DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Cristeta Comerford, White House Chef to 5 Presidents, Retires
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-03 | by ( Aishvarya Kavi | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Growing up in the Philippines, Cristeta Comerford helped her mother, a seamstress, cook for a household of more than a dozen. They were simple meals: rice, a vegetable and fish or chicken, sometimes with extra potatoes to stretch the meal. You should go to Cordon Bleu and be a chef,” Ms. Comerford, who goes by Cris or “Cheffie,” said in an interview on Thursday. She never did go to culinary school, but she became the first woman and person of color to serve as White House executive chef. Ms. Comerford, 61, retired last week, having cooked for five presidents and their families, charted out more than 50 state dinners, and overseen a renovation of the White House kitchen that was built more than a century ago.

Persons: Cristeta Comerford, ‘ Cris, ” Ms, Comerford, Cris, “, ” Organizations: White House, House Locations: Philippines

☆ Groundbreaking executive White House chef steps down
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford has retired after nearly three decades cooking for five commanders-in-chief and their families, a White House official tells CNN. Comerford cooked for America’s first families over 29 years, including the Clintons, Bushes, Obamas, Trumps and Bidens, overseeing all White House cuisine from family meals to state dinners in the executive chef role. Her last day was Friday, the White House official said. “To be a White House chef, it’s really your temperance that really counts for a lot. In 2005, she was one of about 450 applicants for the executive chef role, which included what she described as a final “cook-off” round.

Persons: CNN —, Cristeta Comerford, Comerford, Clinton, Laura Bush, “, Chef Cris, Joe, ”, Jill Biden, Susie Morrison, it’s, Caesar, cobb Organizations: CNN, CNN — White House, White, White House Locations: White, Pennsylvania, United States, Manila, Chicago, Washington, DC, Vienna, Austria

☆ She kissed a woman on the Trans-Siberian Railway 32 years ago. Then she flew across the world to find her
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Francesca Street | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The bus was ferrying travelers to the train station to board the Trans-Siberian railway. Like Marie-Claire, Elaine had been working in Japan for a while, teaching English. Flirting in MongoliaMarie-Claire and Elaine were strangers who happened to be both traveling via the Trans-Siberian railway. She also shared the news with her extended network of New York friends. Elaine, Marie-Claire and their son Marcello have a family motto, based around their shared initials, EMC.

Persons: CNN — Marie, Claire Martineau couldn’t, Elaine Comerford, Marie, Claire, Elaine, ’, Elaine broached, they’d, “, Claire couldn’t, ” Marie, they'd, Claire Martineau Marie, who’d, ”, she’d, That’s, ” Elaine, “ Marie, Wolfgang Kaehler, we’d, Steve, ” Here's Marie, Claire Martineau, you’ve, Elaine didn’t, weren’t, Diane, “ Diane, ‘ Let’s, She’d, Claire’s, –, Marie Claire, Marcello, Here's Marie, “ We’ve, We’ve, we’ve, Anna Maria, Cliare, it’s Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Queens, Maison Internationale, EMC Locations: France, Japan, Europe, Eastern Europe, Budapest, Vienna, Boston , Massachusetts, Boston, New York City, Marie, New York, Beijing, China, Moscow, Mongolia, Russia, Asia, Mongolia Marie, Siberia, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Hungary, ”, Austria, Manhattan, Queens, Midtown, –, Provincetown , Massachusetts, Thailand, Vietnam, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Anna Maria Island , Florida, Florida

☆ Brad Paisley and Howard Gospel Choir to be the entertainment for state dinner as Bidens highlight US-Kenya ties
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Betsy Klein | Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

US President Gerald Ford dances with Britain's Queen Elizabeth II during a state dinner in Washington, DC, in 1976. Jason Reed/Reuters The White House's State Dining Room is seen ahead of a state dinner honoring French President Emmanuel Macron in 2018. Paisley first performed at the White House in 2009 during the Obama administration as part of a music series. “Tomorrow night we’ve created an experience that will feature the beautiful scenes of the White House and the Washington Monument that few get to enjoy,” White House social secretary Carlos Elizondo said. Event planner Bryan Rafanelli also helped the White House plan for the state dinner.

Persons: Brad Paisley, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, William Ruto, Rachel Ruto, “, Howard, “ Brad Paisley, Dr . Biden, Ruto’s, Biden, Ruto, ” Biden, George W, Bush, Gerald Ford, Queen Elizabeth II, Ricardo Thomas, Gerald R, Franklin D, Roosevelt, Enrique Penaranda, Penaranda, Matthew Costello, George R, Nikita Khrushchev, He's, Nina, Dwight D, Eisenhower, Mamie Eisenhower, Costello, John F, Kennedy, Habib Bourguiba, Jackie, Moufida, Bill Allen, Lyndon B, Johnson, Errol W, Barrow, Carolyn, Richard Nixon, Leonid Brezhnev, Charles Tasnadi, Betty Ford, Jordan's King Hussein, David Hume Kennerly, Betty Sherrill, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, Jimmy Carter, Deng Xiaoping, Cho Lin, Carter, Nancy Reagan, Indira Gandhi, Mikhail Gorbachev, Joe DiMaggio, Ronald Reagan, Reagan, Boris Yeltsin, Naina, George H.W, George H.W . Bush, Barbara, Dirck Halstead, Singer Whitney Houston, Nelson Mandela, Ron Sachs, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Mandela, Zindzi, Wally McNamee, Corbis, Bill Frist, Lynne Cheney, Dick Cheney, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Laura Bush, Prince Philip, Itzhak Perlman, Saul Loeb, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Manmohan Singh, Gursharan Kaur, Pete Souza, White, Obama, Singh, Jason Reed, Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Macron, Brigitte, Jabin, Scott Morrison, Joshua Roberts, Paisley, ‘ Wake, Martin Luther, ’ ”, ” Jill Biden, we’ve, Carlos Elizondo, Cris Comerford, Bryan Rafanelli, April’s, Fumio Kishida, Yuko Kishida, CNN’s Sam Fossum Organizations: Washington CNN —, Howard Gospel Choir, White, CNN, Kenyan, Ford Presidential Library, United, White House, Historical Association, Washington Post, Getty, Barbados, AP, Indian, New York Times, Singer, South, Trump, Australian, Paisley, Japanese Locations: Kenya, United States, ”, Ghana, Africa, Russia, Namibia, Washington , DC, Bolivian, Soviet, George H.W ., toasts, Nashville, Washington

☆ Reggie Bush getting 2005 Heisman Trophy back, Heisman Trust cites ‘enormous changes in college athletics’
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Jill Martin | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Reggie Bush is getting his 2005 Heisman Memorial Trophy back after having had to relinquish the award in 2010. “We are thrilled to welcome Reggie Bush back to the Heisman family in recognition of his collegiate accomplishments,” Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, said in a statement. We are so happy to welcome him back.” Michael Comerford, president of The Heisman Trophy Trust, in a statement on Wednesday. In a post on Instagram, Bush wrote, “No one can take from you what God has for you,” along with a picture of his Heisman Trophy. Bush will also be invited to future Heisman Trophy ceremonies and USC will receive a replica trophy.

Persons: Reggie Bush, Bush, ” Michael Comerford, “, Reggie, Marcus Cassel, Chris Carlson, ” Bush, Johnny Manziel, ”, Vince Lombardi Organizations: CNN, Heisman Trust, Heisman, Trust, University of Southern, UCLA, USC, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, College, NCAA, Athletic, NFL, Twitter, New, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, Saints Locations: Heisman.com, Instagram, University of Southern California, New Orleans

☆ Bidens roll out the diplomatic – and literal – red carpet for Japan state visit
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The White House will lean into the full pomp and circumstance of a state visit as the president seeks to emphasize the strong alliance between the two countries. The Bidens welcomed the prime minister and his wife to the White House on Tuesday evening, hosting the couple for a casual dinner at BlackSalt, a local seafood restaurant. The White House will serve wines from the Willamette Valley and Columbia Valley in the Pacific Northwest. The Bidens presented their counterparts with a three-legged black walnut table handmade by a Japanese American owned company in Pennsylvania, the White House said. The Biden White House has previously hosted the leaders of Australia, India, France and South Korea for state visits.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kishida Fumio, Kishida Yuko, Paul Simon, Biden, ” Jill Biden, ”, Bryan Rafanelli, “, Cris Comerford, Susie Morrison, George W, Bush, Lyndon B, Johnson, Carlos Elizondo –, ’ toasts, Elizondo, Billy Joel, CNN’s Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche, Sam Fossum Organizations: CNN, Japanese, White, White House social, Wing, State Department, White House, US, National Soccer Team, National Football Team, Biden White Locations: China, Ukraine, Gaza, United States, Japan, BlackSalt, California, Willamette, Columbia, Pacific Northwest, American, Pennsylvania, Australia, India, France, South Korea

Five months later, Albanese will be welcomed to the White House with the highest trappings of American diplomacy, including a black-tie state dinner underneath a tent erected on the South Lawn. Already, the White House had struggled to secure billions of dollars in new funding for Ukraine. When Albanese arrives at the White House Tuesday evening, the US House of Representatives will have been without a permanent House speaker – and legislatively paralyzed – for 21 days. Senior Biden administration officials believe that only weeks remain before a lack of additional funding for Ukraine starts to become a serious battlefield concern. The first lady developed the menu with guests chef Katie Button, a James Beard Award nominee who owns a popular tapas restaurant Cúrate in Asheville, North Carolina; White House executive chef Cris Comerford; and White House executive pastry chef Susie Morrison.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, Anthony Albanese, Albanese, Biden, Cedric Richmond, “, Volodymyr Zelensky, Jake Sullivan, ” Sullivan, –, ’ Biden, ” Biden, it’s, Ukraine –, Michèle Flournoy, Xi Jinping, Wang Yi, Wang, Antony Blinken, Sullivan, Blinken, Xi, Blinken’s, ”, Karine Jean, Pierre, Australia –, They’ll, John Kirby, ” Kirby, Kirby, ” Dr, we’ve, Bryan Rafanelli, Katie Button, James Beard, Cris Comerford, Susie Morrison Organizations: CNN, Australian, ., White, Hamas, Ukraine, Biden, CBS, Defense, APEC, Washington, Publicly, ”, Australia, Wednesday, ’, National Security, Army and Air Force, White House Locations: Pacific, Washington, Gaza, Israel, Asia, Vietnam, China, Ukraine, Tel Aviv, Australia, United States, America, White, San Francisco, Beijing, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, there’s, United Kingdom, India, Japan, Asheville , North Carolina

There has been close attention to diplomatic detail in advance of Thursday’s state dinner, including catering to the guest’s dietary restrictions. Nina Curtis, a plant-based chef from Sacramento, California, will be the dinner’s guest chef, working with White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford, and White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison to develop the menu, the office of the first lady said. Modi, a White House official said, is a vegetarian and “the First Lady selected Chef Curtis for her experience with plant-based cuisine.”And Grammy Award-winning American violinist and conductor Joshua Bell will provide the evening’s entertainment, the office of the first lady said. The state dinner is one element of an elaborate visit for the prime minister, which comes amid some criticism over Modi’s human rights record. This will mark the third state dinner of the Biden administration after the Bidens hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in December and South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol in April.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Nina Curtis, Cris Comerford, Susie Morrison, Modi, Chef Curtis, Joshua Bell, Betty Monkman, Jake Sullivan, “, Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Yoon Suk Organizations: CNN, White, State Department, South Locations: Washington, Sacramento , California, India, United States

☆ Walmart gobbled up and spit out e-commerce brands like Bonobos and Moosejaw. Here's what happened to the retailer's jilted exes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past few months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year. Bonobos, founded in 2007, attracts young, urban customers with its slim-fitting pants, shirts, jackets, and suits.

Persons: Marc Lore, —, Lore, Doug McMillon, Eoin Comerford, Bebeto Matthews, Ben Tobin Organizations: Walmart, Service, Privacy, Lore's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Moosejaw Walmart, Bonobos Walmart, Bonobos, Bebeto Matthews Walmart, WHP Global, Express, FullBeauty Brands Locations: Arkansas, Bentonville , Arkansas, Michigan, Walmart's, New York

☆ Where Walmart's jilted exes are now: what happened to the e-commerce brands it gobbled up and spit out like Bonobos and Moosejaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past couple of months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Recently, Walmart's e-commerce goals have shifted. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year.

☆ Mistakes by the US's top spies allowed China to turn a deadly mid-air collision into an intelligence coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( James Bamford | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +36 min

On April 1, 2001, a US EP-3 spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet over the South China Sea. One of eleven left in the fleet, the tired 1960s-era spy plane bristled with porcupine-like antennas. Within minutes, however, the fighters had reached the lumbering spy plane, and while Zhao Yu hung back about a half-mile, Wang Wei rapidly closed in. In severe trouble, he immediately radioed the base, telling them he was unable to maneuver and being sucked in by the spy plane. "You are not allowed aboard the aircraft," Osborn said.

☆ Walmart is offloading outdoor brand Moosejaw six years after acquiring it as DTC brands prove tricky to integrate into large companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Ben Tobin | Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The sale is part of a trend of large companies struggling to integrate direct-to-consumer brands. Dick's Sporting Goods is buying outdoor retailer Moosejaw from Walmart, the company announced Wednesday. Walmart purchased Moosejaw in 2017 for about $51 million to bolster its outdoor and e-commerce offerings. That same year, the retail giant purchased another direct-to-consumer company, the apparel brand Bonobos. Integrating direct-to-consumer brands is often a challenge for big companies.

WASHINGTON — The lobster featured on the menu of Thursday’s state dinner comes with caviar, squash ravioli — and a heaping side of controversy. Maine officials would typically be thrilled to have their state’s most famous export featured at such a high-profile White House event. Maine lobstermen have long prided themselves on sustainability and argue the concern about right whales is misplaced. “I am glad President Biden and his State Dinner guests had the opportunity to enjoy Maine lobster,” Democratic Maine Gov. “The administration should make their policy consistent with their culinary preferences.”The Office of the First Lady, which oversees the state dinner preparations, did not respond to a request for comment.

☆ Biden to host French President Macron at his first state dinner
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Peter Nicholas | Peter Nicholas Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

White House executive chef Cris Comerford gave a media preview Wednesday of the state dinner for French President Emmanuel Macron. “You need France.”Then-President Trump hosted French President Macron at a state dinner in 2018. The state dinner may be the Biden administration’s way of apologizing for an unforced error of such magnitude, Fried said. “We owed the French one after that.”A dish is previewed for the Macron state dinner. The last state dinner at the White House was in 2019.

☆ I charge up to $80,000 to decorate celebrity homes for Christmas. We've had requests for carousels and live penguins — and if you can imagine it, we can do it.
▼ + stars: | 2020-12-24 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ged Comerford is the operational director of The Christmas Decorators, a UK-based company. I came on board at The Christmas Decorators in 2009 and now I'm one of the owners of the company. Customers flooded The Christmas Decorators' head office between September and December with 10,400 inquiries. Everything we do isn't just time-sensitive — it's time critical"When it comes to decorating, we've had requests for carousels in peoples' gardens and live penguins," Comerford said. When it comes to decorating, we've had requests for carousels in peoples' gardens and live penguins.

Search resuls for: "Comerford"

15 mentions found