More than 91,000 sign petition to rename street with Trump Tower after Obama

NEW YORK CITY — More than 91,000 people have signed an online petition to rename a block of a Manhattan Avenue after former President Barack Obama – a block that just so happens to be the home of Trump Tower.The MoveOn.org petition is asking Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYC City Council that Fifth Avenue, between 56th and 57th streets, be officially renamed "President Barack H.

Despite calls to start over, US health system covers 90%

WASHINGTON — America's much-maligned health care system is covering 9 out of 10 people, a fact that hasn't stopped the 2020 presidential candidates from refighting battles about how to provide coverage, from Bernie Sanders' call for replacing private insurance with a government plan to President Donald Trump's pledge to erase the Affordable Care Act and start over.The politicians are depicting a system in meltdown.

Pres. Trump taps ex-Obama border patrol chief as ICE Director

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is tapping a former border patrol chief who served in the Obama administration to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement.President Trump tweeted Sunday that Mark Morgan "will be joining the Trump Administration as the head of our hard working men and women of ICE." He added: "Mark is a true believer and American Patriot.

Attack on Obama mannequin at NYC sex shop leaves workers in shock, suspect under arrest

NEW YORK – A man angered by a Barack Obama mannequin in a New York City storefront shattered the shop's window and physically attacked the former president's likeness, witnesses said.Now that man faces prosecution, and the store - an adult novelty shop - has to decide if it will replace the presidential display, which had also included a mannequin of President Donald Trump."It just broke him," said Corine Lew, manager of the Manhattan Romantic Depot, about what happened to the Obama mannequin in the attack that happened around 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 26. "He'd taken a hard fall."The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.

Obamas praise service of former President George H.W. Bush

WASHINGTON -- Praise is coming in for former President George H.W. Bush from another member of that club.The office of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama said Bush's life was "a testament to the notion that public service is a noble, joyous calling.

Former Vice President Joe Biden coming to Wisconsin

MADISON — Former Vice President Joe Biden is coming to Wisconsin a week before the election to get out the vote in Madison and Milwaukee.Biden planned to hold an early voting rally Tuesday morning on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Former Pres. Barack Obama to visit Milwaukee on Friday, Oct. 26

MILWAUKEE — Former President Barack Obama is scheduled to campaign in Wisconsin next week on behalf of the state's Democratic candidates.The state Democratic Party announced in a news release Friday afternoon that Obama will visit Milwaukee for an event on Oct. 26.

Former President Obama, on campaign swing, urges 'sanity in our politics'

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Former President Barack Obama said Saturday that November midterm elections would give Americans "a chance to restore some sanity in our politics," taking another swipe at his successor as he raises his profile campaigning for fellow Democrats to regain control of the House.Obama didn't mention President Donald Trump by name during a 20-minute speech in the key Southern California battleground of Orange County but the allusions were clear."We're in a challenging moment because, when you look at the arc of American history, there's always been a push and pull between those who want to go forward and those who want to look back, between those who want to divide and those are seeking to bring people together, between those who promote the politics of hope and those who exploit the politics of fear," he said.His appearance — one day after a strongly worded critique of President Trump at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — touched on themes of retirement security, climate change and education."If we don't step up, things can get worse," the former president told the audience at the Anaheim Convention Center. "In two months, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics.

Former President Obama says President Trump is 'the symptom, not the cause' of division

URBANA, Ill.  — Former President Barack Obama said Friday his successor, President Donald Trump, is "the symptom, not the cause" of division and polarization in the U.S.President Trump, the former president said, is "just capitalizing on resentments that politicians have been fanning for years."His comments came during a speech at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he accepted an ethics in government award.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel abandons quest for third term

CHICAGO — Rahm Emanuel, whose tumultuous tenure as Chicago mayor included an infamous police shooting and a surge in violent crime, said in a surprise announcement Tuesday that he would abandon his plan to seek a third term next year but gave no reason for the sudden change of heart.Emanuel also led the effort to conduct the largest mass closing of neighborhood schools in American history and is credited with helping to stabilize the city's finances through politically unpopular increases in taxes and fees.The 58-year-old former White House chief of staff known for his pugnacious political style said only that he and his wife "look forward to writing that next chapter in our journey together.""This has been the job of a lifetime, but it is not a job for a lifetime," the mayor said, reading prepared remarks at a news conference where he was joined at the podium by his wife.

Former President Obama in ancestral home Kenya to launch sister's project

NAIROBI, Kenya — Former U.S. President Barack Obama has arrived in Kenya, the country of his father's birth, for a private visit, his first to this country since leaving office.Former President Obama is in Kenya to help launch his half-sister's, Auma Obama, sports, vocational training and resource center through her foundation Sauti Kuu.This visit is expected to be low key in the capital Nairobi unlike his previous visits where he electrified hundreds of Kenyans who lined the streets to see him as a senator in 2006 and then as president 2015.Many Kenyans consider Former President Obama native to this country— a local kid made good— and bask in the glory of his success, despite the fact that Former President Obama never lived in Africa.

Pres. Trump faults Obama for US response to Russian hacking

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday scolded the Obama administration for not responding aggressively enough to Russian hacking of Democratic targets in the 2016 U.S. election — cyberattacks underpinning the indictment of 12 Russian military intelligence officers.President Trump's first response to special counsel Robert Mueller's initial charges against Russian government officials for interfering in American politics came in tweets the president posted while at his golf resort in Scotland, two days before a high-stakes summit in Finland with Russian leader Vladimir Putin."The stories you heard about the 12 Russians yesterday took place during the Obama Administration, not the Trump Administration," President Trump tweeted. "Why didn't they do something about it, especially when it was reported that President Obama was informed by the FBI in September, before the Election?

Netflix says it has signed Barack and Michelle Obama

NEW YORK — Netflix says that it has reached a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce material for the streaming service.Netflix said Monday, in a tweet, that the former president and first lady will produce films and series for the service, potentially including scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and features.Netflix chief executive Ted Sarandos said that the Obamas are uniquely position to discover and highlight stories of people who make a difference in their communities.Barack Obama recently appeared as a guest on David Letterman's Netflix talk show.

Report: Former Pres. Barack Obama in discussions to produce shows for Netflix

LOS ANGELES — Netflix shares surged to an all-time high following the news that Barack Obama and Netflix reportedly are negotiating a deal for the former president and his wife, Michelle, to produce shows exclusively for the streaming service.The proposed deal was reported Friday by The New York Times, which cited people familiar with the discussions who were not identified.The report sent shares to an all-time high of $326.74 earlier.