Easter Egg Roll Smaller, Limited to Troops’ Kids

The White House Easter egg roll will be closed to the public this year and replaced with a smaller event for children of troops involved in the Iraq war. About 12,000 parents and children will be invited to the April 21 event, compared with the usual crowd of 40,000, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

“It’s reduced as a result of the security situation,” he said. “It was decided to do it to honor those who are serving, families who are sacrificing, the children who haven’t seen their fathers -- to bring some joy to their lives.”