Chris Licht, former “Morning Joe” Executive Producer, returned to the familiar MSNBC set to talk about the near-fatal cerebral hemorrhage he suffered more than a year ago after a “particularly challenging morning” at work.
The hard-charging producer told hosts and friends Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski about the “pop” he heard in his head while riding back to his Washington hotel that April morning. He was just 38 years old.
The married father of two says the experience helped him streamline and get rid of all the clutter, finding time for the things that matter in life. Licht admits that leaving “Morning Joe” for his new gig as VP of Programming at CBS News was part of the experience, learning it was time to take chances.
Check back to WHCInsider this Thursday at 7:00PM where you can watch Jon Meacham‘s interview with Chris Licht LIVE. To read an excerpt from the book click here and watch the “Morning Joe” interview below:
Looks like CBS News is readying its team for 2012. Corbett B. Daly has been named Deputy Politics Editor for CBSNews.com, joining Politics Editor Kevin Hechtkopf, Reporters Brian Montopoli, Stephanie Condon and Lucy Madison, and Associate Producer Christine Delargy.
Daly will help coordinate and implement coverage of the White House, Congress and key political battles. Daly will also contribute to CBSNews.com’s Political Hotsheet and Washington Unplugged.
“We look forward to tapping Corbett’s talent and extensive reporting experience as we gear up for the 2012 campaign,” said Dan Farber, editor-in-chief of CBSNews.com.
Daly recently worked as an economics correspondent for Reuters. Previously he was Washington Bureau Chief, where he created the Thomson Financial News Washington bureau of a real-time financial newswire to cover major U.S. economic and political developments for financial market professionals.
It’s hard to top a visit from the Queen of England, but President Obama did just that as he began his European tour in Moneygall, the hometown of his Irish ancestors. An American genealogist discovered Obama’s Irish roots back in 2007, tracing the connection on the president’s maternal side. Moneygall is about 90 miles from the capital city of Dublin.
It’s been almost 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was warmly welcomed to Ireland; he called his 1963 journey to the emerald isle “the best four days of my life.” Obama gave a rousing address to an estimated crowd of 100,000 people at Trinity College, the same location at which President Clinton spoke back in 1995.
For more on the president’s homecoming read the Washington Post’s story here.
Unfortunately, the president will be cutting his trip to Ireland short in order to avoid flying in the ash cloud released by an Icelandic volcano. Looming volcanic ash sounds like a good excuse to throw back a pint of Guinness, although it appears the president didn’t need much arm-twisting when he toasted his “fellow” Irishmen.
Morning Joe Executive Producer Chris Licht moves to CBS News as VP of programming, but only after Jon Meacham interviews him at his book party on Wednesday, May 25th at the Jefferson Hotel in Washington, D.C. You can watch the interview live at WHCInsider.com. Here is The Hollywood Reporter’s take.
Junior Statesmen Foundation and Junior State of America alumni and friends gathered at the Arlington home of Dan Meyers and Kevin Latek last week to hear a presentation from the CEO of the Junior Statesmen Foundation, Jeff Harris. The event was held to raise awareness of the Junior Statesmen organization, which provides opportunities to educate high school students on the American political system throughout the DC area.
“Our challenge is getting high school students to be excited about their government, their chance to participate, their chance to make a difference,” said Harris. “JSA is all about giving high school students the skills, the knowledge that they need to become active, involved participants in our democracy for the rest of their lives.
Mike McCurry, the former Press Secretary to President Clinton and JSA alum, co-hosted the “friendraiser” along with fellow JSA veteran Dan Meyers, Rich Galen, Sarah Hoffman, Junelle Cavero, Andy Green and Tammy Haddad. He told the gathering that his first and only political campaign was through the Junior Statesmen of America Foundation while he was still in high school. McCurry ran for the position of Junior Governor of California, which he won.
“[JSA] is a program unlike some of the others that I think many [people] are familiar with… this one actually allows people to be involved, get involved, and really learn by doing,” said McCurry.
Dan Meyers joined the JSA when he was a student in Ohio. Today, he serves on the JSA board and sees it as his way of giving back to the foundation for the support it gave him throughout his high school years.
“The foundation is something that is very close to my heart,” Meyers said. “It’s something that inspired me to get involved in politics.
Guests included JS Board members Doug Bailey, Chris Dunn, JSA staff alum David Mark, Susan Sher, the former FLOTUS Chief of Staff, Jessica Stuart, Junelle Cavero, CEO of Blue Knot Strategies LLC; the divine Chris Edwards, wowed the crowd with the families fabulous Edward Marc Chocolates.
Some of the biggest names in the news business complained about the relationship between the White House press corps and the Obama White House accusing the press of being too deferential to President Obama.
Former Clinton press secretary Mike McCurry moderated a panel on the 50th anniversary of the first televised presidential news conference which was conducted by John F. Kennedy. Panelists included Sid Davis, Haynes Johnson, Don Larrabee, John Palmer, and Sander Vanocur.
When talking about the current press corps, Davis said, “I don’t like today’s news conferences” with the president. Kennedy’s, he says, were “thoroughly unrehearsed, natural and they worked to a large extent.” Today’s versions, he adds, “look like they are rehearsed.”
U.S. News and World Report’s Paul Bedard reported on the forum; to read his full story, click here.
Commander Mark Kelly will give his first interview from space to Google, You Tube and PBS NewsHour. Anchor Miles O’Brien will use questions submitted through Google Moderator… To read Matt Dornic’s take, click HERE.
WHC Insider would like to welcome the New York Times back to TV. Producers have been using your material for years, its about time you joined the TV game again. Todd Purdum’s show from your partnership with the Discovery Channel is still a favorite.
Click here to read the full story courtesy of The Cutline.
Former presidential candidate and NBC star Fred Thompson commented on former presidential hopeful and NBC star Donald Trump’s aborted bid for the GOP nomination saying it may have been a brilliant business decision. Trump got tons of publicity because of the move, he says, and stands to potentially receive an even bigger contract from NBC for the next season of his hit show The Apprentice. He also says that the financial disclosure that comes along with being a public figure may have been a significant deterrent for Trump. Read Ted Johnson’s full story from Variety.
When President Obama announced the death of Osama Bin-Laden, it was not only a historic moment in the fight against terror, it also was the last presidential address ever to be reenacted for the press. This practice has been commonplace for elected officials since the advent of public media and dates back to Harry Truman, who would repeat his radio addresses to the press. Check out the Associated Press’s full story here.
Jim Lehrer surprised the Washington news community today by announced that he will be stepping down as the lead newsman for public television. He has hosted “The NewsHour” on PBS for 36 years making him the longest running national anchorman. While his daily job will end on June 6, 2011, he plans to continue to moderate the show’s weekly news analysis segment, which airs every Friday. You can read the full story here, courtesy of the Washington Post.
Matthew Morrison with White House Press Secretary Jay Carney (Left) and Rachel Goslins (Right), Executive Director of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities at the Bloomberg/Vanity Fair WHCD After-party
White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch friends, Glee star and White House Correspondents’ Dinner guest, Matthew Morrison, has finally released his first album.
Morrison was profiled in USA Today where his broadway and TV show colleagues boast about his musical talent, calling him a “quadruple threat.”
The album is now available for purchase on iTunes.
One of Morrison’s Glee co-stars, Darren Criss, stopped by the studio for some impromptu jamming – check out the video below (PerezHilton.com).
Seth Meyers is on the comedic roll of a lifetime. He played the White House Correspondents dinner like a veteran, poking fun at Washington biggies including President Obama himself.
Hours after this performance, the news about Bin-Laden’s death was released, which gave Meyers great material for his Saturday Night Live skit Weekend Update. Check out the clip below:
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RT @eighteencats: Late to the party- Obama Releases Birth Video at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner: http://t.co/qOBlaSjG HAHAHA @elevenphrases […]
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