White House Correspondents Insider

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

Inaugural DC Power Index Prize Honors Six Outstanding Women Leaders

By

(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.

Uber DC Hosts 2022 Midterm Election Preview feat. Jonathan Martin, Symone Sanders, and Liam Donovan 

By

Symone Sanders, Jonathan Martin, and Liam Donovan

Uber’s federal affairs team hosted a conversation previewing the midterms at their D.C. office on Monday evening. The New York Times’s Jonathan Martin moderated the conversation with Symone Sanders, Host of MSNBC’s Symone, and Liam Donovan, NRSC veteran, and GOP commentator.

CR Wooters presenting Symone Sanders with a bottle of champagne

CR Wooters, Uber’s Head of Federal Affairs, presented recently married Symone Sanders with a bottle of champagne when she arrived to kick off the evening. Guests mingled over light appetizers and drinks, and Jonathan Martin signed copies of his new book, This Will Not Pass. 

CR Wooters making remarks

The panel touched on every aspect of politics today and the top issues facing voters in November. Symone, Jonathan, and Liam discussed President Biden’s dismal approval rating, hot states for the midterms like Georgia and Michigan, the January 6th committee hearings, and whether former President Trump will announce a run for 2024.

Jonathan Martin poses as he autographs books
Uber’s CR Wooters with Symone Sanders, Jonathan Martin, and Liam Donovan

SPOTTED: Paul Kane, Josh Dawsey, Adrienne Elrod, Steve Benjamin, Heather Podesta, Ali Rubin, Rachel Levitan, Dan Meyers, Daniel Strauss, David Schnittger, Alex Conant, Alice Stewart, CR Wooters, Meridith McGraw, Rebecca Buck and Bryan DeAngelis.

Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and Sally Quinn on “All the President’s Men” Director

By

Alan Pakula documentary, “Alan Pakula: Going For Truth”  screening hosted by Sally Quinn, Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein at the US Navy Memorial Burke Theater. From left to right: Ann Hornaday of the Washington Post; Director and Producer of “Alan Pakula: Going For Truth,” Matthew Miele; Carl Bernstein; Sally Quinn; and Bob Woodward.

Kim Sajet and Kris Coratti Host National Portrait Gallery Watergate Breakfast Not Break-In

By

Washington Post Chief Communications Officer Kris Coratti and National Portrait Gallery Executive Director Kim Sajet hosted an all-female breakfast at The National Portrait Gallery on May 25th. The event was to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Watergate and the newest exhibit in the gallery, Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue.

Sally Quinn, Jessica Nigro, and Kim Sajet

Light breakfast was served in the director’s suite as guests mingled before Kim and Kris began with some remarks about the exhibit, and introduced the special guest, Washington Post veteran Sally Quinn. 

Sally began by recounting her history and her memories from the Watergate era, discussing the likes of Ben Bradlee, Kay Graham, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, and disclosing exclusive insider details on the scandal. After the conversation and breakfast wrapped up, guests were invited to go downstairs for a private tour of the new exhibit, lead by the Portrait Gallery’s senior historian and exhibit curator, Kate Clarke Lemay. 

Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue, explores the 50th anniversary of the watershed moment through portraiture of the era. Displaying 25 objects in various mediums spanning from fine art to pop culture, the exhibit looks at the specific types of media published around Watergate, and looks at the intersection of investigative journalism, activism, and politics. 

Kris Coratti, Kim Sajet, and Ashley Etienne

The exhibit opened on March 25th and will be open to the public through September 5th as part of the museum’s “One Life” series. You can learn more about it here.

You can see the full set of photos from the event here.

The Financial Times Hosts First US FTWeekend Festival at The Reach 

By

Henry Kissinger speaking at FTWeekend Festival: US Edition (Courtesy of The Financial Times) 

The Financial Times hosted its inaugural FTWeekend Festival: US Edition at The Reach at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C this past Saturday, May 7th. The Festival showcased the best of The Financial Times and FT Magazine journalism, exploring big ideas in politics, economics, climate and culture. The launch of the US edition follows the success of the annual FTWeekend Festival in London, which began six years ago.

Topics ranged from the new world order and fresh perspectives on communism and capitalism, to style in a post-Covid world, and writing in an age of intolerance and southern cuisine. The theme of the event was The Bigger Picture: A Global Take on the Ideas Stimulating, Diverting – and Unsettling – Our Age.

Alice Lascelles, FT Drinks Columnist, and Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Distilling & Whisky Stocks, during their talk about the future of innovation in whisky (Courtesy of the Financial Times) 

The FT Festival featured renowned experts and commentators, including veteran statesman Henry Kissinger; author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; author of The Palace Papers Tina Brown; historian Simon Schama; and restaurateur Daniel Humm. 

Alongside these speakers, some of the FT’s most distinguished journalists took the stage, including editor Roula Khalaf; US managing editor Peter Spiegel; US editor-at-large Gillian Tett; and chief economics commentator Martin Wolf; FTWeekend editor Alec Russell; and How to Spend It editor Jo Ellison.

2022 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch Co-Hosts Congratulate Award Recipients

By

White House Correspondents’ Co-Hosts Teresa Carlson, Craig Minassian, Yamiche Alcindor, Tammy Haddad, Mark and Sally Ein, and Stephanie Ruhle congratulate 2022 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch award receipients Bob and Lee Woodruff of The Bob Woodruff Foundation and U.S. Army Inspector General LTG Donna Martin.

View more images from the 2022 #GardenBrunch

White House Correspondents’ Association to Honor First Two Black Women of the White House Press Corps

By

The White House Correspondents’ Association has announced that African American Reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne to be First Recipients of the newly created “Dunnigan-Payne Prize” named after the first two African American women to serve as members of the White House press corps.

Dunnigan-Payne Prize for Lifetime Career Achievement will be awarded on an occasional basis at the discretion of the WHCA board to recognize meritorious service throughout an individual’s career as a White House correspondent.

Alice Dunnigan in 1977, for the Black Women Oral History Project 

The namesakes of the award, the late reporters Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne, will be the first recipients of the prize. Their relatives will be on hand to accept the posthumous honor at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington on April 30.

Gayle King, co-host of “CBS Mornings,” will present the award at the dinner.

“This association of White House reporters has never given its due to these two pioneering WHCA members who paved the way for so many,” said WHCA president Steven Portnoy.  “We are proud to see to it that Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne will be forever remembered for their service to the profession and to the American public.”

Ethel Payne, Courtesy of the Styberg Library 

Ms. Dunnigan was the first African American female reporter to be credentialed at the White House in 1947.  She was joined on the beat by Ms. Payne a few years later.  Both women distinguished themselves during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, regularly pressing him at his press conferences – when no other reporters would – about his administration’s support for civil rights for Black Americans.

“In the face of the racism and sexism of the era, these two women fearlessly brought the concerns of their readers directly to the most powerful man in the world,” Portnoy said. “It is our honor to lift up their legacies.”

The WHCA board voted to approve the creation of the Dunnigan-Payne Prize in January 2022. Portnoy credited board members Fin Gomez and Justin Sink, whom he said were key to the efforts to bring the honor to fruition.

Welcome Back to the Festivities: The Garden Brunch Makes it’s Long-Awaited Return in DC

By

Yesterday, Axios covered the return of The White House Correspondents’ Dinner, warmly referring to it with the infamous DC nickname- Nerd Prom. 

They outlined the festivities in the Tuesday article, announcing that Washington’s biggest bash, the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, is back along with a weekend full of parties. 

Steve Clemons and Gerard Butler at the 2013 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch 

The festivities are set to be one of the biggest events in D.C. since COVID hit, cranking up the city’s party planning machine and its legions of caterers and hospitality workers. And for the first time since 2016, a sitting president will attend. 

Comedian Trevor Noah will host (and roast). Page Six also reports that Kim Kardashian and beau Pete Davidson will stop by. They also touched on Tammy Haddad, co-founder of White House Correspondents Insider. 

The one party all of A-list Washington will hit: Tammy Haddad’s 27th-annual garden brunch, held at the Georgetown home of co-host Mark Ein, owner of the recently slashed Washington City Paper.

Among the out-of-town VIPs expected to attend are actresses Diane Lane and Lynda Carter, filmmaker Jay Roach, actor Danny Strong, and Daily Show correspondent Roy Wood Jr. 

Haddad wouldn’t share how many people would be attending — although she says there is a cap on the number of attendees for COVID-19 reasons. 

The Jonas Brothers at the 2010 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch 

The first Garden Brunch took place in Tammy Haddad’s backyard 29 years ago, ahead of the 1993 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. She started the Brunch as a way to gather her friends from New York and Los Angeles when they were visiting DC for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Now, over 27 years later, the Garden Brunch is still celebrating great Washington journalism. 

We look forward to the festivities and encourage everyone in Washington to remember that it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Wear comfortable shoes, black tie attire, and make sure you have your game-day attitude on, because you never know what or who to expect during White House Correspondents’ Weekend.

Inspector General of the United States Army, Lt. General Donna W. Martin, to Receive the 2022 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch “Courage” Award 

By

The White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch is pleased to announce Lieutenant General Donna W. Martin as the recipient for the 2022 “Courage” Award.

Lt. General Donna Martin, Courtesy of the US Army

Lt. General Martin is the 67th Inspector General of the United States Army, the first woman to hold the post. A native of Yorktown, Virginia, and a graduate of Old Dominion University, Martin was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps in 1988.

LTG Martin was previously the Provost Marshal General of the U.S. Army, serving as the principal military advisor to the Secretary of the Army and the Chief of Staff of the Army on policing matters, including law enforcement, criminal investigations, criminal intelligence corrections, biometrics and forensics, physical security, high-risk personnel security, antiterrorism, and detention operations. Concurrently, LTG Martin served as the Commanding General, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, serving as the Department of the Army’s independent criminal investigative authority. LTG Martin served in both Iraq and in Afghanistan.

LTG Martin’s military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal; Legion of Merit with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Bronze Star Medal with 1 Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster; Defense Meritorious Service Medal; Meritorious Service Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; Army Commendation Medal with 4 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters; and an Army Achievement Medal.

Lt. General Martin has shown courage and exhibited extraordinary leadership throughout her military career, and we are more than honored to present her with this year’s “Courage” Award. The spirit of the Garden Brunch is recognizing and celebrating veterans and active-duty members of the military like Lt. General Martin who have dedicated their lives to serving our country. While we celebrate the freedom of the press this weekend, it’s important to shine the spotlight on and give back to those that ensure our safety and secure our freedom across the world.

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson to Attend the 2022 White House Correspondents’ Dinner

By

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson will be back in Washington, DC, this weekend for the 2022 White House Correspondents’ dinner, Page Six reported today.

Kardashian, 41, and Davidson, 28, will be sitting at Disney/ABC’s table, as the Kardashians’ new reality show is on Hulu, now owned by Disney.

Kim Kardashian at the 2010 White House Correspondents’ Weekend Garden Brunch

When discussing if Trevor Noah will make any jokes about the couple, one Page Six source said “I don’t think they should feel that they’re safe, Trevor could definitely turn his attention to Kim and Pete.”

Kim and Pete will be heading to the dinner shortly after they were spotted watching Jon Stewart accept the award for lifetime achievement in humor at the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor show Sunday night, see below. 

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson attend the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Show on April 23rd, 2022. (Page Six)

Kardashian last attended the dinner back in 2012 where she was the butt of jokes from host Jimmy Kimmel and then-President Barack Obama.“If you’re looking for the greatest threat to America right now, she’s right there,” Kimmel joked. “She’s Kim Kardashian.”