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Pinto, a favorite designer of Michelle Obama, closes boutique By Shia Kapos Feb. 15, 2010 Despite a recent renaissance that led her gowns to the White House, Mario Pinto's West Side boutique didn't make it. The Chicago fashion designer, whose garments have been favored by first lady Michelle Obama, told industry insiders just a few months ago that her company was thriving and she was considering seeking private-equity investment. But the shop is now shuttered. Neither Ms. Pinto nor her media handler returned calls. Clients were stunned yet not completely surprised by the news, given the economic times. Ms. Pinto...

Finally, Barack Obama has a nomination he doesn't need to push through Congress. The president and First Lady Michelle have been nominated in the category of "Cutest Couple" for the 2010 Nickeloden's Kids' Choice Awards. The Obamas are up against some pop culture juggernauts: Twilight's Edward and Bella, Bella and Jacob and Avatar's Neytiri and Jake. Kevin James is hosting the show, which will be presented at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on March 27.

Maria Pinto Closes Chicago Boutique. What's Michelle Obama to Wear? by Lesley Kennedy  Posted Feb 15th 2010 at 4:26PM (Image not included due to Free Republic rules pertaining to Getty Images) Even designing dresses that turned Michelle Obama into a fashion trendsetter couldn't keep Maria Pinto in business. The designer has closed the doors to her Chicago boutique, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, and she is expected to seek bankruptcy protection this week. Pinto tells the Sun-Times "economic challenges and soft buying trends at the top end of the apparel market" contributed to her business woes.  ''I am confident that the 'Maria Pinto' name will not go away,...

At a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States, an epidemic she said is costly and a threat to national security. “A recent study put the health care cost of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion a year,” Mrs. Obama said. “This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.” The ceremony, attended by many officials of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, followed the signing earlier in the day of a...

So, Michelle Obama seems to be as delusional as her husband. Yesterday, she said that childhood obesity (a Crisis!) is a threat to national security. No, really. She actually said that: (CNSNews.com) – At a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States, an epidemic she said is costly and a threat to national security. “A recent study put the health care cost of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion a year,” Mrs. Obama said. “This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security,...

CNSNews.com) – At a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States, an epidemic she said is costly and a threat to national security. “A recent study put the health care cost of obesity-related diseases at $147 billion a year,” Mrs. Obama said. “This epidemic also impacts the nation’s security, as obesity is now one of the most common disqualifiers for military service.”

– At a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama announced the launch of the ‘Let’s Move’ campaign to end childhood obesity in the United States, an epidemic she said is costly and a threat to national security. The ceremony, attended by many officials of President Barack Obama’s cabinet, followed the signing earlier in the day of a presidential memorandum establishing a task force to study the problem and make recommendations after 90 days. Obama announced a long list of goals she said she hopes the “Let’s Move” campaign will accomplish, including many that can be...

Yesterday, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum establishing a taskforce to work on first lady Michelle Obama's new issue: childhood obesity. The taskforce has 90 days to report back to the president on a suggested inter-agency strategy and action plan to help children be more active and eat better – because, of course, putting interior secretary Ken Salazar on the case will change children's eating habits. SNIP These days, though, it isn't just parents' budgets that are lean. President Obama himself called for an across-the-board spending freeze (outside of the military and entitlement programmes) in his state of the union...

Title truncated. Original title: Michelle Obama Defends Hubby From Palin’s Attacks... “Change Isn’t Easy & Doesn’t Happen Overnight” Sarah Palin let the Obama Administration have it Saturday night. But that won’t stop Team Obama from pushing their hopey-changey socialist crap. Michelle Obama defended her husband today from recent attacks insisting that, “Change isn’t easy and doesn’t happen overnight.” But it sure hurts. Good Morning America reported: “I think my husband has done a phenomenal job staying on course, looking his critics in the eye, coming up with clear solutions against staying the course,” Michelle Obama told Robin Roberts in an...

Michelle Obama is today launching a campaign to tackle childhood obesity in America – while admitting that she loves unhealthy food. The First Lady has urged children to become more active, but confesses to eating burgers, fries, ice-cream and cake. The Let’s Move initiative, outlined by President Barack Obama’s wife today, aims to teach youngsters how to increase their daily physical exercise. It also pushes for schools to offer more healthy meals and calls on food companies to label nutritional information more accurately. Some of her initiatives, such as tax breaks for grocery stores to move into poorly served communities,...

EXCERPT Now, some critics are questioning whether using her own daughters as examples is fair to them. "Was it hurtful to her girls?" asked one blogger who focuses on Mommy issues. Psychology Today even questioned the first lady for using the word "chubby" to describe her daughters. While her heart is in the right place, Michelle may not have considered or been familiar with the delicate balance between preventing obesity and triggering eating disorders. She mentioned that she put her children on a diet after her pediatrician and their father felt they were getting “chubby.” Words like “chubby” don’t cause...

U.S. President Barack Obama after signing a memorandum on the establishment of a childhood obesity task force in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, February 9, 2010. From L-R are: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Obama, and first lady Michelle Obama.

Michelle Obama defended her husband against some of his most vocal critics, saying President Obama did a "phenomenal" job this year and that change is a long-term process. First lady Michelle Obama responds to Sarah Palin's recent biting remarks, saying her husband has done a "phenomenal job." I think my husband has done a phenomenal job staying on course, looking his critics in the eye, coming up with clear solutions against staying the course," Michelle Obama told Robin Roberts in an exclusive morning television interview on "Good Morning America." "That's what leadership is. But people have the right to criticize...

AP: First lady Michelle Obama says President Barack Obama "has done a phenomenal job," but that people have a right to criticize him. In an interview broadcast Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," she said getting things accomplished in heavily politicized Washington is "a constant struggle."

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT SIGNING OF MEMORANDUM ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY Oval Office 9:16 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, everybody. I am so proud of the work that the First Lady, along with the Cabinet Secretaries behind me, have done in trying to tackle one of the most urgent health issues that we face in this country, and that is the increase of childhood obesity. And because of the outstanding planning that they've done, they are going to be rolling out a terrific plan of action that involves the private sector as well as government agencies coordinating much more...

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero is second from left

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama talks about childhood obesity in the Old Family Dining Room at the White House in Washington, February 2, 2010. (L-R) Secretary of HHS Kathleen Sebelius, Obama, and U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin.

Yes, more important things came out of President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Wednesday (Jan. 27) night than what his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama, was wearing. Still, Chris Matthews has the attention-grabbing, out-of-context statement "I forgot he was black" covered. And the American citizens are full of responses to his 70-minute speech that ranged from everything to the economy to health care, national security to getting rid of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. So, back to secondary things: What was Michelle wearing? A tasteful aubergine dress with three-quarter-length sleeves from designer Isaac Mizrahi. ...

First Lady Michelle Obama evinces no concern for the tens of millions of Americans suffering the consequences of her husband's failing economic policies as she is once again seen flaunting her Imelda Marcos taste in ridiculously expensive designer clothers.Women's Wear Daily reported today that Michelle Obama wore a dress that retails for $1850 to the State of the Union address given by her husband, Barack Obama, on Wednesday night.Last week, the White House featured as the 'photo of the day' a picture of Michelle Obama wearing a $2763 designer coat with matching dress of unknown cost and $850 custom made...

They don't seem terribly enthralled.