White House Correspondents Insider

Behind the scenes of the most powerful city in the world — Washington, D.C. — and those who cover it.

CAROL MELTON, POWER WOMAN

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Carol Melton and Dana Bash. Photo courtesy Dana Bash.

A DC Cheer to Carol Melton, Time Warner’s Executive Vice President for Global Public Policy, for being named to Moves Magazine annual Power Women list.

Honored at a year-end celebration gala held in Manhattan on November 10th, Melton is one of 25 women chosen this year who represent Moves Magazine mission of advocating for women’s rights, social fairness and equal opportunity.

The gala was hosted by acclaimed actors, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Isabelle Huppert, and the audience was treated to a live performance from international opera star James Valenti and Michelin star dining by chef Laurent Tourondel.

Melton was chosen for leading by example and being a role model for future generations. As EVP for TimeWarner she is responsible for overseeing the Company’s policy offices in Washington, D.C., London, Brussels, Hong Kong and Buenos Aires.

Melton serves on the Board of Trustees of JBG Smith Properties (NYSE: JBGS), the Board of Directors and First Vice President of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., as well as the Boards of start-up incubator Halcyon and the Phillips Collection. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

#movespowerwomen

Throwback Thursday: Café Milano Celebrates 25 Years as DC Institution

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Photo courtesy Cafe Milano

Washington’s landmark eatery Café Milano is celebrating 25 years as an oasis for politicians, dignitaries, celebrities and the media.

Franco Nuschese first opened his doors welcoming Washington to dine at Café Milano on November 3, 1992 — the same day Bill Clinton was first elected President of the United States. Since that time, both Bill and Hillary Clinton have regularly visited the landmark restaurant, even hosting the former Secretary of State’s 70th birthday earlier this year.

Café Milano serves over 3,750 authentic Italian meals every month, going through 50 pounds of tomatoes and 40 pounds of pasta every single day.

Their fabulous dishes are pure delights using fresh, authentic ingredients largely hand-crafted and flown in multiple times a week from local producers in Italy. The restaurant’s tomatoes are hand-bottled in glass jars in a small farm located in the Campania region, while their olive oil is produced in Tuscany with antique cold-press techniques. The delicate burrata cheese is imported twice weekly from Puglia, where the butter-like delight was born. Even the restaurant’s fantastic wines are brought in directly from Italy, crafted in both the southern Campania and central Toscana regions.

Restaurant owner Franco Nuschese shows incredible pride in his food, focusing on fresh and simple dishes that create smells and tastes similar to those from his home on the Amalfi Coast. One of Nuschese’s favorite meals is a simple pasta al Pomodoro, a pasta with tomatoes, olive oil and fresh basil.

Photo courtesy Cafe Milano

Scores of politicians, dignitaries and celebrities have dined at Café Milano over the past quarter century, including Michael Jordan, Alex Ovechkin, Yogi Berra, Danny DeVito, Sophia Loren, Quincy Jones, Catherine Zeta Jones, Bradley Cooper, Jon Voight, Eva Longoria, Morgan Freeman, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Renee Zellweger, John Kerry, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Matthews, Nancy Pelosi, Colin Powell, Valerie Jarrett, Newt Gingrich, Vice President Joe and Dr. Jill Biden, and Wolf Blitzer.

The restaurant also has served its delicious cuisine to the enjoyment of two popes – Benedict XVI when visiting the Washington, and Francis at the Vatican.

We are extremely honored and proud to join countless Washington diners and visitors from around the globe in congratulating Café Milano on 25 years of food, friendship, and comfort. Our heartfelt wishes the upcoming quarter century are as fantastic and memorable as the past.

Friends of Franco Nuschese put together a surprise tribute video to celebrate 25 Years of Cafe Milano!

Connie Milstein and Mark Dybul Welcome the Bush Twins Back to Washington

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Tammy Haddad, Jenna Bush, Connie Milstein, Barbara Bush, Mark Dybul. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

It was only one week ago that the posh Jefferson Hotel restaurant Plume was celebrating winning another Michelin star.  But Thursday night Connie Milstein, the hotel’s owner along with Dr. Mary Dybul, Anita McBride and Tammy Haddad welcomed Bush twins Jenna and Barbara back to DC to celebrate the publication of their new book, “Sisters First,” which already landed on the New York Times bestseller list.

Spotted: Josh Bolton, Ambassador Kim Darroch, Tim McBride, Bob Woodward, Elena Allbritton, Greta Van Susteren and John Coale, Bret and Amy Baier, Fred Ryan and daughter Genevieve, Jason Claire, Kasie Hunt, Howard Fineman, David Lane, Ambassador Pete Selfridge, Steve Clemons, Shailagh Murray, Evan Ryan, Stephanie Cutter, Jonathan Capehart, Juleanna Glover, Craig Gordon, Francesca Craig, Mark Ein, Tom Forrest, Ryan Williams, Laura Zelt, Samia Farouki, Sara Bonjean, Rachel Pearson, Matt Mowers, Matt Dornic, Dan Meyers, Robin Goldman, Heather Lauer, Kevin Cirilli, Lauren Pratapas and Susan Blumenthal.

Read more about this event in the Washington Post by clicking here.

Barbara Bush, Jenna Bush, Tammy Haddad. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association Holds 73rd Annual Correspondents’ Dinner

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Uber’s Justin Kintz with Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

The Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association brought together hundreds of journalists, politicos and business leaders Wednesday evening at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC for the 73rd annual Radio & Television Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner.

The evening began with a reception hosted by media champion Uber.

Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan wowed the crowd with his keynote address, taking a jovial tone by telling the crowd that:

“The reason I wanted to come by is because I have seen your latest approval ratings.  And I just want to tell you, keep your heads up.  As low as they are, they could be a whole lot worse.  Because they could be my approval ratings.”

The Speaker turned to a more serious topic, addressing the role of a free press in our nation.  While the White House dismisses stories critical of the administration as “fake news,” the Speaker praised the work done by the media and the central role journalists play in our system of government.

“We have a very messy system. But this very messy system of government is the best possible system, and this messy system of government completely relies on a free and open press… Our Republic does not work without what you do.”

IHeartRadio’s Bobby Bones was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, with headline entertainer and correspondent for Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” Roy Wood, Jr. making fun of all parties with a great riff on the importance of trust.

Guests included House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senator Joe Manchin, Rep. Mark Meadows, Wolf Blitzer, Dana Bash, Craig Gordon, Ryan Williams, Brian Lamb, Sara Murray, Gloria Borger, Justin Kintz, Jimmy Kemp, Kenny Day, Bill Gibbons, John Parkinson, Robin Sproul, Sam Feist and Kevin Cirilli.

Get some popcorn and watch the entirety of the 73rd Annual Radio & Television Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner courtesy of C-SPAN here.

Jimmy Kemp, Justin Kintz, Carly DeBeikes, Ken Strickland, Sam Feist and friends. Photo courtesy Haddad Media

Reince Priebus Joins Washington Speakers Bureau, Michael Best and Friedrich Law

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Chairman Reince Priebus speaking at the RNC at the DNC opening press conference. Photo courtesy Haddad Media.

Reince Priebus, former White House chief of staff and former chairman of the Republican National Committee, announced that he will both rejoin the Washington D.C. office of the Milwaukee-based law firm Michael Best & Friedrich, LLC and be represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau.

Priebus will serve as president and chief strategist at Michael Best, where he worked more than a dozen years before his election as head of the RNC.  He will also serve as chairman of the advisory board for Michael Best Strategies LLC, the firm’s government relations and public affairs group.

“We are pleased to announce that Reince Priebus is joining Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as President and Chief Strategist in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. After serving the American people under the Trump Administration as Chief of Staff, Reince will bring his wealth of knowledge and unique understanding of federal, state, and local issues to advise and counsel the firm and its clients,” managing partner David Krutz announced via a statement on the firm’s website.

Additionally, Priebus will be represented by the Washington Speakers Bureau, giving speeches on Trump, Capitol Hill and politics in Washington.  He currently has events lined up in New York and London, as well as speaking at a dinner in South Korea last week.

“Reince has a truly 360° view of the current state of affairs in Washington. He offers insight into the inner workings of the Trump White House, forecasts the progress that is possible during the current Administration, and explains not only where the Republican Party has been but also where it’s going in the lead-up to the midterms,” said Washington Speakers Bureau vice president James Schiefer, Jr.

Priebus served as chairman of the Republican National Committee from 2011 through January 2017, when he began service as White House chief of staff under President Donald Trump until last July.

RT America Ignores Justice Deadline to Register as Foreign Agent

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Photo courtesy the Kremlin.

RT America, the DC-based television network’s bureau partially funded by the Kremlin, has ignored an October 17 deadline set by the Department of Justice to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

“Our legal team has been doing everything possible for RT to avoid having to register under FARA and the dialog is ongoing,” RT communications director Anna Belkina said in a statement.  “On their advice we are not discussing further details at this time.”

The Justice Department demanded action by RT America in September, along with establishing the October deadline.  Experts say deadlines accompanying FARA registrations are rare, but can happen in instances Justice suspects they will not get voluntary compliance.

There is currently no clear plan to address next steps in the situation; one likely possibility could be that the DoJ again requests RT to register under FARA.  RT could also file an injunction to stop the government from forcing it to file.

Federal investigations are probing the role played by RT America in Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 presidential election.  An intelligence report issued in January said RT “conducts strategic messaging for [the] Russian government” and “seeks to influence politics, [and] fuel discontent in the U.S.”

FARA was created in 1939 to prevent German propaganda from swaying the American public prior to the onset of World War II.  Companies or individuals working on behalf of foreign governments are required under the legislation to disclose their funding the the relationship with the Department of Justice, but registration does not prohibit any news agency from operations.

Other media outlets funded by foreign governments are registered under FARA and continue working in the United States, such as Japanese broadcaster NHK and Chinese newspaper The China Daily.

Former President Obama Surprises Michelle with Anniversary Tribute

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Photo courtesy the White House.

During the middle of a question-and-answer session at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women in Philadelphia, former President Barack Obama surprised his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, by dropping in with a recorded video message wishing her a happy 25th anniversary.

Appearing on the big screen on stage, President Obama first apologized for “crashing” the conference, then launched into a heartfelt tribute for the former First Lady.

“Hey honey,” the former president began, “listen, I know you are with all these important Pennsylvania women.  But I had to crash this party because today we have been married for 25 years.”

The audience responded to the surprise message with applause and laughter, and the former first lady blushed and smiled while on stage with tears in her eyes.

“Not only have you been an extraordinary partner, not only have you been a great friend, somebody who could always make me laugh, somebody who would always make sure that I was following what I thought was right, but you have also been an example to our daughters and to the entire country,” he continued.

After the video completed, Mrs. Obama turned to Shonda Rhimes also on stage and joked “I better get home.”

The Obamas were married on October 3, 1992 in Chicago.

Halcyon Dialogue and AAAS Partner for Robotics Showcase

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Photo courtesy Halcyon.

Georgetown startup incubator Halcyon, in partnership with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), hosted a VIP event Thursday, September 28th to celebrate and discuss innovations in robotics and artificial intelligence.

The event, led by industry experts, congressional leaders, technology companies, policymakers and media weighed in on the opportunities that this new technology will provide in the near future.

Speakers at the event included Axios Science Editor Alison Snyder, The Atlantic’s Steve Clemons, AAAS CEO Dr. Rush Holt, former White House CTO Megan Smith, Roomba inventor Helen Greiner, Microsoft’s Fred Humphries, and Congressman Will Hurd.

Also notable, Hitachi’s EMIEW3 robot made it’s U.S. debut at the discussion, accompanied by newly-crowned Miss America, Cara Mund.

Emerging Robotics Technology: Living with Robots

In the first panel of the Halcyon Dialogue Robotics Showcase, “Emerging Robotics Technology: Living with Robots,” Axios Science Editor Alison Snyder dove into current robotics technology and exciting future trends.

Screen grab courtesy Halcyon.

“We’re going to soon have fully autonomous vehicles, package delivery drones, robot caregivers,” Snyder said launching into the first panel discussion.  “And so the question I think is: there’s rapid progress in artificial intelligence and robotics that makes it sort of easy to imagine in this world where they’re amongst us and interacting among us every day.  But how close are we to that vision?… And are we fully ready to relinquish that control?”

The panel also featured iRobot Corporation’s co-founder and CTO of CyPhy Works Helen Greiner, a revolutionary robotics entrepreneur who has been on the cutting edge of robotics and AI since she was 11 years old.

Screen grab courtesy Halcyon.

Greiner discussed how the robotics industry and development were breaking into the mainstream American economy affecting millions of people every day, along with the critical funding and investments that allow for future development starting to really step into this arena.

“We’ve come a huge way.  There’s lots of robots out there.  But we’re not R2-D2 yet… There’s so much more that robots and drones can do and I’m inspired to be part of the next ones as well,” Greiner explained.  “It does surprise me there aren’t many more.  It’s driven by not just the technology and other fields… but it also is coming from the investment, having… a successful acquisition drives investment.  Now you see… billions of dollars going into robot startups, which is another signal how we’re going to get through those technological and regulatory and policy hurdles.”

Also on stage in the second panel, former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith, who is currently CEO and founder of the startup shift7.

Screen grab courtesy Halcyon.

“The thing that i also love is it’s the beginning of these tools democratizing.  So the ability for anyone… to get ahold of some of these tools and actually make their own stuff is also really promising,” Smith said. “To Dr. Kuno’s creativity, the more we have more of us engaged in making and creating, this technology is better.  Because we don’t want just one group of people making all the stuff for everybody else.  We want everyone thinking about what they’re passionate about solving in the world and how might they apply whatever tools are available including robotics and AI to solve that problem.”

Policy Opportunities in the Robotics Age

The second discussion, titled “Policy Opportunities in the Robotics Age,” discussed ethical and policy implications of this emerging and evolving field, as well as the many ways that developments in these areas influence developments in robotics,  whether federal and state regulations would help nurture the future of robotics or build barriers to success.

Moderated by Washington editor-at-large at The Atlantic Steve Clemons, top experts on robotics and AI policy discussed ways to achieve public trust and legislative action without stifling innovation.

Clemons started out talking about the challenges between public policy advocates and technology development thinking and working on completely different levels of thought.

“I was at a dinner with Larry Page from Google and a bunch of other high tech other types,” Clemons said.  “And the topic of conversation was the end of death.  They’re trying to end death as we know it.  And a couple Washington people said ‘oh my gosh, what would happen to entitlements? It would go through the roof.’”

Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX), a former undercover CIA officer and senior cybersecurity advisor, discussed some of the challenges with robotics in public policy.  Hurd emphasized his thoughts that government’s role largely should be to allow the industry to thrive, innovate and grow smartly.

Screen grab courtesy Halcyon.

“Ultimately,” said Hurd, “our role is to stay out of the way of innovation and don’t stifle it.  The technological change we’re going to see in the next 20 years is going to make the last 20 years look really insignificant.  And one of the problems you have when you look at legislators or regulators not understanding where technology is going, …people are afraid of change.  We have to embrace it.  And I think where Congress should be having this conversation is how do you facility industry having a conversation on a code of ethics when it comes to artificial intelligence?  What are some of the elements in the federal government that could benefit from artificial intelligence?… Congress can play a role in our oversight function in making sure our various agencies are integrating that technology in the way that it should.”

Rounding out the second panel was Fred Humphres, corporate vice president for U.S. government affairs at Microsoft, who talked about the corporate responsibility of technology firms to educate, inform public policy makers understand where robotics and AI development is heading, and help them integrate these developments into our public lives smartly, without stifling innovation.

Screen grab courtesy Halcyon.

“We have a responsibility to make sure we’re getting up there and educating Members [of Congress] on the different issues.  Because it’s complex,” Humphres agreed.  “[T]here are some challenges up on Capitol Hill… learning this complex area.  So we have a responsibility as companies, we need to get up there and be honest brokers in advocacy and not spinning and not just positioning for our products.  Because when you think of AI, it’s complex.  Robotics, it’s complex.  It’s not black and white, it’s very nuanced.  And there’s a lot of anxiety about it.”

Robot Demos

Throughout the event, several robot demonstrations were on display, including Hitachi’s U.S. debut of their EMIEW3 robot, showing how it can offer services in a variety of scenarios.

Additionally, a display from Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab offered videos and artifacts from their robotics / AI lab. Senior robotics engineer Dr. Edward W. Tunstel of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, discussed how those working in both technological development and public policy are optimistic about the future.

Screen grab courtesy Halcyon.

“Robotics has a lot of different meanings to a lot of different people,” Tunstel said.  “You’ve got a segment of our society that is in some ways afraid, apprehensive.    We’ve certainly got a number of movies that might inject some of those thoughts.  In many cases one will find through dialogs like this that it’s not that scary at all.”

Microsoft provided access to their Perceptive Pixel (PPI) 55” Touch Device, also known as the Magic Wall. Participants and guests alike were all welcomed and encouraged to answer questions on robotics to be shared with the public.

The event was held at Halcyon’s headquarters in Washington, DC and was hosted alongside partners Axios, Science Robotics (AAAS) and Washington Ideas. Sponsors for the discussion included Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Microsoft, Honeywell, X, and Daikin.

You can watch the full livestream of the Halcyon Discussion online here.

Protesters Blocked From Discussion on Free Speech Headlined by Attorney General at Georgetown

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Photo courtesy Wikipedia.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited the campus of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington on Tuesday to give a lecture on the First Amendment and freedom of speech.

However, over 100 students that had reportedly been invited to the event were barred and dis-invited due to the threat of protests against the Trump administration’s top justice official.

Greyson Wallis, a law student at Georgetown, told the Washington Post that:

“It seemed like they were rescinding those invites because they didn’t want any sort of hostile environment, and I can understand not wanting to have a violent environment, but that’s not at all what we were trying to do. We’re law students. We all just wanted to hear what he had to say and let him know where we differ from his opinions.”

As Sessions read remarks about plans to defend free speech, some students in attendance silently protested the event by placing duct tape over their mouths.  Roughly 100 other students and approximately 40 faculty members stood outside the building in protest, holding signs and chanting through bullhorns.  They also took a knee and later linked arms, in a symbolic reference to protests over the weekend by NFL players against accusations of police violence toward African Americans.

“A law school is a place for people to learn about the deepest principles that undergird our democratic republic. Those principles are trampled upon by Attorney General sessions in particular and Donald Trump,” Georgetown law professor Heidi Li Feldman said. “You cannot invite people who so thoroughly threaten the basic premises of American law to a campus and not speak up if your mission in life is to educate people about the American legal system.”

Tanya Weinberg, a spokesperson for the law school, replied to criticisms lobbed against the school saying “At events like today’s, we designate protest areas to allow free expression on campus in a manner that upholds safety and security and minimizes potential disruptions to learning. Additionally, students in the auditorium were allowed to protest in a way that did not disrupt the event.”

Washington Post Names Steven Ginsberg as New National Editor

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Steven Ginsberg has been named the new national editor at The Washington Post.

The Post welcomed Ginsberg into his new role by announcing that:

“For the past six years, Steven has brought a combination of zeal and Zen to the leadership of our national political report, inspiring reporters and editors to deliver fast-paced, creative and revelatory work.  A master of recruiting, retention and the morale-boosting chat, he has built the politics team into the powerhouse it has become, delivering peerless coverage of the 2016 race and the early months of the Trump presidency.”

He steps into the national editor role after former editor Scott Wilson left the position earlier this month.  He left “after disputes with his superiors over newsroom resources for his coverage areas,” sources said.

Ginsberg has worked at The Washington Post since 1994, when he joined the paper as a nightside copy aide.  He is a graduate of the University of Virginia.