Michelle Pushes for Farmers' Market Near White House

What does the term 'food snob' mean anymore?

(NEWSER) - Trends being what they are, the definition of "foodie" has always been a moving target, and these days, the term seems broader than ever. “You used to be a food snob if you knew all the different kinds of truffles and foie gras,” one expert tells the New York Daily News. “Now the snob is the person who’s at the taco truck in Queens or the pizza place in the Bronx.” More»

Calculated or not, first couple makes its mark on city

(NEWSER) - The Obamas aren’t confining themselves to their ivory tower: They’re showing up everywhere in an economically divided Washington, from the Kennedy Center to a chili joint, the New York Times reports. Barack Obama is connecting to the capital more than any other modern president, says historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, though whether it’s a political move or just the first couple’s natural inclination remains to be seen. 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»

Fixing food will save health and environment

(NEWSER) - Just because Barack Obama has a lot of issues to deal with once he's sworn in, he shouldn't leave food reform off the table. Putting a bulk of the stimulus package toward local and regional food systems will cut costs and bring us back from the edge, Tom Philpott, founder of Maverick Farms, writes in Grist. Benefits: decreasing our oil dependency, bolstering an ailing environment, and lessening the cost of health care. 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»