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Jan. 12, 2015

Pres Obama will use speech at Federal Trade Commission to call on Congress to pass Personal Data Notification and Protection Act, which will create national standard for companies regarding breaches of their customers' personal data; Obama will also unveil Student Data Privacy Act, which prohibits companies from making profit from information they collect in schools; both laws will be touched on in Obama's State of the Union address. MORE

House passes bill altering definition of full-time worker under Affordable Care Act from one who works 30 hours per week, to one who works 40 hours; Republicans contend measure will stop businesses with 50 or more employees from cutting worker hours to avoid mandatory health insurance; measure is seen as symbol for Republican efforts to undermine Pres Obama's signature health care act. MORE

House is attempting to put together measure funding most of Homeland Security Dept, while stopping Pres Obama's executive action on immigration; bill is seen as unlikely to be approved by Senate, and Obama has threatened a veto if it does pass. MORE

House is expected to pass bill approving Keystone XL pipeline with Senate approval to follow, but energy and policy experts say fight over Keystone is over politics, not facts; they contend pipeline will have little effect on economy, energy supply or climate change; bill is seen as Republicans' initial challenge to Pres Obama in new Congress. MORE

President Obama's goal of gaining trade authority to fast track Trans-Pacific Partnership faces opposition within Democratic Party; critics say authority, which has been granted to president only 5 out of the last 21 years, will lead to loss of American jobs and undermine health and environmental standards. MORE

Pres Obama will try to rectify slow housing sector by dropping insurance rates on federally issued mortgages to first-time home buyers, minorities and low-income Americans; modest move would give savings of $900 annually per home buyer. MORE

Political Memo; former Arkansas Gov Mike Huckabee and former Florida Gov Jeb Bush, both of whom are mulling whether to seek Republican nomination for president in 2016, will contend with younger, stricter conservatives as they try to broaden party's appeal; they will have to respond to GOP activists who are angered over Pres Obama's liberal tenure and record. MORE

Mexican Pres Enrique Pena Nieto meets with Pres Obama at White House; lauds Obama's plan to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. MORE

Frank Bruni Op-Ed column describes how Julian Zelizer book The Fierce Urgency of Now, which focuses on Pres Lyndon B Johnson's tenure, has caused him to reassess criticisms of Pres Barack Obama, particularly in way he has dealt with Congress; notes book shows how rare it is for presidents to impose their will on Congress, and that Johnson's reputation for manipulating Congress has been blown out of proportion. MORE

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Barack Obama - The New York Times