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Here's The Fact Check For Obama's State Of The Union Address

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<img alt="obama" border="0" height="425" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54bf992c6bb3f7467c01c458-1200-800/rtr4m8ge.jpg" width="640" /><span class="source">Jonathan Ernst/Reuters</span><span class="caption">US President Barack Obama after his 2015 State of the Union address Tuesday.</span></div>
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Obama Is Trying To Set The Agenda For His Successors As His Clout Diminishes In Washington<br />
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The US may not have "risen from recession" quite 
as rousingly as President Barack Obama suggested in his State of the 
Union speech Tuesday night.<br />
Seven years after that severe downturn began, household income hasn't
 recovered, and healthy job growth is complicated by the poor quality, 
and pay, of many of those jobs.<br />
It's always problematic when a president takes credit for an 
improving economy, just as it is when he's blamed for things going bad. A
 leader can do only so much, for better or worse, and there are two 
sides to every economy. But after an election in which Obama largely 
held off on chest-beating, he claimed credit in bold terms for what is 
going right.<br />
Also in his speech, Obama skimmed over the cost to taxpayers of free 
community college tuition and invited closer scrutiny with his claims 
about US support for Syrian moderates and about his record of 
public-lands preservation.<br />
<span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span class="image" data-post-image=""><img alt="infographic STOU Obama" border="0" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/54bf98a0eab8ea4f03a4637d-1200-462/screen%20shot%202015-01-21%20at%207.15.36%20am.png" /><span class="source">Reuters</span><span class="caption">Keywords in Obama's State of the Union addresses.</span></span></span><br />
A look at some of his claims, and the facts and the political climate
 behind them, as well as a glance at the Republican response:<br />
___<br />
<b>OBAMA:</b> "At this moment — with a growing economy, 
shrinking deficits, bustling industry, and booming energy production — 
we have risen from recession freer to write our own future than any 
other nation on earth."<br />
<b>THE FACTS:</b> By many measures, the economy is still recovering from the deep scars left by the Great Recession.<br />
Job growth has been healthy but fueled in part by lower-paying jobs 
in areas such as retail and restaurants, which have replaced many 
higher-paying positions in manufacturing and construction. Part-time 
jobs also remain elevated: There are still 1.7 million fewer workers 
with full-time jobs than when the recession began in December 2007.<br />
And the faster hiring hasn't pushed up wages much. They have been 
growing at a tepid pace of about 2% a year since the recession ended 5 
1/2 years ago. That's barely ahead of inflation and below the annual 
pace of about 3.5% to 4% that is typical of a fully healthy economy.<br />
That has left the income of the typical household below its 
pre-recession level. Inflation-adjusted median household income reached 
$53,880 in November 2014, according to an analysis of government data by
 Sentier Research. That is about 4% higher than when it bottomed out in 
2011. But it is still 4.5% lower than the $56,447 median income in 
December 2007, the month the recession began.<br />
Booming energy production is indeed a reality, but that's a 
phenomenon many years in the making, with the development of 
cost-effective extraction from fracking and other means playing into the
 rise of the US as an energy-production giant.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span class="image on-image" data-post-image=""><img alt="Obama SOTU" border="0" height="243" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54bf201cecad04c1385a6779-1200-750/rtr4m8ax.jpg" width="400" /><span class="source">Reuters/Jonathan Ernst</span><span class="caption">Obama during his State of the Union address on Tuesday.</span></span></span></div>
<b>OBAMA:</b> "I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college — to zero."<br />
<b>THE FACTS:</b> Zero for qualifying students; an estimated $60 billion over 10 years to the treasury.<br />
Obama confronts a Republican-controlled Congress that can be expected
 to be wary of a new program costing that much. Moreover, the proposal 
requires states to contribute about a quarter of the money, and getting 
them to go along is bound to be tough. Many states refused to expand 
Medicaid under the healthcare law, for example, even though Washington 
is picking up the entire cost in the first years.<br />
On the other hand, community college is an issue close to home for 
state government, perhaps more appealing than partnering with Washington
 on the health law, so the idea could have a fighting chance if it can 
get through Congress. Educators are divided on its merits, with some 
worrying that aid for a community college education could divert 
students and scholarships away from four-year schools.<br />
___<br />
<b>OBAMA:</b> "We've set aside more public lands and waters than any administration in history."<br />
<b>THE FACTS:</b> Waters is the key word here. Before 
expanding the Pacific Remote Islands National Monument last year from 
almost 87,000 square miles to more than 490,000 square miles, Obama had 
protected far fewer acres than his four predecessors, including 
President George W. Bush.<br />
Expansion of the massive Pacific islands monument puts Obama on top. 
It's nearly all water, however, and the move has limited practical 
implications. While it bans commercial fishing, deep-sea mining, and 
other extraction of underwater resources, little fishing or drilling 
occur in the mid-ocean region now.<br />
<span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span class="image on-image" data-post-image=""><img alt="AP43386164637" border="0" height="427" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/54bf259669bedd652ad27821-1200-858/ap43386164637.jpg" width="640" /><span class="source">AP/Mandel Ngan, Pool</span></span></span><br />
<b>OBAMA:</b> "Thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is
 touching more and more lives. Wages are finally starting to rise 
again. We know that more small-business owners plan to raise their 
employees' pay than at any time since 2007."<br />
<b>THE FACTS:</b> A survey of small businesses by the 
National Federation of Independent Business does show that a rising 
proportion plans to raise wages. But plans to raise pay aren't the same 
as actually raising them.<br />
Average hourly earnings rose just 1.7% in December from 12 months 
earlier, according to the Labor Department. That's about half the rate 
that is typical of a healthy economy and actually lower than the 
previous month. Economists generally expect wage gains to accelerate 
this year, as unemployment continues to fall and businesses are forced 
to offer higher pay to attract workers. But there is scant evidence that
 it is happening yet.<br />
___<br />
<b>OBAMA:</b> "In Iraq and Syria, American leadership — 
including our military power — is stopping ISIL's advance. Instead of 
getting dragged into another ground war in the Middle East, we are 
leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, to degrade and 
ultimately destroy this terrorist group. We're also supporting a 
moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this effort."<br />
<b>THE FACTS:</b> The US has also been slow to set up 
long-promised training for the moderate Syrian opposition, and it has 
yet to begin the actual vetting of the rebels. Also, despite persistent 
pleas from the rebels, the US hasn't sent the more lethal weapons they 
want. US officials have expressed concerns that the weapons could end up
 in the hands of insurgents.<br />
Military leaders, however, agree that coalition airstrikes and the 
military effort in Syria and Iraq have stopped the momentum of the 
Islamic State group (also known as ISIS or ISIL), made it hard for the 
insurgents to communicate and travel, and hurt their oil revenues.<br />
<span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span class="image on-image" data-post-image=""><img alt="obama" border="0" height="464" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/54bb163469bedd1b09200ef9-1200-924/rtr4e4zj.jpg" width="640" /><span class="source">Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters</span><span class="caption">Obama in November.</span></span></span><br />
<b>SEN. JONI ERNST:</b> The freshman from Iowa listed 
Obama's healthcare law among his "failed policies" and added, "We see 
the hurt caused by canceled healthcare plans and higher monthly 
insurance bills."<br />
<b>THE FACTS:</b> The jury is still out on the law Republicans call "Obamacare."<br />
The number of uninsured people is down by at least 10 million. A 
large ongoing Gallup survey documented a steady drop in the nation's 
uninsured rate since the law's big coverage expansion began last year.<br />
The law's record on affordability is mixed. The share of Americans 
forgoing needed medical care because of cost is down significantly, 
according to a Commonwealth Fund survey, and fewer are struggling to pay
 medical bills. Yet many insured people with modest incomes still have 
problems with high out-of-pocket costs.<br />
As for harm caused by lost insurance, many in Ernst's party are 
intent on repealing the law, which would probably mean even more lost 
coverage, because many of the estimated 10 million uninsured people who 
have gained coverage through the Affordable Care Act would no longer be 
able to afford their premiums.<br />
___<br />
Associated Press writers Kimberly Hefling, Dina Cappiello, Lolita C. 
Baldor and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar contributed to this report.<br />
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Here's The Fact Check For Obama's State Of The Union Address

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters US President Barack Obama after his 2015 State of the Union address Tuesday. Obama Is Trying To Set The A...

12:47 AM

State of the Union 2015: Full transcript

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<span class="el__storyelement__header">Obama: 'Tonight we turn the page'</span>  <span class="el__storyelement__gray">03:05</span></div>
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There
 is a ritual on State of the Union night in Washington. A little before 
the address, the White House sends out an embargoed copy of the 
President's speech to the press (embargoed means that the press can see 
the speech, but they can't report on it until a designated time). The 
reporters then start sending it around town to folks on Capitol Hill to 
get their reaction, then those people send it to all their friends, and 
eventually everyone in Washington can read along, but the public remains
 in the dark. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
This year we change that.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
For
 the first time, the White House is making the full text of the speech 
available to citizens around the country online. On Medium, you can 
follow along with the speech as you watch in real time, view charts and 
infographics on key areas, tweet favorite lines, and leave notes. By 
making the text available to the public in advance, the White House is 
continuing efforts to reach a wide online audience and give people a 
range of ways to consume the speech.</div>
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 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
-----</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans: </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 are fifteen years into this new century.  Fifteen years that dawned 
with terror touching our shores; that unfolded with a new generation 
fighting two long and costly wars; that saw a vicious recession spread 
across our nation and the world.  It has been, and still is, a hard time
 for many. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
But tonight, we turn the page.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Tonight,
 after a breakthrough year for America, our economy is growing and 
creating jobs at the fastest pace since 1999.  Our unemployment rate is 
now lower than it was before the financial crisis.  More of our kids are
 graduating than ever before; more of our people are insured than ever 
before; we are as free from the grip of foreign oil as we've been in 
almost 30 years.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Tonight,
 for the first time since 9/11, our combat mission in Afghanistan is 
over.  Six years ago, nearly 180,000 American troops served in Iraq and 
Afghanistan.  Today, fewer than 15,000 remain.  And we salute the 
courage and sacrifice of every man and woman in this 9/11 Generation who
 has served to keep us safe.  We are humbled and grateful for your 
service.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
America,
 for all that we've endured; for all the grit and hard work required to 
come back; for all the tasks that lie ahead, know this:  </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
The shadow of crisis has passed, and the State of the Union is strong.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
At
 this moment -- with a growing economy, shrinking deficits, bustling 
industry, and booming energy production -- we have risen from recession 
freer to write our own future than any other nation on Earth.  It's now 
up to us to choose who we want to be over the next fifteen years, and 
for decades to come.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Will
 we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well?  Or 
will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and
 chances for everyone who makes the effort?</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Will
 we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly 
conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing?  Or will 
we lead wisely, using all elements of our power to defeat new threats 
and protect our planet?</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Will
 we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one 
another -- or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has 
always propelled America forward?</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
In
 two weeks, I will send this Congress a budget filled with ideas that 
are practical, not partisan.  And in the months ahead, I'll crisscross 
the country making a case for those ideas.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
So tonight, I want to focus less on a checklist of proposals, and focus more on the values at stake in the choices before us.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
It begins with our economy.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Seven
 years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds.  She 
waited tables.  He worked construction.  Their first child, Jack, was on
 the way. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
They were young and in love in America, and it doesn't get much better than that.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
"If only we had known," Rebekah wrote to me last spring, "what was about to happen to the housing and construction market." </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
As
 the crisis worsened, Ben's business dried up, so he took what jobs he 
could find, even if they kept him on the road for long stretches of 
time.  Rebekah took out student loans, enrolled in community college, 
and retrained for a new career.  They sacrificed for each other.  And 
slowly, it paid off.  They bought their first home.  They had a second 
son, Henry.  Rebekah got a better job, and then a raise.  Ben is back in
 construction -- and home for dinner every night.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
"It
 is amazing," Rebekah wrote, "what you can bounce back from when you 
have to...we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through 
some very, very hard times."</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
America,
 Rebekah and Ben's story is our story.  They represent the millions who 
have worked hard, and scrimped, and sacrificed, and retooled.  You are 
the reason I ran for this office.  You're the people I was thinking of 
six years ago today, in the darkest months of the crisis, when I stood 
on the steps of this Capitol and promised we would rebuild our economy 
on a new foundation.  And it's been your effort and resilience that has 
made it possible for our country to emerge stronger.</div>
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<span class="el__storyelement__header">Obama seeks unity with Congress during SOTU</span>  <span class="el__storyelement__gray">01:54</span></div>
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<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 believed we could reverse the tide of outsourcing, and draw new jobs to
 our shores.  And over the past five years, our businesses have created 
more than 11 million new jobs.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 believed we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil and protect our 
planet.  And today, America is number one in oil and gas.  America is 
number one in wind power.  Every three weeks, we bring online as much 
solar power as we did in all of 2008.  And thanks to lower gas prices 
and higher fuel standards, the typical family this year should save $750
 at the pump.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 believed we could prepare our kids for a more competitive world.  And 
today, our younger students have earned the highest math and reading 
scores on record.  Our high school graduation rate has hit an all-time 
high.  And more Americans finish college than ever before.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 believed that sensible regulations could prevent another crisis, shield
 families from ruin, and encourage fair competition.  Today, we have new
 tools to stop taxpayer-funded bailouts, and a new consumer watchdog to 
protect us from predatory lending and abusive credit card practices.  
And in the past year alone, about ten million uninsured Americans 
finally gained the security of health coverage.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
At
 every step, we were told our goals were misguided or too ambitious; 
that we would crush jobs and explode deficits.  Instead, we've seen the 
fastest economic growth in over a decade, our deficits cut by 
two-thirds, a stock market that has doubled, and health care inflation 
at its lowest rate in fifty years. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
So
 the verdict is clear.  Middle-class economics works.  Expanding 
opportunity works.  And these policies will continue to work, as long as
 politics don't get in the way.  We can't slow down businesses or put 
our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns.  We 
can't put the security of families at risk by taking away their health 
insurance, or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street, or refighting 
past battles on immigration when we've got a system to fix.  And if a 
bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, it will earn
 my veto.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Today,
 thanks to a growing economy, the recovery is touching more and more 
lives.  Wages are finally starting to rise again.  We know that more 
small business owners plan to raise their employees' pay than at any 
time since 2007.  But here's the thing -- those of us here tonight, we 
need to set our sights higher than just making sure government doesn't 
halt the progress we're making.  We need to do more than just do no 
harm.  Tonight, together, let's do more to restore the link between hard
 work and growing opportunity for every American.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Because
 families like Rebekah's still need our help.  She and Ben are working 
as hard as ever, but have to forego vacations and a new car so they can 
pay off student loans and save for retirement.  Basic childcare for Jack
 and Henry costs more than their mortgage, and almost as much as a year 
at the University of Minnesota.  Like millions of hardworking Americans,
 Rebekah isn't asking for a handout, but she is asking that we look for 
more ways to help families get ahead.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
In
 fact, at every moment of economic change throughout our history, this 
country has taken bold action to adapt to new circumstances, and to make
 sure everyone gets a fair shot.  We set up worker protections, Social 
Security, Medicare, and Medicaid to protect ourselves from the harshest 
adversity.  We gave our citizens schools and colleges, infrastructure 
and the internet -- tools they needed to go as far as their effort will 
take them.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
That's
 what middle-class economics is -- the idea that this country does best 
when everyone gets their fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and 
everyone plays by the same set of rules.  We don't just want everyone to
 share in America's success -- we want everyone to contribute to our 
success.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
So what does middle-class economics require in our time? </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
First
 -- middle-class economics means helping working families feel more 
secure in a world of constant change.  That means helping folks afford 
childcare, college, health care, a home, retirement -- and my budget 
will address each of these issues, lowering the taxes of working 
families and putting thousands of dollars back into their pockets each 
year.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Here's
 one example.  During World War II, when men like my grandfather went 
off to war, having women like my grandmother in the workforce was a 
national security priority -- so this country provided universal 
childcare.  In today's economy, when having both parents in the 
workforce is an economic necessity for many families, we need 
affordable, high-quality childcare more than ever.  It's not a 
nice-to-have -- it's a must-have.  It's time we stop treating childcare 
as a side issue, or a women's issue, and treat it like the national 
economic priority that it is for all of us.  And that's why my plan will
 make quality childcare more available, and more affordable, for every 
middle-class and low-income family with young children in America -- by 
creating more slots and a new tax cut of up to $3,000 per child, per 
year.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Here's
 another example.  Today, we're the only advanced country on Earth that 
doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our 
workers.  Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave.  
Forty-three million.  Think about that.  And that forces too many 
parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick 
kid at home.  So I'll be taking new action to help states adopt paid 
leave laws of their own.  And since paid sick leave won where it was on 
the ballot last November, let's put it to a vote right here in 
Washington.  Send me a bill that gives every worker in America the 
opportunity to earn seven days of paid sick leave.  It's the right thing
 to do.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Of
 course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages.  
That's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a 
woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work.  Really.  It's 
2015.  It's time.  We still need to make sure employees get the overtime
 they've earned.  And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to 
raise the minimum wage, I say this:  If you truly believe you could work
 full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. 
 If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a
 raise.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
These
 ideas won't make everybody rich, or relieve every hardship.  That's not
 the job of government.  To give working families a fair shot, we'll 
still need more employers to see beyond next quarter's earnings and 
recognize that investing in their workforce is in their company's 
long-term interest.  We still need laws that strengthen rather than 
weaken unions, and give American workers a voice.  But things like child
 care and sick leave and equal pay; things like lower mortgage premiums 
and a higher minimum wage -- these ideas will make a meaningful 
difference in the lives of millions of families.  That is a fact.  And 
that's what all of us -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- were sent 
here to do.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Second, to make sure folks keep earning higher wages down the road, we have to do more to help Americans upgrade their skills.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
America
 thrived in the 20th century because we made high school free, sent a 
generation of GIs to college, and trained the best workforce in the 
world.  But in a 21st century economy that rewards knowledge like never 
before, we need to do more.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
By
 the end of this decade, two in three job openings will require some 
higher education.  Two in three.  And yet, we still live in a country 
where too many bright, striving Americans are priced out of the 
education they need.  It's not fair to them, and it's not smart for our 
future.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
That's why I am sending this Congress a bold new plan to lower the cost of community college -- to zero. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Forty
 percent of our college students choose community college.  Some are 
young and starting out.  Some are older and looking for a better job.  
Some are veterans and single parents trying to transition back into the 
job market.  Whoever you are, this plan is your chance to graduate ready
 for the new economy, without a load of debt.  Understand, you've got to
 earn it -- you've got to keep your grades up and graduate on time.  
Tennessee, a state with Republican leadership, and Chicago, a city with 
Democratic leadership, are showing that free community college is 
possible.  I want to spread that idea all across America, so that two 
years of college becomes as free and universal in America as high school
 is today.  And I want to work with this Congress, to make sure 
Americans already burdened with student loans can reduce their monthly 
payments, so that student debt doesn't derail anyone's dreams.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Thanks
 to Vice President Biden's great work to update our job training system,
 we're connecting community colleges with local employers to train 
workers to fill high-paying jobs like coding, and nursing, and robotics.
  Tonight, I'm also asking more businesses to follow the lead of 
companies like CVS and UPS, and offer more educational benefits and paid
 apprenticeships -- opportunities that give workers the chance to earn 
higher-paying jobs even if they don't have a higher education.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
And
 as a new generation of veterans comes home, we owe them every 
opportunity to live the American Dream they helped defend.  Already, 
we've made strides towards ensuring that every veteran has access to the
 highest quality care.  We're slashing the backlog that had too many 
veterans waiting years to get the benefits they need, and we're making 
it easier for vets to translate their training and experience into 
civilian jobs.  Joining Forces, the national campaign launched by 
Michelle and Jill Biden, has helped nearly 700,000 veterans and military
 spouses get new jobs.  So to every CEO in America, let me repeat:  If 
you want somebody who's going to get the job done, hire a veteran.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Finally, as we better train our workers, we need the new economy to keep churning out high-wage jobs for our workers to fill. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Since
 2010, America has put more people back to work than Europe, Japan, and 
all advanced economies combined.  Our manufacturers have added almost 
800,000 new jobs.  Some of our bedrock sectors, like our auto industry, 
are booming.  But there are also millions of Americans who work in jobs 
that didn't even exist ten or twenty years ago -- jobs at companies like
 Google, and eBay, and Tesla. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
So
 no one knows for certain which industries will generate the jobs of the
 future.  But we do know we want them here in America.  That's why the 
third part of middle-class economics is about building the most 
competitive economy anywhere, the place where businesses want to locate 
and hire.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
21st
 century businesses need 21st century infrastructure -- modern ports, 
stronger bridges, faster trains and the fastest internet.  Democrats and
 Republicans used to agree on this.  So let's set our sights higher than
 a single oil pipeline.  Let's pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan 
that could create more than thirty times as many jobs per year, and make
 this country stronger for decades to come.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
21st
 century businesses, including small businesses, need to sell more 
American products overseas.  Today, our businesses export more than 
ever, and exporters tend to pay their workers higher wages.  But as we 
speak, China wants to write the rules for the world's fastest-growing 
region.  That would put our workers and businesses at a disadvantage.  
Why would we let that happen?  We should write those rules.  We should 
level the playing field.  That's why I'm asking both parties to give me 
trade promotion authority to protect American workers, with strong new 
trade deals from Asia to Europe that aren't just free, but fair. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Look,
 I'm the first one to admit that past trade deals haven't always lived 
up to the hype, and that's why we've gone after countries that break the
 rules at our expense.  But ninety-five percent of the world's customers
 live outside our borders, and we can't close ourselves off from those 
opportunities.  More than half of manufacturing executives have said 
they're actively looking at bringing jobs back from China.  Let's give 
them one more reason to get it done.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
21st
 century businesses will rely on American science, technology, research 
and development.  I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped 
the human genome to lead a new era of medicine -- one that delivers the 
right treatment at the right time.  In some patients with cystic 
fibrosis, this approach has reversed a disease once thought unstoppable.
  Tonight, I'm launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us
 closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes -- and to give all 
of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves 
and our families healthier.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 intend to protect a free and open internet, extend its reach to every 
classroom, and every community, and help folks build the fastest 
networks, so that the next generation of digital innovators and 
entrepreneurs have the platform to keep reshaping our world.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 want Americans to win the race for the kinds of discoveries that 
unleash new jobs -- converting sunlight into liquid fuel; creating 
revolutionary prosthetics, so that a veteran who gave his arms for his 
country can play catch with his kid; pushing out into the Solar System 
not just to visit, but to stay.  Last month, we launched a new 
spacecraft as part of a re-energized space program that will send 
American astronauts to Mars.  In two months, to prepare us for those 
missions, Scott Kelly will begin a year-long stay in space.  Good luck, 
Captain -- and make sure to Instagram it.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Now,
 the truth is, when it comes to issues like infrastructure and basic 
research, I know there's bipartisan support in this chamber.  Members of
 both parties have told me so.  Where we too often run onto the rocks is
 how to pay for these investments.  As Americans, we don't mind paying 
our fair share of taxes, as long as everybody else does, too.  But for 
far too long, lobbyists have rigged the tax code with loopholes that let
 some corporations pay nothing while others pay full freight.  They've 
riddled it with giveaways the superrich don't need, denying a break to 
middle class families who do.  </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
This
 year, we have an opportunity to change that.  Let's close loopholes so 
we stop rewarding companies that keep profits abroad, and reward those 
that invest in America.  Let's use those savings to rebuild our 
infrastructure and make it more attractive for companies to bring jobs 
home.  Let's simplify the system and let a small business owner file 
based on her actual bank statement, instead of the number of accountants
 she can afford.  And let's close the loopholes that lead to inequality 
by allowing the top one percent to avoid paying taxes on their 
accumulated wealth.  We can use that money to help more families pay for
 childcare and send their kids to college.  We need a tax code that 
truly helps working Americans trying to get a leg up in the new economy,
 and we can achieve that together.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Helping
 hardworking families make ends meet. Giving them the tools they need 
for good-paying jobs in this new economy.  Maintaining the conditions 
for growth and competitiveness.  This is where America needs to go.  I 
believe it's where the American people want to go.  It will make our 
economy stronger a year from now, fifteen years from now, and deep into 
the century ahead. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Of
 course, if there's one thing this new century has taught us, it's that 
we cannot separate our work at home from challenges beyond our shores. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
My
 first duty as Commander-in-Chief is to defend the United States of 
America.  In doing so, the question is not whether America leads in the 
world, but how.  When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines 
instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to
 send in our military -- then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary 
conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more 
prosperous world.  That's what our enemies want us to do.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 believe in a smarter kind of American leadership.  We lead best when we
 combine military power with strong diplomacy; when we leverage our 
power with coalition building; when we don't let our fears blind us to 
the opportunities that this new century presents.  That's exactly what 
we're doing right now -- and around the globe, it is making a 
difference.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
First,
 we stand united with people around the world who've been targeted by 
terrorists -- from a school in Pakistan to the streets of Paris.  We 
will continue to hunt down terrorists and dismantle their networks, and 
we reserve the right to act unilaterally, as we've done relentlessly 
since I took office to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to 
us and our allies.  </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
At the same time, we've learned some costly lessons over the last thirteen years. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Instead
 of Americans patrolling the valleys of Afghanistan, we've trained their
 security forces, who've now taken the lead, and we've honored our 
troops' sacrifice by supporting that country's first democratic 
transition.  Instead of sending large ground forces overseas, we're 
partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe 
haven to terrorists who threaten America.  In Iraq and Syria, American 
leadership -- including our military power -- is stopping ISIL's 
advance.  Instead of getting dragged into another ground war in the 
Middle East, we are leading a broad coalition, including Arab nations, 
to degrade and ultimately destroy this terrorist group.  We're also 
supporting a moderate opposition in Syria that can help us in this 
effort, and assisting people everywhere who stand up to the bankrupt 
ideology of violent extremism.  This effort will take time.  It will 
require focus.  But we will succeed.  And tonight, I call on this 
Congress to show the world that we are united in this mission by passing
 a resolution to authorize the use of force against ISIL.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Second,
 we are demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy.  
We're upholding the principle that bigger nations can't bully the small 
-- by opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine's democracy, and 
reassuring our NATO allies.  Last year, as we were doing the hard work 
of imposing sanctions along with our allies, some suggested that Mr. 
Putin's aggression was a masterful display of strategy and strength.  
Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our 
allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
That's how America leads -- not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
In
 Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date.  
When what you're doing doesn't work for fifty years, it's time to try 
something new.  Our shift in Cuba policy has the potential to end a 
legacy of mistrust in our hemisphere; removes a phony excuse for 
restrictions in Cuba; stands up for democratic values; and extends the 
hand of friendship to the Cuban people.  And this year, Congress should 
begin the work of ending the embargo.  As His Holiness, Pope Francis, 
has said, diplomacy is the work of "small steps."  These small steps 
have added up to new hope for the future in Cuba.  And after years in 
prison, we're overjoyed that Alan Gross is back where he belongs.  
Welcome home, Alan. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Our
 diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in
 a decade, we've halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced 
its stockpile of nuclear material.  Between now and this spring, we have
 a chance to negotiate a comprehensive agreement that prevents a 
nuclear-armed Iran; secures America and our allies -- including Israel; 
while avoiding yet another Middle East conflict.  There are no 
guarantees that negotiations will succeed, and I keep all options on the
 table to prevent a nuclear Iran.  But new sanctions passed by this 
Congress, at this moment in time, will all but guarantee that diplomacy 
fails -- alienating America from its allies; and ensuring that Iran 
starts up its nuclear program again.  It doesn't make sense.  That is 
why I will veto any new sanctions bill that threatens to undo this 
progress.  The American people expect us to only go to war as a last 
resort, and I intend to stay true to that wisdom.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Third, we're looking beyond the issues that have consumed us in the past to shape the coming century.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
No
 foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, 
steal our trade secrets, or invade the privacy of American families, 
especially our kids.  We are making sure our government integrates 
intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as we have done to combat 
terrorism.  And tonight, I urge this Congress to finally pass the 
legislation we need to better meet the evolving threat of cyber-attacks,
 combat identity theft, and protect our children's information.  If we 
don't act, we'll leave our nation and our economy vulnerable.  If we do,
 we can continue to protect the technologies that have unleashed untold 
opportunities for people around the globe.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
In
 West Africa, our troops, our scientists, our doctors, our nurses and 
healthcare workers are rolling back Ebola -- saving countless lives and 
stopping the spread of disease.  I couldn't be prouder of them, and I 
thank this Congress for your bipartisan support of their efforts.  But 
the job is not yet done -- and the world needs to use this lesson to 
build a more effective global effort to prevent the spread of future 
pandemics, invest in smart development, and eradicate extreme poverty.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
In
 the Asia Pacific, we are modernizing alliances while making sure that 
other nations play by the rules -- in how they trade, how they resolve 
maritime disputes, and how they participate in meeting common 
international challenges like nonproliferation and disaster relief.  And
 no challenge -- no challenge -- poses a greater threat to future 
generations than climate change. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
2014
 was the planet's warmest year on record.  Now, one year doesn't make a 
trend, but this does -- 14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all 
fallen in the first 15 years of this century. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I've
 heard some folks try to dodge the evidence by saying they're not 
scientists; that we don't have enough information to act.  Well, I'm not
 a scientist, either.  But you know what -- I know a lot of really good 
scientists at NASA, and NOAA, and at our major universities.  The best 
scientists in the world are all telling us that our activities are 
changing the climate, and if we do not act forcefully, we'll continue to
 see rising oceans, longer, hotter heat waves, dangerous droughts and 
floods, and massive disruptions that can trigger greater migration, 
conflict, and hunger around the globe.  The Pentagon says that climate 
change poses immediate risks to our national security.  We should act 
like it.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
That's
 why, over the past six years, we've done more than ever before to 
combat climate change, from the way we produce energy, to the way we use
 it.  That's why we've set aside more public lands and waters than any 
administration in history.  And that's why I will not let this Congress 
endanger the health of our children by turning back the clock on our 
efforts.  I am determined to make sure American leadership drives 
international action.  In Beijing, we made an historic announcement -- 
the United States will double the pace at which we cut carbon pollution,
 and China committed, for the first time, to limiting their emissions.  
And because the world's two largest economies came together, other 
nations are now stepping up, and offering hope that, this year, the 
world will finally reach an agreement to protect the one planet we've 
got.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
There's one last pillar to our leadership -- and that's the example of our values. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
As
 Americans, we respect human dignity, even when we're threatened, which 
is why I've prohibited torture, and worked to make sure our use of new 
technology like drones is properly constrained.  It's why we speak out 
against the deplorable anti-Semitism that has resurfaced in certain 
parts of the world.  It's why we continue to reject offensive 
stereotypes of Muslims -- the vast majority of whom share our commitment
 to peace.  That's why we defend free speech, and advocate for political
 prisoners, and condemn the persecution of women, or religious 
minorities, or people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.  
We do these things not only because they're right, but because they make
 us safer. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
As
 Americans, we have a profound commitment to justice -- so it makes no 
sense to spend three million dollars per prisoner to keep open a prison 
that the world condemns and terrorists use to recruit.  Since I've been 
President, we've worked responsibly to cut the population of GTMO in 
half.  Now it's time to finish the job.  And I will not relent in my 
determination to shut it down.  It's not who we are.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
As
 Americans, we cherish our civil liberties -- and we need to uphold that
 commitment if we want maximum cooperation from other countries and 
industry in our fight against terrorist networks.  So while some have 
moved on from the debates over our surveillance programs, I haven't.  As
 promised, our intelligence agencies have worked hard, with the 
recommendations of privacy advocates, to increase transparency and build
 more safeguards against potential abuse.  And next month, we'll issue a
 report on how we're keeping our promise to keep our country safe while 
strengthening privacy.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Looking
 to the future instead of the past.  Making sure we match our power with
 diplomacy, and use force wisely.  Building coalitions to meet new 
challenges and opportunities.  Leading -- always -- with the example of 
our values.  That's what makes us exceptional.  That's what keeps us 
strong.  And that's why we must keep striving to hold ourselves to the 
highest of standards -- our own.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
You
 know, just over a decade ago, I gave a speech in Boston where I said 
there wasn't a liberal America, or a conservative America; a black 
America or a white America -- but a United States of America.  I said 
this because I had seen it in my own life, in a nation that gave someone
 like me a chance; because I grew up in Hawaii, a melting pot of races 
and customs; because I made Illinois my home -- a state of small towns, 
rich farmland, and one of the world's great cities; a microcosm of the 
country where Democrats and Republicans and Independents, good people of
 every ethnicity and every faith, share certain bedrock values.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Over
 the past six years, the pundits have pointed out more than once that my
 presidency hasn't delivered on this vision.  How ironic, they say, that
 our politics seems more divided than ever.  It's held up as proof not 
just of my own flaws -- of which there are many -- but also as proof 
that the vision itself is misguided, and naïve, and that there are too 
many people in this town who actually benefit from partisanship and 
gridlock for us to ever do anything about it.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I know how tempting such cynicism may be.  But I still think the cynics are wrong.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 still believe that we are one people.  I still believe that together, 
we can do great things, even when the odds are long.  I believe this 
because over and over in my six years in office, I have seen America at 
its best.  I've seen the hopeful faces of young graduates from New York 
to California; and our newest officers at West Point, Annapolis, 
Colorado Springs, and New London.  I've mourned with grieving families 
in Tucson and Newtown; in Boston, West, Texas, and West Virginia.  I've 
watched Americans beat back adversity from the Gulf Coast to the Great 
Plains; from Midwest assembly lines to the Mid-Atlantic seaboard.  I've 
seen something like gay marriage go from a wedge issue used to drive us 
apart to a story of freedom across our country, a civil right now legal 
in states that seven in ten Americans call home. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
So
 I know the good, and optimistic, and big-hearted generosity of the 
American people who, every day, live the idea that we are our brother's 
keeper, and our sister's keeper.  And I know they expect those of us who
 serve here to set a better example. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
So
 the question for those of us here tonight is how we, all of us, can 
better reflect America's hopes.  I've served in Congress with many of 
you.  I know many of you well.  There are a lot of good people here, on 
both sides of the aisle.  And many of you have told me that this isn't 
what you signed up for -- arguing past each other on cable shows, the 
constant fundraising, always looking over your shoulder at how the base 
will react to every decision.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Imagine if we broke out of these tired old patterns.  Imagine if we did something different.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Understand -- a better politics isn't one where Democrats abandon their agenda or Republicans simply embrace mine. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
A better politics is one where we appeal to each other's basic decency instead of our basest fears. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
A
 better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other; 
where we talk issues, and values, and principles, and facts, rather than
 "gotcha" moments, or trivial gaffes, or fake controversies that have 
nothing to do with people's daily lives. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
A
 better politics is one where we spend less time drowning in dark money 
for ads that pull us into the gutter, and spend more time lifting young 
people up, with a sense of purpose and possibility, and asking them to 
join in the great mission of building America.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
If
 we're going to have arguments, let's have arguments -- but let's make 
them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 still may not agree on a woman's right to choose, but surely we can 
agree it's a good thing that teen pregnancies and abortions are nearing 
all-time lows, and that every woman should have access to the health 
care she needs.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Yes,
 passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see something 
of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that no one 
benefits when a hardworking mom is taken from her child, and that it's 
possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of laws 
and a nation of immigrants.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 may go at it in campaign season, but surely we can agree that the right
 to vote is sacred; that it's being denied to too many; and that, on 
this 50th anniversary of the great march from Selma to Montgomery and 
the passage of the Voting Rights Act, we can come together, Democrats 
and Republicans, to make voting easier for every single American.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
We
 may have different takes on the events of Ferguson and New York.  But 
surely we can understand a father who fears his son can't walk home 
without being harassed.  Surely we can understand the wife who won't 
rest until the police officer she married walks through the front door 
at the end of his shift.  Surely we can agree it's a good thing that for
 the first time in 40 years, the crime rate and the incarceration rate 
have come down together, and use that as a starting point for Democrats 
and Republicans, community leaders and law enforcement, to reform 
America's criminal justice system so that it protects and serves us all.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
That's
 a better politics.  That's how we start rebuilding trust.  That's how 
we move this country forward.  That's what the American people want.  
That's what they deserve.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 have no more campaigns to run.  My only agenda for the next two years 
is the same as the one I've had since the day I swore an oath on the 
steps of this Capitol -- to do what I believe is best for America.  If 
you share the broad vision I outlined tonight, join me in the work at 
hand.  If you disagree with parts of it, I hope you'll at least work 
with me where you do agree.  And I commit to every Republican here 
tonight that I will not only seek out your ideas, I will seek to work 
with you to make this country stronger.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Because
 I want this chamber, this city, to reflect the truth -- that for all 
our blind spots and shortcomings, we are a people with the strength and 
generosity of spirit to bridge divides, to unite in common effort, and 
help our neighbors, whether down the street or on the other side of the 
world.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 want our actions to tell every child, in every neighborhood:  your life
 matters, and we are as committed to improving your life chances as we 
are for our own kids.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 want future generations to know that we are a people who see our 
differences as a great gift, that we are a people who value the dignity 
and worth of every citizen -- man and woman, young and old, black and 
white, Latino and Asian, immigrant and Native American, gay and 
straight, Americans with mental illness or physical disability. </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 want them to grow up in a country that shows the world what we still 
know to be true:  that we are still more than a collection of red states
 and blue states; that we are the United States of America.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
I
 want them to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah can 
sit down and write a letter to her President with a story to sum up 
these past six years: </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
"It
 is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to...we are a 
strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard 
times."</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
My
 fellow Americans, we too are a strong, tight-knit family.  We, too, 
have made it through some hard times.  Fifteen years into this new 
century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun 
again the work of remaking America.  We've laid a new foundation.  A 
brighter future is ours to write.  Let's begin this new chapter -- 
together -- and let's start the work right now.</div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
 </div>
<div class="zn-body__paragraph">
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless this country we love.</div>
</div>
</section></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

State of the Union 2015: Full transcript

Obama: 'Tonight we turn the page' 03:05 There is a ritual on State ...

5:26 AM

Windows 10's new features: Cortana, a 'Spartan' browser, Xbox streaming, and more

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It’s official, folks: Windows 10 is coming to the people. After 
kicking off Windows 10 with a bevy of business-friendly features, 
Microsoft drew back the curtain on the operating system’s new 
consumer-focused features at an event on Wednesday, while simultaneously
 driving home a vision of an operating system designed to deliver a 
singular, cohesive experience across a myriad of device types.<br />

And it'll be <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873214/windows-10-will-be-a-free-upgrade-for-windows-7-and-8-users.html">a free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users</a>, who can snag the operating system for nada in the first year after Windows 10 hits the streets.<br />

After Microsoft operating system chief Terry Myerson announced that 
crucial tidbit, Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore took the stage to run through 
some features coming to Windows 10 Preview that are designed to make 
using the operating system a smoother experience.<br />

First, Belfiore showed off some helpful tweaks to Windows 10 features
 that have already been announced: The Start menu will be able to expand
 to fill the full screen if you desire, for one thing. The Action Center
 (read: Windows 10’s notification center) is receiving improved 
functionality, such as Windows Phone 8.1-esque quick action buttons that
 let you activate features (such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi) with a single 
click. Notifications in the Action Center will be able to be expanded.<br />

More helpfully for everyday workflow, Windows 10 will condense the 
Control Panel and the modern UI PC Settings into a single interface, 
eliminating Windows 8’s maddening insistence on dumping crucial system 
tools into two separate locations.<br />

Microsoft also announced that its Continuum feature,
 which dynamically shifts the Windows 10 interface from the Modern UI to
 the desktop depending on whether you’re using a traditional PC or a 
touchscreen device, will soon appear in Windows 10 Preview builds.<br />

<h2>
Cortana comes to PCs</h2>
<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 cortana weather" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_cortana_weather-100563972-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
Cortana on a Windows 10 PC.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
As anticipated, Microsoft’s Cortana digital assistant will make the 
jump from Windows Phone to Windows 10, assuming control of many of the 
operating system’s search features. Cortana, which will get her own 
place next to the Start button in the desktop taskbar, can perform many 
of the same basic tricks she does in Windows Phone. Cortana can be 
interacted with via text or natural voice queries, just like on mobile 
devices.<br />

Still based off Microsoft’s cloud-based Bing brains, Cortana can 
answer basic queries like “Will I need a coat tomorrow?” or how much it 
costs to attend the University of Washington, as Belfiore showed in live
 demonstrations. But Cortana’s also been tweaked for more useful PC-like
 interactions. She can scour your local machine, OneDrive account, and 
even your business network to find files based on natural language 
queries. Belfiore showed off the capabilities by asking Cortana to “Find
 PowerPoint slides about the charity auction” and “Show me photos from 
December.” The digital assistant surfaced the desired information nearly
 instantly.<br />

That sounds pretty darn handy, and there are more playful commands, 
too: Telling Cortana to “Play my music” launches the music app, while 
asking her to “Please be quiet” silences the music. Nice!<br />

<h2>
Windows 10 for phones and universal apps</h2>
Belfiore then veered off to show Windows 10 on phones and tablets, 
including a brief demo of mobile, touch-friendly Office apps. Windows 10
 for phones will basically act like an extension of your PC, featuring <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2138625/microsoft-introduces-universal-apps-that-scale-across-phones-tablets-and-pcs.html">universal Windows apps</a>
 that share the same central heart and design as their PC counterparts, 
as well as newly universal notifications that synchronize across Windows
 10 devices.<br />

Windows 10 phones and small-screen tablets will include a free copy 
of Office. For a quick look at the universal Office apps, be sure to 
check out our article on Windows 10 for phones and tablets.<br />

After the mobile talk, Belfiore showcased a rebuilt version of 
Outlook designed for PCs, tablets, and phones alike as a universal 
Windows app. Strongly resembling the Mail app in Windows 8—at least 
aesthetically—the universal Outlook map will sport a unified look across
 device types, packing touch-friendly commands such as swiping left on a
 message to remove it, or swiping right to flag it for later follow up.<br />

Since many of Microsoft’s apps—including Outlook—have their heads in 
the cloud, changes you make to a universal app on one device will be 
immediately reflected on other devices, as Belfiore demoed by actively 
editing Calendar app entries simultaneously on a PC and a phone.<br />

Microsoft’s bringing the same cloud-centric, universal app 
experiences to its core Windows apps as well, all powered by OneDrive on
 the backend. The Photos app will create albums from all your devices, 
intelligently removing duplicates and burst photos. A revamped universal
 People app will collate your contacts, while the Music app is also 
receiving a universal overhaul. As rumored, Microsoft will add support 
for you to put your music collection in OneDrive within the next month 
or two, so you can listen to your tunes anywhere. Maps will also be 
receiving Cortana integration, and she'll be able to remember where you 
parked your car.<br />

<h2>
This is Spartan</h2>
Also new to Windows 10 is Spartan: A new, clean-looking, lightweight 
browser built around a new rendering engine. It won’t be available in 
the first Windows Insider builds, and it will only come to phones 
eventually, Belfiore said.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 project sparta markup web" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_project_sparta_markup_web-100563996-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
The Spartan browser's annotation capabilities.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
The Spartan browser includes a note-taking mode that lets you 
annotate a webpage, then share your marked-up, commented-on version with
 others using Windows 10’s native Share feature. There’s also a clipping
 tool so you can save portions of websites directly to OneNote.<br />

Spartan also doubles down on the mere act of <em>reading on the Internet</em>.
 The browser integrates an updated version of the stellar Reading Mode 
found in Windows 8’s Metro Internet Explorer app. Reading Mode strips 
all the ads and sidebar crud out of webpages, formatting articles so 
that they appear similar to a book. It’s a wonderful thing. Spartan also
 taps into the Windows Reading List app, so you can save articles to 
read later, synchronizing the list across multiple devices. Unlike the 
Reading List app in Windows 8, the one in Windows 10 will let you save 
content to read offline.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 project sparta cortana" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_project_sparta_cortana-100563995-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
Cortana surfacing restaurant info in the Spartan browser.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
Cortana is also being integrated directly into Spartan. "Because she 
knows you, she can help in more nuanced ways,” Belfiore said, showing an
 example where searching for “Delta” in his address bar popped up 
information for the Delta flight Belfiore was scheduled to take later. 
Cortana will also pop up when you visit a restaurant’s website, 
surfacing directions as well as information about the restaurant’s menu,
 hours of operating, and Yelp reviews.<br />

<h2>
Improving PC games with Xbox</h2>
<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 xbox video" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_xbox_video-100564013-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
The Windows 10 Xbox app.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
Microsoft’s also bolstering Windows 10’s gaming chops
 by deeply integrating Xbox capabilities into the operating system. A 
new Xbox app essentially looks like a more fully fleshed-out version of 
SmartGlass, letting you chat with your Xbox Live pals, view your 
achievement information, or access game DVR clips. The app also lets you
 like, share, and comment on game clips.<br />

But Windows 10’s new gaming chops is about more than merely expanding
 Xbox’s footprint. While you’re playing traditional PC games, be it in 
Steam or otherwise, a new <em>Windows key + G</em> keyboard shortcut 
brings up an interface for saving snapshots and 30 second video clips of
 your adventures, which then brings you into the Xbox app to share it. 
Games don’t directly have to support the functionality as it’s being 
overlaid directly by Microsoft in Windows 10.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="windows 10 steam" height="325" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/windows_10_steam-100564014-large.png" width="580" /> <figcaption>
Windows 10's new screenshot- and video-capturing tools will work with any PC game, including Steam games.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
As previously announced, the performance-enhancing DirectX 12 gaming API
 is also coming to Windows 10. Xbox head Phil Spencer claims that the 
API can deliver up to a 50 percent performance improvement in games.<br />

Microsoft also wants to enable more gaming experiences regardless of the device you’re using. <em>Fable Legends</em>
 players on Windows 10 and Xbox One will be able to play with each 
other, and you’ll be able to stream your Xbox One games directly to any 
Windows 10 device, though it sounds like it will be limited to local 
networks only, similarly to Steam in-home streaming.<br />

<h2>
Surface hub and Windows Holographic</h2>
<figure class="large "><img alt="surfacehub" height="375" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/surfacehub-100564009-large.jpg" width="580" /> <figcaption>
The Surface Hub.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
This has nothing to do with Windows, but it's a major—and 
unexpected—hardware announcement from Microsoft: The company's rolling 
out the Surface Hub, an 84-inch, 4K, touch-enabled display for office 
collaboration. You can <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2873292/microsoft-reveals-surface-hub-an-84-inch-4k-touchscreen-for-office-collaboration.html">read the full details here</a>.<br />

<figure class="large "><img alt="microsoft windows 10 holographic" height="387" src="https://cms-images.idgesg.net/images/article/2015/01/microsoft_windows_10_holographic-100564051-large.png" width="580" /> <small class="credit">Image: Microsoft</small> <figcaption>
Windows Holographic will build 3D imaging into Windows 10, which can be experienced using the HoloLens headset.<br />

</figcaption></figure>
And the Surface Hub isn't even the craziest hardware announced by 
Microsoft today. That honor goes to Windows Holographic, a set of 
technologies—a headset, new Windows 10 technology, and a HoloStudio dev 
app—that brings some insanely intense augmented reality capabilities to 
Windows. You'll definitely want to check this out.<br />

<h2>
When can you get it?</h2>
Myerson also revealed some stats from the Windows 10 Technical 
Preview. Thus far, more than 1.7 million people have registered for the 
Windows Insider program, and they’ve installed Windows 10 on more than 3
 million different PCs.<br />

A fresh Windows 10 Preview build containing the newly announced 
features will hit PCs next week, with a Windows 10 build for phones 
becoming available after the Super Bowl. Here's <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/2690339/how-to-install-the-windows-10-technical-preview-everything-you-need-to-know.html">how to get started with the Windows 10 Preview</a>.<br />

</section></div>

Windows 10's new features: Cortana, a 'Spartan' browser, Xbox streaming, and more

It’s official, folks: Windows 10 is coming to the people. After kicking off Windows 10 with a bevy of business-friendly features, Micr...

5:20 AM

Christmas - A King Is Born

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<div id="article-content" style="text-align: justify;">
    <div style="text-align: justify;">
A King Is Born</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqshEorylGiQBZB8FCGIck0HUxYxMBffRQkSeb4DR8EM8EHKAq" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" class="rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqshEorylGiQBZB8FCGIck0HUxYxMBffRQkSeb4DR8EM8EHKAq" data-sz="f" height="398" name="FPtv1DPHyy-CxM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqshEorylGiQBZB8FCGIck0HUxYxMBffRQkSeb4DR8EM8EHKAq" style="margin-top: -11px;" width="400" /></a>Praise God! Another opportunity to celebrate
 the wisdom of God again: the birth of the Saviour of the world. Christ 
is the wisdom and power of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Then the 
angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good 
tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to 
you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And
 suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host 
praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth 
peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:10-11, 13-14 NKJV)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A king is 
born (Matthew 2:2), not just a king but also a king-maker. Jesus made us
 kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth." 
(Revelation 5:10). He is the king of kings.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jesus Christ was born 
not only to save us, but also to make us reign on Earth as kings and to 
stand in the office of the priests, interceding for men.. What an 
honour! What a privilege! Our celebration knows no bound. The Lord's 
birth connotes victory on every side.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The season calls for praises
 and dances, singing with instruments making joyful songs unto God. No 
wonder the three wise men brought gifts to the baby, worshipping Him 
(Matthew 2:11) and the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God 
(Luke 2:20). A king is born!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, know that you are a king and a 
priest unto God because of Jesus Christ. Think it, talk it and act it, 
because as He is so are you on earth ( 1 John 4:17).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The birth of 
Jesus is the birth of your victory over all assaults of the enemy. The 
celebration of Christ's birth is the celebration of the birth of your 
victory, and the end of defeats in your life. Praise God, you reign over
 challenges! Hallelujah!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Furthermore, the birth of Christ calls 
for the priest in you. God is looking for who to stand in the gap that 
men may be saved and not be consumed. He has found you and I worthy to 
stand in that gap and intercede, just like our saviour is still 
interceding for us in heaven (Hebrews 7:25). When you pray things 
happen, the enemy is pushed further away and the will of God prevails. 
And when you don't pray, you give the enemy an upper hand. That will not
 be the case again in Jesus name.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You are a king and a priest, and
 you reign on earth. Arise and take your place, for victory is yours. A 
king is born that you may reign too. Praise God! Praise Jesus!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Compliments of the season.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Grace and peace of God be unto you.</div>
</div>
<div id="article-resource" style="text-align: justify;">
    Ngozi Nwoke is a teacher, speaker and a counselor. She has a 
passion to teach people how to enjoy peace, God's love and christian 
living for more fulfilling life. Want more fulfilling life? Subscribe 
for free email updates today. <a href="http://stepswithgod.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://stepswithgod.com</a><br />
   </div>
<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: justify;">
<br />

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8858252</div>
</div>

Christmas - A King Is Born

A King Is Born Praise God! Another opportunity to celebrate the wisdom of God again: the birth of the Saviour of the world. Christ...

8:38 PM

The Little Things: What Was Your Life Made of This Year?

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"I'm not sure why, but when a person expects something to last 
forever, they don't notice the little things. It's only when the clock 
is ticking all those little things add up and become bigger." Shannon 
Wiersbitzky, What Flowers Remember</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a 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8T5Bd/wFyO49wOyCXuADK2pALiAALMPb5lduyupnPETaiB0h5RiWMvPkL3Xkc8z5Lft6HFyZSIiGrwEcBb08kUYJkkjYBa5e9rQL+ZSqatp5XYxTwyOtfFkrHut32BVOrfNLV4CjgL1OEL20v3dq83ae16SlIbVVMEDiLhskjWOI77FRsymOZjwELyT082SCR8YzQ20ZIR6HFC663/E/6T5lWVW8yve5ro+DE0fQI8w4+JJv7WXsUG9hwYBUUjXyj645OGx37JBt7lVfdTkvXt6LhmM6vNj1XJvyuXYu9OmkdhVwuprnSRruNGP8VgCPZd5sraFPVMzpZo5m9pjcHWPcR2L5fDlsUdbJC8SQyPieOT43FjvcLPy/+dWfek4sr6qf6n1QIVmIVSGyN7ldCwMnjhqrH53XikI7iW6E+Nl01JvnpjYTUc7O8xvjlAPkbLDb0nNX+lZ5Yn4lZghTBCFymyd5Gy6jT4kQO/LUgwX8nHqn3XVU9SyRofG9sjDyexwe0+RCottJy0Y5mbMxCF88785GfpctaLFlFTNk59Z93uv+65o9F9EBy4Xevtqi/RlbTyTwGpfDjDEHMkmzyB0aNRy5q/0vNFeSMjVdom0Pm9QsSoXvsz0f0RUcBtVwX/DvLgybTF5Di0ga3OoI9FdO67p5s+n2ZTUlZOYZ6cTh2cchaWmZ7m4uAIPVcNFScGjW99j7XumZKnk4fJXLS7i0Q+jKjelsdg0qHyHujp5iT6loH3VY73enFNtRlNDSxyhtPK+QyyWZnk22IYLn1NvJcDklVDur6hccfpK0ntspm/4aqtr+ju/+uV7b86OMgd9pf/aqUp9E8tdcEggaEGxHqreWnek1cVnJfZlkL5E+Pl0/Gl0OQ/Efo7vGuhXsUnTfacQa2OvqQ1l8Q54l5ntzBv6rBPouT7TCza/l3X9IyH/lUlv+9jJ/yiP4FUsQu06adOJtp0tJBVRs41NK9/xDDjxg5pFjHawPy8j2clxa2enravHEW+XF81c+9Wk+K2DsTaLGEcCGmD2/q4p4Wg69ozZGPVUwrKZ0xpJOjLtlTvk+Mju2Boje4EMnEkd38gLdXn2KtSo9NFoiazHxMl/y+j933TOlj2Ls99fVRQvYySmAc7rvbC8sbZo1PVDLmy29pb1tkwgYTSVBP0wRPNvEl+I+6+bIX2CyMpVc+irNpmZdd4/D3d4234tpbRlq4Y3xskjhZjJjmSxuORsSOQC5cjt77psutz2rC3Vutda9YyFczp9M/qlpN2h1w06i57beicHgWtpbUW0sVqM5LK66w098oJudT3nUobOWkOb1XNN2uBsWnvBHJIuoumGy3W7Rma/iNlkEmWXEEjw/Lvyve6TNVPe4vke573G7nucXOcfEnUpKhRFYj7E2mfuz4h7z7qUtClBt0XSb+KMvFA66m6TklNdqmjcupySAfFHqg2M16WyekVXRgikqZYGuN3NY7qk9+JuL+Nl4vqstVzalbRlo11Fpj4dHU9M9pSsdHJXVDmOaWubmG5NPMHEBeCTzHfdKR6qKcdKfTER+kze0/MtayCNSPFZ263qj6vVdOWyDb0Rkl3U3UoZ3WE2o8tUXWLjoUCraX8bJkOmvgsAerbtWbTooDc1GaxyUZKRLtUtw1CyLlhZA1YOZohQUBG7RZXWGIWSAJWIGllkhBDSbKboQgm6LqEIJUIQgEIQgixU4lZXQgxwUCId6zui6ADQjRCi6DJCxQgyusXPshRZBg063U21uFkhQC5QhCkCLIUoIshCEAhCEAhCEAhCEAhCEAhCEAhCEAhCEAhCEAoQhBkoQhBKFCEEoUIQSoQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIQhAIUIQCEIQCEIQCEIQShCEAhCEAhCEAhCEApQhBCEIQCEIQCEIQCEIQCEIQCEIQCEIQCEIQCFCEEqEIQCEIQCEIQCEIQf/2Q==" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="400" /></a>As the year winds down I am so 
acutely aware of each minute that ticks by. I take stock of what the 
aging year has produced and what hope the New Year holds. I think about 
what I've learned, hoping that I have learned a lot of things. I think 
about how much better off I am now than one year ago and I don't mean in
 terms of money. What I truly mean is in terms of personal growth and 
life experiences, which to me is so much more than money. It's the 
little moments of my life this year that I hope made the biggest impact 
on my soul and then I think if I can remember all of those little 
moments maybe they were the big things after all.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Life is not 
made up of minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, or years, but of 
moments. You must experience each one before you can appreciate it." 
Sarah Ban Breathnach</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the spirit of honoring the year as it 
takes its final bow out of time I would like to leave you with a few of 
the moments/memories that have left an imprint on my soul. A trusted 
colleague calls this his annual review. It's made up of the very 
personal good and bad moments that made this year stand tall.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Perhaps
 you have had similar experiences but never thought to really pay them 
much heed or perhaps you will take these shared moments and watch for 
them in the new year or perhaps we are all on the same journey through 
time sharing similar experiences in our own unique perspective. 
Whichever way you honor the good and the bad of your life moments I hope
 you are better for them.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The most recent life moment I absolutely
 honor with grace and awe is the time spent celebrating my daughter's 
birthday. It wasn't a milestone birthday but it was a celebration of her
 birth nonetheless and that in itself deserves to make the list of 
little things.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"So much of life is in the smallness of moments... 
but they are harder to mark. So we need the grander celebrations and 
occasions. People like to feel significant." Ally Condie, Atlantia</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Glancing over at the large picture window in my office and stopping everything to go sit in the sunshine streaming through.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"As
 the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the 
common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we 
should be particularly grateful. Just plain food that gives us strength;
 the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is 
warm." Laura Ingalls Wilder, Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls 
Wilder - Volume One: On Wisdom and Virtues</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Meeting new people and realizing that their impact on my life, be it good or bad, changed me for the better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"That's the ideal meeting... once upon a time, only once, unexpectedly, then never again." Helen Oyeyemi</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Seeing a hummingbird for the first time in my life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Some
 of my old memories feel trapped in amber in my brain, lucid and 
burning, while others are like the wing beat of a hummingbird, an 
intangible, ephemeral blur." Mira Bartok, The Memory Palace</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Silently
 celebrating the day after the first day of winter because for the next 
182 days we add one minute of daylight and hope blooms eternal.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"I
 find it inspiring to actively choose which traditions to celebrate and 
also come up with new ideas for traditions of my own." Sara Sheridan</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sitting
 at my favorite coffee shop enjoying the smell while sipping my green 
tea and writing. I am not a coffee drinker at all but I love a good, 
old-fashioned, wrap me in warmth coffee shop.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"A smoke, a book, a 
cup of coffee. These are the little things that get us through this 
sometimes weary world and all the rainy days." R.M. Engelhardt, The 
Resurrection Waltz Poems</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Window shopping in the winter and seeing 
all the beautiful colors of the flowers in the flower shop on the most 
gray, snowy day of the season.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Somehow, those cold, lifeless 
winter months had prepared the land for something breathtaking. 
Something beautiful. Something brimming with life." Katie Ganshert, 
Wildflowers from Winter</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Laughing so hard when I'm supposed to be 
as quiet as a mouse. Whether it be at my job at the library as an adult 
or a teenager sitting in my English class I find that those quiet 
moments are the ones that really spark my uncontrollable laughter.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." Victor Borge</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Hearing the perfect song at a time of day when I needed it most.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Songs
 remain. They last. The right song can turn an emperor into a 
laughing-stock, can bring down dynasties. A song can last long after the
 events and the people in it are dust and dreams are gone. That's the 
power of songs." - Neil Gaiman, Anansi Boys</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Raising my level of gratitude so much higher than I ever imagined it could go but battling still with moments of unhappiness.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
"Let
 gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly 
prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and 
welcome good." Maya Angelou, Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer</div>
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Understanding
 the lessons in why it's important to make quality decisions but not yet
 feeling able to make important decisions in my own life.</div>
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"The 
problem, simply put, is that we cannot choose everything simultaneously.
 So we live in danger of becoming paralyzed by indecision, terrified 
that every choice might be the wrong choice." Elizabeth Gilbert, 
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage</div>
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Continuing to worry about the same problems year after year and finding it so hard to let it go or finding a solution.</div>
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"Who
 of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Therefore do not 
worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has
 enough trouble of its own." - Matthew 6:25-34 Anonymous, Holy Bible: 
King James Version</div>
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Thank you for your indulgence with my annual 
review of the little things. I hope it sparked something inside of you 
to help you take stock of your life this year and highlight what you 
want to work on and grow in the New Year.</div>
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Call to Action</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
How
 possible is it to mine each new day of the new year for little life 
moments, for the little things that flavor life with its sweetness? That
 is the call to action for you. Find the little things in each new day 
of the New Year and see how it changes you for the better.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What went well this year?</div>
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What did not go well this year?</div>
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Where does growth reside for you in the New Year?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What little things became the big thing after all?</div>
</div>
<div id="article-resource" style="text-align: justify;">
    Lisa Zaccagnini: Founder of Journey On Coaching</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/8858174</div>
</div>

The Little Things: What Was Your Life Made of This Year?

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