US President Barack Obama [official website] on Sunday approved legislation which would provide for a single chief executive to oversee non-military, international media. The law [text], which some claim may harm journalistic independence, will restructure [RFE/RL report] the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) [official website]. Specifically, the president will now appoint an advisory board which will be without decision-making powers, giving such decision-making powers to a president-elected CEO who will require Senate approval. Those in opposition to the legislation claim the law will “impinge on editorial firewalls between the outlets and the government.” Despite these concerns, current BBG CEO John Lansing [official profile] has stated “no change to the firewall between the federal government and the journalists of our five networks.” President Obama himself, in commenting on the matter, said the law would “streamline[] BBG operations and reduce[] inefficiencies, while retaining the longstanding statutory firewall, protecting against interference with and maintaining the professional independence” of the BBG’s journalists and broadcasters.

The Obama administration has been taking several steps to preserve its legacy before the President-elect takes office in January. Earlier this week Obama announced a ban [JURIST report] on offshore drilling as a preemptive opposition to the Trump administration. Earlier this month the Obama administration challenged [JURIST report] a federal judge’s decision to block the implementation of a new overtime pay rule. President-elect Trump’s views on immigration have been a source of contention for many city officials. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel [official website] delivered a letter [JURIST report] in early December to US President-elect Donald Trump signed by many US mayors warning of the potential economic losses Trump could cause if he repeals Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) [official website]. In November New York Governor Andrew Cuomo [official website] unveiled statewide initiatives to combat [JURIST report] hate crime and protect civil rights in response to the increase in hate crimes following the November 8 election.