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, May 28, 2008

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Ex-Press Aide Writes That Bush Misled U.S. on Iraq
Former White House press secretary Scott McClellan writes in a new memoir that the Iraq war was sold to the American people with a sophisticated "political propaganda campaign" led by President Bush and aimed at "manipulating sources of public opinion" and "downplaying the major reason for going to...
(By Michael D. Shear, The Washington Post)

McCain Accepts a Hand From Bush, at Arm's Length
(By Michael Abramowitz, Michael D. Shear and Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

Va. Executes Man, Ending De Facto Moratorium
Killer of Store Owner Is First to Die Since Supreme Court Put Cases on Hold
(By Jerry Markon, The Washington Post)

The Fading of the Mirage Economy
(By Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post)

New Town Springing Up in Quake-Hit Province
Workers Promise Homes for 20,000 by July
(By Jill Drew, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
McCain Accepts a Hand From Bush, at Arm's Length
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- When President Bush ventured here for a private fundraiser with John McCain on Tuesday night, his first real campaign appearance with the presumptive GOP nominee, the event was closed to the news media and their only joint public appearance was a photo op on the airport tarmac...
(By Michael Abramowitz, Michael D. Shear and Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

McCain Signals Desire to See Reduction in Nuclear Arms
Senator Does Not Endorse Eliminating Them Completely
(By Glenn Kessler, The Washington Post)

Obama Says He Erred in Speech
Uncle's WWII Role Not at Auschwitz
(By Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

Late in the Term, an Exodus of Senior Officials
Scores of High-Level Political Positions Are Vacant or Are Being Filled by Temporary Appointees
(By Dan Eggen and Christopher Lee, The Washington Post)

MSNBC, Leaning Left And Getting Flak From Both Sides
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

More Politics

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NATION
Military Diagnosing More Post-Traumatic Stress
The number of U.S. troops diagnosed by the military with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) jumped nearly 50 percent in 2007 over the previous year, as more of them served lengthy and repeated combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pentagon data released yesterday show.
(By Ann Scott Tyson, The Washington Post)

Va. Executes Man, Ending De Facto Moratorium
Killer of Store Owner Is First to Die Since Supreme Court Put Cases on Hold
(By Jerry Markon, The Washington Post)

Justices Uphold Retaliation Lawsuits
Federal, Private Workers Have Same Protections
(By Robert Barnes and William Branigin, The Washington Post)

Report Details Effects of Climate Change Across U.S.
(By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post)

Childhood Obesity Rates Stop Rising
Numbers Stall but Remain High; Experts Wary of Declaring a Turnaround
(By Rob Stein, The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
New Town Springing Up in Quake-Hit Province
LEIGU, China, May 27 -- With as many as 14 million earthquake survivors in urgent need of housing, China is beginning to rebuild from scratch.
(By Jill Drew, The Washington Post)

Report Details Child Abuse
Group Cites Aid Workers, U.N. Troops
(By Colum Lynch, The Washington Post)

Traffic Stops Over Gas Prices
As Fuel Costs Soar in Europe, Angry Truckers, Fishermen Set Up Blockades
(By Kevin Sullivan and Molly Moore, The Washington Post)

Ex-Press Aide Writes That Bush Misled U.S. on Iraq
(By Michael D. Shear, The Washington Post)

American Says Olmert Took Envelopes of Cash
Businessman Testifies in Probe That He Gave Israeli Leader $150,000 in Gifts, Loans Over 15 Years
(By Griff Witte, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
D.C. Council Crafting Plan to Pay $150 Million for Soccer Stadium
A coalition of D.C. Council members is drafting legislation that would authorize Mayor Adrian M. Fenty to spend $150 million in public money to subsidize construction of a soccer stadium for D.C. United in Southeast Washington, city government sources said.
(By David Nakamura, The Washington Post)

Va. Executes Man, Ending De Facto Moratorium
Killer of Store Owner Is First to Die Since Supreme Court Put Cases on Hold
(By Jerry Markon, The Washington Post)

1965 Prison Escapee Is Returned to Maryland
Willie Parker, 81, Lived Openly in N.C. for Decades; State Parole Commission Will Decide Case
(By Avis Thomas-Lester, The Washington Post)

Ex-Official in Pr. George's Gets 45 Years in Shooting
(By Ruben Castaneda, The Washington Post)

Guantanamo Critics Reiterate Protests as Their Trial Opens
(By Keith L. Alexander, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Choosing Bankruptcy to Stay Afloat
Danielle Lancaster makes $28,000 a year as a bank employee in Richmond. She owes almost twice that on her credit cards, student and car loans.
(By Nancy Trejos, The Washington Post)

Federal Diary Live
(Stephen Barr, washingtonpost.com)

Steel, Forging a Comeback
Domestic Production Rebounds as Prices, Global Demand Soar
(By Michael A. Fletcher, The Washington Post)

In Federal Copyright Trial, Mattel Says Rival Stole Bratz Doll Concept
(By Greg Risling, The Washington Post)

The Fading of the Mirage Economy
(By Steven Pearlstein, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Realtors Settle Listings Battle
The National Association of Realtors has agreed to change its policies on Internet home-sale listings to settle a long legal battle with federal regulators who have accused the group of anti-competitive behavior that harms consumers.
(By Dina ElBoghdady, The Washington Post)

Vodafone Chief Executive to Step Down
British Cellphone Firm Also Reports a Return to Profitability
(By Jane Wardell, The Washington Post)

Sony, Cable Firms Agree To Eliminate Set-Top Boxes
(By John Dunbar, The Washington Post)

MSNBC, Leaning Left And Getting Flak From Both Sides
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
Lakers Are on Verge Of Dethroning Spurs
Kobe Bryant has 28 points and 10 rebounds and the Los Angeles Lakers hold on for a 93-91 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.
(By Michael Lee, The Washington Post)

Woods Is On Course For Open
Knee Rehabilitation Has Been 'Boring'
(By Leonard Shapiro, The Washington Post)

In the Midst of History
Broad Run Softball Players Focus on Next Game, Not Their Legacy
(By Matthew Stanmyre, The Washington Post)

Caps Re-Sign Bradley to 3-Year Deal
(The Washington Post)

Redskins to Give DE James a Shot
Washington Sends a Conditional 7th-Round Pick to Vikings
(By Jason La Canfora, The Washington Post)

More Sports

STYLE
A Far Cry From Home
INZAI, Japan Jerome White Jr. wears a do-rag while crooning syrupy ballads -- in perfect Japanese -- about lost love. Part Public Enemy, part Sinatra, part schmaltz, it's an act the Japanese public has never seen before, and it is making him a star. Jero, as he is marketed here, has a hugely succ...
(By Blaine Harden, The Washington Post)

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

The Director Who Always Played a Supporting Role
(By Desson Thomson, The Washington Post)

MSNBC, Leaning Left And Getting Flak From Both Sides
(By Howard Kurtz, The Washington Post)

Ian Fleming's Agent of Little Change
(By Patrick Anderson,, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Washington Nationals
Washington Post writer Chico Harlan takes your questions and comments about the Washington Nationals.
(Chico Harlan, washingtonpost.com)

Dirda on Books
(Michael Dirda, washingtonpost.com)

Real Life Politics
(Ruth Marcus, washingtonpost.com)

Soccer Insider
(Steven Goff, washingtonpost.com)

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

More Live Discussions

Iran's Failed 'Litmus Test'
LAST AUGUST, the International Atomic Energy Agency struck a deal with Iran on a "work plan" for clearing up outstanding questions about its nuclear program within three months -- in other words, before December 2007. IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, who launched the initiative as an end ...
(The Washington Post)

Grounded
Reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration is stuck on the legislative tarmac.
(The Washington Post)

Virginia's GOP, in Denial
On transportation funding, the Republicans peddle slogans, not solutions.
(The Washington Post)

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