Join Us During Tonight's State Of The Union Address
Join Fast Company reporter Ainsley O'Connell and Single Stop CEO Elisabeth Mason for live commentary with Fast Company editors and expert guests during President Obama's State of the Union address. The event starts at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, January 20.
Watch the State of the Union address live here.
Join Fast Company reporter Ainsley O'Connell and Single Stop CEO Elisabeth Mason as they weigh in on President Obama's speech and its implications. They'll be joined by other Fast Company editors and writers throughout the night, as well.
In an unusual move, Obama has been criss-crossing the country in the weeks leading up the this year's address, laying out a series of policy proposals built around the interests and concerns of America's still-struggling middle class. Thanks to that preview strategy we know we can expect to hear about granting new mothers paid-leave, making community college free, and levying new taxes on wealthy Americans.
According to a Washington Post-ABC News poll released yesterday, exactly half of you approve of Obama's job performance--a nine point increase since last month. Will you change your view after hearing the speech? Let's find out.
We'll kick off tonight's live chat at 8pm for some pre-game conversation before the big event starts at 9pm. You can join in, too, using the "Make a comment" box below.
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I think this conversation is just starting. Charles Blow made a great contribution with a recent column. On top of sales taxes are high check cashing fees, and much more.
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Single Stop works to maximize federal tax credits for low income working families, which are an example of progressive taxes.
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I have to imagine that a lot of times families don't even realize that some of those credits exist.
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Only half of states have an earned income tax credit which incentivizes low income people to work and be less dependent on government programs.
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Up to a third of eligible individuals don't file for the earned income credit. We are really focused on using technology to simplify that process - turbo tax for all.
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I wonder where those states fall on this Politico ranking. By combining data on education, health, crime, and other indicators, Politico Magazine came up with a "states of the union" that places Minnesota first and Mississippi last--for the second year in a row.
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Hi everybody. Erin Schulte, senior editor at Fast Company, chiming in. The "designated survivor" was just announced: Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx (one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business). Only in the last few years have they made the designated survivor public.
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It's a pretty interesting list of people who have had that honor over the years !
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Press is all over proposals on inequality, but really all about job creation and the middle class.
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If you're wondering who's sitting with First Lady Michelle Obama in the peanut gallery, here's the rundown--everyone from an Ebola-fighting doctor to an astronaut.
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Interesting. Mentions "terror" before the economy.
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And then tries to put on his Clinton suit, faster job growth than any time since 1999. And then Obamacare.
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I think we all can approve thousands of Veteran's coming home! Helping Veterans must be part of our nation's strategy to create opportunity.
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Should we keep of running tally of change metaphors? "Tonight, we turn the page." "The shadow of crisis has passed."
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Hi All, Noah Robischon, executive editor of Fast Company here. Ever wonder how one of those 11 million "new" jobs is created? Planet Money did a great explainer on that.
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Those jobs numbers are important--all told, America created 3 million jobs last year. But wages remain stagnant.
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Americans say they support Obama's Cuba decision 60-30, according to today's NBC/ WSJ poll.
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So did Obama just talk about China without actually saying China? I think so.
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If you need a visual for what he's talking about here, watch 60 years of climate change in 15 seconds:
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This is the report from NOAA on 2014 being the warmest on record:
NASA, NOAA Find 2014 Warmest Year in Modern Record
NASAThe year 2014 ranks as Earthâs warmest since 1880, according to two separate analyses by NASA and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists. -
And NOAA getting a State of the Union shoutout just made the day of so, so many scientists.
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Good to see Obama making the link between climate change and national security. Same goes for energy policy--these are not "soft" issues.
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"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." How about a line about the dire state of our prisons at home?
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Obama wants to shut down Guantanamo, but public tilts negative. By 49%- 42% more say it's a bad idea to close Gitmo.
pewrsr.ch/1Ixqoqjby Carroll Doherty via twitter 1/21/2015 3:00:03 AM -
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America's beating back adversity from the Gulf to Boston. We see it every day. Great leaders promote optimism every day!
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Here's the data behind his statement about teen pregnancy and abortions being at all-time lows.
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Nothing specific proposed regarding Ferguson, law enforcement.
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It's the Presidential victory lap, basically. Meanwhile, we try our best to read Boehner's rather inscrutable facial expressions.
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"It's amazing what you can bounce from when you have to." @SingleStop we see these families every day! Let's start right now! Thanks Fast Company.
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The language of this SOTU was Obama's most complex yet, according to this analysis. "Generally, in order for Obama to make himself understood to the broadest possible swath of the population, he tailors his speeches to the intellect of a 14-year-old. But over the last few years the grade level of the president’s speeches has edged up." Tonight's speech averaged a 10th grade reading level.
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Meep meeep: Meep Meep. Meep Meeep meeeeeep Meeeeeeeep meeeeeep meep meep Meeep meep meep Meeep meeeeep breakingnews.com/topic/us-state…by beakeringnews via twitter 1/21/2015 3:30:20 AM -
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This response is making me feel like I live in "Grapes of Wrath"-era America.
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I won both of em.
I TWO both of em!
Ah ah ah!
—The Count of the Unionby Rusty Foster via twitter 1/21/2015 3:37:35 AM -
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it's sobering to realize that so few other world leaders could deliver such an optimistic address right now. Whether you look at France, reeling from a terrorist attack and economic malaise, or Sierra Leone and Liberia, where Ebola has decimated villages and families, or Syria, where battles rage and refugees are struggling to survive at the Turkish border, the world right now is not a peaceful place.
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On that happy note: Thank you to all who joined us, and a special thank you to our guest commentator Elisabeth Mason!
