Celebrating Dr. King with the Departure of Barack Obama

With the establishment of the period when the nation would celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, no one could have anticipated the possibility that one day that period would converge with the date when a "first black president" would be turning over executive power after serving two terms. But in just a few days Barack Hussein Obama will conclude an ironic but historic chapter in the ongoing story of this strange and dangerous place called the United States of America.

Inaugural speech is Trump’s time to rise to the moment

In this Thursday, July 21, 2016 file photo, Republican Presidential Candidate, Donald Trump, speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Tradition suggests it's time for Trump to set aside the say-anything speaking style that got him elected and rise to the inaugural moment.

Trump to take office with dismal ratings – except on one thing

Donald Trump is poised to take office with the lowest approval ratings of any new president in recent history, but despite a chaotic transition Americans trust the billionaire on one crucial point. Since the real estate developer's White House win in November, companies have lined up to announce new factories or jobs in the United States, including air conditioning manufacturer Carrier, Japan's SoftBank, Ford, Fiat Chrysler and Amazon with a headline-grabbing promise to create 100,000 jobs.

Who will be the next top prosecutor in New Jersey?

Who will be the next top prosecutor in New Jersey? Trump to pick Garden State's next top federal prosecutor Check out this story on northjersey.com: http://northjersy.news/2jXuEs8 Legal and political insiders are still wondering who might be the next federal prosecutor for New Jersey after Inauguration Day, and whether the state's top Republican, Gov. Chris Christie, will have any say in the process. The top prosecutor job in each of the 94 federal judicial districts is a political appointment.

Trump team relaxes EPA restrictions on media and contracts

The Trump administration said Friday it has thawed its temporary freeze on contract and grant approvals at the Environmental Protection Agency, with all $3.9 billion in planned spending moving forward. A media blackout at the agency also appears to have been partially lifted, as a trickle of press releases were issued by the EPA this week.

Clemency for Manning, so what next for Julian Assange?

US President Barack Obama's decision Tuesday to commute Chelsea Manning's sentence brought fresh attention to another figure involved in the Army leaker's case: Julian Assange. On Twitter last week, Assange's anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks posted, "If Obama grants Manning clemency Assange will agree to US extradition despite clear unconstitutionality of DoJ case."

Julian Assange ‘to face extradition’ after Chelsea Manning clemency decision

WikiLeaks has indicated Julian Assange is ready to face extradition following Barack Obama's decision to free a former soldier jailed for handing over classified documents to the anti-secrecy organisation. The outgoing US president used his final hours in the White House to allow Chelsea Manning, who went to school in Wales, to go free nearly 30 years early.

Chelsea Manninga s among sentences cut by Obama; other, including Paradise man, pardoned

Washington >> President Barack Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning on Tuesday, allowing the Army intelligence officer who leaked scores of classified documents to go free nearly three decades early. Manning, who will leave prison in May, was one of 209 inmates whose sentences Obama was shortening, a list that includes Puerto Rican nationalist Oscar Lopez-Rivera.

Turkey to ‘intensify diplomacy’ with US after Trump enters White House

Ankara is planning to engage in more intense diplomacy with the U.S. under Donald Trump's incoming administration, amid news that a Turkish presidential delegation is set to visit Washington D.C. in February to contact the new administration. President-elect Trump will take over the presidency from Barack Obama on Jan. 20, heralding a new and uncertain era in U.S. ties with the international community.

Senate Republicans livid over Obama commuting Chelsea Manning sentence

Senate Republicans offered a sharp rebuke of President Obama 's decision to commute the remainder of Chelsea Manning's sentence, which comes only three days before he is set to leave office. While speaking to reporters at the Capitol soon after the news emerged, Senate Republicans condemned the decision, which came seven years after Manning was convicted and earned a 35-year sentence for leaking sensitive information about American military activities to WikiLeaks.

Putin: Obama administration trying to undermine Trump

President Vladimir Putin took a parting shot at the Obama administration Tuesday, accusing it of trying to undermine Donald Trump's legitimacy with fake allegations and "binding the president-elect hand and foot to prevent him from fulfilling his election promises." In his first public remarks about an unsubstantiated dossier outlining unverified claims that Trump engaged in sexual activities with prostitutes at a Moscow hotel, Putin dismissed the material as "nonsense."

Trump talks on Air Force One cost make progress, Boeing CEO says

Military personnel salute as Air Force One with President Barack Obama aboard departs Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016. FILE - Military personnel salute as Air Force One with President Barack Obama aboard departs Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, Sunday, Oct. 23, 2016.