National Press Club

After 101 days on the job, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald said major gains have been made in cutting backlogs and improving medical care at his scandal-scarred agency but he said a “change in culture” and new capabilities were needed to overcome its problems.

At a National Press Club Luncheon Nov. 7, McDonald took issue with Republican and veterans’ group critics that charge he has not moved aggressively enough against VA managers and employees allegedly responsible for covering up treatment delays and falsifying records.

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Veterans groups should keep pressure on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve the delivery of medical care, Veterans advocate Jessie Jane Duff told a Nov. 5 meeting of National Press Club American Legion Post.

Duff, a VA critic, and a frequent radio and TV commentator on military affairs, is a retired Marine Corps gunnery sergeant.

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Communicator members of the National Press Club want to bridge the divide between their side of the journalism profession and the editorial side represented by the Press Club’s Journalist members.

The NPC's Communications and Marketing Committee tries to make that connection happen.

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A pastor made a passionate plea at a National Press Club Newsmakers event Nov, 4 to end the unequal justice system that led to the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

The pastor, Jim Wallis, traveled to Ferguson on Oct. 13 to get a firsthand view of the situation and was arrested with many other faith leaders. In thinking about the shooting, Wallis emphasized that he is viewing the events as a father.

As a father, Wallis hopes that America can develop a justice system that treats everybody equally.

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Jessica Fellowes, niece of the creator and writer of "Downton Abbey", Julian Fellowes, visited the National Press Club Nov. 5 and delighted the audience with behind the scenes stories about everything Downton.

Fellowes talked about the fifth season of the series -- but "no spoilers," she said. The season is featured in her book, A Year in the Life of Downton Abbey: Seasonal Celebrations, Traditions, and Recipes. The book explores both what a year would have been like living in a large country house in the 1920's and the process of filming a season of "Downton Abbey", she said.

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The Hispanic electorate is diverse and expanding but turnout of Latino voters on Nov. 4 looks at this point to be smaller than in 2012 and may not be decisive for either party.

These were some of take-aways from a National Press Club Newsmakers panel Oct. 31.

There are currently about 25 million eligible Hispanic voters in the U.S. but only about 8 million have registered to vote to date. In 2012, only 48 percent, or about 11 million, eligible Hispanic voters cast ballots; in 2014 the turnout percentage is expected to be even lower.

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Tam Harbert thinks freelancing is the future for many journalists.

“As traditional media, including print newspapers, magazines and wire services, shrinks, it’s getting more and more difficult to get a traditional job if you’re a young journalist, and even harder if you’re a mid-career journalist,” Harbert said.

At the same time, technology and the Internet have made it easier for journalists to become entrepreneurs. And more and more are doing so – by running their own businesses, she said.

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The emotional bond between military dogs and their handlers has made combat for the human soldiers easier, Rebecca Frankel says in her new book "War Dogs: Tales of Canine Heroism, History, And Love."

“There was something about having a dog there that not softened the experience but allowed them to keep more of their humanity intact,” Frankel said at a National Press Club Book Rap on Wednesday.

Veterans of several conflicts, including War II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, told Frankel they "can come back more whole because they had the comfort and companionship of a dog.”

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John Byrne Cooke, road manager for Janis Joplin from 1967 until her death, talked about his new book "On the Road With Janis Joplin" at the National Press Club Oct. 28.

Cooke explained why Janis Joplin was in three different bands in 3 years. He said she was looking for new challenges and never “jelled” with the first 2 bands.

Her intelligence and ability to articulate enabled her to know and communicate what she wanted in the music, he said.

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Actor and radio host Sean Astin underlined the importance of research and preparation as he described his experience of public discourse at the National Press Club Oct. 27.

His celebrity, he said, has “bought a seat at the influencers table. And I may not be able to win a hand, but I’m going to sit down and play because…it’s my God-given, natural and constitutionally-protected right to try.”

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