Michelle Obama's stock is on the rise as more Americans approve of how she is handling her role as first lady.

Washington (CNN) - Michelle Obama's stock is on the rise as more Americans approve of how she is handling her role as first lady now than they did 10 months ago, according to a new Marist College Poll.

The survey shows that 57 percent of registered voters approve of Obama's performance as first lady, up 7 points from a Marist poll conducted in March. Twenty-four percent said it has been fair, while 10 percent thought she is doing a poor job.

But Obama is not viewed as a transformative first lady. Only 37 percent said she has changed the role for the better, while 46 responded she has done nothing to change it. Another 10 percent said Obama has changed it for the worse, while 7 percent were unsure.

The poll of 858 registered voters was conducted on December 2, 3 and 7. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent.

Follow Mark Preston on Twitter: @prestoncnn

First Lady Michelle Obama challenged chefs on an upcoming episode of Iron Chef America.

Washington (CNN) – First Lady Michelle Obama challenged chefs from Iron Chef America to make 'garden fresh fare' in an upcoming special holiday installment of the Food Network show.

"Super Chef Battle," features Iron Chef Bobby Flay partnered with White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford competing against Iron Chef Mario Batali and Chef Emeril Lagasse.

In a preview of the special Comerford, who has been cooking for presidents since the Clinton administration, said the chefs were in "awe" of everything they saw at the White House.

The chefs were kept in the dark about most of the challenge, other than its special location inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

"We had no idea what was gonna be unveiled." Lagasse said. "I was kind of waiting for the chairman to mysteriously come out of the White House...and then all of the sudden the First Lady Mrs. Obama comes out and stunning– I mean absolutely striking."

Batali said, while it was exciting seeing the Rose Garden, peeking into the Oval Office and meeting the Obamas' dog Bo, the most exciting thing for him was the First Lady's attire.

"Most significantly what you'll notice is the fact that she's wearing what has previously been called 'Batali orange," he joked. " When I pointed it out to her I said, 'I have to tell you Mrs. Obama, up until today...this has always been referred to as Batali orange, but I think from today on we will call it 'Obama-Batali orange.'"
"I think she got a little kick," he added.

While part of the special, airing January 3 is from the White House, the actual battle is out of the show's Kitchen Stadium set.

'Reflect, Rejoice, Renew,' is the theme of this year's holiday decorations at the White House. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - Unveiling the White House Christmas tree and holiday decorations Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama explained why she chose this year's theme, "Reflect, Rejoice and Renew."

Related video: Mrs. Obama on holiday giving

"For the Obama family, Christmas and the new year has always been a time to reflect on our many blessings, to rejoice in the pleasure of spending time with our family and our friends, and to renew our commitment to one another and to the causes that we believe in," she said in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

She said everything came together with the help of East Wing and residence staff members, and 92 volunteers from 24 states who spent more than 3,400 hours getting the White House ready for the holidays.

Not part of the theme but on the minds of the first family is recycling.

Decorators used about 800 ornaments left over from previous administrations. "We sent them to 60 local community groups throughout the country, and asked them to decorate them to pay tribute to a favorite local landmark and then send them back to us for display here at the White House," Obama said.

Kim Fawley, a schoolteacher in Virginia who volunteered her time to help decorate, said she was impressed by the handmade ornaments, which include the Statue of Liberty, the Boston Celtics, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo and the DuSable Museum of African American History.

"They're just beautiful. The love and the care that they took to put them together is obvious when you hold them in your hands," Fawley said.

In keeping with the environmentally conscious theme, the official White House Christmas tree, a Douglas fir that stands 18 1/2 feet high in the Blue Room, is lit with energy-saving LED lights. And according to the first lady's office, six of the trees on display at the entrances of the East Wing, West Wing and North Portico will be replanted after the holidays by the National Parks Service.

White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and his team personalized the annual white-chocolate-covered gingerbread White House to reflect the first family's first year in the White House. The 390-pound house includes replicas of "first dog" Bo and the first lady's kitchen garden.

Yosses said this is also the first time the gingerbread White House includes an interior replica of the State Dining Room, complete with furniture made of dark chocolate.

'Reflect, Rejoice, Renew,' is the theme of this year's holiday decorations at the White House. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Washington (CNN) - Unveiling the White House Christmas tree and holiday decorations Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama explained why she chose this year's theme, "Reflect, Rejoice and Renew."

Related video: Mrs. Obama on holiday giving

"For the Obama family, Christmas and the new year has always been a time to reflect on our many blessings, to rejoice in the pleasure of spending time with our family and our friends, and to renew our commitment to one another and to the causes that we believe in," she said in the Grand Foyer of the White House.

She said everything came together with the help of East Wing and residence staff members, and 92 volunteers from 24 states who spent more than 3,400 hours getting the White House ready for the holidays.

Not part of the theme but on the minds of the first family is recycling.

Decorators used about 800 ornaments left over from previous administrations. "We sent them to 60 local community groups throughout the country, and asked them to decorate them to pay tribute to a favorite local landmark and then send them back to us for display here at the White House," Obama said.

Kim Fawley, a schoolteacher in Virginia who volunteered her time to help decorate, said she was impressed by the handmade ornaments, which include the Statue of Liberty, the Boston Celtics, Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo and the DuSable Museum of African American History.

"They're just beautiful. The love and the care that they took to put them together is obvious when you hold them in your hands," Fawley said.

In keeping with the environmentally conscious theme, the official White House Christmas tree, a Douglas fir that stands 18 1/2 feet high in the Blue Room, is lit with energy-saving LED lights. And according to the first lady's office, six of the trees on display at the entrances of the East Wing, West Wing and North Portico will be replanted after the holidays by the National Parks Service.

White House pastry chef Bill Yosses and his team personalized the annual white-chocolate-covered gingerbread White House to reflect the first family's first year in the White House. The 390-pound house includes replicas of "first dog" Bo and the first lady's kitchen garden.

Yosses said this is also the first time the gingerbread White House includes an interior replica of the State Dining Room, complete with furniture made of dark chocolate.

(Photo credit: Getty Images) Michelle Obama and her two daughters, Sasha and Malia, began Christmas preparations Friday, receiving the official White House Christmas tree.  Continuing a White House tradition, the tree was delivered on a carriage to the North Portico. It will be decorated and displayed in the Blue Room later during the day. This year's tree is 18.5 feet tall and was grown on a farm by Eric and Gloria Sundback in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Oprah Winfrey will interview the president and first lady next month for a 60-minute primetime special, the talk show host announced Wednesday.

(CNN) - Oprah Winfrey will interview President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, next month for a 60-minute program to air before Christmas, the talk show host announced Wednesday.

"Christmas at the White House: An Oprah Primetime Special" will air at 10 p.m. December 13 on ABC, her Web site said.

"The intimate, informative and entertaining hour-long special will include a one-on-one conversation with the president, marking the first time Oprah has interviewed him since he took office, as well as an exclusive sit-down interview with the first couple," it said.

"The special will showcase behind-the-scenes preparations as the White House gets ready for the holiday season."

Winfrey, who supported Obama in his presidential bid and this month interviewed failed GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, recently said she will stop hosting her syndicated talk show in 2011 to focus on launching an Oprah Winfrey Network on cable television.

Updated: 6:02 p.m.

Type 'Michelle Obama' in the popular search engine Google, and one of the first images that turns up is a picture of the American first lady.

(CNN) - For most of the past week, when someone typed "Michelle Obama" in the popular search engine Google, one of the first images that came up was a picture of the American first lady altered to resemble a monkey.

On Wednesday morning, the racially offensive image appeared to have been removed from any Google Image searches for "Michelle Obama."

Google officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Google faced a firestorm of criticism over the episode. First, it banned the Web site that posted the photo, saying it could spread a malware virus. Then, when the image appeared on another Web site, Google let the photo stand. When a Google image search brought up the photo, an apologetic Google ad occasionally appeared above it.

The ad redirected users to a statement from Google which read, "Sometimes Google search results from the Internet can include disturbing content, even from innocuous queries. We assure you that the views expressed by such sites are not in any way endorsed by Google."

The California-based company then explained that search results rely on computer algorithms that take into account thousands of factors.

Full story

Updated: 12:52 p.m.

Related: Obamas' first state dinner blends pageantry with politics

The president and first lady greeted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur at the North Portico of the White House Tuesday evening. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Related: State dinners, the ultimate Washington invite

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.

The couple told CNN they were "extremely surprised" to see President Obama take the time to speak with the families in Section 60. Skip Rollins said that although he generally holds "different political views" from the president, that supporting American soldiers, both living and dead, "should always be a nonpartisan issue."

The couple comes from New Hampshire every year to visit their son's gravesite for the combination of Veterans Day and his birthday, though this was the first time they had ever seen a president walking the grounds of the cemetery. While the trip is fraught with emotion, the couple commended Obama's effort to speak with the families. "It was extremely nice of him to take this time out to come down here and do this, " Skip Rollins said.

Rhonda Rollins added, "When you come here and it's not just my son that I mourn for when I see all the others stones, the ages of the soldiers, and you know they've given the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. And you know it's hard for me to leave, to leave my son."

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.

More

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.

Click here to subscribe CNN=Politics Daily

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."

Obama reminded the guests that healthy eating does not mean you have to resist all temptations.

"It's not about any absolute 'no's,'" she said. "It's just about striking a balance."

At the event - a "Healthy Kids Fair" - chefs and nutritionists from around the country demonstrated healthy cooking techniques.

She may allow herself some culinary indulgence, but the first lady said she had a strict weekday prohibition on another American favorite.

"In our household, no TV during school days, and only a couple of hours during the weekend," she said, encouraging the students to stay active. "I'm sorry. "But because the TV is off, my girls get up and they move. Even if they're pushing each other down, they're running."

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.

The new Michelle Obama doll is available in three different outfits: the purple dress worn when the Obamas shared their famous fist bump during the campaign, the red and black dress she wore on election night, and the black and white floral dress she wore during an appearance on “The View.” All three dolls show Michelle Obama in a sheath dress and with bare arms, attributes that have both become personal trademarks during her tenure as first lady.

Feinberg said his target audience for the new doll is not children but instead adults “who collected toys as a child, who haven’t lost that kind of whimsical enthusiasm.”

Like Jailbreak’s Barack Obama doll, the new Michelle Obama doll will retail for $12.99, according to Feinberg.

Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for the first lady, said in an e-mail to CNN that the White House had no comment on the new doll.

When the company behind Beanie Babies began selling dolls named “Marvelous Malia and Sweet Sasha” soon after Inauguration Day, the White House had a swift and strong reaction. "We feel it is inappropriate to use young private citizens for marketing purposes," the first lady’s spokeswoman said at the time.

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."

"But I never dreamed that the Olympic flame might one day light up lives in my neighborhood," Mrs. Obama added. "But today, I can dream, and I am dreaming of an Olympic and Paralympic Games in Chicago that will light up lives in neighborhoods all across America and all across the world."

The mention of the Paralympic Games was significant because a good bit of Mrs. Obama's speech tugged at the heartstrings by focusing on how her father was diagnosed with MS in his early 30s, leaving him nearly unable to walk. She spoke in a halting voice about he kept getting sicker but still taught her how to play sports while propping himself up on crutches.

"My dad was my hero. And when I think of what these games could mean to people all over the world, I think of people like my dad, who face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but they never give up."

The president suggested to reporters on his way out of the meeting that his wife's remarks had a strong impact on the IOC members who will be voting Friday in results announced sometime after 12:30 pm ET.

"I think Chicago could not have made a better presentation - now it's up to the IOC," said the president. "Only thing I'm upset about is I followed Michelle, which is never good."

Of course there was also some lobbying of the IOC members by, as they might say in Chicago, "Da Mayor."

"We want to share our city with the world," Mayor Richard M. Daley told IOC members. "You have my commitment that Chicago will work every day for the next seven years to be an Olympic city that you and the world will be proud of."

But the final word came from the president, who said that after moving around the world as a child he finally settled down in Chicago.

"I came to discover that Chicago is that most American of American cities, but one where citizens from more than 130 nations inhabit a rich tapestry of distinctive neighborhoods," said Obama, who also referenced his historic election victory.

"Nearly one year ago, on a clear November night, people from every corner of the world gathered in the city of Chicago or in front of their televisions to watch the results of the U.S. presidential election," he told IOC members. "Their interest wasn't about me as an individual. Rather, it was rooted in the belief that America's experiment in democracy still speaks to a set of universal aspirations and ideals."

Obama added, "There is nothing I would like more than to step just a few blocks from my family's home and with Michelle and our two girls welcome the world back to our neighborhood. At the beginning of this new century, the nation that has been shaped by people from around the world wants a chance to inspire it once more."

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.

Despite widespread speculation that Obama is only flying all the way to Copenhagen for a four-hour lobbying mission because the White House has gotten a private heads-up that Chicago will win and he should come to claim victory, the sources close to the process insisted that the voting has not been pre cooked - so Obama is swooping in at some political risk, because it is unclear that the U.S. bid will be successful.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, who is already here in Copenhagen, has been privately giving the White House positive progress reports about what he's hearing from IOC members who suggest the U.S. bid is in good shape, according to the sources close to the process. But the sources cautioned that Obama and top aides are only cautiously optimistic, and want to wait until the actual voting before they contemplate any celebrations.

Programming Note: CNN Senior White House Correspondent Ed Henry is in Copenhagen with President Obama as he makes a personal pitch to the International Olympic Committee for Chicago to be named the host city of the 2016 Olympic Games. Tune in at 11 a.m. ET Friday as Ed discusses this and much more on CNN Radio’s “44 with Ed Henry.”

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."

Full story

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.

Follow Eric Kuhn on Twitter @KuhnCNN

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."

Full Story

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.

"He's on vacation, so everything is a little bit loose," he said.

Burton, however, did dispel reports the president is planning on visiting ailing Sen. Ted Kennedy in nearby Hyannis Port.

"I heard some reports today that the Secret Service had visited Hyannis Port. I don't think that there's any reason to believe that there's any plan to go to Hyannis Port at this point," he said. "I think that if Secret Service agents were there, they probably heard like all of you already know, that they have great lobster rolls out there."

Burton also said it's unlikely Obama will spend much time mingling with residents of the 23-mile long island.

"His desire on Martha's Vineyard is to get a little break," he said. "He certainly appreciates the hospitality of the folks who are here, but his desire here is to relax and spend time with the family."

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

(CNN) - The office of First Lady Michelle Obama is now correcting a confirmation made to CNN earlier today. Communications Director Camille Johnston now says that Mrs. Obama's father, Fraser Robinson III, was buried at Lincoln Cemetery, not Burr Oak Cemetery.

Earlier in the day Johnston told CNN's Elaine Quijano that he is buried at Burr Oak Cemetery, and that there would be no additional comment.

When White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs was asked during a gaggle aboard Air Force One to comment on the original story, he had no comment.

Robinson worked for the City of Chicago's Water Department as a pump operator. He died in 1991.

Burr Oak Cemetery is at the center of a criminal scandal. Workers are accused of digging up bodies and reselling plots.

(This post has been updated to reflect the White House's correction of its original statement.)

(CNN) – It’s not just President Obama who has the occasional issue with the ever-present teleprompter. On Monday night the First Lady had her own hassle.

Addressing the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, Mrs. Obama noted she was having difficulty reading off of the device.

“I’d really be happy to use the teleprompters if they were higher," she said to laughter. "But they’re very low, so I’m going to read from my notes."

The White House said Thursday the first lady had selected a new chief of staff.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama has brought in an old Chicago friend, Susan Sher, to replace chief of staff Jackie Norris.

The White House announced the switch late Thursday.

Norris was part of the team that led the Obama campaign to victory in the Iowa caucuses. She will now serve as a senior adviser to the Corporation for National and Community Service.

"I am grateful to President and Mrs. Obama for the opportunities and friendship they have given me over the last few years and I am looking forward to becoming an integral part of this Administration's efforts to advance the cause of national and community service," Norris said in a statement released by the White House.

In a statement, Mrs. Obama described Sher, who has been advising her on issues like health care, "as a trusted advisor, longtime mentor and friend dating back to my work at the City of Chicago and later the University of Chicago."

She also thanked Norris for building "a strong organization in the East Wing."

The first lady is slated to join President Barack Obama in Europe for the final leg of his latest overseas trip.

The Obamas will spend the weekend together as a family in Paris before the president returns to Washington.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Obama will be joined by the first lady and the couple's two daughters in Paris Friday as he winds down his latest overseas trip.

While the president will return to Washington Sunday, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha will stay in France with their mother for a few days next week, CNN has confirmed.

The first lady will have a public event in Normandy, France on Saturday.

The rest of the first family's itinerary while sightseeing in France will be private, according to the first lady's office.

Former first lady Nancy Reagan will be attending an event at the White House on Tuesday afternoon.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Former first lady Nancy Reagan will personally attend a White House ceremony Tuesday afternoon when President Obama signs legislation authorizing the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission, CNN has learned.

Mrs. Reagan will also attend the unveiling of a new statute of President Reagan Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda. After the unveiling, the former first lady will share a private White House lunch with Michelle Obama.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - President Obama may hold the title of commander-in-chief, but on Saturday he donned another cap: Soccer dad.

The president, dressed in jeans and a navy polo shirt, and first lady Michelle Obama ventured from the White House to watch daughter Malia's soccer team - the Tsunamis - take to the field, according to pool reports. For the record: Malia's team won.

The first couple, known for having weekend date nights, later made a visit Saturday night to New York City for what the White House is calling a personal visit. The New York Times reports that the Obamas are seeing the Broadway show, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone.”

According to a White House spokesperson, Obama said he was taking his wife to the Big Apple "because I promised her during the campaign that I would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished."

Instead of taking the larger Air Force One plane for their trip north, the Obamas took a smaller plane, a G-3, which became Air Force One once he boarded.

The press traveled in a separate aircraft, a G-5, and a G-3 carried White House support staff, according to the pool report.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest cites “efficiency” - as in fuel efficiency - as the reason the big plane is staying in the hanger and the smaller planes are being utilized, the pool report said.

But not everyone is excited about the NYC trip.

RNC spokeswoman Gail Gitcho, in a statement to reporters Saturday, blasted the couple's visit.

"As President Obama prepares to wing into Manhattan’s theater district on Air Force One to take in a Broadway show, GM is preparing to file bankruptcy and families across America continue to struggle to pay their bills," she said. "Have a great Saturday evening – even if you’re not jetting off somewhere at taxpayer expense."

(CNN) - Dream big and give back, Michelle Obama told the first graduating class of University of California-Merced on Saturday in her first commencement speech as the first lady.

"Remember that you are blessed - remember that in exchange for those blessings you must give something back," Obama told the sprawling, cheering crowd at the university. "You must reach back and pull someone up. You must bend down and let someone else stand on your shoulders so that they can see a brighter future."

The trip to the state university system's newest and smallest campus was her first trip to California since her husband, President Barack Obama, took office.

The fledgling school, which opened in 2005 and has a 2,700-member student body, worked hard to get the first lady's attention, writing letters to Michelle Obama, her office, her friends and family, according to the White House. They even started a "Dear Michelle" Facebook campaign that sent out some 900 Valentine's Day cards to her.

The first lady accepted the invitation in March, tapping University of California-Merced as her only stop on this year's collegiate-commencement circuit.

Obama has also agreed to speak at the Washington Math and Science Technical High School on June 3.

"A few people may be wondering why did I choose the University of California-Merced to deliver my first commencement speech as first lady," said
Obama, in full academic dress. "Let me tell you something, the answer is simple: You inspired me."

"My office received thousands of letters and, of course, Valentine's cards from students - each and every one of them so filled with hope and
enthusiasm," she added.

She noted that many of the more than 300 graduates are from the 250,000-population central California city, and are quite familiar with grassroots efforts. They staged a similar letter-writing campaign to get the university system to open a school in their city.

"Every school kid in the entire county, I understand, sent a postcard to the UC board of regents in order to convince them to select Merced," Obama said. "I just love the fact that some of the graduates sitting in this audience today participating were involved in that campaign as well and they used the
same strategy to get me here - that is amazing."

After her speech, Obama was given one of five chancellor's medals for exceptional achievement - the university's highest honor - awarded Saturday.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Saying public service is near and dear to her heart, first lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday encouraged Americans to lend each other a hand.

Speaking to nearly 200 employees of the Corporation for National and Community Service, she told the story of how she left a job at a high-powered Chicago law firm to found the volunteer group Public Allies in 1993.

"I could have been some rich lawyer somewhere," she joked, "… writing a check here and there to the Obama campaign."

Public Allies was among first recipients of AmeriCorps grants, one of many programs overseen by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The acting CEO of the corporation, Nicola Goren, who introduced the first lady, praised the Obama administration for what she called "skyrocketing" volunteerism and the passage in April of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.

The bill, which Goren called the most sweeping public service legislation in 75 years, renews and expands her corporation's programs. It will triple the number of positions in the AmeriCorps program, from 75,000 to 250,000, by 2017, she said. It also includes the Silver Scholars Program, awarding Americans 55 years and older $1,000 for 350 hours of service in a year.

Obama said such programs are more and more possible because seniors are making their 70s and 80s more like their parents' 50s and 60s. "I know with my mom, we gotta keep her moving," she said.

During the speech, Obama expressed understanding for people who might not have the luxury of extra time for volunteering.

"Ironically, in order to do some of that service, you had to have somebody supporting you for that summer you weren't working and you were doing something interesting," she said. "For many Americans, it may seem impossible to squeeze even more time out of the day and do more."

But, she said, families are volunteering more often - a good thing because the United States today needs all hands on deck. Quoting Thomas Edison, Obama said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work."

(CNN) - What's the highlight of Mrs. Obama's time in the White House? Hanging out with Elmo, of course.

The first lady stopped by Sesame Street Tuesday, chatting with the furry red monster and making a public service announcement along the way.

"If you want your child to have healthy habits, practice healthy habits too because you're your child's best role model," Michelle Obama advocated in her appearance for Sesame Workshop's Healthy Habits for Life Initiative.

The First Lady told employees at the United Nations in New York Tuesday that it's probably the best thing she's done so far since she and her husband moved into the executive mansion. Mrs. Obama appears to be emerging as a champion of healthy exercise and eating habits, taking up her platform by planting an organic kitchen garden on the White House grounds.

Former first ladies Barbara and Laura Bush also dropped by Sesame Street set during their husbands' terms in office, advocating children's literacy by reading kids' books to Big Bird.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama turned her eyes to health and education during a trip Monday to a District of Columbia school.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo one day early, she spoke about education and told the crowd to send "good thoughts" to those in Mexico who have been sickened with swine flu in recent weeks.

"At the time that we're celebrating Mexican culture and heritage, it is so important for us to think about some of the challenges that the folks in Mexico are facing right now," she told the crowd of about 200 students, faculty and guests from two public charter schools, Latin American Montessori Bilingual and Next Step.

She also highlighted the D.C. Scholars program, which grants White House internships to students from Washington-area public schools and encourages them to take advantage of their proximity to the nation's politics by engaging in public service.

Obama took several questions from the students, joking, "Make them very easy questions, because it's very nerve-wracking up here."

Full story

(CNN) – Kids say the darndest things.

Michelle Obama hosted a group of children at the White House for 'Take your child to work day' Thursday, and a student asked Michelle Obama what she would personally do if "something bad happened to a country."

"Well first of all, I'd wake my husband up if it were at night. And I'd tell him, hey buddy, you're the president, get down to the Oval Office and call some leaders," Obama told the group. "I'm married to the president and he has to worry about all that."

(CNN) – Michelle Obama stopped at the Department of Homeland Security Tuesday, thanking employees for working on the "president's greatest concerns and priorities."

"If you do your jobs well, few people will ever know about anything that you do," she said. "For others, the hope is that you never have to execute much of what you work so hard to prepare for."

The first lady also gave a special mention to the "excellence" of the Secret Service, who operate under the DHS, for the safety of her family.

"Every day I see how much time they spend away from their own families to keep mine safe," she said. "And it has been an honor to get to know each and every one of them throughout the course of the campaign, and our day-to-day interactions."

(CNN) – CNN's Erica Hill looks at the special relationship between Michelle Obama and her mother, Marian Robinson.

Michelle and Barack Obama become the third U.S. presidential spouse with a lifelike wax figure on display at Madame Tussauds.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - First lady Michelle Obama joins an elite group Tuesday.

She is to become the third U.S. presidential spouse with a lifelike wax figure on display at Madame Tussauds, a museum and tourist attraction.

Figures of Jacqueline Kennedy and Hillary Clinton stand in the museum alongside lookalikes of Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan, George Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Angelina Jolie and Will Smith.

Madame Tussauds touts its new addition as an "incredibly lifelike" figure in a sleeveless red dress based on the purple dress she wore when her husband claimed the Democratic nomination for president.

The museum unveiled a figure of President Barack Obama in February.

Artists in London studied hundreds of photos and watched hundreds of hours of video footage to create Michelle Obama's likeness, the museum said in a statement.

Crafting such figures is no easy task.

Artists insert each strand of hair individually, and it can take five weeks to create a figure's head, the statement said. Materials such as red silk help create veins in a figure's eyes, it said, and technicians can spend four days perfecting a set of teeth.

Madame Tussauds plans to unveil the first lady's wax figure at 11 a.m. local time.

"Visitors will be able to admire the figure up close," the museum said, "as well as take photos with and even hug Mrs. Obama's figure."

Americans gave first lady Michelle Obama high marks following the first couples' debut overseas.

(CNN) - Americans gave first lady Michelle Obama high marks following the first couples' debut overseas, according to a new CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll released Tuesday.

Eighty percent of those questioned think the first lady strengthened the U.S. image abroad by the way she handled herself on this trip - virtually identical to the 79 percent who feel the same way about her husband's performance overseas.

The poll, which surveyed 1,023 adult Americans, was conducted between April 3-5 and carries a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

First Lady Michelle Obama arrives at Rohan Palace on April 4 in Strasbourg, France.

STRASBOURG, France (CNN) – Protesters in Strasbourg, France, forced a last-minute detour for First Lady Michelle Obama Saturday.

She and spouses of other leaders attending the NATO summit there had planned to tour a hospital. But protests blocked the way to the event, the first lady’s office said, prompting the visit to be scrapped.

Instead, France’s first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, met Mrs. Obama and the other spouses for a tour of the Palais Rohan. They then resumed their planned schedule with a visit to Strasbourg’s Cathedral of Notre-Dame.

Oscar de la Renta thinks Michelle Obama should not have worn a sweater to Buckingham Palace.

(CNN) – Michelle Obama's fashion choices at the G20 summit have drawn widespread praise, but at least one famous designer thinks the fist lady made a major faux pas in her wardrobe choice for a private audience with Queen Elizabeth II.

"You don't...go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater," Oscar de la Renta told Woman's Wear Daily regarding Mrs. Obama's decision to wear a cardigan over an Isabel Toledo-designed dress for the private meeting.

De la Renta also said the first lady - who often sports relatively affordable American brands - should broaden her wardrobe and seize an opportunity to spur the flailing fashion industry.

“American fashion right now is struggling,” he said. “I think I understand what [Obama and her advisers] are doing, but I don’t think that is the right message at this particular point."

"I don’t object to the fact that Mrs. Obama is wearing J. Crew to whatever because the diversity of America is what makes this country great. But there are a lot of great designers out there. I think it’s wrong to go in one direction only," he added.

But J. Crew is likely hoping the first lady doesn't change her style any time soon. When Mrs. Obama was photographed wearing a $300 J. Crew "crystal constellation" cardigan from the mid-market retailer Tuesday, the item sold out on the company's Web site only hours later.

A spokesman for J. Crew said the item has also  sold out in nearly all the company’s stores as well.

Michelle Obama got the rock star treatment at an all-girls school in London.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Greeted by shrieking students and sobs of joy, first lady Michelle Obama got the rock star treatment during a visit to an all-girls high school in London.

Mrs. Obama's visit to the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Language School, which is located in an impoverished part of London but has become one of the top schools in the area, was a surprise for the students. Many of the girls - who had been told to expect a special guest, but not that guest's identity - wiped away tears while the first lady spoke.

Mrs. Obama also got emotional during her visit, choking up in the middle of her speech to the girls. She spoke after watching a number of performances by the students, including a song by a choir, a modern dance performance and a drama.

"All of you are jewels, you are precious and you touch my heart," she said, as she appeared to be trying to hold back tears. "And it is important for the world to know that there are wonderful girls like you all over the world."

Mrs. Obama stressed the importance of getting a good education and called the students the "women that will build the world as it should be."

"By getting a good education, you too can create your own destiny," Mrs. Obama said. "I never cut class. I like being smart. I thought being smart was the coolest thing in the world."

She also talked about her early relationship with President Obama, saying that he took her out to a community meeting on one of their first dates. The audience laughed, and she commented, "I know how romantic."

"I went to this training with this guy, I don't know, he was trying to impress me, I thought he was cute, but I wasn't quite sure," she said.

Before leaving the school, Mrs. Obama spent several minutes trying to hug as many students as she could, including each of the 24 members of the choir who shared the stage with her.

(CNN) – First lady Michelle Obama did not breach protocol by touching Queen Elizabeth II at a reception for world leaders attending the G-20 summit, Buckingham Palace told CNN Thursday.

"It was a mutual and spontaneous display of affection and appreciation between the Queen and Michelle Obama," the Royal Press Office said in a statement Thursday. "The London Summit reception at Buckingham Palace was an informal occasion," the statement also said.

No breach of protocol occurred, according to the Royal Press Office, because Buckingham Palace does not issue instructions about how to address the Queen.