First lady Michelle Obama continued her campaign to get kids moving by jumping rope yesterday as she launched the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition — with the new emphasis on nutrition — at Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Washington. “Our goal is to end the epidemic of childhood obesity in a generation,” Obama said. She also announced that NFL quarterback Drew Brees and three-time Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes will be the council’s co-chairs. Meanwhile, recordings at Rod Blagojevich‘s trial yesterday revealed the former governor of Illinois declared at one point in a 2008 conversation with his chief of staff that Barack Obama is “a lot more hen-pecked than me. He listens to Michelle.” – Ann Oldenburg

Curing breast cancer was the topic, burgers and ice cream sundaes on the menu, and lots of pink the attire for a backyard cookout at Joe and Jill Biden’s Washington, D.C. digs — i.e., the Vice President’s residence — on Friday night, which was attended by USA WEEKEND Senior Editor Carol Clurman. Carol says Joe Biden looked natty in a pale pink tie, while Jill glowed (though it could have just been the 80-something-degree heat) in pearls and a fuchsia silk cocktail dress with puffy sleeves. Munching and mingling among the crowd, in town for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure on Saturday, were the Bidens’ four darling grandchildren, oblivious to the heat and the brief speechifying by their grandparents. For the Biden family, the occasion was personal. “Twenty years ago, my college roommate’s wife died of breast cancer,” Joe Biden said. And his wife explained, “In the early 1990s, four friends were diagnosed with breast cancer and one of them died.” As a result, she said, she started the Biden Breast Cancer Initiative to educate high school students about early detention. Despite the talk of cancer, the mood was distinctly festive. Country singer Candy Coburn (pictured, right, with Carol), wearing the best shoes of the night — suede, fuchsia platforms with zippers — posed gamely in front of the VP’s house before heading back to her hotel room for the evening. “I’ve got to get up at 6!” to join Jill Biden, Komen’s founder and CEO Nancy Brinker, and 40,000 others for the 5K run around the Washington mall, Coburn said. Afterward, Coburn performed her new single, Pink Warrior, to the crowd. She’s donating all of the royalties to the cause.

Photo by Shealah Craighead

Last week, we featured an early Mother’s Day interview and cover story with Michelle Obama. This weekend, it’s Sarah Palin. A lot of readers feel very strongly about both issues — they object to the order, and they disapprove of featuring one or the other, among other things. The reaction is so strong, in fact, we are going to publish a sampling in the magazine of the many letters we’re receiving in an upcoming issue. Senior Editor Carol Clurman considers herself fortunate enough to do both interviews. “It may be apples and oranges — one’s the first lady, the other isn’t — but since I met them within weeks of each other and discussed the same topics, it’s impossible not to compare the two moms,” Carol says. In addition to the obvious circumstantial differences — one lives in the White House, the other in a simple house her husband built in remote Wasilla, Alaska — Carol found that the two mothers have very different parenting styles. Obama’s very traditional: family dinners every night, piano and ballet lessons, and no TV during the week. (By the way, many readers were upset about us calling the first lady by her last name — it’s not disrespectful, it’s just standard style for media outlets on second reference.) In the Palin household, however, there is no dinner table, for starters — just an eating counter in the kitchen. Hunting and snowmobiling are favorite family activities. As for rules, Palin says she and her husband, Todd, tell the kids not to read the blogs, but that’s almost impossible to enforce. Oh, and one more thing: When Carol interviewed the first lady, she was told her daughters, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, were strictly off-limits. At the Palins, no restrictions at all. All five children were there, along with her grandson, not to mention the man behind the woman, Todd. Read both stories and make your own conclusions, but we’d like to hear from you. To chime in on whom you’d most want as your mom, Obama or Palin, vote at our poll here.

After 18 months in the White House, Americans have gotten a pretty good idea of what kind of first lady Michelle Obama is. She’s into organic gardening, wants to teach America’s kids to be healthy, and looks great in sleeveless dresses of all kinds. What we don’t know much about is what she’s like as a mom to those two little girls who have so enthralled the country, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8. To mark this year’s Mother’s Day, USA WEEKEND Senior Editor Carol Clurman visited the “first mom” at the White House for an exclusive interview and cover story, and talked to her about that very subject. What we found was not a Superwoman who’s trying to do it all, but a mother very focused on her family, determined to be there for them while her husband runs the country.

Photo by Kwaku Alston, Stockland Martel for USA WEEKEND; hair: Johnny Wright; makeup: Derrick Rutledge

Just as Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, was writing a story for us about how they were coping with their son Beau’s deployment in Iraq, a glorious thing happened: He came home. Jill did what any responsible journalist who gets caught in the news would do — she retooled her story. The quite moving result is in this weekend's issue, just in time for Veteran’s Day. Beau, 40, who is now weighing a run for the U.S. Senate to fill his dad’s open seat, served in Iraq for a year.

Photo courtesy of the White House

Today’s rare September Supreme
Court hearing on campaign finance and free speech marked the debut
of Justice Sonia Sotomayor and our Jon Tollestrup was in the court room. While Sotomayor chimed into the questioning on two
different occasions during the 90-minute proceedings, the new justice
remained largely silent. Of course, when she did talk, all eyes and ears were on her. So, while it was a quiet debut, it
will be an interesting one to look back on months and years from now to see how
her voice and character in the Supreme Court emerge and develop in conjunction with the rest of
the justices. Today, however, it was only evident that Justice Sotomayor, 55, is the new
kid on the bench. 

Can you believe it has been 25 years since the hilarious movie This Is Spinal Tap was released?  The three now-aging rockers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer — all of whom have had big careers since — have been on an anniversary tour, and I’ve got Guest in this week’s Who’s News column. Also in my print column this week:

• Elizabeth Taylor, left, on her love for the deceased Michael Jackson.
• The lovely Catherine Zeta-Jones. Back to the movies?
• Sexy Timothy Olyphant on his potential new series for FX.
• Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who unexpectedly lost her Without A Trace job when CBS canceled the show last spring.
• Former presidential press secretary James Brady and wife Sarah, who are still fighting the good fight for gun control.

And I always welcome questions about your favorite celebrities.  Please tell me what you want to know. Click here. Don’t forget to leave name, city and state.

Forget Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss, the country singers who went to the White House last night as part of Michelle Obama's planned music series. The surprise of the night was the first lady's new do. Shorter, fresher, flattering. She debuted it on the same day the President admitted his own fashion sense is "frumpy," which was obvious in the outdated baggy jeans he wore to throw out the opening pitch at the All-Stars game.

I caught up today with Neil Bush, the chairman of the board of the Points of Light Institute and the son of former president George H.W. Bush. He told me that he deeply admires the personal commitment to service that President Obama and his wife, Michelle, have made and he’s particularly tickled that the president is using his “bully pulpit” to call Americans to action. “My dad used his presidency in the same way,” Bush said, and indeed it was the first President Bush who coined the term “points of light” and connected it to volunteerism.
I asked Bush how his parents instilled the idea of service in their children and he said, “My mom volunteered every Monday at the local hospital. My dad sponsored an inner-city softball team…they lived it.” And he spoke proudly about his daughter model Lauren Bush, 25, who used her interest in fashion to design a tote bag that is sold to fund United Nations hunger programs. Bush said Points of Light and Facebook folks have been talking about how to use the social networking site to invite youth into the service movement and he sees youth involvement growing noticeably.
In fact, Bush — who has been involved in volunteerism and service for 20-plus years — took a few seconds before he answered my question about whether serving one’s country really will become cool. “It does feel different, he said,” “there’s a larger energy, a more compelling need, more awereness of the transformative nature of volunteerism and the impact it can have. It’s like a tsunami wave — building.”

Among the Hollywood types here in San Francisco for the National Conference on Volunteering and Service is actress Kerry Washington, who could not talk more passionately about her work with L’Oreal Paris’ charitable arm and the inspiration the president and Michelle Obama have been to her. Washington, a petite beauty who talks a mile a minute, worked for the Obama campaign “doing anything they’d let me do,” and she ended up campaigning in 13 states. Here in San Francisco she is supporting the Obamas’ United We Serve summer of service campaign— she was one of the personalties who spoke on stage at the opening session Monday and I caught her for a few minutes back stage— but she’s also working for L’Oreal’s Women of Worth effort to help women make the most of their talents and support women making a difference in their communities.
Arianna Huffington, founder of the web site The Huffington Post, got off a few good lines at the big session Monday. Addressing the power of the web, she said, “The internet is making collaboration more powerful. It’s now collaborate or die.” And, she said, “The misery index is soaring, so the empathy index has to soar, too.”

Photo by Joe Brier

I'm inside a chilly, dark convention hall where in about 90 minutes Michelle Obama will address this national gathering on volunteering and service. The lines to get in are outside and around the block, there are Secret Service agents everywhere and super strict security. I've got a seat right up front — and as I walked in I saw Jon Bon Jovi hanging out in the back of the room. He'd done a sound check earlier. I plan to get a few minutes with him after his show.
I'll also talk with actress Kerry Washington, who just took the stage to do a little pre-show speech. She has the unfortunate task of talking to a half-full room but she's doin' all she can to get people excited. Why Washington? She's an "ambassador" for L'Oreal Paris and speaking to the company's Women of Worth program.
Earlier today the first lady, in sneakers, capri pants and a jacket, went to a city elementary school to help volunteers build a playground and plant an edible garden. She inspired the group — some said they were teary — but she also took time to do a little of the heavy lifting, say hello to and meet the people who had come out on an unusually warm San Franciso morning.

Monday morning greetings from San Francisco, the site of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering & Service from which I'll be blogging much of this week. The conference opens today with first lady Michelle Obama, who will launch the president's United We Serve initiative to make this summer of 2009 a summer of  service. As you may have heard, the president — former community organizer that he is — is calling on all of us to volunteer in our communities this summer to help the country's economic recovery. He'd also like us to make service part of our daily lives for good. The summer of service idea is to do something every day beginning today and ending on Sept. 11, a day of national service and remembrance of those who died in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Obama already has talked about his idea on YouTube — check it out here — and he is urging us to take a look at the White House's new web site serve.gov to both register our projects and look for ways to get involved.

Mrs. Obama is expected to officially get the initiative off the ground with her keynote speech before this perfect audience later today. But this morning, before any speeches are given, the first lady will join Maria Shriver, California's first lady, and a group of volunteers recruited some time ago, to build a playground at a local elementary school, with the help of KaBOOM, which builds playgrounds around the country. The two first ladies have advocacy of volunteerism in common and it's a coup for Shriver to have Mrs. O out there with her. But then, both are women who walk what they talk.

Photo courtesy of the White House

First Lady Michelle Obama has been making a splash on the international stage, but here in Washington, D.C. she's been an active community member who has invited D.C. school children to help plant a garden, visited schools to read to kids, spoken at a high school graduation ceremony, and more. Tuesday, the first lady was the speaker at the Greater D.C. Cares Business & Nonprofit Philanthropy Summit and Awards luncheon so I sent our latest staff addition, intern Steve Thompson, to the event to give us an insider's view on how the wife of the president rolls. Here's his report:
"Getting inside the event was not as easy as it sounds. After all, Mrs. Obama has celebrity status with government protection. I, and the 25 other members of the press who were at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown D.C. for the event, had to arrive at least an hour and 35 minutes before the first lady was set to take the stage. After a check of my media credentials (a card with my goofy smile and the word 'intern' in bold red letters) and a search of my bag (which I mainly use for carrying copious amounts of Orbit gum), I had the pleasure of standing spread eagle in front of a Secret Service agent so he could give me a full body scan with a hand-held metal detector. I felt like an unwanted relative at the family reunion. We were then led down a smelly back stairwell into a ballroom full of neatly set tables. I skipped breakfast and it was all I could to do to not snag a roll from one of the bread baskets. A few rows of chairs were reserved for us at the back of the room, caged in by a velvet rope. It was definitely not preferred seating.
"Many members of the press are old time pals so they could pass the time by chatting while we sat there to wait, and wait. I, however, passed the time by sending text messages to my old time pal Alex in between failed attempts to rise my BrickBreaker score. Unlike most celebrities, the first lady has security that even controls when you go to the bathroom. If I needed to use the facilities, or even leave my seat, I had to be escorted by a White House staffer named Ann, who was about 105 pounds of anal retentive. The first lady wasn't the only speaker but those who preceeded her got nowhere near the attention Mrs. O commands. When the President and CEO of Greater DC Cares introduced her, all eyes were on the stage, and the first lady strode onto it to a standing ovation. Sporting a hot pink shirt and a black and white cardigan, she smiled but seemed embarrassed that everyone was standing for her and quickly told everyone to please sit down. A proponent of service to others, she spoke to the audience about the need for volunteerism — a theme she is expected to call upon again next week when she addresses a national convention on volunteering in San Francisco. At the end of her speech, Mrs. Obama took time to shake hands with attendees. Then, in a flash (literally, there were flashing lights around her), she was ushered away."

Photo by Richard Termine

Saturday night is the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner here in Washington, also known as the Press Prom, where various news and information organizations try to outdo each other by inviting the biggest name celebrities they can get, most of whom have no connection to covering or commenting on the news, to sit at their tables. But, hey, it's fun.
Among those expected in town this weekend are Tim Daly, co president of the Creative Coalition and an advocate for the arts, Kate Walsh (his Private Practice co-star), Kevin Bacon, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner, Chace Crawford, Eva Longoria Parker (that's Eva at left)…see what I mean?
Rescue Me's Denis Leary, author of the book Why We Suck:A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Loud, Lazy and Stupid, and his wife Ann also will attend, I learned from Denis when we talked earlier this week for an upcoming interview.  He told me it is his wife's secret wish to dance with the president and Obama is the one man about whom he'd say, "Yes, sure, fine, take pictures."  Denis' wish? "Grab a secret smoke with him."
And yes, the president and first lady are expected, as are all the important players in the administration.
Speaking of important players, Oprah tweeted from this week's Time magazine dinner for its 100 Most Influential People. "SO FUN TIME 100. My first time. So many interesting, smart peeps. including Twitter guys," she tweeted. Oprah is now taken with Twitter. It's fun to follow her. I like that she only tweets about the interesting stuff. Get on board with her here.

The White House Easter Egg Roll was all about promoting physical fitness and health, a message First Lady Michelle Obama wants to get across to the nation….
Bravo to Jennifer Garner for joining Save The Children's U.S. Programs as an Artist Ambassador. Her appointment was announced today. She and husband Ben Affleck are now parents of two girls….
Speaking of Ben, his new movie with Russell Crowe, State of Play, opens this weekend and tonight's press screening in Washington, D.C. is expected to be exceptionally crowded. Could it be because it's about journalists?…
Online voting begins today for CMT Music Awards, country music's only fan-voted awards, and first round finalists are posted and Sugarland, Taylor Swift and Brad Paisley are leading. Check it out at CMT.com…
Tickets go on sale this week for Aerosmith's summer tour, launching in St. Louis on June 10. ZZ Top joins them starting June 16….
American Idol fans will be happy to know that Jason Castro (pictured on the left), third runner-up in the 2008 season, has signed with Atlantic Records and will have an album out later this year….
High School Musical cutie Ashley Tisdale releases a single tomorrow from her new album, which won't be out till June.

Photo by Andrew Shepherd

I'm already mad about First Dog Bo, and not only because I have a serious case of puppy fever and he's incredibly cute. I'm an unabashed dog lover and the owner of a beautiful blonde cockapoo named Cassie who, like Bo the Portugese Water Dog, doesn't shed and thus is better for people who may be allergic to dogs or vacuuming. Cassie is now 10 and though I don't share this information with her, the vet calls her a "senior." I thought a frisky new friend might make her happy in her golden years until I consulted with our smart pet expert Steve Dale, who asked if Cassie likes to be around other dogs. "Not really," I answered  honestly. "So would this puppy be for you or for Cassie?" Steve asked, seeing right through my motives.
 In fact, those questions are ones Bo's original owners — the ones who named him Charlie but found he wasn't a "good fit" for his family — should have asked themselves before bringing the adorable one home to meet their older dog. Like most PWDs, Bo — who arrives Tuesday —  is likely to have more energy than the president, which I know Sasha and Malia will love. Even after those important trainers he's been working with make him good-mannered and suitable for living in an historic house filled with antiques, he's sure to bound about the living quarters with irrational exuberance and tear up the South Lawn like a greyhound running a race for big money.
 Of course, the Obamas —none of whom, reportedly, have previously owned pets — are not the first to have a dog in the White House. But the only one I ever got to meet was Buddy, the chocolate Lab acquired by President Clinton during his residence there. Buddy (who coincidentally had the same name as my previous non-shedding dog, a Wheaton Terrier) was allowed to schmooze with reporters on occasion and was doing so without restraint at a press picnic on the White House grounds when,  looking for a little affection, he nosed up to my then 8-year-old daughter Alicia. She gave him lots of pets and attention, until his Secret Service detail found him. 

White House photo by Pete Souza

You have to love first lady Michelle Obama, who fed the homeless yesterday, in a Washington, D.C. shelter. The lady walks the talk. She also swings. The White House has a bowling alley, movie theater, swimming pool and a zillion rooms to explore but it had no swing set, until now. Mrs. O tried it out with her girls. As for the president, he’s getting grayer.  They all do, but in 45 days? The Washington Post looked at the scientific evidence, as did CBS. See for yourself below.

Photo by Sam Riche/USA Today

My in box was full Monday of emails from readers of my Who’s News magazine column calling me out on an item about Caroline Kennedy on last weekend’s page. I meant to answer two questions, one about the state of Kennedy’s marriage and the second about whether she used Schlossberg, her husband’s name. I managed to answer the latter — she does not — but overlooked the former. Yes, she is still married to Ed Schlossberg.

Photo by Robert Deutsch/USA Today

Washington’s post-inaugural conversations today are all about: a) whether you went to the mall for the swearing-in; b) if you did, whether you got caught in the security glitches and were not allowed into your colored section; c) whether you went to a ball; and d) what you thought of the new first lady’s inaugural ensembles, particularly last night’s Jason Wu-designed ball gown.

It is that last question I put to all of you, my readers.  Did you like Michelle Obama‘s inaugural gown? Or did you think, as some fashion mavens are saying, it looked "more Hollywood than Washington"? Post your thoughts in the comments below. And if you missed it, here’s the Obamas’ first dance last night at the Neighborhood Ball.

Photo by Evan Eile/USA Today

It’s an historic, VIP-filled day in downtown Washington, D.C., but it feels like Christmas in other parts of the city. I’m in the northwest section of the city about five miles from the parade route and there is no traffic, no one in the grocery store — just the occasional jogger or dog walker on city sidewalks. Like Elena, who has been twittering her adventures on inaugural weekend on the right rail of the blog, I’m warm and watching the coverage of the luncheon and parade at home, and getting ready for a party tonight. I’m feeling a little like a wimp, however, when I see all the folks who have been waiting out there for hours just to see President Obama‘s limo pass by. It brings back memories of the first inauguration I attended here in Washington, President Reagan‘s second. That was the year it was so cold the parade was canceled. I don’t think any kind of cold would’ve stopped the crowds for this president.

Photo by Jack Gruber/USA Today