Barack Obama

Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii to Barack Obama, Sr. (born in Nyanza Province, Kenya) and Ann Dunham (born in Wichita, Kansas). Barack Hussein Obama (born August 4, 1961) is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Democratic Party.

Obama grew up in culturally diverse surroundings. He spent most of his childhood in the majority-minority U.S. state of Hawaii and lived for four years in Indonesia. Obama delivered the keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention while still an Illinois state legislator. Since announcing his candidacy in February 2007, Obama has emphasized ending the Iraq War and implementing universal health care as campaign themes.

As a member of the Democratic minority in the 109th Congress, Obama co-sponsored the enactment of conventional weapons control and transparency legislation, and made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Obama's parents separated when he was two years old and later divorced. His father went to Harvard University to pursue Ph.D. studies, then returned to Kenya, where he died in an auto accident when the younger Obama was twenty-one years old.

Friday, August 10, 2007

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Credit Crunch In U.S. Upends Global Markets
NEW YORK, Aug. 9 -- The turmoil in the U.S. credit markets turned global Thursday, prompting central banks in Europe and the United States to pump more than $150 billion into the financial system to keep it operating smoothly.
(By Tomoeh Murakami Tse and David Cho, The Washington Post)

Romney's Cash Beckons Iowans To Straw Poll
(By Michael D. Shear and Alec MacGillis, The Washington Post)

'In the Land of the Blood Feuds'
South of Baghdad, U.S. Troops Navigate Fault Lines of Sect and Tribe
(By Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post)

For Some in Oakland, Editor's Death Shows Subversion of Black Activism
(By Karl Vick, The Washington Post)

Bridge Plates Not Cause For Concern, Officials Say
(By Michael Laris, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
Romney's Cash Beckons Iowans To Straw Poll
DES MOINES, Aug. 9 -- As thousands of Republican activists prepare to descend on Ames, Iowa, tomorrow for the straw poll meant to gauge support for the GOP's presidential contenders, the event has all the markings of a historic mismatch.
(By Michael D. Shear and Alec MacGillis, The Washington Post)

Democratic Candidates Address Gay Rights Issues
First-Ever Televised Presidential Forum Underlines Increasing Importance of Community in Elections
(By Perry Bacon Jr., The Washington Post)

U.S. Seeks U.N. Help With Talks On Iraq
Aim Is to Muster Regional Support
(By Colum Lynch and Robin Wright, The Washington Post)

SEC's Senior Democrat to Leave As Vote on Investor Rights Nears
(By Carrie Johnson, The Washington Post)

Bush Rejects Gas Tax To Fund Bridge Repair, Decries Hill Spending
(By Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

More Politics

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NATION
For Some in Oakland, Editor's Death Shows Subversion of Black Activism
OAKLAND -- In a city where murder has taken on an element of routine, the shotgun slaying of Chauncey Bailey, in broad daylight by a young man who allegedly stood over the fallen journalist and pumped a second blast into his face, has galvanized Oakland as no single killing in decades.
(By Karl Vick, The Washington Post)

Bush Rejects Gas Tax To Fund Bridge Repair, Decries Hill Spending
(By Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

Detainees Ruled Enemy Combatants
(By Josh White, The Washington Post)

Charges Dropped Against 2 Marines In Haditha Killings
(By Josh White, The Washington Post)

Rescuers May Determine Today Whether Utah Miners Survived
(By Sonya Geis, The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
'In the Land of the Blood Feuds'
KHIDR, Iraq -- In the pre-dawn gloom, through weary villages shaded in gray, the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, searched for the enemy. An aerial drone had spotted men burying weapons in a nearby Sunni cemetery.
(By Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post)

U.S. Seeks U.N. Help With Talks On Iraq
Aim Is to Muster Regional Support
(By Colum Lynch and Robin Wright, The Washington Post)

Gaddafi's Son: Bulgarians Were Tortured
Statement Confirms in Part Allegations Made by Six Released Medical Workers
(By Molly Moore, The Washington Post)

Musharraf Backs Off State of Emergency for Pakistan
Reassurances Follow Criticism at Home, Pressure From U.S.
(By Pamela Constable, The Washington Post)

Bush Rejects Gas Tax To Fund Bridge Repair, Decries Hill Spending
(By Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
Bridge Plates Not Cause For Concern, Officials Say
Connectors known as gusset plates, which federal officials are scrutinizing as part of their investigation into Minneapolis's Interstate 35W bridge collapse, are a common feature of steel spans in the Washington region and across the country.
(By Michael Laris, The Washington Post)

Police Move Is Not Off After All
Fenty's Office Says Statement Was Premature
(By Allison Klein, The Washington Post)

Beyonce's Opening Act
Before Her Concert, Music Star Drops In To Chat With D.C. Girls as Part of Forum Against Violence
(By Darragh Johnson, The Washington Post)

A Husband's Downward Spiral
Friends Say Suspicion About Wife Led to Killings, Suicide Try
(By Candace Rondeaux, The Washington Post)

Workers' Daughters Get Money For School
(By Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Credit Crunch In U.S. Upends Global Markets
NEW YORK, Aug. 9 -- The turmoil in the U.S. credit markets turned global Thursday, prompting central banks in Europe and the United States to pump more than $150 billion into the financial system to keep it operating smoothly.
(By Tomoeh Murakami Tse and David Cho, The Washington Post)

Low-Risk Borrowers Now Feel Crunch
(By Nancy Trejos, The Washington Post)

Low Marks for Back-to-School Sales
(By Ylan Q. Mui, The Washington Post)

Romney's Cash Beckons Iowans To Straw Poll
(By Michael D. Shear and Alec MacGillis, The Washington Post)

District's Ex-Charter Schools Chief Admits Fraud
(By Carol D. Leonnig, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
CEO Says Stock Pressure Drove MedImmune Deal
David M. Mott was an investment banker before joining MedImmune on April Fools' Day 1992, and in his 15 years with the company -- he eventually became chief executive -- he has been a fierce advocate for its independence.
(By Michael S. Rosenwald, The Washington Post)

Revised Proposal for Air-Travel Screening Addresses Privacy Concerns
(By Michael J. Sniffen, The Washington Post)

Celera Considers Splitting From Affiliate as Losses Narrow
(By Xiyun Yang, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
D.C. Rains on Beckham's Parade
David Beckham makes his long-awaited MLS debut for the Galaxy in the 72nd minute of United's 1-0 victory at RFK Stadium.
(By Steven Goff, The Washington Post)

The Monster Truck of Golf
(By Sally Jenkins, The Washington Post)

Bullpen Keeps Giants at Bay
Nationals 3, Giants 1
(By Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post)

Redskins Hoping Smoot Isn't All Talk
(By Jason La Canfora, The Washington Post)

Clemens, Torre Are Suspended
(The Washington Post)

More Sports

STYLE
Twinkling 'Stardust'
Are you snapping out of your latest "Harry Potter" swoon? Do you desperately need a post-"Lord of the Rings" fantasy fix? Has movie romance failed to measure up since "The Princess Bride"?
(By Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post)

From Two Bushes, One for the Books
(By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, The Washington Post)

Phil Spector's Trial Goes On Location
Jurors Get a Firsthand Look At Record Producer's Mansion, Where Actress Was Shot in '03
(By William Booth, The Washington Post)

Tucker, Chan Still Provide a 'Rush'
(By Desson Thomson, The Washington Post)

'Flash Gordon' Is More Comic Than Cosmic on Sci Fi
(By Tom Shales, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
PGA Championship
Live from Southern Hills Golf Course in Tulsa, Okla., Washington Post sports columnist Sally Jenkins discusses the PGA Championship and her recent columns about Michael Vick, the NBA reffing scandal and more.
(Sally Jenkins, washingtonpost.com)

Tell Me About It
(Carolyn Hax, washingtonpost.com)

Weekend Now
A Weekend Is More Than Two Days
(Weekend Staff, washingtonpost.com)

Security Fix Live
(Brian Krebs, washingtonpost.com)

Close to Home: Organic Farming and the Farm Bill
(Anthony Flaccavento, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

EDITORIALS
'One World, One Dream'
ON WEDNESDAY, China celebrated the beginning of its one-year countdown to the Beijing Olympics. Festivities and fireworks animated Tiananmen Square, a gathering place known also for its bloody memories. A band onstage guided the crowd through the proud new Beijing pop anthem "We Are Ready."
(The Washington Post)

Rep. Jefferson's Papers
A court's sensible compromise on searching congressional offices
(The Washington Post)

Jailing Juveniles
Children should not be held in adult jails.
(The Washington Post)

More Editorials

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