Brazil emerged early Wednesday from a widespread power outage that plunged its major cities and at least nine states into darkness for hours, prompting security fears and concern from residents about another black eye for a country hosting the 2016 Olympic Games.

The challenges facing mayor Eduardo Paes were underscored by a wave of violence over the weekend which left 14 people dead.

Chicago’s defeat in the Olympics sweepstakes has prompted great silliness. Conservatives mock the presentations made by the Obamas (which were, as George Will noted, preposterous). Liberals blast George Bush for alienating the universe. We think Rio won because it made the best bid and because South America never has hosted an Olympics and the time has come. Blame it on the bossa nova, in other words.

Each sport received majority support by the International Olympic Committee after presentations by top athletes including Tiger Woods, who has indicated he would play in the Olympics if golf were accepted for 2016.

Spain’s king and prime minister went to Copenhagen to press Madrid’s bid to host the 2016 summer Olympics. Japan’s prime minister spoke on behalf of Tokyo. Brazil’s president made the case for Rio de Janeiro. Barack Obama probably could not have won. If he had not made a personal appeal on behalf of Chicago, the peanut gallery would have blamed Chicago’s failure on his absence. Because he and Michelle Obama made a pitch for the Windy City, the loss is said by some to symbolize his geopolitical impotence.

With one embarrassment behind her and another on the way, Stephanie Streeter decided to leave the U.S. Olympic Committee before she was pushed out.

President Barack Obama had a message yesterday for the many people—including himself—who put “heart and soul” into Chicago’s losing bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. “You can play a great game and still not win,“ Obama said at the White House shortly after returning from Copenhagen, where his in-person plea did not put Chicago over the top. “Although I wish that we had come back with better news from Copenhagen, I could not be prouder.“

President Barack Obama’s spokesman says Obama is “disappointed” that Chicago lost out on getting the 20016 Olympics but not sorry he went to Copenhagen to personally appeal for the Games.

The International Olympic Committee was choosing the host of the 2016 Olympics on Friday, after hearing a deeply personal and rousing appeal from President Barack Obama to select his adoptive hometown Chicago over Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and Madrid.

The Olympics are the greatest of the world’s sports events, and the site for the 2016 Summer Games will be Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro or Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee votes Friday. The vote here is for Chicago. Imagine athletes from every part of the globe riding the ‘L’ in Chicago. Imagine mixing and mingling on Michigan Avenue with high jumpers from Australia and hammer throwers from the Ukraine.

NEW YORK—President Barack Obama’s decision to travel to Copenhagen to boost Chicago’s chances of winning the 2016 Olympics has drawn criticism from some Republicans, who call it a boondoggle for Obama’s hometown allies and evidence the president has blurred his priorities. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele denounced the visit on a conference call with reporters yesterday. He called it “noble for the president to pitch his home city, Chi-town,“ before the International Olympic Committee on Friday. But Steele said it was a distraction from more pressing issues such as health care, job creation and other urgent demands on Obama’s time.

Sorry, golf is not an Olympic sport. Any sport that has its own channel, has a country club aura and is on television almost every weekend does not fit the description of an Olympic sport. Badminton, now there’s an Olympic sport. Tomorrow, the International Olympic Committee will announce the two sports it will add for the 2016 Summer Games.

International swimming holds the attention of sports fans once every four years, during the Olympics. So, it was a bit of a shock to watch the Beijing Games and see men and women stand on the starting blocks wearing slick black wet suits. As a fashion statement, it was da bomb. As a competitive statement, it was troubling. In the 2008 Olympics, 25 world records were broken in men’s and women’s swimming. Since then, 21 more world records have been set.

Ethan Radtke, a socially conscious senior at James River High School in Chesterfield County, had doubts that track and field Hall of Famer John Carlos would accept an invitation to speak at his school. Carlos proved him wrong yesterday. Carlos, who won the 200-meter bronze medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, and gold medalist Tommie Smith stunned the world during the medal ceremony while “The Star-Spangled Banner” played and the U.S. flag was raised.

SAN FRANCISCO—Kellogg Co. has donated thousands of boxes of cereal with Michael Phelps’ picture on them to the San Francisco Food Bank. Kellogg last month declined to renew it’s endorsement deal with the Olympic swimming star after a photo surfaced showing him apparently smoking from a marijuana bong. Food bank executive director Paul Ash says he doesn’t know specifically why the cereal was donated. Kellogg officials responded to questions today with an e-mail saying the company routinely donates food that is nearing the end of its shelf life but still good.