Wednesday, September 30
- The President declared that a state of disaster exists in several counties in Kansas. The declaration allows state and local agencies to access federal funding in their efforts to repair the damage caused by severe storms at the beginning of July.
Thursday, October 1
- The Associated Press reports that the National Security Council is divided over whether to approve a troop increase in Afghanistan. The Council was apparently unable to reach a consensus on the proposal despite a three-hour meeting held at the White House today.
- The White House announced that Deputy National Security Advisor Mark Lippert will take a leave of absence to return to active duty in the Navy. Mr. Lippert was part of President Obama’s 2008 campaign, and also served as the National Security Council chief of staff.
- President Obama issued an executive order that bans federal employees from text messaging while driving. The order is intended to prevent accidents that occur when drivers are distracted by reading and writing messages. Employees of the federal government may no longer text while driving government vehicles, driving on government property, or driving their own vehicles on official government business.
Friday, October 2
- The President attended a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was there to lobby for Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics. The IOC awarded the games to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- President Obama met with General Stanley McChrystal while in Copenhagen. The President discussed the situation in Afghanistan with General McChrystal, who is the commander of U.S. forces in that country. President Obama has not yet decided whether to approve General McChrystal’s request for additional troops.
Saturday, October 3
- Health care was again the focus of the President’s weekly address. He urged members of Congress to reach a compromise on health care before the end of the year. Congress is about to begin the process of reconciling the different health care proposals produced by the House and Senate.
Sunday, October 4
- National Security Advisor Jim Jones said today that closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center is proving more difficult than expected. He said that the President’s January 22, 2010 deadline for closing the facility may slip because of the lengthy detainee review process and the difficulty in finding another location to hold the detainees that the administration feels it cannot release.
Monday, October 5
- SCOTUSblog reports that the Supreme Court will consider the case of Kiyemba v. Obama at its private conference on Friday. At issue in the case is whether a federal judge may order the release of a detainee once he is no longer classified as an “enemy combatant.”
- The White House announced the release of “Federal Register 2.0,” an online version of the Federal Register published in XML format. The new format, accessible here, will allow software developers to create applications that utilize the data published in the Register, which is a chronicle of executive department rules and decisions.
- The Department of Justice has announced that it will not seek the death penalty for the man accused of participating in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings. The defendant, Ahmed Ghailani, has been in custody since 2004. He was originally facing charges before the military commission established to try enemy combatants, but those charges were dropped after the government decided to pursue the case in federal court.
Tuesday, October 6
- Attorney General Eric Holder said that it will be difficult to meet the January deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay detention center. He said congressional opposition is making it difficult to transfer detainees to facilities inside the United States, but that the Administration remains committed to meeting the deadline for closing the Guantanamo Bay facility.
- President Obama met with congressional leaders to discuss the situation in Afghanistan. The President said that he would not substantially reduce the number of American forces in that country, but also said that he had not yet decided whether to approve the 40,000-troop increase proposed by military commanders.
- The White House has decided to delay a meeting between President Obama and the Dalai Lama. The delay may be intended to prevent tension between the United States and the Chinese government, which considers the Dalai Lama to be a separatist.
