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Michelle Obama Just Launched a Weekly Reading Series for Children


Former First Lady Michelle Obama is joining the ranks of celebrities doing all they can to help keep the nation entertained and engaged as we shelter in place during the coronavirus pandemic. And much as she did during her time in the White House, she’s focusing on children.

Last week, she announced a new online series called Mondays with Michelle Obama in partnership with PBS Kids and Penguin Random House. “I’m thrilled to share some of my favorite children’s books and give kids an opportunity to practice their reading (while giving families a much-needed break!),” she tweeted. “Join me, @PBSKIDS, and @penguinrandom for read-alongs on Mondays at 12pm ET on @PBSKIDS Facebook and YouTube!” You can watch the livestream at noon ET on PBS KIDS’ Facebook and YouTube, along with Penguin Random House’s Facebook.

“As a little kid, I loved to read aloud. And when I became a parent, I found such joy in sharing the magic of storytelling with my own children—and then later, as First Lady, with kids everywhere,” she said in a statement to NBC News. “At this time when so many families are under so much stress, I’m excited to give kids a chance to practice their reading and hear some wonderful stories (and to give parents and caretakers a much-needed break).”

She kicked off the series on April 20 with The Gruffalo, a childhood favorite of so many, and even suggested an additional activity tied to the story for families to try. The first video already has almost 200,000 views.

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As always, former President Barack Obama was all in on his wife’s endeavors. “Parents, you deserve a break—Michelle’s got storytime handled every Monday,” he tweeted. “She’s one of the best, I promise. (And I confess it makes me a little nostalgic.)”

Based on the reaction online, it seems like people agree.

We can’t wait to see which book she picks for next week’s session.



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Viola Davis Is Officially Starring as Michelle Obama in New Showtime Series, 'First Ladies'


Showtime has officially ordered First Ladies to series, marking Michelle Obama as Academy Award winner Viola Davis‘ first television role since her tenure as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder, wrapping this May.

According to a statement from Showtime, the new anthology series will follow the “personal and political lives” of the nation’s first ladies, with the first season focussed on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford, and Michelle Obama. Roosevelt and Ford have yet to be cast. “First Ladies is set in the East Wing of the White House, where many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America’s charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies,” the statement revealed.

The one-hour drama was originally put in development by Showtime last August with a three-script commitment. The announcement of a full series pickup came on February 5.

“Throughout our history, presidents’ spouses have wielded remarkable influence, not only on the nation’s leaders but on the country itself.” said Jane Winograde, the President of Entertainment at Showtime Networks Inc. “Having Viola Davis play Michelle Obama is a dream come true, and we couldn’t be luckier to have her extraordinary talent to help launch this series.”

Aside from portraying Obama, who served as First Lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017, Davis will be an executive producer of the project. The actress holds five Emmy nominations and took home one win as well as a Golden Globe and SAG Award for her portrayal as a ruthless, hardened defense lawyer on HTGAWM. Oh, and don’t forget her Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress for Fences, the film adaptation of the play that won the actress a Tony back in 2010.

Hopefully, this political drama can soothe the ache left in the wake of HTGAWM as well as the Showtime staple Shameless, in its 11th and final season this year.



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Grammys 2020: Michelle Obama Just Won Her First Grammy Award


Michelle Obama is a woman who has worn many hats in her lifetime: lawyer, First Lady, daughter, wife, mother, author. And as of tonight, January 26, Grammy winner.

Obama won her first Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for the audio book of her bestselling memoir, Becoming. She beat out Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Scott Sherratt and Dan Zitt for the Beastie Boys Book, Eric Alexandrakis for I.V. Catatonia: 20 Years As A Two-Time Cancer Survivor, John Waters for Mr. Know-It-All, and Sekou Andrews & The String Theory for Sekou Andrews & The String Theory.

Sadly, the award was announced off-camera and the former FLOTUS was not in attendance, so the world missed out on what would surely have been an amazing acceptance speech (and red-carpet moment). Neither Obama or her husband have commented on the win yet on social media, but we expect a glowing post from Barack at some point—especially given how adorable his last birthday tweet was.

It’s not super surprising that Becoming was named Best Spoken Word Album by the Recording Academy given its massive worldwide success. It is on track to become the best-selling memoir of all time and back in the spring of 2019 had already sold 10 million copies. To promote the book (which was originally published in 2018), Obama also went on a book tour unlike most others. She sold out arenas typically reserved for rocks stars, with some tickets selling for over $3000 each.

“But the truth is, for me, each decade has offered something amazing that I would never have imagined. And if I had stopped looking, I would have missed out on so much,” Obama told Oprah Winfrey when Becoming was published. “So I’m still becoming, and this is the story of my journey. Hopefully, it will spark conversations, especially among young people, about their journeys.”

Considering a documentary (American Factory on Netflix) from the Obamas’ production company is currently nominated for an Oscar, can an EGOT be far behind?



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Michelle Obama Is Launching a New Series That Follows First-Gen College Students


Michelle Obama has a ton of new projects in the works. Last year, the former First Lady and Barack Obama announced they had struck a deal with Netflix and they’d be launching several documentaries and films through their production company Higher Ground Productions. Now, she’s announced she has another special series in the works on Instagram, and it tackles a subject that she’s championed passionately for a long time: college for first-generation students.

Called “A Year of Firsts,” the project will follow four students as they navigate the intricacies of higher education. The show will air on Instagram‘s IGTV this month through a partnership with Obama’s Reach Higher initiative and the media company ATTN. “Each of them has overcome tremendous odds to get where they are,” Obama explains in an Instagram video announcing the series. “And throughout the year, they’ll tell us what that first year of college is really like. The ups, the downs, and everything in between.”

The subject matter is one Obama understands inside and out, not just through her work establishing the Reacher Higher initiative. As she detailed in her award-winning memoir Becoming, she was the first person in her family to attend college. Since then, she’s raised conversations about how important it is to ensure that students who are forging a new path feel supported and have access to resources so they have successful experiences.

“As a first-generation college student myself, I know how intimidating it can be to take that leap and pursue your educational dreams,” she said in a statement. “That’s why I’m so proud of these students. By sharing their stories, they’re helping others see that the ups and downs of the first year of college are something everyone goes through—and they’re creating a supportive community for others facing similar challenges.”



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Michelle Williams 2020 Golden Globes: Read Her Full Speech


“Thank you so much, first of all to my Fosse/Verdon family and to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. When you put this in someone’s hands you’re acknowledging the choices that they make as an actor, moment by moment, scene by scene, day by day, but you’re also acknowledging the choices they make as a person, the education they pursued, the training they sought, the hours they put in.

I’m grateful for the acknowledgment of the choices I’ve made, and I’m also grateful to have lived at a moment in our society where choice exists because as women and as girls things can happen to our bodies that are not our choice. I’ve tried my very best to live a life of my own making and not just a series of events that happened to me, but one that I can stand back and look at and recognize my handwriting all over, sometimes messy and scrawling, sometimes careful and precise, but one that I carved with my own hand. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without employing a woman’s right to choose. To choose when to have my children and with whom. When I felt supported and able to balance our lives knowing as all mothers know that the scales must and will tip towards our children, now,

I know my choices might look different than yours. But thank God, or whomever you pray to, that we live in a country founded on the principle that I am free to live by my faith and you are free to live by yours. Women, 18 to 118, when it is time to vote please do so in your own self-interest. It’s what men have been doing for years. It’s what men have been doing for years, which is why the world looks so much like them. Don’t forget: We are the largest voting body in this country. Let’s make it look more like us. Tommy and Matilda I can’t wait to come home to you.”

The internet exploded with praise for the moment—perhaps the most memorable of the night. Busy Phillips was visibly emotional and proud watching her best friend on the stage.

Let’s just give Michelle Williams all the awards, all the time.



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Barack and Michelle Obama’s Anniversary Messages Are the Energy We All Need Right Now


The internet has been…a dismal place, a heat wave hit a huge swath of the country in October, the president of the United States tweeted 14 times before 8 a.m., and it was dark outside when I woke up this morning. Let’s be honest: Americans are on edge.

Enter Barack and Michelle Obama to brighten this bleak moment with their glorious love for each other. Today the former POTUS and FLOTUS celebrate their 27th wedding anniversary. And because they knew we needed it, they let us in on a sliver of their joy. It’s all deeply adorable and the truest of #relationshipgoals.

Let’s start with President Obama, who is completely unafraid to call his wife “babe” in front of the whole wide world. “Like the Beatles said: It’s getting better all the time. Thanks, babe, for 27 amazing years,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a sweet photo of the couple watching the sun set over a beautiful vista.

For her part, the former FLOTUS reflected on the newest stage in their lives, with daughters Malia and Sasha both now in college. “27 years ago, this guy promised me a life full of adventure,” she wrote. “I’d say he’s delivered. Here’s to our next chapter of becoming empty nesters and discovering what’s next—while still feeling the magic that brought us together all those years ago. Happy anniversary, Barack. ?” And just look at the smiles on those crazy kids.

The photos represent the kind of sweet, simple gesture that could make a person believe in love again, or at least decide not all of social media is hot trash.

Happy anniversary—and thanks for the good vibes.



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