The Real Michelle Obama

(NEWSER) - Among the families around the world gathering tomorrow to celebrate the beginning of Passover with a dinner, or seder, will be a high-profile group: the Obamas. The White House seder tradition started on the campaign trail in 2008, when then-senator Barack Obama surprised three staffers by showing up for their makeshift celebration in a Pennsylvania hotel basement. Last year's seder was a bit more impressive, with close to two dozen friends, relatives, and staffers gathering at the White House. More»

If predecessors are any sign, Malia and Sasha are in for 'a helluva good time'

(NEWSER) - If Malia Obama sneaks a boy into the White House, it won’t be an action without precedent. The generations of girls who occupied what Margaret Truman billed “the Great White Jail” form a sort of underground society, Lauren Collins writes in the New Yorker. The Johnson sisters, for example, planted notes to welcome the Nixon ladies to the home where they surreptitiously entertained dates. More»

Obama daughters will be youngest in White House for decades

(NEWSER) - Barack Obama will arrive at the White House in January with the three women he has missed most during two years on the campaign trail: his wife and daughters. But while the president-elect prepares his transition, his family must navigate its own move from the cadre of family and friends in Hyde Park to the scrutiny of Pennsylvania Avenue, the New York Times reports. The upside? After two grueling years on the campaign trail, dad will be home for dinner. More»

Beatle is awarded Gershwin Prize at White House lovefest

(NEWSER) - Paul McCartney was honored last night with the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, and his evening at the White House was filled with reverent tributes, raucous performances, and a bit of humor. “After the last eight years, it's good to have a president that knows what a library is,” McCartney said after thanking the Library of Congress for the prize. More»

Obamas tell kid patients of 26 trees; 'presents not under each one'

(NEWSER) - The first family—minus the president, but plus the first dog—talked about their first White House Christmas yesterday, but Michelle Obama wouldn’t spill any secrets on what’s waiting for Barack under the tree. Malia told patients at the Children’s National Medical Center about the 26 trees decorating her new home, but clarified that, “Unfortunately we don't get presents under every tree,” People reports. More»