Speechwriter's Gal Has Roots in Reality TV

White House aide posed for Maxim

(NEWSER) - The legion of fans swooning over President Obama’s 27-year-old speechwriter will surely be disappointed to hear that he’s hooked up with another White House hottie, Gawker reports. Jon Favreau is said to be seeing Ali Campoverdi, an aide and former campaign intern who once appeared in her skivvies in Maxim. And sorry, Favreau-watchers, he also deleted his Facebook account. More»

(NEWSER) - Notoriously crusty Simon Cowell personally called Britain’s Got Talent runner-up Susan Boyle to comfort her, vowing to support her unconditionally and offering to rip up her tour contract if it would ease her stress. “Simon told her she had done brilliantly and that she was a great singer who was going to record a great album when she was ready,” a friend tells the Mirror. More»

'Accommodation' for religious employers will likely be announced today

(NEWSER) - The White House yesterday signaled a compromise over its contentious birth control decision, and the Wall Street Journal confirms that an attempt to accommodate the Catholic Church will likely be announced today. Details remain hazy, but one source tells the Journal that insurance companies, not religious employers, will become the ones who pay for contraception coverage. ABC News notes the move would be cheaper for health insurance companies than having to cover unwanted pregnancies and complications. But since the "accommodation" will still allow female employees access to birth control, Jake Tapper notes, it will likely not satisfy religious leaders. More»

Tim Thomas skips out on White House visit

(NEWSER) - All-star goalie Tim Thomas skipped out on a visit to the White House with the rest of his Stanley Cup-winning Boston Bruins yesterday, snubbing President Obama's offer of congratulations because he's not happy with the size of the federal government. "I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People," he wrote in a statement posted on Facebook and the Bruins website . "This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government." More»

Details of Jodi Kantor book continue behind-the-scenes look

(NEWSER) - Details from The Obamas, by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, continue to trickle out , and ABC News reports on revelations of a personal nature. According to Kantor, Michelle Obama felt "frightened and alone" during her first days in the White House. The first lady wanted to stay behind longer in Chicago with her two girls, and worried about living in a bubble and her daughters bumping into White House tourists during playdates. And the pressure was enormous. "She saw the responsibility, the impact, the potential of her role,” writes Kantor. And "everyone was waiting for a black woman to make a mistake,” an adviser told the author. More»