By Mark Kennedy, Entertainment Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Michelle Obama is launching a Netflix children's food show with a pair of puppets "to bring a bit of light and laughter to homes around the world."
The new show, called "Waffles + Mochi," launches March 16 and will be "all about good food: discovering it, cooking it, and of course, eating it," the former first lady posted on Instagram on Tuesday. The 20-minute episodes will combine live action and puppets, and Obama will be a series regular.
The show centers on two best puppet friends who dream of becoming chefs and travel across the world looking for ingredients and making dishes "alongside renowned chefs, home cooks, kids and celebrities," according to a press release from the show.
"Kids will love it, but I know that adults will also get plenty of laughs — and some tips for the kitchen," Obama wrote. "In many ways, this show is an extension of my work to support children's health as first lady — and to be quite honest, I wish a program like this had been around when my girls were young."
The show is produced by Higher Ground Productions, the production company owned by Obama and her husband, former President Barack Obama. In 2018, the Obamas signed a multi-year agreement with Netflix. Michelle Obama released her Netflix documentary "Becoming" in May. The former first lady is also host of "The Michelle Obama Podcast" on Spotify.
California governor signs law to protect children from social media addiction
California will make it illegal for social media platforms to knowingly provide addictive feeds to children without parental consent beginning in 2027 under a new law Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Friday.
California follows New York state, which passed a law earlier this year allowing parents to block their kids from getting social media posts suggested by a platform's algorithm. Utah has passed laws in recent years aimed at limiting children's access to social media, but they have faced challenges in court.
The California law will take effect in a state home to some of the largest technology companies in the world. Similar proposals have failed to pass in recent years, but Newsom signed a first-in-the-nation law in 2022 barring online platforms from using users' personal information in ways that could harm children. It is part of a growing push in states across the country to try to address the impacts of social media on the well-being of children.
"Every parent knows the harm social media addiction can inflict on their children — isolation from human contact, stress and anxiety, and endless hours wasted late into the night," Newsom said in a statement. "With this bill, California is helping protect children and teenagers from purposely designed features that feed these destructive habits."
The law bans platforms from sending notifications without permission from parents to minors between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., and between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from September through May, when children are typically in school. The legislation also makes platforms set children's accounts to private by default.
Opponents of the legislation say it could inadvertently prevent adults from accessing content if they cannot verify their... Read More