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.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
A Blow to Bush's Tehran Policy
President Bush got the world's attention this fall when he warned that a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program.
(By Peter Baker and Robin Wright, The Washington Post)

Paulson Outlines Mortgage Aid Plan
Proposal Would Expand Help At Local Level
(By David Cho and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

Teammates, Friends Eulogize A Man Few Really Knew
(By Mike Wise, The Washington Post)

Huckabee Chafes at 'Front-Runner' Label
Come-From-Behind Candidate Seeks to Temper Expectations, Placing Himself 'Second'
(By Perry Bacon Jr., The Washington Post)

Ravens Come Close to a Perfect Ending
Brady, Patriots Escape and Improve to 12-0: Patriots 27, Ravens 24
(By Camille Powell, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
WASHINGTON IN BRIEF
(The Washington Post)

On Thrill Rides, Safety Is Optional
No Federal Oversight of Theme Parks
(By Elizabeth Williamson, The Washington Post)

ANALYSIS: A Blow to Bush's Tehran Policy
(By Peter Baker and Robin Wright, The Washington Post)

Paulson Outlines Mortgage Aid Plan
Proposal Would Expand Help At Local Level
(By David Cho and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

U.S. Finds That Iran Halted Nuclear Arms Bid in 2003
(By Dafna Linzer and Joby Warrick, The Washington Post)

More Politics

Add topics to this e-mail

Make this e-mail your own by selecting the topics and columnists that interest you! Personalize this e-mail now.

NATION
A Blow to Bush's Tehran Policy
President Bush got the world's attention this fall when he warned that a nuclear-armed Iran might lead to World War III. But his stark warning came at least a month or two after he had first been told about fresh indications that Iran had actually halted its nuclear weapons program.
(By Peter Baker and Robin Wright, The Washington Post)

Divorce Found to Harm The Environment With Higher Energy, Water Use
(By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post)

On Thrill Rides, Safety Is Optional
No Federal Oversight of Theme Parks
(By Elizabeth Williamson, The Washington Post)

Now Online, a Guide to Detainee Treatment
(By Josh White, The Washington Post)

Court: Iowa Can't Fund Prison Ministry
Judges Find Rehabilitation Program Unconstitutional Without Secular Option
(By Michelle Boorstein, The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
U.S. Finds That Iran Halted Nuclear Arms Bid in 2003
A major U.S. intelligence review has concluded that Iran stopped work on a suspected nuclear weapons program more than four years ago, a stark reversal of previous intelligence assessments that Iran was actively moving toward a bomb.
(By Dafna Linzer and Joby Warrick, The Washington Post)

Chávez Chastened in Venezuela Vote
Rejection of Bid for More Power Shows Limits of Support
(By Juan Forero, The Washington Post)

Capitalizing on Burma's Autumn of Dissent
Opposition in Exile Urging More Protests, Even Armed Conflict
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

Panic Mode?
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

Bhutto, Sharif Joining Forces to Press Musharraf For Fair Elections
(By Griff Witte, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
Fast Start for Md. Congressional Races
Seven of Maryland's eight members of the House of Representatives will face challengers from their own parties -- well-known ones in a couple of cases -- in unusually early primaries in February.
(By John Wagner and Rosalind S. Helderman, The Washington Post)

Another Charged In Tax Scandal
Ex-Bank Employee Accused of Helping Cash D.C. Checks
(By Carol D. Leonnig and Ruben Castaneda, The Washington Post)

Gusts Fell Trees and Cut Power to Thousands
(By Joshua Zumbrun and Theresa Vargas, The Washington Post)

Purple Line Could Draw 47,000 Riders a Year, Officials Say
(By William Wan, The Washington Post)

Angry Parents Question School Closings
D.C. Officials Are Jeered as They Explain Their Plan at a Meeting in Ward 5
(By Theola Labbé, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Paulson Outlines Mortgage Aid Plan
Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. unveiled new details of the Bush administration's mortgage-relief plan yesterday, including a proposal that would grant new powers to local governments to refinance the mortgages of struggling homeowners.
(By David Cho and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

White House Signals That It Might Veto Energy Bill
(By Steven Mufson, The Washington Post)

Nonprofit Groups Take Center Stage
(By Renae Merle, The Washington Post)

Merck Reaffirms 2007 Profit Outlook
(By JEFFREY GOLD, AP)

Congress Probes Credit Card Industry
(By MARCY GORDON, AP)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Holiday Tech Guide: Video Games
The Washington Post's Mike Musgrove, author of the At Play column, discusses the top video game gifts for the holiday season.
(Mike Musgrove, washingtonpost.com)

Now Online, a Guide to Detainee Treatment
(By Josh White, The Washington Post)

Schools' Computer Flags Sex Offenders
Pr. William Scans ID Cards, Database
(By Ian Shapira, The Washington Post)

Microsoft Softens Response to Piracy
(By JESSICA MINTZ, AP)

Sprint Looks To Spin Off Its WiMax Service
(By Clayton Harrison, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
Moments to Be Remembered
Too young to fully grasp the idea of death, 18-month-old Jackie Taylor plays innocently a few yards from her father's casket as a symbol of the pain of losing Sean Taylor.
(By Thomas Boswell, The Washington Post)

Hail, and Final Farewell
Teammates, Friends Join Family in Paying Tribute
(By Amy Shipley and Peter Whoriskey, The Washington Post)

Ravens Come Close to a Perfect Ending
Brady, Patriots Escape and Improve to 12-0: Patriots 27, Ravens 24
(By Camille Powell, The Washington Post)

He's Not Santana, But He's Not Cheap
(By Dave Sheinin, The Washington Post)

Maryland Supporter Donates $10 Million
(The Washington Post)

More Sports

STYLE
Fear of Fame
NEW YORK James McAvoy needs a J-O-B. Unemployed and under pressure, the Scottish actor hasn't worked since the summer. "I have nothing in the pipeline," he says. "Nothing."
(By J. Freedom du Lac, The Washington Post)

Don Imus Gingerly Steps Back on Air
(By Paul Farhi, The Washington Post)

New Republic Disavows Iraq Diarist's Reports
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

The Teacher at the Head of the Class
(By Ellen Edwards, The Washington Post)

Caesar: Hallelujah and Amen
(By Mike Joyce, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Ranking U.S. Schools: Which Way Is Best?
Post education writer Jay Mathews, who does the paper's annual Challenge Index rankings of national high schools, will be online with Standard and Poor's Director of School Evaluation Services Paul Gazzerro, who worked on U.S. News and World Report's recent high school ratings, to discuss how to determine what what makes a school great, how to measure those factors, and the value of their competing systems.
(Jay Mathews and Paul Gazzerro, washingtonpost.com)

D.C., Maryland and Virginia Politics
D.C., Maryland and Virginia Politics
(Mark Plotkin, washingtonpost.com)

Supreme Court Hears Guantanamo Case
(David Cynamon, washingtonpost.com)

Opinion Focus
(Eugene Robinson, washingtonpost.com)

Lean Plate Club
Talk About Nutrition and Health
(Sally Squires, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

EDITORIALS
Two Votes
THE DEFEAT of Hugo Ch¿vez's proposed rewrite of the Venezuelan constitution Sunday was a landmark victory for freedom in a country that stood at the brink of autocracy. Mr. Ch¿vez had proposed to make himself a de facto president for life, with power to supplant locally elected governors with his...
(The Washington Post)

In Russia, the backward march to czarism continues.
In Russia, the backward march to czarism continues.
(The Washington Post)

TrustHuckabee Calling
There's a new group campaigning in Iowa, but it's not saying much about where its money comes from.
(The Washington Post)

More Editorials

E-Mail Newsletter Services
• To sign up for additional newsletters or get help, visit the E-mail Preferences Page.

Unsubscribe | Feedback | Advertising | Subscribe to the Paper