Hail to the Chief: Ebony to Release President Obama Commemorative Issue

To mark the political ascent and enduring legacy of President Barack H. Obama, Ebony has published a special commemorative edition, "Hail to the Chief: Saluting Eight Years of Excellence." This stylish, thought-provoking issue is a unique collection of exclusive photographs, archival Ebony articles and hard-hitting analyses from leading African-American writers including award-winning poet, author and civil rights activist, Nikki Giovanni; MSNBC award-winning journalist Joy-Ann Reid; culturally astute critic Eric Deggans; pop culture pundit Tour; and New York Times best-selling author Baratunde Thurston.

Donald Trump picks a hardliner as ambassador to Israel

FOR a new American president to pick an ambassador with no experience in trade, cultural or any other form of diplomacy is not particularly remarkable. These appointments tend to be rewards for loyalty, friendship and financial backing during the campaign.

Trump’s ambassador pick could drastically alter 2 of the…

President-elect Donald Trump tapped bankruptcy lawyer David Friedman to serve as the US ambassador to Israel on Thursday, raising questions about how Friedman's far-right views will upend Washington's longstanding approach to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Friedman, who has no diplomatic experience, is a fierce opponent of a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine that would create two independent states on either side of the Jordan river.

Obama washes hands of Syria

President Barack Obama declared Friday that Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, Iran and Russia are responsible for the carnage in Aleppo and argued there was nothing Washington could have done to stop the war, short of a military takeover of Syria. And he warned Assad, who has been engaged in a brutal civil war against opposition forces since 2011, that he will not be able to "slaughter his way to legitimacy."

Obama calls for probe; President urges Trump to take foreign hacking more seriously

President Barack Obama suggested strongly on Friday that Russia's Vladimir Putin knew about the email hackings that roiled the U.S. presidential race, and he urged his successor, Republican Donald Trump, to back a bipartisan investigation into the matter. "Not much happens in Russia without Vladimir Putin," Obama said in his year-end news conference.

Diversify college campuses to prevent echo chambers

After Donald Trump's election, some universities echoed with primal howls. Faculty members canceled classes for weeping, terrified students who asked: How could this possibly be happening? I share apprehensions about President-elect Trump, but I also fear the reaction was evidence of how insular universities have become.

Obama, rapping Putin, says US could strike back on cyber

President Barack Obama has put Russia's Vladimir Putin on notice that the U.S. could use offensive cyber muscle to retaliate for interference in the U.S. presidential election, his strongest suggestion to date that Putin had been well aware of campaign email hacking. Caught in the middle of a post-election controversy over Russian hacking, Obama strongly defended his administration's response, including his refusal before the voting to ascribe motive to the meddling or to discuss now what effect it might have had.

US intelligence leaders agree on Russian intervention in election

Washington, Dec 17 : Major US intelligence leaders have expressed support for an assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency that Russia intervened in the November 8 election to help Donald Trump win the White House, the media reported on Saturday. [NK US] CIA Director John Brennan said he met Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation James Comey and Director of the National Intelligence James Clapper earlier this week, and "there is strong consensus among us on the scope, nature, and intent of Russian interference in our presidential election".

Therea s no escaping Trump-Clinton electiona s wake: John Phillips

After spending the last two years covering all the twists and turns of the 2016 presidential campaign, I thought it would be a good idea to take a breather and go on a nice vacation to some remote part of the Earth. I was thinking about a tropical destination where my cellphone wouldn't work and there wasn't any wifi or cable news.

Trump Promises Syria ‘Safe Zones,’ Obama Says No Easy Fix

President-elect Donald Trump said on Friday his administration would build "safe zones" to try to help civilians trapped in Syria's bloody conflict, an idea that President Barack Obama said would be too hard to enforce. Trump and Obama spoke separately of the conflict after efforts to evacuate civilians from the city of Aleppo ground to a halt on Friday after weeks of bombardments by the Syrian army.

Obama, rapping Putin, says U.S. could mount cyberspace retaliation

President Barack Obama put Russia's Vladimir Putin on notice Friday that the U.S. could use its offensive cybermuscle to retaliate for interference in the U.S. presidential election, his strongest suggestion to date that Putin had been well aware of the email hacking during the campaign. Caught in the middle of a post-election controversy over Russian hacking, Obama strongly defended his administration's response, including his refusal before the voting to ascribe motive to the meddling or to discuss now what effect it might have had.

Obama signs Californiaa s massive water bill, but Trump will determine its future

President Barack Obama on Friday quietly signed and bequeathed to President-elect Donald Trump a massive infrastructure bill designed to control floods, fund dams and deliver more water to farmers in California's Central Valley. While attempting to mollify critics' concerns over potential harm to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Obama signed the $12 billion bill in a distinctly low-key act.