As pressure mounted against the makers of dolls named after the Obama girls, the company announced Tuesday that it would strike the names “Marvelous Malia” and “Sweet Sasha” from its Ty Girlz collection. The decision didn’t come a minute too soon for First Lady Michelle Obama, who argued that the company was merely exploiting her young daughters. Read more here.

Malia and Sasha Obama probably never dreamed that their stint as First Daughters would be so magical. They certainly never thought they’d actually meet the world’s favorite wizard, Harry Potter, but the opportunity presented itself Tuesday when Harry himself, actor Daniel Radcliffe, offered up a free tour of the Hogwarts Academy. “I’d like to take this opportunity to issue a public invitation to the Obamas that if their daughters would like a private tour of the Harry Potter set, I would be honored to be their personal tour guide,” he told The Daily Beast. Radcliffe described President Barack Obama as “everything the rest of the world liked about America and now likes again,” and he called him “both Martin Luther King and JFK. He is a symbol of progress, which is what we dig about this country. What you love about England is all the old buildings and such. The traditions. I love that, too. But this is what we want from you.” Radcliffe will soon begin filming the final installment in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. , said he was “so proud and happy” for America, calling Obama

The manufacturers of Beanie Babies is hoping to spark a toy craze like the one the dolls ignited in the late-‘90s with their latest offering, “Sweet Sasha” and “Marvelous Malia.” Ty Inc., the manufacturer, says that the big-eyed, brown-skinned huggables have the same names as President Obama’s daughters because they are beautiful – not because they look like his girls. Ty Inc. released the 12-inch plush dolls as part of the company’s “TyGirlz Collection,” introduced in 2007. The Sasha doll has pigtails and wears a white and pink dress with hearts. The Malia doll has a side ponytail and a long-sleeve shirt with capri pants. Tania Lundeen, a spokeswoman for the company, said, “There’s nothing on the dolls that refers to the Obama girls. It would not be fair to say they are exact replications of these girls. They are not.” The dolls have “real doll hair” and the suggested retail price is $9.99, Lundeen said. The dolls were introduced in early January and a limited supply has been shipped to retailers. The real-life Sasha and Malia are 7 and 10 years old, respectively.

Like their famous First Parents, Malia and Sasha Obama have also taken on a daunting new responsibility. As the nation’s First Kids, they must now endure the pressure of going through life with the whole world paying attention to their every move. After enrolling in their first day of school at Sidwell Friends in the Washington, D.C., community of Bethesda, Md., report cards, parent-teacher conferences and even slumber parties are now front-page news, quite a lot of pressure for a second- and fifth-grader. After leaving the hotel with their mother slightly after 7 a.m., Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, were whisked away in their motorcade as the cameras and crowds watched them leave.  They arrived at the school about a half-hour before school began and slipped inside a side entrance adjacent to Fannie Mae’s James A. Johnson Housing and Community Development Center.

 After school shopping for several weeks now and even considering a public school close to the White House, Barack and Michelle Obama have chosen the Sidwell Friends School for their two daughters to attend. It is a private Quaker school on Wisconsin Ave. in northwest Washington. Chelsea Clinton is an alum of the school. And both Attorney General nominee Eric Holder kids and Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s grandkids currently attend the school.  “A number of great schools were considered,” said Katie McCormick Lelyveld, a spokeswoman for Michelle Obama. “In the end, the Obamas selected the school that was the best fit for what their daughters need right now.” The school has promised privacy and security for the Obama kids.