Washington (CNN) – The White House isn't confirming a report that actor Kal Penn is leaving the Obama administration.
Entertainment Weekly reported Friday that Penn, best known for his roles in the "Harold and Kumar" films and on the popular medical drama "House, M.D." is leaving the White House.
Penn, whose real name is Kalpen Modi, has spent much of the past year working in the White House Office of Public Liaison, which is run by Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.
EW.com reported that the actor is returning to Hollywood to resume his acting career, starting with a Christmas-themed installation of the "Harold and Kumar" series.
Despite the report, the White House press office isn't saying much about Penn's plans.
Washington (CNN) – Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said Friday that his security has been "beefed up" in recent days after a domestic extremist group sent letters to more than 30 governors demanding that they resign.
Nevertheless, in an interview on CNN's "John King USA," Strickland said he does not feel "personally threatened."
Federal intelligence officials said there do not appear to be credible or immediate threats of violence attached to the letters.
"But I do think it's sad that in our nation today we would have these kinds of threats," Strickland said.
"You never know when some wrong-thinking person or some hate-filled group will carry out actions that could be harmful to individuals. I hope it doesn't happen anywhere across our nation, but I can tell you that I feel very secure here in Ohio."
Grand Junction, Colorado (CNN) - They are not typical Tea Party activists: A woman who voted for President Obama and believes he's a "phenomenal speaker." Another who said she was a "knee-jerk, bleeding heart liberal."
These two women are not alone.
Some Americans who say they have been sympathetic to Democratic causes in the past - some even voted for Democratic candidates - are angry with President Obama and his party. They say they are now supporting the Tea Party - a movement that champions less government, lower taxes and the defeat of Democrats even though it's not formally aligned with the Republican Party.
Washington (CNN) - The White House new media team blogged today that their Web site is ready for the launch of Apple's iPad tomorrow.
WhiteHouse.gov will be one of a handful of Web sites that can be fully accessible through the iPad. Live and on-demand videos can also watched, thanks to a special code the site uses.
Also, a fully mobile version of WhiteHouse.gov was launched Friday. White House new media director Dave Cole wrote in a blog post that Mobile.WhiteHouse.gov allows users with any mobile device, including the BlackBerry or Palm Pre, to access the site. Previously, mobile users could gain easy access to the Web site using the White House's iPhone app.
"The program is just the latest in our effort to make our content available on a broad number of platforms as technology changes how - and where - people get their information," Cole wrote. "And we'll continue look for new opportunities to develop applications for even more mobile platforms."
(CNN) – During his ill-fated presidential bid in 2008, Rudy Giuliani aggressively sought Charlie Crist's endorsement, hoping that the Florida governor's support would hand him a primary win in the state and shake up the GOP nominating contest.
Crist instead gave a last-minute endorsement to John McCain, who went on to win the pivotal primary. The former New York City mayor's chances of becoming president died then and there.
Giuliani's payback? He's endorsing Marco Rubio, Crist's opponent in this year's Republican Senate primary.
Giuliani will campaign with Rubio, the former state House speaker, in Miami on Monday morning.
"Marco Rubio is one of the Republican Party's true rising stars," Giuliani said in a statement released by the Rubio camp. "He's a bold leader who will bring common sense to Washington where it's badly needed. I look forward to campaigning with him on Monday."
McCain, the winner of that 2008 Florida primary, is supporting Crist.
Washington (CNN) – A domestic extremist group has sent letters to more than 30 U.S. governors demanding they resign, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said in an intelligence note.
The letters told the governors to vacate their posts within three days, the note said.
DHS and the FBI said there do not appear to be credible or immediate threats of violence attached to the letters.
The group behind the letters has a "Restore America Plan" that calls for the removal of any governor who fails to comply, the intelligence note said.
Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) – President Barack Obama and his GOP critics engaged in a war of spin Friday over news that the economy had added 162,000 jobs in March. The president claimed credit for a nascent economic recovery while Republicans argued that the administration has stifled stronger potential growth.
March was only the third month with job gains since the recession began three years ago, according to the Labor Department. Last month's national unemployment rate, however, held steady at 9.7 percent.
The country has successfully "turned the corner," Obama told an audience at a lithium battery company in North Carolina. "This has been a harrowing time for our country" but "the worst of the storm is over."
Atlanta (CNN) – A delegation of Republican officials will head to Salt Lake City, Utah next week to meet with local officials who are vying to host the 2012 Republican National Convention.
The 12 members tasked with helping to choose the host city have already visited Phoenix, Arizona and Tampa Bay, Florida. The Republican Party will officially choose its presidential and vice presidential nominees at the weeklong convention, which is scheduled to begin August 27, 2012.
The RNC will announce the selection when it meets this summer in Detroit, Michigan.
(CNN) – Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine said the latest jobs report is evidence President Obama's economic recovery plan is working:
"We've come a long way over the past year. When President Obama took office, the economy was shedding jobs at an alarming rate – nearly 800,000 a month – and the economy was in a free fall. Starting almost immediately after inauguration, President Obama and Democrats in Congress began to turn that around, implementing an ambitious agenda to get our economy back on track and get people working again," Kaine said in a statement.
Full statement after the jump:
Washington (CNN) - Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Georgia, is clarifying comments he made during a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing in which he suggested that the island of Guam, a U.S. territory, might "tip over and capsize."
While hearing testimony from Navy Admiral Robert F. Willard on March 25, Johnson expressed fear that the Pacific island of Guam might capsize if additional U.S. troops are deployed to a military base on the small island as planned.
"My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize," Johnson said.
Admiral Willard replied that the military did not expect the island to tip over.
From CNN Politics
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