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Bloomberg Government Welcomes Washington Back to K Street

January 25, 2023 By WHC Insider

Bloomberg Government rolled out the welcome mat on Tuesday evening with a lively reception to reopen its newly-renovated offices on K Street.

Guests were welcomed by Bloomberg Industry Group CEO Josh Eastright and Bloomberg Government president Arielle Elliott. BGOV News Director Angela Greiling Keane introduced special guest Rohit Chopra, Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who gave a look-ahead for the next year, as well as BGOV Congressional reporter Emily Wilkins and economic reporter Jack Fitzpatrick.

In the great Bloomberg tradition, guests enjoyed delicious fare and customized specialty cocktails from DC’s own renowned mixologist and winner of Netflix’s Drink Masters, Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien.

Renowned mixologist and winner of Netflix’s Drink Masters, Lauren “LP” Paylor O’Brien


 
SPOTTED: Ambassadors Oksana Markarova of Ukraine, Luxembourg’s Nicole Bintner, and Singapore’s Ashok Kumar Mirpuri, DC Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio, Susana Castillo, Doug Jones, Jim Moran, Michael Chertoff, Neil Bradley, Bloomberg’s Cesca Antonelli, Joel Johnson, Reggie Love, Michael Chertoff, Anita McBride, Jen Howard, Giuseppe and Francis Lanzone, Jonathan and Betsy Fischer Martin, Josh Dawsey, ABC’s Rick Klein, David Chavern, Carol Melton, Liz Johnson, Vince Evans, Meta’s Jackie Rooney, Ron Bonjean, Niamh King, Greg Babyak, David O’Brien, Samantha Dravis, Ted Johnson, Steve Clemons, Heather Podesta, Peggy Collins, Julissa Marenco, Eva McKend, Paige Hopkins, Francesca Chambers and Michael Moroney, Amanda Anderson, Zoraida Rodriguez, and Winston Lord.

View the photo gallery here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Washington, Washington Insider Tagged With: DC, Media, Washington

Teresa Carlson Joins Fellow Amazon Leader as President of Flexport

January 7, 2023 By haddadmedia

Washington Women Power 100 Lunch Dr. Christine Grady, Ann Hand, Capitol Hill Police Officer Caroline Edwards and co-host Teresa Carlson
Cafe Milano, July 2022

Teresa Carlson, one of the most important woman in tech, joins Flexport as President and Chief Commercial Officer. Flexport is a global logistics and supply chain leader. Carlson will oversee sales, marketing and communications, and the impact arm Flexport.org. She will also spearhead the expansion into new global markets, verticals, and strategic partnerships.

Dave Clark, is co-CEO, after departing Amazon as CEO of Worldwide Consumer, the division that owns the technology and the customer experience for Amazon.com. 

Her previous roles include Corporate VP and Executive-in-Residence at Microsoft, President and Chief Growth Officer at Splunk, and VP, Amazon Web Services (AWS), where she founded and led the Worldwide Public Sector business for more than a decade.

Teresa Carlson said, “Flexport has changed the way businesses view supply chain and logistics, and their technology-enabled platform has the power to make a huge impact for so many industries across the globe. I’m excited to join the talented Flexport team to grow the business globally and empower current and new customers with our full suite of innovative technology solutions.” 

Carlson is a leading advocate for women and serves as Vice Chair of the White House Historical Association, on the board of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery and many other leading institutions in Washington.

Filed Under: Uncategorized, Washington Insider Tagged With: Flexport, Haddad Media, Teresa Carlson

Top Biden-Harris Strategist Symone Sanders To Join MSNBC 

January 10, 2022 By margaretmturner

Symone D. Sanders, the former Senior Advisor and Chief Spokesperson to Vice President Kamala Harris, joins MSNBC as an anchor, hosting a new weekend program on the cable channel. The hire marks the first big programming move for new MSNBC President Rashida Jones, who took charge of the channel in February 2021 after its longtime head Phil Griffin departed.

Tammy Haddad, Symone Sanders, former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, and Rachel Greenberg at the 2016 WHC Garden Brunch

Sanders’s new MSNBC program will air on Saturdays and Sundays starting in the spring, although the title, format, and time slot are all to be determined, according to NBC. She will also serve as a fill-in anchor on the network and host a show on “The Choice,” the streaming arm of MSNBC on NBCUniversal’s digital service, Peacock.

The release states that “Sanders will bring her expertise, spirited rhetoric and sharp political insight to MSNBC’s multi-platform channels. Her program will explore issues at the intersection of politics, culture and race and break down how decisions made in Washington impact electorates, industries, and communities across the country. She will also interview law and policy makers, top government officials, scholars, and thought leaders.” 

Highly accomplished, Sanders was one of the highest-ranking Black women in the Biden White House. In her mid-20s, she became national press secretary for Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2016 presidential campaign, then joined CNN as a quick-witted and creative commentator. When a Republican official told her to “shut up” during a live interview, her viral response later became the title of her memoir, “No, You Shut Up: Speaking Truth to Power and Reclaiming America.”

Sanders joined the Biden campaign in 2019 as a senior adviser, with particular passions for issues of women and Black voters. She strongly advocated for her candidate, so much so that in March 2020 she tackled a protester who rushed the stage during President Biden’s speech on Super Tuesday. In the transition to the White House, she played an integral part of Vice President Kamala Harris’s team. 

In an interview with The New York Times, Sanders expressed her interest in moving beyond politics and transitioning into media. “I’m a young woman, a young Black woman from the Midwest,” said Ms. Sanders, who grew up in Omaha. “Yes, I do politics, but I’m also a consumer of pop culture. I watch the news, I check Twitter, but I’m also into ‘Real Housewives.’ I’m interested in reaching what I call the nonpolitical group chats, the discussions that are penetrating outside of Washington.”

Sanders isn’t the first White House alum to transition into television news. “I’m going to tell the truth, and sometimes the truth is critical,” she told the New York Times of her new role at MSNBC. “This administration has its critics, just like everyone does — I have my critics — and we’re going to have those conversations.”

As a political spokesperson, Sanders understands the full perspective of the intersection between politics and media. “Oftentimes, when it came to the vice president over the last year, people were not reporting on the truth, they were reporting on the gossip.” 

Speaking last month to The Omaha World-Herald about her decision to leave the Biden Administration, Sanders said that she planned “to continue to be a reliable voice for this White House on the outside, regardless of whatever I do next.” Sanders will remain based in Washington, D.C., as she begins her new role, and she plans to marry her fiance, Shawn Townsend, in August 2022.

Filed Under: DC, Washington, Washington Insider, WHCA Tagged With: Garden Brunch, Media, MSNBC, Symone Sanders, White House, White House Correpondents Dinner

WHCA Announces New Seating Chart for White House Briefing Room

December 27, 2021 By WHC Insider

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) announced its new seating chart for the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room in the West Wing, as reported by Deadline. The changes will take effect Monday, January 3, 2022.

Image courtesy of Deadline.com

WHCA President Steve Portnoy wrote in a letter to WHCA members that of the 65 news organizations and entities that received assignments, 14 were getting their first ever seats in the room, and 30 news organizations are sharing seats.

The front two rows remain unchanged:

First Row: NBC News, FOX News, CBS News, AP, ABC News, Reuters, and CNN

Second Row: The Wall Street Journal, CBS News Radio, Bloomberg, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and USA Today

According the Deadline: “The organizations new to the seating chart from 2017: Telemundo, CNBC, The Grio, Fox Business, Nexstar, Newsy, Gray TV, EWTN, Cheddar, Hearst, Spectrum, Newsweek, The Daily Caller and The Washington Blade. All are sharing seats. Missing from the list compared to 2017: SiriusXM, Westwood One, The New York Daily News, Talk Radio News, OAN and BuzzFeed.”

Filed Under: Correspondents, DC, The White House, Uncategorized, Washington, Washington Insider, White House Correspondents Association

Teresa Carlson co-Hosts Power 100 Lunch with Joanna Coles

December 8, 2021 By margaretmturner

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: President and Chief Growth Officer of Splunk, Teresa Carlson and creator of the mRNA vaccine, Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health-Dr. Kizzmekia S. Corbett at the Joanna Coles Teresa Carlson Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Katie Couric, Desiree Gruber, Joanna Coles, Candace Bushnell and Teresa Carlson at the Joanna Coles  Teresa Carlson Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

 

AWS veteran executive, now Splunk President Teresa Carlson joined media maven Joanna Coles to host the 7th Annual Power 100 Lunch on Monday, December 6th, to bring together leaders of fashion, media, business and tech. Carlson discussed the importance of women coming together and how we can nurture the next generation of amazing women leaders.

Special guests addressing the crowd included Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ-11), Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53), Sally Buzbee, new Executive Editor Washington Post and Dianna Berrent, patient advocate for COVID Long Haulers.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: President and Chief Growth Officer of Splunk, Teresa Carlson, co-host and CA Congresswoman Sara Jacobs at the Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, NIH lead designer of the Moderna mRNA vaccine concept, who discussed the making of the vaccine, was given a sanding ovation for her work in saving so many lives.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 06: (L-R) Candace Bushnell, Katie Couric, Desiree Gruber and Teresa Carlson at the Joanna Coles Teresa Carlson Power 100 Luncheon on December 06, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images for Power 100 Lunch)

Other Power 100 guests included Anne Finucane, Jennifer Nason, Stephanie Ruhle, Anne Clarke Wolff, Kara Swisher, Nancy Dubuc, Nina Garcia, Brooke Garber-Neidrich, Deirdre Findlay, Jami Floyd, Kaitlan Collins, Olivia Nuzzi, Lis Smith, Margaret Hoover, Kris Coratti, Brandee Daly, Carol Melton, Kelley McCormick, Margaret Talev, Tara McGowan, Lisa Sherman, Catherine Hill, Desiree Gruber, Frances Stead Sellers, Katie Thomson, Genevieve Ryan Bellaire, Vanessa Cornell, Noopur Davis, Valerie Singer, Tiffany Dufu, Lila Feinberg, Heather Passarro.

Carlson was the leader of the public sector for Amazon Web Services before departing for Cloud company, Splunk earlier this year.

Coles is CEO of Northern Star Acquisition Corp., a tech investor and media maven. As the chief content officer at Hearst she lead the digital transformation of some of the most iconic women’s brands including Cosmopolitan magazine. Coles has hosted this celebration of women leaders for the past seven years, excluding the last two.

Filed Under: Teresa Carlson, Washington Insider

AMY GRAPPONE TO MCCAIN INSTITUTE at ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

November 3, 2021 By WHC Insider

 

Veteran Hill communications Director, Amy Grappone, will join the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University as a Senior Director for communications and strategic engagement. She will oversee all areas of communications. Grappone worked with Indiana Senator Todd Young for four years as his director of communications.

“Senator McCain’s lifetime of public service continues to inspire people across America and around the world. The McCain Institute brings together prominent thinkers and organizations to promote democracy, human rights, and character-driven leadership. I look forward to highlighting how the McCain Institute is working to turn ideas into action and impact,” said Amy Grappone, senior director of communications and strategic engagement. Click here for the full release.

Her Senate career began with West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito, but she worked with then-Congressman Ron DeSantis and the Mitt Romney presidential campaign. She is a graduate of Floria State University.

 

Filed Under: Washington Insider

NYU professor and author Scott Galloway shares the secret to lasting happiness and satisfaction

July 15, 2019 By WHC Insider

Marketing professor Scott Galloway’s new book, “The Algebra of Happiness,” was celebrated recently at a party in Washington, D.C. hosted by Hilary Rosen, Kara Swisher and Tammy Haddad. He participated in a conversation with Haddad during the event that was recorded for the Washington Insider podcast (listen here).

Galloway’s book gives advice on how you can have a happier life by looking at things in a completely different way. It’s based on a standing room-only lecture he gives during the final session of the course he teaches at NYU’s Stern School of Business.

This was Galloway’s sixth time visiting Washington, D.C. On previous trips, he has met with senators to educate them about technology and what is going on with companies in the tech industry. Galloway, who has owned several businesses, warns people about the dangers of technology companies and the problem with giving them access to all our data. He believes “we have become overrun because of our gross idolatry of innovators and billionaires…and we no longer worship at the alter of character and kindness in this country, but of tech billionaires.”

During the interview, Galloway also talks about who he thinks are the two most dangerous people in the world. Listen to the podcast to hear his answer and why he thinks those individuals are a threat to society and democracy.

Guests were encouraged to dress in “gangster chic” attire for the event. Galloway talks about gangster movies when describing people who are operating at the highest levels. Lynda Carter, the singer and original Wonder Woman, was the first guest to arrive in full gangster attire and won the prize for best dressed at the party! Galloway is relentless in his criticism of the unchecked power of technology companies.

Following is a list of who Politico Playbook spotted at the event:

SPOTTED at a party Wednesday night for Scott Galloway’s new book, “The Algebra of Happiness” ($13.61 on Amazon), hosted by Kara Swisher, Tammy Haddad and Hilary Rosen: Steve and Jean Case, Cameron Barr and Shar Taylor, Maureen Dowd, Sally Quinn, Jim Bankoff, Lis Smith, David Chavern, Danielle Burr…

…Eric Schultz, Megan Smith, Carol Melton, Jeremy Peters, Heather Podesta, Betsy Fischer Martin, Robyn Bash, David Sanger, Bob Costa, Kevin Sullivan and Mary Jordan, Steve Clemons, Juleanna Glover and Christopher Reiter, Lulu Meservey, Kaitlan Collins, Kelley McCormick, Yamiche Alcindor, Ruth Marcus, John McCarthy and Holly Page.

Galloway and Swisher are also co-hosts of the popular Vox podcast, Pivot, a weekly throw down about the biggest stories in tech, business, and politics. During the podcast interview that took place at the book party, interactions between Galloway, Swisher and other guests were as entertaining as the conversations that take place during their own podcast.

The event was hosted at CNN contributor Hilary Rosen’s home. Food was provided by refugee chefs through Foodhini. Dog Tag Bakery veterans honored Galloway with a special batch of Connie’s Brownies.

Filed Under: News, Washington Insider

Throwback Thursday: Café Milano Celebrates 25 Years as DC Institution

November 9, 2017 By WHC Insider

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!

Filed Under: Art, DC, Honors, Uncategorized, Washington Events, Washington Insider

Barbara and Jenna Hager Bush WHCInsider Interview

October 29, 2017 By WHC Insider

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

WHCInsider co-founder Tammy Haddad spoke with Barbara and Jenna Bush, #SistersFirst, at a book party hosted by Connie Milstein, Dr. Mark Dybul and Anita McBride at The Jefferson Hotel.

While they would not reveal the joke their father, President George W Bush whispered to President Obama at the Hurricane relief event, they twins explained why they have the best jobs in the world.

Barbara Bush is the founder of Global Health Corps, an NGO that places 216 fellows from 12 countries in positions with health organizations, such as Partners In Health and the Clinton Health Access Initiative, in Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Zambia, and the United States. She told Haddad they look for “rational dreamers” to join the program.

Jenna Hager Bush is a teacher, author, mother of two and Today show correspondent. She said through her reporting she was surprised by the “unexpected beauty of life.”

Both claimed Dr. Mark Dybul, who started PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, on behalf of President George W. Bush, as their inspiration for their focus on helping others.

Dybul thanked Connie Milstein for raising awareness of good works and good people.

The full interview is on the Washington Insider podcast on iTunes.

Filed Under: Books, Causes, Event Coverage, President George Bush, The First Family, Uncategorized, Washington Insider, White House Books, White House History

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

October 25, 2017 By WHC Insider

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.

Filed Under: DC, News, Washington, Washington Insider, White House Staff

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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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