WASHINGTON (AP) — His second term already under way, President Barack Obama hopes to set an optimistic tone when he takes the oath again. This divided nation is seeking solutions to economic woes at home and conflict overseas.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to gather on the National Mall to witness Obama's swearing in and inaugural address Monday. The celebrations will extend across the nation's capital, including the traditional inaugural parade and a pair of glitzy formal balls.
The mood surrounding Obama's second inaugural is more subdued than it was four years ago, when the swearing in of the nation's first black president drew 1.8 million people to the Mall. Still, organizers were expecting up to 700,000 to attend Monday's events in chilly weather.
