All articles tagged with #obama
The Justice Department unsealed a superseding indictment charging Raul Castro and five co-defendants in the 1996 shootdown of two civilian planes that killed four Americans, reviving scrutiny of Barack Obama’s 2016 Cuba normalization and reviving debate over U.S.-Cuba policy; Trump lauded the indictment while Cuban-American critics argued the outreach legitimized the Castro regime.
Barack Obama chronicles how American music—spirituals, protest songs, country, hip-hop—has chronicled and guided the nation’s history, from slavery to civil rights to the modern era, and shares how listening to Jay-Z and Eminem helped him focus before debates; he argues music can reveal truths politics often cannot and notes the Obama Presidential Center will include a recording studio to empower future voices in democracy.
In a Time interview, Nicki Minaj reveals she supports Donald Trump, explaining that her growing willingness to align with him stems from her beef with Jay-Z and his ties to Obama, plus a sense of being dismissed by the left after the cousin’s friend incident and swatting. She says she’d muted her true political views to avoid turning off fans or harming her career, notes that many celebrities privately feel the same way, and positions herself as a catalyst for more open discussion about political views among celebrities.
President Trump posted more than 50 times in a three-hour late-night spree on Truth Social, attacking Barack Obama and other political figures, circulating doctored images, and urging prosecutions of rivals while criticizing the media, all as living-cost pressures tied to the US–Israel war with Iran rise and ahead of a high-stakes trip to China.
Weeks before the Barack Obama Presidential Center opens in Chicago, Obama says he wants the library to contextualize his presidency as part of a longer, nationwide journey toward equality, noting that while he’ll be remembered as the first African American president, his tenure is “an episode” in a much larger arc. He also discusses Trump’s ongoing influence, worries about authoritarianism, his post‑White House political activity, and the challenge of speaking plainly to regular people while balancing public duties with family time.
Former President Barack Obama, on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, warns that politicizing the Justice Department and expanding presidential power threaten American governance, calls for an independent attorney general, discusses pardons, and cites the need to restore norms for the military ahead of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center.
During a Late Show interview, Barack Obama argued presidents should not direct the attorney general to prosecute political foes, insisting the AG is the people’s lawyer rather than the president’s consigliere—a remark that drew pushback from White House aides and Trump supporters.
Barack Obama joined Stephen Colbert on The Late Show for a wide-ranging interview in which Obama joked Colbert could run the country better than 'some folks,' reflected on presidential power limits, dismissed alien conspiracy theories, and highlighted the Obama Presidential Center tour ahead of its public opening.
Barack and Michelle Obama's Higher Ground Productions are expanding into theater with a Broadway revival of the Pulitzer-winning play Proof, starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle and directed by Thomas Kail. While the project is pitched as a landmark venture, insiders note backlash over premium Broadway pricing—with seats reportedly as high as $349—highlighting Broadway's shift toward luxury experiences, even as the Obamas celebrate the production.
The piece explains the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief and extensive international monitoring; Obama negotiated the deal, Trump withdrew and reimposed sanctions, critics argue it contained sunset clauses and could allow a future breakout, while supporters say it bought time for diplomacy. It also notes Iran’s perceived economic gains from sanctions relief and the controversial $1.7 billion cash payment tied to detainee releases.
During a live CNBC interview about Iran, Donald Trump veered off topic to reveal a fear of stairs, reminisce about Vietnam and Iraq victories, and critique Joe Biden and Barack Obama, all while defending his approach to Iran as polls show his support slipping and peace talks continue.
A decade after Obama’s historic Cuba visit raised hopes for reform and engagement, the island’s promise faded as Trump’s sanctions, a prolonged oil blockade and pandemic shocks battered tourism, sparking fuel shortages, blackouts, and a wave of emigration that left Havana increasingly empty; residents blame both U.S. policy and domestic mismanagement, illustrating how a promised transformation became a stalled, ongoing crisis.
Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground production company is moving from an eight-year exclusive Netflix deal to an independent operation, enabling collaborations with multiple studios while Netflix remains a multiyear first-look partner; the move was announced at a Philadelphia event and follows a period of expanding projects beyond Netflix.
Former President Barack Obama met NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani at a preschool reading event, offering to be a sounding board as Mamdani pursues a progressive agenda and seeks bipartisan ties, even as he has engaged with Trump and Trump has criticized the city’s policies.
Former President Barack Obama met New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York City to read to preschoolers, lead a Wheels on the Bus sing-along, and discuss the mayor’s early-childhood-education agenda; Obama offered to be a sounding board as Mamdani pursues progressive reforms while navigating tensions with Trump, following Mamdani’s first 100 days in office and prior meetings with the former president.