Marketers Have Inauguration Fever, Too

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»

Papers reveal 'great expectations' for America's next president

(NEWSER) - The world was watching as Barack Obama took the oath of office. A sampling of headlines from around the globe:

• National Post (Canada): The Ascension of Obama
• Guardian (UK): Magical Spell That Will Open a New Obama Era
• La Repubblica (Italy): America Celebrates Obama's Oath
• Der Tagesspiegel (Germany): The World Looks on Obama
• Primera Hora (Puerto Rico): Obama to the Rescue

Record staff, supplies needed to counter crowds, threats

(NEWSER) - It is an almost unimaginably difficult job: as Washington floods with millions of visitors, the Secret Service has to comb through and pick out all potential sources of danger to the new president. This means, as the London Times reports, a record five tons of bulletproof glass, tens of thousands of security forces, and near-invincible vehicles. The Secret Service even removed the doorknobs from buildings overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. 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»

Couch space at a premium as friends and family flock to capital

(NEWSER) - Thousands of homes across the nation’s capital are jam-packed with out-of-town guests who've arrived to witness history, the Los Angeles Times reports. Guest bedrooms, sofas, and dorm room floors have been turned over to friends and family. "Every surface space, every comforter, every drop of hot water is being utilized," said one woman putting up six Obama fans. More»