Michelle Obama

Race is a touchy topic, even in the age of Obama. But more than 100 people wanted to dive deep into the subject at the fourth annual MLK 365 Racial Beer Summit in Philadelphia, held Wednesday evening at Reading Terminal Market. Mark Lamont Hill, a Columbia University professor and Philadelphia native, was the featured speaker, and he delivered a provocative perspective. He said people should not ignore race, dismissing the notion of being "color blind. People need to acknowledge race and understand how people view themselves and each other.

LONDON - The hiccups outnumbered the highlights, and for a while the United States racked up fouls faster than points. The opener wasn't artistic. However, it was enough - easily enough. Kevin Durant scored 22 points in his Olympic debut, Kevin Love added 14, and LeBron James had eight assists as the U.S. men's basketball team overcame some sloppy moments on Sunday with a 98-71 win over France. The 76ers' Andre Iguodala scored a point and had two assists. "We know everybody else expects us to win by 40 points," Carmelo Anthony said.

THE HICCUPS outnumbered the highlights, and for a while the U.S. racked up fouls faster than points. The opener wasn't artistic. However, it was enough - easily enough. Kevin Durant scored 22 points in his Olympic debut, Kevin Love added 14 and LeBron James had eight assists as the American men's basketball team overcame some sloppy moments on Sunday with a 98-71 win over France. "We know everybody else expects us to win by 40 points," said Carmelo Anthony. "For us, a win's a win. We expect every game to be like this one. " Seeking a second straight gold medal to match the redemptive one they captured in Beijing 4 years ago, the Americans expected a tough test from a French team featuring San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker and five other NBA players.

WASHINGTON - For a day, at least, President Obama and Republican Mitt Romney stopped assailing each other and spoke as heartbroken parents. The Colorado movie theater massacre upended the presidential campaign Friday, obliging both candidates to cast aside the increasingly bitter tone of the race and reach for a rare moment of American harmony. Yet the moment itself was a political test, for a president charged with consoling a nation and for a challenger needing to show that he could rise to the occasion.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Wooing Florida voters, President Obama warned Thursday that Republican challenger Mitt Romney would gut his health-care reform law and turn Medicare into a voucher program, driving up costs for the elderly on fixed incomes. Romney, firing away near his Boston home base, accused Obama of caring only about saving his own job - not the jobs of Americans. In the daily war of words in an up-for-grabs presidential contest, health-care politics took top billing as Obama opened two days of campaigning in Florida, the largest and most coveted of the nation's Election Day toss-up states.

How to end the obesity epidemic? One city at a time. That's the approach Michelle Obama took Wednesday as she appeared with 11 mayors in a North Philadelphia gymnasium to discuss the latest iteration of her two-year-old Let's Move! campaign to reverse the nation's obesity epidemic. The attack on childhood obesity needs to start at the local level, she said, with mayors and other city officials taking the helm. "There's no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem," she told an enthusiastic crowd in the gym of the Lenfest Police Athletic Club at 3890 N. 10th St. Mayors "see people's struggles up close.

PHILADELPHIA and other cities can't afford to ignore childhood obesity. That was first lady Michelle Obama's message Wednesday when she announced the latest effort from her Let's Move campaign geared at fighting childhood obesity, a campaign that kicked off in 2010. The new effort is a nationwide collaboration with the National League of Cities to help local officials improve child health. Backed by $1 million from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the NLC's Institute for Health, Education and Families will provide local mayors with tools and technical assistance to improve nutrition and promote physical activity among youth.

How to break the obesity epidemic? One city at a time. Appearing with nine mayors in a North Philadelphia gymnasium, First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday discussed the latest iteration of her two-year-old Let's Move! campaign to treat the nation's obesity epidemic. She announced a $1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create a web site - healthycommunitieshealthyfuture.org - where city officials can sign up and get tips on how to raise money for the anti-obesity effort or improve programs they have in place.

Katie Holmes is again in the arms of the Catholic Church she left to join the Scientology of husband Tom Cruise. Now that TomKat are splitting up, Kat has signed up at the Parish of St. Francis Xavier in Manhattan. This tends to corroborate, though not prove, that religion was involved in the split, specifically the faith in which daughter Suri, 6, will be raised. Tom tends to marry Catholics: think of his second wife, Nicole Kidman. He learned about Scientology from his first wife, Mimi Rogers.

Lindsay Lohan was back on the set of her cable-TV movie Liz & Dick on Friday afternoon after she was ruled healthy by paramedics, her rep, Steve Honig, told the media Friday. The medics were called as a precaution by film producers after LiLo called to say she felt unwell. Honig denied claims LiLo was rushed to the hospital, saying she was exhausted and dehydrated. "She was on set last night at 7 p.m. and worked through the night until 8 a.m. this morning," said the rep.   Kim Kardashian: Totally "I'm totally growing up," Kim Kardashian, 31, says with mature exuberance in a chat with Oprah set to air Sunday and June 24 on OWN. Kim, who was married to some NBA player for 72 days, says she's glad she's dating a more mature man, referring to her P.R. stunt of a relationship with pal Kanye West.