Breaking news: the White House is now tumbling through the time-space continuum! Today, President Obama and crew joined Tumblr, where the White House will be posting officially sanctioned charts, inspirational quotes, pictures of dogs, and GIFs — just like the rest of us.
In its first tumble, the White House said it created a site on the blogging platform as a part of the president's commitment to making "this the most open and accessible administration in history." President Obama invites his fellow Americans to share and submit stories, questions, and tumbling suggestions.
We'll be anxiously awaiting more tumbles from the White House, but until then, follow POPSUGAR Tech on Tumblr for more of the Internet's most shareable finds!
Jon Hamm's surprise make-out session, Robert Downey Jr. doing Gangnam, a super '90s prom date flashback, and a presidential playdate. It's time for another roundup of celebrity viral videos!
President Obama delivered an emotionally charged State of the Union address in Washington DC last night, and we're recapping the highlights in this POPSUGAR Rush.
President Obama delivered an emotionally charged State of the Union address in Washington DC last night, and we're recapping the highlights in this POPSUGAR Rush. Plus, catch up on Beyoncé Knowles's big HBO debut, Matt Damon's unconventional strike, and the winner of the Westminster Dog show!
While Washington DC is filled with musicians and celebrities this week to celebrate the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, there's a group on the ground that holds a special place in the geek heart — NASA.
While Washington DC is filled with musicians and celebrities this week to celebrate the second inauguration of President Barack Obama, there's a group on the ground that holds a special place in the geek heart — NASA. The space agency used inauguration weekend as an opportunity to let the public check out the NASA headquarters, mingle with astronauts and the team responsible for the Mars Curiosity rover, and get children excited about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education.
NASA was also at the Inaugural Parade, with full-size models of two spacecraft, the Curiosity rover and the Orion capsule. Walking with the floats were astronauts Alvin Drew, Serena Aunon, Kate Rubins, Mike Massimino, Lee Morin and Kjell Lindgren, Leland Melvin, and John Grunsfeld, along with the Curiosity team from California including Mohawk Guy Bobak Ferdowsi. Hip hip hooray for science's big day at the festivities!
The president is still selecting staff members for his second term in office, but Anna Wintour won't be one of them. According to The New York Times, White House officials told Wintour in November that the coveted ambassadorship to the United Kingdom — which she was reportedly in the running for after raising millions of dollars for President Obama's reelection campaign — would more than likely go to Matthew Barzun, chairman of the campaign's fundraising effort. As for the ambassadorship to France, Wintour "was a potential candidate . . . but is no longer seeking the appointment," the Times reported.
In a memo titled "This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For," the Obama White House formally (and finally!) responded today to a petition asking to secure the resources to begin construction on a Death Star by 2016.
In a memo titled "This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For," the Obama White House formally (and finally!) responded today to a petition asking to secure the resources to begin construction on a Death Star by 2016. Sorry, Dark Side supporters, but the administration's view is clear: it "does not support blowing up planets."
As we (and the White House) know, the real cost of building a Death Star is so high, it has 15 zeroes attached, and, for practicality's sake alone, that's one project that will not be getting the green light this year.
But that's not all! Cheekiness aside, the White House used this petition response as an opportunity to remind us of all the great space programs that are currently underway. There's the International Space Station, robots on Mars, telescopes discovering new planets, and prospects of manned missions to the moon this decade — exciting times, no matter which side of the Force you're on.
The greatest lesson, though, comes at the close of the memo: "If you do pursue a career in a science, technology, engineering or math-related field, the Force will be with us! Remember, the Death Star's power to destroy a planet, or even a whole star system, is insignificant next to the power of the Force."
Take heed, future Jedis of America, and get studying!
Playing well with children isn't at the top of the list of requirements to become leader of the free world . . . but perhaps it should be! We already knew that President Obama scored pretty well with his daughters, Sasha and Malia, but it turns out that he's not afraid to let loose and have some fun with the rest of the country's little citizens either. The Today show featured their favorite moments of the POTUS interacting with kids on its website, and we've selected our five favorite photos from the group. Click through and tell us which gets your vote!
Rumors about Anna Wintour being in the running for an ambassadorship are so strong that they've made it all the way back to Washington.
ABC reporter Jake Tapper brought up the rumor — although indirectly — at yesterday's White House press briefing, asking press secretary Jay Carney what the president looks for in an ambassador.
Carney said he was "not going to engage in speculation about possible personnel announcements," adding that the president "looks for talent, wisdom, and character in all of his appointees, and he would do that regardless of the position."
After a few follow-up questions, Tapper jokingly asked whether the president had ever seen The Devil Wears Prada.
Serious speculation that Wintour might be appointed ambassador to the UK or France arose last week when Bloomberg reported Wintour's campaign fundraising efforts for President Obama made her a top contender for the positions.
While rumors have circulated for years that Wintour would leave Vogue for a post in the diplomatic corps, "two people familiar with the matter" said Obama has considered nominating Wintour for one of the two positions. Wintour was one of Obama's top campaign bundlers in 2012, raising over $500,000 for his reelection effort through dinners and other events. The Runway to Win line of campaign merchandise — which Wintour spearheaded — raised another $40 million.
Wintour is said to be in competition with two other top bundlers, businessmen Matthew Barzun and Marc Lasry. If Obama does nominate Wintour and she makes it through Senate confirmation for either position, she'd replace Ambassador Louis Susman in London or Ambassador Charles Rivkin in Paris. Obama nominated both men for their positions after he was elected president in 2008, and neither is expected to take on a second term.
But would Wintour really leave fashion for politics? A Vogue spokeswoman told Bloomberg that Wintour is "happy with her current job," and friends of Wintour's have said in the past that she "has absolutely no interest in an ambassadorship."
