The police officer who arrested a black Harvard professor says President Obama offended police when he accused Cambridge authorities of acting stupidly. "I was a little surprised and disappointed that the president, who didn't have all of the facts by his own admission, then weighed in on the events of that night and made a comment that really offended not just officers in the Cambridge Police Department but officers around the country," Sgt. James Crowley told CNN affiliate WHDH-TV in ...

U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to reform American health care, and it may be weakening the pulse of his presidency. "We always knew that passing health care reform wouldn't be easy," he said this week. "We always knew that doing what was right would be hard." In fact, after six months in office during which he's benefited from widespread support on issues ranging from Iraq to the economy, nothing has seemed harder. What should Obama do about ...

Legendary newsman Walter Cronkite's funeral will be held at 2 p.m. ET Thursday at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan, his family announced. The longtime CBS news anchorman and his family attended St. Bartholomew's, an Episcopal church. Andy Rooney of the CBS show "60 Minutes" and Cronkite's son Chip Cronkite are scheduled to be among the speakers. Cronkite, who was known as "the most trusted man in America," died Friday at age 92. From 1962 to 1981, ...

President Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki voiced cautious optimism regarding the situation in Iraq Wednesday, noting greater stability and decreased violence as U.S. troops continue to cede control to their Iraqi counterparts. "I have no doubt that there will be some tough days ahead," Obama said during a joint appearance of the leaders at the White House. "There are still those who want to foment sectarian conflict. ... But make no mistake, those efforts will fail," he added. ...

On the eve of his fourth prime-time news conference, President Obama was working the phones, calling lawmakers involved in the health care talks to push them to embrace reform, White House Communications Director Anita Dunn said Wednesday. It follows the president's Tuesday meeting with Democrats at the White House, dubbed a "serious working session" where "major progress" was made, Dunn said. Senior administration officials said the president will not meet with lawmakers Wednesday but was temporarily shifting focus to the ...

As President Obama prepares to address the nation in a primetime news conference, some sources say Democratic grumbling about his plan for health care is growing louder. One Democratic senator told CNN that some congressional Democrats are "baffled," and another senior Democratic source told CNN that those members are frustrated that that they're not getting more specific direction from him on health care. "We appreciate the rhetoric and his willingness to ratchet up the pressure but what most Democrats on ...

As President Obama steps up his push for health care reform, there is a growing effort to stop it, and rising doubts about how Obama is handling the issue. The president said from the first day of his administration that health care was a top domestic priority, and some observers say he's taking a risk in addressing the nation through a primetime news conference Wednesday with little to show after months of wrangling. Obama and top Democrats are seeking ...

In a move already drawing fire from liberal activists, aides to President Obama acknowledged the administration will miss its own Tuesday deadline to submit a report detailing its policy on detaining terror suspects. The report is a key part of laying out the White House's plan for shutting down the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay. In a briefing for reporters, four senior administration officials confirmed the task force dealing with detention policy has been granted a six-month extension to ...

President Obama on Monday hailed the Apollo 11 astronauts who made it to the moon 40 years ago as "genuine American heroes" and "the touchstone for excellence in exploration and discovery." Welcoming Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin to the White House, Obama said the lunar landing and subsequent walk on the moon by Armstrong and Aldrin continued to inspire young people to study math and science in hopes of becoming astronauts. "On this 40th anniversary, we are, all ...

President Obama slowly walked across the grounds of Cape Coast Castle, a slave outpost in Ghana where hundreds of thousands of Africans were shipped as human cargo to a life of bondage in the United States, South America and the Caribbean. "You almost feel as if the walls can speak. You try to project yourself into these incredibly harrowing moments," Obama told CNN's Anderson Cooper. When the president reached the "Door of No Return," an arched gateway with thick doors ...