Obama Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Obama

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  • Ernest-moniz-2

    Energy Nominee Ernest Moniz Criticized for Backing Fracking & Nuclear Power; Ties to BP, GE, Saudis

    President Obama’s pick to become the nation’s next secretary of energy is drawing criticism for his deep ties to the fossil fuel, fracking and nuclear industries. MIT nuclear physicist Ernest Moniz has served on advisory boards for oil giant BP and General Electric, and was a trustee of the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, a Saudi Aramco-backed nonprofit organization. In 2011, Moniz was the chief author of an influential...
    Mar 26, 2013 | Story
  • Obama_netanyahu

    Brokers of Deceit: As Obama Visits Israel, Scholar Rashid Khalidi on How the U.S. Undermines Peace

    As the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq is marked around the world today, President Obama is heading to Israel for the first trip there of his presidency. Obama’s three-day tour also includes stops in the occupied West Bank on Thursday and in Jordan on Friday. The White House has taken pains to play down expectations of Obama’s visit, billing it a "listening tour." Obama’s supporters say that mission reflects...
    Mar 19, 2013 | Story
  • Guantanamo-5

    Over 100 Guantánamo Prisoners on Hunger Strike, Citing Threat of Return to "Darkest Days Under Bush"

    More than 100 detainees held in the U.S. military prison at Guantánamo Bay are reportedly entering their fifth week of a hunger strike sparked by deteriorating conditions. News of the hunger strike first emerged last week, but it appears the action involves far more prisoners than previously thought. In a letter to his attorney, one detainee wrote: "We are in danger. One of the soldiers fired on one of the brothers a month ago. Before that,...
    Mar 13, 2013 | Story
  • Censorship

    After Vowing Greater Transparency, Obama Admin Increasingly Censoring, Withholding Info from Public

    A new report has revealed the U.S. government refused or censored Freedom of Information Act requests from the public more last year than at any other time during the Obama presidency. The Associated Press analysis determined that the Obama administration cited legal provisions for withholding information more often in 2012 than in any previous year — especially a rule intended to protect national security. The CIA denied 60 percent of information...
    Mar 12, 2013 | Story
  • White_house

    Selling the White House? Obama-Linked Group Promises Top Donors Access to President

    The watchdog group Common Cause is calling on President Obama to shut down the outside group Organizing for Action after revelations the group is promising high-end donors access to the White House. According to The New York Times, donors who contribute $500,000 or more will be appointed to the group’s national advisory board, which meets four times a year with the president. Organizing for Action was set up by former Obama campaign officials...
    Feb 27, 2013 | Story
  • Michelle_bigger

    Beyond Gun Control, Obama Urged to Tackle Joblessness, Incarceration and U.S. "Culture of Violence"

    We spend the hour looking at President Obama’s State of the Union address, beginning with his call for new gun control. Obama asked Congress to vote on new gun reform measures, including background checks and a ban on assault weapons. But with the gun lobby-beholden Congress unlikely to approve Obama’s agenda, we’re joined by two guests who call for a broader approach that includes tackling the root causes of violence. "We’re...
    Feb 13, 2013 | Story
  • Obama

    Obama's SOTU Address Calls for Middle-Class Revival, But Poverty & Inequality Still Get Short Shrift

    President Obama opened his State of the Union with a call to revive the middle class and with a challenge to a divided Congress to back his economic proposals to create jobs. We get reaction from Bob Herbert, distinguished senior fellow with Demos, and Cathy Cohen, professor of political science at the University of Chicago and founder of the Black Youth Project. "Median income in the United States has gone down since the recession ended,"...
    Feb 13, 2013 | Story
  • Aura_bogado

    As Obama Touts Pathway to Citizenship, Record Deportations Leave Undocumented Immigrants in Fear

    Addressing the plight of some 11 million undocumented people currently living in the United States, President Obama’s State of the Union address emphasized the benefits of comprehensive immigration reform. Obama urged Congress to send him legislation to sign into law in the next few months. We get reaction on what Obama didn’t say — namely, his record levels of deportation — from Aura Bogado, a reporter who covers immigration...
    Feb 13, 2013 | Story
  • Afghan_troops

    Despite Planned Troop Withdrawal, Special Ops & Private Forces Prepare to Continue Afghan War

    As President Obama announced plans to withdraw another 34,000 troops from Afghanistan, longtime peace activist Kathy Kelly warns the war shows no end. Kelly, who just returned from Afghanistan, says the company formally known as Blackwater is now running a base just outside of Kabul used by the Special Operations Joint Task Force. On Monday, a U.S. air strike in Afghanistan killed 10 civilians. The strike hit what the NATO occupation force called...
    Feb 13, 2013 | Story
  • Immigration_reform

    Obama Offers Hope on Immigration Reform, But Emphasis on Enforcement Portends More Criminalization

    President Obama has kicked off his second term with a major push for comprehensive immigration reform, backing a bipartisan Senate plan that includes a path to citizenship for some of the estimated 11 million undocumented people living in the United States. But Obama’s call for tougher border enforcement and a system for tracking those who overstay visas has sparked concerns he will continue with a pro-criminalization and militarization...
    Jan 31, 2013 | Story