2016 State of the Union Tuesday night - good news? Or same 'ole same 'ole???

But average hourly pay seems stuck, sliding one cent last month to $25.24. That left the growth of average pay at 2.5 percent last year, below the 3.5 percent economists consider healthy.

The latest figures show the overall economy growing at a modest 2 percent annual rate in last year’s July to September quarter, though analysts expect improvement.
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THE ECONOMY, FROM OTHER ANGLES

For Wall Street, 2015 was a roller coaster. Record highs in spring were followed by an abrupt summertime swoon, prompted by worries about the strong dollar’s impact on exports, China’s slowing economy and sagging oil prices.

CONSUMER BONUSES

Oil prices slumped to their lowest levels since 2004. That meant bargains at the pump, where last week’s U.S. average for a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.03, according to the federal Energy Information Administration.

That was down slightly from a year earlier. A typical household saved $660 on its gasoline costs compared with 2014, the agency said.

Though the Federal Reserve raised a key interest rate for the first time in seven years, homebuyers’ mortgage interest rates remained at a relatively low 3.97 percent last week. That’s up slightly from a year earlier but well south of the historic 6 percent average.
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HEALTH CARE

The administration says that with the sign-up deadline still three weeks away, 11.3 million people have enrolled for 2016 coverage under Obama’s 2010 health care overhaul, similar to last year’s enrollments.

Though that law has helped decrease the number of uninsured people in the United States, progress may have paused. The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, an independent survey, says 11.9 percent of adults remained without coverage as 2015 ended, about the same number that began the year uninsured.

People remain concerned about rising costs of prescription drugs. Many face employer-provided coverage with growing premiums, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs. The government estimated that the national health care bill grew by 5.3 percent in 2014, a turnabout from five previous years of unusually slow growth.
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SECURE, OR NOT?

There was a growing threat from the Islamic State group and escalating efforts by the U.S. to combat; Republicans say the Obama administration hasn’t done enough.

The November killing of 130 people in Paris and last month’s shooting in San Bernardino, California, by a radicalized Muslim couple helped fuel public worries. Polls show growing concerns about terrorism and allowing Muslims to enter the U.S.

A campaign ad by Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump highlights his call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country, juxtaposed with images of the San Bernardino shooters and explosions. 

Obama and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton have criticized Republicans for what they say is demonizing Muslims and helping IS attract recruits.

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MORE GUNS

THE HEAT IS ON