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Archives for January 2013

Interview with Mallory Hagen, Miss America 2013

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Mallory Hagen spoke this morning on Fox News with Gretchen Carlson, but she began her interview reign with WHC Insider’s Tammy Haddad last Saturday. Hagen was named Miss America in Las Vegas and we spoke with the Brooklyn, New York resident who tap-danced and talked about toughening gun laws during the 92nd annual Miss America Pageant on the ABC Network.

She began her college education in her birthplace Auburn but moved to New York four years ago to find herself and restarted college. Mallory previously competed in the Miss America Outstanding Teen program three times and the Miss New York competition twice before calling herself “a bit of a bridesmaid until now.” Her stunning white dress that wowed the studio audience cost $400, less than her prom dress. Mallory’s mother, a dance instructor, told the WHC Insider she knew when she was pregnant with her that one day her daughter would be Miss America.

Chelsea Clinton Named Honorary Chair for Day of Service

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The Presidential inaugural Committee announced that Chelsea Clinton will act as an Honorary Chair for the 2013 Day of Service.

“We are thrilled that Chelsea Clinton will play such a critical role in mobilizing Americans across the country to take part in the National Day of Service,” said PIC President and CEO Steve Kerrigan. “Through her work with the Clinton Foundation and her recent efforts to help communities impacted by Hurricane Sandy, Chelsea sets a remarkable example for serving and strengthening our country. As Honorary Chair, she will be instrumental in helping lead the President’s call to service and growing this important tradition.”

Politico rounds up Clinton’s quotes from earlier today on CNN:

“I’m proud to be the honorary chair of the National Day of Service happening this Saturday, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and legacy. It’s the perfect way to kick off the inauguration weekend because anyone can participate, and we know that when we work together, we will achieve more than one person could on his or her own.

President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, members of Congress and their families will be rolling up their sleeves at service projects in our nation’s capital. But you don’t have to be in Washington to get involved. From repairing fire-damaged homes in Colorado and cleaning sidewalks in Detroit to spending time with children with disabilities in New Orleans, every state will offer opportunities to volunteer.”

“There is no more fitting way to mark a presidential inauguration than a day of service,” said Chelsea Clinton. “Coming together as a country to strengthen our communities has always been part of the American spirit. I am deeply grateful that President Obama and his administration have put service at the center of the Inauguration weekend and I am proud to be part of a nation-wide service effort, honoring the service and legacy of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and building a brighter future for all of us.”

Diane Sawyer Names Miss Montana as ABC's Person of the Week

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Miss Montana on stage, Thursday January 10th, at preliminaries at Planet Hollwood, Las Vegas.

Miss Montana Alexis Wineman will be Diane Sawyer’s Person of the Week tonight on ABC’s World News. The 18-year old Miss America hopeful appeared earlier today on Good Morning America discussing how she’s the youngest contestant in the 92-year history of the pageant and growing up with autism.

As the days lead up to the competition airing on the ABC network Saturday, January 12 at 9 p.m. there are already a few winners among the women. Miss North Dakota (Rosie Sauvageau) and Miss Washington (Mandy Schendel) received the awards for Talent and Lifestyle & Fitness, respectively, on Thursday night. Of course, its up to the judges to make the tough decision. This year, the Miss America All-Star judging panel includes “Dancing with the Stars'” Cheryl Burke, Mary Hart, Daymond John, GMA’s Sam Champion, designer Bradley Bayou and Olympian McKayla Maroney.

Here are all the Judges on Thursday being taught how to not betray their favorites with a little help from Maroney being “not impressed“:

The judges will get to show the rest of the world how impressed they are tomorrow night during the live broadcast from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

Alicia Keys, fun., Smokey Robinson and More To Play Inaugural

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The Presidential Inaugural Committee released a short-list today of the artists performing for the Kids’ Inaugural Concert. It will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on Saturday, January 19, and is the same venue as the official Inaugural ball on Monday, January 21.

The events will include appearances by Alicia Keys, Brad Paisley, Far East Movement, fun., members of the cast of Glee, John Legend, Katy Perry, Marc Anthony, Mindless Behavior, Nick Cannon, Smokey Robinson, Soul Children of Chicago, Stevie Wonder and Usher.
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Obama Would Probably Chose The Horse-Sized Duck

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President Barack Obama made the toughest decision of his political career when he managed to break Reddit during the 2012 campaign. He’d fight the horse-sized duck. Maybe.

The answer is just as strange as the question, but since it’s a staple meme on Reddit it comes as a surprise to no one. Buzzfeed released another chapter from their upcoming campaign e-book, “Panic 2012: The Sublime and Terrifying Inside Story of Obama’s Final Campaign.” The chapter is dedicated to the day that Obama took to Reddit on his own AMA, or Ask Me Anything. The president showed the importance of “being yourself” on social media, but only days later did his digital campaign team notice one forgotten question: would he fight 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck?
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Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Resigns Before Inauguration

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Susan Axelrod, Secretary Solis, Wendi and Rupert Murdoch,

Hilda Solis, the 25th secretary of labor, resigned this afternoon according to Buzzfeed.

The resignation is abrupt as almost no one saw it coming. In their examination of Obama’s second-term cabinet, Politico mused “There’s not much discussion about Hilda Solis — who did not play a significant campaign role despite being a Latino woman with deep connections to unions. Labor isn’t seen as a department that’s likely to face a change soon[.]”

She previously served in the House of Representatives from 2001 until her appointment as Secretary in 2009.

Update: the official statement from President Obama:
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Obama 2 Inauguration Speakers Announced

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The Presidential Inaugural Committee keeps rolling out the announcements as they figure out how to handle getting more tickets to people who had planned to purchase on line. Here is today’s release.

WASHINGTON, DC — The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) announced today that Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams has been selected to deliver the invocation and Rev. Louie Giglio has been selected to deliver the benediction at the Inaugural swearing-in ceremony of President Obama and Vice President Biden on Monday, January 21.

President Obama was involved in the selection of participants in the Inaugural program, including Mrs. Myrlie Evers-Williams and Rev. Louie Giglio.

“Vice President Biden and I are honored that Myrlie Evers-Williams and Rev. Louie Giglio will participate in the Inaugural ceremony,” President Obama said today. “Their voices have inspired many people across this great nation within the faith community and beyond. Their careers reflect the ideals that the Vice President and I continue to pursue for all Americans – justice, equality, and opportunity.”

“I am humbled to have been asked to deliver the invocation for the 57th inauguration of the President of the United States—especially in light of this historical time in America when we will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement,” Myrlie Evers-Williams said today. “It is indeed an exhilarating experience to have the distinct honor of representing that era.”

“It is my privilege to have the opportunity to lead our nation in prayer at the upcoming inauguration in Washington, DC,” said Rev. Louie Giglio. “During these days it is essential for our nation to stand together as one. And, as always, it is the right time to humble ourselves before our Maker. May we all look up to our God, from whom we can receive mercy, grace and truth to strengthen our lives, our families and our nation. I am honored to be invited by the President to lead our nation as we look up to God, and as we look ahead to a future that honors and reflects the One who has given us every good and perfect gift.”

Historically, Inaugural Ceremonies are not held on a Sunday because Courts and other public institutions are not open. This year, in accordance with the requirements of the United States Constitution, President Obama and Vice President Biden will officially be sworn in on Sunday, January 20, 2013. The following day, Monday, January 21, 2013, a ceremonial swearing-in that is open to the public will take place on the West Front of the United States Capitol.

The official swearing-in ceremony on Sunday is being planned by the PIC. The ceremonial swearing-in on Monday is overseen by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

Myrlie Evers-Williams Biography
Myrlie Evers-Williams served as the chair of the NAACP from 1995 to 1998. The widow of Medgar Evers – the NAACP’s Mississippi Field Secretary who in 1963 was gunned down in the driveway of his home in Jackson, Mississippi – she fought for 30 years to bring his assassin to justice, and preserves his legacy through the Medgar Evers Institute. An author of three books about their civil rights’ work, she currently serves as a distinguished scholar at Alcorn University in Lorman, Mississippi. Evers-Williams became the first black woman to head the Southern California Democratic Women’s Division. She has received 16 honorary degrees from leading colleges and universities in addition to numerous civil rights, human rights and community awards.

Reverend Louie Giglio Biography
The Reverend Louie Giglio is the pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and the founder of Passion Conferences, a movement gathering college-aged young people since 1997 in events across the country and around the world. Most recently, Passion hosted more than 60,000 people at Passion 2013 in the Georgia Dome, uniting students in worship and prayer and raising awareness about modern-day slavery, human trafficking. In 2008, Louie and his wife Shelley led the team that planted Passion City Church, a local community of faith with the spirit of the Passion movement. Their desire is to inspire this generation to live for what matters most.

The Ticketing Mistakes and Quadrennial Loss of the 2013 Inauguration

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Chances are you don’t have a ticket to the 2013 Inaugural Ball. You can all thank technology.

As the Washington Post reports, “People who had signed up to attend the Inaugural Ball at the Washington Convention Center received e-mails Sunday from Ticketmaster that said tickets would go on sale Monday. It told recipients that they would receive a link sometime Monday with an exclusive link to buy a limited number of tickets for $60 each. But instead, e-mails went out hours later with a link to the Web site to buy them.”
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Hillary Clinton Returns to "Rodham" and Helmets

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A new year means a new beginning for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, even if she is on the way out and into a much needed vacation. The New York Times looks at secretary Clinton’s return today as an overall description of her non-stop work schedule:

“Over the past four years, she was on the road for 401 days and spent the equivalent of 87 full days on a plane, according to the State Department’s Web site.In one 48-hour marathon in 2009 that her aides still talk about, she traveled from talks with Palestinian leaders in Abu Dhabi to a midnight meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, then boarded a plane for Morocco, staying up all night to work on other issues, before going straight to a meeting of Arab leaders the next morning.“

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Nate Silver To Break Internet Tomorrow During Reddit AMA

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If you throw questions about narwhals and wizards at Nate Silver on the Internet, will he answer? At least he will tomorrow.

The FiveThirtyEight blogger/statician announced yesterday that he’ll be taking tomorrow on Reddit’s AMA. There’re already nine posts heralding the overlord of the Internet and wondering if he’ll answer whether he really is a witch. People like to speculate on Silver’s predictions being mixed with magic after late-night photos featuring one of the many hats he wears.
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