Content about Barack Obama

Washington -- President Obama has selected Sally Jewell, president and CEO of Recreational Equipment Inc., to lead the Interior Department, White House officials said Wednesday.

Jewell, a former banker and Mobile Oil Corp. executive, is an outdoors enthusiast and conservation advocate. She joined the board of REI in 1996, and was appointed COO in 2000. In 2005, she was named CEO. Under her leadership, REI increased sales from $1 billion to nearly $2 billion, added 71 stores, and greatly expanded its online business.

Arlington, Va. -- In a letter sent Wednesday, Retail Industry Leaders Association president Sandy Kennedy asked President Obama to take action to prevent a work stoppage at the East and Gulf Coast ports.

Negotiations on Dec. 18 did not produce a resolution between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, foreshadowing a shutdown of the Eastern and Gulf ports by the end of the year.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation on Wednesday urged President Obama and Congress to come up with a plan to avoid the “fiscal cliff” by Thanksgiving, saying uncertainty over the pending combination of tax hikes and spending cuts threatens consumer confidence during the holiday shopping season that begins on Black Friday.

Arlington, Va. – In a letter sent Thursday to President Barack Obama, RILA President Sandy Kennedy argued that the Administration’s failure in a timely manner to provide employers with formal guidance on the most basic of implementation rules for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) jeopardizes employer-sponsored healthcare coverage.

“RILA is extremely concerned that when formal guidance is finally released, employers will not have ample time to plan, budget and implement changes in order to comply with the new law,” said Kennedy.

Washington -- The National Retail Federation released the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay on the re-election of President Obama:



Arlington, Va. -- In letters sent to President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, the Retail Industry Leaders Association urged both to consider the retail industry’s prominent role in the U.S. economy as they advance their visions for the future.

The letter was signed by Gregg Steinhafel, Target chairman, president and CEO and Sandra L. Kennedy, RILA president. Steinhafel serves as chairman of the RILA board of directors. 

New York -- The U.S. Supreme Court has just ruled that, while the individual mandate to buy health insurance is unconstitutional, this key part of President Obama’s signature healthcare law can stay as part of Congress’s power under a taxing clause.

In other words, the Supreme Court says that the government will be allowed to tax people for not having health insurance.

Arlington, Va. -- The Retail Industry Leaders Association on Tuesday expressed support of this week's announcement by President Barack Obama and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk that the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement will enter into force on May 15.

Washington, D.C. -- The National Retail Federation said it welcomed the emphasis on job creation in President Obama’s State of the Union address, saying that it will help restore the nation's economic state.

Washington, D.C. — Supervalu announced that it has joined the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, which aims to engage building operators nationwide in improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. The announcement was made by President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton during a leadership event attended by Craig Herkert, Supervalu CEO and president, this morning in Washington, D.C.

Deerfield, Ill. -- First Lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday toured a Walgreens store on Chicago’s South Side to view the company’s efforts to fight the childhood obesity epidemic and provide better food options and accessible health care to under-served communities.

The event was part of a mayoral summit hosted by the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

New York City -- The nation’s first lady did some shopping Thursday at a Target store in Alexandria, Va.

Mrs. Obama was casually dressed and virtually incognito with a baseball cap and sunglasses. She spent about 30 to 40 minutes in the store, according to reports, and was accompanied by an assistant.