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The latest news on The State of the Union, Presidential campaign, Democrats, Republicans, Minority kids, Poverty, Religion, Global warming-Canada, Iraq, Gaza, Pakistan, Kenya, Editorials, and Opinions.

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State of the Union. State of Union To Touch On War, Economy "For years, President Bush and his advisers expressed frustration that the White House received little credit for the nation's strong economic performance because of public discontent about the Iraq war. Today, the president is getting little credit for improved security in Iraq, as the public increasingly focuses on a struggling U.S. economy." Bush's final State of the Union address tonight"President Bush gets what may be his final chance to steer the public debate in his last State of the Union address." In Bush's Legacy, Weak Economy Moves Up Front"President Bush's final State of the Union address will focus on the economy, as Mr. Bush himself suggested Friday during a short preview of the speech at a Congressional Republican retreat."

Presidential campaign. Races Entering Complex Phase Over Delegates"The presidential campaign is entering a new phase as the campaign has turned into a possibly lengthy hunt for delegates for the first time in 20 years."

Democrats. Senator Kennedy to endorse Obama today "Senator Barack Obama will collect the endorsement of Senator Edward M. Kennedy today, winning the support of a powerful icon of the liberal Democratic establishment as Obama challenges Senator Hillary Clinton before the crucial Super Tuesday showdown on Feb. 5." Obama Wins South Carolina Primary " Senator Barack Obama won a commanding victory over Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton in the South Carolina Democratic primary on Saturday, drawing a wide majority of black support and one-quarter of white voters in a contest that sets the stage for a multistate fight for the party's presidential nomination." After landslide loss, Clinton still sees an even race ahead "Hillary Rodham Clinton remained unbowed following her landslide loss to Barack Obama in the South Carolina primary, dismissing any notion of Obama as a political phenomenon and vowing that husband Bill Clinton would remain a vivid presence on the campaign trail." Super Tuesday looks close for Democrats "In eight days, on Feb. 5, Obama and his principal rival, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, face off in the contest dubbed Super Tuesday, the biggest day of presidential primary voting in U.S. history."

Republicans. Giuliani falls far behind in Florida "Florida now appears to be a two-way race between Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, as two new polls show Rudolph W. Giuliani losing support after skipping six straight presidential-nomination contests." McCain, Long a G.O.P. Maverick, Is Gaining Mainstream Support "Mr. McCain, who has delighted in sticking his thumb in the eye of mainstream Republicans throughout his political career, is now accumulating a base of support among party regulars who see him as the strongest general election candidate in the remaining Republican field." Religion falls off the GOP trail "The lack of so many Republican candidates campaigning on social issues or sitting in church is a sign, strategists say, of the importance of the economy -- and the fractured and potentially weakening influence of evangelical voters, who have comprised anywhere from 20 percent to 40 percent of the GOP primary electorate."

Minority kids. Minority kids make healthy gains "Black and Hispanic children have made significant gains in health, safety and income over the past two decades, narrowing gaps between them and white children, according to a pioneering report on child development to be released Tuesday."

Poverty. Food stamp funding, use double since 2000 "The number of Iowa households on food stamps has more than doubled since 2000, as has the amount of money spent on the federally funded food assistance program,