WHITE HOUSE

The U.S. Air Force plans to buy up to 18,000 iPads for its Air Mobility Command (AMC), replacing 70-pound flight bags with 1.3-pound Apple iPad 2s for the crews that fly cargo aircrafts.

U.S. Air Force Buys 18,000 Apple iPads to Replace Flight Bags

Following the precedent set by commercial airliners in December 2011, the U.S. Air Force plans to buy up to 18,000 iPads for its Air Mobility Command (AMC), replacing heavy flight bags with light and efficient Apple iPad 2s for the crews that fly cargo aircrafts.

White House Defends Contraception Rules as Criticism Mounts

Emergency contraception, also known as the "morning after pill" and seen by many conservatives as akin to abortion, for the most part would not fall under the rule since it is already available without a prescription to those 17 and older.
The Obama administration is willing to work with Catholic universities, hospitals and other church-affiliated employers to implement a new policy that requires health insurers to offer birth control coverage, a top adviser to the president's re-election campaign said on Tuesday.

Obama Boosts Funds for Alzheimer's Disease Research

The White House said it will spend and extra $50 million this year, and it will seek an extra $80 million in fiscal 2013 to bolster Alzheimer's research. Obama also plans to spend an additional $26 million in programs to support people who care for A
The Obama administration plans to spend an additional $156 million over the next two years to help find an effective treatment for Alzheimer's, a fatal brain-wasting disease that affects more than 5 million Americans.
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A protester kicks a tear gas canister during clashes with security forces near the Interior Ministry in Cairo February 4, 2012.

Egyptians Break off D.C. Visit in Confrontation over NGOs

An Egyptian military delegation abruptly cancelled its meetings with U.S. lawmakers to return to Cairo Monday after warnings from both Congress and the White House that Egypt's crackdown on non-governmental groups could threaten its $1.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid.
President Barack Obama

Obama Has Edge Over Romney in Small Donors

It does not guarantee him re-election in November, but it is an advantage President Barack Obama is likely to carry into the fall: a broad base of supporters who have given him the symbolic vote of confidence with a donation of less than $200.
No Regular Aussie Troops in Afghanistan by 2013

Afghan Taliban Deny Mullah Omar Wrote to White House

The White House received a letter in 2011 that purported to come directly from Mullah Omar, asking the United States to deliver prisoners whose transfer is now central to American efforts to broker peace in Afghanistan, an Obama administration official said Friday. The Afghan Taliban denied on Saturday that the group's leader, Mullah Omar, wrote to the White House last year.
Occupy DC

Police Begin Clearing Occupy D.C. Protest Site

Police removed bedding and most tents on Saturday at an "Occupy" protest site just blocks from the White House, enforcing a no-camping rule at a public square that has housed protesters for months.
Bloomberg

Boston, New York Mayors Aiming at Illegal Guns in Super Bowl Ad Spot

Among the slick, million-dollar ads airing during the Super Bowl this Sunday, viewers in New York and Boston will see a far more modest spot. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino will be sitting on a couch touting an issue most politicians avoid like the plague: gun control.
An Iranian man walks past a currency exchange shop in northern Tehran January 3, 2012.

Banking's SWIFT Working with EU, U.S. on Iran-Related Measures

The organization that provides the world's banks with a system for moving money said on Friday it is working with officials in the European Union and the United States to address concerns about the services it provides to blacklisted Iranian banks.
U.S. President Barack Obama

Obama Seeks Workable Approach on SOPA, PIPA Controversy

Tech-forward U.S President Barack Obama has indicated that the government will try to find out a workable approach on the controversial SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (PROTECT IP Act) issues. The president made that suggestion in reply to selected questions in the first-ever completely virtual interview from the White House, via Google+ Hangout.
Syria's President Bashar al-Assad

U.S. and Allies Exploring Prospects for Assad Exile

The United States, European governments and Arab states have begun discussing the possibility of exile for Bashar al-Assad despite skepticism that the defiant Syrian president is ready to consider such an offer, Western officials say.
Facebook Filling for $5-Bln IPO

Facebook IPO: 5 Danger Signs for Investors

Assuming the $100 billion initial public offering by Facebook proceeds as planned, investors will likely clamor for shares and snap them up, just as in earlier Web frenzies for Netscape Communications, Yahoo and Google. But there are dangers.

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