White House Correspondents Insider

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

Election Day Noshes and Snacks

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Historically, alcohol was prohibited from being sold in many states on Election Day (with South Carolina being the last and final state to repeal the ban in 2014).  But bars and restaurants have always used campaigns as marketing tools as well.

This year, there are plenty of food and drink specials across the District brandishing election-themed delicacies and desserts.  As Jessica Sidman at Washingtonian magazine writes in “Eat The Vote: Which Candidate Has The Superior Food and Drink Specials?,” there are treats for people of every partisan leaning to nosh.

Astro Donuts and Fried Chicken by Metro Center has taken a step into the 2016 campaign by serving both “Trump’s Vanilla Cherry Coke Doughnuts” and “Clinton’s Spicy Hot Chocolate Doughnuts.”

Art and Soul (Washingtonian’s winner of Best of Breakfast and Brunch 2012) is offering cocktails inspired by swing states across the nation.  There you may sip on “The Granite State” with rye, bitters, sugar and an orange slice, or “The Great Lakes” made with bourbon, vermouth and cherry juice.

Or stop in at Bourbon Steak in the Georgetown Four Seasons Hotel for “Freedom fries” cooked in duck fat, complimentary for guests wearing “I Voted” stickers.  While there, be sure to enter their contest to win dinner for two and a night in the Four Seasons’ Presidential Suite.

Even the Dupont seafood haven Hank’s Oyster Bar is getting in on the action.  Serving “Wanna Go to Canada?” poutine and “Bi-Partisan” platters, it seems everyone is sharing in the patriotic spirit this year.

 

Top Emmy Winner HBO Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus courts millennial voters

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Cast of VEEP Garden Brunch 2014

Julia Louis-Dreyfus released a special video message to millennial voters in character as Veep’s former President Selina Meyer.

Speaking in a 30-second Rock the Vote public service announcement, Louis-Dreyfus as Meyer, — with help from her onscreen aide Gary Walsh (Tony Hale) — urged America’s youth to hit the polls and vote.

“So, the two reasons I lost: weather, which I can’t control; and millennial apathy, which you can,” Louis-Dreyfus says in the video. “When you don’t vote, you’re giving your power to someone else. Someone probably less informed and more motivated. So please vote, this matters.”

Her assistant Gary asks her if this means she is running again, but she quickly shoots down the option. “Then why do we care?” he asks. “Because of everything I just said,” she snaps.

Millennials continue to have the lowest election participation of any age group. Only about 46 percent voted in the last presidential election; compared to 72 percent of the Silent Generation, who have always had significantly higher rates of voter turnout.

Veep is shooting its sixth season in Los Angeles.

Victorious VEEP!

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VEEP Cast for WHC Insider article

It was another golden night at the 68th annual Emmy Awards for HBO’s VEEP.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus a.k.a. President Selina Meyer, kicked off the gala with one of the evening’s biggest laughs with her cameo in the opening vignette: Emmy host Jimmy Kimmel discovers she’s riding in the back of a limousine driven by former Republican presidential candidate, Governor Jeb Bush.

This year, the beloved actress took home her fifth consecutive win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. During her acceptance speech, she charmed the crowd by apologizing for her show’s unintended influence on the current political climate.

Her win was a poignant won, when Louis-Dreyfus revealed her father William Louis-Dreyfus passed away on Friday at the age of 84.

VEEP won the top prize from the Television Academy for Outstanding Comedy Series for the second year in a row. Afterwards, VEEP Emmy winners Dave Mandel, Lew Morton and Peter Huyck were seen entering Jimmy Kimmel’s after party which included every major comedy player from James Corden and Jimmy Fallon to Chris Rock and Amy Schumer.  Tom Arnold to Jeff Ross, Matt Damon to Kit Harrington and Sophie Tucker. John Mayer dancing to a rockin band, while guests dined out on gourmet liquor, BBQ, and Pizza. The no photos rule gave the 300 or so guests an intimate vibe, but the crowd cheered for Veeples Tony Hale, David Mandel, Lew Morton and Peter Huyck.

HBO GOES “ALL THE WAY” TO THE EMMYS

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The HBO Films presentation of “All the Way” has earned eight Emmy nominations for the 68th Annual Primetime Awards, including Outstanding Television movie.

Bryan Cranston, reprising his Tony Award-winning role as President Lyndon B. Johnson, is up for Lead Actor in a Limited Series. “All the Way” follows President Johnson’s first year in office after the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

The film, directed by Jay Roach, also stars Anthony Mackie (Martin Luther King, Jr.), Melissa Leo (Lady Bird Johnson), Bradley Whitford (Hubert Humphrey) and Frank Langella (Sen. Richard Russell).

Roach is nominated once again for Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special. He previously won Emmys in the same category for the HBO films “Recount” and “Game Change.”

The eight nominations:

Outstanding Television Movie:

“All the Way”

VOLTA INSIDER INTERVIEW WITH
BRYAN CRANSTON

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Outstanding Lead Actor In A Limited Series Or Movie:

Bryan Cranston, “All the Way”

Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Limited Series Or Movie

Melissa Leo, “All The Way”

Outstanding Directing For A Limited Series, Movie Or Dramatic Special

Jay Roach, “All The Way”

Outstanding Hairstyling For A Limited Series Or Movie
“All The Way”

Outstanding Makeup For A Limited Series Or Movie (Non-Prosthetic)
”All The Way”

Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup For A Series, Limited Series, Movie Or Special
”All The Way”

Outstanding Music Composition For A Limited Series, Movie Or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
“All The Way”

HBO Home Entertainment recently released “All the Way” on Digital HD and will release the film on DVD with Digital HD and Blu-ray with Digital HD on September 6th.

The 68th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards will air live on ABC 7e|4p on September 18 with host Jimmy Kimmel.

VEEP LEADS IN COMEDY EMMY NOMS

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Cast of VEEP Garden Brunch 2014

Time to start making more room on the shelf!

HBO’s Veep, just off its 5th season, leads in comedy Emmy nominations for the 68th Primetime awards.

With a total of 17 Emmy nominations, including a 5th consecutive nod for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Julia Louis-Dreyfus. The political satire focuses on the trials and tribulations of her character, Selina Meyer.

17 nominations:

  • Outstanding Comedy Series
  • Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Julia Louis-Dreyfus)
  • Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (Tony Hale, Matt Walsh)
  • Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Anna Chlumsky),
  • Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series (Martin Mull, Peter MacNichol)
  • Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
    (Chris Addison, Dave Mandel, Dale Stern)
  • Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
    (David Mandel; Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck).

Once again, HBO led the Emmy nominations with a total of 94, including “Becoming Mike Nichols,” “Game of Thrones Main Title 360 Experience,” “Jim: The James Foley Story,” “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill,” “Real Time with Bill Maher,” “Tig Notaro: Boyish Girl Interrupted” and “True Detective.”

Tammy Haddad, Co-Founder of WHCInsider, is a consultant to Veep.

Jimmy Kimmel will host the televised awards live on ABC on September 18 at 7e|4p.

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New Doc on Off-Track Betting Sells Out on Premiere Day, Encore Showing in NYC Planned for May 19

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“Finish Line: The Rise and Demise of Off-Track Betting,” the documentary film about 70s New York fixture, Off-Track Betting (OTB), had its world premiere at the Workers Unite! Film Festival in New York City.

Directed by former OTB employee Joseph Fusco, the film offers first-hand accounts from the very people who were affected most by NYC’s controversial gambling institution. The Workers Unite! Film Festival screening was standing room only for the premiere.

For nearly 40 years, OTB parlors were on almost every corner in New York City. The smoke filled parlors were known for spilling out vagrants, gamblers, and old men. As a lifelong New Yorker, filmmaker Joseph Fusco remembers the OTBs growing up in the 70s and 80s. “I remember my mom instructing me to walk on the other side of the street to avoid the OTB,” Fusco, now 43, says with a smile. “As a kid, they seemed scary. But at the same time I was curious as to what was going on in there.”

What was going on in there was the only place for legal horse race gambling in New York outside of going out to the racetracks. But moms had a right to worry. The parlors were usually not a welcome sight in many neighborhoods.

“As fate would have it many years later, I was an employee of OTB,” Fusco says. “People don’t realize but OTB employed over a thousand unionized, city workers.” OTB collected billions of dollars in horse racing bets, earmarked to pay for city services such as hospitals, schools, and firehouses.

But then, almost overnight, the OTB parlors were gone leaving many New Yorkers wondering why. The film explores the key question: How does a billion dollar bookie go bankrupt?

“On December 7, 2010, OTB shut down quite literally in the middle of the day. Myself and a thousand other folks were thrown out onto the streets. I needed to find out why,” Fusco says.

Fusco joined forces with cinematographer Matthew Flannery and set out to document this lost piece of the New York experience, as well as to uncover the reasons why the OTB was shut down so abruptly.

According to Fusco, “When OTB shut down, people lost their livelihoods, their health care. What happened was criminal, and the reasons OTB closed were far more sinister and sickening than we ever imagined.”

The film will have an encore screening on Thursday, May 19.

Joseph Fusco’s interview on PBS’ MetroFocus: http://www.thirteen.org/metrofocus/2016/05/nycs-kentucky-derby-blues/

The film’s trailer: https://youtu.be/afDCPRwuYN0

Film website: www.otbdoc.com

The Workers Unite! Film Festival event page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/wuff-2016-special-second-screening-program-tickets-25392951000

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Garden Brunch Guests Share Their Advice For ‘Starting Out And Starting Up’

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As guests arrived at the 2016 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch, they were asked to share their advice for individuals who are seeking to launch a new career and change the world.

Scroll through the slideshow for insights shared by successful individuals from business, entertainment, media and politics.

Sheila Johnson Sachiko Kuno Rosario Dawson Robin Bronk Todd Harris and Ieva Augstums Betsy Fischer-Martin Ashley Graham Heather Podesta Jeff Goldblum Joanna Coles Debbie Dingell Gugu Mbatha-Raw Helen Mirren Jazmyn Simon and Dule Hill Stephanie Ruhle Sela Ward Deesha Dyer Amy Klobuchar Gayle King Derrick and Emma Dockery Omarosa Greta Van Susteren Kevin Plank Bridget Moynahan Jaimie Alexander Joy Behar Anne V Tony Goldwyn Gary Knell Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick Guillermo Diaz Wolf Blitzer Daniela Lopez David Adler Michael Eric and Marcia Dyson Brian and Jamie Stelter Neve Campbell Jessie Usher Jeff Perry Scott Foley Constance Zimmer Matthew and Renee Morrison Lisa Edelstein Candace Cameron Bure
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"Life is about filling your plate with everything you want. Don't push your food around. Don't take less than what you need or more than you can chew. But definitely wipe it clean!" - Rosario Dawson

A special thanks to Microsoft for providing the interactive PPI board.

Entrepreneurs and Military Families in Spotlight at Annual Garden Brunch for White House Correspondents’ Weekend

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Media notables, Hollywood stars, and leaders from the business and non-profit sectors came together on Saturday for the annual Garden Brunch in honor of White House Correspondents’ Weekend. The mission of this year’s brunch was to recognize entrepreneurs who are ‘starting out and starting up’, along with initiatives that support members of the military and their families.

Dr. Sachiko Kuno with Halcyon Incubator Cohort4: Jeffrey Prost-Greene, Eric Shih, Kathleen O'Keefe, Daniel Hill, Charlene Brown, Faran Negarestan and Kristof Grina

Dr. Sachiko Kuno with Halcyon Incubator Cohort4: Jeffrey Prost-Greene, Eric Shih, Kathleen O’Keefe, Daniel Hill, Charlene Brown, Faran Negarestan and Kristof Grina

Hilary Rosen introduces Connie Milstein and Derrick & Emma Dockery of Yellow Ribbons United

Hilary Rosen introduces Connie Milstein and Derrick & Emma Dockery of Yellow Ribbons United

The brunch raised awareness for Halcyon Incubator, an organization founded by Dr. Sachiko Kuno that supports early stage social entrepreneurs through an immersive 18-month fellowship program. As guests arrived, they were asked to share their advice for individuals who are seeking to launch a new career and change the world. The notes were shared on an interactive PPI board provided by Microsoft.

Tony Goldwyn shares advice on the Microsoft PPI

Tony Goldwyn shares advice on the Microsoft PPI

Tony Goldwyn, who plays President Fitz Grant on ABC’s Scandal, shared: “Commit 100% to your dream. That will lead you to places you can’t even imagine!”

Sheila C. Johnson introduces Dr. Sachiko Kuno

Sheila C. Johnson introduces Dr. Sachiko Kuno

Sheila C. Johnson, co-founder of BET, philanthropist and the first African American female billionaire, knows a thing or two about success. Her advice? “Be bold and be fearless!”

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick

Arianna Huffington and Travis Kalanick, who arrived at the brunch together, are two of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs. Huffington’s tip: “Remember failure is a stepping stone to success!” And Kalanick shared insights based on his own experience of creating Uber: “You can bend reality but don’t break it!”

Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Joanna Coles focused on practical advice: “Do not argue with your boss when u are drunk, even if u are right.” Under Armour CEO and Founder Kevin Plank also offered sound business advice with “Find out if your product can sell!!!”

Fox News Channel’s Greta Van Susteren encouraged individuals to broaden their horizons: “Travel! See the world so that you know something!” And CNN’s Wolf Blitzer gave advice that is often heard in Washington: “You may be smart, but other people may be smarter. Listen and take advantage and learn. Two heads are smarter than one.”

The focus on entrepreneurship and Halcyon Incubator was highlighted during the event as Dr. Sachiko Kuno, CEO of S&R Foundation, took the stage to talk about the work of her organization and to introduce the program’s current cohort.

This year’s Garden Brunch also raised awareness for Yellow Ribbons United and their initiative #PlayfieldInThePark, which serves approximately 500 children and teens attending the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) Good Grief Camp and Honoring Our Heroes Camp over Memorial Day Weekend. The program was created by Derrick and Emma Dockery, and has recently received the support of Constance Milstein, who was also a co-host of the Garden Brunch.

In addition to sharing their mission with brunch guests, Emma Dockery also had advice for budding entrepreneurs: “Never give up, for every no you may receive there is someone who will say yes!”

Neve Campbell, Derrick Dockery, Emma Dockery, Tammy Haddad

Neve Campbell, Derrick Dockery, Emma Dockery, Tammy Haddad

Additional guests from the entertainment industry included Bryan Cranston of HBO’s All the Way, Director Jay Roach, Oscar winning actress Helen Mirren, House of Cards’ Neve Campbell, Daredevil’s Rosario Dawson, Lisa Edelstein from Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce, Constance Zimmer of UnREAL, The Creative Coalition CEO Robin Bronk, Blindspot’s Jaimie Alexander, House of Cards’ Michael Kelly, actress Sela Ward, Blue Bloods’ Bridget Moynahan, Concussion’s Gugu Mbatha-Raw, model Anne V, Independence Day’s Jeff Goldblum, Valeri and Candace Cameron Bure, Omarosa, Eric Podwall, Dule Hill, Matthew Morrison, HBO’s Len Amato, Scandal’s Scott Foley, and model Daniela Lopez.

Media in attendance included Charlie Rose, Jim Bankoff, Kevin Merida and Marie Donoghue from ESPN, Gayle King, Wolf Blitzer, Laura Ingraham, Bret and Amy Baier, Brian and Jamie Stelter, Betsy Fischer-Martin, Stephanie Ruhle, Joy Behar, and April Ryan. Tech was also represented by Josh Ginsberg, CEO of Zignal Labs, Erin Egan of Facebook, Snap Chat’s Nick Bell and Instagram’s Charlton Golson, John Tass-Parker and Charles Porch.

From the world of government and politics, guests included Valerie Jarrett, Tina Tchen, SBA Administrator Maria Contreras-Sweet, Heather Podesta, Tony Podesta, Jeremy Bernard, Megan Smith, Robert and Capricia Marshall, Heather Rothenberg and Ellie Schafer, Representative Joaquin Castro, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Dr. and Mrs. Anthony Fauci of NIH, World Bank President Jim Kim, Mike and Kristi Rogers, Ben Ginsberg, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

The crowd was kept up-to-the moment on the presidential election with Zignal Labs‘ realtime analytics.

zignal

Dessert treats were provided by Sophie LaMontagne and Katherine Kallinis of Georgetown Cupcakes.

The 2016 Garden Brunch was held at the historic Beall-Washington House in Georgetown. The event host committee consisted of Tammy Haddad, Kevin Sheekey, Hilary Rosen, Sachiko Kuno, Fred Humphries, Mark and Sally Ein, Connie Milstein, Anita Dunn, Bill Knapp, David Adler, and Franco Nuschese.

HBO’s ‘Veep’ Returns for Fifth Season on April 24

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HBO’s hit political comedy, VEEP, returns for a fifth season with President Selina Meyer “in the midst of a virtually unprecedented Electoral College tie, with her future as commander in chief coming down to just a few hundred votes.”

The 10 episode season kicks off Sunday, April 24, exclusively on HBO. The cast includes Emmy and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Emmy winner Tony Hale, Emmy nominee Anna Chlumsky, Matt Walsh, Reid Scott, Timothy Simons, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Emmy nominee Gary Cole, and Sam Richardson.

The upcoming season’s guest stars will include John Slattery as a billionaire banker, Sarah Sutherland as President Meyer’s daughter, and Hugh Laurie as the vice presidential candidate.

In September 2015, VEEP won the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. VEEP was created by Armando Iannucci; executive produced by David Mandel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Frank Rich, Chris Godsick, Lew Morton.

Season Five of VEEP premieres on April 24th at 10:30 pm ET/PT on HBO.

Read more via TV Series Finale: Veep: HBO Teases Upcoming Fifth Season

Broadway’s Hamilton Cast Dazzles at the White House

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Cast members perform musical selections from the Broadway musical "Hamilton" in the East Room of the White House, March 14, 2016. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

(Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

Barack and Michelle Obama paid tribute to the performing arts on Monday with the cast of the smash Broadway musical Hamilton, who joined forces to host a full day of workshops, performances, and panels for students. The cast comes to the White House at a time when writer/composer and star of the show Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly popular hip-hop retelling of Alexander Hamilton’s life is selling out theaters at over $1000 a seat.

The Hamilton cast performed highlights from the musical to a packed crowd in the East Room. According to the First Lady, “We wanted to change things up here in the White House a little bit. We wanted to open the doors really wide to a bunch of different folks who usually don’t get access to this place.” Lin-Manuel Miranda even performed a freestyle for the President in a video which has nearly 8 million views.

You can watch the freestyle here.