Michelle Visits Cancer Patients

First family visits parliament, then hits the pub

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama flew back to the US Sunday, but Michelle, Malia, and Sasha began a secret trip to London yesterday, reports the Daily Mail, visiting Big Ben and Parliament before tucking in for fish and chips at a traditional pub near the American embassy. Michelle also made an unofficial visit to Downing Street to see Sarah Brown—but not Gordon, who has been rather busy lately. More»

First lady dishes on husband's skills with Jay Leno

(NEWSER) - If you thought the recent clip of President Obama singing was a fluke, think again: "He does have a beautiful voice, and he sings to me all the time," Michelle Obama told Jay Leno last night. Her husband often sings that very same song (Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"), she said, adding, "He sings a lot of Al Green, Marvin Gaye, a little Stevie [Wonder]. He likes the classics." More»

Protesters also hold rallies against Voter ID laws

(NEWSER) - Martin Luther King day inspired an Occupy march on New York and more traditional remembrances across the US today. Among the events:

• Hundreds of Occupiers staged an "Occupy the Dream" march on Manhattan, stopping to chant, "The banks got bailed out, we got sold out." At least two protesters were arrested, MSNBC reports. "Dr. King dedicated the last months of his life to planning a campaign for the right of all to a decent-paying job," Occupy said in a statement.

First lady has been a powerful player in her husband's White House: Book

(NEWSER) - A new (unauthorized) book by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor depicts Michelle Obama as an "unrecognized force" in her husband's administration, according to an adaptation of The Obamas in the Times . Though initially reluctant to be a meddling first lady, she began voicing concerns when she felt her husband's big-picture agenda was getting sacrificed to mundane politics and even pushed the president to shake up his team of advisers, writes Kantor. Some highlights:

• Clashes with Rahm: She had a testy relationship with former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, and he "chafed" at her influence. The president once passed along a criticism of hers to his staff ("She feels as if our rudder isn't set right"), and Emanuel reportedly repeated it with disdain to others. The excerpts also note that Emanuel offered his resignation at one point, when his criticisms about health care reform went public.

Prez a big fan of Modern Family, Boardwalk Empire, Homeland

(NEWSER) - President Obama's elder daughter Malia is now 13, old enough to have a Facebook account, but the first couple has no intention of lifting their ban on their daughters using the site . And the girls don't mind, the president tells People , characterizing their view as, "Why would we want to have a whole bunch of people who we don't know knowing our business? That doesn't make much sense." Adds Obama: "We'll see how they feel in four years." More»