January 13, 2016

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Hope and Change in Obama's Final State of the Union

Sounding more like the candidate of hope and change, U.S. President Barack Obama looked past members of Congress and delivered his final State of the Union message straight to the American people. “I want to focus on the future,” the president opened his speech to a packed chamber in the House of Representatives. He added, “America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights.  Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control.  And each time, we overcame those fears.” With the first contest of the 2016 campaign a mere three weeks away in Iowa, Obama repeatedly addressed the harsh tone of the political debate. He said that, “talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air.” And “when politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer.” The president declared that, “democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens.  It doesn’t work if we think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic.” “It will only happen if we fix our politics,” he said. During an appearance on the “Today” show before the speech, the president expressed “regret” on his inability to change the tone of partisan politics. In a rare moment of reflection, he added, “Things that I’ve done well during the campaign I've not always done well as president. In the hour-long speech, Obama recited the accomplishments of his last seven years in office, from the affordable care act to education reform, from climate change to job creation, and from an agreement to contain nuclear Iran to efforts to contain the Islamic State. Despite the president’s attempts to present his vision of a bright future for America, many Americans are not convinced. A CBS/New York Times poll released earlier in the day shows that Americans are equally divided on Obama’s performance as president. Forty-six percent of Americans approve and 47 percent disapprove. More importantly, a public opinion poll taken last month for NBC/Wall Street Journal shows that seven out of 10 Americans believe that the country is heading “off on the wrong track.” Republican response South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley delivered the official Republican Party response following the speech from Obama. She said, “The President’s record has often fallen far short of his soaring words.” “As he enters his final year in office, many Americans are still feeling the squeeze of an economy too weak to raise income levels.” Haley added, “Even worse, we are facing the most dangerous terrorist threat our nation has seen since September 11th, and this president appears either unwilling or unable to deal with it.” A daughter of Indian immigrants, Haley agreed with Obama on his call for civility in the immigration debate. She said, "During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation. No one who is willing to work hard, abide by our laws and love our traditions should ever feel unwelcome."                                 Among those in attendance as guests of the first lady were a gay rights activist and a Syrian refugee. And there was an empty chair for the victims of gun violence. I’m Jim Tedder.   Hai Do wrote this story for Learning English. Jim Tedder was the editor.

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Remarks of President Barack Obama – State of the Union Address 2016

Remarks of President Barack Obama – As Prepared for Delivery State of the Union Address     Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, Members of Congress, my fellow Americans:   Tonight marks the eighth year I’ve come here to report on the State of the Union.  And for this final one, I’m going to try to make it shorter.  I know some of you are antsy to get back to Iowa.    I also understand that because it’s an election season, expectations for what we’ll achieve this year are low.  Still, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the constructive approach you and the other leaders took at the end of last year to pass a budget and make tax cuts permanent for working families.  So I hope we can work together this year on bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform, and helping people who are battling prescription drug abuse. We just might surprise the cynics again.   But tonight, I want to go easy on the traditional list of proposals for the year ahead.  Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty, from helping students learn to write computer code to personalizing medical treatments for patients.  And I’ll keep pushing for progress on the work that still needs doing.  Fixing a broken immigration system.  Protecting our kids from gun violence.  Equal pay for equal work, paid leave, raising the minimum wage.  All these things still matter to hardworking families; they are still the right thing to do; and I will not let up until they get done.   But for my final address to this chamber, I don’t want to talk just about the next year.  I want to focus on the next five years, ten years, and beyond.   I want to focus on our future.   We live in a time of extraordinary change – change that’s reshaping the way we live, the way we work, our planet and our place in the world.  It’s change that promises amazing medical breakthroughs, but also economic disruptions that strain working families.  It promises education for girls in the most remote villages, but also connects terrorists plotting an ocean away.  It’s change that can broaden opportunity, or widen inequality.  And whether we like it or not, the pace of this change will only accelerate.   America has been through big changes before – wars and depression, the influx of immigrants, workers fighting for a fair deal, and movements to expand civil rights.  Each time, there have been those who told us to fear the future; who claimed we could slam the brakes on change, promising to restore past glory if we just got some group or idea that was threatening America under control.  And each time, we overcame those fears.  We did not, in the words of Lincoln, adhere to the “dogmas of the quiet past.”  Instead we thought anew, and acted anew.  We made change work for us, always extending America’s promise outward, to the next frontier, to more and more people.  And because we did – because we saw opportunity where others saw only peril – we emerged stronger and better than before.   What was true then can be true now.  Our unique strengths as a nation – our optimism and work ethic, our spirit of discovery and innovation, our diversity and commitment to the rule of law – these things give us everything we need to ensure prosperity and security for generations to come.    In fact, it’s that spirit that made the progress of these past seven years possible.  It’s how we recovered from the worst economic crisis in generations.  It’s how we reformed our health care system, and reinvented our energy sector; how we delivered more care and benefits to our troops and veterans, and how we secured the freedom in every state to marry the person we love.   But such progress is not inevitable.  It is the result of choices we make together.  And we face such choices right now.  Will we respond to the changes of our time with fear, turning inward as a nation, and turning against each other as a people?  Or will we face the future with confidence in who we are, what we stand for, and the incredible things we can do together?   So let’s talk about the future, and four big questions that we as a country have to answer – regardless of who the next President is, or who controls the next Congress.    First, how do we give everyone a fair shot at opportunity and security in this new economy?   Second, how do we make technology work for us, and not against us – especially when it comes to solving urgent challenges like climate change?   Third, how do we keep America safe and lead the world without becoming its policeman?   And finally, how can we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?   Let me start with the economy, and a basic fact: the United States of America, right now, has the strongest, most durable economy in the world.  We’re in the middle of the longest streak of private-sector job creation in history.  More than 14 million new jobs; the strongest two years of job growth since the ‘90s; an unemployment rate cut in half.  Our auto industry just had its best year ever.  Manufacturing has created nearly 900,000 new jobs in the past six years.  And we’ve done all this while cutting our deficits by almost three-quarters.   Anyone claiming that America’s economy is in decline is peddling fiction.  What is true – and the reason that a lot of Americans feel anxious – is that the economy has been changing in profound ways, changes that started long before the Great Recession hit and haven’t let up.  Today, technology doesn’t just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated.  Companies in a global economy can locate anywhere, and face tougher competition.  As a result, workers have less leverage for a raise.  Companies have less loyalty to their communities.  And more and more wealth and income is concentrated at the very top.   All these trends have squeezed workers, even when they have jobs; even when the economy is growing.  It’s made it harder for a hardworking family to pull itself out of poverty, harder for young people to start on their careers, and tougher for workers to retire when they want to.  And although none of these trends are unique to America, they do offend our uniquely American belief that everybody who works hard should get a fair shot.   For the past seven years, our goal has been a growing economy that works better for everybody.  We’ve made progress.  But we need to make more.  And despite all the political arguments we’ve had these past few years, there are some areas where Americans broadly agree.   We agree that real opportunity requires every American to get the education and training they need to land a good-paying job.  The bipartisan reform of No Child Left Behind was an important start, and together, we’ve increased early childhood education, lifted high school graduation rates to new highs, and boosted graduates in fields like engineering.  In the coming years, we should build on that progress, by providing Pre-K for all, offering every student the hands-on computer science and math classes that make them job-ready on day one, and we should recruit and support more great teachers for our kids.   And we have to make college affordable for every American.  Because no hardworking student should be stuck in the red.  We’ve already reduced student loan payments to ten percent of a borrower’s income.  Now, we’ve actually got to cut the cost of college.  Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that, and I’m going to keep fighting to get that started this year.   Of course, a great education isn’t all we need in this new economy.  We also need benefits and protections that provide a basic measure of security.  After all, it’s not much of a stretch to say that some of the only people in America who are going to work the same job, in the same place, with a health and retirement package, for 30 years, are sitting in this chamber.  For everyone else, especially folks in their forties and fifties, saving for retirement or bouncing back from job loss has gotten a lot tougher.  Americans understand that at some point in their careers, they may have to retool and retrain.  But they shouldn’t lose what they’ve already worked so hard to build.    That’s why Social Security and Medicare are more important than ever; we shouldn’t weaken them, we should strengthen them.  And for Americans short of retirement, basic benefits should be just as mobile as everything else is today.  That’s what the Affordable Care Act is all about.  It’s about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we’ll still have coverage.  Nearly eighteen million have gained coverage so far.  Health care inflation has slowed.  And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it became law.   Now, I’m guessing we won’t agree on health care anytime soon.  But there should be other ways both parties can improve economic security.  Say a hardworking American loses his job – we shouldn’t just make sure he can get unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that’s ready to hire him.  If that new job doesn’t pay as much, there should be a system of wage insurance in place so that he can still pay his bills.  And even if he’s going from job to job, he should still be able to save for retirement and take his savings with him.  That’s the way we make the new economy work better for everyone.   I also know Speaker Ryan has talked about his interest in tackling poverty.  America is about giving everybody willing to work a hand up, and I’d welcome a serious discussion about strategies we can all support, like expanding tax cuts for low-income workers without kids.   But there are other areas where it’s been more difficult to find agreement over the last seven years – namely what role the government should play in making sure the system’s not rigged in favor of the wealthiest and biggest corporations.  And here, the American people have a choice to make.   I believe a thriving private sector is the lifeblood of our economy.  I think there are outdated regulations that need to be changed, and there’s red tape that needs to be cut.  But after years of record corporate profits, working families won’t get more opportunity or bigger paychecks by letting big banks or big oil or hedge funds make their own rules at the expense of everyone else; or by allowing attacks on collective bargaining to go unanswered.  Food Stamp recipients didn’t cause the financial crisis; recklessness on Wall Street did.  Immigrants aren’t the reason wages haven’t gone up enough; those decisions are made in the boardrooms that too often put quarterly earnings over long-term returns.  It’s sure not the average family watching tonight that avoids paying taxes through offshore accounts.  In this new economy, workers and start-ups and small businesses need more of a voice, not less.  The rules should work for them.  And this year I plan to lift up the many businesses who’ve figured out that doing right by their workers ends up being good for their shareholders, their customers, and their communities, so that we can spread those best practices across America.   In fact, many of our best corporate citizens are also our most creative.  This brings me to the second big question we have to answer as a country:  how do we reignite that spirit of innovation to meet our biggest challenges?   Sixty years ago, when the Russians beat us into space, we didn’t deny Sputnik was up there.  We didn’t argue about the science, or shrink our research and development budget.  We built a space program almost overnight, and twelve years later, we were walking on the moon.    That spirit of discovery is in our DNA.  We’re Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers and George Washington Carver.  We’re Grace Hopper and Katherine Johnson and Sally Ride.  We’re every immigrant and entrepreneur from Boston to Austin to Silicon Valley racing to shape a better world.  And over the past seven years, we’ve nurtured that spirit.    We’ve protected an open internet, and taken bold new steps to get more students and low-income Americans online.  We’ve launched next-generation manufacturing hubs, and online tools that give an entrepreneur everything he or she needs to start a business in a single day.    But we can do so much more.  Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer.  Last month, he worked with this Congress to give scientists at the National Institutes of Health the strongest resources they’ve had in over a decade.  Tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done.  And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control.  For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.   Medical research is critical.  We need the same level of commitment when it comes to developing clean energy sources.   Look, if anybody still wants to dispute the science around climate change, have at it.  You’ll be pretty lonely, because you’ll be debating our military, most of America’s business leaders, the majority of the American people, almost the entire scientific community, and 200 nations around the world who agree it’s a problem and intend to solve it.    But even if the planet wasn’t at stake; even if 2014 wasn’t the warmest year on record – until 2015 turned out even hotter – why would we want to pass up the chance for American businesses to produce and sell the energy of the future?   Seven years ago, we made the single biggest investment in clean energy in our history.  Here are the results.  In fields from Iowa to Texas, wind power is now cheaper than dirtier, conventional power.  On rooftops from Arizona to New York, solar is saving Americans tens of millions of dollars a year on their energy bills, and employs more Americans than coal – in jobs that pay better than average.  We’re taking steps to give homeowners the freedom to generate and store their own energy – something environmentalists and Tea Partiers have teamed up to support.  Meanwhile, we’ve cut our imports of foreign oil by nearly sixty percent, and cut carbon pollution more than any other country on Earth.    Gas under two bucks a gallon ain’t bad, either.   Now we’ve got to accelerate the transition away from dirty energy.  Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future – especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels.  That’s why I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.  That way, we put money back into those communities and put tens of thousands of Americans to work building a 21st century transportation system.   None of this will happen overnight, and yes, there are plenty of entrenched interests who want to protect the status quo.  But the jobs we’ll create, the money we’ll save, and the planet we’ll preserve – that’s the kind of future our kids and grandkids deserve.   Climate change is just one of many issues where our security is linked to the rest of the world.  And that’s why the third big question we have to answer is how to keep America safe and strong without either isolating ourselves or trying to nation-build everywhere there’s a problem.   I told you earlier all the talk of America’s economic decline is political hot air.  Well, so is all the rhetoric you hear about our enemies getting stronger and America getting weaker.  The United States of America is the most powerful nation on Earth.  Period.  It’s not even close.  We spend more on our military than the next eight nations combined.  Our troops are the finest fighting force in the history of the world.  No nation dares to attack us or our allies because they know that’s the path to ruin.  Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead – they call us.   As someone who begins every day with an intelligence briefing, I know this is a dangerous time. But that’s not because of diminished American strength or some looming superpower.  In today’s world, we’re threatened less by evil empires and more by failing states.  The Middle East is going through a transformation that will play out for a generation, rooted in conflicts that date back millennia.  Economic headwinds blow from a Chinese economy in transition.  Even as their economy contracts, Russia is pouring resources to prop up Ukraine and Syria – states they see slipping away from their orbit.  And the international system we built after World War II is now struggling to keep pace with this new reality.   It’s up to us to help remake that system.  And that means we have to set priorities.   Priority number one is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks.  Both al Qaeda and now ISIL pose a direct threat to our people, because in today’s world, even a handful of terrorists who place no value on human life, including their own, can do a lot of damage.  They use the Internet to poison the minds of individuals inside our country; they undermine our allies.   But as we focus on destroying ISIL, over-the-top claims that this is World War III just play into their hands.  Masses of fighters on the back of pickup trucks and twisted souls plotting in apartments or garages pose an enormous danger to civilians and must be stopped.  But they do not threaten our national existence.  That’s the story ISIL wants to tell; that’s the kind of propaganda they use to recruit.  We don’t need to build them up to show that we’re serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world’s largest religions.  We just need to call them what they are – killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down, and destroyed.   That’s exactly what we are doing.  For more than a year, America has led a coalition of more than 60 countries to cut off ISIL’s financing, disrupt their plots, stop the flow of terrorist fighters, and stamp out their vicious ideology.  With nearly 10,000 air strikes, we are taking out their leadership, their oil, their training camps, and their weapons.  We are training, arming, and supporting forces who are steadily reclaiming territory in Iraq and Syria.    If this Congress is serious about winning this war, and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, you should finally authorize the use of military force against ISIL.  Take a vote.  But the American people should know that with or without Congressional action, ISIL will learn the same lessons as terrorists before them.  If you doubt America’s commitment – or mine – to see that justice is done, ask Osama bin Laden.  Ask the leader of al Qaeda in Yemen, who was taken out last year, or the perpetrator of the Benghazi attacks, who sits in a prison cell.  When you come after Americans, we go after you.  It may take time, but we have long memories, and our reach has no limit.   Our foreign policy must be focused on the threat from ISIL and al Qaeda, but it can’t stop there. For even without ISIL, instability will continue for decades in many parts of the world – in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in parts of Central America, Africa and Asia.  Some of these places may become safe havens for new terrorist networks; others will fall victim to ethnic conflict, or famine, feeding the next wave of refugees.  The world will look to us to help solve these problems, and our answer needs to be more than tough talk or calls to carpet bomb civilians.  That may work as a TV sound bite, but it doesn’t pass muster on the world stage.   We also can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis.  That’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us.  It’s the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq – and we should have learned it by now.    Fortunately, there’s a smarter approach, a patient and disciplined strategy that uses every element of our national power.  It says America will always act, alone if necessary, to protect our people and our allies; but on issues of global concern, we will mobilize the world to work with us, and make sure other countries pull their own weight.      That’s our approach to conflicts like Syria, where we’re partnering with local forces and leading international efforts to help that broken society pursue a lasting peace.   That’s why we built a global coalition, with sanctions and principled diplomacy, to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.  As we speak, Iran has rolled back its nuclear program, shipped out its uranium stockpile, and the world has avoided another war.    That’s how we stopped the spread of Ebola in West Africa.  Our military, our doctors, and our development workers set up the platform that allowed other countries to join us in stamping out that epidemic.    That’s how we forged a Trans-Pacific Partnership to open markets, protect workers and the environment, and advance American leadership in Asia.  It cuts 18,000 taxes on products Made in America, and supports more good jobs.  With TPP, China doesn’t set the rules in that region, we do.  You want to show our strength in this century?  Approve this agreement.  Give us the tools to enforce it.    Fifty years of isolating Cuba had failed to promote democracy, setting us back in Latin America.  That’s why we restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people.  You want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere?  Recognize that the Cold War is over.  Lift the embargo.   American leadership in the 21st century is not a choice between ignoring the rest of the world – except when we kill terrorists; or occupying and rebuilding whatever society is unraveling.  Leadership means a wise application of military power, and rallying the world behind causes that are right.  It means seeing our foreign assistance as part of our national security, not charity.  When we lead nearly 200 nations to the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change – that helps vulnerable countries, but it also protects our children.  When we help Ukraine defend its democracy, or Colombia resolve a decades-long war, that strengthens the international order we depend upon.  When we help African countries feed their people and care for the sick, that prevents the next pandemic from reaching our shores.  Right now, we are on track to end the scourge of HIV/AIDS, and we have the capacity to accomplish the same thing with malaria – something I’ll be pushing this Congress to fund this year.   That’s strength.  That’s leadership.  And that kind of leadership depends on the power of our example.  That is why I will keep working to shut down the prison at Guantanamo:  it’s expensive, it’s unnecessary, and it only serves as a recruitment brochure for our enemies.   That’s why we need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion.  This isn’t a matter of political correctness. It’s a matter of understanding what makes us strong.  The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.  His Holiness, Pope Francis, told this body from the very spot I stand tonight that “to imitate the hatred and violence of tyrants and murderers is the best way to take their place.”  When politicians insult Muslims, when a mosque is vandalized, or a kid bullied, that doesn’t make us safer.  That’s not telling it like it is.  It’s just wrong.  It diminishes us in the eyes of the world.  It makes it harder to achieve our goals.  And it betrays who we are as a country.   “We the People.”  Our Constitution begins with those three simple words, words we’ve come to recognize mean all the people, not just some; words that insist we rise and fall together.  That brings me to the fourth, and maybe the most important thing I want to say tonight.   The future we want – opportunity and security for our families; a rising standard of living and a sustainable, peaceful planet for our kids – all that is within our reach.  But it will only happen if we work together.  It will only happen if we can have rational, constructive debates.   It will only happen if we fix our politics.   A better politics doesn’t mean we have to agree on everything.  This is a big country, with different regions and attitudes and interests.  That’s one of our strengths, too.  Our Founders distributed power between states and branches of government, and expected us to argue, just as they did, over the size and shape of government, over commerce and foreign relations, over the meaning of liberty and the imperatives of security.   But democracy does require basic bonds of trust between its citizens.  It doesn’t work if we think the people who disagree with us are all motivated by malice, or that our political opponents are unpatriotic.  Democracy grinds to a halt without a willingness to compromise; or when even basic facts are contested, and we listen only to those who agree with us.  Our public life withers when only the most extreme voices get attention.  Most of all, democracy breaks down when the average person feels their voice doesn’t matter; that the system is rigged in favor of the rich or the powerful or some narrow interest.   Too many Americans feel that way right now.  It’s one of the few regrets of my presidency – that the rancor and suspicion between the parties has gotten worse instead of better.  There’s no doubt a president with the gifts of Lincoln or Roosevelt might have better bridged the divide, and I guarantee I’ll keep trying to be better so long as I hold this office.   But, my fellow Americans, this cannot be my task – or any President’s – alone.  There are a whole lot of folks in this chamber who would like to see more cooperation, a more elevated debate in Washington, but feel trapped by the demands of getting elected.  I know; you’ve told me.  And if we want a better politics, it’s not enough to just change a Congressman or a Senator or even a President; we have to change the system to reflect our better selves.   We have to end the practice of drawing our congressional districts so that politicians can pick their voters, and not the other way around.  We have to reduce the influence of money in our politics, so that a handful of families and hidden interests can’t bankroll our elections – and if our existing approach to campaign finance can’t pass muster in the courts, we need to work together to find a real solution.  We’ve got to make voting easier, not harder, and modernize it for the way we live now.  And over the course of this year, I intend to travel the country to push for reforms that do.   But I can’t do these things on my own.  Changes in our political process – in not just who gets elected but how they get elected – that will only happen when the American people demand it.  It will depend on you.  That’s what’s meant by a government of, by, and for the people.    What I’m asking for is hard.  It’s easier to be cynical; to accept that change isn’t possible, and politics is hopeless, and to believe that our voices and actions don’t matter.  But if we give up now, then we forsake a better future.  Those with money and power will gain greater control over the decisions that could send a young soldier to war, or allow another economic disaster, or roll back the equal rights and voting rights that generations of Americans have fought, even died, to secure.  As frustration grows, there will be voices urging us to fall back into tribes, to scapegoat fellow citizens who don’t look like us, or pray like us, or vote like we do, or share the same background.   We can’t afford to go down that path.  It won’t deliver the economy we want, or the security we want, but most of all, it contradicts everything that makes us the envy of the world.    So, my fellow Americans, whatever you may believe, whether you prefer one party or no party, our collective future depends on your willingness to uphold your obligations as a citizen.  To vote.  To speak out.  To stand up for others, especially the weak, especially the vulnerable, knowing that each of us is only here because somebody, somewhere, stood up for us.  To stay active in our public life so it reflects the goodness and decency and optimism that I see in the American people every single day.    It won’t be easy.  Our brand of democracy is hard.  But I can promise that a year from now, when I no longer hold this office, I’ll be right there with you as a citizen – inspired by those voices of fairness and vision, of grit and good humor and kindness that have helped America travel so far.  Voices that help us see ourselves not first and foremost as black or white or Asian or Latino, not as gay or straight, immigrant or native born; not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans first, bound by a common creed.  Voices Dr. King believed would have the final word – voices of unarmed truth and unconditional love.    They’re out there, those voices.  They don’t get a lot of attention, nor do they seek it, but they are busy doing the work this country needs doing.   I see them everywhere I travel in this incredible country of ours.  I see you.  I know you’re there.  You’re the reason why I have such incredible confidence in our future.  Because I see your quiet, sturdy citizenship all the time.    I see it in the worker on the assembly line who clocked extra shifts to keep his company open, and the boss who pays him higher wages to keep him on board.   I see it in the Dreamer who stays up late to finish her science project, and the teacher who comes in early because he knows she might someday cure a disease.   I see it in the American who served his time, and dreams of starting over – and the business owner who gives him that second chance.  The protester determined to prove that justice matters, and the young cop walking the beat, treating everybody with respect, doing the brave, quiet work of keeping us safe.   I see it in the soldier who gives almost everything to save his brothers, the nurse who tends to him ‘til he can run a marathon, and the community that lines up to cheer him on.   It’s the son who finds the courage to come out as who he is, and the father whose love for that son overrides everything he’s been taught.   I see it in the elderly woman who will wait in line to cast her vote as long as she has to; the new citizen who casts his for the first time; the volunteers at the polls who believe every vote should count, because each of them in different ways know how much that precious right is worth.   That’s the America I know.  That’s the country we love.   Clear-eyed.  Big-hearted.  Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.  That’s what makes me so hopeful about our future.  Because of you.  I believe in you.  That’s why I stand here confident that the State of our Union is strong.   Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.  

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Manbun Fights With Dadbod For 'Word'

From VOA Learning English, this is the Education Report. Does a manbun look good on top of a dadbod? Or would it be a good hairstyle for an ammosexual? And do you really want your kids to Netflix and chill while you are out? You can answer that question if you learn about the choices for Word of the Year. Choosing a Word of the Year The competition is fierce. Categories include: most useful, most creative, most unnecessary, most outrageous, most euphemistic, most likely to succeed, least likely to succeed, most notable hashtag, and most notable emoji. Last year, the American Dialect Society or ADS included a new category: most notable hashtag. The hashtag #Blacklivesmatter was the ADS Word of the Year for 2014. Hashtags are an important part of modern communication, said Ben Zimmer, linguist and Wall Street Journal writer. Zimmer also heads the ADS committee that chooses words for the Word of the Year vote. “Even though something like #Blacklivesmatter is clearly a few words that are stuck together in the form of a hashtag, it is working as a unit in an interesting way, and it is becoming a kind of a vehicle for expressing political and social ideas,” Zimmer said. Allan Metcalf, presdent of the American Dialect Society, agreed with the new category for emojis .    “Although they are a kind of pictographic language … you read about them, there are articles about them. And it is pointed out that after all, Chinese for example, when written down, is kind of symbolic. It represents not the sounds, but the images. Everyone agrees that Chinese as a written language, is a language, so I think it fits in perfectly well.” Here are the winners in some of the categories. We have left out phrases that include profanity. Go to the ADS site to see the complete list. Most Useful They: Our previous story announced this top winner, which also won in the most useful category. The definition is “gender-neutral singular pronoun for a known person, as a non-binary identifier.” A non-binary identifier is a word that does not show whether an individual is male or female. Many languages have a third-person pronoun that is neutral in this way. English does not. Microaggression was almost a winner. Microaggression means an indirect form of racism or bias. Ammosexual was the winner in the most creative category. It refers to a person who likes guns a great deal. This word was used to talk about the people who want to show their guns by carrying them in public or posting photos of themselves with guns in social media. Manbun was the winner in the most unnecessary category. What is a manbun? It is a man’s long hair pulled up in a bun. Dadbod was a favorite on social media for some time this year. It refers to the overweight body shape of a typical father. Someone joked, “Dadbod is unnecessary because we also have the word, father figure.” (This joke plays with the word “figure” meaning a body shape as well as a role model.) “Netflix and chill” won in the most euphemistic category. This is an invitation to have a sexual encounter. Ghost was the winner in the most likely to succeed category. In this way, it is used as a verb. It means to suddenly end a relationship by cutting off communication, in person or online. Sitbit and hoverboard competed for least likely to succeed. Sitbit is a play on fitbit, a device that measures how much exercise a person does. Sitbit, instead, rewards an inactive lifestyle. Among hashtags, the nominations were: #JeSuisParis: expression of solidarity after the Paris terror attacks #LoveWins: celebration of Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage #SayHerName: call to bring attention to police violence against black women. #StayMadAbby: this makes fun of the plaintiff in a University of Texas affirmative action lawsuit #StayWoke: exhortation to remain vigilant and informed (used by #BlackLivesMatter movement) The winner in this category was #SayHerName. Sonja Lanehart, editor of the The Oxford Handbook of African American Language said this hashtag should be chosen because it is a term that criticizes violence against women. The other new category, MOST Notable Emoji, is new for 2015. The choices were: : heart eyes (romantic, passionate).  : winking face (humorous, flirtatious). : information desk person (sassy, sarcastic). : eggplant (male genitalia, sexual innuendo). : 100 (“keep it 100,” “keep it real”).  The winner in this category is “eggplant” or “purple vegetable.” What’s in a name? Ask Caitlyn The American Name Society chose their Names of the Year from these categories: trade names, place names, personal names, and fictional names. The winners are: Charlie Hebdo, the name of the French satirical weekly magazine that was part of a popular hashtag in support of free speech in France, #jesuischarlie. Terrorists attacked the offices of the magazine in January 2015. Iman Nick, Ph.D., is president of the American Name Society. She said the choice shows “That a single name can be used as a unifying factor for a political movement. In this particular situation, it is a political movement to support freedom of speech and freedom of expression.”     Denali is the winner in the place name category. It is the new official name given to the Alaskan mountain that was called Mount McKinley. Denali is a Native-American name for the mountain.   The three names Rey, Finn and Poe won in the fictional name category. They are three characters from the movie Star Wars. These names will probably become popular baby names, said one society member. Caitlyn Jenner won in the personal name category. The Vogue magazine cover showing transgender Jenner was titled, “Call me Caitlyn.” It shows the power of a person deciding to change their name, commented one member of the society. “What you’ve seen is an individual person who has decided to define the self and doing that in ways that before would have been criminalized,” Nick said. The overall name of the year for 2015 is … Caitlyn Jenner. I’m Jill Robbins. And I'm John Russell. Now it's your turn. What new word became popular in your country in 2015? What do you think of the choices for the English Word of the Year. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. Dr. Jill Robbins wrote this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   emoji -  n. a small digital image or icon used to express an idea, emotion, etc., in electronic communication suffix – n. a letter or a group of letters that is added to the end of a word to change its meaning or to form a different word pictograph – n. a pictorial symbol for a word or phrase. transgender – adj. of or relating to people who have a sexual identity that is not clearly male or clearly female euphemism - n. a mild or pleasant word or phrase that is used instead of one that is unpleasant or offensive father figure – n. an older man who is respected and admired like a father Now it’s your turn. What new word became popular in your country in 2015? What do you think of the choices for the English Word of the Year? Write to us in the Comments section or on our Facebook page. ​

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Iran Holding 2 US Navy Boats in Persian Gulf

[Audio for this story will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience.]   Crew members from two small U.S. Navy boats are being held by Iran. Pentagon officials said Tuesday that Tehran has promised them that the crew and boats will be "promptly" returned. A senior U.S. defense official told VOA Tuesday there are 10 U.S. sailors on the two boats. A U.S. official confirmed there were nine men and one woman. The boats were traveling between Kuwait and Bahrain when the U.S. lost contact with them. CNN reported that one of the boats might have run into mechanical problems.  Washington has been in communication with the Iranians, who have promised to "promptly allow them to continue on their journey," the senior defense official said. A senior administration official says Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by telephone at midday Tuesday with his Iranian counterpart, Mohammed Javad Zarif, shortly after the incident unfolded. U.S. officials said that the incident happened in the Persian Gulf near Farsi Island. The news comes less than a month after U.S. officials accused Iran of launching a rocket test near U.S. boats passing through the Strait of Hormuz.  

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January 12, 2016

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

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Trending Today: White House Joins Snapchat

  This is What’s Trending Today... The White House is officially on Snapchat. The announcement came ahead of President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Followers of the White House Snapchat will get a behind-the-scenes look at the final preparations before Obama’s speech. The White House is also streaming the State of the Union on YouTube and, for the first time, on the Amazon website. The White House said in a blog post that the Snapchat account adds to its social media presence. The blog said it was part of the administration’s strategy of "meeting people where they are" and providing Americans with a "multitude of ways to engage with their government." Snapchat has 100 million daily users. Snapchat also has an official #SOTU -- or "State of the Union" --  live story. Fellow politicians have tweeted about taking part in the live story: ​The White House account’s first Snapchat was a photo of the Oval Office:   ​Over on Twitter, where the hashtag #SOTU trended worldwide ahead of the speech, one user hinted that the White House pets have already made an appearance on Snapchat: Snapchat is a mobile application that permits users to receive photos and videos that disappear after they are viewed. However, the White House’s Snapchats cannot legally disappear. Government rules require presidential administrations to keep official records. That means all White House snaps will be preserved for history. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Ashley Thompson. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   ahead - adj. in or toward the front; before behind-the-scenes - adj. working or happening privately, without being seen by the general public stream - v. to transmit  video and audio material over the Internet multitude - n. a large number hinted - v. suggested pets - n. animals keep around the house for fun or pleasure engage - v. to win and keep the attention of someone or something preserved - v. saved; protected    

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Indonesian Pianist, 12, Wows Jazz World

People who listen to Joey Alexander play the piano say they are listening to the future of jazz. And Joey is only 12 years old. But musicians who work with the 12-year-old are the first to say that age does not matter. The music industry seems to agree. The young pianist earned two Grammy nominations this year, one for “Best Improvised Jazz Solo” and one for “Best Jazz Instrumental Album.” He is one of the youngest musicians ever to earn a Grammy nomination. Jason Olaine produced Joey's debut album titled My Favorite Things. To anyone who doubts young Joey’s abilities, Olaine says,“Just close your eyes, and listen to Joey." The road from Bali to New York City Joey Alexander was born Josiah Alexander Sila in Bali, Indonesia. At age 6, he learned to play jazz by ear. Playing music by ear means to learn a piece of music just by listening to it, not by reading notes. Joey’s parents are not musicians. They ran a travel business. His father played a little piano and guitar, but not professionally. However, Joey says when he saw his father play, he wanted to try. "Well, my dad played a little piano and guitar, but not that professionally. And then I saw him play and then he make me like, I want to play, I want to try this instrument.” Watching his father play music influenced the young boy. So did his father’s record collection. He learned jazz by listening to these records. He says he listened to jazz greats like Duke Ellington and Bill Strayhorn, among others. “Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, Coltrane and Bill Evans. I hear all these amazing musicians." New York City comes calling Joey’s family moved from Bali to Jakarta. There Joey played with some of Indonesia's best jazz artists. Joey's parents then decided to give up their travel business and move the family to New Jersey, close to New York City. By the time Joey was 10, the Lincoln Center in New York City invited him to play at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Olaine, who produced Joey’s first album, is also the director of programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Olaine remembers the reactions of musicians who were there for a rehearsal when Joey performed a Thelonius Monk tune. The expression he uses is "everybody's jaws dropped." "Joey plays a version of "Round Midnight," and everybody's jaws dropped, like looking at Joey and looking at each other… and they're laughing, like 'This can't possibly be what we're hearing.' He took another take afterwards, it was a completely different arrangement. And again, everyone (laughs) ... you kind of shrug your shoulders, look at each other, scratch your head, and just go 'Okay, all right, I've never seen this before.' " One of the musicians on Joey's debut album had a similar reaction. Drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. is 32 years old. But, he says their 20-year age difference means nothing. He and Joey connected through music right from the start. Owens remembers watching the young pianist play "Giant Steps." “Giant Steps” is a song that could win Joey a Grammy in February for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. "I think it was the intro. Every time we did 'Giant Steps,' Joey always loved to do an intro, without the band … And one of the second or third intros, he went to this whole other place, musically. And I watched him, I watched him close his eyes, and I watched his head kinda of just bobbing to the side, he has this thing that he does when he's really going somewhere… and I was like 'This is freakin' amazing,'" Owens describes Joey’s harmonic and melodic adventures as hip and in the next stratosphere. In other words Joey’s piano playing is simply out of this world! "Watching this little kid, he's going on all these harmonic adventures, and melodic adventures, and doing some really hip stuff, and he's just gone, he's just completely in this next stratosphere, I'm like, that is a gift, man, and when I open my eyes and look at him, that's what I saw, man, this kid is literally from another planet. And it's so beautiful to watch." Just a normal kid Joey is home-schooled. And when he is not performing and blowing the minds of jazz greats, he says he is just a normal kid. He likes the music of Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and the Beatles. He also likes playing with toys, playing sports and watching movies. "You know, I'm still me as a kid .. playing toys. I play sports, like I play a little bit of tennis, swimming … you know, like a normal kid, I watch movies." Joey says he is grateful for all the support he has received during his musical journey. He says that he is excited to be part of the New York jazz scene. And now, Joey can follow his dream -- playing jazz for people to bring them joy and hope. "I hope that they will feel the joy because this music is so joyful and it touches people's hearts. When I play I always hope people will be joyful in their lives and to have hope." I’m Anna Matteo.   Heidi Chang reported this story for VOA News. Anna Matteo adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   debut – n. the first time an actor, musician, athlete, etc., does something in public or for the public play by ear – idiomatic expression : to play a song or a piece of music by ear is to play it after hearing it without looking at written music. amazing – adj. causing great surprise or wonder rehearsal – n. an event at which a person or group practices an activity (such as singing, dancing, or acting) in order to prepare for a public performance jaws dropped – idiomatic expression :  If your jaw drops, you open your mouth in a way that shows you are very surprised or shocked. take – n. a song that is recorded a scene that is filmed or at one time without stopping intro – n. a short introduction to something (such as a performance or a musical work) bob – v. to move up and down quickly or repeatedly harmonic – adj. technical : of or relating to musical harmony rather than melody or rhythm adventure – n. an exciting experience melodic – adj. of or relating to melody hip – adj. knowing about and following the newest styles, fashions, etc. stratosphere – n.  the upper layer of the Earth's atmosphere that begins about 7 miles (11 kilometers) above the Earth's surface and ends about 30 miles (50 kilometers) above the Earth's surface : a very high position, level, or amount

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VOA English Newscast: 1400 UTC January 12, 2016

  From Washington, this is VOA News.      I’m Frances Alonzo reporting. Chancellor Angela Merkel says she is "seriously concerned" that German citizens might be among the victims and the wounded in an explosion in Istanbul that killed at least ten people earlier Tuesday. In comments to reporters, she said, "Those affected are members of a German tourist group and, of course, the German foreign ministry immediately set up a crisis meeting. We are trying to gather all the information as quickly as possible." She went on to say that they “must ascertain today Istanbul was hit, Paris was hit, Tunisia was hit and Ankara too was already hit. Today, international terrorism has shown its ugly face once again. Apart from the grief we obviously feel today, it shows that we need to act decisively against terrorism," she added. A Syrian suicide bomber is thought to be responsible for an attack, which killed at least ten people including foreigners in the heart of Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet tourist district Tuesday, according to the Turkish President. There was a high probability Islamic State militants were behind the blast, near the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia, according to two senior Turkish security officials speaking Reuters. And for the seventh and final time of his presidency, Barack Obama will stand before Congress and the American public to lay out his vision not only for his remaining months in office, but for the future of the United States. In a video preview, he says he is optimistic about the path the United States is on. It’s that optimism that White House officials say will be showcased when the president addresses the nation for his last State of the Union Tuesday. We will carry that “live” on Wednesday at 0200 UTC. This is VOA News. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Newscast   tourist – n. a person who travels from place to place for pleasure of course – phrase an expression used to offer an idea as being known or expected ascertain – v. make sure of ugly– adj. unpleasing to look at grief – n. deep sadness obviously – adj. in a way that is easy to see or understand district – n. an area established by a government for official government business according – adv. as stated by or in; depending on whether behind – adj. of or related to sportsmen or sportswomen with physical disabilities vision – n. the ability to see; something that you imagine preview – n. a show or performance that enables some people to see something before it is shown to the public. optimistic – adj. hopeful showcased – v. shown or demonstrated in a good or favorable way addresses – v. speaks to live – adj. done in front of a crowd; broadcast at the same time the show or event is taking place We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section ​

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Terror Rips Open Historic Istanbul Square

[Audio for this story will follow shortly. Thank you for your patience.] An explosion in the historic square of Sultanahmet in Istanbul left at least 10 people dead and wounded 15 others Tuesday. “We heard a really big explosion. … I didn’t really understand what was happening,” said Ali Hakan Ataman to VOA News. “Blood and flesh were splattered on us and I am sure I saw at least six or seven people laying on the ground dead. I am still in shock.” Officials said they suspect a Syrian suicide bomber detonated the explosion. They said they believe the suicide bomber had ties to the terror group Islamic State, according to Reuters. The Turkish government has been attacked by Islamist and Kurdish militants in the past months. The Sultanahmet attack took place while government security forces crack down on the Kurdish rebel group, the PKK. Ataman said he thought German tourists were among the victims.  Another witness, Erdogan Salihli, said the explosion was huge. “All the buildings around were shaking, and it was very strong and threw people off the ground,” he said. Panic and fear ensued. “All was quiet for a second or a bit longer. I’ve never seen an explosion in this magnitude. As people were trying to figure out what really happened, the cries of people at the scene was very tragic.” The VOA news staff and Dorian Jones wrote this story for VOAnews.com. Jim Dresbach adapted it for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or visit our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   splattered – v. to move, fall, or hit something in large drops detonated – v. to explode or to cause to explode ensued – v. to come at a later time magnitude – n. the size, extent, or importance of something

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Mexico Acts to Send Crime Group Leader 'El Chapo' to US

Mexico has agreed to send Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States for prosecution. Guzman is leader of the Sinaloa crime group. He faces numerous charges in the U.S., including drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder. The Mexican government rejected U.S. requests earlier to turn over Guzman. It changed its position after he escaped a Mexican prison last July for the third time. Federal police captured him Friday after a gun battle.  The legal process to send Guzman to the United States could take months. Guzman's lawyers said they will oppose the extradition effort. The prisoner could be sent to one of several U.S. cities for trial, including New York or Chicago. Mexican officials want to question American actor Sean Penn in connection with the Guzman escape. Penn met with the crime group leader in October to gather information for a story for an American magazine, Rolling Stone. The magazine’s web site posted the interview Saturday. Mexican officials also want to question Mexican actress Kate del Castillo. She reportedly set up the meeting between Penn and Guzman. Mexican officials say information about that meeting helped them locate the Sinaloa group chief. Some Americans denounced the interview. Republican Party presidential candidate, Senator Marco Rubio, called it "grotesque." Journalists also questioned Penn's agreement to permit Guzman the right to review the article before it was published. In the interview, Guzman said, "I supply more heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana than anybody else in the world.  I have a fleet of submarines, airplanes, trucks and boats."  Penn described Guzman as "entirely unapologetic." Guzman's escape was an embarrassment for President Enrique Pena Nieto. The government was praised for its aggressive push against Mexico's top drug traffickers, however. The drug lord is now at the Altiplano Prison where he escaped in July. The Mexican Attorney General said Guzman's recapture came after a huge surveillance operation. That operation involved a film crew that had been working on a biography of the drug trafficker. The gun battle Friday killed at least five suspects. One Mexican soldier was wounded. Six people were arrested at the scene. Guzman and another man escaped the raid. Police arrested them a short time later. Guzman was first captured in 1993, but escaped in 2001 with the help of prison guards. He was not recaptured until 2014. U.S. intelligence information helped in that effort. Mexico has ordered the arrest of more than 20 former officials, guards and police officers in connection with Guzman's escape last year. Ten civilians are already in detention. I'm Jim Tedder. Caty Weaver adapted this story for Learning English from VOA News reports. Kathleen Struck was the editor. Do you think Mexico is right to send Guzman to the U.S. for trial? Or should he serve his sentence in Mexico? Post your thoughts in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. Words in This Story extradition - n. the act of sending (a person who has been accused of a crime) to another state or country for trial​ interview - n. a meeting between a reporter and another person in order to get information for a news story​ embarrassment - n. something or someone that causes a person or group to look or feel foolish​ surveillance - n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime​ biography - n. the story of a real person's life written by someone other than that person​     We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

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