Barack Obama News
Read news, analysis, and commentary on Barack Obama, his administration’s legacy, and his continuing impact on national debates.
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- News
Obama Calls for End to ‘Corrosive’ Politics After 8 Polarizing Years
President Barack Obama asserted in his farewell speech that protecting “our democracy” requires putting an end to corrosive politics and addressing income inequality, but polling and economic data show both got worse during his eight years in the White House. “Our economy doesn’t work as well or grow as fast when a few prosper at…Fred Lucas -
- Opinion
13 Inconvenient Truths About Obama’s Legacy
According to President Barack Obama, the last eight years have been just swell. But his rendition of history leaves out a few important facts about the state of America following his two terms as president. In two videos, we run through 13 facts about his administration’s domestic and foreign policy record he conveniently ignores. On…Genevieve Wood -
- Opinion
In Revealing Article, Obama Puts ‘Progressive Goals’ Before Due Process
On Jan. 5, President Barack Obama published in the Harvard Law Review a 56-page commentary expressing his personal views on criminal law and justice, entitled “The President’s Role in Advancing Criminal Justice Reform.” One glaring omission stands out: The article all but forgets the crucial need for mens rea (latin for “guilty mind”) reform to…John-Michael Seibler -
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Conservative Groups Warn of Obama’s ‘Midnight Litigation’ Against US Business
Conservative and pro-business groups warn that the Obama administration may pursue legal action to enforce some of its thousands of new “job-crushing” regulations before President-elect Donald Trump is sworn into office. Regulations promulgated in “the waning days” of President Barack Obama’s lame-duck administration could constrain the new Trump administration, the coalition of groups warned Vice…Leah Jessen -
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Obama Celebrates His Newest Monuments by Tweeting out Pictures of the Wrong National Park
The White House took to Twitter Wednesday to promote President Barack Obama’s latest monument designations in the Western U.S., but its tweet had a picture of a completely different national park. Obama created the Bears Ears and Gold Butte national monuments, but it’s Wednesday tweet included a picture of the Three Gossips at Arches National…Michael Bastasch -
- Opinion
Obama’s Land Grab Will Not Stand. I Will Fight It.
When I questioned Interior Secretary Sally Jewell at her confirmation hearing, she promised me President Barack Obama would not designate a national monument unless there was widespread support from the local population. Unfortunately, Obama ignored that promise and designated a monument in San Juan County yesterday. But this is no time despair. This is a…Sen. Mike Lee -
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Fearing Late Action by Obama, Republicans Consider Curbing Presidential Power to Declare National Monuments
President Barack Obama is using his executive power to issue a broad swath of environmental protections during his last weeks in office, guarding himself against a successor who has vowed to roll back parts of that agenda. As part of this effort, Obama has made historic use of a 110-year-old law signed by Theodore Roosevelt…Josh Siegel -
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Here’s How Low-Income Americans Feel About the Obama Administration’s New Lending Regulations
In order to crack down on what’s known as “predatory lenders,” the Obama administration proposed new rules that require short-term lenders to ensure customers have the ability to repay their loans. In requiring lenders to assess their financial background—including their monthly income, cost of living, and other major expenses—the Obama administration says it can protect…Kelsey Bolar -
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Obama Breaks Single-Day Record With 78 Pardons
President Barack Obama granted 153 commutations and 78 pardons Monday, the most individual acts of clemency granted in one day by any president in American history. The president has now commuted the sentences of 1,176 individuals, including 395 life sentences, and he has pardoned 148 individuals. “Today’s acts of clemency, and the mercy the president has shown…Ted Goodman -
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Here’s the Tool Congress Can Use to Curtail Obama’s Regulation Legacy
Conservatives in Congress have a plan to undo a large number of regulations from the last few months of President Barack Obama’s time in office. The recently imposed regulations include a new rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that protects federal funding for Planned Parenthood as well as regulations from the Department…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
Obama’s Last Gift to Planned Parenthood
President Barack Obama has given Planned Parenthood a parting gift in the final weeks of his administration. As reported by The Daily Signal’s Kelsey Harkness, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a rule that would prohibit states from blocking Planned Parenthood from receiving Title X family planning services grant money for reasons “unrelated”…Melanie Israel -
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Obama’s Education Secretary: ‘We Should Welcome Good Public Charter Schools’
During one of his final weeks on the job, President Barack Obama’s secretary of education called for education leaders to unite around support for charter schools. “If we believe that public schools will always be the bedrock of American democracy and opportunity—as I do—we should welcome good public charter schools as laboratories for innovation that…Kelsey Bolar -
- Opinion
The Obama Administration Just Sent the Arms Trade Treaty to the Senate. Here’s Why It Doesn’t Matter.
Last week, the Obama administration took a step that conservatives have been anticipating for three years: it transmitted the Arms Trade Treaty to the Senate for ratification. This move doesn’t matter. The treaty is supposedly designed to control the international trade of weapons. It was adopted through the United Nations in 2013, and 91 nations have…Ted Bromund -
- Opinion
Obama’s Terrorism Claim Hides an Inconvenient Truth
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama stated that “Over [the] last eight years, no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland.” Talk about something actually deserving of being labeled as “fake news.” Obama’s statement obscures the reality that the U.S. has faced 66 Islamist terrorist plots against the U.S. homeland…David Inserra -
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Obama Administration Not Finished Yet With Executive Actions, Regulations
On Monday, President Barack Obama issued his fifth executive order since the Nov. 8 election. In this case, it was to create a National Invasive Species Council to compile a report by 2020 on how to prevent such species from affecting climate change, food safety, and even military readiness. Citing national security concerns, Obama issued…Fred Lucas -
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Obama Administration Sides With Protesters, Halting Construction of Dakota Access Pipeline
The Department of the Army handed protesters of the Dakota Access oil pipeline a victory Sunday when it announced the project would be re-routed. The decision came on the eve of the government’s Monday deadline for protesters to evacuate their encampment. For the past several months, members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe have waged a…Jamie Gregora -
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Obama Could Expand ‘Unprecedented’ Clemency Push for Prisoners
President Barack Obama has overseen a dramatic reshaping of the federal prison system, as the most visible leader of a bipartisan movement to overcome the age of harsh punishment during the war on drugs. Indeed, Obama is on pace to be the first president in 50 years to leave office when the federal prison population…Josh Siegel -
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Payday Lenders Accuse Obama Administration of Last-Ditch Effort With Operation Choke Point
Short-term lenders say the Obama administration is attempting a last-ditch effort to use Operation Choke Point to crack down on their industries, causing an “urgent” situation where businesses are unable to perform basic functions like pay their employees. After losing dozens of more banking relationships in recent weeks, a group of payday lenders asked a…Kelsey Bolar -
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Obama Administration Shuts Down Aerial Surveillance on Border
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security quietly shut down Operation Phalanx, an aerial surveillance program that intercepts drugs and illegal crossings along the Mexican border. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, vows to challenge DHS’ move, saying Congress provided “full funding” for 2017. Cuellar, a member of the House Appropriations Committee and the homeland security subcommittee, is…Kenric Ward