President Obama - "Person of the Year" for 2012
"Time" magazine has named the re-elected President Obama its "Person of the Year" for 2012. The runners-up: Pakistan women's rights activist Malala Yousafzai (who was seriously wounded in an attack by the Taliban); Apple CEO Tim Cook; Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi; and Higgs boson physicist Fabiola Gianotti. Ref. USAToday
Obamas Offer Holiday Wishes Call for All to Remember Vets
US Military News
During the weekly address from the White House, President Obama and his wife Michelle wished service members, veterans and their families a happy holiday season, and called on all Americans to remember those in harm's way.
Source: American Forces Press Service News Feed
Obama starts Hawaiian vacation leaving Washington on ice
Taking what promised to be a very brief Christmas break from the ongoing struggle to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts, President Barack Obama relaxed with his family on Saturday at a beach retreat in Hawaii. Congress was to return to Washington next Thursday and Obama has pledged to work with lawmakers to strike a deal to avoid the economic shock from tax and spending measures set to take effect on January 1 if a deal can't be reached, which many economists say could push the U.S. economy back into recession. ...
Source: Yahoo! News - Latest News & Headlines
President Barack Obama is CNN's Most Intriguing Person of 2012, as voted on by readers of CNN.com
President Barack Obama said today that he is "Modestly optimistic" a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff can still be reached, but he warned that no one will get 100% of what they want.
A political summit at the White House left it to the Senate's top Democrat and Republican to work out a possible compromise to avoid the fiscal cliff, participants said.
The fiscal cliff is a combination of automatic tax hikes and deep spending cuts due to take effect at the start of the new year. Ref. CNN
President Obama on Monday plans to announce former Sen. Chuck Hagel as his nominee to become the next defense secretary, a senior administration official told CNN. Obama also plans to unveil his nominee for permanent CIA director on Monday, the source said.
The official cautioned that the schedule was subject to change, though another source close to Hagel was also told the defense secretary announcement is expected on Monday.
CNN reported Friday that the White House had told some senior members of Congress to expect the tapping of Hagel, and another source with knowledge of the nomination called it "Locked down."
At the CIA, the short list to replace retired Gen. David Petraeus includes Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Adviser John Brennan and acting CIA Director Michael Morell, according to a source.
Petraeus stepped down from his post in November amid revelations he had engaged in an extramarital affair with his biographer. Morell, a career intelligence officer who was serving as the spy agency's deputy director, stepped in as acting CIA director upon Petraeus' resignation. Ref. CNN
President Obama will hold the last White House news conference of his first term today at 11:15 a.m. ET. This is the first news conference since Obama nominated his new national security team and tapped Jacob Lew, his current chief of staff, to succeed Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary. Ref. USAToday
Barack Obama has been sworn in to a second term as president during a private ceremony in the Blue Room at the White House. Vice President Joe Biden took his second-term oath earlier today in a similar ceremony.
The 20th Amendment of the Constitution specifies that the president's and vice president's terms begin at noon on January 20. Since that fell on a Sunday this year, there will also be a public ceremony on Monday for Biden and Obama to take the oath a second time. That will be held on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Ref. CNN