Busy news day – President Clinton delivered his State Of The Union address the night before. Promises made, assessments addressed, reactions noted. Clinton began the speech by saying, “We are fortunate to be alive at this moment in history. Never before has our nation enjoyed, at once, so much prosperity and social progress with so little internal crisis or so few external threats. Never before have we had such a blessed opportunity and, therefore, such a profound obligation to build the more perfect union of our founders’ dreams.” Clinton discussed many topics in the address, including education, health care, crime, the global economy, technology, and the environment
It was the longest State of the Union address in recorded history at 1 hour and 28 minutes.
Meanwhile, A powerful storm crawled across the Southeast today, bringing icy rain and snow to a region still reeling from a wintry blast earlier this week. Thousands were urged to stay home and Super Bowl planners worried about disruptions surrounding this weekend’s game in Atlanta. “So much for the global warming theory,” said Wayne Nicholas of Cleveland, Miss. “Out this way we’re looking like one of those snow globes that has been turned upside down and shaken.” The storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of Arkansas and Mississippi by early today. Lighter amounts were reported farther east, but forecasters warned that icy sleet could coat roads and power lines from Alabama to the Carolinas by tonight. Snow began falling in Georgia before dawn and the state was under a winter storm watch today. By 5:30 a.m., icy roads were blamed for 11 accidents, none of them fatal. in Carroll County, said John Hutcheson, a dispatcher with the state patrol.
Finally: Since the last Friday of January was Fun at Work Day (January 28th 2000 fell on a Friday), it was a chance to try thinking up something to bring laughter to your job. Many tried.
And while the country was pondering President Clinton and the State of The Union, that’s just a sample of what went on, via The CBS World News Roundup.
