First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise appearance at the 85th Academy Awards via satellite and while the crowd inside the Dolby Theater was happy to see her, some people had criticism. But Mrs. Obama isn’t letting the chitter chatter of a few get her down.

“That’s just the nature of life. I mean, we live in a time when there are bloggers and tweeters and 24-hour news and everyone has a voice in this town square, and it’s a big one,” Obama told Today contributor Kelly Wallace. “That means at any point at a given time, somebody’s not going to like what you do. That’s the nature of things.”

She says that the criticism is something that she is not taking personally and understands that she is a public figure, and that it comes with the territory.

“It’s not really about me,” she said. “I just happen to be in the public eye and along with everybody else in the public eye, you’re subject to conversation, opinion and all that sort of stuff. There’s nothing new about that.”

In other words, bye haters.

First Lady Obama made waves lately when she decided to cut her bangs, calling it her “midlife crisis.” However, her appearance at the Oscars was for a more important cause, her support of the arts.

Mrs. Obama appeared via satellite to present the award for best picture, which went to Ben Affleck’s Argo.

Following the 2013 Oscars, host Seth MacFarlane learned the hard way that Hollywood takes itself way too seriously and that people get offended by just about anything. So would he consider taking on the gig in the future?

“No way,” MacFarlane tweeted in response to a fan’s question. “Lotta fun to have done it, though.”

There you have it folks, less risky hosts like Billy Crystal are set to bring the Oscars back to being an immeasurable bore fest. Yaaaaayyy……

Stephen Colbert Thinks “Zero Dark” Thirty Should Have Won an Oscar

Stephen Colbert isn’t too excited that “Zero Dark Thirty” didn’t take home Best Picture, but the “Colbert Report” host isn’t surprised. He tweeted:

TONIGHT: “We all know Hollywood doesn’t reward torture films. If they did, the winner would’ve been BATTLESHIP.” @colbertreport, 11:30 p.m.

— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) February 26, 2013

Touché.

First Lady Michelle Obama’s Chest, Shoulders Censored in Iran

First Lady Michelle Obama was a surprise presenter at Sunday’s Oscars and appeared via satellite to announce the Best Picture award. The first lady appeared in a stunning Naeem Khan dress that rivaled some of the designs worn by A-List starlets.

But it turns out Iran’s “Fars News” had to photoshop the dress so that it was more modest — adding sleeves and more fabric to the neckline.

We wonder what they had to do to Anne Hathaway’s dress (see @AnneHathawayNipples).

Lindsay Lohan Owes the IRS Almost $200,000

In celebrity train wreck news, Lindsay Lohan is sinking further into debt. According to TMZ, the troubled starlet owes the government over $56, 700 in taxes for the year 2011 and $140,000 for 2010, making a total tax bill worth nearly $200,000!

This is the third time Lohan has attempted to avoid taxes. She was slapped with a charge for over $93,000 in 2009, which fellow CrazyTown resident Charlie Sheen supposedly paid for her. But this time, she’s on her own. [TMZ]

Did Leonardo DiCaprio Hit On Jennifer Lawrence at an Oscar After Party?

Since breaking up with “Warm Bodies” star Nicholas Hoult, Jennifer Lawrence has been linked to “Silver Linings Playbook” costar Bradley Cooper, Robert Pattinson, and Michael Fassbender. Now it seems that the press’ never ending quest to link her with every man in Hollywood now includes rumors of a hot hookup with Leonardo DiCaprio.

The modelizer, who was famously snubbed by the Academy despite his riveting turn as a ruthless plantation owner in “Django Unchained,” was reportedly hitting on Lawrence at Harvey Weinstein’s Oscar after party … or at least that’s what Celebrity Dirty Laundry claims. [CDL]

Robert Pattinson Makes Time for Fans … but Not for ‘Girlfriend’ Kristen Stewart?

Robert Pattinson was snapped posing with fans this weekend while shooting “The Rover” in Australia. The British-born nice guy didn’t look too broken up abut his alleged breakup with Kristen Stewart. Then again, numerous other reports insist that all is well for the “Twilight” couple, so who knows? [Perez Hilton]

Jennifer Lawrence meets Kristen Stewart on the red carpet of the 2013 Oscars

Speaking of K-Stew, a source reportedly told Us Weekly that the “On the Road” star was thrilled when Jennifer Lawrence won the Best Actress Oscar for her role as a depressed widow in “Silver Linings Playbook.”

“When they announced Jen’s name, Kristen was so happy and cheering for her!” a source who attended the ceremony told the mag. “She was going crazy in her seat.”

So don’t believe all of those reports that the two are rivals. It’s great to see two starlets getting along rather than feeling that they need to compete with one another.

Fun fact: Lawrence auditioned for Stewart’s role as Bella Swan in “Twilight.” [Us]

If you had a problem with First Lady Michelle Obama‘s new bangs, too bad. Now they’re etched in official White House history since Mrs. Obama is rocking them in her official portrait as First Lady for her husband President Barack Obama‘s second term.

The new picture is fresh and Michelle looks elegant and classic, but we would’ve loved it if she threw on a blonde, Beyonce-inspired lace front wig and cranked up the fan. Let that inner Sasha Fierce out, ya dig?

Ok, we’re kidding. Sort of. But at least she put away those sexy, sculpted arms that caused so much controversy in the last portrait.

Power-belter Jennifer Hudson held the distinct honor of ushering in President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama‘s first dance at the President’s second term Inauguration Ball in Washington, D.C. Monday (Jan 21).

Keeping true to [vocal] form, Mrs. Hudson wailed Al Green‘s soul standard “Let’s Stay Together” with ferocious intensity as if she was trying to be heard over the loud roar of a football stadium packed to capacity. Seriously, why does Jennifer Hudson have to sing every song like she’s leading the choir of a stereotypical Southern Baptist Church found in all of Tyler Perry movies?

Watch below as the Oscar Award-winner attacks “Let’s Stay Together” with an aggressive vigor that removes any semblance of romance and subtlety from the classic song and instead makes it sound just…well…loud. Less is always more, Jenny.

Besides Mrs. Hudson’s polarizing vocal performance, we think everyone will agree that this former American Idol alum looked amazing in a slinky, body-hugging black dress that accentuated her newly defined curves beautifully. Plus, “Let’s Stay Together” is Obama’s SONG!

Prior to the performance, Jennifer expressed her excited via twitter, tweeting: “Right now the President and First Lady will dance to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” to be performed by… ME!!! Yes! Amazing night!”

If we had to caption this GIF, we’d probably call on a line from Kendrick Lamar’s “Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe”:

Talk too motherfucking much, I got my drink I got my music
I say bitch don’t kill my vibe, bitch don’t kill my vibe

First Lady Michelle Obama is not the one to play with. President Obama is a consummate diplomat and he talked about making friends with enemies during his inaugural speech, but Michelle clearly didn’t get that memo.

We’re not sure what exactly Boehner said to Michelle when he tapped her on her shoulder at the luncheon but here are a few fun guesses:

Boehner: Hey, Michelle. Love the new do. You’re giving me Brandy teas.

Michelle: Bitch, name one damn Brandy song. GTFO

Boehner: Can y’all introduce me to Jay-Z and Beyonce?

Michelle: Nawl, bitch. Nawl.

Boehner: Is your hair natural or is it store-bought?

Michelle: I was wondering the same about your tan, asshole.

Boehner: When are they going to bring out the fried chicken up in here? Can I get an amen?

Michelle: This can’t be real life…

What do you think Boehner said to Michelle?

[Gawker]

President Barack Obama was officially sworn in to his second consecutive term over the weekend, which is pretty big news. But perhaps the biggest thing to happen this past weekend was First Lady Michelle Obama‘s much-talked-about new haircut, which President Obama himself called the “most significant” event of this weekend.

During a speech Sunday (Jan 20) at the National Building Museum following his official swearing in ceremony at the White House — ahead of today’s big inauguration — the President briefly addressed his wife’s new bangs.

“Now first of all. I love Michelle Obama,” he said, “And to address the most significant event of this weekend: I love her bangs. She looks good. She always looks good.”

Even Brian Williams talked about how the First Lady’s bangs have been the weekend’s biggest topic of discussion on the “Today” show:

There has been, to be perfectly honest, as much talk about her new haircut on her 49th bday this past week as any other aspect of this Inauguration. Whenever two or more people are gathered in this city… it happens everywhere you go, the conversation eventually comes to, ‘What do you think of the bangs?’ What else are we gonna talk about?

[Fashionista]

President Barack Obama delivered one hell of a victory speech early Wednesday morning (Nov 7) after winning the 2012 election and securing his second term in the Oval Office.

Just after 11 p.m. EST Tuesday night, most major news organizations had projected that President Obama had won enough electoral votes to win the election, and thousands of his supporters inside the McCormick Place convention center in Chicago erupted with applause as they waited for the President to take the stage and give his victory speech.

After a little over 2 hours, at around 1:40 a.m., the President and the First Family — including First Lady Michelle, and the First Daughters Sasha and Mali Obama — finally stepped out on stage, appearing before the cheering crowd to the beat of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed and Delivered.”

And with a strong, passionate voice, President Barack Obama gave a heartfelt speech thanking his supporters and speaking of moving the country forward. He promised that he will return to the White House “more inspired about the work there is to do and the future that lies ahead.”

“We are an American family, we rise and fall together as one nation, as one people,” Obama said. “For the United States of America, the best is yet to come.”

“Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. Our long campaign is now over. And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listed to you, I learned from you,” Obama said.

“Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual. You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties,” he said. “I have never been more hopeful about America.”

The President thanked those who voted “whether you voted for very first time, or waited in line for a very long time — by the way we have to fix that,” he joked.

The President also applauded the futile efforts of his opponent Mitt Romney, saying, “We may have battled fiercely, but it’s only because we love this country deeply. From George to Lenore to their son Mitt, the Romney family has chosen to give back to America through public service, and that is the legacy that we honor and applaud tonight.”

President Obama added that in the weeks ahead, he plans on sitting down with Romney to “talk about where we can work together to move this country forward.”

Obama proclaimed his campaign team to be the best in the history of politics, saying he “will always be grateful for everything that you’ve done and all the incredible work you’ve put in.”

Obama also spoke highly of his family, saying he’s never loved his wife more, and that over the past four years he has been proud “to watch the rest of America fall in love with [her], too, as our nation’s first lady.”

Addressing his two daughters Sasha and Malia, Obama said, “You’re growing up to be two strong, smart, beautiful young women … I’m so proud of you.”

President Obama concluded his speech with a unifying message. “We are not as divided as our politics suggest,” he said. “We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states.

“We are and forever will be the United States of America. And together, with your help and God’s grace, we will continue our journey forward and remind the world just why it is that we live in the greatest nation on earth.”

Sasha and Malia Obama are two very fortunate, and extraordinary girls … which is not a total surprise, since they are the progeny of the very accomplished First Lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama.

On Thursday night in Charlotte, North Carolina, at the Democratic National Convention, Sasha and Malia got to witness their father, President Barack Obama, accept the Democratic nomination for president for a second time.

Four years ago, in Denver, Colorado, the two girls witnessed history as their father won the Democratic primaries and became the party’s first black presidential candidate.

While President Obama has been busy working day and night to save the U.S. economy, secure its borders, liberate the people of Libya, pass the healthcare reform bill and kill Osama Bin Laden, he’s also been a devoted and attentive father.

After his wife, Michelle, introduced him as he walked on stage to accept the party’s nomination, President Obama took a moment to acknowledge his daughters, telling Sasha and Malia how proud he was of both of them. But he couldn’t turn his Daddy mode off as he warned the girls that they’d still have to go to school in the morning though.

“Malia and Sasha, we are so proud of you, and yes, you have to go to school in the morning,” President Obama deadpanned.

But as the two elegant young women in the audience laughed at their daddy’s joke, it was hard not to notice how much they’d grown since his first run in 2008.

Here’s a quick snapshot comparison of Sasha and Malia Obama from then and now:

Back in 2008, Malia and Sasha were 10 and 7 years old. Today, in 2012, the girls are 14 and 11, respectively. By the time their father leaves the Oval Office, they’ll be 18 and 15.

Which means we have a lot of time to admire the girls as they grow and blossom through puberty into womanhood. Thankfully, they’ll have the love and support of their father, President Obama, along the way.

Do you feel old yet?

2008 seems like yesterday, but look at how much the girls have already grown.

Bill Clinton, the last Democratic president to serve in the White House before President Obama, reached back and gave a helping hand to the sitting president with a full-throated endorsement of the president for a second term Wednesday night (Sep 5) at the Democratic National Convention.

But before he really got rolling with his talking points, Bill Clinton bluntly said that Barack Obama is lucky to call Michelle Obama his wife after her speech at the DNC  on Tuesday.

“After last night, I want a man [for the presidency] who had the good sense to marry Michelle Obama,” Bill said.

At that point, the entire convention stood up in wild applause as they paid homage to the First Lady, who took it all in with humility and grace.

Stay winning, Michelle.

After lauding Michelle, Bill Clinton praised Obama for appointing people who supported his wife, Hillary, for president back in 2008.

“He even appointed Hillary!” Clinton joked.

But when he got down to serious business, Bill Clinton proved that he’s still a political pitbull.

His attacks on Mitt Romney and the Republican hit several key points.

1.) No president alive has faced the challenges that President Obama did when he came into office. And none could have fixed ALL the damage done in four years.

2.) Obama has done far more than Mitt Romney and Congressional Republicans to create jobs. Obama saved 4 and a half million jobs with his recovery plan, Congressional Republicans have created 0.

3.) Obamacare, as Republicans dismissively refer to Obama’s healthcare overhaul, is good for America because it makes healthcare fairer for all.

He didn’t hold back on the Republican mission to make President Obama a one-term president either, saying, “Their number one priority was not to put America back to work, but to put President Obama out of work.”

Billy boy, thank you for spreading the good word. Your hood pass is renewed. All transgressions from the primaries in 2008 are forgiven.

President Barack Obama might be a gifted orator, but his wife, First Lady Michelle is definitely no slouch in that department either.

On Tuesday, Sept. 4 in Charlotte, N.C., Michelle Obama delivered the closing speech at the Democratic National Convention. And while Ann Romney‘s speech at the RNC was said to humanize her husband Mitt, Michelle’s speech did far more humanization.

As Michelle regaled the crowd with stories of her and Barack’s early days of romance, she kept it really real. “I remember Barack had a car that was so rusted that I could see the concrete through a hole in the passenger side,” Michelle said.

She also spoke about her own humble family life. One in which her father, afflicted with multiple sclerosis, prided himself on paying a portion of his children’s college tuition bill.

But despite her father’s valiant efforts, Michelle and her eventual husband, graduated college with a mountain of debt. “We were so young, so in love and so in debt,” Michelle said with a laugh. “When we first married, our combined student loan bill was higher than our mortgage.”

In a move that showed vulnerability, Michelle admitted that she had real fears and doubts about her husband running for president back in 2008.

She had grown quite comfortable with her family routine and way of life in Chicago, and she feared that the national spotlight would corrupt her husband and taint her daughters’ innocence.

But after four years in the White House, Michelle has now come to the conclusion that, “Being president doesn’t change who you are, it reveals who you are.”

You tell ‘em, Mich.

After hitting that home run, Michelle pretty much walked the rest of the bases as she touched on healthcare reform (“No one in this country should go broke because of an illness or an accident.”) and wealth (“Success isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”).

In closing, Michelle made the case that her husband is the man for the job not because he’s the best politician, but because he takes the issues that every American struggles with personally.

“Barack knows the American dream because he’s lived it,” Michelle said. “These issues aren’t political [for him], they’re personal.”

Mr. Mitt Romney, consider your wig snatched.

By the time Michelle was done with that convention hall in Charlotte, it was looking more like a church service than a political convention. Michelle had so many of the folks in that audience catching the holy Obama spirit.

Is it too early to start putting Michelle Obama 2016 out there? Just wondering.

Watch the speech in its entirety below:

After the U.S. Men’s basketball team scored their first victory in the 2012 London Olympics over France (98-71) … First Lady Michelle Obama did one of the mother-liest things a First Lady could do.

She gave every single player on the team a hug!

Mrs. Obama watched the game near the front row, and at the final buzzer, the entire team — Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Tyson Chandler, Anthony Davis, Andre Iguodala, Kevin Love and Deron Williams — walked over for hugs, one-by-one.

Afterward, Carmelo Anthony told reporters, “It was a very special moment … For her to be sitting over there and supporting us, we just wanted to thank her for coming. And she thanked us for going out there and doing what we’re doing for America.”

First Lady Michelle Obama and Beyonce have been very open about how much they admire one another, and now the First Lady admits that she “loves Beyonce to death.”

During a promotional interview on Good Morning America on Tuesday (May 29) for her new book “American Grown,” Mrs. Obama — who, along with her daughters, was in the audience at one of Beyonce’s Atlantic City concerts over the weekend — said of the “Halo” singer:

“Anybody who’s got talent, I’m all for … But Beyonce has just been a tremendous supporter of Let’s Move! Without asking, she reformulated ‘Move Your Body’ (sampled from her ‘Get Me Bodied’ single) to do a flash mob for kids across this country. Beyonce stepped up in a way that so many of our celebrities and athletes are stepping up, on behalf of this issue.”

On Beyonce’s big return to stage since giving birth to baby Blue Ivy the First Lady declared, “I love her to death and was glad to be out there moving my body with her.”

After Beyonce joined the First Lady on her “Let’s Move!” health initiative, the two have been distant friends, sharing their admiration of each other through public forums.

Last month, Beyonce penned an open letter to Mrs O. to thank her for being a great role model.

And the First Lady told People Magazine that if she could be anyone else, she would want to be Beyonce. “If I had some gift, I’d be Beyoncé,” she said. “I’d be some great singer.”

Move over Gwyneth Paltrow … there’s a new BFF in town!

Among the 5,500 fans at Beyonce‘s opening night show at the Revel Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey Friday night (May 25) was First Lady Michelle Obama and her two young daughters Sasha and Malia.

A source backstage told the New York Daily News that word of First Lady’s Obama’s appearance started spreading shortly before the concert took place at the $2.4 billion Atlantic City resort.

“People backstage kept saying, her good friend Michelle is coming,” said the source. “I thought they meant Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child.”

Though Presiden Obama didn’t attend, the First Lady and the First Daughters had plenty of company, as they were reportedly joined by Oprah’s BFF Gayle King, and a group of 13-year-old Malia and 10-year-old Sasha’s friends.

PHOTOS/VIDEO: Beyonce Kicks Off Revel Concerts in Atlantic City; Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston

While Beyonce sang “Irreplaceable,” concert attendees say that Mrs. Obama and her girls were mimicking the “to the left, to the left” finger gestures that Beyonce does in the video.

Eyewitnesses say the also Obamas danced to “Single Ladies,” the last song in Beyonce’s over two-hour set.

Mrs. Obama’s appearance at Beyonce’s concert isn’t that surprising either, as the First Lady and Beyonce have both recently expressed a great deal of mutual admiration for each other.

Last month, Beyonce wrote in an open letter posted to her official website that Mrs. Obama was the ultimate example of a strong African American woman.

And just last week, The First Lady told People Magazine that if she could be anyone else, she would want to be Beyonce. “If I had some gift, I’d be Beyoncé,” she said. “I’d be some great singer.”

And, as The Associated Press noted, she came pretty close, judging by the audience’s reception when she walked into the Revel Resort Friday night:

The first lady got a roaring cheer that matched Beyonce’s as she made her way to her seat in a shiny green dress. Some fans took photos while others screamed her name. One yelled, “This is history!

Beyonce’s four Atlantic City concerts this weekend are her first since giving birth in January to her first child Blue Ivy Carter, her daughter with her husband, rapper Jay-Z.

The fourth and final sold out concert takes place on the night of Memorial Day (Monday, May 28th).

First Lady Michelle Obama has responded to Beyonce‘s kind open letter of admiration, in which she called Mrs. O a “caring mother” and a “loving wife.”

In her hand written note, the singing icon wrote that she’s delighted that her 3-month-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter can “grow up in a world where she has people like you to look up to.”

On Friday, the First Lady took to social networking site Twitter and tweeted, “Thank you for the beautiful letter and for being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to.” She signed off “-mo” which is used by her campaign to note that the tweet personally came from Mrs. O.

Beyonce has been friends with The First Family for some time now.

In 2009 at the now historical inauguration for President Obama, the “4” singer performed Etta James’s classic “At Last,” and in 2010 she performed at the White House State Dinner when the Obamas hosted Mexico president Felipe Calderon.

@Beyonce Thank you for the beautiful letter and for being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to. –mo

— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) April 13, 2012

Beyonce loves her some Michelle Obama.

The singer — currently vacationing in St. Barts with her hubby of 4 years Jay-Z — recently penned an open letter to the First Lady, and posted a copy of the letter to her official website.

In the letter, Bey commends Michelle for being a great mother and wife who always remains humble, while also thanking her for being a strong African American woman and role model to Baby Blue Ivy, her newborn daughter with Jay-Z.

Check it out below:

Awww … how sweet! **tear**

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld — who is known for his random outbursts and controversial opinions — had this to say about British singer Adele:

“The thing at the moment is Adele….She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice.”

Ouch! That quote comes from a recent interview Lagerfeld did with Metro News, where he shared his opinion on a wide range of topics, including the Royal Family, the Obamas, M.I.A. flipping the bird at the Super Bowl and more.

The 78-year-old creative director of Chanel and Fendi also called Russian men ugly and said that the Greeks and Italians have “disgusting habits.”

Read what else he had to say below.

On today’s female Pop stars:

“I prefer Adele and Florence Welch. But as a modern singer she is not bad.The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice. Lana del Rey is not bad at all. She looks very much like a modern-time singer. In her photos she is beautiful. Is she a construct with all her implants? She’s not alone with implants.”

On the Obamas and Politics:

“Yes he does [deserve to be re-elected], especially because of Mrs. Obama. I’m a big fan of Mrs. Obama – and her face, I think, is magical. He would not be there without her. Mrs. Obama is not a fashion statement, but she has other things to do. My favorite thing about Mrs Obama was when she was asked if her skirt was not too tight and she answered ‘Why you don’t like my big black ass?’ I want [Barack] Obama to win because there is nothing better anyway, and especially because of her.

“I never voted in my life. I will never vote. I know too much about politics from what’s going on backstage. To vote you have to believe all that garbage that they promise you, and they can’t keep those promises. If someone gave me an Obama pin, I would just put it on.”

On M.I.A. flipping the bird at the Super Bowl:

“Nowadays people give the middle finger quite quickly — it’s not the best behavior. Everybody does that, what’s new about that? It’s just become a bad habit. People in magazines are 50 percent bimbo and 50 percent pregnant women.”

On Russian men and women:

“If I was a woman in Russia I would be a lesbian, as the men are very ugly. There are a few handsome ones, like Naomi Campbell’s boyfriend, but there you see the most beautiful women and the most horrible men.”

On the Greek economic crisis:

“Greece needs to work on a cleaner image. It’s a big problem, as [Greeks] have this reputation of being so corrupt. You can’t be sure the money will go where it’s supposed to go. They need to build trust, and that takes time too. Nobody wants Greece to disappear, but they have really disgusting habits – Italy as well.”

On political correctness:

“Be politically correct, but don’t become a bore for that. People should be sensitive in these matters, but not make so much noise. Be politically correct, but do we have to know your opinion?”

This Karg Lagerfeld guy gets points for complimenting Mrs. Obama but he didn’t have to go in on Adele like that!

Your thoughts?

Celebrating the second anniversary of her ”Let’s Move!” fitness and healthy eating initiative, First Lady Michelle Obama stopped by “The Ellen DeGeneres” show and flexed off her athletic skills in a push-up contest with show host Ellen DeGeneres.

“I was just wondering if you could do more push-ups than I could do,” Ellen said to the First Lady, who took up Ellen’s challenge without hesitation.

Find out who won the contest by watching the clip below:

Between the President singing Al Green at the Apollo and the First Lady doing push ups live on daytime TV, we don’t know which one out of the two is cooler!

What do you think?

President Barack Obama poses with his family — First Lady Michelle and their daughters Malia and Sasha Obama — in a brand new White House Family Portrait, revealed just in time for the upcoming Holidays!

The Obama family in their 2009 family portrait.

The last time the First Family posed for a family portrait was back in 2009, so the White House thought it was time for an update, especially since now 13-year-old Malia and 10-year-old Sasha have grown so much in the past 2 years.

The photo, taken by Pete Souza last Sunday, shows the First Family smiling and sitting in the Oval Office.

A portrait of perfection, if you ask us!

Your thoughts on the picture?

The Obamas were joined by a host of celebs — including Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Cee-Lo Green, Conan O’Brien, Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice and The Band Perry — as they all got into the festive spirit Sunday (Dec 11) in Washington D.C. at the annual Christmas in Washington ceremony.

“This is the season to celebrate the story of how, more than two thousand years ago, a child was born to two faithful travelers who could find rest only in a stable, among cattle and sheep,” President Barack Obama, who was accompanied by First Lady Michelle and the First Daughters Sasha and Malia, said near the close of the concert, which was hosted by Conan O’Brien.

“He was no ordinary child,” Obama said. “He was the manifestation of God’s love. And every year we celebrate His birth because the story of Jesus Christ changed the world.”

Singers Jennifer Hudson, Justin Bieber, Cee-Lo Green, Conan O’Brien and Victoria Justice took turns singing classic holiday tunes like “This Christmas,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Let It Snow,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Away In a Manger,” “Silent Night” and several others during the concert, which is set to air on TV this Friday (Dec 16) on TNT.

Check out 20+ pics below:

The first family — President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle, the first daughters Sasha and Malia, as well as Grandma Marion –  attended the official unveiling of the brand new Dr. Martin Luther King  National Memorial in Washington, D.C. Sunday (Oct 16).

The dedication ceremony, held at the Washington Mall, was also attended by notable figures like Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and others.

The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on August 28th, but was postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

“Nearly 50 years after the March on Washington, our work — Dr. King’s work — is not yet complete,” President Barack Obama noted in his speach. “Progress was purchased through enduring the smack of billy clubs and the blast of fire hoses. It was bought with days in jail cells and nights of bomb threats.”

President Obama continued, “Let us not be trapped by what is. We can’t be discouraged by what is. We’ve got to keep pushing for what ought to be. [Dr. King] will stand for all time, among monuments to those who fathered this nation and those who defended it. A black preacher, no official rank or title, somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams and our most lasting ideas.[...]I know we will overcome. I know there are better days ahead. I know this because of the man towering over us.”

First Lady Michelle Obama says that her husband’s job is so stressful that it’s taking a a toll on him.

Speaking a fundraiser in Massachusetts for the Democratic National Committee last week, Mrs. Obama gave insight into President Barack Obama‘s total dedication to his job and just how heavily the weight of the office rests on his shoulders.

She said: “I see the worry creasing his face. I hear the passion and determination in his voice,” she said. “‘You won’t believe what these folks are going through,’ he told me that last night. ‘Michelle, it is not right. We’ve got to fix this. We have to do more.’”

“Barack always reminds me that we are playing a long game,” she continued. “He reminds me, as I said to you, too, that change is slow. He reminds me that change doesn’t happen all at once, but that if we keep showing up, if we keep fighting the good fight, doing what we know is right, then eventually we will get there, because the truth is we always have in this country. We always have.”

Michelle Obama said that when her husband first told her he had plans to run for president she doubted how it would affect their young family.

“I was proud of the work that he was doing in the Senate. And I thought that he would make a phenomenal president,” she said. “That wasn’t the issue. But, like a lot of folks, I still had some cynicism about politics. And with two young daughters at home, I was worried about the toll that a presidential campaign would take on our family. So it took some convincing on Barack’s part. And by ‘some,’ I mean a lot. He’s still paying back.”

But Mrs. Obama had a change of heart once the Obama family went on the campaign trail to meet voters in 2008

She added: “It’s about meeting people one-on-one, hearing what’s going on in their lives.”

[Daily Mail]

Despite not sending them an invite to their Royal Wedding, William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge respectively, welcomed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to Buckingham Palace.

The visit marked the first official royal duty the young royals have undertaken since their highly televised April 29 wedding.

Reportedly, the two power couples chatted it up together for 20 minutes.

The president and his wife, who followed with a lunch hosted by Williams’ grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, are slated to spend the next two nights at Buckingham Palace on their current tour of Europe.

Who needs an invite to attend a Royal Wedding when you’re so important that you receive an invite to stay in the Royal Palace!

Swag!

Check out Michelle Obama dancing and doing the dougie to “Move Your Body,” Beyonce’s remake of her “Get Me Bodied” song to promote the White House’s new “Let’s Move!” healthy eating and exercise initiative.

We all know how lucky we are to have freedom of speech, but no man is luckier than Hollywood funnyman Tracy Morgan. The ’30 Rock’ star recently guested on ‘Lopez Tonight’ and spoke about his visit to the White House for last summer’s White House Correspondents dinner.

While he didn’t perform for President Obama — “I would killed myself if he booed me,” Morgan said — he did get to meet First Lady Michelle Obama.

“I looked at Michelle and she said, ‘Hi Tracy!’ and I just got hard!” Morgan said. “Michelle looked like a tall mountain, and I’m gonna climb it just ’cause it’s there. Kilimanjaro!”

Woah! Doesn’t Tracy know that in some countries you could get shot simply for making such a bold statement?

Watch the comedian share his rather “arousing” moment with viewers below:

The name Oprah Winfrey is synonymous with greatness ….  so it should come as no surprise that White House spokespersons and Harpo publicists recently confirmed that President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will tape a joint interview in the Windy City on April 27 for Oprah to air on her show on May 2nd.

It will be the Obamas’ first appearance together on the daytime talk show since 2006, though each has been interviewed by the billionaire media mogul multiple times since Obama took office in 2008.

Winfrey’s syndicated talk show officially wraps on May 25th.

If you’re going to go out, you might as well go out in style. And no one is more stylish than our nation’s smooth talking commander-in-chief.

“Bootylicious” singer Beyonce recently teamed up with First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation to help fight childhood obesity. The Grammy award winning songstress has re-written and re-recorded one of her hit songs for the “Let’s Move! Flash Workout” campaign.

Bey will also provide an instructional video demonstrating the dance/exercise routine, which will be distributed to participating schools.

“I am excited to be part of this effort that addresses apublic health crisis,” Beyonce said in a statement. “First Lady Michelle Obama deserves credit for tackling this issue directly, and I applaud the NAB Education Foundation for trying to make a positive difference in the lives of our schoolchildren.”

Lucky middle school students across the nation will participate in a pre-choreographed “Let’s Move!” dance/exercise routine at an identical time on May 3rd at 1:42 p.m. EST.

If there’s anyone out there that can teach people how to stay in shape it would be Bey’s amazingly “gifted” self.

Your thoughts?

It’s only fitting that America’s most powerful lady leave a lasting impression on R&B’s most powerful diva.

In honor of Black History Month, R&B’s reigning queen, Beyonce was asked to pick someone who she felt influenced her. It should come as no surprise as to what name Bey uttered next:

“Our First Lady, Michelle Obama. She is smart, beautiful, a terrific mother, and a wonderful wife. She proves you can do it all,” stated Bey. (Source)

If you may recall, the Grammy-winning singer performed “At Last” at the Neighborhood Ball for President Obama’s inauguration, and it was reported that the First Lady was seen at one of Beyonce’s concerts with  her young daughters Sasha and Malia.

Obama makes it no secret the amount of admiration she has for the talented singer — even going as far as to exclaim, “I love Beyoncé,” during last year’s “Take Your Child to Work Day”.

(Sigh) Just gotta love it when you see powerful women supporting other powerful women. Nicki Minaj and Lil Kim should really take notes. More so Lil Kim. But you get the point.

Sarah Palin has accused First Lady Michelle Obama for “stealing” her daughter Bristol Palin.

The former Alaskan governor is reportedly furious that the First Lady asked her 20-year-old daugther Bristol to join her new public service council as an advocate for teen anti-pregnancy.

According to the National Enquirer:

“Michelle Obama stole my daughter!” That was Sarah Palin’s bitter complaint after her daughter Bristol agreed to work with Sarah’s sworn enemy, the First Lady. The partnership is shocking, considering Sarah, 47, has repeatedly blasted Michelle.

On her Twitter page, Bristol, 20, admitted her mother’s disapproval of her decision to link up with Michelle, saying: “I’ll actually be in DC this week. First Lady has invited me to be part of council she’s creating. Mom NOT happy, oh well.”

Sounds like Sarah Palin is a certified HATER! You can’t be mad because your daughter wants to work with the First Lady. Grow up woman!!! SMH…

Your thoughts?

First Lady Michelle Obama and former first lady Laura Bush marked the 9th anniversary of September 11th yesterday by delivering keynote speeches at the Flight 93 National Memorial on a hillside overlooking the site of the United Airlines Flight 93 crash in Shanksville, PA.

The first ladies joined hundreds of others as they all gathered in the small town to honor the 40 victims of Flight 93.

“I come here today not just as first lady, I come as an American filled with a sense of awe at the heroism of our fellow citizens,” Obama said, in remarks that touched on the personal stories of the victims.

Bush spoke of the good that came that day and the faith that continues to inspire and sustain. “Nine years ago in the skies above this field and in Washington and in New York City we saw the worst of our enemy and the best of our nation,” Bush said. “We saw that there is evil in the world but good at the heart of our country. America was attacked, but the deepest belief of our democracy was vindicated.”

Obama and Bush met privately with the families of the 40 victims in a white tent overlooking the crash site as violins played. About 110 family members gathered with the first ladies and then viewed the site from a hill, in the same spot many stood nine years ago in the hours after the fateful crash watching state police line the ridge on horseback to salute.

A bell tolled 40 times, for each victim, as family members stepped up to a microphone and solemnly called the name of loved ones at 10:03 a.m., the time of the crash. Work is underway on a memorial, expected to be complete by next year, that will include a pathway tracking the final minutes of the flight and a memorial wall of names.

Source: Washington Post

International superstar Beyonce was spotted Wednesday night (May 19) as she left her hotel in Wahsington, D.C. on her way to perform for President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama‘s second White House State Dinner. Around 200 guests attended the black-tie gala, which was held to honor Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Check out a few pics of Whoopi Goldberg, Eva Longoria, Gayle King, the Obamas, and Mexican President Felipe Calderon and his wife Margarita Zavala, along with more pics of Beyonce, below…

The annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner was held over the weekend (Sat. May 1) at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C. This year’s dinner featured comedian Jay Leno and was attended by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Some of the celebrities who were seen at the event were Justin Bieber, Gabourey Sidibe, Jessica Simpson, Kim Kardashian, Rosario Dawson, Queen Latifah, the Jonas Brothers and more. Check out 20+ pictures below and when you continue reading…

President Obama and his fly wife Michelle are going to be featured again in the upcoming issue of Essence Magazine! In the March 2010 issue, the first couple talks about how they deal with their daughters when it comes to education. Here’s what Mr. Prez said:

“Malia will tell you, my attitude was, if she came home with a B, that’s not good enough because there’s no reason why she can’t get an ‘A’…”

That’s what we’re talking about! This is the only way our children are going to succeed in this day and age.

Six-year-old Jasmina Anema lost her year-long battle against a very fatal form of leukemia and died at NYU Langone Medical Center last Wednesday evening (Jan 27). She was surrounded by her mother and close family/friends.

“She was an incredible fighter to the end,” said her godmother, Mariana Verkerk. “Her attitude was always incredibly positive. She fought her battle so hard, and unfortunately she didn’t win it.” Thea Anema, Jasmina’s mom, was too devastated to speak. Through a friend, she described her daughter as “an unbelievable child – a true miracle who touched so many people in her short life.”

Suffering from fever and shortness of breath, Jasmina was admitted to the hospital Monday. She had pneumonia in both lungs, and her condition deteriorated rapidly. That night, doctors moved Jasmina into the ICU because her breathing had become so labored. By Wednesday morning, the brave kindergartner appeared to be doing better. She was even able to speak. Her loved ones clung to the hope that the girl who seemed capable of overcoming anything would come through yet again. Her respite did not last.

Jasmina’s lungs began filling up with fluids in the afternoon, and her body failed to respond to antibiotics.Jasmina’s suffering ended a few hours later. Her death brought heartbreak to the countless people who followed her plight, including a host of celebrities.

“She showed more strength and spirit than many adults I have met,” singer Rihanna said. “She was truly an angel on Earth.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE »

Jasmina’s funeral was held Sunday (Jan 31) in New York City.

“Jasmina’s life was short but incredible,” family friend Karen Detrick told the tearful crowd gathered at Industria Studios in New York City’s West Village. “Her unyielding spirit moved a city, then a nation, then the whole world.”

Throughout her ordeal, the spunky kindergartner who loved chasing butterflies and playing dress up remained upbeat and concerned for others, especially her mother. “Jasmina would say, ‘Mama, don’t cry, don’t cry,’ ” family friend Heidi Damico told those at the memorial service. “She would say, ‘Everything is beautiful. Everything will be okay.’ But on Wednesday, the day she passed, Jasmina said to Thea, ‘Mama, it’s okay to cry.’ “

Before the service, mourners sobbed as they paid their respects to Jasmina, who lay in a tiny white coffin, dressed in her favorite color, pink. Inside the casket was a picture of her with President Obama, whom she met in December through the Make-a-Wish-Foundation. During their 10-minute talk in the Oval Office, the president gave her a box of M&Ms with his name on them, a yoyo bearing the presidential seal – and a big hug when she left.

“It was like they were really best buddies,” Jasmina’s mom told New York’s Daily News. “It was just how he spoke to her, like a daddy. It was so sweet. He was really relating to her.” Obama and his wife, Michelle, issued a statement when Jasmina died, commending her for her “tremendous bravery in the face of adversity and her ability to stay positive throughout her battle.” The president also reached out to Jasmina’s mom to offer his personal condolences. “He took time out of his busy schedule to call her,” said one of her friends at the service. “That meant a lot to her.”

Family friend Jill Hennessy, who starred in Law & Order and Crossing Jordan, paid tribute by singing a song she wrote herself. “Jasmina, you are an angel,” Hennessy told the crowd. “I think you kind of made angels of a lot of people in this room who really got together and achieved some huge, incredible things and made people incredibly aware [of the need for bone-marrow donors].

Katharina Harf of DKMS Americas, the world’s largest bone-marrow registry, worked with Jasmina and her mom to hold drives and find a bone-marrow match for Jasmina. “Jasmina’s spunky attitude and big smile was irresistible,” Harf told PEOPLE. “I will carry her smile in my heart always.”

During Jasmina’s fight, her mother vowed to save as many leukemia patients as possible by recruiting one million donors to the registry – a goal she says she still aims to reach. (To learn how to become a donor and save more lives, please visit dkmsamericas.org.)

As a family friend said, “Jasmina got that big heart of hers from her mother, who gave her an incredible life and was by her side the entire time she was sick.”

SOURCE: PEOPLE

Our very own President Barack Obama formally accepted his Nobel Peace Prize award yesterday (Dec 10) at the official award ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway. This comes just one week after he made the hard decision of sending 30,000 troops to Afghanistan, a move that has tripled the number of U.S. forces there since he took office this year.

Actor Will Smith and his wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, also attended the ceremony and were photographed in the audience.

Read Obama’s entire speech (and check out a video of the speech) below!

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world:

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations – that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize – Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela – my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened of cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women – some known, some obscure to all but those they help – to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by forty three other countries – including Norway – in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict – filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

These questions are not new. War, in one form or another, appeared with the first man. At the dawn of history, its morality was not questioned; it was simply a fact, like drought or disease – the manner in which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences.

Over time, as codes of law sought to control violence within groups, so did philosophers, clerics, and statesmen seek to regulate the destructive power of war. The concept of a “just war” emerged, suggesting that war is justified only when it meets certain preconditions: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the forced used is proportional, and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.

For most of history, this concept of just war was rarely observed. The capacity of human beings to think up new ways to kill one another proved inexhaustible, as did our capacity to exempt from mercy those who look different or pray to a different God. Wars between armies gave way to wars between nations – total wars in which the distinction between combatant and civilian became blurred. In the span of thirty years, such carnage would twice engulf this continent. And while it is hard to conceive of a cause more just than the defeat of the Third Reich and the Axis powers, World War II was a conflict in which the total number of civilians who died exceeded the number of soldiers who perished.

In the wake of such destruction, and with the advent of the nuclear age, it became clear to victor and vanquished alike that the world needed institutions to prevent another World War. And so, a quarter century after the United States Senate rejected the League of Nations – an idea for which Woodrow Wilson received this Prize – America led the world in constructing an architecture to keep the peace: a Marshall Plan and a United Nations, mechanisms to govern the waging of war, treaties to protect human rights, prevent genocide, and restrict the most dangerous weapons.

In many ways, these efforts succeeded. Yes, terrible wars have been fought, and atrocities committed. But there has been no Third World War. The Cold War ended with jubilant crowds dismantling a wall. Commerce has stitched much of the world together. Billions have been lifted from poverty. The ideals of liberty, self-determination, equality and the rule of law have haltingly advanced. We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past, and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud.

A decade into a new century, this old architecture is buckling under the weight of new threats. The world may no longer shudder at the prospect of war between two nuclear superpowers, but proliferation may increase the risk of catastrophe. Terrorism has long been a tactic, but modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder innocents on a horrific scale.

Moreover, wars between nations have increasingly given way to wars within nations. The resurgence of ethnic or sectarian conflicts; the growth of secessionist movements, insurgencies, and failed states; have increasingly trapped civilians in unending chaos. In today’s wars, many more civilians are killed than soldiers; the seeds of future conflict are sewn, economies are wrecked, civil societies torn asunder, refugees amassed, and children scarred.

I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work, and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations – acting individually or in concert – will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King said in this same ceremony years ago – “Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: it merely creates new and more complicated ones.” As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life’s work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there is nothing weak -nothing passive – nothing naïve – in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism – it is a recognition of history; the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

I raise this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter the cause. At times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world’s sole military superpower.

Yet the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions – not just treaties and declarations – that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms. The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-interest – because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity.

So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another – that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy. The soldier’s courage and sacrifice is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause and to comrades in arms. But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.

So part of our challenge is reconciling these two seemingly irreconcilable truths – that war is sometimes necessary, and war is at some level an expression of human feelings. Concretely, we must direct our effort to the task that President Kennedy called for long ago. “Let us focus,” he said, “on a more practical, more attainable peace, based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions.”

What might this evolution look like? What might these practical steps be?

To begin with, I believe that all nations – strong and weak alike – must adhere to standards that govern the use of force. I – like any head of state – reserve the right to act unilaterally if necessary to defend my nation. Nevertheless, I am convinced that adhering to standards strengthens those who do, and isolates – and weakens – those who don’t.

The world rallied around America after the 9/11 attacks, and continues to support our efforts in Afghanistan, because of the horror of those senseless attacks and the recognized principle of self-defense. Likewise, the world recognized the need to confront Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait – a consensus that sent a clear message to all about the cost of aggression.

Furthermore, America cannot insist that others follow the rules of the road if we refuse to follow them ourselves. For when we don’t, our action can appear arbitrary, and undercut the legitimacy of future intervention – no matter how justified.

This becomes particularly important when the purpose of military action extends beyond self defense or the defense of one nation against an aggressor. More and more, we all confront difficult questions about how to prevent the slaughter of civilians by their own government, or to stop a civil war whose violence and suffering can engulf an entire region.

I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans, or in other places that have been scarred by war. Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later. That is why all responsible nations must embrace the role that militaries with a clear mandate can play to keep the peace.

America’s commitment to global security will never waiver. But in a world in which threats are more diffuse, and missions more complex, America cannot act alone. This is true in Afghanistan. This is true in failed states like Somalia, where terrorism and piracy is joined by famine and human suffering. And sadly, it will continue to be true in unstable regions for years to come.

The leaders and soldiers of NATO countries – and other friends and allies – demonstrate this truth through the capacity and courage they have shown in Afghanistan. But in many countries, there is a disconnect between the efforts of those who serve and the ambivalence of the broader public. I understand why war is not popular. But I also know this: the belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it. Peace requires responsibility. Peace entails sacrifice. That is why NATO continues to be indispensable. That is why we must strengthen UN and regional peacekeeping, and not leave the task to a few countries. That is why we honor those who return home from peacekeeping and training abroad to Oslo and Rome; to Ottawa and Sydney; to Dhaka and Kigali – we honor them not as makers of war, but as wagers of peace.

Let me make one final point about the use of force. Even as we make difficult decisions about going to war, we must also think clearly about how we fight it. The Nobel Committee recognized this truth in awarding its first prize for peace to Henry Dunant – the founder of the Red Cross, and a driving force behind the Geneva Conventions.

Where force is necessary, we have a moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct. And even as we confront a vicious adversary that abides by no rules, I believe that the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war. That is what makes us different from those whom we fight. That is a source of our strength. That is why I prohibited torture. That is why I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. And that is why I have reaffirmed America’s commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions. We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend. And we honor those ideals by upholding them not just when it is easy, but when it is hard.

I have spoken to the questions that must weigh on our minds and our hearts as we choose to wage war. But let me turn now to our effort to avoid such tragic choices, and speak of three ways that we can build a just and lasting peace.

First, in dealing with those nations that break rules and laws, I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to change behavior – for if we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something. Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions must exact a real price. Intransigence must be met with increased pressure – and such pressure exists only when the world stands together as one.

One urgent example is the effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and to seek a world without them. In the middle of the last century, nations agreed to be bound by a treaty whose bargain is clear: all will have access to peaceful nuclear power; those without nuclear weapons will forsake them; and those with nuclear weapons will work toward disarmament. I am committed to upholding this treaty. It is a centerpiece of my foreign policy. And I am working with President Medvedev to reduce America and Russia’s nuclear stockpiles.

But it is also incumbent upon all of us to insist that nations like Iran and North Korea do not game the system. Those who claim to respect international law cannot avert their eyes when those laws are flouted. Those who care for their own security cannot ignore the danger of an arms race in the Middle East or East Asia. Those who seek peace cannot stand idly by as nations arm themselves for nuclear war.

The same principle applies to those who violate international law by brutalizing their own people. When there is genocide in Darfur; systematic rape in Congo; or repression in Burma – there must be consequences. And the closer we stand together, the less likely we will be faced with the choice between armed intervention and complicity in oppression.

This brings me to a second point – the nature of the peace that we seek. For peace is not merely the absence of visible conflict. Only a just peace based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting.

It was this insight that drove drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War. In the wake of devastation, they recognized that if human rights are not protected, peace is a hollow promise.

And yet all too often, these words are ignored. In some countries, the failure to uphold human rights is excused by the false suggestion that these are Western principles, foreign to local cultures or stages of a nation’s development. And within America, there has long been a tension between those who describe themselves as realists or idealists – a tension that suggests a stark choice between the narrow pursuit of interests or an endless campaign to impose our values.

I reject this choice. I believe that peace is unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please; choose their own leaders or assemble without fear. Pent up grievances fester, and the suppression of tribal and religious identity can lead to violence. We also know that the opposite is true. Only when Europe became free did it finally find peace. America has never fought a war against a democracy, and our closest friends are governments that protect the rights of their citizens. No matter how callously defined, neither America’s interests – nor the world’s -are served by the denial of human aspirations.

So even as we respect the unique culture and traditions of different countries, America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal. We will bear witness to the quiet dignity of reformers like Aung Sang Suu Kyi; to the bravery of Zimbabweans who cast their ballots in the face of beatings; to the hundreds of thousands who have marched silently through the streets of Iran. It is telling that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. And it is the responsibility of all free people and free nations to make clear to these movements that hope and history are on their side

Let me also say this: the promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone. At times, it must be coupled with painstaking diplomacy. I know that engagement with repressive regimes lacks the satisfying purity of indignation. But I also know that sanctions without outreach – and condemnation without discussion – can carry forward a crippling status quo. No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.

In light of the Cultural Revolution’s horrors, Nixon’s meeting with Mao appeared inexcusable – and yet it surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty, and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul’s engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan’s efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe. There is no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement; pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.

Third, a just peace includes not only civil and political rights – it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want.

It is undoubtedly true that development rarely takes root without security; it is also true that security does not exist where human beings do not have access to enough food, or clean water, or the medicine they need to survive. It does not exist where children cannot aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can rot a society from within.

And that is why helping farmers feed their own people – or nations educate their children and care for the sick – is not mere charity. It is also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades. For this reason, it is not merely scientists and activists who call for swift and forceful action – it is military leaders in my country and others who understand that our common security hangs in the balance.

Agreements among nations. Strong institutions. Support for human rights. Investments in development. All of these are vital ingredients in bringing about the evolution that President Kennedy spoke about. And yet, I do not believe that we will have the will, or the staying power, to complete this work without something more – and that is the continued expansion of our moral imagination; an insistence that there is something irreducible that we all share.

As the world grows smaller, you might think it would be easier for human beings to recognize how similar we are; to understand that we all basically want the same things; that we all hope for the chance to live out our lives with some measure of happiness and fulfillment for ourselves and our families.

And yet, given the dizzying pace of globalization, and the cultural leveling of modernity, it should come as no surprise that people fear the loss of what they cherish about their particular identities – their race, their tribe, and perhaps most powerfully their religion. In some places, this fear has led to conflict. At times, it even feels like we are moving backwards. We see it in Middle East, as the conflict between Arabs and Jews seems to harden. We see it in nations that are torn asunder by tribal lines.

Most dangerously, we see it in the way that religion is used to justify the murder of innocents by those who have distorted and defiled the great religion of Islam, and who attacked my country from Afghanistan. These extremists are not the first to kill in the name of God; the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded. But they remind us that no Holy War can ever be a just war. For if you truly believe that you are carrying out divine will, then there is no need for restraint – no need to spare the pregnant mother, or the medic, or even a person of one’s own faith. Such a warped view of religion is not just incompatible with the concept of peace, but the purpose of faith – for the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Adhering to this law of love has always been the core struggle of human nature. We are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil. Even those of us with the best intentions will at times fail to right the wrongs before us.

But we do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place. The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached – their faith in human progress – must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey.

For if we lose that faith – if we dismiss it as silly or naïve; if we divorce it from the decisions that we make on issues of war and peace – then we lose what is best about humanity. We lose our sense of possibility. We lose our moral compass.

Like generations have before us, we must reject that future. As Dr. King said at this occasion so many years ago, “I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the ‘isness’ of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal ‘oughtness’ that forever confronts him.”

So let us reach for the world that ought to be – that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. Somewhere today, in the here and now, a soldier sees he’s outgunned but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, who believes that a cruel world still has a place for his dreams.

Let us live by their example. We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that – for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.

PHOTOS: GETTY / AFP

Look at that beautiful Black family!

The White House Photo Office released this official familiy portrait of President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama and their young daughters Sasha and Malia Friday (Oct 23). This photograph was taken in the Green Room of the White House on September 1st 2009 by famed celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.

Pop singer Pink hit the stage Monday night (Sep 28) in Fairfax, VA at the Patriot Center and performed in concert as a part of her “Funhouse” tour. During the show, before getting into her anti-Bush song “Dear Mr. President,” Pink  gave a shout-out to First Lady Michelle Obama for being anti-fur.

“Let’s get political for a second,” Pink told the estimated 10,000 in the audience, according to a PETA spokesman. “Since we’re near D.C., I have to give a shout-out to Michelle Obama, who has announced that she is officially fur free. I love an animal-lovin’ first lady!”

SOURCE

First Lady Michelle Obama attended the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially re-open the Charles Engelhard Court, the centerpiece of the newly renovated American Wing, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Monday afternoon in New York City. She was joined by NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, Met Museum President Emily Rafferty, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and Rep. Charles Rangel as she cut the ribbon in front of the building. More pics when you continue reading.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Actress Whoopi Goldberg (who also speaks on The View’s panel), Media mogul Oprah Winfrey and Financial advisor Suze Orman attended and posed for a pic together at the 2009 Time 100 Most Influential People in the World Gala, which was held Tuesday night at the Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.

The annual gala saluted the best and the brightest people in the categories of leaders & revolutionaries, heroes & pioneers, scientists & thinkers, artists & entertainers and builders & titans. Other honorees and attendees of the gala included John Legend, Michelle Obama, M.I.A. and more. Continue reading for more photos from the gala and to peep the complete 2009 Time 100 list!

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES // WIRE IMAGE

The Complete 2009 TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World

Leaders & Revolutionaries
Edward Kennedy
Gordon Brown
Christine Lagarde
Thomas Dart
Avigdor Lieberman
Joaquín Guzmán
Nouri al-Maliki
Hillary Clinton
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Boris Johnson
Norah al-Faiz
Elizabeth Warren
Paul Kagame
Nicolas Sarkozy
Angela Merkel
Wang Qishan
Xi Jinping
David McKiernan
Ashfaq Kayani
Barack Obama

Builders & Titans
The Twitter Guys
T. Boone Pickens
Ted Turner
Tessa Ross
Carlos Slim
Brad Pitt
Meredith Whitney
Suze Orman
Lauren Zalaznick
Timothy Geithner
Nandan Nilekani
Stella McCartney
Jamie Dimon
Sheila Bair
moot
Alexander Medvedev
Alan Mulally
Robin Chase
Jack Ma
Bernie Madoff

Artists & Entertainers
Rush Limbaugh
M.I.A.
Sam and Dan Houser
Kate Winslet
Werner Herzog
William Kentridge
Penélope Cruz
Lang Lang
John Legend
Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio
Gustavo Dudamel
Jeff Kinney
Tavis Smiley
The View
Zac Efron
Tina Fey
Tom Hanks
Jay Leno
A.R. Rahman
Judith Jamison

Heroes & Icons
Michelle Obama
Chesley B. Sullenberger
Richard Phillips
Seth Berkley
Michael Eavis
Leonard Abess
Hadizatou Mani
Rick Warren
Van Jones
Somaly Mam
Rafael Nadal
Suraya Pakzad
Jeff Bezos
Tiger Woods
George Clooney
Brady Gustafson
Sister Mary Scullion
Oprah Winfrey
Sarah Palin
Manny Pacquiao

Scientists & Thinkers
Nouriel Roubini
Amory Lovins
Jon Favreau
Dambisa Moyo
Dan Barber
Yoichiro Nambu
Roland Fryer
Martin Lindstrom
Barbara Hogan
David Sheff
Steven Chu
Paul Krugman
Connie Hedegaard
Daniel Nocera
Stephan Schuster and Webb Miller
Nicholas Christakis
Doug Melton
Paul Ekman
Shai Agassi
Nate Silver

Hip-hop genius (and we use that term loosely) Lil Wayne hit up Game One of the western Conference Quarterfinals Sunday night in Denver, CO as the Denver Nuggets took on the New Orleans Hornets.

Travis Barker, Warren G and DJ AM stopped to take a quick photo backstage during day 2 of the Coachella Music Festival Saturday afternoon in Indio, California.

Film and tv actor Dennis Haysbert aka The Allstate Guy was spotted by the paps as he left a lunch at Orso restaurant in Los Angeles.

Actress Angela Bassett posed for photos backstage during the 7th Annual TV Land Awards at Gibson Amphitheatre Sunday night in LA.

Black Eyed Peas front man Will.i.am was seen riding a motor trike while on location for BEP’s upcoming music video in Los Angeles.

BEP members Taboo and Apl.de.ap weren’t too far behind on the set.

The First Family welcomed their new Portuguese water dog Bo last Tuesday at the White House in Washington, D.C. Check out photos of the President, the First Lady and Malia & Sasha Obama playing with Bo on the White House front lawn above.

Pop singing sensation Lady Gaga showed off a little more of her weirdness yesterday as she hopped out of her vehicle with a tea cup in her hand. Granted, she was in the UK to make an appearance on BBC Radio’s Live Lounge but what’s with the tea cup and the get-up? We expect off-the-wall antics like this from her though. It’s who she is.

Christina Milian was spotted arriving at the Staples Center Friday night for Britney Spear’s show in LA. Not sure why she’s trying to be “different” with her recent choices of outfits and hair styles. We’ll let you know as soon as we figure it out though.

PHOTOS: NBA / GETTY IMAGES / WIRE IMAGE / WENN / BAUER GRIFFIN ONLINE

First Lady Michelle Obama and her mother, Mrs. Marion Robinson, are featured on the cover of the May 2009 issue of Essence Magazine, where they both open up in their very first interview together talking about retaining their family values, what it takes to raise good kids, and being role models for the Black community. The issue hits stands this Friday – April 10th.

Mrs. Michelle Obama on what being First Lady means to her:
“It’s an honor and a privilege when you walk into the White House-at least I automatically felt a level of obligation. This is a big responsibility, a wonderful platform and I just want to make sure I take every advantage to serve as a role model, to provide good messages, to be a supportive mate to the President and to make sure that my girls are solid.”

Mrs. Marian Robinson on seeing her daughter step into this historic role:
“Well, to me, it’s overwhelming. I never doubted that she could do this. She is doing it with such grace and dignity. So I am just proud. I just hope she does what she wants to do. [Chuckles] Because the things that she wants to do are very important. They mean a lot to her.”

Mrs. Michelle Obama on finding balance:
“Unlike most women, I have a lot of resources: I have my mother living with me. The White House has a staff of people who are there to make my life easy. I don’t have a full-time job, although I work very hard in the role of First Lady. But I have a lot of resources. So I have been able to achieve the balance because I have the support I need.”

Mrs. Robinson on what her late husband, Fraser Robinson III, would say about this moment:
“You would not be able to shut him up! He would not be able to stand this. He would be beaming until you would just want him to stop talking. He bragged about Michelle and her brother, Craig, before they had even done anything. He always encouraged them, and when he talked about Craig and Michelle, you could just see a smile on his face whether it was there or not. He just enjoyed these two people.”

Mrs. Obama on her parents’ support:
“I always felt that my father and my mother were unconditionally rooting for me. And kids need that. Looking back that played such a huge role in building confidence in me and my brother very early. Whether we succeeded or failed, we had two people who lifted us up and supported us. There was never anything that I could imagine that I would need that they wouldn’t bend over backward to make sure that we had. There is just a sense of security that allows you to take risks. People think that it comes from wealth or generations of access and success, but it doesn’t. The security of your parents’ love really gives you the foundation to think that you can fly. And then you do.”

Mrs. Obama on how her mother has influenced her own development as a mother:
“She completely underestimates her role in who I am. She always says, “You came here that way, I just stayed out of your way.” That’s not how I saw it. My mom is an incredibly intelligent and insightful person about life in general. From the time we could talk, she talked to us endlessly about any and everything with a level of openness and fearlessness that made us believe that we were bright enough to engage with an adult, that we were worthy enough to ask questions and to get really serious answers—and she did it with a level of humor. There were many times when we were in the midst of getting spanked or disciplined and she would start cracking up. She taught my brother and me not to take things so seriously; to work hard, but to learn to laugh at situations and laugh at yourself and then to move through it.”

Television and worldwide mogul Oprah Winfrey interviewed our First Lady, Michelle Obama, for O Magazine. First Lady Obama and Oprah shared the magazine too, which marks the first time in O Magazine history that antoher human being (besides Oprah herself) has covered the popular women’s magazine. Peep a snippet of the interview below:

For all the majesty of the White House, the First Lady has already infused it with a palpable ease; her presence makes the place feel open and approachable. When we sit down to talk, she seems as relaxed as she did when I first interviewed her and her husband in their Chicago apartment in 2004. “This room has the best light in the house,” she tells me as we settle in, shoes off, on a comfortable sofa. “And there’s pie here, too. The pie in the White House is dangerously good.” — Oprah

Oprah: So after the inauguration, what was your first weekend in the White House like?

Michelle Obama: Well, we still had family here, so it was almost like a wedding. A huge, very complicated wedding. The last visitors didn’t leave until Sunday. And then the first Monday was kind of weird. You know: Now we live here, and Barack is getting up and going to work, and it’s just us. This is our home now.

Oprah: I had heart palpitations coming through the White House gate, recognizing that this really is now your home. It’s the White House, and it’s your home.

Michelle Obama: And it’s a beautiful home. When you go out and come back, especially at night, with all the white lights on—it’s just beautiful. We feel privileged, and we feel a responsibility to make it feel like the people’s house. We have the good fortune of being able to sleep here, but this house belongs to America.

For more, you’ll have to pick up the latest issue of O Magazine!

Music legend Stevie Wonder will receive a huge honorary award (The Library of Congress Award) next Wednesday, February 25th 2009. President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama will present the award to Wonder.

The White House says the president and first lady will present Wonder a Library of Congress award on Feb. 25. The concert will be broadcast the next day on PBS as part of its “Performance at the White House” series. The award-winning Motown legend performed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on the night Obama accepted his party’s nomination. He also sang at a concert during the week of Obama’s inauguration. His song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “Higher Ground” were used as theme songs during Obama’s campaign stops.

SOURCE

Our First Lady, Michelle Obama, is gracing the cover of the March 2009 issue of Vogue Magazine. In the issue, she chats with Vogue editor-at-large Andre Leon Talley about her new role as the First Lady of the United States.

From envisioning a more inclusive White House to embracing fearless fashion, Michelle Obama is poised to become the most transformative First Lady in history.
André Leon Talley reports. Portraits by Annie Leibovitz.

CLICK HERE FOR THE INTERVIEW!

Continue reading for pics from inside the issue.

Here are a set of photos from President Obama’s Inauguration in D.C. a couple of weeks ago on January 20th 2009 in front of the Capitol building. Continue reading for an amazing set of historical photos. Download them and put them away for safe keeping. We can only celebrate having the first Black president in office once in a lifetime!

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / AFP

PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA REVEALS ECONOMIC RECOVER PLAN IN D.C. » There’s no doubt that President-Elect Barack Obama has a lot on his agenda when he officially enters the office on Jan. 20th, but for now he is working hard with his administration on creating a plan to help bring America’s economy back on its feet. He began his campaign on Monday for a tremendous package of tax cuts and spending proposals to boost an economy that was officially confirmed as being in a recession last year.  A tax cut in the amount of  $300 billion dollars will be proposed for individuals and businesses. The President-elect has not put a price tag on the overall amount for his stimulus plan, however his advisers expect the amount to fall between $675 billon and $775 billion.  It is also known that 40%  of the amount would be in tax cuts. Several tax breaks are also being considered.

According to Barack Obama’s plan, he would offer a tax cut equal to $500 a year for individuals and $1,000 for couples.  The credit given would work as a payroll tax credit,  in other words the money would be distributed quickly because companies could reduce the tax withheld from employees’ paychecks.

During Obama’s presidential campaign last year,  he made it clear that he would create tax cuts for the middle class family.  He stated that if an individual or couple makes less than $250,000 a year, they would fall under the category for tax cuts. As we fast forward to 2009, Obama’s administration has not specified where the cut off point would be. It has also been mentioned that tax filers without any tax liability would receive refundable credit, this typically refers to the very low income workers.

A tax break is also considered for businesses that book  losses in 2008 and 2009. The stimulus plan could extend the “net-operating loss carryback”  from two years to five years. The carryback will let the companies apply their losses to past and future tax bills so that they can receive money back on taxes that they have already paid or would have to pay.

Obama also wants to create a new credit for businesses that create jobs in America or put a halt to layoffs.

The rest of the the plan will include:

• double renewable energy production and make public buildings more energy efficient;
• rebuild crumbling roads, bridges and schools;
• computerize the health care system;
• and modernize classrooms, labs and libraries.

Obama will deliver a speech on the economy on Thursday.

DOW ENDS BELOW 9,000 » It may be a new year but the stocks continue to drop as we are reminded that America’s economy is still in bad shape. Stocks fell Monday after last week’s big rally over President-elect Barack Obama’s stimulus plan, monthly auto sales, and growing oil prices.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR MALIA & SASHA OBAMA » President-Elect Barack Obama may not have been able to see his daughters off for their first day at their new schools in Washington, but Malia (10)  & Sasha (7)  still felt a sense of security as their mother Michelle Obama and the Secret Service accompanied the girls to school. After moving from Chicago, IL to Washington, D.C. the family has had to adapt to not only a new area but also to calling a hotel their new home. Their temporary home, of course. The family will have to adjust until Jan. 20th when Barack Obama is sworn into office and the family gets to settle into the beautifully furnished home Americans all know as the White House. Malia & Sasha are attending Sidwell Friends which is a private school.

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES / AFP

Someone please tell right wing and controversial political commenter Ann Coulter to stop drinking on that “hatorade” because it’s definitely not a good look for her. Apparently she’s been saying some not so nice things about President-elect Barack Obama’s wife Michelle Obama.  According to her latest book which is said to be published next week, titled “Guilty: Liberal ‘Victims’ and their Assault on America,” she accuses the liberal left of playing the victims when in fact of course they are the victimizers.

But wait … the fun doesn’t stop there.  She then goes on to bash Mrs. Obama about her choice of style in which she says she is an imitation of Jackie O’s personal style.  Jackie O was the first lady and wife of President John F. Kennedy.

Coulter wrote, “Her obvious imitation of Jackie O’s style – the flipped-under hair, the sleeveless A-line dresses, the short strands of fake pearls – would have been laughable if done by anyone other than a media-designated saint.”

She continously hurled more hits at the soon to be first lady stating that “Cindy McCain, the wife of vanquished GOP nominee John McCain, “dressed well without freakishly imitating famous First Ladies in history.”  Coulter also referred to Michelle Obama as a “saint” and “Mother Teresa” and suggests that her public service career “advanced in lockstep with the political advancement of her husband.”

Coulter couldn’t finish her slaying without taking a few jabs at Mr. President-elect Barack Obama, while referring to him as “B. Hussein Obama” and argues that the media “literally wanted to have sex with him.”

Can we say that a few of the Republicans are still bitter about the win?  Shame on them.

Beyonce and Jay-Z together, without a doubt, is the definition of “black love.” For our generation at least! They’ve been together for over 5 years, and have close to $170 million in the bank (combined), making them Hollywood’s richest couple! Much of their relationship is kept private, but their lives as celebrities, coupled with their fame and huge success as artists and entrepreneurs, makes it hard not to want to know more about them! We put them at the top of our list this time last year, but the only difference between then and now is that they are married. The two decided to tie the knot in a “private” ceremony in April 2008. And if you were around and living on planet earth, you definitely heard about it! After People.com announced that the two had taken out a marriage license in New York, the events that happened the weekend of April 4th 2008 were inevitable. After several black SUVs with heavily tinted windows were seen entering Jay-Z’s Manhattan apartment, in addition to the dozens of vans bringing in wedding decorations, we all knew what was going on.

Every paparazzo in the world set up shop outside of the apartment and snapped photos of Solange Knowles (Beyonce’s sister), Tina & Mathew Knowles (Beyonce’s parents), Michelle Williams, Kelly Rowland, Irv Gotti, and more entering the apartment building’s ground-level garage. The list went on and on, but after seeing all of these people entering one place, we knew Beyonce and Jay-Z were DEFINITELY getting married. People.com actually confirmed it the next morning, and shortly after, we spotted the two wearing their wedding bands. These two getting married was definitely the talk of the blogosphere for the months to follow. And even though “Jayonce” never really confirmed their wedding, in several interviews that followed (Oprah, The Tyra Banks show, Essence Magazine, etc.) they were referred to as husband and wife, and neither contested it. But these two are the same people who never confirmed their initial relationship, so we’re definitely used to it!

Who else made the cut as GOT‘s hottest couples of 2008? Continue reading to see!

Next to Beyonce and Jay-Z, Chris Brown and Rihanna are definitely a power couple in the black blogosphere! In what may have started out as an innocent case of “puppy love” – or a publicity stunt, whatever you’d like to call it – these two have definitely grown together as a symbol of “teenage love,” as noted in Chris Brown’s song “Young Love.” Whether they’re spotted handling each other’s acne issues, spending time together on the set of a music video, arriving at at an airport, or even jet-skiing in Barbados, these two are guaranteed to garner tons of attention from the paparazzi. And once their photos hit the blogs, tons of pageviews and comments promptly follow.

Pregnancy rumors, break-up rumors and anything else you can think of surround this next couple – Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri. Right now, they’re both denying that they’re pregnant and have broken up, but only time will tell what’s really going on. Throughout the year 2008, these two were spotted at fashion shows in Paris, and you could catch them hanging out together on JD’s Youtube channel in his “Living the Life” series while Janet toured North America. Are they expecting a baby? Have they really broken up? We’ll just have to see what 2009 brings for one of our favorite couples of 2008!

CONTINUE READING TO PAGE 2 FOR MORE!

President-Elect Barack Obama and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, both have their own individual covers for a special edition of ESSENCE magazine, which highlights the historic victory of Barack Obama being the first ever African American to be elected president of the United States! Continue reading to peep larger versions of their covers.