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The president and first lady made a surprise visit on Veterans Day to Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, where the war dead from Afghanistan and Iraq are buried. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - Skip and Rhonda Rollins were visiting the gravesite of their son Justin at Arlington National Cemetery Veterans Day when they received condolences from unexpected visitors - President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

After making remarks at the Arlington's annual National Veterans Day Observance, the president made a surprise visit to Section 60 of the cemetery, where the war dead from Afghanistan and Iraq are buried.

Obama spoke with families, visited gravesites, and shook the hands of visiting veterans. The visit came just before he headed back to the White House to preside over what could be one of his last meetings with top advisers before he decides whether to send more troops to Afghanistan.

The Rollins' son Justin, who would have turned 25 years old the day before Veterans Day, was killed in Iraq in 2007.
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WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Barack Obama will speak at Tuesday's memorial service for the shooting victims at Fort Hood Army Post in Texas, and will meet with victims' families, his spokesman said.

"The president will meet with families of those that lost a loved one last week, as well as speak to the larger memorial that will take place at the base," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in his daily briefing Monday.

First lady Michelle Obama will accompany the president on the trip, Gibbs said.

The flag flew at half-staff as Texas Sen. John Cornyn made remarks Friday about the shootings at Fort Hood in his state.

Fort Hood, Texas (CNN) - As investigators at Fort Hood meticulously probed Thursday's grisly massacre, a Texas surgeon said more of the wounded victims of the shootings were slowly but surely on the mend.

Flanked by Texas Gov. Rick Perry and two state representatives, W. Roy Smythe, chief of surgery at Scott & White Memorial Hospital, said "a lot of progress has been made" in treating patients wounded in the rampage and that "some of them are out of the woods."

But Smythe told reporters in a Saturday news conference there is a possibility some patients will be "physically impaired" for life. And, he said, there's "no doubt many" will be "psychologically impaired the rest of their lives."

Thursday's mass shooting left 12 soldiers and one civilian dead and 38 others wounded at the Fort Hood Army Post in Texas. Thirty-four of the injured had gunshot wounds, military officials said. The suspect in the shooting, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a licensed Army psychiatrist, was among the two dozen who remained hospitalized Friday night.

Hasan was transported by air Friday afternoon to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, and had been listed in critical but stable condition.

The incident has sparked national outrage. In his Saturday address, President Obama said it was "an act of violence that would have been heartbreaking had it occurred anyplace in America." But the president said, "it's all the more heartbreaking and all the more despicable because of the place where it occurred and the patriots who were its victims."

The White House said President Obama and the first lady will be attending a memorial service on Tuesday and the president ordered flags flying over the White House and other federal buildings to be lowered to half-staff until Veterans Day on Wednesday.

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The president and first lady played host to approximately 2000 kids from the Washington Metro area on Saturday evening, the Obamas' first Halloween in the White House. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Related: Obamas celebrate first Halloween at the White House

First Lady Michelle Obama revealed President Obama's 'annoying' habits Friday night.

NEW YORK (CNN)– First Lady Michelle Obama made an appearance Friday night on Jay Leno's "Ten at Ten" segment and revealed President Obama's most annoying habits.

"He has no annoying habits, right Jay, none. He's perfect," Mrs. Obama said with a laugh. "But you know what, when he beats me in tennis that gets to be pretty annoying, and he beats me quite often."

The segment consists of Leno asking 10 random, often humorous questions to a special guest. Leno also asked the First Lady about Malia and Sasha's Halloween costumes, and tested her to see if she could name all the Brady Bunch children in under 10 seconds– which she did with two seconds to spare.

The late night TV host also asked Mrs. Obama whether the president would prefer world peace or a world series win for the Chicago White Sox.

"That's a tough one," she joked. "If you asked him he'd probably prefer world peace, but wouldn't mind a World Series bit too. But, I think he'd choose world peace."

CNN=Politics Daily is The Best Political Podcast from The Best Political Team.

WASHINGTON(CNN)– In the latest installment of CNN=Politics Daily: First Lady Michelle Obama met with students out on the South Lawn Wednesday to call for nutritious change in America. CNN's Kate Bolduan shines the spotlight on what schools across the country are doing to improve their lunch choices.

Meanwhile: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warns Tehran again that the administration's openness to diplomatic engagement with Iran isn't open-ended, as concern continues to rise over the state of Iran's nuclear program. CNN Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jill Dougherty reports on Clinton's latest comments on nuclear threats facing the United States.

Plus: President Obama announced a plan today to help banks free up credit for struggling small businesses. Could there be a stimulus, round two ahead? CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash reports.

Finally: Sen. John Kerry, back from Afghanistan, briefed President Obama at the White House today. CNN White House Correspondent Dan Lothian takes a look at new hints that President Obama may be moving closer to a decision on troop levels in Afghanistan.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) – Michelle Obama may be a renowned fitness fiend - but she's equally devoted to her fries.

The first lady - who has spoken of her affection for the deep-fried staple - told a crowd of students Wednesday that her love affair with fast food had continued in the White House, where she's confessed sneaking out for an occasional run to the Five Guys burger joint.

"My favorite food in the whole wide world are french fries," Obama told a crowd of local students on the South Lawn of the White House during an event to promote healthy eating. "I love them. Dearly. Deeply. I have a good relationship with french fries and I would eat them every single day if I could. I really would."

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A spokeswoman for first lady Michelle Obama said the White House has no comment on a new doll set to be released in late November.

WASHINGTON (CNN) –- The White House said it had no comment Monday in response to the upcoming release of a new Michelle Obama action figure doll.

The six-inch doll is made by New York toymaker Jailbreak Toys and is set for release on November 20, but the company began work on the new product six or seven months ago, according to Jason Feinberg, Jailbreak Toys’ 32-year-old founder.

“The entire political scene was a little rosier at the time,” Feinberg said in a phone interview, “But what was really apparent was the country, and really the world at large, were very enamored of this lady.”

Feinberg, whose company began selling a Barack Obama action figure doll in mid-2008, said that Michelle Obama’s “energy” was “muted, subdued, classy” coming out of last year’s campaign while her husband’s image was much more like that of a superhero.
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The president and first lady made the pitch for Chicago 2016 Friday.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) – After flying through the night for seven hours aboard Air Force One, nobody would blame President Obama for a being at least slightly groggy when he arrived here in Copenhagen for a quick four hours to make the final pitch for Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics.

Maybe that explains why the president seemed to snag the silver medal - while First Lady Michelle Obama, who's been here a couple of days, cleary took the gold with an emotional speech focused on her family's roots in the the South Side of Chicago and her late father's battle with multiple sclerosis.

"Sports were a gift I shared with my dad - especially the Olympic Games," Mrs. Obama said in her portion of the U.S. delegation's final presentation to the International Olympic Committee here. "Some of my best memories are sitting on my dad's lap, cheering on Olga and Nadia, Carl Lewis, and others for their brilliance and perfection."

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Chicago-Rio Olympic battle 'close as hell'.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (CNN) - As First Lady Michelle Obama and talk show host Oprah Winfrey wrapped up a day of furious behind-the-scenes lobbying of International Olympic Committee members here, two sources close to the process tell CNN that the battle between Chicago and Rio is heating up, as the two cities battle to host the 2016 Summer Games.

Madrid and Tokyo are also in the running, but sources close the process said that Chicago and Rio have emerged as the clear frontrunners, and are neck and-neck ahead of President Obama's arrival early Friday for a presentation to the IOC's 105 members, who will be voting later that day.

After a flurry of private conversations among IOC officials here, one of the sources close to the process said bluntly that it's "close as hell" between Chicago and Rio, as both Obama and Brazilian President Lula da Silva plan to make personal appeals to the voters on behalf of their cities on Friday morning.

In a sign of just how ferocious the lobbying is, King Juan Carlos of Spain and new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama are also making personal pitches to the IOC members.
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The president and first lady recently hosted a White House event to highlight Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. They will be heading to Copenhagen the end of this week to lobby Olympic officials in person.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - First Lady Michelle Obama vowed Monday to "take no prisoners" as she and her husband launch an unprecedented bid for Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid.

"It's a battle - we're going to win - take no prisoners," Mrs. Obama said with a smile at a roundtable discussion with reporters in the White House State Dining Room.

Mrs. Obama compared the intense lobbying effort to the 2008 presidential campaign, noting that in the election campaign, a lot of voters made their decision in the final days. She said members of the International Olympic Committee may do the same.

"And our view is, we're not taking a chance," she said. "We're just not going to assume that the bids - that the decisions are made, and so that no matter what the outcome is, we'll feel as a country, as a team, that we've done everything that we can to bring it home."

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The Broadway seats Barack and Michelle Obama sat in that are currently on the auction block.

(CNN) – The seats Barack and Michelle Obama sat in while watching a Broadway play during a "date" in New York City are now on the auction block for charity.

The money will go to Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.  According to their Web site, Broadway Cares is "the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization."

The seats – K101 and K102 – belonged to the Belasco Theater, the second oldest house on Broadway that is currently being renovated.  The Obamas saw the show "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" in late May as part of a "date" the president took the first lady to in New York City.

The opening bid is $500.  The auction winner will also receive the show's poster, a signed Playbill and the framed front page of the New York Post with a full page photograph of the President and First Lady giving the cast a standing ovation.

Online pre-bids are being taken right now through tomorrow September 26 and the live auction will take place on Sunday at 5 P.M. ET.

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US First Lady Michelle Obama poses with other G20 leaders spouses at the Creative and Performing Arts school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the sidelines of the G20 summit. (PHOTO CREDITS: Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (CNN) – She stood by her husband throughout the contentious 2008 presidential campaign and during heated health care reform debates during his presidency.

Now, as the reform debate is reaching a fever pitch, first lady Michelle Obama is weighing in on the issue by focusing on how health care can affect families.

"What she's doing is putting a personal and human face on the issue ... there's nothing more crucial," said Washington Post columnist Sally Quinn. "Everybody gets sick, and everybody has someone in the family that gets sick."

"I think if you can humanize it and personalize it, it suddenly brings it home to people - especially those who are screaming and yelling about the government taking over," Quinn said.

On Friday, the first lady, a former hospital administrator, spoke about the issue to a crowd at the White House, highlighting her own family's experience with health care.

In one touching moment, Obama recalled when daughter Sasha exhibited signs of potentially deadly meningitis when she was 4 months old.

"We didn't know what, but he [the doctor] told us she could have meningitis, so we were terrified. He said get to the emergency room right away," she said. "Fortunately, things worked out."

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Michelle Obama is continuing her efforts to make healthy food choices a priority amongst Americans.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – With health care on the minds of Americans across the nation, Michelle Obama is continuing her efforts to make healthy food choices a priority amongst Americans.

The First Lady celebrated with a crowd of several hundred people who braved the rain for the opening of the Freshfarm Farmers' Market Thursday in Washington, D.C., a market that supports locally grown produce and encourages people to eat healthier.

"All right, I have to say, I have never seen so many people so excited about fruits and vegetables," Obama told the locals. "This is a very, very good thing."

The First Lady was joined by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Washington, D.C. mayor Adrian Fenty.

"As we look at tackling some of the biggest health problems that our nation faces, like obesity, diabetes, heart disease and related issues like access to primary care and preventative health services, I've realized that little things like a garden can actually play a role in all of these larger discussions," she said.

After her speech, the First Lady took some time to make a few purchases of her own, including cherry tomatoes, black kale, mixed hot peppers, cheese and chocolate milk.

First Lady Michelle Obama will head to Copenhagen, Denmark, next month to promote her hometown of Chicago as the host of the 2016 Olympic Games.

(CNN) - First Lady Michelle Obama will head to Copenhagen, Denmark, next month to promote her hometown of Chicago as the host of the 2016 Olympic Games, the White House announced Friday.

The choice has been narrowed down to four cities: Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. Mrs. Obama will attend the International Olympic Committee Session at the Bella Center – Copenhagen Congress Center on October 2, where the winner will be selected and announced.

President Obama can't make the cross-Atlantic trip due to his busy schedule relating to his efforts at health care reform, the White House said, so Mrs. Obama and senior advisor Valerie Jarrett will go instead. The First Lady grew up on the South Side of Chicago.

"One of the great honors I have as First Lady is to represent America around the world and it is with great pride that I will go to Copenhagen to make the case for the United States to host the 2016 Olympics," Mrs. Obama said in a statement. "There is no doubt in my mind that Chicago would offer the world a fantastic setting for these historic games and I hope that the Olympic torch will have the chance to burn brightly in my hometown."

The first couple will also host an event at the White House on September 16 to support Chicago's bid to host the Olympic Games, according to the White House. Olympic athletes will visit local schools in the morning and head to the White House in the afternoon.

Burton also revealed Obama is set to play golf later in the day.

(CNN) - Among President Obama's first activities on Martha's Vineyard: a friendly tennis match against wife Michelle.

White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters Monday on the Massachusetts island the first couple squared off earlier this morning, though it remains a secret who won.

Burton also revealed Obama is set to play golf later in the day with South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, UBS CEO and major Obama supporter Robert Wolf, and White House aide Marvin Nicholson.

As for the rest of the week, Burton offered few details, saying the president himself doesn't even have a particular schedule.

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The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation polled Americans on the eve of Obama's second 100 days in the White House.

TOPICS: Obama, Congress, economy, race relations, unemployment, Afghanistan, health care, Michael Jackson, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Sarah Palin, John McCain, George W. Bush, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Sonia Sotomayor, Henry Louis Gates

Full results (pdf)

RELATED STORIES:
- Obama receives a C+
- Obama receives a C+ on foreign affairs
- Obama receives a C- on health care
- Obama receives a C on the economy
- Clinton receives a B-
- Biden receives a C
- Senators receive a C+
- Congress receives a C-
- GOP congressional leaders receive a C-
- Media receives a C