Political Families

Disney Bans Junk Food Ads Aimed at Kids

The Walt Disney Co. announced yesterday that it will ban some junk food ads on its television channels, radio stations and websites aimed at children by 2015, Reuters reports. Disney is also starting its own "Mickey Check" label for food it deems to be nutritious, to help promote certain healthier f ... More >>

Michelle Obama's White House Kitchen Garden Book Out Today

Michelle Obama's first book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, hits the bookstores today. Just in time for summertime gardening, for your kids' summer vacation projects (Cook your own dinner! Build your own compost bin!), and even for a season of ... More >>

Denise Hunter: The Really Good Wife

One of the fascinating Angelenos featured in L.A. Weekly's People 2012 issue. Check out our entire People 2012 issue here. Everywhere Denise Hunter goes, she's mistaken for Michelle Obama. "I was in San Francisco at a meeting," she says, perched in a fine Sunday pantsuit on a couch in a back room ... More >>

David Bowie and a dog named Felix

Rebel with a camera

Michelle Obama Pays Visit to Inglewood Today

As part of her "Let's Move!" nationwide health campaign for fitness and healthier food, First Lady Michelle Obama will be making a stop in Inglewood today -- the second day of her two-day visit to Los Angeles. She'll speak to supporters at a future site for a Northgate Gonzalez Market. The "Let's M ... More >>

Food News Roundup: Michelle Obama's Book Delayed, 800 Degrees Super Bowl Beer

​Obama Foodorama: Publication of First Lady Michelle Obama's book about the White House kitchen garden, American Grown, delayed a month, to May 2012. Tasting Table: More fun with pizza at the new 800 Degrees. Daily Dish: Five questions for the Tasting Kitchen's Casey Lane. Eatocracy: Beers ... More >>

Mark Matuszak, L.A. Designer of Obamas' Holiday Card, Sees Thumbs-Down Critique From Sarah Palin

The card (cropped).​Turns out the Obamas' holiday card this year was designed by L.A. artist Mark Matuszak. It's cozy and apropos, featuring First Dog Bo chillin' like a villain in front of a White House fireplace. Good work, Mark. Except that even if President Obama were to bring back Jesus ... More >>

First Lady Praises Olive Garden Changes

Anne Fishbeina forkful of spaghetti at the Olive Garden​ How many years does it take to set down a salt shaker? For the Olive Garden (read Jonathan Gold's review here) and Red Lobster restaurants and their four sister chains (LongHorn Steakhouse, the Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 5 ... More >>

Mrs. Obama Approves: McDonald's Selling Apples Trimming Calories

iirraa/flickrApples at McDonald's​ Last week, First Lady Michelle Obama and James Gavin III practically shed tears of joy over Wal-Mart's professed commitment to selling good food cheaper and expanding into barren Whole Foods-deprived "food deserts." Gavin said, perhaps jokingly, that he hope ... More >>

[Updated] Michelle Obama Announces Retailers Will Expand Into Food "Deserts"

Samantha Appleton/White HouseThe First Lady and elementary school students tend the White House garden​ Update 11:50 a.m. 7/20/2011 - Mayor Manuel Lozano spoke before Obama about his work in Baldwin Park, along with James Gavin III, chairman of the Partnership for a Healthier America's Board ... More >>

Jamie McCourt Wanted to be Mayor of Los Angeles?

Jamie McCourt.​Vanity Fair's take on the Frank and Jamie McCourt saga is rife with details about the couple's ostentatious living, gross even by our standards: A five-home-buying spree in L.A. and Baja, a $10,000-a-month hairstylist. But what really stopped us in our tracks were Jamie's appa ... More >>

Michelle Obama Charges $10K for Photo Op, 'Private Time' at L.A. Campaign Fundraiser (Unless You're J.J. Abrams)

This could be you, for 10,000 dolla!​The first lady landed quietly in Los Angeles this morning, avoiding another #ObamaTraffic nightmare with an early arrival at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills. There to greet her were director J.J. Abrams -- basking in "Super 8's" critically acclai ... More >>

Michelle Obama Signs a Book Deal: The White House Garden Family Recipes

The White House / Joyce N. BoghosianMichelle Obama gardening with kids​ It's not just former presidents who get book deals, but sitting first ladies too, for which we are grateful. First Lady Michelle Obama has just signed a book deal with Crown Publishing to write a book about the White Hous ... More >>

TUTU MUCH

Wal-Mart Slashing Salt, Sugar, Fat AND Prices

absurd_hero/Flickr​ Wal-Mart has long been one of American citizens' most reliable suppliers of unhealthy packaged foods. Today, as The New York Times reports, the company has proclaimed its intention to, over the next five years, reduce the levels of sodium, fat, and sugar in thousands of it ... More >>

MS. GRIFFIN AND HER BIG CHRISTMAS BALLS

Congress Approves Child Nutrition Bill, Finally

Flickr/Sea Frostwhat Congress has been eating lately​ Despite some last-minute histrionics (of course), today Congress approved the child nutrition bill. The House passed the bill by a vote of 264 to 157; the Senate passed the bill unanimously in August. The legislation will expand the school ... More >>

Angeleno Kristina Schake, A Same-Sex Marriage Supporter, Heading To White House To Become Michelle Obama's Spokeswoman

griffinschake.comWill Kristina Schake put support for same-sex marrage on the president's agenda?​Starting next month there will be a pro-same-sex-marriage Californian in the White House. L.A. public relations executive Kristina Schake will start as First Lady Michelle Obama's spokeswoman. Th ... More >>

Bristol Palin's Last Supper: Thank You, TMZ

We owe TMZ so much. News of what William Shatner is wearing. The details of Charlie Sheen's $20,000 text messages. Pictures of Ryan Seacrest doing pretty much everything, from exiting Mozza to walking around Paris with his parents. Now we know exactly what Bristol Palin and the rest of the Dancing w ... More >>

Happy Birthday Mr. President: Secret Service Vetoes Birthday Cake

Washington SceneThe Obamas celebrating in 2003​ Happy Birthday, Mr. President. President Obama turns 49 years old today (CNN Developing News: "I have a more gray hair"), and is celebrating the event by, well, working. According to the White House, he will finish his day by heading to Chicago i ... More >>

Reports Of Affair With Al Gore Denied By Laurie David

Al Gore with Wired magazine editor Chris Anderson.​Laurie David, ex-wife of Hollywood sitcom king Larry David (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm), denied yesterday's reports that she was having an affair with former Vice President Al Gore -- a relationship said to be the root of Gore's split with ... More >>

Michelle Obama Has Sunday Supper at Lucques Monday Dinner at Mozza

APMichelle Obama talking childhood obesity​Thanks to the good people at Obama Foodorama, we've discovered that Michelle Obama arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday, whereupon the sustainable-food conscious First Lady took her daughters to Lucques in West Hollywood for Sunday supper. Said the restau ... More >>

Kennedy Clan Member Becomes Mayor Of Santa Monica

​Happy birthday, Mr. Mayor. It's not exactly the White House, or even the California first lady's office. But Santa Monica City Hall does have one of the more potent and groundbreaking political bodies on the West Coast, and now it has a member of the Kennedy clan, Bobby Shriver, as its leader ... More >>

Plate Spinnings: Listings From the Past Week

Some food for thought from local, national and international news sources from this past week: -- An interview with Shut Up, Foodies, a new satirical food blog. (More on this one later.) [Eat Me Daily] -- Walmart's exclusive Ben & Jerry's flavor: flourless chocolate cake ice cream. [Serious Eats] ... More >>

The LA WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS

Duran Duran Announce Track Listing of Manimal Vinyl's Upcoming David Bowie Tribute (Featuring Carla Bruni!)

While you were sleeping off NYE on Friday, LA-based Manimal Vinyl and Brit-based Duran Duran teamed up to announce the details of the label's forthcoming David Bowie tribute, which, as of this writing, is still unnamed. Among the many potential highlights are covers of Bowie songs by the aforeme ... More >>

Plate Spinning: Listings From the Past Week

Some food for thought from local, national and international news sources from this past week: -- "100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do," part 2. [NYT] -- Pets on plates! Elizabeth Kolbert reviews Jonathan Safran Foer's lastest book Eating Animals. [New Yorker] -- After Gourmet: ... More >>

Shriver-gate: Maria Apologizes

California First Lady Maria Shriver apologized after paparazzi snapped her driving while talking on a mobile phone, sans hands-free device. Husband and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger championed the state's "hands-free law," which mandates that drivers must use hands-free devices such as Bluetooth he ... More >>

Ozomatli to Perform for Barack and Michelle Obama at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Awards

LA band Ozomatli have stood on a lot of stages in their fourteen year career. They've faced 10,000 in Kathmandu, have been shuttled into a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan to perform, have gigged music schools in Burma, have done the Today Show. Next Wednesday, however, they'll play to what is the ... More >>

Obama Girls In the Hood: Malia's Argyle Hoodie

In Obama fashion news, specifically first daughter Malia Obama fashion news, if you've been wondering what the presidential children wear while lounging around the White House, here's a sample. Malia was recently spotted in this "Argyle Plaid" turquoise and brown burn-out checkerboard hoodie from tw ... More >>

I Wanna Be Elated: Meghan McCain's Ramones Connection

Meghan McCain, the daughter of Senator John McCain, has been emoting about her post-election blues lately on her blog and at the Daily Beast, from which CNN.com has been quoting at length this week. One of Meghan's pet peeves, we learn is other people -- not just those who "openly voted for Barack O ... More >>

Finally, the Obama Inauguration Dress...with non-matching gloves

It's yellow! The nation waited months to see what Michelle Obama would wear to the Inauguration. Here it is: an Isabel Toledo sheath and matching beaded coat in sunny yellow. Michelle paired that with sage green leather gloves by J. Crew. At first, I wasn't feeling the green gloves and yellow dress, ... More >>

Award Shows Suck

Equal But Separate?

BY ELLA TAYLOR I don’t know whether it was before or after Obama won the election that security officials threw a three-block cordon around his house in Chicago. I’m no security expert, and given this country’s penchant for knocking off progressive politicians, perhaps that’s what it takes ... More >>

Puppy for Obama? The Ultimate Presidential Accessory

There's been much to-do about Obama's future dog. Screw the economic crisis. This dog's got to be hypo-allergenic, because Malia is allergic. It's got to be from a shelter, preferably. The American Kennel Club has weighed in, suggesting poodles and Portugese water dogs. The Dog Whisperer Cesar Milan ... More >>

Michelle Obama's Election Night Dress

America did the right thing at the polls this time around. I'm so happy, even Michelle Obama's odd election night dress is looking good right now. The crisscross empire waist and side panels are meant to be strategically slimming, I believe. Sure, the swath of red splashed across the front is discon ... More >>

You Voted? I Voted!

The Lady Tigra Debuts a Classic of the 2008 Campaign at Spaceland

Last night at Obama-rama, a fundraiser at Spaceland in Silver Lake, The Lady Tigra and Le C (King Crab) debuted their new track "First Black, First Lady." It's a celebration of this moment in history, a shout, an affirmation, a rallying cry: "Black first lady! First black, first lady!" goes the chor ... More >>

Queer Town: The Obama Pool Report

Rather than watch the Republican National Convention or the U.S. Open in tennis, I covered Michelle Obama's visit to Los Angeles on Wednesday night as a "pool reporter." A pool reporter is someone who's chosen by a political campaign to cover an event that would otherwise be closed to the press. I ... More >>

Ron Burkle: Poor Little Rich Grocer

L.A.'s billionaire confronts life without the Clintons or instant White House access

Maria Shriver for Obama

Maria Shriver, the first lady of the state of California and cousin of Caroline Kennedy, has endorsed Senator Barack Obama. Shriver made an impromptu appearance at an Obama rally at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion Sunday, where Michelle Obama, wife of the presidential candidate, Oprah Winfrey, and Carolin ... More >>

Malice in Hillaryland

It's all about Bill, of course

Saluting the First Lady of Song

All About Laura

Kitty Galore

The Bush Dynasty and media hypocrites

The Big Chill

The Reagans takes a right hook

Erection Campaign

Mike Nichols colors the Clintons soft