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, December 21, 2007

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Bush Is Upbeat About Economy's Prospects
The White House is betting that the steps it has taken to address the housing and financial crises will be enough to avert a recession without resorting to a major tax cut or new spending, as leading economists in both parties have urged, senior administration officials said.
(By Michael Abramowitz and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

A $2.9 Million Payout, With a Few Shortcuts
(By Joe Stephens, The Washington Post)

Spending Bills Still Stuffed With Earmarks
Democrats Had Vowed To Curtail Pet Projects
(By Elizabeth Williamson, The Washington Post)

Disaffected Iraqis Spurn Dominant Shiite Clerics
Subtle Backlash Reveals Intensity of Frustrations
(By Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post)

Springfield Church Welcomes Many Nations Under God
(By Karin Brulliard, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
Bush Is Upbeat About Economy's Prospects
The White House is betting that the steps it has taken to address the housing and financial crises will be enough to avert a recession without resorting to a major tax cut or new spending, as leading economists in both parties have urged, senior administration officials said.
(By Michael Abramowitz and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

Spending Bills Still Stuffed With Earmarks
Democrats Had Vowed To Curtail Pet Projects
(By Elizabeth Williamson, The Washington Post)

U.S. Asks High Court to Nix 'Speech-or-Debate' Ruling
Justice Dept. Says It Makes Lawmakers Invulnerable
(By Susan Schmidt, The Washington Post)

CIA Seeks Investigation Of Ex-Officer's Claims
Waterboarding Statements Raise Concern
(By Peter Baker and Joby Warrick, The Washington Post)

Huckabee's Faith-Based Views Find Critics, Fans in Both Parties
(By Perry Bacon Jr., The Washington Post)

More Politics

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NATION
Spending Bills Still Stuffed With Earmarks
Twice in the past two years, Alaska lawmakers lost congressional earmarks to build two "bridges to nowhere" costing hundreds of millions of dollars after Congress was embarrassed by public complaints over the pet projects hidden in annual spending bills.
(By Elizabeth Williamson, The Washington Post)

On-Call Specialists At Emergency Rooms Harder to Find, Keep
(By Christopher Lee, The Washington Post)

Va. Tech's Norris Hall To House Peace Center
Building Where 30 Were Slain Is Set for Change
(By Theresa Vargas, The Washington Post)

Bush Is Upbeat About Economy's Prospects
But Some Experts Urge Steps to Avert Recession
(By Michael Abramowitz and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

Afghanistan, Sharing Its Treasures
National Gallery to Host Nation's Ancient Artifacts
(By Pamela Constable, The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
Disaffected Iraqis Spurn Dominant Shiite Clerics
NAJAF, Iraq -- Two years after helping to bring to power a government led by Shiite religious parties, Iraq's paramount Shiite clerics find their influence diminished as their followers criticize them for backing a political alliance that has failed to pass crucial legislation, improve basic serv...
(By Sudarsan Raghavan, The Washington Post)

S. Africa's Zuma to Be Charged Soon, Official Hints
(By Craig Timberg, The Washington Post)

It's a Tokyo Thing
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

War Memoir Bares Harrowing Life of a Russian Grunt
Writer Tells of Two Tours in Chechnya Marked by Brutality, Deprivation and Routine Beatings by Superiors
(By Peter Finn, The Washington Post)

Suicide Bomber Kills GI, At Least 5 Iraqis in Diyala
(By Naseer Nouri and Joshua Partlow, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
A $2.9 Million Payout, With a Few Shortcuts
As an elementary school principal in Washington, Sheila Ford had to adapt to the haphazard D.C. public school bureaucracy.
(By Joe Stephens, The Washington Post)

Lots of Moving Parts In Metro Changeover
Transit Agency Prepares for New Fares
(By Lena H. Sun, The Washington Post)

The Pain of Foreclosure
For Joyce Griffin and Thousands of Others Who Face Losing Their Homes, Sadness and Uncertainty Overshadow a Season of Cheer
(By Brigid Schulte, The Washington Post)

Suspect Sentenced In Earlier Attack
N.Va. Man Charged With Killing Woman
(By Tom Jackman, The Washington Post)

Deals Clinched on HOT Lanes
Spring Start Set to Add Toll Roads to I-495 Stretch
(By Tim Craig, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Three Depart Sunrise After Audit Finding
Sunrise Senior Living said yesterday that three senior executives, including the president, left the firm after a special board committee determined that "inappropriate accounting" had occurred over a two-year period.
(By Zachary A. Goldfarb, The Washington Post)

Softening Economy Doesn't Harden Hearts
(By Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post)

Beef's Wake-Up Recall
A Year of Problems Has USDA Rethinking Safety Rules
(By Annys Shin, The Washington Post)

U.S. Fertility Rate Hits 35-Year High, Stabilizing Population
(By Rob Stein, The Washington Post)

Bush Is Upbeat About Economy's Prospects
But Some Experts Urge Steps to Avert Recession
(By Michael Abramowitz and Neil Irwin, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Circuit City Giving Its Leaders Big Retention Awards
RICHMOND -- Circuit City, the nation's No. 2 electronics retailer, approved millions of dollars in cash incentives to retain its top talent following the departure of several key executives over the past year.
(By Michael Felberbaum, The Washington Post)

Google's Ad Reach May Be Unrivaled
FTC Approves DoubleClick Deal
(By Catherine Rampell and Frank Ahrens, The Washington Post)

Time Warner Rejects NFL's Offer of Arbitration
(By Mark Maske, The Washington Post)

Soulja Boy Cranks It Up Big-Time
DIY Rapper Is Making All the Right Moves
(By Richard Harrington, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
The Kids Are All Right
The decision to have Kedric Golston and Anthony Montgomery on the field together at a crucial time could signal a changing of the guard along the Redskins' defensive line.
(By Jason Reid, The Washington Post)

Mourning Endures As Warrior
(By Mike Wise, The Washington Post)

Shots Go Mostly Unheard for Caps
Canadiens 5, Capitals 2
(By Tarik El-Bashir, The Washington Post)

Navy's Bid Comes Up Short
In Poinsettia Bowl, Utah Proves That Good Passing Can Trump a Solid Running Attack
(By Christian Swezey, The Washington Post)

Smith Will Quarterback The Ravens
(The Washington Post)

More Sports

STYLE
'Sweeney Todd': A Savory Pie, Any Way You Slice It
Admirers of Stephen Sondheim who have long wondered whether a film of distinction would ever be made from one of his stage musicals can put aside their skepticism: Tim Burton has accomplished it in his ravishing "Sweeney Todd."
(By Peter Marks, The Washington Post)

Tying the Knott . . . Again!
(By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, The Washington Post)

Afghanistan, Sharing Its Treasures
National Gallery to Host Nation's Ancient Artifacts
(By Pamela Constable, The Washington Post)

'The Diving Bell': An Awakening Beyond Words
(By Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post)

'Charlie Wilson': Firing on All Cylinders
(By Stephen Hunter, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Fixing D.C.'s Schools
Washington Post investigative reporters Joe Stephens and James Grimaldi discuss the latest installment of The Post's series examining problems in the District's public schools.
(Joe Stephens and James Grimaldi, washingtonpost.com)

The Washington Capitals
(Tarik El-Bashir, washingtonpost.com)

On TV
Reality, Non-Reality and Everything In-Between
(Lisa de Moraes, washingtonpost.com)

At the Movies With Stephen Hunter
The Latest Cinema
(Stephen Hunter, washingtonpost.com)

Election 2008: The Latest Polling
(Jon Cohen and Jennifer Agiesta, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

EDITORIALS
Done Deal
FOR NEARLY 10 years, Congress prevented the District of Columbia from using its own money to fund needle-exchange programs, interventions that greatly reduce the risk for intravenous drug users of contracting or spreading HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. The obstruction ended with passage this we...
(The Washington Post)

A Change in South Korea
A new president sends a different message to the North.
(The Washington Post)

'Christian Leader'
Finding the true meaning of Mike Huckabee's Christmas ad
(The Washington Post)

More Editorials

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