National Press Club

A panel of experts in Middle East policy said democracy is still possible, but unlikely in the current political climage, at a National Press Club's Newsmakers conference on Sept. 27.

Panelists said the military leadership continues to lead the country down a path toward instability, violence and economic upheaval.

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Dave Sheinin, sports reporter for The Washington Post, presented his book on Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, "RGIII, The Promise," at the National Press Club Aug. 21.

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A panel of financial experts blamed Congressional politics for inadequate policies addressing the underperforming U.S. economy at an Aug. 21 National Press Club Newsmaker.

Mohamed El-Erian, chief executive and chief investment officer of Pacific Investment Management Co., said "the economy is driving in second gear...when this car is capable of being driven in third, fourth or even fifth gear." A better performance is technically, but not politically, possible, he said.

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The National Press Club celebrated courage to tell the truth in adverse circumstances Tuesday when it bestowed the John Aubuchon Press Freedom Awards on the "Whistle-blower" and a Turkish journalist who has been jailed for reporting on controversial topics.

The domestic award recognizing the "Whistle-blower" honored an entire group of people, named and unnamed, who brave personal repercussions to expose wrongdoing. It is the first time the Club has honored a group of people, rather than an individual, with this award.

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"Texas isn’t listening to families,” Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis told a National Press Club audience Monday.

Davis, who filibustered in the Texas Senate for more than 10 hours to block Senate Bill 5, legislation that would have created more restrictions on abortion regulations in Texas, said her actions were meant to draw attention to the disconnect between state leaders and Texas families who struggle with lack of health insurance and poorly funded public education.

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Daytime Emmy Award-winning voice actor Rob Paulsen told the National Press Club Aug. 1 that “with all due respect to Lou Gehrig, I am the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”

“I was very fortunate. I think you are looking at a lottery winner,” Paulsen said. “I get paid to do things that used to get me in trouble in the seventh grade.”

Paulsen entered the room with a Loud “Hello D.C.!” in the voice of Yakko Warner and the enthusiastic crowd went wild. Yakko is a character on Animaniacs, the show that changed Paulsen’s life, he said.

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White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford told a National Press Club Newsmaker audience Aug. 1 that 20 top chefs would experience American diversity on a week-long visit to the United States.

The chefs, who work for heads of states around the world, prepared a charity lunch for 200 disadvantaged people in New York, ate a barn lunch prepared by Amish people in Lancaster, Pa., and visited restaurants reflecting Irish and Spanish cuisines, she said.

In New York, the visitors also met UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon.

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Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio, a third-term representative and the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus,defined the state of the African-American woman in America today as a source of “provocation, misunderstanding, and misinterpretation,” at a National Press Club Newsmaker Aug. 1.

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Yes, Shirley Jones is her real name, the actress who shot to fame in Broadway musicals and as the singing TV mom on "The Partridge Family" told the audience at a National Press Club Book Rap on July 26.

Jones, who is touring the United States to promote her book, "Shirley Jones: A Memoir," says she prefers nature to computers and social media, and keeps active with TV appearances, touring and an upcoming 50th anniversary of "The Music Man".

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If the Catholic Church wishes to draw in more priests and young people and continue ministering to all its faithful, it must become more inclusive and transparent, according to Rev. Helmut Schüller, an Austrian Catholic priest who spoke at a National Press Club Newsmaker event on Monday.

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