History of the United States (2008–present) | Wikipedia audio article
Channel: wikipedia tts
Date: 24/11/2018

This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
History of the United States (2008–present)

Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.

Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain

Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.

You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuKfABj2eGyjH3ntPxp4YeQ

You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
https://github.com/nodef/wikipedia-tts



"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."
- Socrates



SUMMARY
=======
The history of the United States from 2008 to present began with the collapse of the housing bubble, which led into the late-2000s recession, helping the Democrats win the presidency in 2008 with the election of Barack Obama, the country's first African-American president. The government enacted large loans and economic stimulus packages aimed at improving the economy. Obama's domestic initiatives also included the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which by means of large reforms to the American healthcare system, created a National Health Insurance program. President Obama eventually withdrew combat troops from Iraq, and shifted the country's efforts in the War on Terror to Afghanistan, where a troop surge was initiated in 2009. In 2010, due to continued public discontent with the economic situation, unemployment, and federal spending, Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives and reduced the Democratic majority in the Senate.
In 2011, Obama announced that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces during a covert operation in Pakistan while the Iraq War was declared formally over the same year. The following year Obama was re-elected president. In June 2013, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which resulted in the recognition of legally performed same-sex marriages by the federal government. In 2015, the Court ruled that all states must grant same-sex marriages as well as recognize others performed in different states in Obergefell v. Hodges.
A series of deadly mass shootings, especially the Aurora movie theater massacre and the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, sparked a heated debate over gun control and the causes of these events. After the killings of many African-Americans such as Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and Philando Castille by policemen resulted in no prosecution, the Black Lives Matter movement sparked discussions, protests, and riots against racial profiling, police brutality, and overall racism between white and black Americans. The 2016 Orlando shooting at a gay nightclub renewed discussions of violence and discrimination against the LGBT community as well as domestic terrorism by radicalized individuals.
After unprecedented media coverage and a confrontational, aggressive presidential campaign, businessman Donald Trump defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election leading to Republicans gaining control of all branches of government. His first months in office have largely been characterized by legislation and a series of executive orders restricting abortion rights and the effects of the Affordable Care Act, the construction of a wall along the Mexico–United States border, and the refusal to admit citizens of several Muslim-majority countries as well as facing mass opposition with a series of marches and protests, most notably Women's Marches that brought nearly five million marchers worldwide. Rallies in support of Trump have been held in the U.S. as well. In 2018, Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans added slightly to their Senate majority.
During the 2010s, the country has seen troubles in race relations. America saw the rise of the alt-right movement: a white nationalist coalition that seeks the expulsion and/or subjection of sexual and racial minorities from the United States. In August 2017, these groups attended a rally that meant to unify white supremacist, neo-Nazi, and white nationalist factions. During the rally, a neo-Nazi killed a demonstrator ramming a car into Heather Heyer, a protester against the rally. Since the mid-2010s, the Department of Homeland Security and the  Federal Bureau of Investigation now consider the threat of white supremacist and alt-right violence the leading threat of domestic terrorism in the United States.