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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Nationwide ‘tea party’ protests blast bailouts

Conservatives are showing they know their way around the Internet just as well as liberals, as hundreds of organized "tea party" protests are planned across the nation Wednesday. The protests are in part a backlash against what some view as excessive government spending and bailouts. Heralded on videos and blogs, the movement also appears, in part, a reflection of a general anger among people who contend the government takes too much from their pocketbooks

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First dog Bo meets White House press corps

Bo the Portuguese water dog made his White House debut under cloudy skies Tuesday afternoon, spending several minutes taking his new family on a lively romp over the South Lawn with frequent stops for hearty sniffs at his new surroundings. Bo landed on all four feet at his fourth home in his six short months of life, fulfilling President Obama’s campaign promise to get his daughters a dog in return for all the time he spent on the road during the long presidential fight. “He’s a star.

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Family, academy express relief after captain’s rescue

For four days, an American sea captain and four Somali pirates rode the waves of the Indian Ocean in an enclosed lifeboat, far out of sight of most of the world. But for those four days, they were on the minds of people around the globe, from the captain’s hometown in Vermont, to the White House, to port cities and anywhere that families send their loved ones off to sea.

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Sources: Obama to move ahead on immigration reform

The White House is planning to start addressing the nation’s immigration system as early as May, two senior administration officials said Thursday. President Obama will rely on a bipartisan, diverse group of experts to help build the framework for legislation, the officials said. One official noted that immigration will not be “on the same track” as other key initiatives like health care and energy, and “nobody’s promising legislation or a vote this year.” There are roughly 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States

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Commentary: Obama’s liked, but is he respected?

President Obama has returned from his first trip abroad with praise ringing in his ears from the media elite and barely a word of protest from the Republican opposition. NEW YORK (CNN) — President Obama has returned from his first trip abroad with praise ringing in his ears from the media elite and barely a word of protest from the Republican opposition. It truly was an extraordinary introduction on the world stage for our celebrity president, and his only rival for attention was the first lady.

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15 years later, Rwanda remembers the massacre

Crowds gathered in somber reflection near the Rwandan capital of Kigali on Tuesday, marking the 15th anniversary of the start of a 100-day genocidal massacre in Rwanda in which an estimated 800,000 people were brutally killed. Rwandan President Paul Kagame addressed thousands during an emotional candle-lighting ceremony, criticizing the international community for not doing more to prevent the bloody wave of violence. “I remind those experts that they need to go back to school,” Kagame told reporters

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