Barack Obama
Barack Obama
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.
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today's papers Biden Gets an Assignment Posted Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, at 6:35 AM ET USA Today leads with new data that shows only 45 of the 122 levees across the country that were deemed to be in "unacceptable" conditions almost two years ago have been repaired. The Washington Post leads with a look at how a number of countries are moving toward imposing new barriers to trade, despite the fact that world leaders pledged a few weeks ago not to turn to protectionism during the economic slump. Although the moves haven't become widespread yet, many warn they could grow in the coming months to bring a new wave of protectionism that could make it more difficult for economies around the world to recover. The Los Angeles Times leads with New Hampshire's decision to halt all civil and criminal jury trials in its state courts for a month next year to save on jurors' per diems. This may be an extreme example, but could become a reality elsewhere as at least 19 states have slashed court budgets to deal with budget shortfalls. The New York Times leads with a look at how some companies are trying to cut their labor costs without resorting to layoffs. Increasingly, companies are cutting workweeks, forcing employees to go on vacation, and freezing wages. In a number of cases, employees are supporting these indirect wage cuts since they see them as a more palatable option than layoffs. The Wall Street Journal leads its world-wide newsbox with President-elect Barack Obama's creation of a task force to improve the standard of living of middle-class families. The White House Task Force on Working Families will be led by Vice President-elect Joe Biden and will include several cabinet secretaries as well as economic officials from various government agencies. "Our charge is to look at existing and future policies across the board and use a yardstick to measure how they are impacting the working- and middle-class families," Biden said yesterday. 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 Three Great Judges Obama Should Appoint The Ridiculous Flap Over the Newbery Award for Children's Literature Hitchens: Why Obama Shouldn't Let Rick Warren Speak at Inauguration | Advertisement  |
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