Michelle Obama goes undercover in an artful coat

The fitted-through-the-bodice, navy-blue coat that first lady Michelle Obama wore to Monday's inaugural ceremonies was a work of art.

And we can thank Allentown-bred designer Thom Browne for the expertly tailored, perfectly darted custom piece of outerwear.

"It's overwhelming," the 48-year-old designer said in an interview with the New York Times from Paris, where he showed his latest men's collection Sunday. "It is one of those rare moments in someone's career that you will always remember. There's not a word that can really describe it. It's just amazing."

Browne, who went to William Allen High School, said he designed the coat with a belt made from the same fabric. However, the first lady pulled the look together with a wide, jeweled J. Crew belt. It worked.

In fact, when the temperature is around 30 degrees, the coat becomes a woman's most important fashion accessory. Obama could have worn a burlap sack underneath because what was on top was delightful. Other notables: Jill Biden's Lela Rose metallic trench with a distinctive bow; the black-and-gray coat with a brooch and silver scarf worn by Myrlie Evers-Williams, who gave the invocation; Sasha Obama's iris wool coat by Kate Spade New York; and Malia's purply-pink J. Crew coat.

 More from J. Crew: Obama's hot pink-almost purple leather gloves and light-blue pumps. Yet the very prepared (and smart) woman switched into a pair of navy suede boots with smooth-leather toes by former Coach designer Reed Krakoff for the long, and chilly, day ahead.

Under her coat, Obama wore a Thom Browne A-line dress with navy-blue piping against a patterned loden, pink, and white triangle print. Over the dress, she wore a navy cardigan. She appeared fresh in her new bangs and long lashes.

The overall look was soft yet powerful, feminine but with a couture menswear feel. It was simple, yet royal.

Browne may not be a household name, but 12 years ago, he introduced his signature men's suit - flat-front pants that stop at the ankles and two-button jackets that stop at the wrist. Shrinking the classic, boxy silhouette effectively forced men to change the way they thought about fit. When he launched his women's-wear line in 2010, the silhouette dominated those tailored pieces, too.

It makes sense that Obama likes Browne's work - she wore a Browne piece to the Democratic National Convention as well as to one of last year's debates - because she embraces unconventional cuts. Some call her the first lady of the too-high waistline. But it's her somewhere-between-empire-and-the-natural-waist that makes her look so fashion forward.

In fact, it's that twist on classic pieces that makes them modern, whether her boatneck is off-center or her pants stop at the ankle.

"I thought the lines on that coat really flattered her figure," said Clara Henry, director and chair of the department of fashion design at Philadelphia University. "The patterns worked well with the eye and it texturally all went together. The pieces were individual, but there was a wholeness to it."

Obama's coat was fashioned from a silk jacquard, the same kind used in a men's tie - a nod both to mixed media and her ability to blend roles as first lady, mom-in-chief, and no-nonsense activist.

As a family, the blues and purples made the Obamas look majestic, even subdued. And their rich-hued coats were statement pieces, unlike the candy-colored outerwear that merely complemented the dresses they wore four years ago. Back then, Michelle Obama's lime-green suit by Isabel Toledo said "We're new." This year's blues and purples - historically the colors of royalty - send a message that they've settled into their roles.

Speaking of blues, this weekend the Obama women also wore shades of blue - in the Blue Room of the White House, where the president was officially sworn in Sunday. The women wore contrasting tights and gloves, so the simple cuts and deep colors popped with pizzazz.

"I do think the whole, overall tonal blue was really nicely done," Henry said. "There was a serenity and a calmness."

Super Bowl XLVII: Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh try to take focus off sibling rivalry, keep it on Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers

John Harbaugh and little brother Jim shared a bedroom for 16 years and fought like any two highly competitive boys who were just 15 months apart, which terribly upset their mother Jackie, who expected better behavior.

The guys may have taken it a step too far by putting tape across the middle of the bedroom with the implied threat that if either crossed to the other side he was looking for big-time trouble. They’ve grown up a bit since then as you would expect — John is 50, Jim is 49 — and their hug after Super Bowl XLVII in 12 days, when this very unique story line plays out, will be genuine.

They are best friends. After Jim’s 49ers beat the Falcons on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, they boarded their charter plane back to the West Coast. Jim settled into his seat and watched on television as his brother John and Ravens beat the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.

John had his news conference at 4 p.m. Monday in Baltimore and Jim was at the podium one hour later in Santa Clara and their message was the same: Put the focus on the Ravens and 49ers, not on them. Of course, they realize that is not going to happen.

Jim and John each said they had not spoken since their teams made it to the Super Bowl. Jim did say they had been texting, which is the new talking.

John likes reading about history, so he was able to put this HarBowl into perspective.

“It’s not exactly like Churchill and Roosevelt,” he said.

What’s the fuss, he wanted to know.

 “We’re not that interesting,” he said. “There is nothing more to learn. The tape across the middle of the room story. Okay, you got it? We’re just like any other family. We get it, it’s really cool and exciting and all that. It’s really about the team, the players.”

Jim called the matchup a “blessing and a curse. The blessing because it’s my brother’s team and also personally I played for the Ravens, worked with Ozzie Newsome and (the late) Art Modell,” he said. “The curse part would be that talk of two brothers playing in the Super Bowl and what that takes away from the players that are in the game.”

Jim played quarterback at Michigan and was a first-round pick of the Bears in 1987. He was not greeted warmly by his new teammates, who knew he was there to eventually replace the wildly popular Jim McMahon. Maybe as a way to show he was not the teacher’s pet, Bears coach Mike Ditka seemed to take particular joy in yelling at Harbaugh. He wound up bouncing around the NFL for 15 years and was actually the Ravens quarterback in 1998 after he lost his job with the Colts when Peyton Manning was drafted. John was a defensive back at Miami University who never played in the NFL before getting started on a coaching career.

Their father Jack was drafted as a running back by the Buffalo Bills in 1961 and there are reports he played for the New York Titans that season, but he is not listed in the all-time roster of the Titans/Jets. Jack went on to a long career as a high school and college football coach. Jackie and Jack’s daughter Joani is married to Tom Crean, the Indiana University basketball coach.

“We can’t put into words what it means to see John and Jim achieve this incredible milestone,” Crean said on Twitter.

When the Harbaughs coached against each other on Thanksgiving night in 2011, their parents attended the game in Baltimore. Jackie said she was rooting for a tie. The Ravens won 16-6. There can’t be a tie in the Super Bowl, of course, but Jack and Jackie will be at the Superdome.

John worked his way from special teams coach to secondary coach with the Eagles and was hired by the Ravens to replace Brian Billick in 2008. Jim was the hottest coaching candidate in the country after the 2010 season. Stanford wanted him to stay.

Michigan wanted him to come home. The 49ers, Dolphins and Broncos all wanted him. By taking the 49ers’ job, he was able to remain in his house and make the jump from college to the NFL.

They each made a gutsy move during the season that has helped get them to New Orleans. John fired offensive coordinator Cam Cameron in early December and replaced him with Jim Caldwell, a move credited with Joe Flacco’s amazing playoff run — eight TDs and no INTs. Jim kept Alex Smith on the bench after he had recovered from a concussion and stayed with Colin Kaepernick, who has been tearing up the league.

Everything the Harbaughs have touched lately has turned to gold.

“They are extremely well-coached, I would have to say,” John said. “I am proud of him and what he has accomplished as a coach, but more so as a man — as a family man, as a father, as a husband, as a brother and son.”

“He’s a great football coach,” Jim said. “I’m very proud of my brother. I love him.”

Just don’t cross to the other side of the tape in the old bedroom.

RIM extends BB10 port-a-thon after dev stampede

Developers have ported another 19,000 apps to BlackBerry 10, leading Research in Motion (RIM) to extend the deadline for its various programs aimed at encouraging coders to commit to its platform.

As we noted last week, a previous port-fest saw 15,000 apps readied for the new version of the other major fruity mobile operating system. The lure for developers is $US100 in hand for each app they port, plus a guarantee that if an app cracks $1,000 in sales RIM will guarantee $10,000 in revenue, making up the difference itself if needs be.

Those schemes appear to be working, as the company has extend the deadline for submitting newly-ported apps until February 8th. RIM's VP of developer relations Alec Saunders has blogged http://devblog.blackberry.com/2013/01/extending-the-deadline-for-built-for-blackberry/ that the level of interest in the programs is “remarkable”.

Of course he would say that, wouldn't he? So it is hard to know if the scheme was always going to wind up last weekend or if a cunning plan was in place to demonstrate momentum and encourage laggards to have a go.

Either way, BlackBerry 10 seems set to launch with at least 34,000 apps, an impressive number for a new platform. Even Windows 8 (on the desktop) launched with only about 9,000.

RIM has bled market share in recent years, leading many observers to suggest Black Berry is a bet the company release. With 34,000 apps in the can, it certainly doesn't look like a dying platform, nor does life as a zombie look entirely terrible.

Feds highly likely to join suit vs. Armstrong: AP

An attorney familiar with cyclist Lance Armstrong's legal problems said Tuesday that the Justice Department is highly likely to join a whistleblower lawsuit filed against Armstrong by former teammate Floyd Landis, The Associated Press reports.

CBS News has learned senior officials at the Justice Department have recommended that the government join that suit.

The False Claims Act lawsuit could result in Armstrong paying a substantial amount of money to the U.S. government. The deadline for the department to join the case is Thursday, though the department could seek an extension if necessary.

CBS News has learned Armstrong is in discussions with the Justice Department to return a part of the millions in taxpayer dollars received by his U.S. Postal Service team. However, the attorney told the AP, the two sides have very divergent views on the amount.

Armstrong has also indicated a willingness to testify against others involved in illegal doping, sources tell CBS News.

According to the attorney, who works outside the government, the lawsuit alleges that Armstrong defrauded the government based on his years of denying use of performance-enhancing drugs. The U.S. Postal Service was a longtime sponsor of Armstrong's racing career. Armstrong's U.S. Postal sponsorship prohibited illegal doping.

The attorney spoke on condition of anonymity because the source was not authorized to speak on the record about the matter.

After a decade of denial, Armstrong admitted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey taped Monday that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France, CBS News has learned. The interview is to be broadcast Thursday on Winfrey's network.

Separately, the government of South Australia state said Tuesday it will seek damages or compensation from Lance Armstrong in light of his confession to Winfrey.

South Australia Premier Jay Weatherill said the state would seek the repayment of several million dollars in appearance fees paid to Armstrong for competing in the Tour Down Under cycle race in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Weatherill said Armstrong's apparent admission changed the government's view on its entitlement to compensation.

He said Armstrong "has deceived the cycling community around the world" by repeatedly denying he used performance-enhancing drugs during a career in which he won the Tour de France seven times.

NY seals 1st state gun laws since Newtown massacre

New York lawmakers agreed to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation and the first since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, and now dare other states and Washington to follow

"This is a scourge on society," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday night, six days after making gun control a centerpiece of his progressive agenda in his State of the State address. The bipartisan effort was fueled by the Newton tragedy that took the lives of 20 first graders and six educators. "At what point do you say, 'No more innocent loss of life.'"

Sen. Jeffrey Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference in the Senate, said it is landmark legislation. "This is not about taking anyone's rights away," said Klein, a Bronx Democrat. "It's about a safe society ... today we are setting the mark for the rest of the county to do what's right."

The measure, which calls for a tougher assault weapons ban and restrictions on ammunition and the sale of guns, passed the Senate 43-18 on the strength of support from Democrats, many of whom previously sponsored bills that were once blocked by Republicans. The Democrat-led Assembly gaveled out before midnight and planned to take the issue up at 10 a.m. Tuesday. It is expected to pass easily.

The governor confirmed the proposal, previously worked out in closed session, also would mandate a police registry of assault weapons, grandfathering in assault weapons already in private hands.

It would create a more powerful tool to require the reporting of mentally ill people who say they intend to use a gun illegally and would address the unsafe storage of guns, the governor confirmed.

It was agreed upon exactly a month since the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy.

"It is well-balanced, it protects the Second Amendment," said Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos of Long Island. "And there is no confiscation of weapons, which was at one time being considered.

"This is going to go after those who are bringing illegal guns into the state, who are slaughtering people in New York City," Skelos said. "This is going to put people in jail and keep people in jail who shouldn't be out on the street in the first place."

Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers noted most bills had been pushed by Democrats in past years, but bottled up by Republicans.

"The Senate Democrats were proud to provide the votes to make this crucial package possible," said Stewart-Cousins, leader of the traditional Democratic conference. "The fact is, the bills passed today should have been enacted a long time ago."

Cuomo said he wanted quick action to avoid a run on assault rifles and ammunition as he tries to address what he estimates is about 1 million assault rifles in New York state.

Republican Sen. Greg Ball called that political opportunism in a rare criticism of the popular and powerful governor seen by his supporters as a possible candidate for president in 2016.

"We haven't saved any lives tonight, except one: the political life of a governor who wants to be president," said Ball who represents part of the Hudson Valley. "We have taken an entire category of firearms that are currently legal that are in the homes of law-abiding, tax paying citizens. ... We are now turning those law-abiding citizens into criminals."

Under current state law, assault weapons are defined by having two "military rifle" features spelled out in the law. The proposal would reduce that to one feature and include the popular pistol grip.

Private sales of assault weapons to someone other than an immediate family would be subject to a background check through a dealer. Also Internet sales of assault weapons would be banned, and failing to safely store a weapon could be subject to a misdemeanor charge.

Ammunition magazines would be restricted to seven bullets, from the current 10, and current owners of higher-capacity magazines would have a year to sell them out of state. An owner caught at home with eight or more bullets in a magazine could face a misdemeanor charge.

In another provision, a therapist who believes a mental health patient made a credible threat to use a gun illegally would be required to report the incident to a mental health director who would have to report serious threats to the state Department of Criminal Justice Services. A patient's gun could be taken from him or her.

The legislation also increases sentences for gun crimes including the shooting of a first responder that Cuomo called the "Webster provision." Last month in the western New York town of Webster, two firefighters were killed after responding to a fire set by the shooter, who eventually killed himself.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Thomas Libous of Broome County voted against the bill and said it was a tough vote for upstate Republicans.

"I have had thousands of emails and calls," Libous said. "I have to respect their wishes." He said many of constituents worry the bill will conflict with the Second Amendment's right to bear arms while others anguish over shootings like at Newtown, Conn., and Columbine, Colo.

The closed-door meetings prompted about a dozen gun workers to travel more than two hours to Albany to protest the legislation they say could cost 300 to 700 jobs in the economically hard-hit Mohawk Valley.

"I have three small kids myself," said Jamie Rudall, a unionized worker who polishes shotgun receivers. "So I know what it means, the tragedy ... we need to look at ways to prevent that, rather than eliminate the rights of law-abiding citizens."

In the gun debate, one concern for New York is its major gun manufacturer upstate.

Remington Arms Co. makes the Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle that was used in the Connecticut shootings and again on Christmas Eve when the two firefighters were slain in Webster. The two-century-old Remington factory in Ilion in central New York employs 1,000 workers in a Republican Senate district.

Assemblyman Marc Butler, a Republican who represents the area, decried the closed-door meetings by Senate Republicans and the Democratic majority of the Assembly as "politics at its worst."

The bill would be the first test of the new coalition in control of the Senate, which has long been run by Republicans opposed to gun control measures. The chamber is now in the hands of Republicans and five breakaway Democrats led by Klein, an arrangement expected to result in more progressive legislation.

Former Republican Sen. Michael Balboni said that for legislators from the more conservative upstate region of New York, gun control "has the intensity of the gay marriage issue." In 2011, three of four Republicans who crossed the aisle to vote for same-sex marriage ended up losing their jobs because of their votes.