Page 7 - 2-20-15 Friday's Edition

Presidential News
Pres. Obama: 'Terrorist' Groups Do Not Represent Islam
President Barack Obama concludes a three- day conference on countering violent radicalism Thursday with a speech before represen- tatives of more than 60 na- tions at the U.S. State Department.
During an address Wednes- day before a group of commu- nity and religious leaders, Pres. Obama called on them to help fight "false promises of extremism" and reject the no- tion that "terrorist" groups represent Islam.
The Obama administration has been careful not to put the focus of this week's summit solely on Islamic extremism, but on all forms of extremism.
"They try to portray them- selves as religious leaders, holy warriors," Pres. Obama said Wednesday at the White House. "They are not religious leaders, they are terrorists. We are not at war with Islam. We are at war with people who have perverted Islam.”
He also appealed directly to prominent Muslims to do more to distance themselves from brutal ideologies.
The president told dele- gates that the fight against ex-
tremism could not be won with military might alone.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry addresses the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism Foreign Fighter Ministe- rial on at the State Department in Washington, D.C., Feb. 18, 2015.
Obamacare Sign Ups Top 11 Million
About 11.4 million people have signed up for Obamacare coverage for 2015, the Obama administration announced Tuesday evening.
Consumers raced to apply before open enrollment ended Sunday, with more than a mil- lion people picking plans in the final nine days, officials said.
"It gives you some sense of how hungry people were out there for affordable, accessible health insurance," President Obama said in a video that was posted on the White House Twitter and Facebook ac- counts.
The tally includes people who signed up for the first time and existing consumers who were automatically re-enrolled for this year. Some 8.6 million signed up through the federal exchange, which is handling enrollment for 37 states, and 2.8 million in the state-based
exchanges.
Florida and Texas, which
have high rates of uninsured, each had more than 1 million people pick plans on the fed- eral exchange, healthcare.gov. Their Republican governors were among the many who op- posed Obamacare.
Pressure is also mounting on the White House to extend en- rollment to April 15 for those who have to pay a penalty for being uninsured in 2014.
Advocates argue that many Americans won't know they are subject to the penalty until they complete their taxes this year and that may prompt them to want to enroll for 2015. Up to 6 million taxpayers may be sub- ject to the fine for 2014, which is $95 or 1% of income, whichever is greater. The penalty for lacking coverage this year grows to 2% or $325, whichever is greater.
President Obama Picks Secret Service Insider Joseph Clancy To Lead Troubled Agency
President Obama on Wednesday named his acting director and trusted former protective detail leader Joseph Clancy as the new permanent head of the Secret Service, choosing a longtime insider despite calls from Con- gress for fresh management of the agency.
Clancy, 59, a 27-year vet- eran of the Secret Service, has been in charge for the past four months since Pres. Obama asked him to replace Director Julia Pierson, who resigned in October amid a series of major security lapses. He had emerged as the likely choice for the permanent role last week over several outside candi- dates.
Among the challenges for
Acting Director Joseph Clancy was chosen Wednes- day by President Obama as the new permanent leader of the Secret Service.
Clancy will be to determine how to secure the perimeter of the White House complex after an intruder burst past security last fall and a small drone air- craft landed on the lawn last month. The new director also will be charged with overseeing the massive security operation of protecting the candidates in the 2016 presidential race.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A