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White House, National Security Council Brief Influencers on Russia’s War Against Ukraine

March 11, 2022 By Rachel Greenberg

Ellie Zelier
Kahlil Greene
Marcus DiPaola

Top staffers at the White House and the National Security Council briefed social media influencers from TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram about Russia’s war on Ukraine. According to a White House official, the Thursday afternoon Zoom call included 30 of the top social media content creators chosen to receive important information and the latest news out of the region. 

The briefing was led by Matt Miller, a special adviser for communications at the White House National Security Council, as well as White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. Psaki informed the influencers about “the United States’ strategic goals in the region” and answered questions regarding aid distribution, NATO, and more. 

One White House official said that “arming content creators with factual information and answers can be a critical tool” to fight misinformation online. With this, the White House is looking to combat online offenses, as the Russian government is now paying content creators to produce pro-Kremlin propaganda content. 

These influencers were chosen because many of them have created “explanatory content about Ukraine.” With these videos generating millions of views, it is a significant information source for young people in America and around the world. Some of the briefing participants included TikTok stars Ellie Zeiler (10m), Marcus DiPaola (3.5m), Aaron Parnas (1m), Kahlil Greene (540.7k), and Jules Terpak (270.9K).


More information can be found in The Washington Post, who first broke this story.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: aaron parnas, DC, ellie zeiler, Jen Psaki, jules terpak, kahlil greene, marcus dipaola, matt miller, Media, News, russia, tiktok, ukraine, Washington

Touring the Shinola Watch Factory in Detroit

August 4, 2019 By Rachel Greenberg

Painting the watch bands at the Shinola Watch Factory in Detroit

Shinola was originally a brand of shoe polish made by the American Chemistry Corporation in the 1930s and now it is a leading global watch manufacturer. The defunct name was part of an informal lexicon carried through the generations with the oft quoted phrase, “you don’t know shit from Shinola.” The utterance of which inspired the founder, Tom Kartsois, to purchase the name and make it their own brand. But the purpose of founding Shinola was to create 100 jobs in Detroit. They first took 4 months to be trained by Rhoda AG, an independent Swiss watchmaker. Now Shinola employs 300 people. They also hire students from the CCS school. Tom Forrest, Shinola’s Brand Ambassador says he can feel the creative energy and it’s part of what makes the culture of Shinola unique.

Shinola headquarters is located in the Argonaut building in Detroit. The building has a history of its own; the GE commissioned Albert Khan office building was a research laboratory, the birthplace of the Model A. GE gave the building to the College of Creative Sciences. On the 5th floor of that design school there is a watch factory called Shinola. Before touring the factory, we sat down with the founder, Tom Kartsotis. He told us the story of Shinola, and their development: the first product was a watch. The second product was a bicycle. The second product was really important to them because they needed to keep the momentum going. Shinola partnered with the last remaining Schwinn workshop in Wisconsin to produce the “Runwell” bike. The bikes were not made a headquarters, but the watches were. Upstairs in a glass wall climate controlled lab, our tour guide pointed to each person, their name, and explained to us what part of the watchmaking process that person was handling. Technicians wore white coats and paper hair nets, it looked a bit like a chemistry setup. On the other side of the floor we toured the rest of the factory.

Downstairs, we visited a mock up store in the middle of the 5th floor, complete with orange Christmas trees seen in stores around the holidays because Shinola believes the store experience is key to their brand.

Shinola Watch factory

Bolts of leather for watch straps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As for the watches, Larry, our guide, explained that there are four components to a leather watch strap, brought together to be both flexible and durable. He showed us how the four leather parts are integrated at each stage of the process. Each part is administered by a different technician, by hand. On this side, the technicians wore long blue coats with white Shinola lettering. The employees were happy to let us watch them at work and show us what they were doing; it is clear that from the top down Shinola is committed to craftsmanship. The products also have a strong visual appeal and that is in part due to the creativity of these employees in Detroit. Shinola headquarters was less like a watch factory and more like a studio- the care and skill of these workers is an exciting part of this new era of American manufacturing.

Tammy Haddad, Megan Murphy, Shinola Brand Ambassador and Larry tour the Shinola Factory in Detroit

This is my first visit to a factory and this is a happy one with smiling employees, the smell of leather and the clang of machines punching holes in the leather straps to make Shinola’s global customers part of the re-emergence of Detroit.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Volta Insider: Barack Obama’s Democratic Convention Swan Song

August 1, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

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Barack Obama addresses the Democratic National Convention, Photo Courtesy Volta Insider

Barack Obama is an incredibly impressive orator. He speaks with grace and power, his words suffused with purpose. He has mastered a voice that exerts both authority and emotion without pontificating. There is an honesty in his cadence that slightly resembles that of Bill Clinton, a speech delivered in a style that isn’t really a speech, but more of a conversation. That night, President Obama and the American people had a conversation about something our President knows quite a bit about, the audacity of hope. And trust me, there wasn’t a dry eye in the entire arena.

I was enamored by his remarks, but it wasn’t until the crowd resurrected the famous slogan “YES WE CAN” that I was deeply affected. It was within those seconds I was, as Fitzgerald writes, “…within and without, simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life.”

I was transported eight years back, to television clips of people shouting “YES WE CAN” in massive crowds. Struck with the absoluteness of the change he has brought about and the love the American people share with him because of it.

“Time and again, you’ve picked me up. And I hope, sometimes, I picked you up, too. And tonight, I ask you to do for Hillary Clinton what you did for me. I ask you to carry her the same way you carried me. Because you’re who I was talking about 12 years ago when I talked about hope. It’s been you who fueled my dogged faith in our future, even when the odds were great; even when the road is long. Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope.”

I knew then why Barack Obama had won back in 2008. Fear is subjective, but hope is indefinite. I looked down towards the stage, at the side of his face and the corner of the podium. Compelled by the sadness in his stance that lifted a little bit in each word he spoke and the arena got smaller and smaller. As if there were not millions of people behind those big black cameras scattered among skyboxes. That speech was a love letter to this country. If Shakespeare wrote speeches for the King of England, it would probably sound something like what we heard that night. 46 stunning minutes when all I could think was: that’s my president.

Filed Under: Volta Insider Tagged With: Barack Obama, DNC, Rachel Greenberg, Volta Insider

Volta Insider: Rachel Greenberg Reflects on DNC Day One

July 27, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

Bill Clinton speaking at the DNC, Photo courtesy of Haddad Media

Bill Clinton speaking at the DNC, Photo courtesy of Haddad Media

Monday, July 25th was an exceptionally trying day for Democrats. After the media storm that followed the news that emails from top staffers in the DNC had been leaked, and the resignation of Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, things were off to a tumultuous start.

In the one-step-forward-two-steps-back relationship the Clinton campaign has with Bernie Sanders supporters, it is not surprising that some Americans don’t believe that the Democratic party is not deeply polarized. It is underestimated just how much Bernie Sanders has influenced not only the Democratic party platform, but also on the success of Hillary’s campaign. Throughout the primary season he pushed her to craft a more progressive agenda and in doing so changed the narrative of this election.

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Delegates on the floor of the convention hall, Photo courtesy Haddad Media

But in the larger picture, in the words of Donald Trump, the Republicans have a movement and in the words of Bernie Sanders, the Democrats have a revolution. The distinction between the words is telling, and speaks to the longevity of their respective party platforms. Movements come and go, but a revolution is something people seldom forget.  Regardless of who wins come November, either or both of these attempts to change establishment politics will challenge the current course of Washington.

You can check out more of my convention coverage here.

Filed Under: Volta Insider Tagged With: DNC, Rachel Greenberg, Volta Insider

Volta Insider: Paul Manafort and Reince Priebus Storm the DNC

July 25, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

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The Republicans have set up camp in enemy territory at a boxing arena in South Philadelphia where they will host a series of press conferences during the week of the DNC. Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, Reince Priebus, Chairman of the RNC, and Sean Spicer, Chief Communications Director of the RNC spoke on the record and organized a brief Q&A for the audience. Responding to questions about the DNC WikiLeaks, claiming that the Trump campaign and the RNC will not have the same problem, and do not have any involvement. The theme of their setup was “Enough” complete with dice, cornhole, and other games all “rigged” for Hillary to win as well as a poster with a “setlist” of her scandals dating back to the 1980s.

You can check out more of my convention coverage here.

Filed Under: Volta Insider Tagged With: DNC, Paul Manafort, Rachel Greenberg, Reince Priebus, Volta Insider

EXCLUSIVE: Manafort and Priebus Deny Any Possibility Trump or RNC Hacked

July 25, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

The Republicans have set up camp in enemy territory at a boxing arena in South Philadelphia where they will host a series of press conferences during the week of the DNC. Paul Manafort, Trump’s campaign manager, Reince Priebus, Chairman of the RNC, and Sean Spicer, Chief Communications Director of the RNC spoke on the record and organized a brief Q&A for the audience. Responding to a question from Tammy Haddad, CEO of Haddad Media, Paul Manafort and Reince Priebus denied any possibility of the Trump campaign or the RNC being hacked.

The theme of their setup was “Enough” complete with dice, cornhole, and other games all “rigged” for Hillary to win as well as a poster with a “setlist” of her scandals dating back to the 1980s.

You can watch the full video here.

Filed Under: 2016 election, News, News Media, The White House, Washington Insider

Volta Insider: Rachel Greenberg Reflects on RNC 2016

July 24, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

RNC Reflection (rachel)

When I landed in Cleveland last week, I had 14 pages left of Game Change.

I didn’t know what to expect, had never been to a convention before, and while the collective conjecture of a “total shitshow,” was amusing, it was not helpful. That prediction proved accurate for the first 48 hours, then escalated in the final two days, even before Ted Cruz took the stage Wednesday night.

It was mid-afternoon when a crowd assembled around the entrance of the Q, Cleveland, Ohio’s center of gravity during the RNC. I abandoned my laptop and armed myself with a camera, running outside to see what all the commotion was about. At first it was just the media, aiming their massive black cameras over each others heads and inching closer and closer to a supposed protesters. Then there was the cops, a – of them, yelling for the press to move back and some sort of liquid was sprayed, forcing those in front of me and behind me to press backwards without dropping their equipment. I ducked out of the way after the man in front of me stepped on my foot.

The crowd had grown at this point, but maintained a humble volume. There was no roaring chant, no clear message. I looked around, wondering what the point of this demonstration was. I stood on my toes, trying to read the signs placed in front of the entrance.

They read:
“REVOLUTION – NOTHING LESS.”
“AMERICA WAS NEVER GREAT.”

I heard whispers of an attempted flag burning. But where was the smoke?

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Protestors at the RNC, Photo courtesy of Haddad Media

Behind me a train of police swept by, escorting three men with three-tiered signs. Sporting phrases like “The Pope is the Antichrist!” On their tail was a much shorter man holding up a piece of canvas which had “End the War on Drugs” sprayed in red and black ink.

I stepped back to the sidewalk to try to get a clear shot of what was going on. The masses were evenly matched with police, who maintained all the composure of a statue. Patient but firm, they sought order in squads of 5 or 6. A loud crack tore a hole in the murmurs and whistles as one of the signs snapped and fell two feet from where I stood. I discarded the recovery of the asset for the sound of some SJWs who looked like they hadn’t showered in at least 5 days.

“Go home you nazi scum! Go home you nazi scum!” They cried.

At this point, I was just confused. The flag burners were communist and the evangelicals, however dramatic, were far from anti-semitic nationalists. I learned later that the lady who had attempted to burn the flag had accidentally set herself on fire. It had to be the most ineffective protest I had ever witnessed.

I also found that this convention celebrated an ineffective use of language. The speeches lacked clarity, having resembled poorly written high school essays in both accuracy and flow. It was as if the whole convention had adopted Trump’s staccato speech pattern and on-the-spectrum scream. The only speeches that didn’t fit into this category were those of his children, Tiffany, Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanka. His children strike me as closeted democrats, or maybe they’re just normal republicans. I might have too much faith in language and fail to understand the appeal of these “outsider” tactics aimed at the disillusioned. But is “dumpster fire” the kind of locution the American voter wants to hear from a potential president?

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Police outside of the Quicken Loans Arena, the site of the RNC, in Cleveland, Ohio, Photo courtesy of Haddad Media

In Niccolo Machiavelli’s book The Prince, he questions if it is better to be feared or loved.
“A prince should inspire fear in such a fashion that if he do not win love he may escape hate.” He writes.

I don’t think Donald Trump has read this book, and if Paul Manafort has, he certainly isn’t applying that principle to Trump’s campaign.

On Monday morning, I sat in on a Bloomberg breakfast hosted by Al Hunt, where 15 reporters sat around a table and asked Mr. Manafort about the week ahead. He talked circles around each question brilliantly. His plan followed a disregard for the numbers; their plan to gain the loyalty of the Republican base and bring in people who have never voted before does not seem realistic for the general election. Trump will sway almost no Bernie supporters, maybe a few independents, but millennials and college educated women still despise him.

They can paint Donald Trump as a savior in a dark, dark world, like the light at the end of the establishment-built tunnel, but a win for the Trump campaign just isn’t very likely.

When I landed back home in Washington two days ago, I was happy to find the White House was somehow still standing. And I resumed to add a copy of Double Down was sitting in my Amazon cart.

I guess this ineffective, confusing, “dumpster fire” of a world will just keep spinning, no matter what happens.

You can catch more of my reporting from the conventions for my podcast, Volta Insider here.

Filed Under: Volta Insider Tagged With: Donald Trump, Rachel Greenberg, RNC, Volta Insider

Making Lobbying Great Again at Heather Podesta’s RNC Breakfast

July 19, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

One of the most famous names in democratic politics, lobbyist Heather Podesta, hosted a busy breakfast this morning at Mabel’s BBQ. As this convention proves comparatively bleak, the red stickers which read “MAKE LOBBYING GREAT AGAIN” were an exceptionally amusing accessory. Invitees resembled traditional Washington, D.C. demographics: lobbyists, legislators, and off duty press. Including Congressman John Ratcliffe, Indian Ambassador Arun K. Singh, Dede Lea, Andi Fisher, Betsy Fischer Martin, Rachel Pearson. HBO Film Executives Len Amato, Tara Grace and reporters Ruth Marcus, Daniel Lippman and Megan Wilson.

Check out the photos here!

Filed Under: News Media Tagged With: Heather Podesta, Lobbying, RNC

Hillary Clinton Rallies the Faithful

January 30, 2016 By Rachel Greenberg

With the Iowa Caucus just around the corner, candidates are squeezing in as many rallies as they can before the caucuses begin Monday evening.

Students and supporters filed into the gymnasium of Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa to see and hear the words of presidential candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Before the rally began, we caught up with CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny, a former Iowa reporter, and asked about the voters of Iowa and the possible outcome of these very important caucuses.

Filed Under: 2016 election, Hillary Clinton, News

GOP Debate: From a Future Voter

August 18, 2015 By Rachel Greenberg

Tammy and Rachel - GOP Cleveland

“The most exciting thing about covering politics is that it unfolds in front of you, you never know what could happen.” My mother’s voice carried through the crisp Cleveland morning, bouncing off the grey walls of Quicken Loans Arena, or “The Q”. I nodded, shrugging it off in all my teenage glory. While mom can’t help me with my trigonometry, she really does know quite a bit about the campaign trail.

Upon entering the hall, it was impossible not to absorb the dynamic energy exuded by the audience. I never would have expected such vibrancy from the endless sea of suits. The moderators were seated, turning to face the crowd. They introduced themselves as if there were no stage, no debate, or even an audience; I realized they were talking to the TV cameras. The astounding cheer after FOX’s Megyn Kelly finished her greeting was a sign of what was yet to come in the first GOP Debate of the 2016 Election.

The room fell silent with the first question, the crowd desperately taking in the candidate’s words until the bell rang signifying the candidate’s time to answer was up; the rush to finish their thought made those words sound more like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

Donald Trump provided a much needed contrast, even though his presence was disruptive to the serious and staged nature of the event. He has become the symbol of the distress and delusion of the American people, desperate for a new direction. America needs big changes, and Donald Trump is a living hyperbole. Mr. Trump and his debate theatrics highlight the need for a pragmatic leader.

Standing a few podiums away from Mr. Trump was Senator Marco Rubio, whose velveteen voice and eloquence made him seem all the more presidential. Former Governor Jeb Bush was criticized for being slightly shaky and seemed all knowing in comparison to Donald Trump. Mr. Trump provided this service to other candidates as well, making Governor Chris Christie seem more intellectual, and Dr. Ben Carson seem more qualified, securing the aura of what an experienced politician should be. This debate was the unfolding of my own political views, the unfolding of my journalistic aspirations, and what the campaign trail is really like.

This debate was also an introduction to both the Republican Party and election politics as a whole. The phenomenon of petty political parties resided in my mind for many years, flirting with stereotypes and labeled as the price of Democracy. This image has been torn to pieces by the riveting reality of the way this great nation chooses its leaders. And while I may be spending the majority of the road to 2016 in a classroom, one thing stands true, this election season will unfold before the American people with unprecedented vigor, and anything could happen. Just like my mother said.

Follow Volta Insider on Twitter @VOLTAINSIDER. Volta Insider is Rachel Greenberg’s podcast, which creates a web of intriguing interviews on the ever-changing realms of art, innovation, and politics.

Filed Under: 2016 election, Event Coverage, News Media, Uncategorized, Volta Insider Tagged With: Cleveland, GOP debate, Presidential Election, republican debate 2016, Republican National Party, VoltaInsider

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About White House Correspondents Insider

Exploring “behind the scenes” of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

We track the White House Correspondents’ weekend and all the activities around it, from journalists and media companies to the White House and politicos.

Tammy Haddad is Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of WHC Insider and CEO of Haddad Media.

White House Correspondents Insider is not affiliated with or approved by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which is a registered trademark of the WHCA.

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