Mediaboss Marketing

By Jeff Zeleny, Kevin Liptak and Kaitlan Collins, CNN

(CNN) -- President Joe Biden has made final decisions on several high-profile ambassador posts around the world and is poised to announce the first slate of nominees in the coming days as he prepares to set off on his first overseas trip since taking office.

The White House has started notifying countries of the President's choices, officials said, which is one of the final steps before the ambassador nominations are formally made. Extensive vetting, along with a desire to find a diverse roster of candidates, has caused repeated delays but officials said an announcement of the top diplomats could come next week.

"We hope to have more soon," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday, adding that the notification process of officials in host countries was already underway.

A White House official said Friday that it was the administration's goal to make the announcements before the President leaves next week for his first trip abroad. Yet the timeline has been repeatedly moved back, so the official declined to guarantee the goal would be reached.

Top diplomats to China, Japan, Israel, India and several European countries are expected to be among those included in the first wave of ambassador nominees. The list includes several top donors, former senators and their spouses, people familiar with the selection tell CNN.

One of the biggest questions still hanging over the search for US ambassadors is for the Court of St. James, which is the prestigious post in the United Kingdom. It has been the subject of considerable discussion on both sides of the Atlantic, but several officials told CNN they weren't certain whom Biden had settled on or whether a final choice would even be made before Biden is set to visit next week on the first stop of his weeklong tour. Several candidates have turned the post down, which extended the selection process, a person familiar with the matter said.

Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat who has served presidents of both political parties, is expected to be nominated as ambassador to China.

Rahm Emanuel, the former Chicago mayor, Illinois congressman and the first White House chief of staff in the Obama administration, is poised to be nominated as ambassador to Japan.

Tom Nides, a former deputy secretary of state in the Obama administration and a longtime executive at Morgan Stanley, is expected to be tapped as ambassador to Israel. This post has taken on even greater significance in the wake of the ceasefire reached late last month between Israel and Gaza and the expected fall of longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The nominees are subject to confirmation hearings in the closely divided Senate, which means none of the ambassadors are likely to be in their posts before late summer or early fall.

The timing has put the Biden administration behind the pace set by his most recent predecessors and has led to frustration among some State Department officials and top donors, who have been in something of a holding pattern for months. Foreign diplomats in Washington have also privately raised questions about the delays.

Vickie Kennedy, the wife of the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, is also a leading contender to serve as ambassador to Germany, people familiar with the process told CNN.

People tracking the process closely, including former ambassadors, donors and State Department officials also say Cindy McCain, wife of the late Sen. John McCain, is expected to be nominated as the US envoy to the United Nations Food Program in Rome.

Denise Bauer, an ambassador to Belgium in the Obama administration and leader of Women for Biden, is poised to be tapped as ambassador to France. And Michael Adler, a Miami real estate developer who has a long friendship with Biden, is expected to be nominated for the post in Belgium.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who served on Biden's vice presidential selection committee, is expected to be selected as ambassador to India.

The President is also considering former Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar for ambassador to Mexico. Former Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill and former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake are also being considered for other posts, people familiar with the matter say, as is Claire Lucas, a top Biden fundraiser and chair of the LGBTQ Victory Institute Board of Directors.

At least two high-level contenders were taken out of consideration in recent weeks, a personal familiar with the matter said, after the vetting of finances and statements on social media emerged as a potential challenge during the confirmation process.

Above all, a senior administration official said, one of the biggest reasons for the delay is that the selection has become something of a game of musical chairs. Several donors or friends of Biden expressed interest in one position, but were offered second choices, given the overall list of nominees.

"Diversity among ambassadors is just as important to the President as diversity in his Cabinet," a White House official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk about the closed-door process. "And that is a process."

Even since Biden has taken office, the political circumstances in several key countries has changed. Israel is the greatest example, with a deadly conflict last month giving way to a ceasefire and likely a new prime minister.

The Biden administration's policy on the Middle East will be scrutinized during confirmation hearings, which are expected to be held later this summer.

From Capitol Hill to the Middle East, the selection of Nides has been the subject of considerable discussion for weeks among close watchers of Israel.

A longtime top Democratic donor, Nides served as chief operating officer at Morgan Stanley before stepping down in 2010 to work under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He returned to Morgan Stanley in 2013 as vice chairman. Nides is married to CNN executive Virginia Moseley, who is senior vice president of domestic newsgathering.

A White House official declined to say whether a formal offer had been extended to Nides or nominees to other countries but told CNN: "We are not commenting on anyone and no one is final until they're announced."

The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

Read the original:
Biden poised to announce first slate of ambassador nominees as he eyes first trip abroad - WDJT

The next time you feel sexually harassed in a public space, pin the creep. Literally. With a map on Safecity, a digital platform that collects and analyses crowdsourced, anonymous reports of violent crime, identifying patterns and key insights of sexual violence.

Elsa Marie DSilva, the founder of Red Dot Foundation, is popular for helping women pin the creep on the map. Why? So you can let another woman know that the second railway station gate near Safardarjung Enclave in Delhi has a bunch of creeps who will sexually harass women after 8 pm. Or that the second left near MG Road towards Brigade Road in Bengaluru is a hotspot for such sexual violence.

The website provides maps for every year in the country and you can understand how safe or unsafe your area is and what to do. In April 2021, the website did a #Dhakaldo campaign to get bystander intervention to prevent harassment on the streets. This was part of their Anti-Street Harassment week activities. But how does visually representing ones personal experiences on a map help? It helps to view the problem from a different perspective.

Often the survivor is blamed when she speaks up. When you can show a dataset that highlights a recurring trend, it forces you to demand accountability. Thats what we are trying to do with Safecitymake the invisible visible by bridging the data gap that exists with sexual and gender-based violence. It is a global issue impacting on an average one in three women, yet 80 percent or more never speak up. So the statistics are highly under-reported, says DSilva.

She started Safecity with a couple of friends as an immediate response to the Nirbhaya incident in Delhi in December 2012. The incident was shocking and triggering. I remembered the various incidents that I had faced over the years that amounted to sexual harassmentgroping on a train, witnessing masturbation on a bus, sexual harassment at the workplace. But until then I had never really spoken up. The incident made me reflect on the systemic change that was needed. Lack of data was making the issue invisible. Therefore we launched the crowdmap for anonymous reporting of such violence, says the recipient of the Global Leadership Award by Vital Voices in the presence of Hillary Clinton.

Thus far, Safecitys #PintheCreep is the largest crowd map with over 25,000 personal stories. The data has been used for advocacy in several countries impacting over a million people. DSilva says it has helped to mainstream the conversation and it provides the information in which to hold a dialogue using evidence-based data. The data collected is available open-source for individuals and communities to make their neighbourhoods safer. With information of what kind of incidents happen regularly, you can have better strategies to address the situation. You can also invite your community to help find solutions and work with police or civic officials for better safety. We have had police change beat patrol timings and increase vigilance, elected representatives make budgets available for CCTV cameras and college campus officials strengthen responses to sexual violence prevention.

With lockdowns and curfews across cities, it may look like the creep factor has gone down, but digital violence is an extension of the violence in the physical world. To address this, during the pandemic we hosted workshops on the prevention of online harassment. With Bumble we developed a Stand for Safety guide so that more people can understand the nature of the violence and take measures to prevent it, says the activist listed as one of BBC Hindis 100 Women and the winner of Niti Aayogs

#WomenTransformingIndia award.

CREEPOPEDIA Members of all genders who violate privacy and crosses boundaries

There have been 25,000 creep reports so far. Users can report/pin the violator via Safecity on Android and iOS phones or via a missed call on 9015 510 510

Information is analysed to engage communities to find solutions and hold civic and police officials accountable. The information remains anonymous.

See original here:
Concerned about women safety? Here's how you can warn ladies about harassers in your city by 'pinning the creep' - The New Indian Express

Hillary and Bill Clinton were captured in photos enjoying dinner with friends on Manhattan's Upper East Side on Tuesday, May 25 evening. The former presidential pair were seen arriving separately with a Secret Service detail to high-profile restaurant Fleming by Le Bilboquet.

Hillary Clinton reportedly looked glum while sipping her favorite white wine as her husband was deeply engrossed in conversation with Sting's wife Trudie Styler, who was caught resting her head on Bill's shoulder while posing for a group selfie.

RELATED ARTICLES

Hillary Clinton includes herself with Obama, Biden in a pic shared for Presidents Day and excludes husband Bill

Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton is the angriest person in America after she trolls him over razed Trump Plaza

Exclusive photos obtained by the Daily Mail saw the former POTUS rocking a blue suit with a checkered button-down shirt and no tie. Meanwhile, his wife, a former US Secretary of State, wore a three-quarter-length striped wool coat, per the outlet. The famous couple was joined by Trudie and two others in the outdoor seating area of the restaurant. They enjoyed a live conversation and meals at the posh establishment, where entrees reportedly range from $23 to $43.

You can see the photos here.

According to the newspaper, Hillary arrived first at the restaurant at 6.30 pm. Bill arrived in a separate vehicle just a few minutes later, before snapping a few selfies with fans and then heading to the table where his wife was already seated with "a brunette woman and a young man with glasses," who weren't identified. Trudie arrived at the restaurant shortly after.

The merry group of five, at some point, had a waiter take a group selfie. A bystander claimed Hillary did not want to be a part of the photo, per the Daily Mail.

The group was finally seen leaving the restaurant around 9 pm when some well-wishers approached the Clintons for selfies. The couple obliged and took photos, before she and Bill hopped in the same car and went home together.

In 2019, staff at Fleming by Le Bilboquet claimed that their bosses allegedly made them Google the names of guests before handing out reservations. This was allegedly done to ensure the guests were either rich, famous, or both. The posh New York restaurant can accommodate only 50 people across 20 tables inside. Other notable celebrities that have been spotted dining there include Ivanka Trump, Robert De Niro and Paul McCartney.

However, according to a page-long 'Fleming Hostess Reservation Protocol' document, hostesses are required to "pull up each unknown guest on Google." Their staff has previously claimed it's because they "want to keep the restaurant for special people only." But while bosses admitted to carrying out online searches at the time, they vehemently denied it was to filter out diners who weren't rich or famous.

"Yes, we Google people," a waiter at the restaurant told the New York Post at the time on the condition of anonymity. "There are more rich than famous people coming in but we get Robert De Niro, Paul McCartney, Ivanka Trump."

The staff member added that those entering reservations needed to clear it with their manager before confirming their tables. Meanwhile, those who are rejected from the dining list simply don't get their phone call returned, someone who works in the kitchen told The Post.

A rep for Fleming by Le Bilboquet categorically denied the claims. "What the staff is claiming is absolutely not true and whoever said it is making it up," Josh Vlasto told the Post at the time.

Follow this link:
Hillary Clinton looks glum as Bill Clinton cozies up to Sting ...

Hillary Clinton is really drinking in New York Citys post-coronavirus atmosphere.

The former secretary of state was seen using two hands to down a big glass of white wine at a posh Upper East Side restaurant Tuesday evening.

Clinton was enjoying her beverage as she waited at Fleming by Le Bilboquet on 62nd Street near Madison Avenue for her hubby, Bill, and some pals, including rocker Stings wife, Trudie Styler, to arrive.

The 73-year-old former Democratic presidential nominee got to the chic eatery with a team of Secret Service protection around 6:30 p.m., and didnt wait long before her ex-president hubby showed up and took a few selfies with fans before sitting down at their table, according to the Daily Mail.

The former president was dressed in a blue suit with a checkered button-down shirtand no tie, while his wife wore a three-quarter-length striped coat.

The two were filmed chatting and laughing with a brunette woman and a young man in glasses before Styler, 67, arrived.

At one point, a waiter snapped a group photo, though Hillary apparently didnt want to be in it, a bystander told the Mail.

Other photos showed the party engaged in a lively conversation during their meal, with Styler, who married the British rocker in 1992, at one point leaning her head on Bills shoulder.

Well-wishers descended on the Clintons when they left around 9 p.m., according to the report.

The former secretary of state, who was the only one in a mask, was seen taking a selfie with a fan before she and Bill got into a car together.

The chic eatery made waves in 2019, when staffers there told The Post that they were required to Google any unknown guests and make sure they were rich or famous enough to grace the dining room.

Aside from the Clintons, celebrities who have dined there include Paul McCartney, Robert De Niro and Ivanka Trump.

See the rest here:
Bill and Hillary Clinton spotted at posh NYC restaurant with friends - New York Post

Kanye West tried to get tough with Tyson Beckford in 2018, according to the model at a black-tie gala attended by Hillary Clinton and Oprah Winfrey.

It all started when Beckford, 50, accused Wests then-wife Kim Kardashian of getting plastic surgery and criticized her on social media about it.

Beckford eventually ran into West, 43, at Ralph Laurens 50th anniversary party, where Beckford revealed he tried to get tough with me.

I was standing in the middle of Oprah Winfrey and Hillary Clinton. He was on the other side of the table, and when I tried to make eye-contact with him, he wouldnt look at me, Beckford recalled on the Instagram show Lets Go Live! with Sharon Carpenter.

He claims West, instead, sent one of his minions to follow him to the bathroom to talk to him, but the male model told the goon, I suggest you get out of this bathroom before I wipe you all over the wall.

West eventually called him out in an Instagram video two weeks later according to Beckford, who suggested he was too afraid to approach him in person at the Ralph Lauren event.

Im like, You did not want no smoke. I had on my tuxedo. I would have undone my tie and got into it if you wanted to, but you didnt. I think you didnt realize how big I was, he said.

Kim and Kanye have since divorced and even though Beckford is exposing the incident now, he wishes them well.

Theyre going through some hard times right now. My whole energy is positive, he concluded.

It would not have been Beckfords first bout of celebrity fisticuffs over a woman.

In 2016, Page Six reported that Beckford had an ugly exchange at a Manhattan nightclub with DJ Ruckus who had recently started dating his ex, Shanina Shaik and then chased the DJ several blocks on his motorcycle.

When they arrived at Ruckus condo building, sources told us, Tyson [got] off his bike, still with his helmet on and [started] confronting Ruckus, and then they went back and forth until the doorman called the cops.

Reps did not comment.

See the rest here:
Tyson Beckford: Kanye West tried to get tough with me over Kim Kardashian - Page Six