White House creates new cyberspace watchdog

September 30th, 2009 SEC watchdog pushes changes after Madoff failureWASHINGTON — The watchdog of the Securities and Exchange Commission is recommending a new system for handling the thousands of tips and complaints the agency receives and other changes to prevent another breakdown like the one that allowed Bernard Madoff's massive fraud to go undetected for years. The proposals for the agency's enforcement and inspections operations from SEC Inspector General David Kotz also include making it easier for junior-level enforcement attorneys to bring their concerns to top managers.

September 4th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama announced Friday he will publicize a list of most visitors to the White House to provide more information about who has access and influences policy. The move was meant to satisfy demands by watchdog groups who have insisted on greater public transparency about the role of lobbyists in decision-making.

August 17th, 2009 Republicans want answers on White House e-mailsWASHINGTON — A mass e-mail from a top adviser to President Barack Obama has the leading Republican on a House oversight panel looking for answers. California Rep.

July 25th, 2009 SPIN METER: Few health exec visits to WH publicWASHINGTON — Despite President Barack Obama's promise of transparency on his health care overhaul, few White House meetings with medical industry representatives on a list recently released by his administration were made public at the time, an Associated Press review found. Obama, when asked about the meetings at his news conference Wednesday evening, said that "on the list of health care executives who've visited us, most of the time you guys have been in there taking pictures, so it hasn't been a secret." "Frankly, these have mostly been at least photo sprays where you could see who was participating," he added.

July 23rd, 2009 Obama lists health execs consulted about overhaulWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's administration began holding private meetings with health industry executives at the White House a few weeks after Obama took office. A visitor list released Wednesday night by the White House shows that those visiting the White House in February included Richard Umbdenstock, president of the American Hospital Association; Angela Braly, chief executive of WellPoint Inc., and Jay Gellert, chief executive of Health Net Inc.

July 2nd, 2009 White House garden tests positive for leadWASHINGTON — The White House says its high-profile garden on the South Lawn has tested positive for lead although it is not at dangerous levels. White House spokeswoman Katie McCormick-Lelyveld said Thursday that tests on the soil in the White House garden detected lead levels of 93 parts per million.

June 25th, 2009 White House likes chances on House energy billWASHINGTON — The White House says it likes its chances as the climate bill heads toward a House vote. President Barack Obama is calling lawmakers to seek their support and he spoke in the Rose Garden on Thursday to build momentum.

June 17th, 2009 Fired watchdog disputes White House claimsWASHINGTON — The national service agency's inspector general, fired by President Barack Obama, disputed on Wednesday claims from the White House that he was "confused" and "disoriented" at an agency meeting. In a letter sent to lawmakers Tuesday night, Obama's special counsel Norman Eisen described Gerald Walpin as "confused, disoriented, unable to answer questions" during a May 20 meeting of the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

June 10th, 2009 Obama saddened by Holocaust shootingWASHINGTON — The White House says President Barack Obama was saddened by a shooting at the Holocaust museum near the White House and is concerned about a guard who was reportedly injured. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said he told Obama about the shooting on Wednesday afternoon.

June 9th, 2009 White House locked down after woman jumps fenceWASHINGTON — A woman jumped a fence onto White House property Tuesday and was immediately taken into custody, the Secret Service said. The White House went into a security lockdown and members of the news media were not permitted to leave the building for more than an hour.

June 9th, 2009 White House locks down after someone jumps fenceWASHINGTON — The Secret Service says a person jumped a fence onto White House property and was immediately taken into custody Tuesday. The White House went into a security lockdown and members of the media were not permitted to leave the grounds.

June 8th, 2009 White House says South Korean president to visitWASHINGTON — The White House says the president of South Korea will visit President Barack Obama next week. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs announced Lee Myung-bak's trip during his daily briefing with reporters.

May 30th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama Friday declared the country's digital infrastructure a "strategic national asset" whose protection needs to be overseen from within the White House. Referring to a series of brazen crimes ranging from attacks on thousands of US military computers to the theft of an estimated $1 trillion in intellectual property, Obama announced the creation of a new position for a cyber-security czar who would coordinate a disparate government bureaucracy.

May 29th, 2009 Mrs. Obama: White House garden is 'blooming'WASHINGTON — The White House garden is blooming and bursting. That's what first lady Michelle Obama told some of the Washington, D.C., fifth-graders who helped her plant it.

May 1st, 2009 Secret Service removes bike near White HouseWASHINGTON — The Secret Service has closed off a street section near the White House because of concerns about an unattended bicycle. Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said Friday the bike was attached to a pole just north of the White House.