White House Correspondents Insider

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

  • Home
  • About
  • WHC Garden Brunch
  • Washington Insider
  • Archives
  • Contact

Alicia Keys and Hillary Clinton to Present Awards at the 2022 National Portrait Gallery Gala, VF Reports

August 23, 2022 By WHC Insider

Photos Courtesy of Vanity Fair

In an exclusive report from Vanity Fair, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery today released the list of presenters for the seven public figures who will be honored at the Gallery’s 2022 Portrait of a Nation Gala on November 12 in Washington, DC.

VF reports: “The biennial tradition began in 2015 and spotlights individuals doing transformative work across industries. During November’s celebratory gala, each recipient’s featured portrait will be revealed to them. ‘It is important to honor and celebrate the people who are making a difference and inspiring others,’ said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery.”

Sajet continued, “The presenters, each of whom have a special relationship with the honorees, help us to offer meaningful thanks to this year’s awardees for their significant contributions to our nation.”

Here is the full list from VF: 

Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of Emerson Collective, will present a portrait to New York Times best-selling author and founder of World Central Kitchen José Andrés.

Fifteen-time Grammy Award–winning artist and entrepreneur Alicia Keys will present to fellow Grammy winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Clive Davis.

Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson will present a portrait to Emmy, BAFTA, and Peabody–winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay. 

Former First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton will present to Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund. 

David M. Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chairman of the Carlyle Group, will unveil the portrait of Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, chief medical adviser to the president.

Co-CEO and president of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson will present to 23-time Grand Slam champion and entrepreneur Serena Williams. 

And together, Sonya Haffey, principal of V Starr, and Isha Price, CEO of Price Consulting Group LLC, will present to Venus Williams, entrepreneur and winner of seven Grand Slam titles.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Bartlett Sher: “When presidents have this close relationship to the arts, it allows there to be better, deeper discourse,” The White House 1600 Sessions Podcast

August 17, 2022 By WHC Insider

The White House Historical Association released a new episode of The White House 1600 Sessions podcast with “American Storyteller Bartlett Sher” hosted by Stewart McLaurin. Together they explore how one of our nation’s greatest storytellers uses theater to explain and illuminate stories of American history.

In this episode, Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, and Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Sher discuss the portrayal of the White House and iconic moments in history on the main stage. 

“Here in Washington, on any given night, you have White House staff, members of Congress, policymakers, leaders in every sector, in a theater audience,” said McLaurin. “What they’re seeing has to have an impact on their thinking, and they apply these things to what they’re going through in their own lives.”

Sher details the process of putting together a story to share with others, and what audiences can take away from his productions.

“Looking for those stories which tell us something about who we are, especially American stories, and bringing them to audiences so they can read, reconsider them, look at them freshly, is one of the tasks of my work,” said Sher. “It’s one of the great accomplishments of my work when I can pull it off.”

Next spring, Sher will direct a revival of the musical Camelot on Broadway, in another collaboration with screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy said Camelot was JFK’s favorite musical, and after his death, the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable came to symbolize the Kennedy administration.  

Sher says the new version of Camelot allows Sorkin “to intersect his ideas and interest in the roundtable and democracy, and the struggles of Arthur to make it a special new place” against the ideas of how to make a musical and how to ramp into songs. 

Bartlett Sher with renowned Opera singer Denyce Graves, and Stewart McLaurin

When asked by McLaurin what it is like to have a president of the United States in the audience of a play, Sher recalled then-President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama seeing his 2009 revival of playwright August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone on Broadway, and called the moment “extraordinary.”

“When presidents have this close relationship to the arts, it allows there to be better, deeper discourse,” continued Sher. “I think it’s more powerful, and I think it’s really extraordinary.”

The White House 1600 Sessions is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

New York Times Reports The Return of Aviator Joe

August 16, 2022 By WHC Insider

Courtesy of The New York Times 

Today, The New York Times reported on President Biden’s infamous aviator sunglasses. The aviators, as reported, are back after Covid, vacation and legislative victories for President Biden. 

Dynamite political strategist Lis Smith and our very own Tammy Haddad were quoted in the article. Here’s an excerpt: 

“You know Joe Biden is having a good day when he wears his aviators,” said Lis Smith, the author of the recent book “Any Given Tuesday” (buy it here) and the political strategist who helped craft Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign. See, for example, Mr. Biden’s appearance last April when he, Vice President Kamala Harris and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson appeared on the South Lawn after Ms. Jackson’s Senate confirmation as an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

“You know he’s having a good month when you see him day after day wearing his aviators,” Ms. Smith continued. “It’s a sign he’s on a roll right now.”

…

“They represent, “I’m a cool guy, but I’m a responsible person, and I’m going to wave the American flag and save you,” said Tammy Haddad, a consultant on “Veep” and the founder and chief executive of Haddad Media. It’s a familiar, comfortable semiology, which harks back to the myths of the silent generation, and the promise of Mr. Biden.

“People loved seeing Cruise in his aviators again, and responded,” Ms. Haddad said. “The president is following the same path hoping for the same results.”


You can read the full article here.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: DC, Media, Tammy Haddad, White House

Super Tuesday with Lis Smith in DC 

August 10, 2022 By WHC Insider

On Tuesday evening, Stephanie Cutter, Tammy Haddad, Alex Slater, Chris Meagher, Jen Psaki, Adrienne Elrod, Steve Neuman, David Axelrod, Susanna Quinn, and Mo Elleithee joined forces to co-host a party at the Hotel Hive rooftop to celebrate Lis Smith and her New York Times bestseller, Any Given Tuesday.

Lis told the crowd of politicos, Pete campaign alumni and media she wrote this book “to help 18-year-old women like her who want to get into politics, especially since there was no guidebook available when I made my foray into campaigns.”

Smith, who helped put then-South Bend Mayor Pete on the map, also shared people’s comments that her book is a short read with short sentences – something she learned from Stephanie Cutter on the Obama campaign. In the trenches, Cutter’s only comments or directions were always, “Two words: More. Direct.”

Guests included Chris Wallace, Chris Licht, Ben Smith, Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey, Daniel Koh, Jonathan Martin, Betsy Fischer Martin, Robert Draper, Kurt Bardella, Kristen Powers, Kris Coratti, Jeff Zeleny, Michael LaRosa, Jessica Dean, Eric Schultz, Matthew Hiltzik, Juleanna Glover, Bob Barnett, Steve Clemons, Adam Verdugo, David Chalian, Jesse Rodriguez, Ali Rubin, Ann Klenk, Ben Halle, Stacy Kerr, Lisa Allen, Nayeema Raza, Lucas Acosta, and Adam Green. 

Guests enjoyed &pizza and frozen margaritas.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History at the White House Historical Association Dr. Colleen Shogan Named Next White House Archivist

August 3, 2022 By WHC Insider

Today, The White House announced the nomination of Dr. Colleen Shogan, the White House Historical Association’s Director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, as the next Archivist of the United States.

Dr. Colleen Shogan (far left) with Abby Phillip, Bartlett Sher, Karen Knutson, and Cambra Overend

In a White House Historical Association Press Release, President of the Association, Stewart McLaurin said “Dr. Shogan is an extraordinary leader who has helped achieve our mission, begun more than 60 years ago, to promote the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the White House in a non-partisan and education-based manner. She is a terrific colleague with vision, integrity, and principal. She will be an incredible archivist of the United States.”

Click here to read more about Colleen.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Dr. Robert Montgomery, Chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health and Director of NYU Langone Transplant Institute Speaks at the Ukraine Journalist Fundraiser

August 2, 2022 By WHC Insider

Famed transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery, chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, who traveled to Ukraine in May to perform life-saving surgeries at the Lviv Transplant Center, and has since raised $280,000 for essential operating room equipment for the center, said of the Ukrainian people: “Their resilience is something I will never forget.”

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: NYU, Robert Montgomery, RSF, ukraine

CNN’S ALEX MARQUARDT, UKRAINE AMBASSADOR OKSANA MARKAROVA HEADLINE UKRAINE JOURNALIST FUNDRAISER FOR REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS

July 29, 2022 By haddadmedia

Ambassador Oksana Markarova

Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova, NYU Langone Department of Surgery Chair and Transplant Institute Director Dr. Robert Montgomery, who traveled to Lviv, Ukraine to perform life-saving surgeries, and CNN senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt, who has just returned from Ukraine reporting from the frontlines of the Russian offensive, headlined a fundraiser along with State Department Spokesperson Ned Price for journalists covering the war in Ukraine on Thursday evening, July 28 in Washington, D.C to benefit the international non-profit organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

“We have brave men and women who put their lives on the line to tell the story of our fight to the world at a very high cost. We already lost 37 journalists in Ukraine just during this time. We have people like Alex [Marquardt] who are coming back to the city of Kharkiv, which is a frontline,” said Markarova told the crowd. “Thank you so much to you and all your colleagues and all the journalists who are here. Really, you are as brave and as heroic as all the Ukrainians who are fighting.”

CNN’s Alex Marquardt describes what’s happening on the ground in Ukraine and the importance of protecting journalists. CBS Steve Portnoy, Reporters Without Borders Clayton Weimers and the Washington Post Damian Paletta.

Co-hosts included Washington Post reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb, Shane Harris, and editor Damian Paletta; NBC News Correspondent Yamiche Alcindor; News Media Alliance president and CEO David Chavern; Haddad Media CEO Tammy Haddad; ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl; New York Times correspondent Jonathan Martin, CBS News White House correspondent Steven Portnoy; MSNBC Host Stephanie Ruhle; and Axios Managing Editor Margaret Talev.

CNN’s award-winning senior national security correspondent Alex Marquardt, who was reporting from Mariupol, Ukraine on the day the Russian invasion began, has fearlessly led his network’s coverage of the war. “The resilience really was just stunning. And so, of course, was the journalism that has come out of Ukraine. I mean, we could not understand how historic and destructive this conflict is if we didn’t have people in Mykolaiv and in Mariupol and Luhansk and Donetsk provinces doing dangerous and difficult and expensive work,” said Marquardt. “There are countless freelancers, both international and Ukrainian, who need body armor. They need medical training, they need an Internet connection, they need financial support and eventually, they may also need psychological support.”

Famed transplant surgeon Dr. Robert Montgomery, chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone Health and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, who risked his own life by traveling to Ukraine in May to perform lifesaving surgeries at the Lviv Transplant Center, and has since raised $280,000 for essential operating room equipment for the center. “To walk through those ICUs and see the mangled bodies and minds that have occurred as a result of this. I think if we could take cameras, into hospitals, I think people would feel really differently about a lot of the tremendous human tragedies that have occurred,” said Dr. Montgomery.

.

A portion of the funds went to equipping and staffing the RSF Press Freedom Centers in Lviv and Kiev, where reporters covering the war receive protective gear such as bullet-proof vests and helmets, safety training and psychological support.

Speakers at the event included:

“When Russia invaded Ukraine, we immediately knew that we had to be on the ground providing solutions to people. And so within days, we were ready to launch the Press Freedom Center in Lviv,” said Weimers. “So the Press Freedom Center is a hub through which we can channel all of our support directly to journalists covering the story on the ground.”

“So what does that support mean? … It’s meant 577 bulletproof vests, 489 helmets, 252 solar, solar battery packs, 101 first aid kits, 219 direct loans to media workers, fixers, journalists, reporters, as well as 200 loans to our partner on the ground, the Institute for Mass Information. We’re also providing safety courses for both digital security and physical security while you’re on the ground and we’re starting to provide mental health support services as well.”

Notable attendees: Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Joaquin Castro, former Rep. Jane Harman, Jen Psaki, Daniel and Amy Koh, Jill Zuckman, Jessica Dean, Liz Johnson, Amanda McClements, Betsy Fischer Martin, Adrienne Elrod, Ali Rubin, Heather Podesta, Carol Melton, Mariel Saes, Rachel Levitan, Kevin Latek, Dan Myers, Brian Walsh, Jon Decker, Tyler Pager, Robin Goldman,  Dietrich von Klaeden, Matt Kaminski, Genna Gent and Michael Gonda, Jon Banner, Kenny Thompson, Lauren Pratapus and John Legittino, Kevin Baron, Francesca Chambers, Andrew Bates, Sean Savett, Mariel Saes, Michael Wilner, Michael Moroney, Ted Johnson, Nazanin Ash, Mario Parker, Racquel Krahenbuhl, Holly Page, Laurie McKay, Jane Oates, John O’Leary.

Click here TO DONATE.

PepsiCo, McDonald’s and the News Media Alliance sponsored this event.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Inaugural DC Power Index Prize Honors Six Outstanding Women Leaders

July 22, 2022 By WHC Insider

(L to R) Hosts Joanna Coles and DeDe Lea, Honorees Sheila Johnson, Dr. Christine Grady, Officer Caroline Edwards, Denyce Graves, Melora Hardin, and Host Teresa Carlson 

In a city known for its power lunches, the new DC Power Index tops them all. Building on the incredibly successful Power 100 Lunch created by legendary magazine editor Joanna Coles, on Wednesday, July 20th, Coles was joined by Microsoft corporate vice president and cloud pioneer Teresa Carlson, and media powerhouse DeDe Lea, Paramount Global’s executive vice president for global public policy and government affairs, as hosts of the DC Power Index Prize and awards lunch at Cafe Milano in Georgetown.

“Women from D.C. have been traveling to New York for the last decade for the Power 100 lunch, but there are so many extraordinary women here in Washington, we wanted to broaden the scope of those we honor,” Coles told The Hill.

(L to R) CBS News EVP of Newsgathering Ingrid Ciprian Matthews, New CNN Global Communications Chief Kristine Coratti, and VP of Government Affairs at Chevron Karen Knutson 

“Washington is where women are running congressional committees, newsrooms, museums, embassies, and foundations. We’re breaking stories, creating public policy, interpreting the law, and enforcing it,” the former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief said.

Host DeDe Lea with CBS Evening News Anchor Norah O’Donnell 

The DC Power Index celebrates women who exemplify resilience, foster innovation, exhibit flexibility in times of crisis and make a social and cultural impact. Recipients of the first DC Power Index Prize included: Ambassador Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Denyce Graves, the Emmy and Grammy award-winning mezzo-soprano, director, and alumna of DC’s Duke Ellington School of the Arts; Sheila Johnson, founder and CEO of Salamander Hotels & Resorts and a partner in Monumental Sports & Entertainment; Melora Hardin, the Emmy-nominated actress, director, singer, and activist, known for her roles on The Office, The Bold Type, Monk and Transparent; Dr. Christine Grady, chief of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health and wife of Dr. Tony Fauci; and Officer Caroline Edwards of the United States Capitol Police, for her bravery and sacrifice in defending the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection of January 6, 2021.

Joanna Coles presents the DC Power Index Prize to Dr. Christine Grady 

The 120 powerful women gathered at the red-carpeted event to mingle over champagne before taking their seats for the lunch. Joanna kickstarted the event by first presenting the Power Index Prize to Dr. Christine Grady for her contributions to the field of bioethics, particularly surrounding ethical challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Grady has been married to Dr. Anthony Fauci for the last 37 years, and in the wake of his recently announced retirement, we asked Dr. Grady what she and her husband’s plans were. Her response? “We have some plans, you know, going from a 16 to 18-hour workday to something else is going to be very different.” It certainly will be. 

Dr. Grady’s award acceptance was followed by Melora Hardin, for her authenticity in Hollywood, and for her groundbreaking and empowering performances; and then  Yaroslav Brisiuck, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Ukraine, who accepted the award for Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova for her tireless advocacy and representation of her country during this year of crisis and war in Ukraine.

Yaroslav Brisiuck Making Remarks on Behalf of Ambassador Markarova 

Brisiuck made a powerful and moving speech on the tumultuous year that Ukraine has had, and the importance of the US’s allyship with the struggling nation. “This means a lot. It shows recognition of her role as an advocate of Ukraine at these most challenging times in our history. We’re at war, we’re fighting, and she’s advocating for more support of the United States for Ukraine in this fight” Brisiuck said.   

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Presenting the DC Power Index Prize to Officer Caroline Edwards 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) then introduced and honored U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards for her bravery and sacrifice in defending the U.S. Capitol during the insurrection of January 6, 2021. 

Officer Edwards touched on the importance of women across all industries, especially within her experience with the January 6th Committee Hearings. “Women have also been an integral part of the hearings. I find myself in a sisterhood with Shaye Moss, Ruby Freeman, Cassidy Hutchinson and tomorrow, Sarah Matthews will take the stand. Among us are countless women in Congress like Sen. Klobuchar who are working tirelessly to make sure that justice will be served. It gives me hope and it gives me joy to see so many women finding their voice, so many women saying ‘I will not be silent in the face of injustice,’ so many women who have found the courage to continue despite threats, obstacles, and suffering. I don’t believe that the future is female. I believe the present is female.”

Sheila Johnson Making Remarks 

DeDe Lea awarded Sheila Johnson for leading the way for women entrepreneurs, championing women in sports, and her extensive philanthropic work. Finally, Teresa Carlson presented the prize to Denyce Graves for her more than three decades of contributions to the musical arts, and for her leadership of the Denyce Graves Foundation, which shares the untold stories of underrepresented musicians who helped shape what American classical music is today.

Host Teresa Carlson Presenting Denyce Graves with the DC Power Index Prize 

The audience of 120 women collaborated and connected together, while listening to the awe-inspiring speeches made by the six dynamic women who were honored. Other guests included Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.), Norah O’Donnell, Kristine Coratti Kelly, Kathleen Buhle, Karen Knutson, Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews, Rima Al-Sabah, Jordanian Ambassador Dina Kawar, Nigerian Ambassador Uzoma Emenike, Amna Nawaz, Deborah Rutter, Julie Kent, Sali Christeson, Aya Kanai, Sophia Narrett, Sally Quinn, Carol Melton, and Kimberley Fritts.

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

Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards receives DC Power Index Prize from Sen. Amy Klobuchar

July 20, 2022 By WHC Insider

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 20: Amy Klobuchar, U.S. Senator presents an award to honoree Caroline Edwards, U.S. Capitol Police Officer during 2022 DC Power Index Prize Lunch hosted by Joanna Coles, Teresa Carlson and DeDe Lea at Cafe Milano on July 20, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Haddad Media)

Filed Under: Uncategorized

DC Power Index Preview

July 20, 2022 By WHC Insider

The Hill – Inaugural DC Power Index Prize to honor Ukrainian ambassador, Capitol Police officer

Deadline – Launch of DC Power Index Prize to Honor Ukrainian Ambassador, Capitol Police Officer, Covid Bioethicist

Filed Under: Uncategorized

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 162
  • Next Page »

2022 WHC Garden Brunch

Search WHCInsider

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.

Cone of Silence Podcast

WHCA Seating Chart

Connect

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Flickr
  • Apple
  • Google
  • Instagram

Copyright © White House Correspondents Insider

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.