The day that the White House and everyone else started to get a little too sick of "Beyoncé-Gate" ended with word arriving from Beyoncé's camp and an inaugural source that she did, in fact, mouth the national anthem over a pre-recorded track at inauguration.
Since Michelle Obama and Speaker John Boehner won't exactly tell us what was behind the he-said-she-eye-rolled exchange they had on Inauguration Day, we're now having to rely on the inexact science of lipreading.
Think of it like an episode of Downton Abbey. While the folks upstairs have had their fun and run off to bed, the folks downstairs have their drinks and toast to the fact that they got it all done.
After her inauguration backup band first claimed that Beyoncé lip-synced her rendition of the national anthem (sending everyone into a fit), a new Associated Press report implies that may not be the case (but everyone's still pretty unsure).
Yes, there are reports that Beyoncé decided to use a dreaded pre-recorded backing track rather than sing live, which is alternately breaking hearts and confirming suspicions the nation over. But really, why should we be upset? It still sounded great, didn't it?
Tonight, Lady Gaga is scheduled to perform as the parties continue. But to get you through the day, here are the all the standout clips from last night's performances.
Stewart revealed his explanation for why the ABC anchor mistook Bill Russell for Morgan Freeman.
Andrew Ross Sorkin on the myths of Davos, Elizabeth Economy on polluted Chinese water, John Cassidy on Obama's liberal agenda, Ruth Margalit on Israel's left, and William Pesek on Lew's strong dollar.
The First Lady wore a bright red halter dress designed by Jason Wu to President Obama's second inaugural ball.
We've been watching inauguration activities for some six hours now. Wolf Blitzer has basically been muttering a tone poem since 11 a.m., Chris Matthews has snapped his tether and is floating around the studio, and Brit Hume spent the morning reminding us, with no small amount of hope in his gravelly voice, that second terms are often hobbled by unforeseen catastrophes.
How do you get the first post-inauguration interview with the president? How do you get the vice president to shake your hand? You yell at them from the crowd during the parade, apparently.
While there weren't a lot of groups actually registered for this year's inauguration, it was hard to miss the agitators in and around today's ceremony. Did they have an impact? Or were they just annoying?
While we're sure everyone was happy to be there, this great super-zoom photo feature by The New York Times caught at least 17 people in an awkward pose — or, you know, asleep.
At the end of his second inauguration ceremony, the president turned around in reflection: "I want to look out one more time because I'll never see this again." But Obama has had Obama nostalgia for much of the last year.
George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, even Oprah Winfrey — the famous people who didn't attend Barack Obama's second inauguration say as much about the ceremony as those who did turn up.
You've watched it, you've read it, you've analyzed it. Now, compare the words Obama used in his speech today to other inaugural addresses.
The 57th presidential inauguration — Barack Obama's second — has been sealed into history, and we'll no doubt remember President Obama's powerful speech, which seems to have gone over well. But there were other bright spots — moments that weren't in the script — that deserve their own special place.
According to a progression of photos, you can see the New York Senator and inaugural MC smiling behind Malia Obama, realize he'd been caught, then try to hide behind Malia again. But is it meme-worthy?
Let's take a look at the instant pundit reaction to specific segments of the inaugural address, from gay rights and health care to gun violence and climate change.
Kids will be kids, but after a very public kid moment at inauguration, the First Kid is having a long day.
Some conservatives had feared for months, even years, that President Obama would wait till after he was reelected to unmask his a true political identity. Well, with his second inaugural address Monday, he finally showed them: Obama is a center leftist.
After President Obama's inaugural address, Blanco delivered his original poem "One Today" before the Washington Mall. You should watch (and read) the whole thing.
Though she didn't have Aretha Franklin's hat, Beyoncé sang an amazing version of the National Anthem at today's inauguration festivities.
In 2009 Chief Justice John Roberts flipped some very important words in President Obama's swearing-in. Four years later, it appears the two still haven't figured out how to do get this tradition quite right.
Conservatives are hate-watching Obama's inauguration -- can you blame them? -- and their complaints fit into two major categories.
"You and I, as citizens, have the power to set this country's course." Here's the full text of Obama's inauguration speech, with video.
Forget Michelle Obama's fashion. Mid-inauguration, everyone from Twitter to Washington is trying to figure out the deal with Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia's hat.
Inauguration Day may be all about pomp, circumstance, and politicians, but it's also great for celebrity sightings.
Sifting through past presidential inauguration photos offers plenty of insight into the character of the guy getting sworn in and what was happening in the country at the time.
This morning Fox and Friends claimed that today — the date of Obama's second inauguration — is the most depressing day of the year. They're wrong.
After Yahoo! News commissioned him and other "poets" to write poems, actor/writer/superlative-lover James Franco wrote about how he had no idea what to write about the president, but that he met him once. As expected, nobody likes it all that much.
What an Inauguration Day it was. Countless memes, intimate moments, some fashion, viral videos, a lot of GIFs, and — oh, yeah — maybe some history. Here's your complete recap, with everything you need to know and (mostly) nothing you don't.
Paul Krugman on recapping Obama's first-term successes, Simon Johnson on Bernanke's successor, Jason Burke on al-Qaeda's non-resurgence, Alan Johnson on Israeli elections, and Penn Bullock on stand-your-ground laws.
The election was fought over lots of big issues — tax reform, immigration, how to wind down our wars — before the Newtown shooting added gun violence to the list. Here's a preview of what President Obama will say about them at his second inauguration.
One of the biggest stories of Inauguration Day for the fashion-inclined has already broken, and it at once peculiar and familiar. Also: Joe Biden is wearing some serious shades.
Inauguration Day is as good a time as any to look back at four years ago, when a younger Obama officially took over a country that was happy for Chris Brown and Rihanna, rooting for Anne Hathaway, and enduring an otherwise pretty terrible January.
Rapper Lupe Fiasco was the headliner at the StartUp RockOn concert to celebrate President Obama's reelection last night. Fiasco celebrated by spending more than 30 minutes rapping an anti-Obama song, and was eventually booted off stage.
So, Obama's big second term inauguration is a little more than a week away, and apparently they're really behind on financing. Like, $10 million behind.
After comments surfaced that he supported "ex-gay" therapy, Pastor Louie Giglio has withdrawn from performing the inaugural benediction in the form of a bizarre, accusatory statement that suggests the administration might need better vetters.
Beyoncé is reprising her role as Obama's inauguration serenader. Oh, and Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor will be there, too. Not that a lot of Beyoncé fans know who James Taylor is, exactly.
A summary of the best reads found behind the paywall of The New York Times.
We're still more than a month away from Barack Obama's second inauguration, but the planning is well underway — and apparently includes military personnel playing with this huge toy map of Washington, D.C.
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