Inauguration Day

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'Tunnel People' Get Probe of Inaugural Ticket Mess

Thousands waited in tunnel; Feinstein apologizes

(Newser) - As President Obama’s inauguration approached, thousands of would-be spectators got stuck in an immobile line that stretched into a tunnel beneath the National Mall. And there they waited, for hours, missing the ceremony despite their tickets. With their plight getting more publicity—yep, there's now a Facebook group—Sen....

Yo-Yo Ma 'Finger-Synched' Inauguration Gig

Performers decided to play along to tape in 'wicked cold'

(Newser) - The somber classical sounds that filled the Washington Mall ahead of Barack Obama's swearing-in came from a tape, reports the New York Times. When Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman and the rest of the quartet realized that the freezing weather and strong winds would likely wreak havoc with their instruments they...

Matthews Takes Record for Hot Air at Chilly Inauguration

MSNBC host's 'sizzling free-associations' provided some hot air in chilly DC

(Newser) - It's a good thing Chris Matthews didn't run for the Senate after all, Jack Shafer writes for Slate, after listening to the MSNBC star let his mouth run wild Inauguration Day. "Drawing from a larder filled with old anecdotes, unreliable metaphors, wacky intuition, and superficial observations, the always-animated Matthews...

After Day of Rest, First Daughters Back to School

Exciting Inauguration Day ended with Jonas Brothers visit

(Newser) - Sasha and Malia Obama are back in school today, after taking yesterday off to recover from inauguration fever, the AP reports. The First Daughters spent Tuesday smiling and waving, and were up late with surprise visitors the Jonas Brothers while their parents were out at the balls. The girls are...

After Historic Day, Historic Cleanup

Trash-bin shortage caused tons of litter to pile up

(Newser) - Crews working into the wee hours hauled away at least 130 tons of garbage after America’s largest, and messiest, outdoor bash Tuesday, the Washington Post reports. With trashcans removed for security precautions, inauguration attendees littered the National Mall, leaving it looking like a rendition of Disney's Wall-E. Obama gear,...

Fan Fidel Hails 'Sincere' Obama

Castro was glued to inauguration coverage

(Newser) - Cuba's ailing former dictator Fidel Castro has spoken warmly about President Barack Obama, and his brother Raul is hinting about a face-to-face meeting, reports Australia's Age. Fidel, 82, spent Tuesday watching TV coverage of the inauguration and spoke glowingly about America's new president as "absolutely sincere" to Argentine President...

Obama Grabs Highest TV Ratings Since Reagan

Web audience sends numbers skyrocketing

(Newser) - Barack Obama's inauguration was the most-watched ever but it failed to set a TV ratings record, USA Today reports. Neilsen estimates 37.8 million television viewers tuned in for the ceremony, while 41.8 million watched Ronald Reagan's 1981 inauguration. But internet viewership broke records and sent figures through the...

'Just to Be Safe,' Obama Should Redo Oath: Experts

Lawyers advise he retake fudged oath to avoid controversy

(Newser) - OK, it's probably not going to come up in court, but some constitutional lawyers tell the San Francisco Chronicle that Barack Obama should retake his flubbed oath just to be on the safe side. Presidents Coolidge and Arthur did after similar gaffes. It "would take him 30 seconds, he...

China Censors Obama Speech
 China Censors 
 Obama Speech 
Jan 21, 2009 4:00 PM CST

China Censors Obama Speech

President's inclusion of communism as defeated ideology irks government

(Newser) - Chinese censors clipped parts of Barack Obama’s inaugural address from yesterday’s live telecast, including his message for the world’s despots, the New York Times reports. The streaming audio translation was muted after Obama said “communism” in a sentence about using alliances and enduring conviction to defeat...

Inauguration Boosts Newspapers, for a Day

Customers line up to nab front pages covering historic day

(Newser) - The newspaper industry might be in its death throes, but it briefly jolted to life this morning as long lines of people waited at newsstands for souvenir copies of front pages that hailed the inauguration of America’s first black president, the AP reports. In Washington, some editions of the...

Kennedy Leaves Hospital
 Kennedy Leaves Hospital 
Jan 21, 2009 12:06 PM CST

Kennedy Leaves Hospital

Docs want Mass. senator, 76, to cut back on work

(Newser) - Ted Kennedy was released today from the Washington hospital where he was sent yesterday after suffering a seizure during Congress’ inaugural lunch with President Obama. The 76-year-old Massachusetts senator was back “in good spirits” this morning, the Boston Globe reports, but doctors urged him to reduce his workload. Such...

Lines, Arctic Temps... and a Miracle: Keillor

Writer savors the spirit of goodwill amid throng at inauguration

(Newser) - The lines were "the longest I have ever stood in," and the day was arctic, but there were no complaints to be heard from the jubilant throng in Washington yesterday, Garrison Keillor writes in Salon. "All kinds of people, the slim and sleek, the XXXLs, the heavily...

How Blago Celebrated Inauguration
How Blago Celebrated Inauguration
Jan 21, 2009 9:29 AM CST

How Blago Celebrated Inauguration

Ill. guv played hooky from impeachment, got fingerprinted

(Newser) - Yesterday was special for a certain Illinois politician—and not just the one you’re thinking of. While Barack Obama was being sworn in, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was getting his fingerprints taken, reports the Chicago Tribune. Blagojevich also failed to enter a plea in his state Senate impeachment trial; he’...

First Couple Hits All 10 Official Balls

First stop: the first-of-its-kind, publicly accessible Neighborhood Ball

(Newser) - The new first couple danced their way through all 10 official balls last night, keeping with tradition and the desire to make yesterday’s inauguration the “most accessible” in history, CNN reports. Barack and Michelle Obama began the evening at the public Neighborhood Ball with Beyoncé’s rendition...

Obama Was 10 Feet Tall and Bullet-Proof

Lightweight body armor made his inauguration duds 'bullet-resistant'

(Newser) - Barack Obama wasn't quite bullet-proof as he strode down Pennsylvania Avenue yesterday, but the new president was certainly "bullet-resistant," Slate explains. While the SWAT-team look might not be very presidential, several companies now manufacture lightweight protective clothing that can be worn under clothing or woven into shirts or...

Writers Hail Message From a 'Prince'

Inaugural address praised as masterful use of language

(Newser) - Barack Obama's inaugural address showed a literary mastery of language, assorted authors tell the Los Angeles Times. The president's plain speaking and restraint is commended, along with his use of "we" instead of "I." Author Ted Wilmer hails the president's use of "tight language, short sentences...

Cell Networks Pass Test
 Cell Networks Pass Test 
Jan 21, 2009 3:29 AM CST

Cell Networks Pass Test

Handled massive inauguration volume

(Newser) - The Washington DC networks of the major cellphone carriers held up under massive pressure yesterday, handling millions of additional texts and emails without crashing, reports USA Today. There were some delays but AT&T, Verizon and Sprint handled up to three times their normal volume as thousands of spectators at...

Obama: Don't Blame Roberts for Oath Hiccup

(Newser) - President Obama is not among those blaming Chief Justice John Roberts for their little oath glitch today. “We’re up there, we’ve got a lot of stuff on our mind, and he actually helped me out on a couple of stanzas there,” Obama told ABC News. Roberts...

Oprah's Take: 'It's Sacred'
 Oprah's Take: 'It's Sacred' 
Jan 20, 2009 9:23 PM CST

Oprah's Take: 'It's Sacred'

(Newser) - The impact of today's inauguration was not lost on Oprah, a key early backer of Barack Obama. "It means everything," she told Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun-Times. "It means everything and more and everything. It's like no moment I ever expected to experience." Sweet found...

Let the Parties Begin
 Let the 
 Parties 
 Begin 
Jan 20, 2009 7:52 PM CST

Let the Parties Begin

(Newser) - The first couple changed into new duds after a busy day and dropped in on the first of 10 inauguration balls they are scheduled to attend, the AP reports. They treated partygoers to their first dance as a presidential couple, with Michelle wearing a white, full-skirted dress by Taiwanese designer...

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