installment in the “In Performance at the White House” concert series, according to a White House press released issued Tuesday. The concert comes as the White House is emphasizing cuts caused by sequestration and criticizing reporters for not paying enough attention to the hardship caused by the mandatory slowdown in the rate of spending increases. Though the White House notably canceled all visitor tours in March, ostensibly due to sequestration, the First Couple’s series of White House concerts — billed...

Next week Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Queen Latifah, and many others will perform at the White House in a "Memphis Soul" concert, the White House announced today. "As part of their 'In Performance at the White House' series, the President and First Lady will invite music legends and contemporary major artists to the White House for a celebration of Memphis Soul music. The program will include performances by Alabama Shakes, William Bell, Steve Cropper, Al Green, Ben Harper, Queen Latifah, Cyndi Lauper, Joshua Ledet, Sam Moore, Charlie Musselwhite, Mavis Staples and Justin Timberlake, with Booker T. Jones as music director...

A testy exchange broke out today between Fox News' Ed Henry and White House press secretary Jay Carney over border patrol furloughs. Henry challenged Carney on Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano’s claims that America was going to be less safe due to the sequester furloughing border patrol agents. The border agency announced yesterday that it would be postponing the furloughs.

by John HillStand With ArizonaWebsite | Facebook | Twitter Releasing illegal alien criminals - it's not just for Arizona anymore... In a political hissy fit, the Obama administration canceled White House tours and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released thousands of detainees ahead of the implementation of sequestration, all in attempt to make the public “feel” the effects of the forced spending cuts. But effort has largely backfired on Obama from a public relations standpoint, with children being denied access to “the people’s house” and the American public outraged at the potential harm from the release of illegal immigrant...

As spring break begins for schoolchildren across the country, thousands of students will travel to Washington, DC. The trips, funded by bake sales and other events throughout the year, will allow the students to take in Washington's historic landmarks. One premier destination is off-limits this year, however. A few weeks ago, the Obama Administration announced it was suspending public, self-guided tours of the White House as a result of the automatic sequester cuts that the administration proposed in 2011. While America's students stand outside the White House fence, the First Daughters, Sasha and Malia, are enjoying spring break with friends...

<p>The White House is moving forward with the White House Easter Egg Roll, despite closing its doors to all public tours because of the sequester spending cuts.</p> <p>The White House Easter Egg Roll, a day full of games and food on the South Lawn for children and families, is a 135-year tradition. It will take place this year on April 1 and 35,000 people are expected to attend.</p>

The Senate on Wednesday voted to leave the White House closed to public tours, instead leaving funding in place for government-promoted winery music, cookbooks, iPhone apps and winter festivals, according to Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn’s office.The amendment to reopen the White House for tours, which was introduced by the Oklahoma Republican, would have reduced National Heritage Area funding by $8.1 million and directed $6 million of the savings toward keeping the White House and other National Parks open. It failed by a 54-45 vote.“In effect, with this vote, the Senate decided the following activities which are promoted by the government-funded...

As Washington struggles to find a solution to the federal budget cuts in the recent sequester, the U.S. Border Patrol has begun to cut back, and the numbers are already beginning show immigrants are taking advantage of it. Border Patrol stats leaked to our newsroom show the RGV sector detained almost twice as many immigrants in February as they did in January. While Border Patrol agents will likely lose overtime and face up to 14 furlough days, one south Texas rancher says he’s going to lose too, security he depends on. Just 4.5 miles north of the Falfurrias checkpoint, Mike...

The head of the nation’s immigration enforcement agency said Tuesday that the decision to release over two thousand detained illegal immigrants was done for budgetary reasons alone and independent of political pressure, pushing back against critics who claim the Obama administration publicized the release of criminals to highlight the consequences of budget sequestration. “There are no mass releases of dangerous criminals underway or any plan for the future, just efforts to live within our budget,” Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director John Morton said in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.....

by John HillStand With Arizona Today's House Judiciary Committee hearing showed exactly why we would love to see S.C. Rep. Trey Gowdy replace the disgraceful Lindsey Graham in the U.S. Senate next year.Tuesday afternoon, Rep. Gowdy (R), the Chairman of the Immigration Subcommittee, grilled ICE Director John Morton and DHS officials about the release of thousands of illegal immigrants from detention, including Level I violators (aggravated felons).The Obama administration has claimed that sequestration budget cuts forced them to release the detainees. But it has since been revealed that DHS and its division have spent hundreds of millions on other,...

At the Washington Post's Post Politics blog on Monday, Juliet Eilperin revealed that the White House has notified participants invited to the April 1 Easter Egg Roll that the event "is subject to cancellation due to funding uncertainty surrounding the Executive Office of the President and other federal agencies."

Salmonella outbreaks. E. coli outbreaks. Millions of dollars in economic losses. These are among the scenarios the Obama administration warned about last month as it claimed the sequester would force the U.S. Department of Agriculture to furlough meat inspectors. But while the administration prepares to take that step, it continues to pursue a "partnership" with the Mexican government to "raise awareness" about food stamps among immigrants from that country. When a top Senate Republican proposed cutting off funds for that program last week -- in the form of an amendment to a budget resolution -- Democrats on the Budget Committee...

In an "exclusive" interview with ABC, Barack Obama on Wednesday dodged responsibility for the ending of White House tours, stating, "I have to say this was not a decision that went up to the White House." The President placed the responsibility on the Secret Service. Later in the day, press secretary Jay Carney contradicted Obama and admitted that the White House cancelled the tours. ABC's World News on Wednesday and Good Morning America on Thursday didn't bother to cover updates on Obama's denial. Appearing on the Washington D.C. radio show Mornings on the Mall, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino...

Four days after slamming the doors of the White House closed, Barack "It's-not-my-fault" Obama says he's going to ask the Secret Service if to reconsider. Contradicting previous statements, Obama told George Stephanopoulos of ABC News this morning that neither he nor his staff had anything to do with closing the public out of the White House. This time, he threw the Secret Service under the bus. “I have to say this was not a decision that went up to the White House,” Obama said in the interview with Stephanopoulos. “But what the Secret Service explained to us was that they’re...

In the face of a public outcry, President Obama opened the door in an interview broadcast Wednesday to resuming White House tours -- after they were suspended in a decision purportedly meant to save the Secret Service money while it deals with sequester cuts. -snip- Obama, speaking with ABC News, tried to distance himself from the decision, pinning it on the Secret Service -- though other accounts have indicated both the Secret Service and White House had a role in the move.

President Obama says he's not the one who canceled the White House tours. He made the comments in an interview with ABC News. "[O]ne more question about the spending cuts," said the interviewer from ABC News. "You’ve been takin’ a lotta heat for this cancellation of the White House tours. They get– the Secret Service says it’s costs about $74,000 a week. Was canceling them really necessary?" "You know, I have to say this was not– a decision that went up to the White House. But th– what the Secret Service explained to us was that they’re gonna have to...

~SNIP~ For example, among the formula of budget sequestration’s across-the-board cuts, split 50-50 between military and non-military spending, AmeriCorps will likely lose out. This core program, supported and used by many nonprofits, will likely lose member slots—in the thousands—and in all likelihood there will be a reduction in the level of federal commitment to each AmeriCorps member. Young Invincibles and the National Priorities Project reported that the likely cut in the AmeriCorps program itself would be $38 million. Remember that AmeriCorps is actually a suite of programs, including AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community...