Name Date e January 15, 2016 The State of the Union & Remembering David Bowie Learn more about this topic! Each section gives more detail on one of the lyrics from the song Read each section, and then respond by answering the question or taking notes on key ideas Lyric: In 12 short months, Obama can kick back, He just gave his last State of the Union, in fact President Obama On Tuesday, January 12, Obama gave his final State of the Union address as President Instead of presenting a list of plans for new laws, like he has in previous years, Obama focused on his vision for America s future Obama painted a positive portrait of America and asked Americans to respond to change and innovation with confidence instead of fear or intimidation However, Obama also expressed regret over the divisiveness of American politics and the ongoing feuds between political parties Obama used symbolism to make some of his points He invited a Syrian refugee as his guest and left a chair empty to represent the victims of gun violence Ultimately, Obama urged Americans to remain optimistic and inclusive, to stop turning against each other, and to become more involved in the political processes Why do you think Obama invited a Syrian refugee as his guest? 1
Lyric: Moving on, David Bowie, rest in peace, Let's take a moment, hey yo, drop the beat David Bowie David Bowie, legendary English singer and songwriter, died two days after his 69th birthday and two days after the release of his final studio album Blackstar Bowie had been privately battling cancer for the past 18 months and died peacefully among family Bowie s music was a blend of rock, jazz and cabaret, and he was most famous for writing songs about being an outsider and a misfit Bowie was known for incorporating wild costumes and imagery into his shows, which crossed cultural barriers and historical eras His music influenced generations of artists, and his legacy will be honored on March 31 with a concert at Carnegie Hall In what ways was David Bowie an innovator? Lyric: Are you a St Louis fan? Well This year the Rams are charging towards Los A ngeles, St Louis Rams logo Owners of the NFL voted 30-2 in favor of relocating the St Louis Rams to Los Angeles, CA This is a win for the Rams who had been competing with the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders to relocate to the City of Angels The Rams played in the LA area between 1980 and 1995, however LA hasn t had a football team in 21 years The Rams are required to pay the NFL a $550 million relocation fee, and the move is expected to bring greater revenue, in the form of advertising, TV and the Super Bowl, to Los Angeles However, the move has angered Rams fans from St Louis Missouri s mayor said that the decision overlooks fan loyalty and evidence that the Rams would do well financially in St Louis in the future The San Diego Chargers were also given the option to move to LA and share a stadium with the Rams, but they haven t made a final decision yet Why is this move a loss for St Louis? 2
Lyric: But in the US, the job market is growing, With almost 300 thousand filled job openings A growing economy According to new data from the Labor Department, the US economy is getting stronger Although the number of people working grew by 17 million in 2015, the US added approximately 221,000 jobs per month to keep up with that growing labor force The unemployment rate remained steady at 5%, the lowest it s been since 2008, and in December alone, the US added 292,000 new jobs Increases in consumer spending nationally encouraged employers to hire more staff and helped offset economic turmoil abroad The sectors that saw the most growth were professional and business services, construction, food services and health care At a time of global economic uncertainty, particularly as China s economic growth slows, the US has continued to perform well and has proven that it is strong enough to withstand the economic problems facing other countries How do you think the economy of one country can affect the economy of other countries? Lyric: A terrorist attack left 10 tourists dead, When a suicide bomber detonated his vest Istanbul, Turkey A suicide bomber attacked the heart of Istanbul s historic district, a popular hub for tourists The attack killed 10 tourists, including at least eight Germans According to the Turkish Prime Minister, the attacker had connections to ISIS Both Turkey and Germany are part of an international military coalition that attacked ISIS s oil infrastructure and pushed them out of a key city in Iraq Although the attack was less deadly than others, it was a huge blow to Turkey s tourism industry and likely added fuel to anti-islam and anti-refugee sentiments in Europe Why do you think the suicide bomber chose to attack this particular part of Istanbul? 3
Lyric: Hitler's manifesto, known as Mein Kampf, Was banned in Germany, but that time's up Mein Kampf Adolf Hitler was the brutal dictator of Germany from 1934 to 1945 He put policies in place that killed millions of people This month, Hitler s manifesto, Mein Kampf, was published in Germany for the first time since it was banned from the country in 1945 "Mein kampf" means my struggle, and the book outlined Hitler s plans for Germany A team of historians spent three years adding notes and explanations to the newly released version, including commentary and critical references that place the work in its historical context Despite their efforts, there is still heavy debate surrounding its publication While supporters believe it s important to never forget and never repeat this moment in history, critics claim that the re-publication legitimizes Hitler s beliefs When you legitimize something, you make it seem OK This re-publication comes at a critical time in Germany, as fear over religious extremism and national security grows Do you think it s important for schools to teach Mein Kampf to students? Why or why not? Lyric: Next, the word of the year for 2015 Was the singular they, know what it means? The American Dialect Society chooses the Word of the Year The American Dialect Society, a group of 200 linguists, crowned the singular pronoun they as the Word of the Year Winning words are chosen for their political and social significance, and past winners include #blacklivesmatter and occupy, which referenced the Occupy Wall Street movement They was chosen over phrases like on fleek and thanks, Obama This is also the first year that emojis were considered for the title According to linguist Ben Zimmer, who presided over the vote, the singular they is significant because it s a way to refer to people without using gendered pronouns like he or she, and is a sign that mainstream culture is recognizing transgender and gender fluid people What other word or phrase do you think should have won this award? Why? 4
Lyric: Now the powerball is huge: 15 billion, Odds of winning? One in 292 million Powerball causes MONEY MANIA Americans have Powerball mania, with lottery ticket sales skyrocketing around the country The Powerball jackpot is $15 billion, the largest jackpot the US has ever seen The jackpot has been steadily increasing since October, when lottery officials decreased the odds of winning from one in 175 million to one in 292 million Due to reduced odds, there have been no recent winners and the jackpot has been rolling over since early November, growing each week 44 states, as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands participate in the lottery, and the majority of states use the revenue from ticket sales to fund statewide programs, like education Unfortunately, with better odds of getting struck by lightning or hit by an asteroid, chances of winning are slim If you won the lottery, how would you spend the money? 5