First Lady

Maggie Daley passed away on Thanksgiving Day. She had been the woman behind former Mayor Richard M. Daley during his 22 years in office. As sitting Mayor Emanuel said, "While Mayor Daley served as head of the city, Maggie was its heart. " The soft, caring core to a powerful machine. We could learn a lot from Maggie Daley. The position of first lady is not something that we the people vote for, but she's just as important as the official second-in-command. She's the woman who's there when times are rough and stresses are high.

It's yet another homecoming for Michelle Obama. The first lady will return to Chicago on Wednesday, this time to tackle the subject of youth violence. In a luncheon hosted by Mayor Emanuel and members of the city's business community, Obama will support a campaign to raise $50 million for programs that aid at-risk youth. When the murder of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton thrust Chicago into the national spotlight, Obama attended the victim's funeral in Chicago, and days later invited Pendleton's parents to the State of the Union address.

It's yet another homecoming for Michelle Obama. The first lady will return to Chicago on Wednesday, this time to tackle the subject of youth violence. In a luncheon hosted by Mayor Emanuel and members of the city's business community, Obama will support a campaign to raise $50 million for programs that aid at-risk youth. When the murder of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton thrust Chicago into the national spotlight, Obama attended the victim's funeral in Chicago, and days later invited Pendleton's parents to the State of the Union address.

Now that the 2012 election is over, Fox News is licking its wounds, and our radical, socialist, Islamic, ineffectual tyrant president has won a historic second term, I have one suggestion for Illinois Democrats: Start printing the "Draft Michelle Obama" T-shirts now. Standing with my pit stains and aching back at McCormick Place on Tuesday night, it struck me that the loudest applause line from President Obama's terrific speech was the shout-out to...

The NATO summit is almost upon us. And while leaders from all over the world will huddle in McCormick Place, solving the world's problems, I am most excited about something that will be happening outside the convention center: On Sunday, first lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to lead spouses of NATO dignitaries on a tour of the Gary Comer Youth Center on the South Side. I was, frankly, surprised - yet pleased - to hear Obama is planning to show off my side of Chicago. The only problem: They're visiting only one place, when there's so much more the South Side can offer.

Now that the 2012 election is over, Fox News is licking its wounds, and our radical, socialist, Islamic, ineffectual tyrant president has won a historic second term, I have one suggestion for Illinois Democrats: Start printing the "Draft Michelle Obama" T-shirts now. Standing with my pit stains and aching back at McCormick Place on Tuesday night, it struck me that the loudest applause line from President Obama's terrific speech was the shout-out to...

Can't we just elect Bill Pullman as president already? The former movie prez was confirmed last month to be starring on NBC's "1600 Penn," a comedy about a wacky first family, and now, Jenna Elfman will be playing his wife, deadline.com reports. While we're still unsure about this pairing, we definitely have some strong feelings about other fictional White House residents. See how we cast our votes. damoran@tribune.com | @redeyedana Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing "The West Wing" President Bartlet...

Envy Michelle Obama's wardrobe?  Her favorite designer is making the first lady's style a bit more accessible. Jason Wu, the designer behind her 2008 inaguaration gown, has launched a contemporary line called  Miss Wu, sold exclusively at Nordstrom. “Having the first lady as a fan and a client is pretty amazing and inspiring,” Wu said.  “I've really enjoyed dressing her, I hope she keeps wearing my clothes.” Wu was in Chicago on Thursday promoting the new line, and we caught up with him at Michigan Avenue's Nordstrom.

Basically every prognosticator agrees that Tuesday's presidential election will come down to who will win the 18 electoral votes from my home state of Ohio. Some rail at the silliness of this situation, but I love it. It makes an Ohioan feel like the Buckeye belle of the ball. This weekend, first lady Michelle Obama was in my hometown of Gambier. The week before, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was in my grandparents' town of Kettering. And a few weeks before that, GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan visited my roommate's hometown of New...

My roommate Pat and I recently, for some reason, watched the final season of “The West Wing” together on Netflix, which produced a number of arguments, speculations, and asides that I have compiled in an e-mail exchange for the inaugural edition of The Markley TV Club. I realize the final season of “The West Wing” in which plucky Texas congressman Matt Santos faced off against Republican straight-talker Arnold Vinick, aired like 27 years ago or something, but so what? Y'all didn't get me and my roommate's commentary...

The NATO summit is almost upon us. And while leaders from all over the world will huddle in McCormick Place, solving the world's problems, I am most excited about something that will be happening outside the convention center: On Sunday, first lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to lead spouses of NATO dignitaries on a tour of the Gary Comer Youth Center on the South Side. I was, frankly, surprised - yet pleased - to hear Obama is planning to show off my side of Chicago. The only problem: They're visiting only one place, when there's so much more the South Side can offer.

Can't we just elect Bill Pullman as president already? The former movie prez was confirmed last month to be starring on NBC's "1600 Penn," a comedy about a wacky first family, and now, Jenna Elfman will be playing his wife, deadline.com reports. While we're still unsure about this pairing, we definitely have some strong feelings about other fictional White House residents. See how we cast our votes. damoran@tribune.com | @redeyedana Martin Sheen and Stockard Channing "The West Wing" President Bartlet never took down an alien race, but he...

Maggie Daley passed away on Thanksgiving Day. She had been the woman behind former Mayor Richard M. Daley during his 22 years in office. As sitting Mayor Emanuel said, "While Mayor Daley served as head of the city, Maggie was its heart. " The soft, caring core to a powerful machine. We could learn a lot from Maggie Daley. The position of first lady is not something that we the people vote for, but she's just as important as the official second-in-command. She's the woman who's there when times are rough and stresses are high.

Learning how to sit like a lady or how to apply maquillage for daytime versus evening looks are just a few of the things "Mama Gloria" Allen, a 67-year-old-retired nurse, teaches her young, transgender pupils at Charm School, the popular etiquette class at Center on Halsted in Boystown. But as a transgender woman with a treasure trove of experiences to draw from, Allen ("Mama Gloria" to her students) offers pearls of wisdom beyond makeup tips and good manners, including life-saving advice on safe sex, alcohol and drug abuse, and how to locate a safe bed for the night.

Squirrelfriends, this is the episode where the ladies are separated from the girls, where the serious contenders and the joke candidates part ways, and where the "not-royalty-ready" and the "crown her ass" queens diverge. Last weekend, we were all mystified by the departure of walking quote machine Willam. I have decided to release into the universe my burning curiosity about what she did to be eliminated. Serenity now. When we return to the workroom, some of the queens (cough cough Phi Phi O'Hara cough)