First Family: Day 1

Sasha, Malia throw arms around parents in White House portrait

(NEWSER) - New screen saver, anyone? The White House released a new Obama family portrait taken by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz. The First Family sat in the White House’s Green Room for the picture, at left. More»

Obamas polish image through careful offering to celebrity mags

(NEWSER) - As the nation gets to know the first family, it may seem as if we're watching "a reality show set on the glorified soundstage at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.," the Los Angeles Times reports, but what we're seeing is in fact a meticulously crafted image. Information about the Obamas is being strictly managed to bolster the president's popularity and keep the paparazzi at bay. Photos, interviews, and glimpses of White House life are systematically parceled out to celebrity news outlets, who in turn agree to not publish any unauthorized snaps. More»

Obamas collaborated with store, which sees boost from DC spotlight

(NEWSER) - Representatives of the Obama family worked directly with J. Crew to design multiple inaugural pieces that fit the First Family’s deliberate classic-but-affordable image, the company tells the Chicago Tribune. Despite a few complaints, the Obamas’ unofficial hard-times designer has emerged strong from the inauguration festivities—seeing a 10% stock bump after the personalized pieces debuted. More»

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama rolled into Washington tonight on the last stop of his historic whistlestop train journey, the Washington Post reports. Obama retraced the path of Abraham Lincoln and called for a "new declaration of independence" for the nation. To see photos of the trip—which Joe Biden joined in Wilmington, Del.—click on Slideshow. To read more about it, click on the links. More»

President-elect told he can't move into official guest house early

(NEWSER) - Washington's hotels are booked solid for January and the Obamas have joined those struggling to find a place to stay, the New York Times reports. The president-elect and his wife had hoped to move into Blair House, the official White House guest house, in time for the girls to start their new school Jan. 5. But the Bush administration has told them it won't be available until January 15—just 5 days before the inauguration. More»