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.



Now playing: *Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V* at slatev.test.slate.com.
today's papers Melting Point? By Daniel Politi Posted Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2008, at 5:57 AM ET The New York Times leads with a look at how the credit markets gave encouraging signs yesterday as the crunch appeared to ease somewhat and money began to tentatively flow through the financial system. Wall Street cheered at the positive signs and the Dow Jones industrial average soared 4.7 percent. The Washington Post mentions the developments in the credit markets in its lead story, but focuses on Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's endorsement of plans for a new stimulus package, which was also partly responsible for the increase in the stock markets. Bernanke told lawmakers that because the economy is "likely to be weak for several quarters" and there's "some risk of a protracted slowdown," a new stimulus package "seems appropriate." The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with Barack Obama's rallies in Florida that coincided with the beginning of early voting in that state. By the middle of this week, voters in 18 states will be able to head to the polls, and Democrats are eager to mobilize supporters as early as possible to capitalize on Obama's current lead in the polls. The Democratic candidate announced he'll be canceling campaign events on Thursday and Friday to visit his gravely ill grandmother in Hawaii. USA Today leads with an inhouse survey that found the number of homeless families with children is increasing in several large cities. Homelessness had largely been on the decline, but it appears to have experienced an upswing lately as foreclosure and job losses increase at a time when higher prices for food and fuel had already stretched the average family's budget. The Los Angeles Times leads locally and goes high with the first in a three-part series looking at the broken state of the health insurance system in the United States that "leaves patients responsible for bills they understood would be covered, squeezes doctors and hospitals, and tries to avoid even minuscule risks." Ever conscious of their bottom lines, insurance companies are making it more expensive and difficult for Americans to get individual coverage. And those lucky enough to have health insurance frequently find it does them no good when they need it most. Even some insurance executives "agree the system is inefficient and sometimes inhumane," notes the LAT. To continue reading, click here. Daniel Politi writes "Today's Papers" for Slate. He can be reached at todayspapers@slate.com. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE \| READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Slate Fare Introducing Slate's Redesign Business & Tech The 18 Pieces of Software You Need on Your Computer News & Politics California Can Have Obama or Gay Marriage, but Not Both	Advertisement
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. Manage your newsletters on Slate Unsubscribe \| Newsletter Center \| Advertising Information Please do not reply to this message since this is an unmonitored e-mail address. If you have questions about newsletters, please go here. Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC \| Privacy Policy Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive \| c/o E-mail Customer Care \|1515 N. Courthouse Rd. \| Arlington, VA 22201