Gallup names ‘Most Admired Woman’ and ‘Most Admired Man’ of 2016

JULY 27: US President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton embrace on the third day of the Democratic National Convention at the Wells Fargo Center, July 27, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A Gallup poll released Wednesday reported President Barack Obama and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton as 2016's most admired man and woman.

Obama names Utah, Nevada monuments despite opposition

President Barack Obama designated two national monuments Wednesday at sites in Utah and Nevada that have become key flashpoints over use of public land in the U.S. West, marking the administration's latest move to protect environmentally sensitive areas in its final days. The Bears Ears National Monument in Utah will cover 1.35 million acres in the Four Corners region, the White House said.

Obama designates monuments, protects protect federal land in Utah, Nevada

President Barack Obama on Wednesday designated over 1.6 million acres of land in Utah and Nevada as national monuments, protecting two areas rich in Native American artifacts from mining, oil and gas drilling in one of his final moves to protect the environment. "Today's actions will help protect this cultural legacy and will ensure that future generations are able to enjoy and appreciate these scenic and historic landscapes," Obama said in a statement.

Obama-Trump trade barbs as relationship deteriorates

Separated by the entire North American continent and half the Pacific Ocean, the incoming and outgoing presidents are trading barbs -- both veiled and overt -- from their respective holiday vacations, souring a once a collegial public relationship. Marked by insults on Twitter, perceived public slights and foreign policy disputes, the ties between President-elect Donald Trump and President Barack Obama have significantly frayed less than a month before Trump is sworn into office.

EPA issues long-delayed chemical plant safety rule

The Environmental Protection Agency has updated a 25-year-old regulation intended to reduce chemical plant accidents and protect communities, workers, and emergency responders. The revision to EPA's Risk Management Program is part of a sweeping regulatory overhaul of federal industrial safety regulations ordered by President Barack Obama in 2013.

Kerry Attacks Israeli Government, Defends UN Resolution

Lame-duck Secretary of State John Kerry blasted the Israeli government at the State Department on Wednesday, and attempted to defend the Obama administration's decision to let an anti-Israel resolution pass at the UN Security Council last week. Kerry delivered his remarks in the midst of a diplomatic fight with Israel, in which President Barack Obama stands accused of working with Palestinians secretly to undermine Israeli security, overturning decades of American foreign policy precedent in the process.

a CNN: – Missed the Mark’a

CNN's correspondent in Israel, Oren Liebermann , reported Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's speech at the State Department had "missed the mark" if Kerry's intent had been to reach Israeli viewers and convince them that lame duck President Barack Obama was serious about peace. Libermann reported from Jerusalem that none of the Israeli television networks had carried the speech live, though it was held during prime viewing time.

India could still be on NSG table, but it needs a push from Trump

The American push for India to become a full-fledged member of the NSG would now have to be pursued by the incoming Sonald Trump administration as the outgoing Obama administration is unlikely to fulfill its promise made to the Narendra Modi government before its term expires January 20, informed sources said. A draft formula for NSG membership to countries like India and Pakistan that are not a signatory to the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty was submitted by Rafael Mariano Grossi, the former NSG Chair, who prepared the report on behalf of South Korea, the current NSG chair.

LIVE! Former world number one Ivanovic retires at age 29

US President-elect Donald Trump poured kerosene on a simmering dispute with Barack Obama today, accusing him of derailing a smooth transition with "inflammatory" statements and "roadblocks." Ever since the November 8 election, Trump and Obama have tried to bury political differences in favour of a united public front that would smooth the transfer of power on January 20. But the Republican president-in-waiting unceremoniously cast any bonhomie aside in a morning twitter tirade from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Trump goes on Twitter tirade against Obama’s ‘total disdain’…

President-elect Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama on Wednesday of throwing up "inflammatory" roadblocks during the transition of power and his administration of treating Israel with "total disdain," further straining the veneer of civility between the incoming and outgoing leaders. Although Trump didn't detail his complaints in his morning broadsides on Twitter, the president-elect has made it clear that it didn't sit well with him when Obama recently boasted that he would have won the election if he'd been running.

The Latest: Netanyahu’s office decries Kerry speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office is denouncing Secretary of State John Kerry's Mideast policy speech, saying it was "skewed against Israel" and "obsessively" focuses on Israeli settlements. In a statement, Netanyahu's office says the speech "barely touched upon the root of the conflict - Palestinian opposition to a Jewish state in any boundaries."

OpinionWho would pray for divisiveness? (letter)Who would pray for…

Who would pray for divisiveness? Reading Fred Battles' letter on Trump, I wondered how ethical people could support Trump. Check out this story on ydr.com: http://on-ydr.co/2hsS8qX Who would pray for divisiveness? Reading Fred Battles' letter on Donald Trump , I wondered how ethical people could support Trump.

politicsHow Obama Could Go Nuclear on TrumpBefore leaving office. Ed Kilgore

Obama could even put Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court at least temporarily, maddening the Republicans who denied him a hearing. Barack Obama is probably not going to be in a terribly good mood between now and January 20, 2017, the day Donald Trump takes the oath of office to succeed him.

Obama, Japana s Abe decry a horrors of wara at Pearl Harbor

U.S. President Barack Obama, joined by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, speaks on Kilo Pier overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial, part of the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, adjacent to Honolulu, Hawaii, Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2016, as part of a ceremony to honor those killed in the Japanese attack on the naval harbor. The leaders of Japan and the United States sought to remind the world that even the most bitter enemies can become allies, during a historic pilgrimage to the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor.

Obama, Japan’s Abe decry ‘horrors of war’ at Pearl Harbor

The leaders of Japan and the United States sought to remind the world that even the most bitter enemies can become allies, during a historic pilgrimage to the hallowed waters of Pearl Harbor. Seventy-five years after Japan's surprise attack, Abe and President Barack Obama peered down Tuesday at the rusting wreckage of the USS Arizona, clearly visible in the tranquil, teal water.

U.S. nearly done crafting sanctions for Russians’ campaign hacking

President Barack Obama's administration is close to announcing measures to punish Russia for its interference in the 2016 presidential election, including economic sanctions and diplomatic censure, U.S. officials said. The administration still is finalizing the details, which also are expected to include covert action that likely will involve cyber operations, the officials said.