Hillary Clinton and Jeb Bush Duke It Out Over Women's Health Issues

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An off-hand remark Jeb Bush made Tuesday afternoon on the funding of women’s health issues has Hillary Clinton fuming. And her vocal response has prompted a public feud between the two well-known, presidential candidates.
“Just today we got another window into what Republican candidates really believe. Jeb Bush said he’s not sure we need half a billion dollars for women’s health issues,” Clinton said Tuesday night during an organizing event in Denver.
“Now, he’s got no problem giving billions of dollars away to super-wealthy and powerful corporations, but I guess women’s health just isn’t a priority for him.”
Clinton’s remark came just hours after Bush’s unscripted gaffe, where he said, “I'm not sure we need a half a billion dollars for women's health issues,” during a discussion on Planned Parenthood.
Bush, a former two-term Florida governor, later released a statement on his website admitting he “misspoke,” but Clinton’s campaign was quick to jump on the remark.
“.@Jeb Bush: You are absolutely, unequivocally wrong,” Clinton’s campaign tweeted.
Soon after, Bush’s campaign tweeted right back: “.@HillaryClinton what’s absolutely, unequiv

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President Obama warned that if Congress blocks the Iran nuclear deal next month, it would result in "some form of war."
"Let's not mince words. The choice we face is ultimately between diplomacy or some form of war," he said during a major foreign policy address in Washington today. "Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not three months from now, but soon."
Obama took a page out of John F. Kennedy’s foreign policy playbook, drawing parallels between the Obama doctrine and Kennedy’s Cold War stance towards the former Soviet Union in his continuing effort to sell the Iran nuclear agreement to a skeptical Congress and American public.
“The prospect of nuclear war was all too real,” Obama said of the state of world affairs in 1963. “But the young president [Kennedy] offered a different vision. Strength, in his view, included powerful armed forces and a willingness to stand up for our values around the world.”
During his remarks at American University -- the very same setting for a major Kennedy foreign policy speech in 1963 -- Obama admitted that “not every conflict was averted” during the Cold War but he stressed that “the world avoided nuclear catastrophe” by creating the time and the space to defeat the Soviets through diplomacy.
“The agreement now reached between the international community and the Islamic Republic of Iran builds on this tradition of strong principled diplomacy,” Obama said. "We have achieved a detailed arrangement that permanently prohibits Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. It cuts off all of Iran's pathways to a bomb."
The agreement is expected to face a vote in mid-September after the congressional summer recess.
Obama also stressed his belief that the Iran nuclear deal is “the most consequential foreign policy debate that our country has had since the invasion of Iraq” in 2003, challenging some lawmakers who supported the effort to oust Saddam Hussein but have been critical of the pact that aims to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
So far, the president has met personally with over 80 Members of Congress while senior administration officials have lobbied more than 175 lawmakers to discuss the deal, according to an administration official.
“Between now and the congressional vote in September, you are going to hear a lot of arguments against this deal, backed by tens of millions of dollars in advertising,” Obama predicted. “And if the rhetoric in these ads and the accompanying commentary sounds familiar, it should -- for many of the same people who argued for the war in Iraq are now making the case against the Iran nuclear deal.”
In order to block the deal from being implemented, Republicans must build bipartisan support majorities in the House and Senate to overcome presidential vetoes.

Joe Biden Gets Praise, No Endorsements From Senate Democrats

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If Vice President Joe Biden runs for president, as people close to him have suggested he’s thinking of doing, he might not pick up much support from members of the Senate, some of whom he worked with there -- at least not right away.
Many Senate Democrats are already declared supporters of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and some just skirted the question altogether when asked, simply responding that they are fans of Biden personally.
“I love Vice President Biden, he is so good at so many things,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, a Clinton supporter, said, adding that he threw his hat in the ring even before he knew his former Virginia colleague, Jim Webb, was running for the Democratic nomination too.
“Joe Biden’s a great vice president. I have the utmost confidence in him whatever he decides to do,” Sen. Ben Cardin said, before adding that he’s also a Clinton supporter.
“Joe’s a wonderful human being,” Sen. Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, said.
Asked whether Biden should run, he responded, “That’s up to Joe Biden.”
“I love Joe Biden! I’m not going to go there,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, one of Clinton’s earliest major Democratic supporters this time around who endorsed President Obama in 2008, avoided answering at all, letting elevator doors close quickly in front of her.
“You know, I’m not going to talk politics today. Thanks,” she said.
“He’d be a great president,” said Sen. Tom Carper, of Delaware, who replaced Biden as the senior Delaware senator after Biden became vice president.
“I think Hillary Clinton would be a great candidate as well. I think the two of them stand head and shoulders above the announced opposition for the Republican Party,” he said. Carper said he has not endorsed and wasn’t clear whether he will or not.
One vote Biden certainly can’t count on is that of Sen. John McCain, Obama’s 2008 Republican opponent, although McCain heaped praise on his former Senate colleague.
“He wouldn’t be a president in keeping with my philosophy but he’s an honest man and a friend of mine. We’re different parties. I’ll leave that up to the Democrats,” he said.

Meet Hillary Clinton: Everything You Need to Know (And Probably Didn’t Know) About the 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate

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Meet Hillary Clinton: Everything You Need to Know (And Probably Didn’t Know) About the 2016 Democratic Presidential Candidate

PHOTO: Hillary Clinton speaks after receiving the "We Are EMILY" award at the EMILYs List 30th Anniversary Gala at Hilton Washington Hotel on March 3, 2015 in Washington, DC.
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Party: Democrat
What she used to do: Clinton has an impressive resume: secretary of state, two-term senator, 2008 presidential candidate -- and, of course, first lady.
What she does now:  Clinton has spent her time out of public life raking in the dough. She has commanded speaking fees in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. She also serves on the board of the Clinton Foundation, which has battled against HIV and AIDS in Africa, invested in clean energy in Haiti and fought for equal opportunity for women and girls around the globe. 
Declared as a candidate: April 12, 2015.
In her own words: “It’s America’s basic bargain. If you do your part you ought to be able to get ahead. And when everybody does their part, America gets ahead too.”
Family tree: Clinton was born in Chicago on Oct. 26, 1947 to Hugh Rodham, a Republican, and Dorothy Howell, a “closet Democrat.”  She met Bill in the Yale law library in 1970: "If you're going to keep looking at me, and I'm going to keep looking back, we might as well be introduced,” she told him.  Initially reluctant to settle down in Arkansas, Hillary married Bill in their living room in 1975 – just a week after she said “yes.” In 2014, Bill, Hillary and their married daughter Chelseawelcomed a new Clinton into the fold: baby Charlotte Clinton Mezvinsky.
Early rejection: Hillary was “crushed” when, as a young girl, NASA informed her that the agency didn’t accept women astronauts.  Fifteen years later, in 1975, she was again rebuffed over gender when attempting to join the Marines: “You’re too old, you can’t see, and you’re a woman,” the recruiter allegedly told her.  
What she was like as first lady: Unlike some previous first ladies, who contented themselves with coordinating social engagements and championing charitable causes from the White House’s East Wing, Mrs. Clinton broke tradition and set up shop in the West Wing, intent on reforming the nation’s healthcare system. In “Hillaryland,” Mrs. Clinton – billed during her husband’s campaign a bonus in the two-for-the-price-of-one Clinton administration – was as headstrong as she was passionate.  When Health and Human Services Sec. Donna Shalala warned Clinton her healthcare plan was “headed for disaster,” the first lady snapped that Shalala was “just jealous [she] wasn’t in charge,” an aide recalled.  The plan, which included an employer mandate, failed in Congress.
Potential baggage: Republicans have accused Clinton of mishandling the attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans in 2012.  They’ve roundly criticized the State Department’s refusal to beef up security and questioned the administration’s initial talking points, which stated the attack was spontaneous and “rooted in an internet video” rather than premeditated. Clinton, who says she takes responsibility for the security lapses, has deniedthere’s anything she “personally” could have done to prevent the attack.
Also likely attack ad fodder: Clinton’s use of a personal email address while Secretary of State. Despite an administration-wide policy forbidding employees from conducting official business on personal email accounts, Hillary relied only on a personal address, hdr22@clintonemail.com, and a personal server during her four-year tenure at the State Department. 
Might have wished for a do-over: Defending her speaking fees, Clinton told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in June 2014 that she and her husband were “dead broke” when they left the White House, $12 million in debt and struggling to pay their mortgages. After some not-so-gentle ribbing, she acknowledged a few days later that her characterization of the Clinton family finances was not particularly “artful.”  “Obviously, we are very fortunate,” she said. “We’re very grateful.”  
Her strategy for surviving bruising attacks: “Grow skin like a rhinoceros,” she advised a group of students at New York University in 2014.
Must-have travel companion:  As Secretary of State, Clinton always packed a mini bottle of Tabasco sauce, red pepper flakes as well as Sharpies, Advil and sunscreen, her staff told reporters.
Guilty pleasures: In an unusually saucy moment in the spring of 2014, Clinton took a moment to mull over her guilty pleasures. “I’m just trying to think of some G-rated ones,” she smirked.  Ultimately, she revealed she was obsessed with “chocolate, of any sort.” She’s also said she loves HGTV’s home-improvement show, “Love It Or List It,” self-help books, and the song “Chelsea Morning,” the inspiration for her daughter’s name. She’s even taken up yoga and callsswimming “one of my favorite things.” 
Unlikely claim to fame: By now, Hillary has achieved celebrity status – and she has the awards show recognition to prove it. In 1997, Clinton won a Grammy for best spoken word for her audiobook, “It Takes a Village.” (Bill won one too, for “My Life.”)
ABC's Ali Dukakis contributed to this report.

Meet Rand Paul: Everything You Need To Know (And Probably Didn’t Know) About The 2016 Republican Presidential Candidate

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Name: Randal Howard “Rand” Paul
Party: Republican
What he does now: United States senator representing Kentucky. First elected in 2010, Paul sits on the Senate Foreign Relations, Education, Health, Homeland Security and Government Affairs committees, among others.
What he used to do: Practiced ophthalmology for 20 years before running for Senate. In recent years, he has performed pro bono eye surgeries in Kentucky and Guatemala.
Declared as a candidate: April 7, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky.
In his own words: “We need to return to our founding principles, stand up for the entire Bill of Rights. Our future can include a road back to prosperity and back to respect home and abroad. It should include a balanced budget and a simple, fair tax system. A government that protects your rights and your security. It should include a stronger, better and more agile military.” (Conservative Political Action Conference, Feb. 27, 2015)
Family tree: Paul isn’t the first member of his family to run for president. His father, former TexasRep. Ron Paul, also sought the office, not once but three times -- unsuccessfully. Paul has four siblings. He’s married to Kelley Ashby Paul, and has three sons.
How he met his wife: At a 1989 backyard oyster roast in Atlanta. Paul was smitten with Kelley’s “really killer outfit,” he told Vogue. Kelley, on the other hand, thought Paul looked “about eighteen.”
Potential baggage: His father’s brand of politics. Case and point: The same day the younger Paul discussed running for president with other candidates at the conservative Freedom Partners Forum in January 2015, his father delivered a speech on secession and dissolution of centralized governments at a libertarian conference in Houston.
Early political experience: Paul took a shine to the family business working on his father’s House and Senate campaigns in the 1970’s. His first taste of presidential politics reportedly came in 1976, when his father, then the head of Ronald Reagan’s Texas delegation, brought him to theRepublican National Convention in Missouri.
Most memorable moment as a senator: In March 2013 Paul delivered a 12 hour filibuster of John Brennan’s confirmation as CIA Director to protest the Obama administration’s drone program.

5 Times President Obama Ditched His Shoes Overseas

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Even when you're the leader of the free world, sometimes you have to ditch your shoes.
Today in New Delhi, President Obama spent some time in his socks during a visit to a memorial for Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern India. It wasn't the first time Obama has gone shoeless while on foreign soil; he's done so a handful of times on overseas trips since taking office in 2009.
1. At the Blue Mosque in Istanbul

When Obama visited Turkey to address its parliament in April 2009 - a speech in which he declared that the U.S. "is not, and will never be, at war with Islam" - he also visited Istanbul's historic Blue Mosque, built between 1609 and 1616, removing his shoes to tour it.
2. At a Museum in Egypt


One of President Obama's first and still most notable foreign trips was his June 2009 visit to Egypt, where he delivered a speech in Cairo aimed at the Muslim world, seeking to repair relations. On that trip, he visited the pyramids and the Great Sphinx, removing his shoes to tour a museum at the site.
3. At a Luncheon with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak

After hosting South Korea's president at the White House in June 2009, President Obama traveled to South Korea for a state visit that November. He removed his shoes before a luncheon with Lee at South Korea's presidential residence, the Blue House.
4. At a Mosque in Indonesia

Again reaching out to the Muslim world in a speech overseas, Obama traveled to Jakarta in November 2010 to speak at the University of Indonesia, returning to the country where he spent part of his childhood. Along with the first lady, he visited the Istiqlal Mosque, which lays its claim as the largest mosque in Southeast Asia. The first couple removed their shoes for the tour.

5. At a Pagoda in Burma


In November 2012, Obama made a historic visit to Burma, once ruled by a military junta and now, as it was in 2012, in the midst of a Democratic transition supported by the White House. On his visit, Obama sought to bolster that transition and encourage Burma's political changes. While inRangoon, Obama toured the Shwedagon Pagoda, a large, golden Buddhist shrine - and, once again, removing his footwear.


Printed Pills to Model Hearts: How 3-D Printing Is Changing Health

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Quicker and faster 3-D printers have allowed not just amazing objects to be created, seemingly out of nothing, but have started to affect how doctors and medical providers treat patients.
This week, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of the first 3-D printed pill. The tablet, called Spritam, is designed to help treat epilepsy and is created through a layered 3-D printing process that lets the tablet dissolve once taken with water.
Spritam is just the latest medical treatment to utilize 3-D printing. Doctors and medical providers have been starting to use the handy device to do everything from create models for trachea or windpipes to create “tiny livers” that can test new medications.
We’ve put together a list of some of the most amazing medical breakthroughs made possible with 3-D printing.

“Tiny Livers” Could Help Test New Medications


Last year, a San Diego company announced they had managed to “bio-print” tiny livers with a specially designed 3-D printer. The tissue they “print” is combined with three kinds of human liver cells and is designed to allow researchers to test new medications without involving a human patient.

Life-Saving Airway

In 2013, doctors painstakingly created a new airway for an Ohio boy who had been born with abirth defect that left him gasping for air.
Kaiba Gionfriddo was born with a defective airway that kept collapsing. To save his life doctors printed tiny tubes to fuse together in different shapes and sizes until one finally worked for Kaiba. The splint was placed in Kaiba’s bronchus so that it no longer collapsed. Even more remarkably, once the plant was placed it could stay there. It is designed to eventually be absorbed into the body.

New "Bionic" Hands

One of the most remarkable ways 3-D printing is now being used is as a way to create cheaper prosthetics.
A boy born without an arm named Alex was able to get a new “bionic” hand thanks to the help of a few innovative university students and a 3-D printer. Last year at the University of Central Florida student spent 8 weeks coming up with a special prosthetic design that only cost a few hundred dollars in raw materials. They said they wanted to create a model prosthetic far cheaper than the other options that can run tens of thousands of dollars.


12 Things You Didn't Know About Past US Commanders in Chief

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Presidents Day is the federal holiday reserved for honoring the leading men of our country. It’s officially "Washington's Birthday," but the name has evolved informally over the years to honor not just the first president, but all 43 of them.
Keeping this theme in mind, here are 12 fun facts you probably didn't know about our past commanders in chief, with some help from Steven Noll, an expert historian and senior lecturer at the University of Florida.
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren, the eighth U.S. president, had an interesting nickname during his presidency, Noll says. Many referred to Van Buren as "Old Kinderhook," after his house along the Hudson River in upstate New York. His supporters would shout "OK," for short, in rallies, according toNPR.
Millard Fillmore
Could you ever imagine a bathtub without running water? Neither can we, and apparently neither could the nation's 13th president from 1850 to 1853, Millard Fillmore. Fillmore was the first president to have a bathtub with running water.
James Buchanan served as president from 1857 to 1861, making him the 15th president. He was the first unmarried president to be elected into office. Grover Cleveland, the nation's 22nd president, was also elected into office unmarried but, unlike Buchanan, Cleveland married while holding his position in office, according to WhiteHouseHistory.org.
Rutherford B. Hayes and Wife Lucy Hayes
Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th president, was the first president to have a phone installed in theWhite House. And while this fun fact isn't about Hayes, it is about his wife, Lucy Hayes. The first lady refused to serve alcohol at the White House because she believed in the temperance movement, thus lending her the nickname, "Lemonade Lucy."
Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president, was the first commander in chief to install electricity in the White House, according to WhiteHouseHistory.org. Harrison served four years in office, from 1889 to 1893, and installed electricity in 1891. Another interesting fact: Harrison was the last president to have a beard, and also the first president to have a Christmas tree in the White House.
William Howard Taft
William Taft, born in 1857, served as the nation's 27th president from 1909 to 1913. During his presidency, Taft was the first president to throw out a pitch during a baseball game. That first pitch was in the 1910 Senator's Opening Day game against the Philadelphia Athletics.
It is said that Taft is also the one who helped to coin the term "seventh-inning stretch." Taft got up during the seventh inning of a game to stretch his legs because he could bear sitting down no more, Professor Noll says. The crowd got up to honor their president, but when the president returned a few minutes later, the crowd followed suit, thus giving the name, the "seventh-inning stretch."
Woodrow Wilson
Today, transatlantic traveling of our president is the norm. It seems like almost every other week President Obama is in another country. But, interestingly enough, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president from 1913 to 1921, was the first president to cross the Atlantic Ocean while in office.
The nation's 30th president, Calvin Coolidge, was commonly known as "Silent Cal" because he enjoyed childish practical jokes such as buzzing for his bodyguards and then hiding under his desk as they frantically searched for him," according to HistoryToday.com.
Herbert Hoover
Ever wonder how the “Star-Spangled Banner “became our National Anthem? We have President Herbert Hoover to thank for that. Hoover, the 31st president, signed a law that made the "Star-Spangled Banner" our National Anthem based on an 1814 poem by Francis Scott Key, according to History.com.
Random fact: It is also said that Hoover’s son, Allan, had pet alligators that wandered around the White House, according to CNN.
Gerald Ford, our nation's 38th president, was surprisingly domestic. This down-to-earth president enjoyed cooking his own breakfast, Noll says. The Gerald Ford Foundation website also goes onto say that Ford even enjoyed making his own muffins. Who's hungry for breakfast?
Jimmy Carter, our 39th president, was the first president to be born in a hospital. Carter served in modern years, from 1977 to 1981, thus begging the question, where were the other presidents born before him?
Ronald Reagan, one of the nation's most likeable presidents, served as our 40th president from 1981 to 1989. Reagan, born in 1911, didn't become president until 1981, 70 years later, thus making him the nation’s oldest president to have ever served.

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