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 Can GM Get It Together? By Kara Hadge Posted Saturday, May 30, 2009, at 6:29 AM ET The New York Times and the Washington Post lead with stories on saving General Motors. The NYT focuses on Friday's tentative deal by GM to sell the European arm of the company, Opel, to Canadian parts manufacturer Magna in an alliance with Russian bank Sberbank. The WP looks forward to Monday's deadline from the Obama administration for GM's restructuring plans, with word from the Treasury Department that the U.S. government would recoup the $50 billion it plans to pour into the company within five years. The Wall Street Journal tops its world-wide news box with Defense Secretary Robert Gates' warning to North Korea against developing and, in particular, exporting nuclear weapon technologies that could threaten the U.S. and its allies. The Los Angeles Times leads local with a story on severe budget cuts in California. In an effort to trim another $2.8 billion to prevent the state from running out of money this summer, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed deep cuts to education, transportation, and a slew of other government functions. Although the Opel deal has not been finalized, Magna and Sberbank appear to have won out over Fiat, which was also looking to buy the stake in GM's European operations. Had Fiat done so, it would have become the second-largest car manufacturer in the world, after Toyota. The NYT implies that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne lost out in the deal, but an earlier story online in the WP yesterday suggested Marchionne was just recoiling due to requests by the German government, which is leading the search for Opel's buyer, "to fund Opel on an emergency basis while the government determines the timing and conditions of financing." To continue reading, click here. Kara Hadge is a former Slate intern. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Latest From Barack Obama's Facebook Newsfeed There Are Already 355 Terrorists in Federal Prisons, Dummy Books, Movies, and Music Recommended by Slate This Month	Advertisement
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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 With a Little Help from My Friends By Roger McShane Posted Sunday, May 24, 2009, at 6:14 AM ET The New York Times leads with the U.S. depending on foreign intelligence services to do its dirty work in the war on terror. The current approach, which began under George Bush and continues under Barack Obama, relies on foreign governments "to capture, interrogate and detain all but the highest-level terrorist suspects seized outside the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan." The Los Angeles Times leads with the story of four French and Belgian al-Qaida recruits who were picked up by police in Europe after they traveled to Pakistan. The seemingly failed recruits "just weren't tough enough," says one of their lawyers. But anti-terrorism officials wonder if they were meant to attack inside Europe. The Washington Post leads with Nancy Pelosi's trip to China, where she will focus on the country's carbon emissions. The Post notes that Pelosi, a staunch critic of Beijing's human rights record, declined to say whether that topic would come up in her talks. Hillary Clinton played down human rights when she visited China earlier in the year, and the paper sees a trend. In it's lead, the NYT notes America is continuing to provide intelligence and logistical support to foreign governments, but it's letting them pick up and detain terror suspects. This has put Barack Obama in a tough spot. He is likely to take heat from the left for continuing a Bush-era approach that has the U.S. relying on regimes that are known to torture prisoners. Yet Obama's own policies--such as closing the prisons at Guantanamo Bay and the CIA's black sites--have left him with few options. For example, one official says the administration is having an "extremely, extremely sensitive" debate over what to do with two al-Qaida suspects in Pakistani custody. "They're both bad dudes," says the official. "The issue is: where do they get parked so they stay parked?" That is something that the president did not address in his speech on Thursday. To continue reading, click here. Roger McShane writes for the Economist online. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Audio Book Club Debates Rivka Galchen's Atmospheric Disturbances Electrocutions, Explosions, and Other Hazards of University Science Labs Killer Robots Could Take Over the World. Here's How.	Advertisement
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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 Obama and the Fighting Irish by Joshua Kucera Posted Monday, May 18, 2009, at 6:00 AM ET The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times lead with President Obama's speech at Notre Dame University's graduation ceremony where he addressed the issue of abortion directly while several anti-abortion protesters attempted to disrupt the event. The story also tops the Wall Street Journal worldwide news box. The New York Times leads with U.S. officials' increasing concern that Pakistan is adding to its nuclear arsenal even as it struggles against an insurgency that threatens to topple the government. USA Today leads with news that local law enforcement agencies are cutting back services, merging or even shutting down altogether because of the recession. Obama's speech was an attempt to bridge the gap between both sides of the abortion debate by calling on each side to respect the other with "open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words," as he said in a much-quoted part of his address. "Mr. Obama did not engage on the merits of the debate on abortion; he instead made an appeal to each side of the issue," the NYT wrote. Those on the anti-abortion side of the issue were not impressed: an anti-abortion mass was held in response to his presence, a small group protested outside (some were arrested, "nearly 40" according to the NYT) and some students registered their objection by skipping the ceremony. To continue reading, click here. Joshua Kucera is a freelance writer based in Washington, D.C. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Latest Updates From Barack Obama's Facebook Newsfeed Were People Really This Fat in Prehistoric Times? My Plan To Fix the Republican Party: More Puppies	Advertisement
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Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. 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

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.

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.
Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com.
today's papers Leaning on Pakistan By Jesse Stanchak Posted Monday, May 4, 2009, at 6:34 AM ET The New York Times and the Washington Post each lead with American officials expressing doubts about the future of Pakistani security in the face of a Taliban uprising. The Los Angeles Times leads with a trend piece on how American car buyers are beginning to shop more like Europeans. USAToday leads with a look at President Barack Obama's search for a new U.S. Supreme Court justice to replace Justice David Souter. The Wall Street Journal tops its world-wide newsbox with word that cases of H1N1/swine flu have appeared in 18 countries, even as officials note that the disease may not be that severe after all. The NYT's Pakistan coverage is squarely focused on the nuclear threat, with U.S. officials saying they believe Pakistan's nuclear stockpile is secure for now, while acknowledging that they don't know where all of Pakistan's weapons are. The WP focuses on the long-term logistical challenges Pakistan presents, like providing funding and training to an unreliable partner. Both pieces note that the Taliban uprising requires the U.S. to rely on the Pakistanis to handle their own security, a difficult prospect given the history of mistrust between the two countries. To continue reading, click here. Jesse Stanchak is a writer living in Washington, D.C. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate The Terrible Things That Happen to Surrogate Mothers in China Where Has Swine Flu Been Hiding for the Last 33 Years? Life Is Still Good for Business School Students ... in Wisconsin	Advertisement
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. 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

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.

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.
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today's papers Judgment Call By Kara Hadge Posted Saturday, May 2, 2009, at 6:24 AM ET Barely past the 100-day mark in his Presidency, Barack Obama already has an opportunity to shape his legacy: The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal's world-wide news box, and Los Angeles Times lead, and the New York Times off-leads, with speculation about the type of judge the President will appoint to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Obama will personally lead the search for a nominee, and his background as a constitutional law professor and community organizer is a likely influence behind his desire to appoint someone who will show "empathy" towards "people's hopes and struggles," as he said in yesterday's press briefing. The NYT leads with a look at the U.S. government's outreach to Nawaz Sharif, the chief opposition to the Pakistani president. While the U.S. had avoided Sharif before due to his ties to Islamists, the Obama administration now views those connections as a useful way to prop up a government that is losing influence to Taliban insurgents. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Richard Holbrooke, special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, are encouraging Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari to work together, although the two men are fierce rivals. To continue reading, click here. Kara Hadge is a former Slate intern. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Short, Hairy, Angry, Canadian, and the Worst Superhero Ever Pick a Nominee To Replace Justice Souter Jim Jarmusch's New Movie Is Unbearably Pretentious	Advertisement
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. 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

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.

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.
Now playing: Slate V, a video-only site from the world's leading online magazine. Visit Slate V at www.slatev.com.
today's papers Judgment Call By Kara Hadge Posted Saturday, May 2, 2009, at 6:24 AM ET Barely past the 100-day mark in his Presidency, Barack Obama already has an opportunity to shape his legacy: The Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal's world-wide news box, and Los Angeles Times lead, and the New York Times off-leads, with speculation about the type of judge the President will appoint to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice David Souter. Obama will personally lead the search for a nominee, and his background as a constitutional law professor and community organizer is a likely influence behind his desire to appoint someone who will show "empathy" towards "people's hopes and struggles," as he said in yesterday's press briefing. The NYT leads with a look at the U.S. government's outreach to Nawaz Sharif, the chief opposition to the Pakistani president. While the U.S. had avoided Sharif before due to his ties to Islamists, the Obama administration now views those connections as a useful way to prop up a government that is losing influence to Taliban insurgents. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Richard Holbrooke, special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, are encouraging Sharif and President Asif Ali Zardari to work together, although the two men are fierce rivals. To continue reading, click here. Kara Hadge is a former Slate intern. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Short, Hairy, Angry, Canadian, and the Worst Superhero Ever Pick a Nominee To Replace Justice Souter Jim Jarmusch's New Movie Is Unbearably Pretentious	Advertisement
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. 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

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.

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.
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today's papers Souter Calls it Quits By Daniel Politi Posted Friday, May 1, 2009, at 6:44 AM ET The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal's world-wide newsbox lead with late-breaking word that Justice David Souter plans to retire this summer, creating the first Supreme Court vacancy in President Barack Obama's administration. Souter, 69, was appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1990, but quickly turned into one of the biggest disappointments for conservatives as he became a reliable member of the court's liberal wing. The vacancy will be the first for a Democratic president in 15 years, and everyone notes Obama will be under intense pressure to appoint a woman since Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stands alone among the nine justices. The New York Times off-leads the Souter news but leads with Chrysler filing for bankruptcy protection yesterday. Chrysler has now become "the first major American automaker to seek bankruptcy protection since Studebaker did so in 1933," details the paper. The WSJ specifies that it's the sixth-largest Chapter 11 filing. In what the NYT describes as "yet another extraordinary intervention into private industry by the federal government," President Obama announced a plan to create a new ownership structure for the automaker that would give the company a "new lease on life." Obama wasn't shy about pointing fingers, saying that the government was eager to avoid bankruptcy but its efforts were thwarted by a group of investment firms and hedge funds, which the president referred to as "a small group of speculators." 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 Is It True That the Wolverine Is Pound for Pound the Strongest Mammal? Help! My Boyfriend Keeps "the List" of All the Girls He's Ever Slept With on His Computer. Why Maids in India Don't Vote	Advertisement
Ideas on how to make something better? Send an e-mail to newsletters@slate.com. 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