Names and faces

■ The White House appears to be back in Vogue’s good grace s . Ji l l Biden , the first lady, will appear on the cover of the August issue of the magazine, continuing a tradition that Anna Wintour, the magazine’s editor, had paused during the Trump presidency. In interviews with writer Jonathan Van Meter, Jill Biden said the mood of the country had changed with President Joe Biden’s election. “During the campaign, I felt so much anxiety from people,” she said. “When I travel around the country now, I feel as though people can breathe again. I think that’s part of the reason Joe was elected.” For almost a century, the Vogue treatment has been a perk of the first ladyship. Michelle Obama was featured on the cover three times. Hillary Clinton was featured once as first lady and another time as a Democratic presidential candidate. Lou Henry Hoover, Eleanor Roosevelt, Mamie Eisenhower, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush have all graced the magazine’s pages. Melania Trump, who had been featured on the cover as part of a feature on her marriage to Donald Trump, was informally barred from the magazine by Wintour, who, when asked about featuring Trump in the magazine, said in 2019 “I don’t think it’s a moment not to take a stand.” Melania Trump, who often hit back at critics through her official spokeswoman, quickly responded: “To be on the cover of Vogue doesn’t define Mrs. Trump. She’s been there, done that long before she was first lady. Her role as first lady of the United States and all that she does is much more important than some superficial photo shoot and cover.”

■ The Virginia Department of Transportation gave a shout-out to rapper and actor Chris “Lu d a - cris” Bridges and his new “Fast and Furious” movie while also trying to get motorists to slow down — a move that gained traction on social media in recent days. Then Ludacris took notice. The Virginia department posted “Driving fast and furious? That’s Ludacris” on overhead electronic message boards to promote a safety campaign. He wrote on Instagram that he was surprised to see the sign and asked if the message should be on every highway. Then he said, “Virginia I love you back!” Ludacris has more than 13 million followers on Instagram. Virginia Department of Transportation officials answered, saying “We (heart) you too!” The department followed up Monday afternoon: “Even Ludacris & the entire TheFastSaga team know that sometimes you just gotta drop your speed & #SlowDown. Let’s all #DriveSafely, friends!” The movie, “F9: The Fast Saga,” opened Friday.

Ludacris

Biden