In DC, the Obamas Are Everywhere

Shop would close roads; some fear heavy traffic

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama is backing a push for a farmers' market near the White House, WTOP reports. The president said last month that he and his wife were interested in “a little farmers' market outside of the White House.” Now, with Michelle's support, a market hopes to move in on a section of Vermont Avenue each Thursday, which has some residents bemoaning the thought of more rush hour gridlock. More»

(NEWSER) - From churches to hair salons, Washington’s black institutions are gunning for the Obamas’ patronage, the Washington Post reports. Many in the largely black city feel a sense of camaraderie with the first couple—and know that making a connection with the town's hottest celebrities would be “a tremendous social coup,” said Jackie Kennedy’s former chief of staff. More»

Washington's elite institutions vie for first daughters

(NEWSER) - As the Obamas head to Washington, the locals are abuzz about which private school might land first daughters Malia and Sasha. The Quaker school Sidwell Friends, Chelsea Clinton's alma mater, offers a host of big Beltway names, including some Biden grandkids. But many of them are Clintonites. “Imagine the tension on back-to-school night” when the Obamas would see former Hillary strategist Mark Penn, writes Gabriel Sherman for the Atlantic. More»

Obama 'realized he could do more with his life,' she says

(NEWSER) - Michelle Obama capped a media blitz that included visits to Good Morning America and the View with an appearance on the Daily Show last night. The first lady, ostensibly promoting her new cookbook, didn't take the bait when Jon Stewart asked about her husband's pot-smoking high school years, which the host likened to "the script of a Cheech and Chong movie." Without directly addressing Obama's marijuana use, Michelle said he had changed during his college years after he realized he "could do more with his life." More»

Presidential books still paying off

(NEWSER) - Barack and Michelle Obama's personal finances are in sound shape: The first couple today reported total assets of between $2.6 million and $8.3 million last year, reports the Washington Post . (The imprecision is because of the broad ranges on reporting forms.) President Obama is still collecting decent royalties from his books, somewhere between $250,000 and $2.1 million. More»