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NYT: President Obama could be Netflix's next big signing
Given Netflix's recent list of talent deals, it's hard to imagine who they could reach an arrangement with next. According to a report by the New York Times, the streaming service is in "advanced negotiations" with former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. The exclusive content they'd produce for Netflix could include documentaries or fictional series that "align with their beliefs and values," or something where Barack would moderate discussions on hot-button topics, or Michelle could focus on something like nutrition. There's no word on how much the deal would be worth if finalized, but with $8 billion to spend this year there could be plenty of room.
David Letterman's Netflix talk show snags Obama as the first guest
While Chelsea Handler's talk show on Netflix is on its way out, the company is taking a different approach with a new attempt featuring David Letterman as shown by its first trailer. My Next Guest Needs No Introduction is scheduled for six 60-minute episodes with George Clooney, Malala Yousafzai, Jay-Z, Tina Fey, Howard Stern and President Barack Obama slated to visit. The first episode, with Obama, will arrive January 12th, with new ones released monthly. The show will take place inside and outside the studio, as Letterman returns to TV for the first time since leaving the Late Show on CBS in 2015.
Trump administration is killing its open data portal
Reversing yet another Obama-era practice, the Trump administration announced on Friday that it will not only be keeping its visitor logs secret for five years after Trump leaves office, but will be shuttering the Open.gov portal. This is where the previous administration posted visitor logs, financial disclosures and data on White House staff.
US hopes cyberattacks will stall North Korea's missile program
The US might not have had much success with cyberattacks against North Korea's nuclear program, but that apparently hasn't stopped officials from further efforts... not that they're having much success. The New York Times has learned that then-President Obama ordered escalated cyberwarfare against North Korea in 2014 a bid to thwart its plans for intercontinental ballistic missiles. However, it's not clear that this strategy has worked -- and there may be problems if it does.
How to follow the Obamas after they leave the White House
As President Obama prepares to leave the White House, his team must gather up not only his physical belongings, but the tweets, blog posts and other online content produced over the last eight years. Such a bevy of accounts and internet discourse is not simple to shift, so the White House has outlined exactly what will move where tomorrow. To keep up with the outgoing President, you'll need to follow @BarackObama on Twitter, facebook.com/BarackObama and instagram.com/BarackObama. First Lady Michelle Obama will take a similar position online, posting with the @MichelleObama handle on Twitter and Snapchat, facebook.com/MichelleObama and Instagram.com/MichelleObama.
The Obamas bid farewell with a VR White House tour
President Obama and his family have just a few more days left in the White House, but they're not leaving without one more surprise. Together with Facebook's Oculus, they've filmed a virtual reality experience where they guide you through the building's iconic rooms. Dubbed The People's House (which is also a nickname for the White House) it'll serve as both a remote tour for people who might never make it to Washington, D.C., and a reminder of the Obamas' legacy.
Obama expands the NSA's ability to share data with other agencies
The National Security Agency is now able to share raw surveillance data with all 16 of the United States government's intelligence groups, including the Central Intelligence Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Homeland Security and Drug Enforcement Administration. These agencies are able to submit requests for raw data pertaining to specific cases, and the NSA will approve or deny each request based on its legitimacy and whether granting access would put large amounts of private citizens' information at risk. Previously, the NSA would filter information for specific requests, eliminating the identities of innocent people and erasing irrelevant personal data. That's not the case any longer.
Obama opens investigation into cyber attacks on US election
President Barack Obama has ordered an investigation into cyber attacks and foreign influence during the 2016 US presidential election, Reuters reports. He's asking intelligence agencies to provide a report on the issue before he leaves office on January 20th, and the review will be shared with lawmakers and other stakeholders, homeland security adviser Lisa Monaco reportedly said. Monaco added that cyber attacks may have crossed a "new threshold" this year.
President Obama doesn't plan on pardoning Edward Snowden
With President Obama's term nearly up, infamous NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden and his supporters have been campaigning for a presidential pardon. It sounds like that isn't in the card, though. In an interview with German newspaper Der Spiegel, Obama said that "I can't pardon somebody who hasn't gone before a court and presented themselves." Even if Snowden had, though, it sounds like the president believes that whistleblowers can't go rogue and expect not to face repercussions, even if what they reveal is substantive.
The next president gets Obama's 11 million Twitter followers
For the nation's first social media president, the peaceful transfer of power includes a little more than turning over the nuclear launch codes to the next Commander in Chief -- it also includes handing over access to the official @POTUS Twitter account. According to the White House, on January 20th, 2017, that handle and all of its 11 million followers will go to the nation's 45th president, while all of President Obama's tweets will be moved over to his new, official Former President account at @POTUS44.
WikiLeaks dump reveals Obama's personal email address
Hacked files published by WikiLeaks reveal that Barack Obama's personal email address in 2008, just before he secured the US presidency, was bobama@ameritech.net. The information comes via emails stolen from Hillary Clinton campaign chief John Podesta and published on WikiLeaks, CNBC reports. Messages to and from Obama's personal email account largely focus on planning his new administration (yes, before he actually won the election).
President Obama outlines vision for sending humans to Mars
This morning, CNN published a piece by President Barack Obama in which he outlines plans to get human to Mars in the 2030s. It gives a bit more detail to desires expressed by the president for years now -- he first mentioned the 2030 timeframe back in 2010. "We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space: sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth, with the ultimate ambition to one day remain there for an extended time," President Obama writes today.
ACLU and Amnesty International ask Obama to pardon Snowden
The American Civil Liberties Union and Amnesty International, two of the highest-profile human rights organizations in the United States, are calling for President Obama to grant clemency to Edward Snowden. The "Pardon Snowden" campaign kicks off today with a petition to "let President Obama know that the American people stand with Snowden." It's seeking 60,000 signatures and is hosted by the ACLU, which has signed on as Snowden's legal adviser.
Reuters: White House to appoint first federal cyber security chief today (updated)
According to Reuters, the White House will appoint Retired Air Force Brigadier General Gregory Touhill as the nation's first federal cyber security chief, a position tasked with dictating cybersecurity policy for the entire federal government. It's an announcement that's been a long time coming. After watching US networks suffer a series of embarrassing attacks last year, President Obama pledged to shore up federal cybersecruity efforts, creating a Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity and announcing a Cybersecurity National Action Plan. The latter promised to create a Federal Chief Information Security Officer to help protect US systems from future threats. General Touhill, it seems, is our man.
White House will host a 'South by South Lawn' fest in October
Both President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at the South by Southwest festival this year, and apparently they enjoyed it so much they're bringing a mini version to the White House. The first-ever "South by South Lawn" will take place on October 3rd and will have the same three components SXSW is known for: Interactive, Film and Music.
President Obama delivers an ode to America's national parks in VR
The first virtual reality film to feature President Obama is, not surprisingly, a love letter to some of America's greatest treasures: its National Parks. Together with Oculus, National Geographic and the VR studio Felix & Paul, the President filmed Through the Ages, a VR experience meant to celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service.
BuzzFeed: Twitter secretly censored tweets during Obama Q&A (updated)
As part of a larger piece examining Twitter and its widescale user harassment problem, BuzzFeed News has reported that tweets were secretly filtered out and censored for President Obama in 2015. Ahead of a "town hall" question and answer session, Dick Costolo -- then Twitter CEO -- reportedly ordered staff to develop an algorithm that would strip out abusive language directed at the President. It was perfected, BuzzFeed claims, after analysing "thousands" of vulgar tweets. Citing anonymous sources, the site says a media partnerships team manually censored tweets, due to a belief that the algorithm wouldn't be up to scratch.
You can now message President Obama on Facebook
President Obama is no stranger to social media, and now the leader of the free world is making it even easier to reach him on the world's largest social network. In a Facebook post today, the White House announced you can now send them a note via Messenger, exactly as you might send a message to friend.
Recommended Reading: President Obama, Commander in Nerdiness
Obama to leave the White House a nerdier place than he found it Gardiner Harris, The New York Times President Obama has accomplished a lot of things during his eight years in office. One of the causes he's championed is science and STEM education. The New York Times takes a look at how the commander-in-chief is leaving the Oval Office a much nerdier place than he found it with science fairs, advisory committees and more.
White House outlines how the US will respond to cyberattacks
The US government is understandably worried about cyberattacks as of late, and it's now setting some ground rules for how it responds to those digital intrusions. A newly approved Presidential Policy Directive details just how officials will coordinate responses to hacks and other "cyber incidents." including its basic principles, outlining procedures and creating mechanisms that link the actions that link government divisions. Provided everything goes according to plan, officials would not only learn to share responsibility and resources when fending off attacks, but better understand the risks associated with a given crisis.
