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First Lady Summer Style: A Slideshow Retrospective

2009-07-04T19:16:06Z

The first lady's garb is a great way to gauge what's hot for summer style. Michelle Obama often makes news with her warm-weather wear comprised of capris, madras shorts, and printed dresses -- but how did other First Ladies beat the heat?

From Eleanor Roosevelt to to Jackie O, right on up to modern-day Michelle, the presidents' wives have donned sunglasses, scarves, pearls, hats and light-weight dresses. Check out the executive ensembles that took them through the dog days of summer.

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Michelle Obama Bringing Glamor To Moscow This Weekend

2009-07-04T14:26:27Z

MOSCOW — Michelle Obama brings her superstar glamour to Moscow this weekend as she accompanies her husband on his summit with the Russian president.

But the American first lady, who has wowed publics in the U.S. and Europe with her easy elegance and charm, will perhaps face a bigger challenge in winning over a Russian public that has scant respect for women who grab the limelight from their powerful husbands.

In a country where a presidential candidate once quipped he'd sooner pack his wife off to a convent than allow her to dabble in politics, Russia still has trouble with the concept of an empowered woman behind the throne.

"The institution of first lady in Russia is still quite young," said Alyona Doletskaya, editor of Russian Vogue and doyenne of the Moscow fashion scene. "So there are no huge expectations on the part of Russian public."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's wife Svetlana is pious and discreet and met her husband while she was a schoolgirl. She supports charity and the arts, but has assumed no independent voice on issues facing the country. She dresses conservatively, lacking the edgy fashion sense that has attracted a nationwide following for Michelle Obama.

Russia has known one iconic first lady in modern times: Raisa Gorbachev, wife of the last Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, who was much loved around the world for breaking with tradition by appearing regularly in public with her husband, embracing high fashion and firing off wisecracks during official foreign trips.

But she earned little affection for her boldness in Russia, where she was seen as strong-willed and ambitious.

Far from shrugging off the old constraints when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Boris Yeltsin's wife Naina assumed a lower profile behind her husband, achieving popularity by declaring indifference to politics and saying she would sooner see Yeltsin retire.

As for Vladimir Putin's wife, Lyudmilla, she only occasionally appeared in the company of her husband _ fueling widespread reports the two were estranged.

In the United States, first ladies are accustomed to coming under the media spotlight _ and Michelle Obama seems to revel in it.

On a recent trip to Paris, she impressed the fashion-conscious French with her chic designer outfits standing side-by-side with the country's former supermodel First Lady Carla Bruni. In Britain, she famously breached palace protocol by putting her arm around Queen Elizabeth II.

And she does not hesitate to speak her mind on a range of important social issues, such as health and education.

Many Russians, traditionally conservative, look askance at such assertiveness.

"A wife should be sitting at home, creating comfort and cooking food," said Zoya Getmanova, a female pensioner living in Moscow. "She could express her opinions over the dinner table, but she shouldn't meddle in politics."

Perhaps in deference to Russia's uneasiness about a political wife with popular support of her own, U.S. White House officials have suggested Michelle Obama will avoid the limelight during the visit.

Svetlana Medvedeva, meanwhile, has flitted between the shadows and the spotlight. She is liked by younger Russians, who follow her appearances at celebrity bashes and her frequent outings _ hand in hand _ with her husband.

She has acquired a reputation as a tenacious networker who helped restart her husband's career in the mid 1990s, and is said to play an influential role in his career behind the scenes. Trained as an economist, she gave up her own job to look after the couple's only child, born in 1996.

Despite all that, Svetlana barely breaks the mold crafted by so many first ladies in Russia before her.

She largely confines her public observations to carefully rehearsed speeches; she provides sympathetic interviewers with bland comments on womanhood. She dresses conservatively in tailored, pastel-colored outfits.

Michelle Obama's fashion sense attracts comparisons with Jacqueline Kennedy, and there is a Web site entirely dedicated to what she wears.

Vogue's Doletskaya is cagey about passing judgment on Svetlana's style, saying simply that she is "very representative of Russian femininity."

But when questioned about the U.S. first lady, Doletskaya becomes lively. She describes Michelle's style as "very fresh," as someone who mixes boldly "but in a very refined way."

There is a recognition that Svetlana has a difficult role to play _ managing the expectations of both a conservative older generation and ambitious, career-minded younger women who would like her to step up.

"It's not easy" to be a first lady, said Oksana Fyodorova, Miss Universe 2002. "But I think she (Svetlana) will succeed. And then we'll see who is better _ Michelle or our Svetlana."

___

Associated Press Writer Natalya Vasilyeva contributed to this report.

Candy Fireworks For The 4th Of July! (VIDEO)

2009-07-03T19:05:33Z

Is there any better way to celebrate the 4th of July than by watching fireworks on the beach? Yes, watching candy fireworks on your computer. The people at PES made this possible by putting together a stop-motion animation of peeps, candy corn, and other staples of a 6-year-old's diet exploding in firework formation!

WATCH:

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Obama Joins Family In Maryland To Celebrate Malia Obama's Birthday

2009-07-03T13:57:08Z

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is helping the nation celebrate its birthday and his daughter Malia celebrate hers.

The president on Friday morning flew to Camp David, Md., for the first part of the first family's Fourth of July celebration, including daughter Malia's 11th birthday on Saturday. He set off with friend Martin Nesbitt to meet first lady Michelle Obama, who was already at Camp David.

About 20 of Malia's tween-age friends will be on hand for the festivities. In an interview with The Associated Press, the president was bemused at the thought of being surrounded by so many girls. As he put it, "It's a little intimidating."

The first family returns to the White House by Saturday evening to host 1,200 military families for a Fourth of July barbecue on the South Lawn.

(This version CORRECTS APNewsNow; UPDATES to reflect Obama has already set off. corrects last sentence to say the Obamas are returning on Saturday not Friday.)

Which Politicos Scream For Ice Cream? (PHOTOS)

2009-07-03T12:55:42Z

Baby, it's hot outside...how are D.C. and the world's finest beating the heat? With ice cream, of course! Whether it's chocolate or vanilla, cones or cups, sprinkles or syrup -- this is one part of politics we can really get behind. Check out who's been snacking on this sweet treat.

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Sunscreen: Still Shady

2009-07-03T06:50:36Z

July 4th weekend beach time is upon us, and the FDA still hasn't finalized its rules about what sunscreen manufacturers can claim on sunscreen labels. The new regulations were proposed back in 2007, and two years later, they still haven't been published. That means sunscreen manufacturers are still getting away with exaggerated claims.

Top 10 Barbecue Recipes By Huffington Post Commenters

2009-07-02T23:20:48Z

We asked, you answered. When we requested your best barbecue recipes on Wednesday, the response was, well, not overwhelming, but it was enthusiastic. So after combing through them carefully--and stopping to eat a snack in the process--we've selected the top ten dishes we hope you'll make this 4th of July.

Thanks to all the commenters who made suggestions, and please leave more recipes below!

Happy holiday!

1. Award-Winning Ribs

2. Brew Burgers

3. Whiskey Skirt Steak

4. Mojo Beans

5. Mississippi Bacon Mayonnaise

6. Indian-Style Chicken

7. Daddy's BBQ Sauce

8. Cheesy Corn Bake

9. Maple Salmon

10. Mesquite Dry-Rubbed Cola Ribs

Obama: I'm Annoyed By The "Shine Police"

2009-07-02T20:01:25Z

WASHINGTON — Now it can be told: President Obama says one of the best-kept secrets at the White House is the pastry chef's to-die-for pie.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Obama was asked to reveal a White House secret, and he dished about the pie.

Obama says the pastry chef makes "the best pie I have ever tasted, and that has caused big problems with Michelle and I."

The president said he and the first lady are "having to figure out how to resist ordering pie every night."

Obama also came clean about one of his pet peeves _ the "shine police." The president says that before his interviews, aides "constantly want to powder my nose and forehead, and it's never enough."

He finds that _ in his words _ "quite irritating."

Michelangelo Self-Portrait Revealed (Possibly)

2009-07-02T18:55:14Z

VATICAN CITY — The restoration of Michelangelo's frescoes in the Vatican's Pauline Chapel may have produced a special prize _ a previously unknown self-portrait of the artist.

Chief Vatican restorer Maurizio De Luca said Thursday that the face of a man on horseback in the artist's "The Crucifixion of St. Peter" could well be the artist, though he told AP Television News that nobody will ever know "with absolute certainty that the face is Michelangelo's."

The Vatican announced earlier this week that the restoration had been completed after five years at a cost of euro3.2 million ($4.5 million).

The frescoes were commissioned by Pope Paul III and painted between 1542 and 1549, when Michelangelo was 75. They were his last works.

The chapel, generally known by its Italian name Cappella Paolina, is used by the pope and is not open to the general public. It contains two Michelangelo frescoes, the other of which depicts the conversion of St. Paul.

Pope Benedict XVI will inaugurate the restored chapel with a prayer service Saturday.

De Luca praised the precision of Michelangelo's work on the fresco, particularly since it is far above the ground.

"The details of it have been painted with the tip of the brush, almost a minute attempt to achieve precise details, which was unneeded given the distance between the fresco on the ceiling and the people looking at it," De Luca said.

Charlie Chan: Meet The Hairdresser Responsible For Anna Wintour's Bob

2009-07-02T17:18:09Z

HIS are the hands that created the power bob for one of the most influential women in fashion, one of the most famous faces in the front row of fashion shows of Milan, London, New York and Paris.

Cast Couture: Politicos Who Persevere In Crutches, Casts, And Slings (SLIDESHOW)

2009-07-02T16:49:52Z

When Secretary of State Hillary Clinton broke her elbow outside the White House on June 18th, her injury put her in good company: Supreme Court Justice nominee Sonia Sotomayor recently fractured her ankle and has been hobbling around in a cast, incoming NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen messed up his shoulder, and Senator Lisa Murkowski did something to her knee.

But these boo-boos won't keep these leaders down. They stumble, but then limp back into the public eye. Take a look at the crutches, casts, and slings -- and the politicos who have bravely persevered despite them.

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New York Places Third For Most Stylish City

2009-07-02T16:45:27Z

The top 10 cities have each made notable contributions to the field of design, but fashion specifically, as the list reflects the idea that fashion plays a leading role in any city's cultural evolution and identity. (Fashion is also firmly ingrained in modern, urban culture, as evidenced by reality television competition series Project Runway, soon to make its fifth-season debut on Lifetime Television, as well as big-box retailer Target's ( TGT - news - people ) Go International apparel collections.) The four top cities on the list host the four most important fashion weeks in the world. The other six cities each host their own runway shows that showcase local talent not necessarily ready for a global presence.

Vampire-Mania: A Trend With Teeth

2009-07-02T15:35:12Z

THE symptoms are unnerving: a taste for fresh meat -- rare, if you please; an aversion to sunlight; and a passion for spectral-looking, fine-boned rakes. All are indications that the sufferer has been bitten by the vampire bug.

Austrian Fashion Designers Can't Wait To See Bruno

2009-07-02T15:26:26Z

In the new film, a sequel to surprise 2006 box-office hit, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," in which Baron Cohen played a clueless journalist on a U.S. tour, he plays an over-the-top flamboyantly gay Austrian fashion enthusiast.

But Austrian fashion designer Lena Hoschek says she is not put off.

Japanese Love Hotels Boom In The Recession

2009-07-02T14:48:47Z

In Japan, where the global financial meltdown has especially taken its toll, not all industries are languishing. In fact, one of the most notably resilient industries seems to be 'love hotels' (the kind where one may pay by the hour, rather than by the night), according to CNN. One such establishment, the Bonita Hotel in Isawa, currently enjoys a 257 percent occupancy rate. And the industry as a whole is estimated to take in $40 billion per year. From CNN:

"It's a natural human desire. Even these days, on the weekend, every love hotel is full of people -- it's hard to get in. You can never stop sexual desire," said a woman with her boyfriend in Tokyo, who laughed in embarrassment when asked for her name.

Love hotels fill a need for privacy in a country where high population density often means couples have little time alone.

However, some groups have abused the noble love hotel cause for tax evasion purposes. In early June, for example, a religious group called the "Cosmic Truth Society" was charged with declaring $14 million dollars in love hotel revenues as charitable donations, AFP reports:

The group, which runs at least 23 of the pay-by-the-hour hotels and motels, had declared the 1.4 billion yen in revenues over seven years as donations to make them tax-exempt under Japanese law, reports said.
...
A hotel manager was quoted as saying 2,000 yen of the hotel's standard 5500 yen overnight hotel room fee is donated to charity, the Asahi reported.

Japan's booming love hotel industry is in stark contrast to sex industries elsewhere around the world, perhaps because the Japanese use love hotels to connect with their partners, rather than just paid strangers. In Europe, for example, the sex trade business is reportedly suffering, according to Time, prompting brothel owners to conceive of clever new promotional gimmicks to bring customers back in.

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