Tag Archives: washington

Obama: Summit of the Americas ‘productive’

President Obama said Sunday the 34-nation Summit of the Americas was a "very productive" meeting that proved hemispheric progress is possible if countries set aside "stale debates and old ideologies." Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the summit, Obama cited a potential thaw in relations between the United States and longtime adversaries Cuba and Venezuela, but said the ultimate test “is not simply words, but deeds.” Leaders did not “see eye to eye” on some important issues, but the meeting proved it is possible to “disagree respectfully,” the president said. Obama highlighted the importance of using American diplomacy and development aid in “more intelligent ways.” He reached out to the Cuban government before the summit by lifting all restrictions on U.S.

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U.S. warm to Venezuelan overture to return ambassadors

Venezuela President Hugo Chavez is considering naming an ambassador to the United States, signaling a shift in the historically tense relations between the two nations — one that the Obama administration welcomed. “It is possible we will begin evaluating the designation of an ambassador in the United States,” Chavez said in a statement Saturday after the meeting of leaders and representatives from 34 countries at the the fifth Summit of the Americas.

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Obama unveils high-speed passenger rail plan

President Obama unveiled his administration’s blueprint for a new national network of high-speed passenger rail lines Thursday, saying such an investment is necessary to reduce traffic congestion, cut dependence on foreign oil and improve the environment. The president’s plan identifies 10 potential high-speed intercity corridors for federal funding, including California, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, the Gulf Coast, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and New England. It also highlights potential improvements in the heavily traveled Northeast Corridor running from Washington to Boston, Massachusetts

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Obama addresses economy, tax plan on filing day

President Obama touted his tax cut Wednesday as an important component of his plan to right the U.S. economy and put working families on a more prosperous path. “My administration has taken far-reaching action to give tax cuts to the Americans who need them while jump-starting growth and job creation in the process,” Obama said

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Solar tsunami data will predict Earth havoc

NASA scientists say new data provided by twin spacecraft analyzing the sun will help them more accurately predict how so-called solar tsunamis wreak havoc on our planet. The tsunamis — powerful explosions known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs — produce solar cosmic rays that can interfere with technology, causing power blackouts and disrupting air traffic communications and cell phone networks. NASA says images captured by its twin Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory, or STEREO, spacecraft have enabled scientists to map the tsunamis in 3D to examine their structure, velocity, mass and direction.

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