White House Correspondents Insider

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

Global Virus Network Party Hosted by Cafe Milano’s Franco Nuschese

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Only Franco Nuschese could bring together such an esteemed crowd to talk about global health concerns. At his fabulous home in Northwest Washington he brought together top scientists and advocates at a reception for the Global Virus Network. Dr. Robert Gallo, who co-discovered the AIDS virus and is also the co-founder and scientific director of the GVN, gave remarks to help the crowd understand the importance of the GVN and its funding.

In welcoming the group, Dr. Sharon Hrynkow, President of GVN, noted that “the toll of viral diseases goes beyond human health, making enormous impacts on economies, as in the case of SARS and HIV/AIDS as only two examples, and in national security, when put in terms of military preparedness. We cannot think of viral disease only with respect to the health sector.”

Surrounded by GVN Board Chairman Kathleen Kennedy Townsend and new board members including Dr. William Haseltine, Dr. Zaid Al Siksek and Gina Adams among other members of the board. Dr. Gallo warned the crowd of the importantance of having a non-governmental private network of scientist who can coordinate a Response to viruses as they come up.

Recommending “centers of excellence” with top virologists to immediately respond and coordinate information for viral threats. Kennedy Townsend related the importance of giving to a group like the GVN. “It is a global network,” she told the crowd. “These scientists talk to one another and learn form one another.” She recalled at a GVN event when scientists from Michigan met a group from Japan and learned of the similarities between two viruses each team thought were one-of-a-kind.

Guests included Ambassador Louis Moreno, Ambassador Mauro Vieira, Daryl Edwards on behalf of the Australian Ambassador along with Washington media types like Steve Clemons, Jim Pinkerton, Janet Donovan and Tammy Haddad enjoying a reception buffet with Mary Katherine Steel, Ellie Schafer, Heather Rothenberg and Heather Baker.

You can watch select parts of the program below:

You can learn more about GVN here.

AFI DOCS Announce 2013 Slate, Washington Locations

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Among a name and sponsor change, AFI DOCS (formerly SILVERDOCS) announced their 2013 slate today. The local Washington-area documentary film festival, now held all across the Washington area, released the complete line-up for their ‘first’ (or tenth) festival line-up since changing their name in April.

In true Washington fashion, three of their high profile films tackle the GOP, Jackie O and immigration–an issue that came ahead after last night’s overhaul by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Selections include the Opening Night Gala Premiere of “Letters to Jackie,” which examines Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis‘ life after JFK along with letters from the public now read by actors like Jessica Chastain,Zooey Deschanel, Anne Hathaway, Mark Ruffalo, Channing Tatum and Betty White; the East Coast Premiere of Acadamy Award winners Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine‘s “Life According to Sam” and “Documented,” from director Jose Antonio Vargas, a journalist who outed himself in 2011 as an undocumented immigrant in a New York Times Magazine piece. The Closing Night slot belongs to AJ Schnack‘s “Caucus,” which follows the 2012 Iowa cacus and brings us back to the glory days of last year’s campaign craziness.
From the press release:

“AFI DOCS presented by Audi (formerly Silverdocs) today announced the full schedule of films that will premiere in its 11th edition June 19-23, 2013 at iconic venues on the National Mall, the Penn Quarter and at the American Film Institute’s AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center. The festival will present 53 films selected from 1,929 submissions representing 30 countries with 3 World, 2 North American, 1 U.S. and 6 East Coast premieres. The festival opens with the theatrical premiere of LETTERS TO JACKIE (DIR Bill Couturié) and celebrates with HERBLOCK: THE BLACK & THE WHITE (DIR Michael Stevens) along with the world premiere Centerpiece Screening of DOCUMENTED (DIR Jose Antonio Vargas). The festival closes with the U.S. premiere of CAUCUS (DIR AJ Schnack). Errol Morris will be honored at the festival’s Charles Guggenheim Symposium for his contributions to the documentary genre.

Other notable filmmakers presenting their work include Patrick Creadon (IF YOU BUILD IT), Sean and Andrea Nix Fine (LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM), Barbara Kopple (RUNNING FROM CRAZY) and Lucy Walker (THE CRASH REEL).

The festival’s new all-day forum for thought leaders, filmmakers and audience members, the AFI Catalyst Sessions: The Art of Moving Reality, will focus on immigration, education, intellectual property and humor in politics.

‘2013 is a year filled with dynamic changes: After ten years, the festival previously known as Silverdocs is now AFI DOCS presented by Audi’ said Sky Sitney, Festival Director. ‘AFI DOCS reflects that we have expanded to a new environment in downtown Washington, DC which will be easily accessible to audiences eager to discover this year’s most compelling documentaries. At the same time, we are continuing a full slate of programming at our longstanding venue, the AFI Silver Theatre & Cultural Center in Silver Spring, MD. At AFI DOCS, America’s premier showcase for documentary film, we present the most provocative, challenging and compelling investigations of reality that filmmakers from America and around the world have conjured over the last year.'”

AFI DOCS runs June 19-23 The rest of their line-up can be found here.

"The End of Big" Book Party [Photos]

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The End of Big

Nicco Mele’s new book, “The End Of Big,” delves into the impact and lessons of new technology across a wide political, economic, media and social spectrum — a spectrum reflected in the diverse cross-section of Washington political and media leaders, campaign veterans, current and former government officials and business and new technology leaders who turned out in force to fete Mele at “The End of Big” book party hosted by Connie Milstein, Tammy Haddad, Doug Wilson, Joe Trippi and Jeff Trammell last night at the Jefferson Hotel.

Nicco Mele

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Doug Wilson and former Howard Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi – who shared a small, windowless office in Denver as senior members of the ill-fated 1988 Gary Hart for President campaign – introduced Mele, seen as the guru of Dean’s high-tech leap from obscurity to front-runner status throughout most of the 2004 Democratic primary campaign. “Little did I know when I shared that small space in Denver with Trippi that he would be responsible for the emergence of an unknown to national prominence, someone who would transform the national political landscape, “ Wilson told the crowd. No, it was not the former Governor of Vermont: it was the man who merged high-tech and politics, Nicco Mele.” Trippi, now a frequent political commentator and international political consultant, introduced his protégé recalling that the hard-working Mele made sure he and his team also took time to appreciate the world around them: “I caught Nicco and his crew away from their desks once and found them outside.” Trippi said. “ ‘We were just looking at the sunset’, Nicco told me. I yelled at them and said ‘Do you think Kerry’s people are looking at the sunset? Bush’s?’ He gave me a look that shut me up.”

Mele, seen as a “godfather” of a field that has expanded exponentially in the past decade, and mentor and role model for young practitioners responsible for Barak Obama’s unprecedented use of social media to attract voters, galvanized the crowd with his comments about the impact technology continues to have on all aspects of life. He held up his smartphone to the crowd and told them that the phone case had been made using his new 3-D printer, and that future models would enable people to “print” everything from shoes to rifles.

More photos are below:

When Chris Christie Comes Calling at Politico Cocktails

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Last night may’ve been the Night of Many Book Parties in Washington. While entertaining a “audience of 500+” at Politico Cocktails, Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski got a surprise visit from New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.

“Is that Chris,” Scarborough asked in the middle of a self-proclaimed great story. “You son of a…” but Mika cut him off and let the good governor speak. Per Playbook: “Mika puts Christie on speakerphone to discuss his surgery, and their blunt conversations for her new book about body image, “Obsessed: America’s Food Addition – And My Own.” The audience of 500+ repeatedly applauds the chatty, jovial Christie, including when he tells why he kept the surgery a secret.”

Allen claims the event drew a larger crowd than even March’s Cocktails with Bill Gates. Which makes sense when you think about Washington having an on/off affair with people’s two favorite addictions on Capitol Hill: Starbucks and Microsoft.

The End of Big Book Party 'Live' At The Jefferson

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We’re lucky that Nicco Mele< / tried to warn us about this back in 2004. His new book, “The End of Big” has an important sub-title: “How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath.”

Whether it’s a personalizing comments or reshaping media Nicco’s book is the starting point for our new landscape. Nicco already is an accomplished entrepreneur, angel investor and tired of answering everyone’s question about “what is a Bitcoin anyway?”

All that aside, Nicco’s an important voice in this changing world of media and interactivity. It started at Howard Dean’s meetups and continued through today as he’s on faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School teaching graduate students how the Internet, politics and even bitcoins factor into running our country. And if that’s not enough, you can always go to his site for a less-serious photo.

You can watch remarks starting live at 7 p.m. est below:



Streaming Live by Ustream

Capricia Marshall To Leave State Dept. By End of Summer

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Capricia Marshall, Cheryl Mills and Chelsea Clinton

Capricia Marshall is out of the newly-minted John Kerry State Department sometime at the end of the summer. Speaking to the Reliable Source on Monday, the soon-to-be-former-Chief-of-Protocol issued a non-offcial announcement and reminded readers that she’s a long-time member of Hillary Clinton‘s team. She’s spent the last 20 years working for the former Secretary of State, and may join her depending on decisions for the 2016 race with this kicker to the Source: “If she decides to run, I’ll be behind her 100 percent.”

Well, as everyone in D.C. knows–even Presidents on the campaign trail–just be careful to watch where you’re running before you follow someone down there.

Rounding Up The Day After White House Correspondents' Dinner: Spielberg's Obama, House of Nerds

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Now that everyone is waking up from their late nights after the White House Correspondents’ Dinner and After Parties, we can reflect on the best things from yesterday aside from the Garden Brunch.

Then again, now that Corey Stoll may no longer be allowed inside the Beltway, maybe you should go back to nursing your hangover. The “House of Cards” star, among others including Morena Baccarin from “Homeland,” had some choice words about D.C. folks on the driveway of Beall-Washington yesterday.

The Daily Mail were on hand at the Hilton to get shots of “Downton Abbey” star Michelle Dockery and “The Newsroom”‘s Emily Mortimer. But it was the pre-roll tapes from last night’s dinner that almost overshadowed Conan O’Brien including the cameo from Daniel Day-Lewis in the ‘upcoming’ Steven Spielberg film “Obama:”

The best video of the night may come from the media-studded afair that was “House of Nerds,” a crossover between “House of Cards” and the White House Correspondents Association complete with White House cameos like Valerie Jarrett, Senator John McCain and especially the retweeting power of Buzzfeed’s Ben Smith.

When Scandal and White House Correspondents' Presidents Collide at The 20th Annual Garden Brunch

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President Fitzgerald Grant (better known as Tony Goldwyn) met White House Correspondents Association President Ed Henry today at The 20th Annual Garden Brunch. The ‘legendary’ meeting that crossed two universes went out earlier through a livestream that culminated (at the 2:37 mark) with remarks from co-hosts honoring the White House Correspondents’ Association, CURE Epilepsy and The Miss America Foundation. Taking place at the historic Beall-Washington House, where else would you expect the perfect blend of Washington media, Hollywood and tech influences like Uber’s Travis Kalanick, Revolution’s Steve Case or even a gold medalist like Gabby Douglas?

Attendees rounded through R Street into the horseshoe to be greeted with CURE iPhone covers and #STEM branded protractors to give a hint at why Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathmatics are being so vetted by the Miss America Foundation to strengthen education for young women. And it’s true, the Garden Brunch is full of “Things Beltway People Like.”

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At the brunch alone you could find Downton Abbey’s Michelle Dockery posing with “Homeland”‘s Morena Baccarin or Kevin Spacey shaking hands with Navid Negahban and MC Hammer.Then there were the entire cast of Netflix’s “House of Cards” while Gerard Butler of “Olympus Has Fallen” came to lift the spirits of the brunch patrons.

Greta Van Susteren and husband John Coale, whose announcement that she would not attend the WHCA dinner made headlines, was dragged over to the red carpet by Kevin Spacey. For those around it felt like a House of Cards moment when he commanded Greta to “Stand next to me.”

There were even appearences from White House officials like Valerie Jarrett, Gene Sperling, Alan Krueger Tina Tchen (and daughter Emma), FLOTUS chief of staff and her Communications Director Kristina Schake and Reggie Love. House Leader Eric Cantor came to present the CURE Heroes Award to Pat and Patty Horan, an Iraqi war veteran who suffers from seisures. Senator Joe Manchin and Representative Darrell Issa mingled in the crowd with media heavies Joanna Coles, Editor of Cosmopolitian Magazine, David Carr and Jeremy Peters of the New York Times, Chris Hughes of The New Republic, Patty Rockenwagner, from Conde Nast, Alex Korson and Louis Bergholz, of Morning Joe, Toure And during the remarks given by Brunch co-hosts Tammy Haddad and Hilary Rosen, Google’s Eric Schmidt and Internet Investor and Fundamental Physics Prize Founder Yuri Milner happened to be near stage right.

Angel Investor Ron Conway led the giving with a pledge of $5,000 to each of the causes as Mayor Ed Lee and Mayor Villaraigosa talking to Steve Case and other tech leaders including Joe Green who is leading Mark Zuckerberg’s new political efforts in Washington.

Check out some of our photos in the slideshow below:

Celebrating 20 Years: 2011 Garden Brunch

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David and Susan Axelrod (middle) and Rupert Murdoch (right)

2011 represented a remarkable year of change for the Garden Brunch. The event moved from its historic location in the Palisades of Washington, D.C. to a new location: the historic Georgetown Beall-Washington House, the residence of Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham. Co-presented by the residence’s current owner, Mark Ein, the Garden Brunch spread itself out into yet another staple of Washington’s architectural history.

Hollywood guests included Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black, “Glee” star Matthew Morrison, “Gossip Girl’s” Chase Crawford, The Social Network’s Joe Mazzello, Jeremy Piven and Modern Family’s Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Also representing the entertainment industry were Joan Rivers, Morgan Fairchild and Rosario Dawson among others.

Attending their first Brunch, Sarah and Todd Palin made a huge impression. Seen mingling with President Obama’s political strategist David Axelrod, CURE epilepsy’s Susan Axelrod and many other Washington correspondents–both White House and political.

Olympic snowboarder phenom Shaun White was visible among the crowd, as were media moguls like Sean Parker, David Carr and Twitter co-founder Evan Williams.

The brunch happeneda week before Mother’s Day, which let co-chairs Wendi Murdoch and Susan Axelrod take the opportunity to honor all mothers by honoring The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood and CURE: Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy at the reception. Take a look at the video below:

2011 White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch from whcinsider on Vimeo.