Topic: William H. Taft

Movember: Do men with mustaches deserve a tax break?

Movember, in which men grow – or attempt to grow – mustaches for charity kicks off on Tuesday. The American Mustache Institute is calling for a $250 tax incentive for facial hair on the upper lip.

Chris Christie electability: Would his girth be a campaign issue?

Chris Christie hasn't even entered the GOP presidential race, but pundits (and comedians) are already suggesting his weight would be the, um, large gray big-eared mammal in the room.

Cherry blossom festival 2011: a time to reflect on Japan

Cherry blossom festival goers in Washington eye March 26 as the start of the event this year. The Japanese trees are said to inspire calm, but they have a dramatic story.

Branch Rickey

Pulitzer Prize-winner Jimmy Breslin scores a solid base hit with this concise, lively biography of game-changing baseball manager Branch Rickey.

State of the Union: The crafting of a speech

A former White House speechwriter tells what goes into drafting the State of the Union address and how the annual message to Congress has changed since the days of quill pens.

Search for renewal after Tucson tragedy: what Palin missed, what Obama got right

The idea that we can overcome our history and our baser instincts is the message great leaders send in times of tragedy and tension. It is the stuff of great speeches, and it is what President Obama gave the nation Wednesday night.

Election tally: Glenn Beck won. Progressivism lost.

Glenn Beck and the Republican Party scored big in the midterm elections by attacking progressive values – even, it seems, the very concept of the federal government. Now Americans may find out just how many features of 'big government' they actually value.

Third parties leave a mark

A timeline of third party showings.

Back-to-school quiz: Which president was a school teacher?

Some presidents had been college lecturers, deans, or academy presidents. But only one was a school teacher of young children. Hint: Think Texas.

Inside Obama's work space -- the Oval Office

The Oval Office can be the perfect setting for presidential speeches and meetings with heads of state. But most presidents set up an office in the White House residence for at least some of the day-to-day work.

Elena Kagan: former solicitors general back Supreme Court nominee

Elena Kagan was the first woman solicitor general – the government’s top lawyer at the Supreme Court. Former solicitors general have written a letter endorsing the Supreme Court nominee.

Obama at Washington Nationals game: a history of first pitches

Obama has been practicing for his ceremonial first pitch at the Washington Nationals game Monday. This year marks the 100th anniversary of presidential first pitches.

Woodrow Wilson: A Biography

This excellent biography offers a much-needed adjustment of Woodrow Wilson’s place in popular history.

Why presidents' kids struggle with careers

Jenna Bush Hager landed a plum job with 'Today,' but presidential offspring often falter in their efforts to establish meaningful livelihoods.

The Big Burn

The story of the largest wildfire in the history of the United States.

Reflections on Arlington Cemetery – Sen. Kennedy’s final resting place

Presidents, generals, and Supreme Court justices are there. But mostly, it's ordinary servicemen and women who served their country without public acclaim.

Snapshot of US political parties since 1900

How the balance of power has shifted between the Republicans and Democrats.

Michelle Obama’s garden secret

The presidential vegetable garden will save on grocery bills.

For kids: Name that president

Test your knowledge. Can you answer these questions about the presidents of the United States?

The meaning of the 'Oval' Office

In the room with two centers of power, there's a place for us, too.

Etc.

Want democracy in Iraq? Culture matters.

Consider what happened with US occupation in Haiti, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic.