President Obama's publisher is now . . . First Lady Michelle Obama's publisher. The first lady is writing a book, to come out in April 2012, about her 1,100 sq.-foot edible garden on the grounds of the White House and the connection between healthy eating and fresh local food. So says the announcement today by the Crown Publishing Group at Random House Inc. Michelle Obama is represented by power agent/lawyer Bob Barnett.

The first lady isn't getting an advance and will donate any proceeds to charity, according to the release. The book doesn't yet have a title. It's to be published in hardcover with color photos and include some of her family's favorite recipes.

With great fanfare, President Barack Obama held a White House conference on the problem of bullying Thursday, but he refused to comment on one of the things many attendees want: a federal law.

"Preventing bullying isn’t just important to us as President and First Lady; it’s important for us as parents, something we care deeply about," Obama said at the conference.

"But parents aren’t the only ones who have a responsibility," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "We all need to play a role, as teachers, coaches, as faith leaders, elected officials, and anyone who’s involved in our children’s lives."

Neither of them commented, however, on the proposed Safe Schools Improvement Act, which would mandate that all schools receiving federal funds adopt policies for how they handle bullying.

White House aides did not respond to requests for comment on the proposed law.

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President Barack Obama and his wife will welcome the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday March 11 to fete their NHL champsionship last year.

From the White House:

"Following the ceremony, First Lady Michelle Obama, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, and USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean will preside over a street hockey workout and clinic on a rink set up on the South Lawn of the White House.

"The clinic for local youngsters, which will be conducted by members of the Blackhawks and Washington Capitals, is part of a new collaboration between Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative, the NHL and USA Hockey to encourage American children to lead active and healthy lives and continues the President’s tradition of sports champions serving in the community as part of their visit.

"Earlier in the week, members of the team and Blackhawks staff will also visit troops and their families at Walter Reed Army Medical Center."

The Obama family marked Martin Luther King day Monday with a visit to the Stuart Hobson Middle School in Washington.

First, the audience sang Happy Birthday to Michelle Obama, celebrating her 47th.

"All right," she said after the sing.  "Let's get to work. This is embarrassing."

With both daughters along, the Obamas toured the cafeteria, talking with people from several different social programs, all organized by Greater DC Cares’ Mentoring Matters Initiative.

"This is just a outstanding program, an example of what Martin Luther King's birthday should be all about," Obama told reporters afterward.

"Dr King obviously had a dream of justice and equality in our society but he also had a dream of service, that you could be a drum major for service, that you could lead by giving back to our communities. That's what this program is all about."

More staff turnover at the White House - this time on the East Wing side. Susan Sher, chief of staff for First Lady Michelle Obama since June 2009, is leaving at the start of the new year to go back to Chicago. Sher, who also served the Obama administration as an adviser on health care policy and a Jewish community liaison, is a close friend of Michelle Obama, and a return to her family in Chicago was anticipated. The White House said a search for her replacement is under way and had not been decided.

Think President Barack Obama is worried about the upcoming midterm elections? Or the economy? Or anything? This may provide some answers ...

President Obama is ramping up his fund-raising, speechmaking appearances for Democrats ahead of the election. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs gave a rundown this morning.

On Friday, Obama will campaign in Delaware for Senate candidate Chris Coons. Saturday, he's in Massachusetts for Gov. Deval Patrick.

This coming Sunday, it's two stops in Ohio - for Gov. Ted Strickland in Cleveland and for the Democratic National Committee in Columbus. The Columbus rally also will feature First Lady Michelle Obama - the couple's first joint campaign appearance since the 2008 campaign, Gibbs said.

Gibbs said the joint appearance would help "get a big crowd and have some energy . . . you’ve got young people at Ohio State University, crucial base turnout in the African-American community."

Next week means stops for the president in Oregon, Washington state and California; in Nevada for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid; then to Minnesota and Rhode Island.

The most famous house in America is getting solar panels on its roof.

The White House announced today that more than 30 years since Jimmy Carter put solar on the White House roof and nearly 25 years after Ronald Reagan had them taken down. Carter's solar panels, though, were on the West Wing. These will be the first one's on the First Family's residence.

The Obamas will get their hot water and part of their electricity from solar once they're in.

The Department of Energy said the White House solar panels will be a demonstration project to show that "American solar technologies are available, reliable, and ready for installation in homes throughout the country."

Energy Secretary Steven Chu blogged about it this morning here and said in a news release: "This project reflects President Obama's strong commitment to U.S. leadership in solar energy and the jobs it will create here at home. Deploying solar energy technologies across the country will help America lead the global economoy for years to come."

There's currently a 30 percent federal tax credit and various state and local government incentives for residential solar power. The Department of Energy has information about state solar incentives here.

Bill McKibben, the founder of the group 350.org, which plans a 10-10-10 "global work party" for local climate change solutions, started a letter-writing campaign to get the White House to go solar. He drove to Washington from Maine with one of the original Carter panels last month to underscore the idea.

"The White House did the right thing, and for the right reasons: they listened to the Americans who asked for solar on their roof, and they listened to the scientists and engineers who told them this is the path to the future," McKibben said. And if it's anything like the White House garden, which boosted seed sales nationwide, it could be the start of a lot more solar, he said.

First Lady Michelle Obama will speak Oct. 26 at this year's "The Women's Conference" hosted by California's first lady, Maria Shriver, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Long Beach, Calif. It will be Obama's second time speaking at the conference.

While President Obama meets with leaders at the UN General Assembly next week,his wife will host a "farm-to-table" luncheon for spouses.

The Sept. 24 event will take place at Stone Barns Center in New York, the White House said today. The spouses will tour the farm and see some of the food and herbs they'll eat later at the farm's restaurant, "Blue Hill at Stone Barns." Spouses also will see a program where children farm and collect eggs. Expect the first lady to speak about sustainable foods, and probably, as always, a little about her efforts to curb child obesity.