A tiny statue of Bo, the Obama's dog, sits in front of a  White House replica made out of chocolate and gingerbread. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Jeff Lukken, the mayor of LaGrange, Ga., says Kia Motors has brought thousands of jobs to Troup County at a time when the recession hit hard. The unemployment rate in the region is above 11 percent. Kathy Lohr/NPR hide caption

Climate scientists and environmental advocates face an uphill battle as more Americans deny that global warming is real despite scientific evidence to the contrary. Here, a Greenpeace member checks the inside of a hot air balloon before it's launched in Cancun, Mexico. Luis Perez/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Box Office Mojo? Donnell Alexander's short film has gotten plenty of attention -- from everybody except the Hollywood money. Antonio Olmos hide caption

Charley Willis and his wife, Laura, in the late 1800s. Willis is credited with the original version of the classic cowboy song "Goodbye Old Paint." Courtesy of Franklin Willis hide caption