White House Correspondents Insider
Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.
Chris Licht, Vice President of Programming for CBS News and former Executive Producer of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, will be celebrating the release of his new book What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life tonight at The Jefferson Hotel in Washington, DC. The reception was hosted by Constance Milstein, Jon Meacham, Kevin Sheekey and Tammy Haddad.
Here are some photos if you missed the live stream of the event:
Chris Licht, former “Morning Joe” Executive Producer, returned to the familiar MSNBC set to talk about the near-fatal cerebral hemorrhage he suffered more than a year ago after a “particularly challenging morning” at work.
Licht wrote about the experience in the newly released book “What I Learned When I Almost Died: How a Maniac TV Producer Put Down His BlackBerry and Started to Live His Life.”
The hard-charging producer told hosts and friends Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski about the “pop” he heard in his head while riding back to his Washington hotel that April morning. He was just 38 years old.
The married father of two says the experience helped him streamline and get rid of all the clutter, finding time for the things that matter in life. Licht admits that leaving “Morning Joe” for his new gig as VP of Programming at CBS News was part of the experience, learning it was time to take chances.
Check back to WHCInsider this Thursday at 7:00PM where you can watch Jon Meacham‘s interview with Chris Licht LIVE. To read an excerpt from the book click here and watch the “Morning Joe” interview below:
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Looks like CBS News is readying its team for 2012. Corbett B. Daly has been named Deputy Politics Editor for CBSNews.com, joining Politics Editor Kevin Hechtkopf, Reporters Brian Montopoli, Stephanie Condon and Lucy Madison, and Associate Producer Christine Delargy.
Daly will help coordinate and implement coverage of the White House, Congress and key political battles. Daly will also contribute to CBSNews.com’s Political Hotsheet and Washington Unplugged.
“We look forward to tapping Corbett’s talent and extensive reporting experience as we gear up for the 2012 campaign,” said Dan Farber, editor-in-chief of CBSNews.com.
Daly recently worked as an economics correspondent for Reuters. Previously he was Washington Bureau Chief, where he created the Thomson Financial News Washington bureau of a real-time financial newswire to cover major U.S. economic and political developments for financial market professionals.
It’s hard to top a visit from the Queen of England, but President Obama did just that as he began his European tour in Moneygall, the hometown of his Irish ancestors. An American genealogist discovered Obama’s Irish roots back in 2007, tracing the connection on the president’s maternal side. Moneygall is about 90 miles from the capital city of Dublin.
It’s been almost 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was warmly welcomed to Ireland; he called his 1963 journey to the emerald isle “the best four days of my life.” Obama gave a rousing address to an estimated crowd of 100,000 people at Trinity College, the same location at which President Clinton spoke back in 1995.
For more on the president’s homecoming read the Washington Post’s story here.
Unfortunately, the president will be cutting his trip to Ireland short in order to avoid flying in the ash cloud released by an Icelandic volcano. Looming volcanic ash sounds like a good excuse to throw back a pint of Guinness, although it appears the president didn’t need much arm-twisting when he toasted his “fellow” Irishmen.
Junior Statesmen Foundation and Junior State of America alumni and friends gathered at the Arlington home of Dan Meyers and Kevin Latek last week to hear a presentation from the CEO of the Junior Statesmen Foundation, Jeff Harris. The event was held to raise awareness of the Junior Statesmen organization, which provides opportunities to educate high school students on the American political system throughout the DC area.
“Our challenge is getting high school students to be excited about their government, their chance to participate, their chance to make a difference,” said Harris. “JSA is all about giving high school students the skills, the knowledge that they need to become active, involved participants in our democracy for the rest of their lives.
Mike McCurry, the former Press Secretary to President Clinton and JSA alum, co-hosted the “friendraiser” along with fellow JSA veteran Dan Meyers, Rich Galen, Sarah Hoffman, Junelle Cavero, Andy Green and Tammy Haddad. He told the gathering that his first and only political campaign was through the Junior Statesmen of America Foundation while he was still in high school. McCurry ran for the position of Junior Governor of California, which he won.
“[JSA] is a program unlike some of the others that I think many [people] are familiar with… this one actually allows people to be involved, get involved, and really learn by doing,” said McCurry.
Dan Meyers joined the JSA when he was a student in Ohio. Today, he serves on the JSA board and sees it as his way of giving back to the foundation for the support it gave him throughout his high school years.
“The foundation is something that is very close to my heart,” Meyers said. “It’s something that inspired me to get involved in politics.
Guests included JS Board members Doug Bailey, Chris Dunn, JSA staff alum David Mark, Susan Sher, the former FLOTUS Chief of Staff, Jessica Stuart, Junelle Cavero, CEO of Blue Knot Strategies LLC; the divine Chris Edwards, wowed the crowd with the families fabulous Edward Marc Chocolates.
Check out photos from the event below:
Some of the biggest names in the news business complained about the relationship between the White House press corps and the Obama White House accusing the press of being too deferential to President Obama.
Former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry moderated a panel on the 50th anniversary of the first televised presidential news conference which was conducted by John F. Kennedy. Panelists included Sid Davis, Haynes Johnson, Don Larrabee, John Palmer, and Sander Vanocur.
When talking about the current press corps, Davis said, “I don’t like today’s news conferences” with the president. Kennedy’s, he says, were “thoroughly unrehearsed, natural and they worked to a large extent.” Today’s versions, he adds, “look like they are rehearsed.”
U.S. News and World Report’s Paul Bedard reported on the forum; to read his full story, click here.
Watch the full interview hosted by PBS NewsHour’s Miles O’Brien with questions from Google Moderator:
Commander Mark Kelly will give his first interview from space to Google, You Tube and PBS NewsHour. Anchor Miles O’Brien will use questions submitted through Google Moderator… To read Matt Dornic’s take, click HERE.
WHC Insider would like to welcome the New York Times back to TV. Producers have been using your material for years, its about time you joined the TV game again. Todd Purdum’s show from your partnership with the Discovery Channel is still a favorite.
Click here to read the full story courtesy of The Cutline.
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