Obama Honors NASCAR as 'Uniquely American'

Jimmie Johnson will show, but Tony Stewart, Kurt Busch, others bow out

(NEWSER) - Are some of NASCAR’s top drivers snubbing the president? Barack Obama has invited 12 NASCAR drivers to the White House for an event honoring champion Jimmie Johnson—and five of them aren’t planning on showing up, SB Nation reports. While Johnson himself will be there, Greg Biffle, Kurt Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, and Tony Stewart have all bowed out citing “schedule conflicts.” More»

(NEWSER) - It's no secret that Barack Obama is an avid hoopster and that his presidency could usher in an era of basketball diplomacy, but a New York Times feature on the politics of presidential sports notes a potential hurdle for the president-elect: He's inheriting a cruddy basketball court. Little-used since Bush the elder installed it outside in 1991, the court is small, suffers a weathered and cracked surface, and has but one hoop. More»

But it's the golf club's decision: Obama

(NEWSER) - As controversy over the Augusta National Golf Club's men-only policy resurfaces, the White House is taking sides. President Obama "believes women should be admitted," says press secretary Jay Carney. It's "up to the club to decide," but Obama's "personal opinion is that women should be admitted to the club." Meanwhile, a women's rights campaigner who led protests against the club in 2002 is gearing up for a new fight, CNN reports. More»

President warns Supreme Court of 'judicial activism'

(NEWSER) - President Obama stood up for health care reform today and took a swipe at "unelected" Supreme Court justices who might rule against Obamacare, the Washington Post reports. “Ultimately, I am confident the Supreme Court will not take what would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress,” Obama said at the White House, during a joint press conference with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. More»

It's the latest gift that seems to have come out of left field

(AP) - It's better than a gift card, but the White House's latest round of gifts for a foreign dignitary is raising a few eyebrows: President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, have presented the British PM David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, with a wood and charcoal burning grill engraved with American and British friendship flags. The grill came with his-and-her White House chef jackets embroidered with the Camerons' names. Maybe they're manning the grill for tonight's state dinner ? More»