AP News in Brief
Obama, first family and their 2 dogs arrive in Honolulu for annual Hawaii vacation
• HONOLULU (AP) -- President Barack Obama has arrived in Hawaii to kick off his annual winter vacation.
• The president, first lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia landed in Honolulu shortly before midnight. Their two dogs, Sunny and Bo, joined them aboard Air Force One.
• Obama has no public events scheduled while he's in Hawaii, where he was born. On previous trips, he's enjoyed regular rounds of golf, local restaurants and family trips to get shave ice, a Hawaiian version of a snow cone.
• Last year, gridlock in Congress forced Obama to return to Washington the day after Christmas. This year the Obamas are hoping their vacation will go uninterrupted.
• The president is scheduled to be in Honolulu through Jan. 5.
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After months of frustrations, Obama points to an upbeat economy and the promise of a new year
• WASHINGTON (AP) -- Has the fifth year of his presidency been its worst? President Barack Obama laughs off such questions even as he acknowledges many months of frustrating ups and down.
• "That's not how I think about it," Obama told reporters during his annual end-of-the year news conference.
• Instead of brooding about tumbling approval ratings, the disastrous rollout of his signature health care law or the pile of unfinished domestic priorities, Obama looked ahead to the promise of 2014 and predicted "a breakthrough year for America."
• Before he joined his family on Air Force One for a Christmas vacation in his home state of Hawaii, Obama suggested that, given widespread criticism, he may alter the power of the National Security Agency to collect information on Americans.
• And when it came to the start of his health care law, Obama conceded that "we screwed it up," and said, "I'm going to be making appropriate adjustments once we get through this year." It was unclear if he meant to signal high-level personnel
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