Washington (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama revealed Wednesday that there are strict rules on the use of technology within the walls of the White House's East Wing - at least during the week and only if your name is "Sasha" or "Malia."
"[I]n my household, you know, we try to establish a set of guidelines and rules that make sense - no computers, phones, television during the week," the first lady said Wednesday in an interview with CNN en Espanol's Juan Carlos Lopez that aired on CNN's The Situation Room.
Obama called the question of how much technology is too much a generational issue, but said educators and parents are beginning to understand the unique challenges posed by the Internet and social networking platforms.
"We talk a lot with [our daughters] about the dangers of Facebook and sort of getting into that social networking kind of gossip mill or, you know, that - that comes from those activities," the first lady said, "[W]e spend a lot of time talking to our kids. And fortunately, more schools are understanding the challenges and they're doing more to educate families, as well as parents and children, about the pros and cons of excessive use of the Internet and all these new networking technologies."
Washington (CNN) – On the same day that senators questioned Attorney General Eric Holder about how the administration fights terrorism, a Republican senator had some advice for President Obama.
Asked about Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said the White House should use the procedures and facilities put in place by the previous president.
“I'm not a lawyer, but I think he's a terrorist just like anybody else,” Grassley said on CNN’s John King, USA. “So bring - I would bring him to Guantanamo, and I would try him in a military commission there and carry whatever out the results of the military commission is. I'd make it that simple.”
Grassley also weighed in on a frequent Republican charge against Obama – that his policies on national security and homeland security have made the nation less safe since he took office last year.
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Washington (CNN) – Sen. Jim DeMint said Wednesday that Florida Gov. Charlie Crist should abandon his Senate bid and endorse his Republican primary rival.
DeMint was asked about chatter that Crist, trailing badly against Marco Rubio in the primary, might decide to run as an independent instead. "I hope that won't happen," he responded.
"That is a sour grapes approach - when you find out you can't win, you bail out just like Arlen Specter did in his [Pennsylvania Republican] primary against Pat Toomey," DeMint said of a possible independent bid by Crist. "I hope that doesn't happen in Florida."
DeMint made his remarks about Crist during a conference call organized to tout his endorsement of Colorado Republican Senate candidate Ken Buck.
Boston (CNN) - Tea Party activists cast their cause as a patriotic movement from Americans fearful about the nation's direction during a rally Wednesday in Boston's Common. But their message clashed with critics who cast Tea Party activists as "victims of misinformation."
The well-attended event featured a long roster of speakers, including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. It's the last stop before the Tea Party Express 3 national tour ends in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
Virtually all of the speakers at the Boston event railed against the Obama administration's policies, which they believe highlight big government run amok.
But Tea Party activists also found themselves on the receiving end of criticism from a smattering of anti-Tea Party protesters in the crowd.
To be sure, the number of critics at the rally was small compared to the Tea Party activists. But the volume of the opposing criticism was evident.
Washington (CNN) - On the same day Sarah Palin rallied cheering Tea Party crowds in Boston, she was also causing a stir hundreds of miles away - in Kentucky.
At issue is a contentious Kentucky Senate primary battle that pits Secretary of State Trey Grayson against Rand Paul, a physician and the son of former GOP presidential candidate and Texas Rep. Ron Paul.
Palin has already weighed in on the race, endorsing Paul and donating money to his campaign.
But Grayson apparently doesn't think the endorsement counts for much: On Wednesday, Grayson said the former Alaska governor is not qualified to be president.
Washington (CNN) – Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday that the Obama administration would likely decide within weeks where the accused 9/11 conspirators will go on trial.
Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his original decision to hold the trial in a New York City civilian court remains "on the table,"
despite pressure against that venue from Republicans and New York officials.
When confronted later at the hearing by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, who opposes a New York trial, Holder said the concerns of city residents and officials would be taken into account.
After the hearing, Schumer issued a statement rejecting Holder's New York option.
Washington (CNN) – Republican Senate candidate Rand Paul got an endorsement Wednesday from the man he is hoping to replace: Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Kentucky.
"I know what it takes to stand up for the conservative principles that are needed to make America a better place for our children and grandchildren," Bunning said in a statement. "Dr. Paul shares those same core values and has the courage and conviction necessary to make sure the voices of Kentucky's workers, families, retirees, and children are heard in Washington."
In a swipe at Paul's Republican primary opponent, Secretary of State Trey Grayson, Bunning said Paul is the only conservative running in Kentucky who will take a principled stand against "the liberals and establishment politicians that run Washington" and "who believes in traditional values and the rights of the unborn."
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Chicago, Illinois (CNN) – Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his inner circle engaged in a near-constant conspiracy of extortion and kickbacks after his 2002 election, according to a court document released Wednesday that reveals details of the allegations against him.
The accusations also include tens of thousands of dollars in unearned commissions and unnecessary retainer fees diverted to Blagojevich's wife after he and his co-conspirators learned they were being investigated.
Blagojevich, a two-term Democrat, resigned in January 2009 amid accusations that he had attempted to sell the U.S. Senate seat that had been
occupied by newly elected President Barack Obama. The former governor was arrested the month before his resignation on federal corruption charges that included wire fraud, mail fraud and solicitation of bribery.
Washington (CNN) - The Obama administration's vision for the future of manned space flight will bump the United States to "second or even third-rate" status as a space-faring nation, the commanders of three U.S. moon missions warned Thursday.
The letter was signed by the first and last men to walk on the moon - Neil Armstrong from Apollo 11 and Eugene Cernan from Apollo 17 - and James Lovell, who commanded the heroic Apollo 13 flight.
"Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to
mediocrity," the letter said. "America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal."
Washington (CNN) - Have you ever tweeted about what you just ate, the person you just met or the awesome CNN story you just read? Now that 140 character message will be archived in the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress has acquired the entire Twitter archive dating back to March 2006. The announcement was made first on the Library's Twitter account: "Library to acquire ENTIRE Twitter archive - ALL public tweets, ever, since March 2006!"
Approximately 50 million tweets are sent out a day and, thus far, five terabytes worth of data. Twitter accounts that are not public and direct messages will not be in the archive.
"We believe Twitter has value in the context of American history and culture," said Library Communications Director Matt Raymond.
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