Obama is to take time off from campaigning

. After spending a couple of days in the battle-ground states of Florida and Indiana, Barack Obama plans to forego campaigning and travel to Hawaii on Friday to visit his ailing 85-year-old grandmother, an aide said on Monday. Obama has described his grandmother, whose health has deteriorated in recent weeks, as one of the biggest influences in his life. With two weeks left in the intense battle for the White House, Obama will hold a campaign event in Indianapolis on Thursday and then fly to Hawaii to see his grandmother before returning to campaigning on Saturday, aide Robert Gibbs said. “Senator Obama’s grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, has always been one of the most important people in his life,” Gibbs said in a statement. “Along with his mother and his grandfather, she raised him in Hawaii from the time he was born until the moment he left for college.” In Florida, Obama is encouraging voters to cast their ballots early; there are 27 electoral votes, and it is vital for either candidate in their quest for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House. On stage with Obama on Monday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) pointed to the financial crisis as she urged Florida voters to choose Obama. “Now is the time to close the deal for Barack Obama and close the book on eight years of failed Republican leadership,” she said, linking McCain to President George W. Bush. “Sending the Republicans to clean up the economic mess in Washington is like sending the bull to clean up the china closet.” At a rally outside Kansas City, Mo., McCain jumped on Obama’s running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, saying that Obama would be tested with an international crisis within six months of becoming president. McCain said, “We don’t want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars.”

A Jamaican sprinter makes Olympic history in Beijing

Winning by a full four body-lengths over American defending champ Shawn Crawford, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt made Olympic history Wednesday. Bolt became the first-ever sprinter to break world records and win gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter races during one Olympics. “I blew my mind and I blew the world’s mind,” Bolt says. His 19.30 seconds in the 200 made him the first man since Carl Lewis to sweep gold medals from both sprints. Lewis did so in 1984. Bolt also beat Michael Johnson’s 12-year-old record of 19.32 seconds. Not even Olympics legend Jesse Owens completed a 100, 200 sweep. Get the latest on how the Americans did and more at BET.com/Olympics ‘08.