44 Hosts 44: White House Super Bowl Party For Cabinet Secretaries, Lawmakers, Military Families

White House, NFL, USDA unite to combat child obesity, improve school lunches...party guest list after jump
Update:
Who Dat?! Saints win! Watch President Obama play football on the South Lawn with Saints' quarterback and newly minted Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees here.

A Flood Of Debate Over First Lady's Child Obesity Campaign, From Worries About Eating Disorders To Civil Rights Issues

Mrs. Obama just might guide us out of the darkest decades in the nation's food and health history. Is it making America nervous?
First Lady Michelle Obama will officially launch her child obesity campaign three days from now, but it's already stirring up plenty of concern. During the past week, Mrs. Obama has been both criticized and lauded for discussing her daughters' health status in public, and she's even being accused of putting the nation "at risk" for a pandemic of eating disorders. It's a double-sided meme that's gotten loads of attention as it's built around the Internet, and one that's based on both misreporting of Mrs. Obama's comments, and a lack of understanding about her upcoming campaign.

During Snowmageddon, President Obama Has Breakfast With Democratic National Committee

White House Says Black Farmers' Pigford Suit Could Be Settled Shortly

Al Roker Tweets Sam Kass

Live from the White House kitchen!

President Obama Attends Two DNC Fundraisers - The Dinner Menu

Events expected to raise $2-3 million

President Obama, First Lady Attend National Prayer Breakfast - Video

A call for the return to public civility; Uganda denounced for anti-gay policies.  Video after the jump...

Transcript: Remarks By President Obama at the National Prayer Breakfast

Rep. George Miller Makes YouTube Video About a White House Apple!

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are credited with all kinds of cultural firsts, but inspiring a YouTube video about White House fruit is an unprecedented event in the history of both social media and Congress. In the video, the Chair of the House Labor and Education committee shows off the special party favor he received when he attended Mrs. Obama's summit on child obesity, held Tuesday at the White House. Bowls of apples are everywhere around the White House, and interestingly, they're usually red apples.

In addition to his fruity cinematic efforts, Chairman Miller (D-CA) is a staunch supporter of Mrs. Obama's child obesity campaign, and his committee has jurisdiction over federal nutrition programs. It's exciting that he's so excited about fresh fruit.

National Black Farmers Association Holds Rallies To Protest No Action in Pigford Case

Rally schedule after the jump

Michelle Obama's Child Obesity Campaign: "Our Broad Goal Is To Change The Health Status of an Entire Generation" -- Today Show Video

52 percent of those polled by Today show applaud Mrs. Obama's child obesity campaign.  Video and poll results after the jump...

Sam Kass On Today Show: Kids Should Be Leaders In First Lady's Child Obesity Campaign -- Video

The White House Food Initiative Coordinator makes his morning TV show debut with a healthy cooking lesson for Al Roker and DC school kids; watch the video after the jump...

Michelle Malkin: 'SEIU Fatcats' Are Behind First Lady's Child Obesity Campaign

McDecision: The Supreme Court And Food Politics

First Lady Meets With Lawmakers, Cabinet Secretaries; Discusses Improving School Lunches to Combat Child Obesity

Four key points to new campaign; Congressional responses after the jump...
First Lady Michelle Obama may be the only first lady in US history to have made the phrase "food desert" a part of her daily vocabulary.

Transcript: First Lady's Remarks Before Meeting With Lawmakers, Cabinet Secretaries

President Obama in New Hampshire Town Hall: Ice Cream Memories and The $30 Billion Small Business Lending Fund

Details of the new fund after the jump

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Reports On A Year Of Progress At USDA - Video

From campaigning to improve the federal nutrition programs to rebooting Afghanistan's agricultural economy, Sec. Vilsack has been the busiest member of President Obama's Cabinet. Video after the jump...

In 2011 Budget, Support For First Lady's Child Obesity Campaign: Funding For The Healthy Food Financing Initiative

$400 million proposal for USDA, HHS, and Treasury funds to improve food access
As part of her upcoming child obesity campaign, First Lady Michelle Obama has been emphasizing the need to combat food deserts, those areas in which there is no or low access to fresh and healthy foods. In President Obama's 2011 budget, there's an attempt to directly address this issue, with funds allocated specifically to increase the availability of fresh foods through financial programs that encourage more groceries and food retailers to be located in underserved areas.

In 2011 Budget, Federal Nutrition Programs Are Fully Funded; Other USDA Programs Changed

Crop subsidy payments reduced; other programs frozen or eliminated...
President Obama revealed his $3.8 trillion budget for 2011 today, which calls for $53 billion in tax cuts and $50 billion in job-creating measures. The USDA, like many other departments, has had the budgets of a number of its programs frozen or eliminated. But the budget fully funds the government's expected requirements for USDA's three major nutrition assistance programs - WIC, the National School Lunch Program, and SNAP, and proposes $10 billion over ten years for the Child Nutrition and WIC programs.

Tomorrow, Michelle Obama Hosts Child Obesity Meeting For Cabinet Secretaries and Members of Congress; Campaign Launch Is Next Week

Update: A post about the meeting is here.
First Lady Michelle Obama's national campaign to combat childhood obesity is having a roll-out that is approximating that of a Hollywood tent pole movie, with a series of high-profile events leading up to the premiere. Today, the White House has announced the official launch date for the First Lady's campaign, after hinting at its start date for the last month: Next Tuesday, February 9.

Obama to Speak at The National Prayer Breakfast: Pancakes and The Prince of Peace

The First Amendment is a side dish
The White House has announced that President Obama will speak at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, at the Washington Hilton in northwest DC.