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.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
House Sends President An Energy Bill to Sign
A year of rhetoric, lobbying, veto threats and negotiations ended yesterday as the House of Representatives voted 314 to 100 to pass an energy bill that President Bush is to sign this morning. The bill will raise fuel-efficiency standards for automobiles, order a massive increase in the use of...
(By Steven Mufson, The Washington Post)

Iraq Funds Approved In Senate Budget Bill
Antiwar Democrats Rebuffed in 70-25 Vote
(By Paul Kane and Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

Iowa Poll Spotlights Importance Of Turnout
Obama and Clinton Lead the Democrats
(By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, The Washington Post)

Giuliani's Kerik Woes Resurface Through Informant
Candidate Distancing Himself From Former Confidant
(By John Solomon and Matthew Mosk, The Washington Post)

Fed Takes Aim at Deceptive Home Lending Practices
(By David Cho, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
Iraq Funds Approved In Senate Budget Bill
The Senate last night approved a $555 billion omnibus spending bill to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year, shortly after bowing to President Bush's demand for $70 billion in unrestricted funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
(By Paul Kane and Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

Giuliani's Kerik Woes Resurface Through Informant
Candidate Distancing Himself From Former Confidant
(By John Solomon and Matthew Mosk, The Washington Post)

Fed Takes Aim at Deceptive Home Lending Practices
(By David Cho, The Washington Post)

Iowa Poll Spotlights Importance Of Turnout
Obama and Clinton Lead the Democrats
(By Dan Balz and Jon Cohen, The Washington Post)

Administration Plans to Shrink U.S. Nuclear Arms Program
(By Walter Pincus, 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
Illinois Town Chosen for Power Project
CHICAGO, Dec. 18 -- A small Illinois town was chosen as the site of the world's first near-zero-emissions coal-burning plant Tuesday by the public-private alliance carrying out the project. Construction of the plant continues to be delayed, however, by concerns over its costs.
(By Kari Lydersen, The Washington Post)

Study Sizes Up States' Substantial Retiree Benefit Costs
(By Kirstin Downey, The Washington Post)

Administration Plans to Shrink U.S. Nuclear Arms Program
(By Walter Pincus, The Washington Post)

Legal Challenges Put Brakes on Executions
Annual Total Hits a 13-Year Low
(By Robert Barnes, The Washington Post)

Fed Takes Aim at Deceptive Home Lending Practices
(By David Cho, The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
Mbeki Toppled as Leader of Ruling Party in S. Africa
POLOKWANE, South Africa, Dec. 18 -- Former deputy president Jacob Zuma took control of South Africa's ruling party Tuesday in a resounding electoral victory, cementing his position as the favorite to become the country's next leader. His win pushed his opponent, President Thabo Mbeki, toward the...
(By Craig Timberg, The Washington Post)

A Magical Idyll's Mystery Future
Beatles' Decaying Ashram in India Could Become a Home for Street Children
(By Emily Wax, The Washington Post)

Turkey Sends Troops Into Iraq to Battle Kurdish Rebels
Operation Overshadows Rice Visit to Baghdad
(By Sudarsan Raghavan and Ellen Knickmeyer, The Washington Post)

Iraq Funds Approved In Senate Budget Bill
Antiwar Democrats Rebuffed in 70-25 Vote
(By Paul Kane and Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

Bush's Itinerary Includes Jerusalem, the West Bank
(The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
Study Sizes Up States' Substantial Retiree Benefit Costs
About 90 percent of state workers get pensions, and the bill is coming due.
(By Kirstin Downey, The Washington Post)

A Body Broken, A Soul That Sings
After Accident, Music Helps Md. Man Find Purpose
(By Rosalind S. Helderman, The Washington Post)

Homes With a Bit of the Homeland
Builders Are Catering to Area's Increasing Immigrant Population
(By Annie Gowen, The Washington Post)

Funds Cut for Homeland Security Headquarters
(By Mary Beth Sheridan, The Washington Post)

Measure to Let Rhee Fire Workers Advances
(By Nikita Stewart, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Fed Takes Aim at Deceptive Home Lending Practices
The Federal Reserve proposed new regulations yesterday to clean up a broad array of deceptive mortgage lending practices, a move that represents the central bank's most significant response to the nation's housing tumult.
(By David Cho, The Washington Post)

Pearlstein: Housing, Credit and the Fed
(Steven Pearlstein, washingtonpost.com)

Flights at N.Y.'s JFK To Be Capped
Regulators Move Against Delays
(By Del Quentin Wilber, The Washington Post)

House Sends President An Energy Bill to Sign
(By Steven Mufson, The Washington Post)

Giuliani's Kerik Woes Resurface Through Informant
Candidate Distancing Himself From Former Confidant
(By John Solomon and Matthew Mosk, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Administration Plans to Shrink U.S. Nuclear Arms Program
The Bush administration yesterday announced its intention to modernize and sharply reduce the size of the nation's aging nuclear weapons program by closing or abandoning 600 buildings at facilities across the country and gradually reducing the associated workforce by at least 7,200.
(By Walter Pincus, The Washington Post)

Hesse Takes Charge at Sprint Nextel
(By Kim Hart and Kendra Marr, The Washington Post)

House Sends President An Energy Bill to Sign
(By Steven Mufson, The Washington Post)

'Clone-Free' Milk Could Get Label
Firms Also Offer to Mark Meat to Help Shoppers
(By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post)

Divided FCC Enacts Rules On Media Ownership
(By Frank Ahrens, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
An Academy Devoted To Playing Basketball
The Heat Basketball Academy in Martinsville, Va., takes a new approach to prep basketball -- the games are required and the classes are optional.
(By Eli Saslow, The Washington Post)

Redskins Rookie Expects to 'Grow Up Fast'
Blades Assumes Bigger Role After Injury to McIntosh
(By Jason Reid, The Washington Post)

Charge Against Dukes Is Dismissed
(By Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post)

Full Speed Ahead
For Vikings' Peterson, a Fast-Paced Personality Is Biggest Asset and Flaw
(By Steve Yanda, The Washington Post)

Zubov Leads Stars Past Oilers
Stars 2, Oilers 1, SO
(AP)

More Sports

STYLE
The Last 'Noel'
As I barreled north toward Baltimore on Interstate 95, the questions jingled and jangled in my head.
(By John Deiner, The Washington Post)

Now Listen Here
(The Washington Post)

Living Large: The Havingest of the Haves
(By Daniel Gross,, The Washington Post)

For Clinton, A Matter of Fair Media
Senator's Camp Insists That the Press Holds Her To a Tougher Standard
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

There's No Place but Home For This Stolen Italian Art
(By Sarah Delaney, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Dirda on Books
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Michael Dirda takes your questions and comments concerning literature, books and the joys of reading.
(Michael Dirda, washingtonpost.com)

Wizards/NBA
(Ivan Carter and Michael Lee, washingtonpost.com)

Free Range on Food
Dish With the Experts
(The Food Section, washingtonpost.com)

The Reliable Source
(Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, washingtonpost.com)

Fact-Checking the Campaigns
(Michael Dobbs, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

EDITORIALS
Mr. Musharraf's War
THOUGH HE has formally ended the de facto state of siege he imposed on Pakistan six weeks ago, Pervez Musharraf remains at war with his country's secular, politically moderate elite. The press and private television have been hamstrung by a Musharraf-sponsored "code of conduct" that punishes crit...
(The Washington Post)

Shirkers Beware
A housecleaning is coming to the D.C. schools central office.
(The Washington Post)

A Job for Justice
Congress has legitimate questions in the CIA tapes case, but any criminality needs to be dealt with first.
(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