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.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS
Study Says Foreigners In U.S. Adapt Quickly
Immigrants of the past quarter-century have been assimilating in the United States at a notably faster rate than did previous generations, according to a study released today.
(By N.C. Aizenman, The Washington Post)

Quake in China Kills Thousands
7.9-Magnitude Temblor, Centered in Sichuan, Is Country's Worst in Decades
(By Jill Drew, The Washington Post)

U.S. Outlook Is Worst Since '92, Poll Finds
Results Give Democrats Edge
(By Jon Cohen and Dan Balz, The Washington Post)

Racist Incidents Give Some Obama Campaigners Pause
(By Kevin Merida, The Washington Post)

Back to the Land, Warily
As Food Crisis Looms, Displaced Kenyans Return With Army Escort
(By Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post)

More Today's Highlights

POLITICS
Senate Talks Collapse On a Housing Bill
Hope dimmed yesterday that Congress would act quickly to rescue homeowners at risk of foreclosure after key Republican and Democratic negotiators in the Senate said they could not reach agreement on a plan.
(By Lori Montgomery and Jeffrey H. Birnbaum, The Washington Post)

Cheney Makes Appearance for House Hopeful
(By Dan Eggen, The Washington Post)

For Obama, the General Election Is Calling
With Clinton Poised To Win W.Va., He Turns To Battleground States
(By Peter Slevin and Anne E. Kornblut, The Washington Post)

McCain Breaks With Bush on Climate Policy
(By Juliet Eilperin, The Washington Post)

Special House Committee to Begin Hearing on 'Stolen' Vote in 2007
Hoyer to Be a Witness in Case of Disputed Maneuvering
(By Jonathan Weisman, The Washington Post)

More Politics

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NATION
U.S. Outlook Is Worst Since '92, Poll Finds
Americans are gloomier about the direction of the country than they have been at any point in 15 years, and Democrats hold their biggest advantage since early 1993 as the party better able to deal with the nation's main problems, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.
(By Jon Cohen and Dan Balz, The Washington Post)

Study Says Foreigners In U.S. Adapt Quickly
(By N.C. Aizenman, The Washington Post)

Suicides Point to Gaps in Treatment
Errors in Psychiatric Diagnoses and Drugs Plague Strained Immigration System
(By Dana Priest and Amy Goldstein, The Washington Post)

Investment Conflicts for High Court
Personal Holdings Prevent Justices From Hearing Case
(By Robert Barnes, The Washington Post)

Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops
(By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post)

More Nation

WORLD
Back to the Land, Warily
NEAR CHERANGANY, Kenya -- In the fertile Rift Valley region last week, convoys of army trucks began returning thousands of farmers to their fields.
(By Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post)

American Admiral Takes Plea To Burma
Military Rulers Agree to Consider Major Relief Effort
(By Amy Kazmin and Colum Lynch, The Washington Post)

Quake in China Kills Thousands
7.9-Magnitude Temblor, Centered in Sichuan, Is Country's Worst in Decades
(By Jill Drew, The Washington Post)

In Lebanon, a Call for U.S. Action
Governing Politicians Decry Level of Response to Hezbollah
(By Thomas Erdbrink and Robin Wright, The Washington Post)

Islamist Leader Arrested In Attack
(By Stephanie McCrummen, The Washington Post)

More World

METRO
Va. GOP Lawmakers Reject Kaine's Latest Transportation Fix
RICHMOND, May 12 -- Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine proposed Monday raising $1.1 billion in taxes and fees to build and repair roads, including boosting the sales tax by 1 cent in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
(By Tim Craig and Anita Kumar, The Washington Post)

Deluge Washes Away Area's Drought
Rainstorm Causes Flooding, Damage
(By David A. Fahrenthold and Ovetta Wiggins, The Washington Post)

Resort in a Security Blanket
Surveillance System, Staffing Intended to Smother Crime at National Harbor
(By Ovetta Wiggins, The Washington Post)

Downtown D.C. Project To Include Posh Hotel
Site Was Considered For New Library
(By Paul Schwartzman, The Washington Post)

Report Faults Group-Home Care
Residents Remain at 'Serious Risk,' Court Monitor Says
(By Daniel LeDuc, The Washington Post)

More Metro

BUSINESS
Cause of Jet Crash Remains Elusive
As the hulking passenger jet approached London's busiest airport after a long flight from China, the inexplicable happened: Both of the plane's engines sputtered and essentially died.
(By Del Quentin Wilber, The Washington Post)

A Higher Law for Lending
Business is up at Islamic finance firms, which don't charge interest and weren't part of the mortgage debacle.
(By N.C. Aizenman, The Washington Post)

Red Cross Might Move Some Workers to N.Va.
(By Philip Rucker, The Washington Post)

Sprint Loses Money, Users
Firm Says It May Sell Some Assets
(By Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post)

Suicides Point to Gaps in Treatment
Errors in Psychiatric Diagnoses and Drugs Plague Strained Immigration System
(By Dana Priest and Amy Goldstein, The Washington Post)

More Business

TECHNOLOGY
Sprint Loses Money, Users
Sprint Nextel yesterday reported first-quarter losses of 1.1 million subscribers and more than half a billion dollars.
(By Cecilia Kang, The Washington Post)

Microsoft Executive To Run Gates Foundation
(By Philip Rucker, The Washington Post)

Google to Connect Friends Across the Web
(By Peter Whoriskey, The Washington Post)

Firms Seek Patents on 'Climate Ready' Altered Crops
(By Rick Weiss, The Washington Post)

Marketing Costs Boost XM Radio Losses
(By Todd Shields, The Washington Post)

More Technology

SPORTS
With the Trash Flying, Nats Take Out Mets
Odalis Perez aids his own cause Monday with three hits and two RBI to earn his first victory of the season as the Nationals steamroll the Mets, 10-4.
(By Chico Harlan, The Washington Post)

Indecent Exposure, and Arrested Development
(By Mike Wise, The Washington Post)

Big Brown, Speed Racer
The Derby Champion Heads to Pimlico With Enormous Expectations. What Are the Odds?
(By John Scheinman, The Washington Post)

Oh, Brother: Flavor Flav And T.O. Are Acting Out
(The Washington Post)

All-Defense Team Looks Familiar
(The Washington Post)

More Sports

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

Translator of Nightmares
The Horrors of Darfur Defied Description, But Daoud Hari Found a Way to Tell the Story
(By Nora Boustany, The Washington Post)

The Roots And Jal Set The Hip-Hop Bar Higher
(By Sarah Godfrey, The Washington Post)

Radiohead, Rising Above The Storm
(By J. Freedom du Lac, The Washington Post)

The General's Chain of Blame in Iraq
(By Max Boot,, The Washington Post)

More Style

LIVE DISCUSSIONS
Book World: 'Wiser in Battle'
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former Commander of Coalition Ground Forces in Iraq, discusses his new memoir, which covers his Army career and his views on the ongoing war in Iraq.
(Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, washingtonpost.com)

Freedom Rock
(J. Freedom du Lac, washingtonpost.com)

K Street
(Jeffrey Birnbaum, washingtonpost.com)

The War Over the War
(Thomas E. Ricks, washingtonpost.com)

Chatological Humor: Pre-Post Hunt Edition
(Dave Barry, Tom Shroder and Gene Weingarten, washingtonpost.com)

More Live Discussions

Inauspicious Visit
THE OCCASION of Israel's 60th-anniversary celebrations has drawn President Bush into a Middle East trip he would be better off not taking. Rather than consolidating achievements or clearing a path for his successor, the president's tour of Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia will serve to illustrate h...
(The Washington Post)

Climate Change in Washington
At least on global warming, there will be no third term for the Bush administration.
(The Washington Post)

Mr. Kaine's Plan
Once again into the transportation breach
(The Washington Post)

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