Obama to Speak on Tucson Shooting, Economic Recovery in State of the Union

In a display of bipartisanship, more than two-dozen legislators will cross the aisle to sit with their political opponents.

As with many major U.S. political events, tonight’s State of the Union address will have many storylines and not a bit of theatre. Amid calls for greater civility among politicians, several lawmakers have said they’ll break ranks and sit with members of the other party while Obama delivers the speech. Several people associated with the Jan. 8 shooting in Tucson will attend, including the family of 9-year-old victim Christina Taylor Green and Gabrielle Giffords staffer Daniel Hernandez. Facing a divided Congress after November midterm elections gave Republicans control of the House, Obama is expected to veer towards the political centre in his address, focusing on continuing efforts to recover from the recession and plans to economically outcompete foreign countries.