Flappy Bert takes off after Flappy Bird, which went extinct. (Image: Sesame Workshop)
• Less than a week after the maker of the wildly popular mobile game Flappy Bird announced he would pull the plug on his creation, Sesame Workshop has introduced the browser game Flappy Bert. The gameplay, where players control a bird as it navigates Sesame Street‘s Bert among obstacles, draws heavily on the original. It’s one of several Flappy Bird clones on the market but the only one starring Bert in an 8-bit sheen.
• Today marks the premiere of a series of web video specials co-produced by PBS NewsHour and Al-Monitor, a news site featuring reporting and analysis by journalists and experts from the Middle East. The first, posting at 7 p.m. Eastern time, focuses on Syria. The 15-18 minute videos will be hosted by NewsHour Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Margaret Warner. After streaming, each episode will be posted on the PBS NewsHour and Al-Monitor websites as well as YouTube, Facebook and Roku.
• It snowed enough in Washington, D.C., to shut down the federal government, but it didn’t stop various WAMU-FM staffers from making it into the office. Local Morning Edition host Matt McClesky strapped on the skis for his commute, reports Poynter.
• PBS has received up to 2,750 calls and PBS Ombudsman Michael Getler’s office got 80 emails and calls regarding the inclusion of edgy comedian Sarah Silverman in the Makers: Women Who Made America series, according to Getler. The PBS/AOL online series and documentaries from filmmaker Dyllan McGee honor women who have shaped the country in various fields including politics, the arts, science and education.