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, February 27, 2008

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
In a Crucial State, a Contentious Debate
CLEVELAND, Feb. 26 -- In their final debate before critical primaries in Ohio and Texas, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton clashed sharply on familiar ground, arguing Tuesday night over who has the better health-care plan, who has been right about Iraq and who would move most...
(By Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Shailagh Murray, The Washington Post)

U.S. Steps Up Deportation Of Immigrant Criminals
(By Ernesto Londoño, The Washington Post)

Housing Woes Put Bush, Hill At Odds
White House Opposes Use of Tax Dollars
(By David Cho and Lyndsey Layton, The Washington Post)

Merchants in Britain Give Young Loiterers an Earful
Shrill Noise Repels Kids but Not Adults
(By Karla Adam, The Washington Post)

Imam From Va. Mosque Now Thought to Have Aided Al-Qaeda
(By Susan Schmidt, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
In the Democratic Debate, Cooler Heads Prevail
People and pundits who carp when political debates get too harsh and hostile can be counted on to complain that last night's debate between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, televised on cable's MSNBC, was too tame and tepid. It was, in fact, a relief to find both Democratic presidential candidat...
(By Tom Shales, The Washington Post)

In a Crucial State, a Contentious Debate
Clinton and Obama Clash Over Tactics In Ohio Showdown
(By Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Shailagh Murray, The Washington Post)

Housing Woes Put Bush, Hill At Odds
White House Opposes Use of Tax Dollars
(By David Cho and Lyndsey Layton, The Washington Post)

GOP Halts Effort to Retrieve White House E-Mails
(By Dan Eggen, The Washington Post)

Senate Agrees To Debate Bill On Iraq Pullout
Decision Backed by GOP Foes of Measure
(By Paul Kane, 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
Housing Woes Put Bush, Hill At Odds
Congressional leaders yesterday gathered support for aggressive changes to bankruptcy laws that would help troubled homeowners, even as the Bush administration threatened to veto the plan and emphasized its opposition to any program that would risk tax dollars.
(By David Cho and Lyndsey Layton, The Washington Post)

U.S. Steps Up Deportation Of Immigrant Criminals
(By Ernesto Londoño, The Washington Post)

Fla. Power Outage Affects Millions
Reach of Substation Glitch Baffles Officials
(By Peter Whoriskey and Steven Mufson, The Washington Post)

Ruling May Aid Those Charging Age Bias
(By Robert Barnes, The Washington Post)

NATION IN BRIEF
(The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
Merchants in Britain Give Young Loiterers an Earful
ABINGDON, England -- Jordan Webb can predict the exact time of day his head will start aching. If the 10-year-old lingers outside the Reynolds grocery store past 5 p.m., a small black device latched onto the storefront and operated on a timer will emit a high-pitched sound that makes the boy's skull...
(By Karla Adam, The Washington Post)

With Change in the Air, Cubans Speculate on Currency
Rumors of Quick Demise Of 2-Tier System Untrue
(By Manuel Roig-Franzia, The Washington Post)

In North Korea, Breaking a Barrier With Sound
N.Y. Philharmonic's Landmark Concert Opens 'a Little Door'
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

In a Crucial State, a Contentious Debate
Clinton and Obama Clash Over Tactics In Ohio Showdown
(By Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Shailagh Murray, The Washington Post)

5% of TB Cases Don't React to Some Drugs
Some Regions of Former Soviet Union Have Higher Resistance Rate, WHO Says
(By David Brown, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
U.S. Steps Up Deportation Of Immigrant Criminals
Immigration officials are increasingly scouring jails and courts nationwide and reviewing years-old criminal records to identify deportable immigrants, efforts that have contributed to a steep rise in deportations and strained the immigration court system.
(By Ernesto Londoño, The Washington Post)

In a Va. Lab, Forging Links To Speed Cancer Advances
GMU, With Ties to Italy, Aims to Be a Biotech Force
(By Michael Laris, The Washington Post)

Montage of Pure Grief Is Rejected As Memorial to Terrorism Victims
(By Michael E. Ruane, The Washington Post)

Rent Strike Ends At Historic Building
(By Jackie Spinner, The Washington Post)

Imam From Va. Mosque Now Thought to Have Aided Al-Qaeda
(By Susan Schmidt, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Housing Woes Put Bush, Hill At Odds
Congressional leaders yesterday gathered support for aggressive changes to bankruptcy laws that would help troubled homeowners, even as the Bush administration threatened to veto the plan and emphasized its opposition to any program that would risk tax dollars.
(By David Cho and Lyndsey Layton, The Washington Post)

Gathering Seeks Solutions for City's Poorer Residents
(By Yolanda Woodlee, The Washington Post)

Slow Economy, High Prices Raise Specter of Stagflation
(By Neil Irwin and Dina ElBoghdady, The Washington Post)

Merchants in Britain Give Young Loiterers an Earful
Shrill Noise Repels Kids but Not Adults
(By Karla Adam, The Washington Post)

In a Crucial State, a Contentious Debate
Clinton and Obama Clash Over Tactics In Ohio Showdown
(By Dan Balz, Anne E. Kornblut and Shailagh Murray, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Sirius Says It Could Do Without XM
Sirius Satellite Radio said yesterday that it gained subscribers in the fourth quarter and lost less money, signs that its business is improving even as the company's merger with XM Satellite Radio Holdings remains stuck in a regulatory limbo more than a year after it was proposed.
(By Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post)

Hazardous to Your Privacy?
(By Steven Levy, The Washington Post)

Yelp Critiques Heard and Heeded in D.C.
(By Kim Hart, The Washington Post)

GOP Halts Effort to Retrieve White House E-Mails
(By Dan Eggen, The Washington Post)

State Hopes to Attract Emerging Industry
(By Philip Rucker, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
López Begins His Climb From Last Year's Depths
Overcoming last season's struggles and fighting for a starting job is nothing compared to the horrifying childhood Nationals second baseman Felipe Lopez had to survive.
(By Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post)

Caps Are Shaken and Stirred
Laich's Career Game Ends a Hectic Day, Lifts Struggling Team: Capitals 4, Wild 1
(By Tarik El-Bashir, The Washington Post)

Lloyd Is Cut Loose by Redskins
(By Jason La Canfora, The Washington Post)

Woeful 1st Half Sinks Wizards
Rockets Capture 13th Straight Win: Rockets 94, Wizards 69
(By Ivan Carter, The Washington Post)

Orioles' Competition Is Heating Up
'Evaluation Process' and Battles for Positions Begin in Earnest
(By Marc Carig, The Washington Post)

More Sports

STYLE
The Future Was Then
For all of its flaws as a business, nobody can accuse the Sharper Image of over-promising. The name explains precisely what it can do for you. Spend money here, it says, and we will improve the way you are perceived . You want an actual enhancement? Try the Greater Substance store, if one opens up....
(By David Segal, The Washington Post)

The Reliable Source
(By Amy Argetsinger and Roxanne Roberts, The Washington Post)

Bill Clinton's Aide, Now in the Story
Real Estate Deal Spotlights Shadow Player
(By Lois Romano, The Washington Post)

In Paris, Some Teeter on the Edge, Others Hone Their Keen Wit
(By Robin Givhan, The Washington Post)

Espresso Yourself: Starbucks Takes a Break
(By Ylan Q. Mui, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
White House Watch
White House Watch columnist Dan Froomkin takes your questions on the latest White House coverage.
(Dan Froomkin, washingtonpost.com)

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

Broder on Politics
(David S. Broder, washingtonpost.com)

Federal Diary Live
(Stephen Barr, washingtonpost.com)

PBS Frontline/World: 'State of Emergency'
(David Montero, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

Time for Tax Returns
HERE'S ONE instructive difference among the leading presidential candidates: Only one, Sen. Barack Obama, has released his income tax returns. Mr. Obama's Democratic rival, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, have so far refused to do so. Most tr...
(The Washington Post)

The Problem With Biofuels
More proof that there are no easy solutions to climate change
(The Washington Post)

Crippling Open Government
In Maryland, a move to turn back the clock on freedom of information
(The Washington Post)

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