Bush on Brink, Says Tabloid

Longevity expert debunks myth that White House duty shortens life

(NEWSER) - President Obama's graying hair has set off the typical chatter that serving as president is so stressful it's bound to take years off a person's life. Not so, says a longevity expert in the Journal of the American Medical Association. In fact, our presidents tend to live longer than the rest of us. S. Jay Olshansky of the University of Illinois crunched the numbers involving 34 presidents who died of natural causes and found that 23 exceeded the life expectancy of men in their era, reports Reuters . More»

Moment of silence at 8:46, moment first plane hit

(NEWSER) - President Obama opened a sun-splashed day of solemn remembrance today by honoring the 9/11 dead with a visit to ground zero, bowing his head at the cascading pools of the North Memorial Pond created in the footprint of the demolished north tower of the World Trade Center. Obama, hand in hand with wife Michelle, walked with former President George W. Bush and wife Laura to the memorial pool. They ran their hands over the bronze panels bearing the names of those lost in the attacks. Mayor Michael Bloomberg led a moment of silence beginning at 8:46am, the moment the first plane hit. Obama then read Psalm 46, and the names of the victims were read. Click through the gallery for images; MSNBC has live coverage of the ceremony at Ground Zero here . More»

Former first lady addresses school speech controvery in CNN interview

(NEWSER) - President Obama's doing a good job, Laura Bush tells CNN during a wide-ranging chat yesterday about life after the White House. "I think he has got a lot on his plate, and he has tackled a lot to start with," she said, "and that has probably made it more difficult." And of the controversy over Obama's upcoming address to the country's schoolchildren, the former first lady says it's "really important for everyone to respect the president of the United States." More»

(NEWSER) - All four living former presidents will attend Ted Kennedy’s invitation-only funeral, the Boston Herald reports. President Obama will also be there, breaking off his Martha’s Vineyard vacation to deliver a eulogy. Gordon Brown also plans to attend, as will Irish PM Brian Cowen. “Sen. Kennedy is being honored as though he were a former sitting president,” observed one political scientist. More»

(AP) - Michelle Obama's performance as first lady is getting high marks from her predecessor, Laura Bush. Speaking after a change-of-command ceremony for the USS Texas submarine in Connecticut, Bush said today she's watched the current first lady from afar and is impressed. More»