Obama to US: A Salad Wouldn't Kill You

First lady joins administration's push for more positive habits

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration's push for better fitness and nutrition starts at the top, with the gym-rat president and garden-planting first lady setting the bar high for a nation of couch potatoes. It's all about moderation, Michelle Obama tells Prevention magazine. "My message to women: Do what makes you feel good, because there’ll always be someone who thinks you should do it differently." More»

(NEWSER) - Like all liberals, President Obama likes big, controlling systems. Like British politicians, he hopes to manage health care with a nationwide supercomputer. As Britain failed, so too will the United States, Fraser Nelson and Irwin M. Stelzer write in the Weekly Standard. Not only has Britain's medical database failed after years of hard work and $7.4 billion in taxpayers' money, it manages patients' health care in horrifying ways. More»

First Lady's first formal photo highlights famous arms

(NEWSER) - The White House released the first official portrait of Michelle Obama today, People reports, and it calls attention to her most famous accessory. No, not the Kennedy-esque double strand of pearls—her rock-solid arms. In the photo, snapped in the Blue Room, the first lady also sports a sleek black sheath designed by Michael Kors, according to the New York Post. More»

They'll try to see whether physicians give preference to private insurance

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration fears there are too few primary care doctors to go around—so it’s launching a team of “mystery shoppers” to look into the physicians’ availability. The undercover callers will seek appointments at doctors’ offices nationwide to determine ease of access. Some will say they’ve got private insurance, while others will say they’re on public plans; the administration hopes to discover whether doctors discriminate between the two, reports the New York Times . More»

Sources say White House press secretary considering 2012 campaign role

(NEWSER) - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs—who recently told reporters no major administration reshuffle was on the way—is likely to be headed for the exit himself as part of the overhaul, according to Politico. Gibbs is seriously considering stepping aside to work on President Obama's 2012 campaign, although no final decision has been made and administration officials haven't settled on a successor, say sources. More»