At Obama Swearing-In, Watchers Will Swear at Cold

'Nobody has ever worried about where to put 10,000 buses before,' says Obama planner

(NEWSER) - The inauguration of Barack Obama will be a historic occasion, but some involved have other things on their minds, USA Today reports. “Nobody has ever worried about where to put 10,000 buses before,” said Peter Gage, an aide charged with planning the Jan. 20 Inaugural Parade. Some 13,000 will march, 3 million could attend, and tight security measures will be in effect. More»

Chicago natives have played in worse weather, prez says

(NEWSER) - The ice storm plowing through Washington has many grown-ups wary of stepping outside, but it hasn’t fazed the first daughters, Politico reports. The Midwesterners were unimpressed that their school closed, President Obama said today, noting that Chicago schools never close. “My 7-year-old pointed out that in Chicago you’d go outside for recess. You wouldn’t even stay indoors.” He joked that Washington could use a little “flinty Chicago toughness.” More»

Writer savors the spirit of goodwill amid throng at inauguration

(NEWSER) - The lines were "the longest I have ever stood in," and the day was arctic, but there were no complaints to be heard from the jubilant throng in Washington yesterday, Garrison Keillor writes in Salon. "All kinds of people, the slim and sleek, the XXXLs, the heavily insulated, the carefree" slowly trekked toward the Capitol for the swearing-in of a new leader and the emergence of "a new America," Keillor writes—all radiating goodwill and a sense of the enormity of the occasion. "I simply was grateful to be among it." More»

(NEWSER) - While some fought to escape the Mall after the inauguration, thousands of frustrated ticketholders were barred from entering to see the swearing in of President Barack Obama, the Washington Post reports. “It is irresponsible to issue all of these tickets and not let the people in,” one Californian said. Hopeful attendees reported waiting in line for hours only to learn gates had been closed. More»

Diva fired up to give Obama R-E-S-P-E-C-T at biggest gig of her life

(NEWSER) - Aretha Franklin is psyched to sing to the biggest audience of her life in Washington today, she tells the Times of London. When she thinks of Obama she thinks of "jubilation all over the world," the Queen of Soul says. "Dancing in Africa, dancing in London, dancing in Japan—people are so happy about this inauguration." Aretha won't divulge what she plans to sing, although she says Obama is definitely due some R-E-S-P-E-C-T. More»