Obama says White House won't release Osama bin Laden photos

The Obama administration will not release photos showing Osama bin Laden after he was killed by U.S. forces, the president has told CBS News in an interview to air Sunday on "60 Minutes."

Obama said that after seeing the photos himself, and based on DNA testing, he is "absolutely certain" that Bin Laden is dead. But he said that releasing the photos could pose a national security risk.

"It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool. That's not who we are. We don't trot out this stuff as trophies," he told CBS' Steve Kroft, according to a transcript read by White House spokesman Jay Carney.

"The fact of the matter is, this was somebody who was deserving of the justice that he received. And I think Americans and people around the world are glad that he is gone. But we don’t need to spike the football," Obama said.

Obama also told Kroft that he discussed the decision with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, as well as his intelligence team, "and they all agree."

Photos: The death of Osama bin Laden

Asked about those who have expressed doubts that Bin Laden was killed, Obama said: "There is no doubt that Bin Laden is dead. Certainly there is no doubt among Al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference."

The decision follows broad debate within the administration about whether to distribute what has been described as a "gruesome" photo in order to prove that the Al Qaeda leader is dead.

CIA director Leon Panetta had said in interviews Tuesday, however, that the photos would ultimately be made public.

Several lawmakers who saw a photo said earlier Wednesday that the White House should not release them.

"I don't want to make the job of our troops serving in places like Iraq and Afghanistan any harder than it already is," said Rep. Mike Rogers, chair of the House Intelligence Committee. "The risks of release outweigh the benefits. Conspiracy theorists around the world will just claim the photos are doctored anyway, and there is a real risk that releasing the photos will only serve to inflame public opinion in the Middle East."

I choose this because it has to do with Obama and a lot of people are interested in the death of this terrible man. 

Obama gets laughs at White House correspondents dinner

President Obama heads to the rostrum at the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night to offer his barbed observations on a few of his critics

Reporting from Washington —

On Saturday night, President Obama was the carnival barker (video below).

The setting was the annual White House Correspondents Dinner. The backdrop: the release of his long-form birth certificate three days earlier.

Obama said then that he had watched with “bemusement” for three years as so-called birther critics refused to accept that he was born in the United States, despite evidence to the contrary. So on Saturday, he acknowledged the power of innuendo while dinging some of his would-be rivals in the 2012 campaign.

“Michele Bachmann is here, though, I understand, and she is thinking about running for president, which is weird because I hear she was born in Canada,” Obama said of the Minnesota congresswoman.

“This is how it starts,” he said to laughter.

How about Tim Pawlenty, the former governor of Minnesota?

“He seems all American. But have you heard his real middle name? Tim ‘Hosni’ Pawlenty?” he said.

Jon Huntsman, the soon-to-be former U.S. ambassador to China who Obama called a “buddy”: “He didn’t learn to speak Chinese to go there. Oh, no. He learned English to come here.”

As for Mitt Romney — well, no embellishment necessary.

“I heard he passed universal healthcare when he was governor of Massachusetts. Someone should get to the bottom of that,” Obama said.

Of course, the president saved his best for Donald Trump, the real estate mogul and reality show host.

Referring to a recent episode of “Celebrity Apprentice,” he praised Trump for his leadership.

“You didn’t blame Lil’ Jon or Meatloaf. You fired Gary Busey,” he said. “These are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night. Well handled, sir.”

Trump, sitting just feet away as a guest of the Washington Post, didn't seem to enjoy the jokes as much as the rest of the audience.

One wonders what the president’s act would have looked like had he not released the birth certificate last week. “Saturday Night Live” head writer Seth Meyers joked that he had to throw his routine out the window.

“Who told you I had birth certificate jokes? It was Assange, wasn’t it?” Meyers said, referring to Julian Assange, the man behind WikiLeaks. “Is Biden still vice president? Because if not I’m down to 'thank you and god bless America?' ”

 I choose this because it was something funny and interesting.

http://www.latimes.com/videobeta/a9c27579-4eb5-413a-abe4-5ed5a96d5848/News/Obama-Trump-together-for-correspondents-dinner

Man booked on suspicion of attempted murder after allegedly firing at police helicopter

Los Angeles police officers fire tear gas into a Van Nuys apartment unit as they search for a reported second gunman after an LAPD helicopter was fired upon, forcing it to make an emergency landing. No second gunman was found.

I choose this because it was where i use to live, and it was very interesting.

Thousands of dead fish scooped from Ventura Harbor

Officials were trying to determine Tuesday what caused thousands of sardines to turn up dead in Ventura Harbor, another puzzling case of fish that died off after apparently using up all their oxygen.
Harbor master Scott Miller said he arrived Monday morning to find patches of dead sardines floating on the surface of the southwest corner of the harbor.
Other fish bobbed near the surface, appearing to gasp for air.
After deploying aerators to stir up oxygen below the surface, a dozen volunteers used nets to scoop about 6 tons of fish carcasses from the water before dumping them offshore, he said.
The incident comes about six weeks after millions of sardines died in Redondo Beach after swimming en masse into King Harbor and suffocating.
In a massive cleanup last month, workers removed about 175 tons of fish carcasses that floated in the marina and began to rot underwater.
Although the dead fish in King Harbor tested positive for domoic acid, a poison generated by toxic algae blooms, scientists believe the fish gathered in the enclosed harbor in such huge numbers that they died of critically low oxygen levels, not poisoning. So far, the fish kill in Ventura appears to be much smaller.
Masses of fish started crowding Ventura Harbor about a week ago, Miller said, though it was unclear what drove them there.
"We just think they moved in there, and it was just like crowding too many people into a room," he said. "There's no sign of red tide, and there's no indication otherwise on why that would have happened, other than oxygen deprivation."
Dolphins, sea lions, porpoises and seabirds streamed into the harbor to feast on the heavy concentration of easy prey.
The die-off seems to have subsided since the cleanup and aeration, Miller said.
"We think we got about 90% of the fish," he said. "And the birds this morning probably got the rest of them."

I choose this because its interesting and a lot people think it's because the world is ending.. I think it's something that happen because of the oil spill thing.

Chris Brown goes on rampage at 'Good Morning America' after he's asked about Rihanna beating case

Chris Brown went on a rampage on the set of "Good Morning America" after being asked about the criminal case against him involving ex-girlfriend Rihanna.

The outburst comes less than a month after a judge in Los Angeles praised Brown and downgraded a restraining order issued against him after he hit Rihanna.

ABC News reported that Brown smashed a window at the studio after ABC News anchor Robin Roberts asked him about the criminal case.

"Once backstage, according to insiders, Brown stormed into his dressing room and started screaming and tearing the room apart," ABC reported. "Workers in the building called security. Before they arrived, insiders say Brown smashed a window in his dressing room, with the glass shattering and falling onto 43rd and Broadway."

R&B singer Brown had completed a court-mandated domestic violence education program in January.

Brown was sentenced to the 52-week program, along with five years' probation and 180 hours community service, after pleading guilty in August 2009 to felony assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna after a party.

At a hearing in February, Judge Patricia Schnegg commended Brown on his progress but noted that she wanted input from Rihanna, whose real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, before making a final decision on whether to lift the restraining order.

It's unclear whether Brown's actions Tuesday would affect his criminal case. When asked about the case on "Good Morning America," he said only: "It's not really a big deal to me now, as far as that situation. I think I'm past that in my life."

I choose this because it seems like everyone's asking him for to much, and what happen happen everyone just needs to get over it. Its his business.

Congressman seeks to halt deportation of gay spouses

Rep. Rush Holt of New Jersey made the request on behalf of a gay couple in his district. Their lawyer says thousands of binational gay couples may be at risk. 

Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said earlier this year that the government would no longer defend the federal Defense of Marriage Act in court. But the administration continues to enforce it.

I think that its messed up to be against other peoples orientations. they should have there freedom and be able to love whoever without having to hide it from everyone. 

Supreme Court rejects damages for innocent man who spent 14 years on death row

John Thompson spent 14 years on death row because prosecutors had hidden a blood test that would have exonerated him. A $14-million judgment against New Orleans prosecutors was overturned by the Supreme Court.
I choose this because it was interesting and I'm glad that he got out of jail.