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This certainly brings back memories! Specifically college times - yes, those were the best. I remember one specific event from back then.  So this happened back in 2011, when I was in my 2nd year of college. It was semester exams. I was always an average student and I was (still am) super-lazy to boot. So as expected, I ended up staying awake till the wee hours of the morning. I had notes on my laptop, so I was going through the PDF files, the photos taken by my friends and some screenshots. I've a habit of playing instrumental music on my laptop when I study, it helps me concentrate. It was all good, I was making progress - till about 1:30 AM. I decided to take a break by visiting YouTube to listen to some random songs. One thing led to another and I was soon looking up movie trailers and tech videos. My mom has a habit of getting up multiple times during the night. Drinking water, using the restroom and diligently checking up whether I'm sleeping or not. I did tell her that I might be sleeping late because I had plans to study. She even made sure I had a glass of hot milk before she went to bed. (Moms are awesome, seriously!) And I've a habit of doing stuff other than studying when I'm bored or just don't feel like it, no matter what the situation. She often screams my head off when she finds me watching a movie or playing games late at night. I always take great care to have a backup excuse, or to just shut off everything and sleep as soon as I hear her leave the bed. Yes, I was so used to her sneaking up on me that I had developed cat-ears! But that day, I was so engrossed in music that I didn't hear her leave her bed. (Parents sleep in the nearby room - I sleep in my own) By the time I heard her though, it was too late to switch off everything and go to sleep. It was already 4:00 AM by then, and I knew that she would be furious if she found out that I wasn't asleep yet.  So I improvised. I closed the browser, switched to the PDF file that was open and put on the instrumental song that was queued in Windows Media Player. I was lying on my bed belly down, so I pretended to sleep in that same position. With my eyes closed and my face halfway buried inside the pillow, it looked as if I actually was asleep. I remained completely still.  My door is always covered with curtains because the light from my room lights up the entire hallway. I could hear everything. She pulls the curtains aside, and comes inside my room. She sighs and murmurs to herself in my native language - "This idiot will never learn how to sleep properly. Where's the blanket? Must be here somewhere." She then pulls a blanket over me, making sure she doesn't wake me up in the process. She turns off the light and then murmurs again - "Hm, the laptop isn't shut off, I better close the lid." She does that, gives me peck on the cheek and goes back to her bed.  A few minutes after she leaves my room, I open one eye to make sure she's not around anymore and then proceed to actually doze-off. Wake up 5-6 hours afterwards - still in the same position. I actually woke up with aches all over my body, but that's besides the point.  To till date, my mom thinks that I had fallen asleep while studying. She even recites the whole incident to people/friends she has over for tea and snacks! Talk about pulling one over her, huh? As a side note, I still did manage to pass that semester exam with better than average marks. So that's good. :)

United States needs Pakistan to survive in Afghanistan as later is a land locked country and nearest two seaports are in Pakistan and Iran. Relations between Iran and US are already severe due to sanctions this leaves Pakistan as the only option for supply of weapons and other needs of NATO forces in Afghanistan. And without a permanent supply route it’s impossible to survive in Afghanistan. This is one of the reason US have paid Billion of Dollars to Pakistan since the starting of War On terror.Another reason why Us needs Pakistan is because It cannot survive by making enemies on all fronts in Afghanistan. Russia is already supporting and arming Afghan Taliban from Central Asian countries and on other side Iran is also hostile and if Pakistan also moves out of its sphere United States will be Chocked in Afghanistan.Taliban fighters claim Russia is giving them weaponsRussia accused of supplying Taliban as power shifts create strange bedfellowsIran arming Taliban, says top Afghan generalMr Trump recent tweets against Pakistan is not going to change anything on ground and US will continue to engage with Pakistan on All levels.Pentagon says US ready to work with Pakistan to combat terrorismSimilarly Pakistan also need United States for plethora of reasons ranging from Economic to Military Assistance. Pakistan economy is on free fall exports are srinking and external debt is all time high .The declining trend in Pakistan’s exports - The Express TribuneIts foreign reserves are falling at an alarming rate.Pakistan's foreign reserves slide continuesPakistan has to repay $6b foreign debt in six months - The Express TribuneIf this trends continue it will soon need to move IMF for bailout package. And it needs USA support to get the package. In addition to this Pakistan Army uses a lot of American Military hardware ( F 16 Fighter aircrafts) and a military sanction from United states will Put Pakistan in a very tough position.So whatever abuses and insults Pakistan have to hear and face it will not Have a divorce with United States in near Future.

Consider you are investing lump-sum or SIP into mutual fund regular plans.What are you missing out on?You forgot to track the most important thing, Expense Ratio. Here is the Wikipedia definition "The expense ratio of an asset fund is the total percentage of fund assets used for administrative, management, advertising and all other expenses. An expense ratio of 1% per annum means that each year 1% of the fund's total assets will be used to cover expenses."When you invest via regular plan, the Mutual Fund house needs to factor in the trail commission it must pay to the the distributor or the agent for getting them the business. And this commission is earned by transferring a lower return to a regular fund investor vs a direct fund investor. Let's see how this works?Here is a snapshot of Kotak Select Focus Fund on 10th May, 2018. The change in NAV was -0.48% with respect to previous day value.Now let's look at the regular plan of the same fund, it fell 0.01% more. This is how, the commission is collected slowly & steadily to be paid to the distributor.Some of you would be thinking, ahh 1% yearly -who cares?If you had to choose a home loan & had two options, one offering 8.75% & other 9.75%, who would you choose? Obviously the one offering lower interest rates. Then why do you ignore the same criteria in mutual funds?If you invest Rs. 10,000 in a monthly SIP with an average return of 14% in direct plans, the return at the end of 20 years would be 1.3 crore. And if you invest in regular plans, considering an additional 1% as the expense ration, the investment at the end of 20 years will be 1.1 crore. Now, consider the difference if you invest even more, you'll get your answer.Where do i buy Direct Mutual Fund Plans?With the ease in KYC norms & e-KYC, investing into mutual funds is quite a simple process. Here are some platforms you can consider to invest into direct plans -Directly through Mutual Fund Website - Investors can choose to register on the AMC (Asset Management Company) website. You can directly fill the form to select your mutual fund plan, investment amount, frequency and other details. You need to select the mode of investment as DIRECT instead of specifying the distributor code. It is advisable to always diversify your investments across different fund houses & for the same reason you will need to maintain multiple accounts across websites to manage your investments. Although, it is an ideal way to invest but getting a 360 degree view of your investments is a difficult task.Mutual Fund Utility - All fund houses have come together to create a direct mutual fund investment platform called as MFU. You need to create a Common Account Number (CAN), which can be used for investment across all fund house to invest into Direct Mutual Funds. There is no additional fee levied on the investments made through this portal. New investors can find the portal quite confusing & not much investment insights are available as part of portfolio analysis. Here is the link - https://www.mfuindia.com/Karvy or myCams - Both these mechanisms provide direct mutual fund plans. The limitation of both these platforms is they provide investment options only for selected fund houses. In case your asset management company is not listed on either of the portals, you will again need to split your investments across multiple platforms - which destroys the entire purpose.MoneyFront - Moneyfront has almost all direct mutual funds available on it's platform. The drawback lies in it's pricing strategy. Currently they charge INR 100 per month which is billed annually. Umm..We understand not many investors will like this, specially the ones who invest periodically by analyzing the market conditions & the ones who don't put a huge amount into SIP's. The sole reason for investing in direct mutual funds is to save money, then why do you want to pay to the platform? If you wish to explore further, here is the link https://www.moneyfront.in/Zerodha Coin - You could choose to invest into both regular and direct plans through the Coin platform. If you wish to invest into direct plans, you will be charged a monthly fee of Rs. 50 post first INR 25000 investment. Again going back to the same point, if i'm starting an SIP of Rs. 500, will i be happy to pay Rs. 50 monthly. NO!! Here is the link - https://coin.zerodha.com/KUVERA - A GAME CHANGER! Yes believe it or not, you can invest into direct mutual fund plans at zero cost. The sign up process seems pretty easy & the verification process is as fast as it can get. The direct plans of all fund houses are available on their platform. You could also import your existing portfolio by uploading Karvy's Combined Account Statement. The dashboard provides meaningful insights on the portfolio performance. I have personally switched all my existing SIP's to this platform & this is my RECOMMENDATION. Here is the link - https://kuvera.in/With gaining popularity, many other platforms have opened up which offer direct plans. EvenPayTm has announced a new mutual fund investment platform to be launched soon. Read - Will Paytm's foray into mutual funds shake up the industry?Unless you need an agent or distributor to guide you, Go DIRECT!!Follow our website Mutual Funds Wiki or Facebook/Twitter page to get regular updates on best long term investment strategies -Facebook - Mutual Funds WikiTwitter - Mutual Funds WikiHappy Investing!!

I see that this question has been replied by a lot of people over the past one year and I would like to share my experience. I applied for the transcripts in Kurukshetra University for my PR Application on 21st November,2018 and received them on 21st December,2018 by post at home address.(Pls read important note at the end of this post regarding WES).Hope my experience will help somebody.Few things which you should get ready with, before going to Kurukshetra University for applying for transcripts and submitting form.Get the printout of transcript application form.Fill in the details. Apart from point 10 on page 1, you can easily fill the rest. For your registration no. , see top right side of your marksheet. In point no.5 , write only about the final year of each course you did, Roll no. of which is on your final year marksheet as well as your degree (top right corner).Carry 1 set of photocopies of your marksheets (all years/semesters) and your degree if you want one transcript. Multiply this no. for the no. of transcripts required. e.g. if you want 4 transcripts , carry four sets of photocopies.*Backside of your marksheet also needs to be photocopied and that too on the back of your front page photocopy (not on a separate page) i.e. both sides of marksheets need to be photocopied on one page- back and front.My advice is to always carry one or two extra sets so that in case any of your photocopy isn't proper, you give another one.Don't worry even if you don't want to carry, there is a photocopy shop in the campus, in case you miss on something.Remember to not to self attest any photocopy.Carry on photocopy of ID( driving license or aadhaar card). This has to be self attested.I took my original certificates with me but they didn't ask for it. So, it's your choice.Now the next steps of process will be at the University. Once you signNow there, ask guard or any student for the examination wing. They will guide you.For transcripts, you need to go to Examination wing-2, room no. 100, which is on the third floor of that building.I got there only to find out that I first need to the pay the fees in administration wing online via ATM Card or in the campus OBC bank and get the form attested by superintendent.So, if you're aware of the fees that you need to pay, it's better to pay first , get a receipt , get the form attested and after that go for form submission in Room no. 100.For payment of fees, it's advisable to pay in admin wing instead of OBC bank in campus. Long queues will unnecessarily delay the process.For attestation, you will find a superintendent in the administration block (same block where you paid fees online through ATM Card). If the superintendent is not on leave you will easily find one on the first floor itself. In my case , I had to go to third floor to find a superintendent who could attest my form. His signature/ seal is required on page 2 of your transcript application form.In this whole process, beware of lunch timings.For the officers who process online fees, lunch is at 1pm. For exam wing people, it was mentioned 1.30P.M to 2 P.M. But when I went, this officer took break at 1.15 P.M and came back at 2.10 pm.About the fees, it's Rs. 200 per document+ postal charges (I personally found it expensive for additional transcripts).So , if you did a 3year degree then you need to pay Rs. 200*4 + postal charges (50/200) for your one transcript, meaning thereby if you're getting it posted to your home address then it will cost Rs. 850 per transcript.I did a two years Masters degree so I had two marksheets and one degree for transcript, totaling to Rs. 650 per transcript.This payment receipt is to be pasted on second page of form . Pasted not stapled.(You can find glue easily near Room no. 100)You also need to sign the form. It's written in the form that you need to sign in front of the officer but it's not mandatory.Now your work is almost done , go to Room no. 100 exam wing 2 for submission. The officer will check your form and give you a serial no. for tracking the document. Note it down fast .In my case , he also gave me a big envelope to write my address where I wanted to get my transcripts and staple my form with that envelope. ( I ordered for more than one transcripts)I will update my answer ,once I get my transcripts or there is any progress. It might take 15 days or more. Hope it helps!Edit 1: Received my transcripts on 21.12.2018Important Note: Now WES only accepts transcripts sent directly from the University for evaluation. So, if you have already applied, make it a point to go back to University and post from their post office or the nearest post office.Edit 2: Sent my transcripts through University by going to Kurukshetra University Post office and posting the transcript to WES. Speed post charges: Rs.1392/- .Edit:02.01.2019 - Watch this video for better understanding :-) . Hope it serves the purpose.Edit: 01.03.2019 - I received my WES Report on 26.02.2019 (soft copy) and hard copy on 1.03.2019. The whole process went smoothly but it took slightly more time than expected.

I will describe my personal experience here.I applied through NVSP in December, 2016. At that time, the portal was not up to the mark and they did not have the 4 step tracking process. So, even after waiting for 10 months, I did not get any response.In the meantime, one of my friends applied in April, 2017 and got the voter id card by August, 2017.So, I applied again in October, 2017. This time I got the reference number and the 4 step tracking status. The BLO was appointed in December, 2017 and the field verification was done in a couple of days. Although, the time taken for verification depends on the staff available and your locality.Make sure that you have the photo copies of the documents that you submitted and 2 photographs. I expected that they would get these from the scanned copies submitted with the form but I had to again give them separate photo copies.The person who came for verification has told me that I will get the card by January, 2018.So overall, it will probably take around 3 months for me to get the card from the date of my application.Update: I received an SMS from ECI regarding acceptance of my application about 5 days after field verification. Now all 4 steps in the tracking process are complete.

Nope... The amount of security provided prior to 9/11 was perfectly adequate.The changes since that time have all been "security theater;" activities designed to create the illusion of improved security without actually improving security. You can google dead simple ways to bypass all the TSA "security."Consider that the TSA has never apprehended a single terrorist, never discovered an attempted terrorist attack, and never unraveled a terrorist plot in progress; not even once. Other groups do all that; CIA, FBI, ICE, DHS, etc.Worse yet DHS agents were able to get dummy weapons and explosives past TSA agents 95% of the time!!! So if 20 armed terrorists go into an airport 19 of them will probably make it to their airplanes...There's a security researcher who has a blog that details how easy it is to build weapons in US airports using only things he buys in gift shops after the security screening. He tried to warn TSA but they just ignored/threatened him for making trouble.This is his "Blunderbusiness Class"That's right boys and girls you can build a shotgun in an airport using things available from the shops after the security checkpoints.Most idiotic of all:Every time I see this sign I think of Hermonie Granger saying "Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself."I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but a sign promoting fear and threatening law abiding citizens who dare to exercise their 1st amendment rights is exactly the kind thing you'd only expect to see if the TSA knew that their screening process was totally ineffective nonsense; gotta stop those rational dissenting opinions from being voiced and keep people afraid.

MBA after engineering is like “Shadi ka laddu”जो करे वो पछताए, जो ना करे वो भी पछताए। (Hindi close equivalent of “grass is always greener on the other side”).Jokes apart, this is the reality for majority of people.When students get into engineering most of them entered without knowing what they like or what they want to do for the rest of their lives. When engineering got over, most have still not figured this out, so they get into a job or go for further studies. There are two obvious higher studies choices post engineering - MS from US or MBA. Some go for M.Tech. i can safely say that majority of the students have still not figured out what they want to do for the rest of their lives. However by the end of engineering and for those who join some job, in first couple of years of their career, people vaguely identify what they are good at and what they don't like.Some advantages of MBA after Engineering:MBA stresses on building soft skills, which is one of the most important life skillMBA buys two more years for people to figure where they want to take their future lives. There are some for whom MBA is an answer to killing some more time, to avoid getting married, or running away from responsibilities for a little while longer.MBA becomes pivotal in opening up alternate career paths for many who completed engineering grudgingly, or got bored of corporate job as an engineer.Some people who do executive MBA or a short term MBA along with their jobs, do it to skill themselves in areas that will help them grow further.My personal opinion is that an Engineer MBA does exceptionally well in individual contributor role.If after MBA someone joins a job in the same domain as her engineering degree, they gain respect of others and become productive and effective much faster.What are the disadvantages of MBA post Engineering:If someone did her engineering grudgingly then it was a waste of 1 year. A year could have been saved if she went for a 3 year degree instead of 4.An MBA in Finance after CA or Bcom is better than after engineeringAn MBA in HR is probably better after BBA rather than post engineeringMBA in operations can signNowly benefit from an engineering degreeGeneral MBA is equally good after any graduationMBA in sales and marketing doesn't specifically benefit from engineering unless post MBA job requies technical know howMBA after engineering is not a waste of engineering degree as many people and this questions make it sound. Its fine for people to take a little longer to identify what suits them and what makes them work. Everybody should strive to reduce this period to as short as possible.

Anti Brahminism movements in Tamil Nadu which sparked off Dravidian politics in the 1900s was actually a political movement more than a religious movement.We need to understand, though Brahmins were always the upper caste community almost everywhere in India, they weren’t a dominant political class in many parts of the country. They may have used their caste respect to dominate the political class or influence them. But hardly they ever ruled the land.The best example we can take is Chanakya -Chandragupta Maurya. The entire episode of dethroning Dhananandhas and crowning a commoner like Chandragupta Maurya was orchestrated by a Brahmin- Chanakya. Had he wished, he could have easily become the King with Chandragupta as his commander. Yet he didn’t. The social customs prevailing in India since then were not so good for Brahmins to become the political leaders, though they often meddled in politics as spiritual advisers or thro’ proxy rules etc.However, things were bit different in Tamil Nadu. During the era of Tamil Empires like Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas, Pallavas, Brahmin community were mostly worked as spiritual advisors, priests etc rather actively involved in hardcore politics. However, with the collapse of the Pandya Dynasty, there was a long period of Power vacuum, leading to several outsiders like Vijayanagara Nayaks, Delhi Sultanate forces, Marathas fighting for political dominance in Tamil speaking land. There were extreme cases of political fragmentation in this period. Towards the 17th century, Marathas started dominating the political space of Tamil Nadu, particularly Thanjavur area. It’s in this time period that the Brahmins in the area started gaining a lot of political authority as Maratha rulers patronized Brahmins in political spaces. They were well versed in Vedas, highly shrewd which was something adored by Marathas in a big way. The political acumen combined with the ability to adapt to any surroundings much faster, slowly pushed Tamil Brahmin (Tambram) community to be a dominant political force.When English took over, the Tamil Brahmins were first to accept them, learn English and act as an intermediary. The fast learning cult and intelligence slowly helped Tamil Brahmins to occupy the highest levels of positions that any Indian could achieve in the British Era. There was absolute political domination by Tamil Brahmin, which actually led politically conscious educated Tamilians to spark off Anti Brahmanism concept with the rise of Dravidian politics in the early 1900s. That's simply because even educated Tamilians in the 1900s were not able to compete with highly intelligent/shrewd TamBrahms, thus losing many opportunities. It must be noted, the entire Madras Presidency unit of Indian National Congress was mostly dominated by Tamil Brahmins. This could be the main reason that drew many Youngsters to rising Dravidian Movement that pushed the concept that Tambrams were Aryans and outsiders to Tamil Nadu and Tamil Land must be for its original inhabitants- the Dravidians.Typical Tamil Iyer family of 1940s who held higher positions in the societyTam Brahms also practised a strict racial purity, by which they rarely married outside their caste and constantly maintained the genetics without mixing with other castes. This often led to underlying many pseudo-Racial concepts prevailing in that era, when much fairer TamBrahms got superior positions than black Dravidians (Tamilians), especially when Britishers believed in such concepts and TamBrahms being their colleagues or partners.Now contrary to Tamil Nadu, in Kerala, the local Brahmin community was called Nampoothiris and they rarely got involved in political administration. Their focus was completely maintaining the sanctity and continuity of priestly tantric rites, Vedic rites etc in temples. Secondly, unlike Tamil Brahmins, Nampoothiris of Kerala were more laid back and less shrewd. In majority cases, they were often mocked for their naivety and stupidity leading to the development of a branch of humour called Namboothiri Phalithangal much like Sardarji Jokes cult.Nampoothiris were noted for their priestly duties, particularly for their strict observations of Vedic era sacrifices and yajnasThere was a reason for this. Nampoothiris were mostly landlord community and earned a lot from the huge land-banks they held. So they weren’t much ambitious to be into politics as such.Another crucial factor was the Nampoothiris were very few in number. The land conservancy and prevention of partition of resources within family lead Nampoothiris to practise Sambabdam culture with Matrilineal communities like Nairs, Kshatriyas etc. This means in a very large Nampoothiri Joint family, only the eldest male had the right to marry a Nampoothiri woman and produce Nampoothiri off-springs. Rest every single male of the family had only LIVE-IN RELATIONSHIPs (Sambandam) with Nairs or Kshatriyas, which means, the children born to such relationship weren’t seen as Nampoothiris (Brahmins), rather they inherit their mother’s caste in accordance to Matrilineal law. So Nampoothiris as such were too small in number to actually dominate a political theatre, unlike Tamil Brahmins.Secondly, this sort of matrilineal relationship made Nampoothiris always piggyback on the Nair community. Nampoothiris always maintain a symbiotic relationship with Nairs/Kshatriya or similar communities. This relationship gave Nairs a sense of upper caste superiority (as many among them believed they had Brahmin blood) in Brahminical order. So in the Kerala context, Nairs started dominating every sphere of political order while Nampoothiris being just influencer. This means, unlike Tambrams who were seen as flagbearers of Brahminical culture in TN, in Kerala, its Nairs/Ambalavasis/Kshatriyas who were seen as forerunners of this Brahminical culture rather Nampoothiris themselves.The relationship worked like this. Nampoothiris who believed they owned the entire land (remember the Parasurama Myth) gave ritualistic authority to rule the land to Nairs/Kshatriyas who in-return gave protection and preservation of Nampoothiri properties and resources apart from personal sexual pleasures.So Nampoothiris never interfered into politics or public affairs. They restricted themselves to temple rituals and sacred sacrifices. Nampoothiris never scaled themselves to any profession lower to their social dignity in past. There weren’t any Nampoothiris clerks or peons or assistants even in Royal palaces, while Tambrams worked even as peons/assistants/cooks (in brahmin hotels) etc in TN. So in Madras Presidency, TamBrams were omnipresent in every sphere of life, even though they were a minority. They always tried to restrict others from entering into the sector and tried to monopolize the sector into their sphere of influence.One best example visibly seen is Carnatic Music sector. In TN, traditional music was fully dominated by TamBrams and few limited temple musician castes. Others were denied to learn this art. This even exists today in many subtle ways in TN, which were often highlighted in many documentaries. A recent Tamil Movie - Sarvam Thaala Mayam has its key storyline based on this attitudeFor Brahmins, by Brahmins: How (and why) Carnatic music became such an elite preoccupationRevisiting Caste Through Karnatic Music | NewsClickCasteism & Dominance Of Brahmins In The Tamil Music IndustryThe trailer of Sarvam Thala Mayam which have scenes how protagonist being a Christian being mocked and excluded from learning Carnatic Music by Brahmin communityOn the contrary, in Kerala, Nampoothiris or Brahmins never monopolized this sector. Carnatic Music in Kerala was learnt and performed by many castes including Non-Hindus. Remember, Kerala’s most celebrated musician- Yesudas who is hailed as Ganagandharvan (celestial musician) is a Christian. His father Augustine Bhagavatar was an empanelled Royal Musician in the court of Kochi Maharajas and regularly performed in various temples etc.So if you don’t dominate and monopolize a sector, why should there be anger against you?Essentially there was anger against Brahminical casteist order in Kerala in the 1900s. It led to Kerala Renaissance and collapse of feudal order in the state. But essentially it wasn’t targetted at any specific Hindu caste/community group, thanks to the unique community history of Kerala.However, specific to this question, there was indeed an Anti-Brahmin Dravidian Movement in Kerala since 1870s. But it was against Tamil Brahmins of Kerala, not against Kerala’s native Brahmins- Nampoothiris.If we look, Tamil Brahmins do dominate every sector they been to. They were expectational quick learners and over generations of doing various trades ranging from cooking to management, their later generations have genetically inherited those traits.If we look today, a majority of Chartered Accountants or Company secretaries or many key management professionals especially in TN are Tamil Brahmins. Why so? For generations, they have been handling accounts, managing stately matters, politics etc, so such traits got so ingrained into their community psyche. Hardly you see Nampoothiri Chartered Accountants or similar Management experts which if so will be minuscule.Since 12th century, Tamil Brahmins did migrate to border areas of Kerala, particularly Palakkad and Trivandrum and quickly settled across Kerala. Due to their faster assimilation skills, they effectively became Malayalee Iyers (who identify themselves as Keralites, though speak Tamil). As they were superbly skilled, they soon found themselves in various administrative services of the state. However, untill 18th century, rarely they rose to key positions of the kingdom, as much were under Nair control. Ofcourse exceptions like Ramayya Dalawa who helped King Marthanda Varma in consolidating and expanding Travancore Kingdom etc do exist.However in general Tamil Brahmins weren’t in key positions. But the failed revolt of 1809 against British by Velu Thampi Dalawa of Travancore and Paliath Achan of Cochin (both being Nair Prime Ministers of respective states) changed the concept completely. Englishers didn’t want Nairs or Malayalees to be key positions of Travancore-Cochin Kingdoms and abolished the post of Dalawa (Prime Minister) which were replaced by Diwanship. Majority of Diwans were English nominated Tamil Brahmins, primarily because they can speak English better and have a direct loyalty to Englishers more than to respective sovereign monarchs of these kingdoms.Ever since that, it was mostly Tamil Brahmins or Kannadiga Brahmins who became Diwans of Travancore and Kochi. The rise of Tambrams into the key administrative position of the state led to the typical monopolization of Tambrams into state administrative services. Most of the Peshkars (Secretaries of the State), senior court officials, as well as Judicial services in both Kingdoms, were held by Tambrams and rarely Malayalees got into state administrative services. Even so, they will be sidelined often and will remain to junior echelons. Other than few hereditary positions, the royal court of Travancore and Kochi were mostly filled with Tamil Brahmins and Kannadiga Brahmins.This led to the rise of an Anti-Brahmin movement in Kerala in the 1880s, though it wasn’t as widespread as in TN. This movement was restricted within educated youngsters of upper castes like Nairs, Christians, Muslims etc who decided to protest against the upper hand of Tambrams in Administrative services of Travancore. This lead to the submission of Malayalee Memorial of 1891, the first mass petition signed by 10028 Malayalee professionals to the Maharaja of Travancore seeking equal and fair employment to Malayalees of all caste and creed and restricting the direct appointments made to Tamil Brahmins. This was soon followed by Ezhava Memorial of 1896 seeking the appointment of Ezhavas (lower castes) into Travancore Administrative services based on merit.Though no solid action was taken against these petitions, the Royal family and the King got aware of the problem and felt the need to address the issue slowly.This lead to the expansion of Travancore Legislature (Niyamasabha) in a big way. From a small consultative body formed in 1888 (India’s first Native Legislature), Niyamasabha was expanded to an elected body in 1905. This means, there was a wider consultative body comprising of Malayalees who formulate draft laws and pass resolutions to advise the King, thus reducing the absolute clout of Tambrams in the Royal Durbar.So as since 1936, Travancore established a Royal Public Service Commission (which became Kerala Public Service Commission of today) for public recruitments to state services without any caste or creed or religion. This means, more and more Malayalees entered into Travancore Administrative Services (TAS), thus slowly reducing the Tambram clout.Another key fact was the public anger against Tambram clout in Travancore slowly converted into anger against Diwan C. P. Ramaswami Iyer. Sir CP carried a perfect image of autocratic-shrewd Tamil brahmin who doesn’t mind taking power in his hand fully disrespecting other branches of government. He was the personified form of typical TamBram power domination and autocracy for the majority in Kerala. So the inherent anti-TamBram movement in Kerala among Malayalees effectively became an anti-Diwan movement. And guess what, the only key supporters of Diwan Sir CP in Kerala was Tambrams. So it justifies the conversion of a movement against a community into opposition against a personality.Diwan Sir CPAnd that worked. Much of Malayalees were deeply opposed to Diwan Sir CP and it fuelled for the rise of Communism in Travancore which led to a failed assassination attempt against Diwan and his flee from the state that resulted in Travancore’s accession into India. And it must be noted, Diwan Sir CP was the last Tamil Brahmin who ruled the state. The departure of Sir CP almost demolished the monopoly of Tamil Brahmins in State services and today they are just one among many communities. As I said before, Tambrams have exceptional skills to adjust to the local context, also shed their dominating tendencies after the collapse of Tamil Diwanship in Kerala.So that anger element completely subdued in Kerala and today we consider Tambrams just like any other community. They are indeed exceptionally skilled, but not over-dominating as they used to be in past.\The conversion of anti-Tambram attitudes more into opposition to personality cult and the rise of Kerala renaissance has effectively negated the evolution of any political parties based on hatrance against any community.It must be noted, in TN, even after Independence, the state was initially ruled by powerful Tamil Brahmins of Indian National Congress which helped to create a Dravidian Narrative in TN Politics. It must be noted, even Jayalalitha who ruled TN untill recently was a Tambram.Such a situation didn’t rise in Kerala at all. In the last 72 years of history, we had just one Brahmin who became the CM of Kerala-E. M. S. Namboodiripad. Of course EMS came to power in his identity as Marxist Guru and veteran leader of CPM, not as Nampoothiri. So effectively Kerala never had a Brahmin domination as such that make people to oppose.The caste tyranny of feudalistic order wasn’t just limited to Brahmins, rather to entire upper caste society where Nairs/Kshatriyas have faced more opposition. But as Kerala renaissance came to reform every single caste, it became a collective reformation, rather blaming everything against one particular caste for all the ills of society.

I didn't have time to gather all the facts so forgive me for being so brief but here it goes:“Within his first week, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse. http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money. http://n.pr/hcgBn1On his first full day, he froze White House salaries for the duration of the Great Recession.http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIxHe appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending and efficiency. http://www.cio.govHe committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems and signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, in an attempt to limit waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting systems. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1http://bit.ly/fz8GAdHe created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. http://bit.ly/hwKhKaSigned an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to review all federal regulations and remove any unnecessary and/or burdensome regulations from the books.http://1.usa.gov/Lpo5bdDismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby cutting ties between energy companies and the government. http://nyti.ms/bw1MLuBanned gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACNBanned anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years and placed strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House. http://nyti.ms/gOrznVHeld the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgXBecame the first president to stream every White House event, live.http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5Established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities.http://www.serve.govRestored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews, giving the public greater access to historic White House documents, and curtails the use of executive privilege to shield them. http://1.usa.gov/gUetLbImproved the Freedom of Information Act and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent when processing FOIA requests. http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2Streamline the Department of Education’s procurement policies and made them more transparent. http://bit.ly/1r9oQvhProvided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7Signed a law to completely reform NSA Data Collection program and keep phone records in the hands of the phone company. http://bit.ly/1dG34vDStaved Off a Bush Depression, Improved the EconomyPushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as “the stimulus package.” He also launched http://recovery.gov, a website that allows taxpayers to track spending from the Act. http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSshttp://1.usa.gov/e3BJMkBy the end of his first year, the economy created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy by 3.5%. http://reut.rs/i46CEEHe created the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan and forced banks and other entities to pay back virtually all of the bailout money.http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVShttp://bit.ly/eCNrD6He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan. http://1.usa.gov/goy6zlIn 2010, more jobs were created than had been created during Bush’s eight years.http://bit.ly/hrrnjYHe pushed through and implemented an auto industry rescue plan that saved as many as 1 million jobs and possibly the entire auto industry.http://bit.ly/ibhpxrhttp://bit.ly/gj7mt5Through his investment in GM, returned to the company to its place as the premiere car company in the world. http://lat.ms/zIJuQxIn February 2016, GM was in such good financial shape, they gave a share of the profit to each worker, with checks up to $11,000. http://detne.ws/1mk7JryDoubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, to improve manufacturing efficiency. http://bit.ly/eYD4nfIncreased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOwSigned the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which helped millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures and provided $2.2 billion to combat homelessness and stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/eEpLFnSigned an Executive Order creating jobs immediately by instructing them to reduce the time needed for review and permitting of infrastructure projects. http://1.usa.gov/GHxaYtThrough the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery. http://bit.ly/dZgXXw http://bit.ly/gORYfLPlayed a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost. http://1.usa.gov/ez30DWith Congressional Democrats, provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWRChina’s largest manufacturer, Foxconn, is building a large plant in Pennsylvaniahttp://cnnmon.ie/1k7LT4SWorked with Apple Computer to get them to build more product here, and thecompany is building two large plants to manufacture products here; one in Texashttp://zd.net/1nkpt2O and one in Arizona http://bit.ly/1mXY5VgCreated an institute to invest in more manufacturing jobs in the technology fields of the future. http://nyti.ms/1egyXrVOrdered all federal contractors to pay a minimum wage of $10.10 per hour, leading the way to a national increase. http://wapo.st/1iaU5kdOrdered the completion of the International Trade Data System, a digital trade record book, by 2016. This move will streamline and simplify the process through which small- and medium-sized businesses set up the export of US goods. http://bit.ly/1nwSRF4Specific Examples of Economic ImprovementAs of January 2016, a record 64 consecutive months of overall job growth.http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQAs of January 2016, Unemployment drops below 5% for the first time in eight years and without a signNow bubble. 4.9% http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQAs of January 2016, there have been 71 consecutive months of private sector job growth. http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQSince February 2010, when job numbers hit their lowest point, 13.7 non-farm jobs have been created. http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/C... (Republican budget cuts reduced public employment by about 700,000)Oversaw a reduction in the federal budget deficit by two-thirds since taking office.http://bit.ly/1xKMmjYReduced the federal budget deficit from 9.8% of GDP in Fiscal Year 2009 under Bush, to 2.9% of GDP in FY 2014. http://www.cbo.gov/publication/4...Scolds Congress and gets passed a $305 billion highways bill, which will have the added benefit of created hundreds of thousands of new jobs and creating incentives for green cars. http://bit.ly/1NsL2ZqAddressed Wrongdoing in the Financial SectorSigned the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown. http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money. http://huff.to/eAi9QqAlong with Congressional Democrats, pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression.http://bit.ly/hWCPg0http://bit.ly/geHpcDCreated and implemented rules to reduce the influence of speculators in the oil market.http://bit.ly/MDnA1tCreated and implemented rules so banks can no longer use depositors’ money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against depositors’ interests. http://bit.ly/fnTayjSupported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation.http://bit.ly/fnTayjEndorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes. http://bit.ly/esOdfB http://bit.ly/eG4DPMNegotiated a deal with Swiss banks permitting the US government to gain access to bank records of criminals and tax evaders. http://bit.ly/htfDgwSigned the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, closing many of the loopholes that allowed companies to send jobs overseas, and avoid paying US taxes by moving money offshore. http://1.usa.gov/bd1RTqThanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, inflation in the healthcare sector dropped to its lowest point in 50 years. http://on.wsj.com/1E6cYjFImproved Conditions for Consumers and Small BusinessesSigned the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcSGuided the housing market all the way back from total collapse, which led to a rally for housing starts. http://reut.rs/1NTAOVU http://reut.rs/1NTAOVUBrought airline industry back to their highest profitability since before the recession. http://lat.ms/1O8H1iEBlocked a monopolistic merger of Staples and Office Depot, to preserve at least some competition. http://bit.ly/1kcY2KvStock market has signNowed record highs, restoring most of the economic losses felt during the Bush Recession. http://bit.ly/1z4FAtLCreated and Implemented the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau http://1.usa.gov/j5onG http://bit.ly/fnTayjConsumer confidence continues to inch up to its highest level more than a decade.http://bit.ly/1PZLRcKInitiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses. http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0bCreated BusinessUSA, to allow online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with U.S. Small Business Administration.) http://www.business.govTook steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7Used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eVCrafted and signed an executive order establishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNEOversaw the most sweeping food safety legislation since the Great Depression.http://thedc.com/gxkCtPThrough the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, extended the False Claims Act to combat fraud by companies and individuals using money from TARP and Stimulus programs. http://bit.ly/SLTcSaSet up rules for banks in handling legal marijuana money. http://nyti.ms/1b80o2KAdded greater protections to consumer financial transactions to reduce identity theft.http://1.usa.gov/1pjfUFqTook steps to prevent pirate fishing and protect fish populations, and ordered stricter labeling requirements on labeling of seafood products in stores. http://1.usa.gov/1BYhTUnSigned the RAISE Act, which should encourage more people to open small businesses and help improve the economy. http://bit.ly/1QhTqkFSigned a bill that allows low-volume vehicle manufacturers that will increase entrepreneurship among small car manufacturers, who often build replicas of classics but who often build green vehicles. http://bit.ly/1QhTqkFStrengthened the Middle Class and Fought PovertyWorked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families.http://bit.ly/fNfidSThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, cut taxes for 95% of America’s working families. http://bit.ly/eSEI4FTax rates for average working families are the lowest since 1950. http://bit.ly/f74pD8Extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years.http://bit.ly/eFeSdPExtended discounted health coverage under the COBRA health insurance law for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s also extended unemployment benefits more than a few times. http://aol.it/evtVxDhttp://nyti.ms/emrqKJhttp://bit.ly/hOtIpg http://bit.ly/fTT7kzProvided a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyMSigned an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs.http://wapo.st/eWECA8Included the Buffet Rule in his 2014 budget proposal, in order to fulfill a campaign promise to make sure tax rates are fair between the rich and the middle class. http://1.usa.gov/19PkdQoUsed the fiscal cliff negotiations to extend for five additional years the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which provides tax credits to families for college-related expenses, thus saving those families up to $10,000. http://onforb.es/17zYg3uIncreased protections for the unemployed who are seeking a government job.http://1.usa.gov/1jgXATuUpdated and modernized overtime regulations under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) http://1.usa.gov/1iGDO8eSigned and implemented the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, to improve nutrition in schools and make children healthier. http://1.usa.gov/GAXkSkTo make college more affordable and accountable, will begin rating colleges with regard to affordability and value. http://bit.ly/14Dn7ULInitiated a reform of federal job training programs, to make them more relevant to the current economy and the job market. http://1.usa.gov/1kZLQHGUnder Obama, the bottom 95% of taxpayers pay lower federal income taxes than at any time in the last 50 years, including under Reagan, or either Bush. http://bit.ly/1w1W8NsSigned a presidential memorandum authorizing six weeks paid leave for all federal employees with a new baby and encouraged Congress to do the same for all workers. http://bit.ly/18613XA2014 marked the first time since 1984 that unemployment dropped in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 1.usa.gov/1E25u0CTook steps to improve workplace safety by creating an Advisory Board to study workers’ exposure to toxic substances. http://1.usa.gov/1M4s8IGChanged overtime rules to make it far more difficult for employers to avoid paying overtime to workers. http://politi.co/1KHfiBeChanged rules for federal contractors, guaranteeing that all workers earn paid leave; this should affect about 300,000 workers. http://1.usa.gov/1LcHZWlNegotiated a law to finally replace “No Child Left Behind” and remove much of the onerous government “oversight” that caused children to stagnate, not improve, academically. http://bit.ly/1Up9pMlAddressed Civil Rights and EqualityFormed a commission to examine and make recommendations for fixing the broken voting system. http://wapo.st/16K0DAt a press conference August 9, 2013, gave up a small measure of executive power, promising to create adversarial process in FISA regarding NSA surveillance.http://1.usa.gov/1dQmnyQProposed rules to enhance Fair Housing Laws, to give HUD and other enforcement agencies more enforcement power. http://bit.ly/1qkz4uQOrdered a review of capital punishment policies after several botched executions.http://nyti.ms/RDJp58Appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0Concentrated immigration enforcement on those who commit crimes, and vowed to stop breaking up families. http://1.usa.gov/1uTZ8gVStreamlined the visa process, to make it more responsive and humane for those who want to be here legally. http://1.usa.gov/1tgDRtiTook steps to tighten the reins when it comes to providing local law enforcement agencies with military-style equipment and exercising more control over the equipment they receive. http://1.usa.gov/1ATWV3KChanged fair housing rules to make more affordable housing available to more people. http://cnn.it/1JcR3qBHelped Democrats in Congress pass and signed the Civil Rights History Act.http://bit.ly/th0JC8Established the White House Council of Native American Affairs, to improve government-to-government relations with Native American nations. http://1.usa.gov/1cIEeEvLimited local police acquisitions of military-style equipment, to reduce the likelihood of overkill. http://n.pr/1NGkBjTSigned Blue Alert Law, which provides police officers with more information when they are threatened. http://bit.ly/1NGksgaImproved Workers’ RightsHe issued final rules that require all employers to prominently post employees’ rights where all employees or prospective employees can see it, including all websites and intranets.http://1.usa.gov/qu2EhQObama’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission clarified and strengthened rules prohibiting discrimination against pregnant workers. http://alj.am/1mo0kjVRequired companies who bid on federal contracts larger than $500,000 to publicly disclose all previous violations of labor law, including unpaid claims for back wages. http://1.usa.gov/V54qY3Made it illegal for federal contractors with more than $1 million in contracts to force employees into arbitration in workplace discrimination accusations. http://1.usa.gov/V54qY3Vetoed Republican bill that would have blocked new NLRB rules that were designed to speed up the time it takes workers to unionize. http://reut.rs/1agujMO He also added a Memorandum of Disagreement to make his reasons for the veto clear and made a major statement in support of unions. http://1.usa.gov/1NG7RuACracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor. http://nyti.ms/fOGLcjProtected the Rights of Gay PeopleSigned and implemented the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7Oversaw and implemented the repeal of the reprehensible “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy.http://bit.ly/fdahuHhttp://bit.ly/mZV4PzExtended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCjAppointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history. http://bit.ly/g1lA7DAppointed first openly transgender Cabinet Official in History. http://bit.ly/58zUp7Advocated that United Nations adopt a policy supporting gay rights worldwide.http://lat.ms/pQe1RSAs soon as the Supreme Court invalidated the Defense of Marriage Act, he moved to extend federal benefits to same-sex couples. http://wapo.st/1avDjueIssued an order requiring hospitals to allow visitation by same-sex couples.http://reut.rs/llNJekChanged HUD rules to prohibit gender and sexual orientation-based discrimination in housing bit.ly/9RxEnPChanged his mind and publicly expressed support for same-sex marriage.http://bit.ly/JsiFKpIssued a Presidential Memorandum reaffirming the rights of gay couples to make medical decisions for each other. http://1.usa.gov/aUueGTAppointed several prominent gay athletes and others, and plans to show US government’s commitment to gay rights to anti-gay Russia. http://on.cpsj.com/1fckN9hDepartment of Agriculture propagated new rules to better enforce non-discrimination when it comes to USDA investigations and to extend non-discrimination to gender identity. http://bit.ly/1yChJhiBanned all federal contractors from discriminating against gay workers. http://1.usa.gov/1ok1gfHPersevered with his campaign to turn “gay marriage” into “marriage” and won in the Supreme Court. http://cbsloc.al/1M4qLKbImproved Conditions for WomenEstablishing the White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider the effect of their policies and programs on women and families. http://bit.ly/e1puTk http://1.usa.gov/rFfqMMImplemented the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which restored basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. http://bit.ly/fT3CxgEliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and rescinded the global gag rule. http://bit.ly/eCFAI1 http://bit.ly/f92drFImproved the Paycheck Fairness Act, making it possible for employees to talk about their salaries without retaliation, and ordering salary data collection, so as to make it harder for employers to pay women less. http://huff.to/1nwVOWfSigned an Executive Order pledging support for efforts to end the global problem of violence against women and girls. http://1.usa.gov/MHTRVUShattered another glass ceiling by naming Janet Yellen chair of the Federal Reserve beginning Feb. 1, 2014. http://usat.ly/1gqMBfkExpanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0xOrdered companies with 100 employees or more to disclose pay data based on race and gender, to address the pay gap. http://theatln.tc/1Q04XPLAddressed Criminal Justice Failings and the Gun CultureMade signNow reductions in drug sentencing guidelines for current prisoners. http://n.pr/1mWBLkMOversaw the first drop in the federal prison population in 32 years. http://bit.ly/1B5h8rWIncreased his use of clemency to release thousands of non-violent drug offenders from prison. http://nyti.ms/1KE8DJGOrdered a ban on solitary confinement for juvenile offenders in federal prisons.http://bit.ly/20ObRzATook executive action to promote smart gun technology, to make them safer.http://1.usa.gov/1RhK1tUAfter a failure by Congress to act, proposed executive orders to create more background checks and to fully staff the background check system. http://cnn.it/1JXmUg6Relaxed HIPAA rules enough to allow for more information to be available to the background check system. http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZOrdered the tracing of guns as part of criminal investigations to provide data to researchers. http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZOrder the Justice Department to look at the categories of mental health problems prohibited from owning guns to make sure people aren’t falling through the cracks, getting guns. http://onforb.es/1nUAGw3Expanded the definitions of gun dealers and expanded the information available and required in background checks for firearm purchases. http://bit.ly/1K5aXeeSet up a task force to figure out what other measures can be taken to limit gun violence in the wake of Congressional inaction. http://1.usa.gov/1QjYMGJImproved Treatment of Soldiers and VeteransProvided active combat troops with better body armor. http://bit.ly/hzSv2hCreated a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order http://abcn.ws/1ghLrEshttp://abcn.ws/1ghLrEs to improve the quality of their medical care. http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxWPut an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7QSigned and implemented Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, making more money available to enable better medical care for veterans.http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1With Congressional Democrats, oversaw largest spending increase in 30 years for Department of Veterans Affairs, for improved medical and extended care facilities for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3xImplemented the Green Vet Initiative, which provides special funding to provide veterans with training in green jobs. http://bit.ly/epwUQYInitiated and signed a recruitment and employment plan to get more veterans into government jobs. http://bit.ly/b48coiOversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals. http://bit.ly/gjzTxXSigned the Military Spouses Residency Relief Act, which ensures that spouses of military personnel who are forced to move because their spouse is posted for military duty can avoid state taxes in their temporary residence. http://bit.ly/1Gh0NXOrdered improvements to access to mental health care for veterans, military personnel and their families. http://1.usa.gov/TP7PVZGot Syria to dismantle its chemical weapons without military firing a single shot or dropping a single bomb. http://nyti.ms/1lVEkU7Along with Congressional Democrats, not only reauthorized families of fallen soldiers to be able to visit when the body arrives at Dover AFB, but also provided funding for it. Ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers. Pentagon Will Help Families Travel to Dover http://bbc.in/gWSSkAFunded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. http://1.usa.gov/huhqfoSigned into law a bill that provides support, counseling, and breastfeeding supplies to military moms who are covered under TRICARE, the health insurance provided to veterans. http://bit.ly/1yNxL8OSigned into law a bill that makes it easier for military dogs to retire at home with their handlers. http://bit.ly/1J78Y2UImproved America’s Reputation Around the WorldVisited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office. http://bit.ly/hZycdaAs he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4gMade a speech at a US mosque to demonstrate his commitment to religious rights and send a message to Muslims around the world. http://cnn.it/1PGU1uIRestored America’s reputation around the world as a global leader.http://bit.ly/h743y7http://bit.ly/ho4TCrRe-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDjClosed a number of secret detention facilities. http://nyti.ms/rpUc9lImproved relations with Middle East countries by appointing special envoys.http://1.usa.gov/tiGAGePushed forward the first realistic Middle East peace strategy in more than a decade, without abandoning the two-state solution. http://wapo.st/1avystePushed for military to emphasize greater development of foreign language skills. http://bit.ly/AxUCLVOffered $400 million to the people living in Gaza, while calling on both Israel and the Palestinians to stop inciting violence. http://bit.ly/9axfWhRefused to give Israel the green light to attack Iran over their possible nuclear program.http://bit.ly/xVmSZKOrdered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, although blocked by Congress.http://bit.ly/eW6CVFOrdered a review of our detention and interrogation policy and prohibited the use of “enhanced interrogation.” http://bit.ly/g6MTuCOrdered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed.http://bbc.in/h6N9axReleased the Bush torture memos. http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0On his second day in office, banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies and put the US in full compliance with the Geneva Convention.http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zvehttp://nyti.ms/hzWWysIn response to the emerging “Arab Spring,” he created a Rapid Response fund, to assist emerging democracies with foreign aid, debt relief, technical assistance and investment packages in order to show that the United States stands with them. http://bit.ly/zfmGv9Ended the F-22 program, saving $4 billion. Though the 187 aircraft cost $358 million each to build, it had never flown a combat mission. http://slate.me/PYzmzTPassed the Iran Sanctions Act, to prevent war and encourage the Iranian government to give up their nuclear program. http://1.usa.gov/wLtNjbEnded the Iraq War. http://tgr.ph/ru0tySWorked to keep our withdrawal from Afghanistan on track, despite GOP opposition.http://reut.rs/1cIOsF1 Reiterated that commitment in 2014.http://nyti.ms/1exnmRFConducted a secret mission by SEAL Team Six to rescue two hostages held by Somali pirates. http://bit.ly/y8c9FzThrough United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice, helped negotiate a peaceful split of Sudan into two countries, creating an independent South Sudan. http://reut.rs/qzE0TjHelped make donations to Haiti tax deductible in 2009. http://huff.to/6YkAVYEstablished a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. http://1.usa.gov/eX28DPIssued Executive Order blocking interference and helping to stabilize Somalia.http://1.usa.gov/hxdf8UEstablished new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them.http://n.pr/hY3Kwa http://nyti.ms/emQBdeThe new policies in Cuba led to thawed relations and the first US Embassy in Cuba in more than 55 years. http://abcn.ws/1ghLrEsNegotiated a deal with Iran that will prevent them from getting a nuclear weapon anytime soon, without firing a shot or invading the country. http://cnn.it/1M3HpvvAs a result of the Iran agreement, Iran shipped pretty much all of it nuclear material to Russia. http://nyti.ms/1PrzLtyBecame the first US President to visit Jamaica in more than 30 years, worked to restore relations with the country and signed a natural gas distribution agreement with the country. http://bit.ly/1JtpFqiChanged US Approach to “Defense” and National SecurityCreated a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat.http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nEAuthorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2Restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush. http://lat.ms/gkcl3signNowed and got ratification of a new SALT Treaty. http://bit.ly/f3JVtwNegotiated and signed a new START Treaty that will stay in force until at least 2021.http://1.usa.gov/cI1bC4Committed the US to no permanent military bases in Iraq. http://bit.ly/hk73OJDeveloped a comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda, the withdrawal of most troops and the rebuilding of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4XcsRe-focused on Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing troops from the country. http://bit.ly/lNXUnaNegotiated a deal with Afghan government, to withdraw troops and military support, while assisting in rebuilding and modernizing of the country. http://bit.ly/K362anTook steps to severely weaken al Qaeda and limited their ability to terrorize the world.http://yhoo.it/n5lXs6Negotiated and signed a nuclear nonproliferation treaty with India.http://1.usa.gov/aHp0CnWorked with NATO to limit the slaughter of innocents in Libya, so that Libyans could topple the despotic Khadaffy government and determine their own fate.http://aje.me/qAh4SjGot Egyptian President/dictator Mubarak to leave the Egyptian government to the people, to determine their own fate. http://f24.my/efvgNZIn 2011, reoriented American focus from the Middle East to the Asian-Pacific region by simultaneously engaging China and crafting new alliances with Asian countries uncomfortable with Chinese behavior. http://bit.ly/RGlMDiRestored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural disasters successfully. http://bit.ly/h8Xj7zIncreased border security http://bit.ly/1JQDGz9Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden.http://bit.ly/jChpgwEstablished the Homeland Security Partnership Council, to enhance the nation’s ability to “address homeland security priorities, from responding to natural disasters to preventing terrorism, by utilizing diverse perspectives, skills, tools, and resources.”http://1.usa.gov/VJjLXOSigned agreement with Afghanistan to end war, turn security over to Afghans.http://nyti.ms/1xSjgBdBreaking with recent presidential tradition, instead of just attacking Syria in the wake of chemical weapons attacks on Syrians, Obama ordered a full report on the decision-making process. http://cbsn.ws/184RFguInstead of holding hearings and creating a political football, he quietly captured a suspect who actually committed the Benghazi terrorist attack. http://wapo.st/1jFlmzv He is also getting a lot of useful information from the suspect. http://nyti.ms/UfE2KaInstituted rules to order sanctions against individuals and groups that threaten national cybersecurity. http://1.usa.gov/1HWcGMGImproved Education and Educational OpportunitiesThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. http://1.usa.gov/gGRIArCreated the Race to the Top program, which encouraged states to come up with effective school reforms and rewards the best of them. http://bit.ly/NHtZ7LOversaw major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide.http://bit.ly/fNDcj3Oversaw major expansion in school construction. http://bit.ly/fYwNrVThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, put $5 billion into early education, including Head Start. http://1.usa.gov/tzT2RrSigned the Democratic-sponsored Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as GI Bill 2.0, to improve veterans’ access to education. http://bit.ly/hPhG7JOversaw expansion of the Pell Grants program, to expand opportunity for low and middle income students to go to college. http://bit.ly/hI6tXzSigned and implemented the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds. http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUeTook major new steps to protect students from ineffective for-profit colleges through “gainful employment” measures, whereby schools have to demonstrate that its students actually find work to get federal aid. http://1.usa.gov/jkzQe2Repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process, thus us creating greater accountability.http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNqReformed student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate. http://nyti.ms/dMvHOtCreated a rating system for colleges, so that those applying for student financial aid know better what they’re paying for. http://bit.ly/14Dn7ULRestored the Adult View on Science and TechnologyCreated a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making. http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuwOpened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects.http://bit.ly/j0KV2UThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs. http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7Obama EPA reversed research ethics standards which allowed humans to be used as “guinea pigs” in tests of the effects of chemicals, to comply with numerous codes of medical ethics. http://bit.ly/bKgqdSConducted a cyberspace policy review. http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvCProvided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucrOversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use. http://bit.ly/dNTRyPThrough American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs. http://bit.ly/ecQSgAIncreased funding for community-based prevention programs. http://bit.ly/frMPG3Expanded space exploration and discovery options to include more players.http://1.usa.gov/13qmZpmThrough the Connect America Fund, pushed through and received FCC approval for a move of $8 billion in subsidies away from telephone landlines to assist lower-income rural families in accessing broadband. http://lat.ms/vhRUEs http://bit.ly/129V3SYIn the wake of the West Fertilizer tragedy, formed the Chemical Safety and Security Working Group, to work on measures to prevent another such events.http://1.usa.gov/18kHSlAEstablished a Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, a recommendation made by the 9/11 Commission, to coordinate efforts to fight cyber-crime and terrorism. http://1.usa.gov/1A0aEoSThe Obama FCC, with his leadership, adopted strong net neutrality rules, to keep the Internet open and equal for everyone. http://fcc.us/1MhTlIAOrdered rules to speed up deployment of a more comprehensive broadband infrastructure.http://1.usa.gov/M7rVpeSet up a National Strategic Computing Initiative, to “maximize benefits of high-performance computing (HPC) research, development, and deployment.” http://1.usa.gov/1IN3FZaOrdered a federal level change in national earthquake standards.http://1.usa.gov/1T5wGoRImproved Our HealthEliminated Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, and provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research. http://bit.ly/h36SSOhttp://ti.me/edezgeSigned Democratic-sponsored Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.http://bit.ly/fOi2rbExpanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc\Along with Democrats in Congress, ushered through and signed a bill authorizing FDA to regulate tobacco and order tobacco companies to disclose their ingredients and to ban cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.” http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViBHas overseen a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors.http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9Eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5bTwo weeks after taking office, signed Democratic-sponsored Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million. http://bit.ly/fDEzGvUrged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9CPushed through and signed Affordable Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage greatly and ended many detrimental insurance company practices. He also established Get 2016 health coverage. Health Insurance Marketplace . http://www.healthcare.gov/Through ACA, allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VThrough the ACA, provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small businesses to provide health insurance to their employees. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VThrough the ACA, millions of people receive help in paying their health insurance company premiums. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VThrough the ACA, expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo (Note: except for those states whose Republicans refused to take the extra money.)By 2014, the Affordable Care Act dropped the number of uninsured Americans by 22.3%, which amounts to more than 10.3 million people with insurance who didn’t have it before. Only 13.9% of Americans are uninsured, a drop from 18.9% in 2013. http://on.msnbc.com/1r4kjGnThe Affordable Care Act has increased the life expectancy of Medicare greatly.http://on.wsj.com/1yuNco6Through the ACA, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care. http://nyti.ms/fNB26VMedicare costs actually declined slightly, for the first time in decades in 2011, according to the Congressional Budget Office. http://1.usa.gov/oMxpThSince passage of the ACA, health care inflation is at its lowest level since 1960.http://1.usa.gov/1vXR0LdCreated the HIV Care Continuum Initiative, to strengthen the government’s ability to respond to the continuing domestic HIV epidemic, after years of Republicans weakening the government’s ability to deal with the crisis. http://1.usa.gov/1iLED0tSigned bill that will provide health insurance premium support to workers who lose their health insurance due to foreign competition. http://bit.ly/1evvVDFIn response to the confusion triggered by the asinine Hobby Lobby decision, which essentially declared that corporations could have “religious rights” and lord them over employees, created new rules to give all women with insurance the right to free birth control. http://on.wsj.com/1O44a1tImplemented the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for 2015-2020, which is a follow-up to the first such strategy in US history, which he implemented in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/1IXknHmSigned and will implement new child safety standards for e-cigarettes.http://bit.ly/1XaFCISSet up a White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force, in order to implement ways to develop a cure for cancer. http://1.usa.gov/20AeKY4Addressed the Environment While Dealing with Energy NeedsDoubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCEPushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5YCreated a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWqReengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.” http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvvFully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide. http://bit.ly/eJ6QOORequired states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7PUnder Obama, our dependence on foreign oil has dropped to its lowest rate since 1985, and continues to drop. http://1.usa.gov/1p6kTUyMeanwhile, oil consumption is way down because of reduced driving and higher mileage standards. http://ti.me/1z4HFG8Improved siting, review and permitting stations for power plants, in an attempt to seriously improve the nation’s electric grid. http://1.usa.gov/1l8zNqnReengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.http://bit.ly/fzQUFOCreated tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid and electric vehicles. http://bit.ly/glCukVEstablished a quadrennial review of our energy infrastructure, to encourage a modernization of the grid, and to encourage the transition away from fossil fuel use. http://1.usa.gov/1nx2oMoMandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5chttp://bit.ly/h5KZqyEncouraged BP to pay $20 billion to establish Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, to reduce the need for taxpayer funds to be used for compensation and clean up.http://wapo.st/ds2BxT (Note: it took 20 years to get $1.3 billion for the Exxon Valdez spill. )Oversaw and pushed through an amendment to the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 authorizing advances from Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.http://1.usa.gov/yTRYVoActively tried to amend the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 to eliminate the liability limits for those companies responsible for large oil spills. http://nyti.ms/bxjDi3Became the first President to simply say “Climate Change is a fact,” and set up the first federal government protocols for dealing with the impacts of climate change. http://1.usa.gov/1b7V67BInitiated Criminal and Civil inquiries into the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.http://nyti.ms/bVuB7aAsserted federal legal supremacy to bar Texas from authorizing new refinery permits on its own.http://bit.ly/ww8eMdSet up new, stricter standards limiting power plant emissions. http://1.usa.gov/1mML2M3Strengthened the Endangered Species Act. http://bit.ly/hscjsHStrengthened protection for wildlife, and expanded enforcement of laws against wildlife trafficking. http://1.usa.gov/1fce1AiObama EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7ntThrough the EPA, attemped to take steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2Through new EPA regulations, he created a pretext for closing the dirtiest power plants in the country, by limiting emissions of mercury and other toxic gasses. http://bit.ly/rQCIgAIncreased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10% http://bit.ly/fbJPjYAnnounced greatly improved commercial fuel efficiency standards.http://1.usa.gov/oQiC1KAnnounced a huge increase in average fuel economy standards from 27.5mpg in 2010 to 35.5mpg starting in 2016 and 54.5 starting in 2025 http://1.usa.gov/qtghsWFacilitated investment in industrial energy efficiency to create jobs and strengthen US manufacturing while saving businesses $100 billion over a decade.http://1.usa.gov/WsIgbxSet up the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council to oversee Gulf Coast restoration efforts after the 2010 BP oil spill. The money to fund the restoration efforts comes from fines against BP. http://1.usa.gov/Rxjb29Engaged in the most comprehensive plan to combat climate change in a generation.http://bit.ly/13lXhETOrdered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155pOversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2RGuided a 418% increase in solar power capacity between 2010 and 2014. http://bit.ly/1rHkWJCAs of May 2015, 74% of new electrical capacity was provided by solar and wind power. http://bit.ly/1T5r0LCBypassed Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.http://bit.ly/froaP5Oversaw a tripling in the use of wind power to generate electricity. The US now leads the world in increased wind power capacity. http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5448Ordered the federal government to incorporate climate resilience and climate science into all international development in which the United States engages. http://1.usa.gov/YV1EpWFast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact fuel efficiency standards that exceeded federal standards. http://nyti.ms/e8e94xFast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in more than a decade.http://politi.co/hiaPKMOversaw establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, to create more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73yObama EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history. http://bit.ly/lP3yELOrdered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances. http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbuObama EPA ruled that excess CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNNClosed a deal with China to limit carbon emissions to slow down climate change. http://nyti.ms/1xzyS8KBlocked all oil and gas drilling in Bristol Bay, Alaska, one of the most pristine environments in North America http://lat.ms/13xUVFDSigned an Executive Order to improve environmental efforts in the Arctic region and to combat climate change by better coordinating the efforts of the 23 federal agencies operating in the area. http://usat.ly/ZEzLzEVetoed a bill to fast track construction of the parallel Keystone XL pipeline.http://nbcnews.to/1DVDFo7Expanded clean water regulations to more stringently protect all of the nation’s waterways, even when states fail in their duty. http://bit.ly/1RdQpTcSigned an Executive Order committing the federal government to lead the way in building a sustainable economy. It’s his fifth doing just that. http://1.usa.gov/1EzO2neBanned the use of antibiotics in food served in US Government-run cafeterias and ordered agencies to only use antibiotic-free meat. http://bit.ly/1G1vUxi http://bit.ly/1KHkl4NDeveloped new rules to address climate change and to create a signNow boost to clean energy. http://bit.ly/1UnQcuRNegotiated and signed a virtually Republican-Proof global agreement on climate change, with 190 countries signing on. http://bit.ly/1RkjVG8Became one of 196 countries that signed onto a UN Framework on Climate Change.http://unfccc.int/2860.phpOrdered a moratorium on new coal leasing on federal land, and they will examine the whole leasing process. http://wapo.st/23Q6en8There’s a Lot More!Nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices.http://huff.to/eOChg6http://bit.ly/i02wgPAppointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president. http://bit.ly/dX6vNBLoosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference. http://huff.to/eQfa7jSigned national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program. http://bit.ly/idgQH5Signed a bill that provided $4.3 billion in additional assistance to 9/11 first responders.http://bit.ly/o7cWYSSigned the Claims Resolution Act, which provided $4.6 billion in funding for a legal settlement with black and Native American farmers who had been cheated out of government loans and natural resource royalties in the past. http://1.usa.gov/dGppUaTo help those communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy, issued an executive order setting up the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force, and asked Congress to approve $60 billion in supplemental assistance to aid in storm recovery. http://1.usa.gov/134L7hlProduced 23 Executive actions designed to make it easier for law enforcement to identify those who shouldn’t have guns, thus helping them enforce the law.http://on.wsj.com/SX9xaZExpanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements in trade pacts like NAFTA. http://bit.ly/etznpYOversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during budget negotiations.http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5LuvOversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.http://bit.ly/dFb8qF”And Did You Know?Despite the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office. Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%.http://n.pr/i3d7cYAnd of course…Despite the odds, became the first black president, and then was reelected by a wide margin of the population.