Cody Taylor

Although Brian Doherty criticizes President-elect Obama’s “disrespect for personal gun possession rights,” he believes the new administration will do little in the near future to enforce stricter gun control laws.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Barack Obama wants to conclude his inaugural oath with the words “so help me God,” but a group of atheists is asking a federal judge to stop him. California atheist Michael Newdow sued Chief Justice John Roberts in federal court for an injunction barring the use of those words in the inaugural oath.

Hollywood film star Will Smith has staked his claim to play Barack Obama in a movie about his rise to become US President and America’s first black leader.

With the metabolism of a White House set by its occupant, Obama’s team is preparing for a return to long nights, heavy weekend shifts – and a boss who will venture into Washington far more than the place’s current resident.

President-Elect Barack Obama will end the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy towards gays in the military as part of moves to sweep away remnants of the Bush era. The move is expected to be among a series of symbolic changes he will push through quickly to stamp his mark on the presidency.

alphadogg writes “Barack Obama’s election to US president has already brought a string of firsts, and on Wednesday there came another. The official presidential portrait was shot on a digital camera for the first time. The picture was taken by the White House’s new official photographer, Pete Souza, and issued by The Office of the President Elect through its Web site. It was taken on Tuesday evening at 5:38 p.m. using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, according to the metadata embedded in the image file.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

In his new Esquire column, The Data, statistical analysis guru Nate Silver reveals for the first time the secret behind November 4, 2008.