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.

Monday, December 17, 2007

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Bush Faces Pressure to Shift War Priorities
With violence on the decline in Iraq but on the upswing in Afghanistan, President Bush is facing new pressure from the U.S. military to accelerate a troop drawdown in Iraq and bulk up force levels in Afghanistan, according to senior U.S. officials.
(By Michael Abramowitz and Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

China Scouts Colleges to Fill Ranks of Modern Army
(By Maureen Fan, The Washington Post)

One-Two Punch to Area's Budgets
Housing Woes, Past Spending Test Officials
(By Bill Turque, The Washington Post)

Home-School Ties Aided Huckabee's Iowa Rise
Early Backers Rallied Conservative Network
(By Peter Slevin and Perry Bacon Jr., The Washington Post)

Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms
(By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
Bush Faces Pressure to Shift War Priorities
With violence on the decline in Iraq but on the upswing in Afghanistan, President Bush is facing new pressure from the U.S. military to accelerate a troop drawdown in Iraq and bulk up force levels in Afghanistan, according to senior U.S. officials.
(By Michael Abramowitz and Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

Giuliani Campaign Warms Up to Florida
Lagging in Early-Voting States, He Hopes State Will Propel Him Into GOP Lead
(By Michael D. Shear, The Washington Post)

More Politics

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NATION
As Temperatures Rise, Health Could Decline
Depending on where you are, this is going to be a hotter, wetter, drier, windier, calmer, dirtier, buggier or hungrier century than mankind has seen in a while. In some places, it may be deadlier, too.
(By David Brown, The Washington Post)

Bill Could Halt New York Carriage Horses
(By Keith B. Richburg, The Washington Post)

Bush Faces Pressure to Shift War Priorities
As Iraq Calms, Focus Turns to Afghanistan
(By Michael Abramowitz and Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

Home-School Ties Aided Huckabee's Iowa Rise
Early Backers Rallied Conservative Network
(By Peter Slevin and Perry Bacon Jr., The Washington Post)

Texas Juvenile System Is Still Lacking, Critics Say
Allegations of Abuse Have Increased, Despite an Order to Reform the State's Youth Commission
(The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
Despite Harsh Rule, Burma's East Proves Hard to Tame
KLERDEY, Burma -- For a repressive police state, Burma has borders that are curiously porous.
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

South Africa's Mbeki Sees Party Faithful Rally to His Rival
(By Craig Timberg, The Washington Post)

China Scouts Colleges to Fill Ranks of Modern Army
(By Maureen Fan, The Washington Post)

Bush Faces Pressure to Shift War Priorities
As Iraq Calms, Focus Turns to Afghanistan
(By Michael Abramowitz and Peter Baker, The Washington Post)

On the Sidelines in Basra: British Tackle a New Role
Obstacles Confronted in Advisory Mission Offer Lessons for U.S. in the Rest of Iraq
(By Amit R. Paley, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
One-Two Punch to Area's Budgets
When the Washington area's housing market boomed at the turn of the century, so did local government spending. Now a cooler market is creating budget gaps in a region that until recently was spared leaner times.
(By Bill Turque, The Washington Post)

Va. Braces for Driver's License Changes
(By Anita Kumar, The Washington Post)

Residents Keep D.C. Vote Fight Brewing
Tea Party Protest Evokes Famed Boston Revolt
(By David Nakamura, The Washington Post)

Standing Up Among the Issues, Egos
Gray Is Adapting To Assertive Role
(By Nikita Stewart, The Washington Post)

Charles Board Pushes Ban On Liquor Drive-Throughs
(By Megan Greenwell, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Social Networking for the Socially Minded
The office of Razoo on Connecticut Avenue blends two distinct cultures common in Washington.
(By Zachary A. Goldfarb, The Washington Post)

Firm Carves New Model in Biotech Research
BioServe Sells DNA Samples to Scientists
(By Anita Huslin, The Washington Post)

Developer Purchases Old Hecht's Warehouse
Historic Structure to be Renovated for Retail
(By Alejandro Lazo, The Washington Post)

One-Two Punch to Area's Budgets
Housing Woes, Past Spending Test Officials
(By Bill Turque, The Washington Post)

Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms
(By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Synthetic DNA on the Brink of Yielding New Life Forms
It has been 50 years since scientists first created DNA in a test tube, stitching ordinary chemical ingredients together to make life's most extraordinary molecule. Until recently, however, even the most sophisticated laboratories could make only small snippets of DNA -- an extra gene or two to be...
(By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post)

Social Networking for the Socially Minded
District Firm Razoo Joins Other Web Site Builders Trying to Reinvent How People Give Money to Charity
(By Zachary A. Goldfarb, The Washington Post)

Downside of Dominance?
Popularity of Lockheed Martin's F-16 Makes Its F-35 Stealth Jet a Tough Sell
(By Michael S. Rosenwald, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
Wake Forest Wins Its First College Cup
Zack Schilawski scores the winning goal in his home town to lift Wake Forest to a 2-1 victory over Ohio State in the NCAA College Cup championship Sunday in Cary, N.C.
(The Washington Post)

Wiggins Directs Stanford Past Baylor
(The Washington Post)

Finland's Palander Wins Giant Slalom
(The Washington Post)

Plugging Away: Defensive Players Fill In Where Needed
(By Dan Steinberg, The Washington Post)

Redskins Ride With the Wind
Playoff Hopes Remain Intact After Victory
(By Jason La Canfora, The Washington Post)

More Sports

STYLE
No Running Jokes Here
BECKER, Minn. Al Franken, U.S. Senate candidate, is telling a joke:
(By Paul Farhi, The Washington Post)

Positively Honored
(By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, The Washington Post)

Lashing Out From Under Cover: Hey, Play Fair!
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

Caucus Math 101: Bring a Calculator
In Iowa, Exercising One's Right to Vote May Well Involve Some Head-Scratching
(By Libby Copeland, The Washington Post)

Classical Pianist Montero, Quite A 'Jingle' Belle
(By Tim Page, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Talk About Travel
Post travel editors and writers field questions and comments every Monday at 2 p.m. ET.
(The Flight Crew, washingtonpost.com)

The Front-Runners: Mike Huckabee
(Liz Clarke, washingtonpost.com)

Dr. Gridlock
Traffic and Transit in the Washington Region
(Robert Thomson, washingtonpost.com)

Off the Page: Andrea Barrett
(National Book Award winner, washingtonpost.com)

Post Magazine: Programmed for Christmas
(Liza Mundy, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

EDITORIALS
Support Your Local Schools
THE D.C. Council has been dragging its feet on giving Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee what she needs to transform the system. Not only does that make her job harder, it makes her success less likely. Difficult choices are involved, but the council needs to back up its professed desire for cha...
(The Washington Post)

Challenge in Kosovo
Europe and the United States should not allow Russia to block the Balkan province's independence.
(The Washington Post)

When Judges Get Generous
A better way to donate surpluses from class-action awards
(The Washington Post)

More Editorials

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