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Archives for December 2015

Smart, Stylish, and Seventeen

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Rachel Greenberg has known Dominic Doyle since elementary school. That’s almost as long as he’s been an entrepreneur, going into business with his cousin while still in the 5th grade.

“I told myself at a young age, ‘I’m not going to work for anybody, I’m only going to work for myself.’ And that was the inspiration, that pushed me. That gave me the motivation to start something early so that when I’m out of college there’s no fumbling around looking for a job, looking for a beginning,” said Doyle.

Greenberg recently interviewed her classmate for her podcast, Volta Insider. Doyle is known at school for his moves on the basketball court but few classmates know he designs t-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts and other apparel, during his free time.

“Their first reaction is ‘What? What are you talking about?’” said Doyle. “They’re surprised because they didn’t expect that…I’m just another high school student just trying to get to college and get a good education.”

Doyle and his cousin Luke Kennedy have loved skating and surfing since they were kids. They fed their habit by throwing yard sales to sell used basketball jerseys and old bicycles. Soon they decided to build a business using their growing interest in skate and surf style as inspiration.

In 2010, they created DK Skate which meshed the laid-back “California” lifestyle with edgy urban fashion. A couple years later they changed the name to DKS Apparel when they decided to expand the line of “threads” they offered and make them more than skate/surf centric. Doyle is the chief designer.

“I’ll be at my house just designing different clothes every single night, thinking of new designs, thinking of new fabrics that we could do, ways that we could manipulate the shirt in a way that it hasn’t been done before. And still stay fashion forward,” said Doyle.

Though Kennedy is now in college, the two are determined to keep the business growing. Doyle credits his parents with inspiring him to want to be his own boss.

“They’ve been supportive. The first time I brought the idea up, they loved it,” said Doyle. “They liked seeing me find something that I love and want to make that what I worked for.”

Doyle also wants to be successful so that he can continue to give back to the community, having already given away thousands of dollars to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Wounded Warrior Project, Children’s National Medical Center and others.

“I feel great givers are great getters. What I like to do is give back,” said Doyle. “Wounded Warriors, it inspires me because anybody who puts their life on the line, put their limbs on the line to protect us and keep this country strong, I want to do all I can because they risked their life for people that they don’t even know.”

DKS Apparel items are all made in the USA and can be found at www.dksapparel.com and skate shows around the D.C. – Virginia – Maryland area. Doyle believes his designs are made for everyone and currently there are no different sizes for men and women. He wants DKS Apparel to be fashionable and affordable.

“I don’t believe in making a $200 t-shirt because I want to make fashion. You know, we are high quality apparel, but I also want it to be affordable for people…I want it to be affordable while also maintaining the style and still setting those trends,” said Doyle.

The next step for this budding entrepreneur? One more year of high school – and to become a number one trendsetting fashion company.

“We want to be that company that is, ‘oh they just dropped a t-shirt – we have to get it, we have to get it,’” said Doyle. “The ultimate goal is to get to the top and be the ones who everyone follows off of. You know, we set the trend and then everyone starts saying ‘oh, we should do that, too.’ We just want to reach the highest point we can get, and keep growing off of that.”

You can subscribe to Volta Insider on AudioBoom or iTunes.

Volta Insider interview with Dominic Doyle, co-founder of D-K-S Apparel

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For the latest episode of the Volta Insider podcast, Rachel Greenberg interviews her St. Andrews classmate, Dominic Doyle. Dominic is a high school basketball star and the co-founder of clothing brand D-K-S Apparel.

Dominic and his cousin Luke have always loved skating and surfing, and in turn their interest in skate and surf style have become a fundamental part of who they are. In 2010, they decided to combine their passions and turn it into a label, D-K-S Apparel.

In this episode of Volta Insider, Dominic tells Rachel what it’s like to be a young entrepreneur, his creative vision for D-K-S, and what his teammates think of his side occupation.

Watch the video or download the podcast on AudioBoom or iTunes. Let Rachel know what you think on Twitter at @VoltaInsider.

Larry Wilmore to Host 2016 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

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On April 30th Larry Wilmore will host the 101st White House Correspondents’ Dinner. The White House Correspondents’ Association has selected Comedy Central’s “Nightly Show” host to headline the star-studded event featuring President Obama.

WHCA President, Carol Lee, said of Wednesday’s announcement, “Larry’s edgy, even provocative, brand of humor means he’s certainly up to the task of skewering politicians of all ideological stripes, and we don’t expect the nation’s news media to escape unscathed, either.”

Halperin & Heilemann Twice as Nice! MSNBC to Re-Air “With All Due Respect” Weeknights at 6pm

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Bloomberg’s flagship politics show will find a second home on MSNBC. The channel will re-air “With All Due Respect”, featuring Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, will continue to air on Bloomberg weeknights at 5pm. Starting in January MSNBC will fill up the 6pm vacancy left by Al Sharpton’s “Politics Nation” with a re-airing of Halperin and Heilemann’s show, which has been expanded from its original 30 minutes to a full hour.

Andrew Lack, of NBC News and MSNBC, released a statement saying, “I’ve known and respected Mark and John’s work for many years. Collaborating with them on our air will strengthen our already deep and experienced political lineup as MSNBC heads into a pivotal election year.”

Justin B. Smith, Bloomberg Media CEO, said of the announcement, “This is a natural extension of the Bloomberg Politics brand for us. ‘With All Due Respect’ has been a strong multi-platform success story, and we welcome this opportunity to expand its reach to new audiences through this partnership with MSNBC.”

New Leaders of the Press Pack! Pew Says Traditional Reporters Outnumbered, New Era in Capitol Hill Journalism

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A new study from Pew Research Center found that reporters from niche outlets and digital news publishers outnumber daily newspaper reporters, marking a shift in the makeup of the press corps from previous years. Pew reports that the number of journalists on the Hill that produce local coverage fell from around 200 in the mid-90s to just under 60 by 2015. As of 2014, 32% of reporters in the Senate Press Gallery were daily newspaper publications, in contrast to the 37% of reports from digital and niche publications.

The evolution in the makeup of the Washington press corps signifies a shift in the ways Americans consume news. So called “digital-native” outlets have increased from just 2 in 2009 to over 70 in 2014. According to Pew, “Reporters for broad-interest news websites have only emerged in the Washington press corps in recent years. These are outlets such as The Huffington Post and Buzzfeed that publish on a daily basis and aim for a general audience.”

In an effort to understand the implications for local communities, Pew studied coverage of the federal government in eight local newspapers from across the United States, four of which maintain DC reports on staff and four that don’t. Their findings reveal that 71% of stories from DC reporters contained quotes directly from a member of Congress, three times more than the rate at which reporters outside the Beltway did.

Pew also found that non-DC reporters are much more likely to tie stories from the Hill to the implications they might have for citizens, while DC-based reporters were more likely to address the the impact a particular story had on the politicians involved. The study claims that the dwindling number of DC-based reporters and the increasing reliance of wire-based services makes it more difficult for local publications to deliver clear and consistent coverage of politicians on the Hill.

The results of the poll can be found here: http://www.journalism.org/2015/12/03/todays-washington-press-corps-more-digital-specialized/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=6316aa58cd-Weekly_Dec_3_201512_3_2015&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-6316aa58cd-399587233

Iowa Tossup: Cruz doubles support from October in new Quinnipiac poll, moves within margin of error with Trump

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Photo by Matthew Staver, Bloomberg

In a new Quinnipiac University poll of likely Iowa Republican caucus participants, Ted Cruz has moved to second place with 23%, doubling his support from October. The Texas senator has now moved within the margin of error of frontrunner Donald Trump, who received 25% of support. Ben Carson’s numbers have fallen dramatically since October, down 10 points, from a high of  to 18%, while Senator Marco Rubio’s support remains static at 13%. Jeb Bush received 4% of support, just one point above Senator Rand Paul.

Quinnipiac finds near-universal opposition from Iowa Republicans when it comes to accepting Syrian refugees into the US, with likely voters siding 5-1 in opposition. Iowans think Trump is best when it comes to economic issues (49%), and combating terrorism (30%), while 24% of likely caucus-goers say Cruz is best at tackling foreign policy.

Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll said of the race, “Last month, we said it was Dr. Ben Carson’s turn in the spotlight. Today, the spotlight turns to Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. The Iowa Republican Caucus has become a two-tiered contest: Businessman Donald Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson lead on the outsider track, and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio lead among party insiders.”

Bloomberg Politics reporter John McKormick says, “even after months of candidate visits and millions of dollars in campaign ads, many Iowa Republicans interviewed this week don’t seem anywhere close to making their final decision, even though the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses are less than two months away.”

With less than two months till the February 1st Iowa caucus, the air war in the Hawkeye State is ramping up. The months of October and November have seen the biggest number of campaign ads as the race tightens. In light of the shifting polls, expect even more ad spending in Iowa as the date of the caucus nears.

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Elizabeth Warren’s COS to run DSCC’s Independent Expenditure Arm

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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has selected Elizabeth Warren’s Chief of Staff and 2012 campaign manager, Mindy Myers, to run committee’s IE. Myers also ran Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal’s successful 2010 campaign, as well as Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s winning 2006 race.

Myers, who was also a staffer in Bill Clinton’s presidential administration, will be assisting Democrats in their efforts to reclaim a majority in the Senate in 2016, where 34 seats will up for grabs, including 7 held by Republicans in states President Barack Obama won in 2012.

Speaking to the Boston Globe, Elizabeth Warren said of Myers’ departure, “Mindy has been wonderful and I can’t overstate the positive influence she’s had over the last four years. I’m incredibly grateful to Mindy — for helping me win the Senate seat and for working every day to help me use this seat to level the playing field for hard-working families.” Myers will continue advising Senator Warren as a consultant.

Chrys Kefalas announces U.S. Senate run during On the Record with Greta Van Susteren

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During an “On the Record with Greta Van Susteren” appearance, Chrys Kefalas announced his candidacy to represent Maryland in the U.S. Senate.

The race is for retiring Senator Barbara Mikulski’s seat. Kefalas, a Republican, comes from a Greek-American Baltimore family of lifelong Democrats. He served as an aide and speech writer for former Attorney General Eric Holder and was legal counsel to former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich.

In 2011, Kefalas testified in support of a same-sex marriage bill that was before a Maryland Senate subcommittee. He would become the first openly gay Republican elected to either house of Congress if he were to win the 2016 general election.

Watch his campaign announcement video.