2015 news us

Here are some of the top news stories from 2015 in the United States:

Politics

• The 114th United States Congress was in session from January 6, 2015, to January 3, 2017.
• The Republican Party controlled both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• President Barack Obama's approval ratings remained low, with an average of 45% approval and 53% disapproval throughout the year.
• The Iran nuclear deal was reached in July, with the United States, Iran, and other world powers agreeing to lift economic sanctions in exchange for Iran's agreement to limit its nuclear program.

Economy

• The United States economy continued to recover from the Great Recession, with the unemployment rate falling to 5.3% in May, its lowest level since 2008.
• The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in nearly a decade in December, marking the end of an era of easy monetary policy.
• The stock market continued to rise, with the S&P 500 index reaching an all-time high in May.

Crime and Justice

• The Black Lives Matter movement gained national attention, with protests and demonstrations occurring across the country in response to police brutality and racial tensions.
• The Charleston church shooting in June, in which nine African Americans were killed by a white supremacist, sparked widespread outrage and calls for greater gun control and racial justice.
• The FBI announced in July that it would investigate the police shooting of Sandra Bland, a black woman who died in a Texas jail cell after being arrested during a traffic stop.

Health and Science

• The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa continued to affect the United States, with several cases reported in healthcare workers who had traveled to the affected region.
• The Zika virus was first detected in Brazil in May, and the World Health Organization declared it a global health emergency in February 2016.
• The FDA approved several new treatments for cancer, including immunotherapy drugs and targeted therapies.

Environment

• The United States experienced a series of severe weather events, including droughts, wildfires, and hurricanes.
• The EPA proposed new regulations to reduce carbon emissions from power plants, which were finalized in August.
• The Supreme Court ruled in June that the EPA had the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act.

Technology

• Apple released its Apple Watch smartwatch in April, which became one of the best-selling wearable devices of the year.
• Facebook acquired Oculus VR, a virtual reality technology company, for $2 billion in March.
• The FBI launched an investigation into the hacking of the Democratic National Committee's email system, which was attributed to Russian hackers.

Sports

• The Golden State Warriors won their first NBA championship in 40 years, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.
• The New England Patriots won Super Bowl XLIX, defeating the Seattle Seahawks 28-24.
• The Chicago Cubs won the World Series, ending a 108-year championship drought.

Entertainment

• The movie "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was released in December and became the highest-grossing film of the year.
• The TV show "Game of Thrones" concluded its fifth season in June, with a record-breaking 8.1 million viewers for its finale.
• The music industry saw the release of several highly anticipated albums, including Taylor Swift's "1989" and Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly".