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Reporter's Notebook

6:00 am

Sat December 3, 2011

Clinton Tests Myanmar's Resolve Personally

By Michele Kelemen

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has just completed a trip to Asia, including a historic visit to Myanmar. That country, also known as Burma, has been subjected to international isolation for many years because of its brutal military dictatorship. Now there are signs that a new civilian regime is loosening the generals' grip. NPR's Michele Kelemen accompanied Clinton on her visit, and filed this Reporter's Notebook.

Books

6:00 am

Sat December 3, 2011

Bear Wants Hat Back; Kids Book Has More On The Story

By editor

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Jon Klassen's latest book, I Want My Hat Back, is the delightful story about a bear who loses, and then finds, his hat. Scott talks with Weekend Edition's ambassador to the world of children's literature, Daniel Pinkwater, about the story and the importance of art in children's books.

Around the Nation

5:56 am

Sat December 3, 2011

Decking The Halls: A White House Tradition

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Credit Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images

Ornaments made to honor loved ones decorate the Gold Star Families Tree.

Credit Charles Dharapak / AP

First lady Michelle Obama welcomed military families to the first viewing of the 2011 decorations on Wednesday. White House chefs joined her to decorate cookies with the children.

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Some of those cookies were turned into ornaments.

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

This year, the official tree is an 18 1/2-foot balsam fir in the Blue Room. Decorated with medals and cards made by military children, it honors Blue Star military families.

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Several versions of the Obamas' Portuguese water dog, Bo, appear throughout this year's decorations, ranging from a miniature licorice and marshmallow version to a this 4½-foot-tall felt topiary.

Credit Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images

Ornaments made to honor loved ones decorate the Gold Star Families Tree.

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

A "Bo" made from plastic garbage bags sits in front of the fireplace in the library. Mrs. Obama drew a laugh from the crowd when she said Bo, "the most famous member of the Obama family," has been a little confused walking around the house and seeing himself in "gigantic form."

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

The Red Room features fruit, foliage and flowers set in berry-covered vases.

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Some of the handcrafted decorations are made of paper, felt and recycled cans, like these handcrafted tabletop trees in the Green Room.

Credit Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

More than 100 holiday volunteers assisted with the decorations, and officials say they're expecting about 85,000 visitors to tour the White House this holiday season.

Credit Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images

"Shine, Give, Share" is the theme for the Obama family's third Christmas in the White House. This year, a total of 37 Christmas trees and a 400-pound White House made of gingerbread, white chocolate and marzipan decorate the mansion.

By Ari Shapiro

Originally published on Wed May 23, 2012 9:13 am

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A group of more than 100 volunteers helped decorate the White House this year, covering the mansion in Christmas trees, cookie ornaments and several versions of the Obamas' dog, Bo. The real stars, however, were the military families who joined the celebration.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

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Politics

5:41 am

Sat December 3, 2011

Gingrich's Popularity: A Winning Boost?

By Kathy Lohr

Newt Gingrich is now the focus of the race to become the GOP presidential nominee — and with that comes the heat. His main opposition, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney went on the attack Friday, but Gingrich insists he'll stay positive. The big question is whether the former House Speaker can sustain his surge in the polls.

Simon Says

5:33 am

Sat December 3, 2011

What's In a (Baby) Name?

By Scott Simon

So many end-of-the year lists detail something trivial. But sometimes those lists can help us appreciate something obvious.

BabyCenter.com has just released their list of the most popular names for American babies in 2011.

The most popular girl's names: Sophia, Emma, Isabella, Olivia, and Ava, which sound like they could be lifted, letter by letter, from 1960s movie marquees. The most popular boy's names: Aiden, Jackson, Mason, Liam and Jacob, which could be the name of a Boston or Chicago law firm.

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