Archive for the ‘Obama’ Category

Sorry Sean Spicer, Trump’s Inauguration Garners 7 Million Fewer Viewers Than Obama’s – Forbes


Forbes
Sorry Sean Spicer, Trump's Inauguration Garners 7 Million Fewer Viewers Than Obama's
Forbes
Using the same measurements, Barack Obama's 2009 inauguration drew 37.7 million viewers, which was the second biggest audience to Ronald Reagan's in 1981. The first Richard Nixon inauguration and Jimmy Carter's inauguration also garnered more ...
Donald Trump Inauguration Draws 30.6 Million Viewers, Fewer Than Obama in 2009Variety
Trump inaugural TV ratings lower than Obama, Reagan: reportThe Hill (blog)
TV Ratings: Trump Inauguration Sinks 18 Percent From Obama's in 2009Hollywood Reporter
Los Angeles Times -Bloomberg
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Sorry Sean Spicer, Trump's Inauguration Garners 7 Million Fewer Viewers Than Obama's - Forbes

What happened to Obama’s White House website? – CNN

Simultaneous with the formal transfer of power that occurred on the steps of our nation's Capitol, the entire White House digital presence was changed over.

As a result, it appeared to Internet users that the Obama administration had vanished -- tweets and all. Numerous social media posts noted Friday afternoon that former webpages that hosted White House policies on climate change and LGBT rights were no longer available.

At the same time, White House Twitter accounts like the @POTUS, @FLOTUS, @VP, @PresSec and @WhiteHouse were changed to match their new owners.

The switchover was planned as part of the formal presidential transition, as the National Archives and Records Administration prepared to preserve all the material from the Obama administration.

"Similar to the Clinton and Bush White House websites, President Obama's WhiteHouse.gov will be preserved on the web and frozen after January 20th and made available at ObamaWhiteHouse.gov," former White House digital staffer Kori Schulman wrote. "The incoming White House will receive the WhiteHouse.gov domain and all content that has been posted to WhiteHouse.gov during the Obama administration will be archived with NARA."

Trump's new White House website already had several policies posted on it, including about trade, law enforcement, energy and foreign policy.

The National Records and Archives Administration preserves documents and material from the US federal government of historical significance going back to the nation's founding, including the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

Obama, his wife and advisers created new Twitter accounts, and the @POTUS and @FLOTUS accounts were transformed around noon on Friday with pictures of Trump and his wife, Melania, and cleared of previous tweets. Followers were migrated.

Already the new administration had continued one tradition started by the Obama White House -- receiving citizens' petitions.

Within hours, two petitions had been created on We The People -- to release Donald Trump's tax returns and for him to fully divest from his business interests.

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What happened to Obama's White House website? - CNN

‘Saturday Night Live’ Says Goodbye to Obama By Singing ‘To Sir, With Love’ – NBCNews.com

On the first "Saturday Night Live" of the Trump administration, cast members chose to bid adieu to President Barack Obama not with one last sketch, but a song.

At the conclusion of the episode hosted by Aziz Ansari cast member Cecily Strong, standing in front of a large black-and-white portrait of the now former president, sang "To Sir, With Love," the theme to the 1967 movie of the same name in which a group of students serenade their beloved teacher, played by Sidney Poitier.

Strong is soon joined by Sasheer Zamata to vocalize the rest of the song.

At the end of the song, the duo held up a cup. "We got you a mug. It says 'World's Best President,'" Strong said.

"Thank you. Don't go," Zamata chimed in.

NBC/SNL

The screen then faded to black with the message: "Thank you, President Obama."

The moment was reminiscent of another recent musical goodbye in which Kate McKinnon dedicated Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" to Hillary Clinton the candidate she had spent the past year and a half portraying on the show after the senator's surprise loss to Donald Trump.

Although Obama hadn't been spoofed on the show since the

The real Obama has turned up on the show just once. In November 2007, he

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'Saturday Night Live' Says Goodbye to Obama By Singing 'To Sir, With Love' - NBCNews.com

Barack Obama says Democrats need to get smarter about tech taking jobs – Recode

Barack Obama is taking a quick vacation after leaving office Friday. But before he handed over the keys to the Oval Office, he urged his fellow Democrats to pay attention to job automation.

For his last interview as president, Obama sat down Wednesday with Pod Save America, a podcast hosted by four of his former aides: Jon Favreau, Dan Pfeiffer, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor. He told them that he expects advancements like driverless Uber will be followed by job automation in office buildings across the country.

We, I think, probably have to be more creative about anticipating about whats coming down the pike, Obama said. Automation is relentless and its going to accelerate.

You saw just what happened to retail stores, sales this past Christmas, he added. Amazon and online sales is killing traditional retail, and whats true there is going to be true throughout our economy.

The former president said politicians on the left need to listen to the real economic fears of Trump voters and be a little bolder in how they try to solve those problems. He wondered if the solution might be a job-sharing economy so that everybody has work, because it turns out that work is not just about finances, but its about dignity and feeling like youve got a place in the world.

Heres the full audio of the podcast interview. Below that is a transcript of Obamas remarks about tech.

We all want free and fair trade, and you can argue about negotiations with China, or taking a tougher stance with Mexico, or what have you, but the fact is and the data just shows this the jobs that are going away are primarily going away because of automation. And thats going to accelerate. Driverless Uber and the equivalent displacement thats going to take place in office buildings across the country is going to be scary for folks. Which means were going to have to start thinking about where the jobs come from, and how much government involvement is there in the marketplace, and do we have a job-sharing economy so that everybody has work, because it turns out that work is not just about finances, but its about dignity and feeling like youve got a place in the world? How do you pay for that? If more and more people are working in the service sector, how do we make sure that theyre getting paid enough? In addition to making an argument that, If you want a better deal, then you better start unionizing and organizing, cause otherwise youre going to get screwed, in addition to making the argument that if youre in the service sector right now, you should be fighting for a higher minimum wage cause across the board, everybody in the service sector is going to be better off ... In addition to those traditional arguments, we, I think, probably have to be more creative about anticipating about whats coming down the pike. Automation is relentless and its going to accelerate. You saw just what happened to retail stores, sales this past Christmas. Amazon and online sales is killing traditional retail, and whats true there is going to be true throughout our economy.

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Barack Obama says Democrats need to get smarter about tech taking jobs - Recode

Where is Obama? Somewhere warmer than DC – USA TODAY

USA Today Network Christopher Weddle, Kristen Hwang, Anna Rumer, Brett Kelman and Skip Descant, The (Palm Springs, Caif.) Desert Sun Published 12:47 p.m. ET Jan. 21, 2017 | Updated 18 hours ago

Former President Barack Obama delivered final remarks after President Donald Trumps inauguration Friday, speaking briefly before leaving to vacation in California with former First Lady Michelle Obama. Time

Former President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle wave as they board an Air force jet to depart Andrews Air Force base in Maryland and head to Palm Springs on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017.(Photo: Steve Helber/The Associated Press)

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. Former President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, arrived in Rancho Mirage around 8 p.m. PT Friday after inclement weather changed their travel plans.

Their 10-car motorcade pulled into the gated community of Thunderbird Heightswhile three dozen onlookers cheered through a downpour of rain.

Dozens of people in Palm Springs waited hours to glimpse the former president and first lady, but their hopes were dashed when a storm system diverted the Obamas flight from its planned trajectory, said Tom Nolan, executive director of the Palm Springs International Airport.

They landed instead at March Air Reserve Base near Riverside, Calif., around 5:45 p.m. PT.

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The Obamas headed to the Coachella Valley for a post-presidential vacation, following the inauguration of Donald Trump in Washington, D.C.

About an hour before rerouting to Riverside, the Obamas plane circled the valley for 40 minutes, attempting to land at the Palm Springs airport twice, according to air traffic control transmissions.

Onlookers waited under the cover of umbrellas and raincoats near the airport to watch the former president arrive in Palm Springs.

Roughly two dozen people hid under the eaves of the Palm Springs Air Museum adjacent to the airport for nearly two hours, waiting to glimpse the former president and first lady. A staff member at the museum said they had received more phone calls about the Obamas arrival on Friday than any other previous visit while they were in the White House.

Crowds hid from the rain while waiting for former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to land before being diverted due to weather.(Photo: Kristen Hwang/The Desert Sun)

Inside the Palm Springs airport at gate 15, an impromptu Obama-landing watch party broke out amongst travelers waiting to catch their own flights. About a dozen people crowded against the window of the terminal, all chatting about when they thought the plane would land.

One of those onlookers, Susan Walker from Phoenix, said she was excited to see the Obamas, whom she called fabulous people, after a tough day for many Americans.

I think theyre people to look up to and respect and I think Michelle is the most amazing woman weve ever had in the White House, said Walker, who has a 21-year-old daughter. Shes the kind of woman I want my daughter to grow up to be.

Nadine Briggs, who was flying to San Francisco, said she was thrilled to find out the Obamas were scheduled to fly into Palm Springs during the week she was staying in the valley.

I just wanna hug them and say, Thank you, she said. What a way to go out. Theyre so classy.

USA TODAY

10 things Obama dogs Sunny and Bo can do in Palm Springs

Outside in the wind and rain, hundreds of Obama supporters lined Ramon Road and Kirk Douglas Way near the Palm Springs airport.

We just want to wish him well, and thank him for Obamacare and everything else hes done for us, said Yasmin Espinoza, crouching under an umbrella. Hes been an amazing president amazing.

A crowd of people also gathered in the rain outside Thunderbird Heights, a ritzy, secluded neighborhood in Rancho Mirage where the Obamas have stayed several times during previous visits. Police vehicles circled the area in anticipation of the Obamasexpected arrival at the Palm Springs airport.

Although theformer president and first ladyarrived hours later than expected, they were greeted by a small group of about a dozen supporters, whowithstood chilly rain, to welcome their motorcade.

Among those supporterswas Adrianna Canizales, a Palm Desert High freshman.

Canizales said President Obama has been an inspiration, who proved that any barrier could be shattered. She carried flowers for Michelle Obama, an always elegant role model.

I want them to know that we care, she said. That we appreciate all they have done.

Around 1 p.m., shortly before the desert rain picked up, Obama tweeted: Michelle and I are off on a quick vacation, then well get back to work.

TheObamas departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland around 10:45 a.m. Pacific time. Michelle Obama also tweeted after leaving the nations capital, saying, After an extraordinary8 years, Ill be taking a little break. Will be back before you know it to work with you on the issues we care about.

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the Obamas would make Palm Springs their first stop after leaving office.

The president vowed to take his family to a destination that is warmer than Washington, D.C. on Friday and Palm Springs fits the bill, Earnest said. This is a community that the president has visited on a number of occasions as president of the United States. He and his family have enjoyed the time theyve spent there in the past. And theyre looking forward to traveling there on Friday.

Before departing for the Coachella Valley, Obama thanked supporters gathered at the Maryland base, saying that they proved the power of hope.

He said he and Michelle have sometimes been the voice out front but his push for changes in the country that began with his 2008 presidential campaign has never been about us. It has always been about you.

Former president Barack Obama waves as he boards a Marine helicopter on the East Front of the Capitol on Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, in Washington, after Donald Trump was inaugurated. Obama and his family are heading to Palm Springs for vacation Friday.(Photo: Evan Vucci/The Associated Press)

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Where is Obama? Somewhere warmer than DC - USA TODAY