WASHINGTON, Rabi'I 07, 1436, Dec. 29, 2014, SPA -- President Barack Obama said Monday that the United States is less racially divided than it was when he took office in 2009, despite recent protests over police treatment of black people. Obama said in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR) that mistrust between police and minorities is not new but it was being talked about more because the proliferation of smart telephones allows more interactions to be recorded. Obama said that he believes the issue of race has surfaced in a healthy way. The president said that it is understandable that many people feel race relations have worsened due to extensive media coverage of protests in Missouri and New York. However, he said that minorities who have dealt with discrimination all of their lives know that things have improved. --SPA 22:37 LOCAL TIME 19:37 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w