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Tag: White House

  • White House to Kick Off International Counter Ransomware Summit

    White House to Kick Off International Counter Ransomware Summit

    The White House is preparing to kick off the International Counter Ransomware Summit Monday, an acknowledgment of ransomware’s growing threat.

    The White House is holding the second International Counter Ransomware Summit, according to AP News, hosting the EU, roughly three dozen nations, and a number of private companies.

    Ransomware has become a major problem for the private and public sectors alike. Ransomware attacks have hit supply chains, cloud providers, government agencies, food companies, universities, and more. Lincoln University was even forced to permanently shut its doors as a result of a ransomware attack.

    The White House wants to help countries and organizations better combat the cybersecurity threat. The summit will include a host of officials, including “FBI Director Christopher Wray, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo and Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.”

    According to AP News, participating countries include:

    Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, the European Commission, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, the Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Participating companies include:

    Crowdstrike, Mandiant, Cyber Threat Alliance, Microsoft, Cybersecurity Coalition, Palo Alto, Flexxon, SAP, the Institute for Security + Technology, Siemens, Internet 2.0, Tata – TCS and Telefónica.

  • White House Introduces AI Bill of Rights Blueprint

    White House Introduces AI Bill of Rights Blueprint

    The White House has introduced a blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights in an effort to address some of the biggest issues with the tech.

    Artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize countless industries and possibly society itself. The tech has alternatively been hailed as mankind’s savior or the greatest existential threat ever faced. Even when not concerned about world-ending results, many critics are still worried about inequality, biases, and privacy.

    The White House is looking to address the major concerns with AI’s growing reach via its AI Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights includes five guiding principles, excerpts of which are included below:

    Safe and Effective Design

    “Automated systems should be developed with consultation from diverse communities, stakeholders, and domain experts to identify concerns, risks, and potential impacts of the system. Systems should undergo pre-deployment testing, risk identification and mitigation, and ongoing monitoring that demonstrate they are safe and effective based on their intended use, mitigation of unsafe outcomes including those beyond the intended use, and adherence to domain-specific standards.”

    Algorithmic Discrimination Protections

    “Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should take proactive and continuous measures to protect individuals and communities from algorithmic discrimination and to use and design systems in an equitable way.”

    Data Privacy

    “Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should seek your permission and respect your decisions regarding collection, use, access, transfer, and deletion of your data in appropriate ways and to the greatest extent possible; where not possible, alternative privacy by design safeguards should be used.”

    Notice and Explanation

    “Designers, developers, and deployers of automated systems should provide generally accessible plain language documentation including clear descriptions of the overall system functioning and the role automation plays, notice that such systems are in use, the individual or organization responsible for the system, and explanations of outcomes that are clear, timely, and accessible.”

    Human Alternatives, Consideration, and Fallback

    “You should be able to opt out from automated systems in favor of a human alternative, where appropriate. Appropriateness should be determined based on reasonable expectations in a given context and with a focus on ensuring broad accessibility and protecting the public from especially harmful impacts. In some cases, a human or other alternative may be required by law.”

    Overall, the White House’s AI Bill of Rights is a major step forward and could be a boon for AI development.

  • White House: Tesla Superchargers Will Be Available to Non-Teslas Later This Year

    White House: Tesla Superchargers Will Be Available to Non-Teslas Later This Year

    The White House has published a Fact Sheet that drops some good news for non-Tesla electric vehicle (EV) owners.

    Tesla has built out the most comprehensive network of EV fast chargers, what it calls its Supercharger network. According to a fact sheet the White House published addressing the state of EV charging, Tesla will be opening up its Supercharger network to non-Tesla vehicles later this year.

    Tesla is making investments at its Gigafactory in Buffalo, New York to support the deployment of new fast charging stations to add to its fast-charging network. More than 1,600 employees work at Giga New York producing the Tesla Solar Roof and Supercharger stations, which are capable of charging vehicles up to 250 kW. Tesla is expanding production capacity of power electronics components that convert alternating current to direct current, charging cabinets, posts and cables. Later this year, Tesla will begin production of new Supercharger equipment that will enable non-Tesla EV drivers in North America to use Tesla Superchargers.

    The revelation is good news for all EV owners and will help address one of the biggest impediments to widespread adoption: range anxiety. Range anxiety and lack of access to quick charging have contributed to some EV owners opting to go back to gas-powered vehicles. In fact, a study in 2021 discovered that 20% of California EV owners ended up transitioning back.

    Tesla opening up its network could be one of the biggest practical steps to easing range anxiety.

  • Aviation Industry Appeals to White House Over 5G Concerns

    Aviation Industry Appeals to White House Over 5G Concerns

    The Aerospace Industries Association has appealed to the White House to intervene over concerns about the safety risks of 5G deployment.

    Airlines, the FAA, the FCC, Verizon, and AT&T have been in a tug-of-war over the future of mid-band 5G deployment. Verizon and AT&T are desperate to begin rolling out the $68 billion of spectrum they acquired at a recent FCC auction, but the airline industry and the FCC are worried about possible interference with airline altimeters. 

    After Verizon and AT&T rebuffed requests to delay their deployment further — past the January 5 date they had set — the industry is now appealing to the White House, according to Bloomberg.

    “We respectfully call on President Biden to intervene and delay the full implementation of C-band 5G until proper risk assessments have taken place and crewmembers are fully briefed as to the extent of the disruptions,” the group said in a statement.

    There has been no response yet from the White House.

    One thing is clear: T-Mobile is increasingly coming out an even bigger winner in the 5G wars than it already was. The company acquired a wealth of mid-band spectrum when it bought Sprint. T-Mobile’s nearly insurmountable lead in 5G was one of the main reasons its two biggest competitors spent so much money at auction. Unlike the spectrum they acquired, however, T-Mobile’s spectrum is far enough away from altimeter frequencies that it poses no risk.

  • White House Will Convene 30 Countries to Combat Cybersecurity Threats

    White House Will Convene 30 Countries to Combat Cybersecurity Threats

    The Biden administration is planning a meeting that will involve some 30 countries in a coordinated effort to combat cybersecurity threats.

    Cybersecurity has been a growing concern, and ransomware in particular has emerged as one of the most successful and dangerous forms of cybercrime. Companies and organizations of all sizes, and across all sectors, have been impacted. Especially devastating have been ransomware attacks against supply chain targets, such as the Colonial Pipeline and the JBS Foods attacks.

    The White House is preparing to organize an alliance of countries whose goal will be to fight back, according to CNN.

    “Cyber threats affect the lives and livelihoods of American families and businesses,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan told CNN.

    The alliance will work “to accelerate our cooperation in combatting cybercrime, improving law enforcement collaboration, stemming the illicit use of cryptocurrency, and engaging on these issues diplomatically.”

  • White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

    White House Wades In As Chip Crisis Poised to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion

    The White House is discussing the ongoing semiconductor crisis with companies as the auto industry is poised to lose $210 billion in revenue.

    The semiconductor crisis has taken a major toll on the auto industry, with manufacturers around the world being impacted. For example, GM recently announced it would shut down most of its American plants as a result of the shortage, and had previously said it would ship some 2021 trucks without their full complement of chips, leading to 1 MPG less than previous models.

    Companies are taking various measures to ease the shortage. Intel has said it will start producing chips for the auto industry, but warned it would take months before its first chips were produced.

    In the meantime, a report from AlixPartners is warning the crisis will cost auto makers $210 billion in revenue in 2021, exacerbated by a COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a main hub for automotive semiconductor manufacturing.

    “Of course, everyone had hoped that the chip crisis would have abated more by now, but unfortunate events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia and continued problems elsewhere have exacerbated things,” said Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners. “Also, chips are just one of a multitude of extraordinary disruptions the industry is facing—including everything from resin and steel shortages to labor shortages. There’s no room for error for automakers and suppliers right now; they need to calculate every alternative and make sure they’re undertaking only the best options.”

    At the same time, the White House is engaging with companies in an effort to determine what measures can be taken to ease the crisis. According to TheStreet, executives from Apple, Ford, General Motors, Intel, Microsoft and Samsung were expected to attend a meeting at the White House Thursday to discuss the issues.

    Unfortunately, in the short term, there appears to be no quick fixes or easy answers to the problem.

  • Robinhood Blocks GameStop Trading, Faces Backlash

    Robinhood Blocks GameStop Trading, Faces Backlash

    Robinhood has weighed in on the war on Wall Street, blocking buys of GameStop, AMC, Blackberry and others, and facing backlash for it.

    Day traders have been waging war against Wall Street, targeting stocks institutional investors have recommended shorting. The traders have been using Reddit to encourage others to buy those stocks, pumping them to record heights. GameStop surged as high as $247 from the $18 it was sitting at a couple of weeks ago.

    The end result has been staggering losses by Wall Street investors who had shorted those stocks, in many cases being forced to buy them back at much higher prices. The situation has even caught the attention of the White House and Treasury Department.

    Meanwhile, Wall Street investors have denounced the phenomenon, saying it’s not based on facts or the merits of the companies’ performance. Instead, the situation seems to be the latest example of community activism, fueled by frustration over how established institutions have done business.

    Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, Sr. made that point on Twitter:

    Stock trading app Robinhood has taken action, blocking trades of $AAL, $AMC, $BB, $BBY, $CTRM, $EXPR, $GME, $KOSS, $NAKD, $NOK, $SNDL, $TR, and $TRVG. Needless to say, users are outraged, with some filing SEC complaints and others jumping ship for competing platforms, such as CashApp.

    Robinhood may find itself reaping the same collective whirlwind Wall Street has been on the receiving end of, hurting its own business.

  • Biden Taps Open Source Dev David Recordon As White House Director of Technology

    Biden Taps Open Source Dev David Recordon As White House Director of Technology

    The Biden transition team has selected David Recordon as the next White House Director of Technology.

    Recordon is well-known in the open source community. He is one of the developers behind OpenId and oAuth, he has served as Engineering Director at Facebook and even served as the first Director of White House Information Technology under President Obama.

    Recordon made the announcement of his appointment on LinkedIn:

    I’m honored to have the opportunity to join the Biden-Harris administration’s White House senior team and am excited to both rebuild past and create new relationships with the incredible teams of career civil servants, active duty military members, and intelligence professionals who make technology work day in and day out for such an important set of missions. The pandemic and ongoing cyber security attacks present new challenges for the entire Executive Office of the President, but ones I know that these teams can conquer in a safe and secure manner together.

    Give his vast, and prior, experience, it’s a safe bet Recordon will be well-equipped for his new role.

  • Trump Administration May Restrict Global Cloud Computing Companies

    Trump Administration May Restrict Global Cloud Computing Companies

    The White House is considering an executive order that would limit how cloud computing companies can operate internationally.

    Cloud computing has experienced meteoric growth since the coronavirus pandemic, as companies have migrated workflows to the cloud in order to support a remote workforce. With the rise in popularity, however, security risks have become more of a factor.

    There is additional cause for concern when domestic cloud providers partner with providers in a foreign country—especially providers in countries such as China, that have a reputation for state-sponsored hacking.

    As a result, according to POLITICO , the White House is preparing an executive order that would give the Commerce Department the authority to “prohibit U.S. cloud providers from partnering with foreign cloud companies that offer safe haven to hackers and give the Commerce secretary the ability to ban those foreign providers from operating in the U.S.”

    Should the White House move forward with the executive order, it will no doubt ratchet up the trade war with China, and may result in further retaliation.

  • Amazon Extends Remote Work As COVID-19 Goes Out of Control

    Amazon Extends Remote Work As COVID-19 Goes Out of Control

    Amazon is the latest company to extend work from home policies amid a resurgence of COVID-19.

    With a record-breaking number of daily coronavirus cases, now topping 83,000, companies are having to make tough choices regarding a return to the office. Most recently, Microsoft announced it was pushing back a return to the office until July 2021, at the earliest.

    Now Amazon has made a similar decision, announcing that workers whose jobs permit will be able to continue working from home through June 30, 2021. In an update on the company’s blog, Amazon highlighted its commitment to employee safety:

    The health and safety of our employees is our top priority, and it will be some time before things return to normal. Accordingly, work that can effectively be done from home can continue to be done from home through June 30, 2021.

    The White House recently admitted that “we are not going to control the pandemic.” Instead, Chief of Staff Mark Meadows made it clear that vaccines and treatment options would be the focus moving forward. If the virus is truly out of control, and hope lies in a successful vaccine, it’s a safe bet many other companies will soon be pushing back their return-to-office targets as well.

  • Sophie Trudeau: White House Prepares For State Visit Of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau And His Wife

    Sophie Trudeau has some big fashion decisions to make this week.

    As the White House prepares for Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and his wife, Sophie Trudeau, every detail is being delicately handled and the finishing touches are undoubtedly being checked off.

    But, while a White House state visit is a big affair, some might be wondering just what Sophie Trudeau will wear to the state dinner.

    After all, Sophie Trudeau’s mother-in-law, Margaret Trudeau, caused such a stir with her fashion choices when she visited with her husband and former prime minister, Pierre Elliot Trudeau, in 1977.

    In fact, Margaret Trudeau, a few decades younger than her husband, caused tongues to wag when she wore a dress that was cut two inches below the knee when First Lady Rosalynn Carter and other female guests wore floor-length gowns.

    Oh, and there was a run in her hose that made her dress look “racy.”

    In answer to the wide-spread criticism, she wore a skin-tight, even shorter dress the next night.

    The state visit is not just about Sophie Trudeau’s dress choice, though.

    It’s a big deal for Justin Trudeau and Barack Obama, who share similar beliefs and policies. The two have even become friends since Trudeau’s election.

    National Security Council Senior Director for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Mark Feierstein said on Tuesday, “I think there is a developing special relationship between this president and the prime minister. Both are young leaders with similar visions. Both have a progressive vision of governing. Both are very much committed to the appropriate use of multilateral tools. Both are committed to diversity.”

    He added, “I think we’re seeing that reflected, for example, on the issues of climate change and refugees and other issues. So this will be a good opportunity for the President and Prime Minister to expand that relationship and build on that.”

    What do you think will be the highlight of Justin and Sophie Trudeau’s visit?

  • Gayle King Gives Us A Look At Super Bowl With The Obamas

    Gayle King got an opportunity to sit down with the First Couple at the White House, a day before the much-anticipated Super Bowl 50.

    The annual pre-game interview is part of CBS’ four-hour pre-game coverage of this year’s Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. Gayle King, who is the co-anchor of CBS This Morning and editor-at-large of Oprah Winfrey’s O magazine, kicked off the chat by asking the First Couple what they’re doing for their last Super Bowl at the White House.

    Mrs. Obama revealed that she has been busy making preparations for the game, “cooking all day” and working the barbecue.

    President Obama added that their Super Bowl traditions aren’t any different from most American families, in which they snack on “your basic wings, pizza, nachos, guac.” He also said that they have “a little vegetable tray that nobody touches,” to which Mrs. Obama responded, “We’re going to have two types of salads.”

    The First Lady also shared the three different ways that the Obamas approach the Super Bowl.

    Gayle King Talks to the Obamas About the Super Bowl

    “We have sort of three ways that we do the Super Bowl. We have the serious watchers. And that’s the treaty room. If you’re in that room, you’re watching the game,” said Mrs. Obama to Gayle King. “Then there’s the outside room where the kids are, where they’re kind of fooling around. They’re by the food.”

    The last room called the “champagne room” is where Mrs. Obama’s mother stays as well as people who “really don’t know what’s going” but wish to stay close to the wine.

    Afterwards, Gayle King had them play a game called “POTUS/FLOTUS,” in which they both had to complete various sentences about each other.

    They also reminisced about their first date, after Gayle King mentioned a film called Southside With You, which aimed to recount the First Couple’s love story. King teased President Obama by asking, “”You got a second date after driving that car?” – referring to his old beat-up car that he used to pick up Mrs. Obama back in the day.

    “‘Cause I’m so smooth,” joked the president. Naturally, Mrs. Obama had a witty comeback: “I thought — ‘Imma upgrade this brother.’”

    This Indie Film Is Inspired by the First Couple’s Love Story

  • The White House Just Responded to the Pardon Edward Snowden Petition – Two Years Later

    It only took two years, but the White House has finally gotten around to providing a response to a petition asking for the pardon of NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden.

    Official answer: nope.

    “As the President said in announcing recent intelligence reforms, ‘We have to make some important decisions about how to protect ourselves and sustain our leadership in the world, while upholding the civil liberties and privacy protections that our ideals and our Constitution require.’ Instead of constructively addressing these issues, Mr. Snowden’s dangerous decision to steal and disclose classified information had severe consequences for the security of our country and the people who work day in and day out to protect it,” says Lisa Monaco, President Obama’s Advisor on Homeland Security and Counterterrorism.

    “If he felt his actions were consistent with civil disobedience, then he should do what those who have taken issue with their own government do: Challenge it, speak out, engage in a constructive act of protest, and — importantly – accept the consequences of his actions. He should come home to the United States, and be judged by a jury of his peers – not hide behind the cover of an authoritarian regime. Right now, he’s running away from the consequences of his actions.”

    The original petition, on the White House’ We The People site, was published on June 9th, 2013. Here’s what it says:

    Edward Snowden is a national hero and should be immediately issued a a full, free, and absolute pardon for any crimes he has committed or may have committed related to blowing the whistle on secret NSA surveillance programs.

    The petition has garnered nearly 168,000 signatures, although it’s been closed for a while.

    “We will do our best to respond to petitions that cross the signature threshold in a timely fashion, however, depending on the topic and the overall volume of petitions from We the People, responses may be delayed,” the White House says on the site.

    This usually means 60 days from when said petition hits the signature threshold – which is 100,000 in 30 days.

    But as we’ve seen for many years, the White House isn’t that punctual.

    It did take the administration only three months to respond to the deport Justin Bieber petition, however.

  • White House Lifts Ban on Photos, Social Media Posts

    After 40 years of surreptitiously snapping photos of the White House during public tours, people can now do it out in the open.

    The White House has lifted its ban on taking photos during tours of the Presidential mansion. Not only that, but it’s now encouraging people to do so and to share the photos across social media using the #WhiteHouseTour hashtag.

    “Big news! Starting today, we’re lifting the ban on cameras and photos on the White House public tour. Visitors are now able to take photos and keep those memories for a lifetime!” said First Lady Michelle Obama in an Instagram post.

    So, you can now take selfies at the White House. Just don’t bring your selfie stick, however. That’s still banned. Tripods, videos cameras, and flash photography are also banned.

    Last year, the White House got pretty pissed at Samsung and Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz when the selfie he snapped with President Obama turned out to be a marketing ploy.

    Image via David Ortiz, Twitter

  • Racist Google Maps Searches Pointed Users at the White House

    This post contains language some may find offensive.

    I guess it’s the trendy thing to mess with Google Maps these days.

    Google has apologized and fixed what appears to be some third-party shenanigans that pointed users to the White House when racist searches were made.

    According to the Washington Post, if you typed “nigger house” or “nigger king” into the search function on Google Maps, Google would point you in the direction of the White House.

    As soon as Google was notified of this, it sprung into action.

    “Some inappropriate results are surfacing in Google Maps that should not be, and we apologize for any offense this may have caused. Our teams are working to fix this issue quickly,” said the company in a statement.

    Google has since fixed the issues, but this GIF from the Washington Post shows what happened when you searched a phrase like “nigger king”:

    Last week, Google temporarily suspended Map Maker due to a series of “pranks” executed on the platform.

    “We are temporarily disabling editing on Map Maker starting today, while we continue to work towards making the moderation system more robust. We thank each one of you who responded to us with your support and thoughtful suggestions on how to resolve this situation. We are considering all options that will help us turn on editing as soon as possible, and we will keep you posted on the progress we make,” said Map Maker Product Manager Pavithra Kanakarajan.

    Last month, pranksters put “Edwards Snow Den” inside the White House. Before that, someone put an Android robot pissing on an Apple logo near Pakistan.

    Of course, unlike this most recent “prank” involving the White House, those enjoy the benefit of actually being funny.

    Image via Cezary p, Wikimedia Commons

  • Man Arrested for Flying Drone Too Close to the White House

    Another day, another drone flying too close to the White House.

    The Secret Service arrested another person for flying something near the Presidential residence Thursday afternoon. From the New York Times:

    About 1 p.m., Secret Service uniformed officers saw a drone flying roughly 100 feet above Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, the authorities said.

    The man flying the drone complied with officers’ commands to land it, and he was arrested, they said. It is not clear whether the man intended to fly the drone over the White House.

    They checked the drone and found it contained no explosives or other dangerous materials.

    This is the second time in the last few months we’ve heard of unlawful drone activity near the White House. In January, a man crashed a drone into the White House lawn. He turned out to be a government employee, who happened to be inebriated at the time.

    And just last month, a mailman from Florida flew a gyrocopter onto the West lawn of the Capitol building. According to authorities, he was carrying a letter for every member of Congress, calling for campaign finance reform.

    Funnily enough, the Federal Aviation Administration just announced a new initiative – a “No Drone Zone” effort for Washington D.C.

    “As hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the Washington, D.C. area for their summer vacations and residents join them on city streets and at public gatherings, the Federal Aviation Administration has a clear message for everyone: Leave Your Drone at Home,” said the agency.

    It’s illegal to fly drones inside D.C., as well as within a 15-mile radius of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

    “Rules put in place after the 9/11 attacks establish “national defense airspace” over the D.C. area and limit aircraft operations – including unmanned aircraft – to those with an FAA and Transportation Security Administration authorization. Violators may face stiff fines and criminal penalties,” says the FAA.

    Image via Cezary p, Wikimedia Commons

  • Cecily Strong, Of ‘SNL’ Fame, Will Host White House Correspondents’ Dinner

    She has held her own against her peers at Saturday Night Live, but Cecily Strong will soon face her toughest challenge yet when she hosts this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

    The 31-year-old is a surprising choice to host the annual dinner. She’s not a stand-up comedian like her SNL co-host Seth Meyer, nor is she a known host like Jon Stewart.

    But what she is is a veteran at improvisation who has honed her skills at Chicago’s Second City and iO comedy theaters, a skill that should come in handy at the White House roast.

    She’s also, as the WHCA’s president Christi Parsons describes – “the nice girl who’s cutting in a way that you don’t really notice until later.” – making her perfect for delivering those zingers to the politicians and journalists in attendance.

    Among those who’ll be in attendance is Strong’s father, a former journalist who was the one the Correspondents’ Association got in touch with first. Parsons emailed him to get in touch with Cecily.

    “I thought he was saying he had been invited. So I said, “Uh, great, Dad…have fun?” the SNL mainstay said before realizing the invitation was for her.

    Despite joking that she was hoping to find an excuse to turn down the offer, Cecily admits that “it’s too exciting to say no to.”

    “I would kick myself. How many times will I get to do this again? Never—he’s not going to have anymore! He’s done being president now! I’m giving him his last hurrah,” she added.

    And giving President Obama a fitting sendoff worries the funny lady, especially since she believes he’s the “funniest president” America has ever had.

    “He’s known as an amazingly funny guy,” she admits in an interview. “You know, his timing is great. He had that moment at the State of the Union where he said, ‘Well, I should know because I won two of them.’ I’ve never said anything that cool on the spot. And so, it’s tough to follow that guy.”

  • Google Maps Exposes Snowden’s Snow Den Inside the White House

    One minute he’s in Russia – the next he’s set up shop inside The White House. This Edward Snowden sure is a character.

    If you check out the White House on Google Maps right now, you’ll see an interesting listing nestled between the Rose Garden and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden. Tucked inside the front of the Presidential home is a shop called “Edwards Snow Den”.

    Is the NSA whistleblower hiding in plain sight?

    Edwards Snow Den, according to its Google+ page, is a snowboard shop located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20500. The phone number listed is for area code (206), which is Seattle, Washington.

    Ok, so what happened here?

    Someone pulled a prank, of course.

    Google told Marketing Land:

    Google says that a user gamed its system by altering a verified Google business description after it was live on Google Maps. It said the vast majority of edits are positive in nature but a few bad actors do get through. It said this listing has now been removed, though it’s still showing up for me, at the moment. No doubt it will disappear shortly.

    And it’s pretty easy to game the system and prank Google Maps, once you have a verified listing. Just a few steps over, in the West Wing, there’s a listing for an “CCross law firm” – a business which most certainly does not exists inside the White House.

    It’s clear that Google is taking steps to remove Edwards Snow Den from the premises. The shop is no longer verified and its comical reviews – things like “Top notch info on the cheap” and “I felt so exposed, 10/10 would NSA again – are gone. But as of right now, you can still see Edwards Snow Den inside the White House.

  • Laura Dowling: Florist Clashes With First Lady’s Taste, Escorted From White House

    After being kept in the shadows for over a month, former White House chief florist Laura Dowling’s resignation has been shed some light, like sunlight on flowerbeds.

    The Washington Post uncovered on Tuesday that Dowling was “escorted from the building” on Feb.13, according to “a source with close ties to current residence staffers”. The report sparked numerous rumors on what really caused Dowling’s parting from the White House.

    Dowling started beautifying the presidential residence in 2009 when she won over retiring White House florist of three decades, Nancy Clarke, with her organic “French look” floral décor. She took to Facebook and excitedly announced, “Laura Dowling is excited and honored to be named the new White House florist.”

    Six years after, Dowling’s less formal style seems to lose popularity within the East Wing as it clash with the First Lady’s taste.

    The Dailymail.com reports further that just days before Dowling left 1600 Penn, the Old Family Dining Room had been re-opened bearing Mrs. Obama’s brand of interior design.

    Following a brief statement from the office of the first lady stating that “Laura left her position earlier this year”, an enhanced statement was officially released, maintaining, “Ms Dowling’s creations were always lively and colorful, reflecting not only the season but the unique and historic rooms which they graced. No two arrangements were ever the same and each one left guests with a lasting impression of the elegance and history of the People’s House. We are grateful for her contribution over the years and wish her well.”

    Dowling also issued a statement through Sidley Austin law firm, saying that she has “resigned in order to pursue exciting new opportunities and explore my passion for floral artistry and design.”

    “Over the next few weeks and months, I’ll be launching a new platform for my work as an author, speaker, instructor and design consultant that builds on the creative ideas and partnerships I’ve formed during my tenure there. It’s been such an honor to work at the White House and I will always be grateful for this incredible opportunity,” the statement continues.

  • Jay Carney Is Amazon’s New VP of Corporate Affairs

    Former White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has spent the last year as a contributor to CNN, but now he’s stepping back into the realm of PR.

    Politico reports that Amazon has tapped Carney to be the new Senior Vice President for Worldwide Corporate Affairs. It’s a new position – one that will put the company’s public relations and public policy divisions under one umbrella.

    From Politico:

    [Current VP of Public Policy] Paul Misener and PR chief Craig Berman will now report to Carney, who in turn will report directly to CEO Jeff Bezos. Carney will give up his post-White House perch as a senior political analyst on CNN to focus full time on Amazon.

    Carney served as Press Secretary for the Obama administration from February 11, 2011, to June 20, 2014. He replaced Robert Gibbs and was succeeded by Josh Earnest. Before heading to the White House, Carney was the Washington Bureau Chief for Time magazine.

    Image via Jay Carney, Twitter

  • Man Who Crashed Drone at White House Was Inebriated Government Employee

    We now know a little bit more about the guy who crashed a drone into the White House lawn in the early morning hours on Monday.

    The Secret Service has confirmed that the man is a government employee, who works for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. The NGA is the ” nation’s primary source of geospatial intelligence, or GEOINT for the Department of Defense and the U.S. Intelligence Community”. It employs around 14,500 government civilians, military members, and contractors.

    Also, we now know at least part of the reason he crashed the drone – he’d been drinking.

    Here’s the story, from the New York Times:

    Officials say the plan was foiled, perhaps by the wind or a tree, when the employee — who is not being named by the Secret Service — lost control of the drone. He texted his friends, worried that the drone had gone down on the White House grounds.

    Investigators said the man had been drinking at an apartment nearby. It was not until the next morning, when he woke to his friends telling him that his drone was all over the news, that he contacted his employer, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and then called the Secret Service to confess.

    The NGA has released a statement on the incident, saying that the employee who crashed the drone does not work on drones as part of his official duties.

    It’s illegal to operate personal drones in Washington, D.C. It’s not known at this time what, if any, disciplinary action will be taken against the man.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons