Bianna Golodryga

{{Infobox person

| name = Bianna Golodryga

| image = Bianna Golodryga.jpg

| alt = Bianna Golodryga in 2010

| caption = Golodryga in 2010

| birth_name = Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1978|6|15|mf=yes}}

| birth_place = Căușeni, Moldavian SSR, Soviet Union (now Moldova)

| death_date =

| death_place =

| occupation = {{hlist|News anchor|journalist}}

| credits = {{flatlist|

| nationality = American

| alma_mater = University of Texas at Austin

| spouse = {{marriage|Peter R. Orszag|2010}}

| children = 2

| yearsactive = 2000–present

| website = {{official URL}}

}}

Bianna Vitalievna Golodryga ({{Langx|ru|Бианна Витальевна Голодрыга}}; born June 15, 1978) is a Soviet-born American news anchor and journalist. She currently co-anchors One World with Zain Asher on CNN International and CNN Max. She previously served as a senior global affairs analyst at CNN,{{cite magazine|last1=Steinberg|first1=Brian|title=Bianna Golodryga Joins CNN in Full-Time Role|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bianna-golodryga-joins-cnn-1203343206/|magazine=Variety|date=September 20, 2019}} and as news and finance anchor at Yahoo! News.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/19/business/media/bianna-golodryga-leaving-abc-to-join-yahoo-news.html?_r=0|work=The New York Times| title=Bianna Golodryga Leaving ABC To Join Yahoo News|date=July 18, 2014|first=Ravi|last=Somaiya}} Golodryga also co-anchored the weekend edition of Good Morning America and co-hosted CBS This Morning.{{Cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bianna-golodryga-cbs-this-morning-co-host/|title=Bianna Golodryga named co-host of "CBS This Morning"|access-date=October 3, 2018|language=en}}

Early life and education

Golodryga was born to a working-class family of Bessarabian Jews on June 15, 1978, in the town of Căușeni,{{cite news |date=December 30, 2016 |title=Девушка из Каушан стала известной телеведущей в США |language=ru-RU |work=Vybor Moldova |url=http://vybor.md/devushka-iz-kaushan-stala-izvestnoy-televedushhey-v-ssha/ |url-status=dead |access-date=June 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606130430/http://vybor.md/devushka-iz-kaushan-stala-izvestnoy-televedushhey-v-ssha/ |archive-date=June 6, 2017}} Soviet Moldova. She is the only child of her parents.{{Cite news|first= |last= |author-link =|title= Tim Boxer At Jewish Women's Foundation |newspaper=The Jewish Week|date=May 17, 2012 |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/tim-boxer/tim-boxer-jewish-womens-foundation |access-date=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619001733/http://www.thejewishweek.com/features/tim-boxer/tim-boxer-jewish-womens-foundation| archive-date=June 19, 2013}}{{cite news|last1=Calmes|first1=Jackie|title=Peter Orszag to Wed ABC News Reporter|url=https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/peter-orszag-to-web-abc-news-reporter/|access-date=June 3, 2017|work=The New York Times|date=December 28, 2009|language=en}}

In 1980, when she was 18 months old, her family left the Soviet Union as political refugees, with $150 between them. Arriving in the United States, they initially moved to Galveston, Texas, before settling down in nearby Houston.{{cite web|title=ABC beauty Bianna Golodryga, fiancee of Obama budget boss Orszag, was busted for DWI in 2000|work=NY Daily News|date=January 7, 2010|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/abc-beauty-bianna-golodryga-fiancee-obama-budget-boss-orszag-busted-dwi-2000-article-1.459629|access-date=September 4, 2018|author1=Richard Huff|author2=Corky Siemaszko}} Since then, she has returned to her birthplace only once, when she visited her grandparents and cousins in 1988; her grandmother joined her family in Houston later that year.{{cite news|title=Девушка из Каушан стала известной телеведущей в США|url=http://vybor.md/devushka-iz-kaushan-stala-izvestnoy-televedushhey-v-ssha/|access-date=June 2, 2017|work=Vybor Moldova|date=December 30, 2016|language=ru-RU|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606130430/http://vybor.md/devushka-iz-kaushan-stala-izvestnoy-televedushhey-v-ssha/|archive-date=June 6, 2017|url-status=dead}} Her mother Zhanna is the chief digital and administrative officer for Phillips 66,{{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2017/04/03/phillips-66-names-new-executive-leaders.html|title=Phillips 66 names new executive leaders|access-date=April 2, 2019|work=Houston Business Journal}} and previously was the chief information officer of Hess Corporation.{{cite web|url=http://oilgasdiversitycouncil.org/what-we-do/recognition/top50/2014-top-50-most-powerful-women-in-oil-and-gas-2/|title=Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Oil and Gas: The List - Oil-Gas Diversity Council|access-date=July 23, 2016|archive-date=July 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706043303/https://oilgasdiversitycouncil.org/what-we-do/recognition/top50/2014-top-50-most-powerful-women-in-oil-and-gas-2/|url-status=dead}} Her father Vitaly, a mechanical engineer, was a consultant for DuPont.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/fashion/weddings/26GOLODRYGA.html|title=Bianna Golodryga, Peter R. Orszag|date=September 26, 2010|work=The New York Times}}

Golodryga attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, but was interested in becoming a journalist instead of having an acting career. She was inspired to look more closely at what was going on in the world after performing in a play about AIDS, written by her teacher Sharon Ferranti, whom she cites as a major source of inspiration.{{cite news|last1=Golodryga|first1=Bianna|title=Bianna's Inspiration: My High School Teacher|url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Inspirations/bianna-golodryga-inspired-high-school-theater-teacher-play/story?id=11110388|access-date=June 4, 2017|work=ABC News|date=July 8, 2010}}

Golodryga is fluent in the Russian language and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Russian/East European and Eurasian studies and a minor in economics in May 2000. {{cite news|last1=Akimov|first1=Andrei|title=Бианна Голодрыга: Как стать известным журналистом|url=http://russianchicagomag.com/bianna-golodryga-kak-stat-izvestnym-zhurnalistom/|access-date=June 3, 2017|work=Russian Chicago Magazine|date=November 5, 2015}}{{Cite news|last=Minutaglio|first=Rose|title=Meet Bianna Golodryga, the New 'CBS This Morning' Co-Host|url=https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a23581445/cbs-this-morning-bianna-golodryga-husband/|date=October 3, 2018|website=Good Housekeeping}}

Career

Golodryga had planned for a career in the financial services industry after she graduated from college. She became a licensed trader and worked at several financial companies. After a sharp drop in the market, however, she decided to pursue journalism. She moved to New York in February 2001 and began working as a producer at CNBC, where she later became an on-air correspondent.

In 2004, Golodryga was named one of the top journalists under the age of 30.{{cite web|url=http://www.newsbios.com/30under30/Past%20Classes.htm#G|title=30 Under 30 Past Classes|publisher=Newsbios.com|date=February 12, 2010|access-date=November 27, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126121619/http://newsbios.com/30under30/Past%20Classes.htm#G|archive-date=November 26, 2010|url-status=dead}} She was a correspondent for ABC between 2007 and 2010, and was named co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America in May 2010, following the departure of former co-anchor Kate Snow, who went to work for NBC.

In April 2013, Golodryga was the first person to interview Anzor Tsarnaev, the father of Tamerlan Tsarnaev and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who both carried out the Boston Marathon bombings; she called this "the most emotional moment" of her career. At first she assisted her colleagues with the proper pronunciation of the name; her assignment was to call Anzor in Chechnya. He had very few details to offer but called her back the next day, trying to find more information about what was happening and whether or not Dzhokhar, who had been taken into custody severely injured, was still alive.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/boston-bomb-suspects-dad-tells-son-surrender-hell/story?id=18995936|title=Boston Bomb Suspect's Dad Learns of Son's Capture: 'Tell Police Everything'|website=ABC News|date=April 19, 2013|access-date=June 2, 2015}}

Golodryga served as weekend co-anchor of Good Morning America until August 4, 2014, when she left the program to join the business and finance news department of Yahoo! News.{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2014/digital/news/yahoo-hires-abc-good-morning-america-weekend-anchor-bianna-golodryga-1201264659/| work=Variety| title=Yahoo Hires ABC 'Good Morning America' Weekend Anchor Bianna Golodryga| date=July 18, 2014| first=Todd| last=Spangler}} She was a guest host on Way Too Early and was a regular contributor to Morning Joe on MSNBC.{{cite web|title=Bianna Golodryga|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2954319/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1|access-date=April 21, 2019|work=IMDb}} In 2017, she was a guest co-anchor on CBS Morning News.CBS Morning News, July 21, 2017 She joined CBS on a permanent basis as a correspondent in September 2017 and simultaneously joined CNN as a contributor.{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/bianna-golodryga-cbs-news-1202547191/|title=Bianna Golodryga Joins CBS News as Correspondent|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=September 5, 2017|work=Variety|access-date=September 5, 2017|language=en-US}}

File:Bianna Golodryga Euope.jpg, 2015]]

In December 2016, Golodryga confronted Republican then-Congressman Dana Rohrabacher over his defense of Russian president Vladimir Putin. At the time, Rohrabacher was considered a candidate to be appointed Secretary of State by American president-elect Donald Trump and was criticizing China for its record on human rights. Golodryga then asked about Putin, who has been consistently praised by Trump. Rohrabacher answered, "Oh, baloney. Where do you come from? How can you say that?" to which Golodryga replied, "I come from the former Soviet Union—that's where I came from. I came here as a political refugee. That's where I came from." Rohrabacher appeared flustered and accused Golodryga of being biased before he compared Putin to Mikhail Gorbachev.{{cite news|title=GOP congressman compares Putin to Gorbachev|url=http://www.msnbc.com/morning-joe/watch/gop-congressman-compares-putin-to-gorbachev-827976259812|access-date=June 3, 2017|publisher=MSNBC|date=December 8, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Lange|first1=Jeva|title=GOP Rep. Dana Rohrabacher fiercely defends Russia, calls human rights violations 'baloney'|url=http://theweek.com/speedreads/666135/gop-rep-dana-rohrabacher-fiercely-defends-russia-calls-human-rights-violations-baloney|access-date=June 3, 2017|work=The Week|date=December 8, 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Blake|first1=Aaron|title='Baloney': GOP congressman's striking defense of Russia's human rights record could preview what lies ahead|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/08/baloney-gop-congressmans-striking-defense-of-russias-human-rights-record-could-preview-what-lies-ahead/|access-date=June 3, 2017|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=December 8, 2016}}

Golodryga is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=G/|title=CFR Membership Roster|publisher=CFR.org|access-date=June 2, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053117/http://www.cfr.org/about/membership/roster.html?letter=G%2F|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=dead}} She has contributed to the HuffPost, and more recently was a news and finance anchor at Yahoo!.{{cite news|url=https://www.huffpost.com/author/bianna-golodryga|title=Bianna Golodryga: News and Finance Anchor at Yahoo!|work=HuffPost|access-date=April 21, 2019}}

In 2015, Golodryga, whose husband was a former Bill Clinton staff member, was selected by Hillary Clinton to conduct Hillary's first interview as a presidential candidate. However, Hillary Clinton said her choice was "Bianna", which was misinterpreted by Hillary's staff as "Brianna" and an interview was scheduled with CNN's Brianna Keilar, who conducted a tough interview. Golodryga responded, "It happens all the time that my name gets butchered. I never thought it would impede me from participating in what would be one of the biggest stories of my life."{{cite web|last=Engel|first=Pamela|title=Huma Abedin's mixup of Yahoo and CNN anchors led to a brutal grilling for Hillary Clinton|work=Business Insider|date=April 18, 2017|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/hillary-clinton-brianna-keilar-cnn-interview-huma-abedin-2017-4|access-date=September 4, 2018}}

On October 3, 2018, it was announced on CBS This Morning that she would be joining the team as a co-host. On April 3, 2019, CBS News announced that she had chosen to leave the network.{{cite magazine|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|title=Bianna Golodryga Parts Ways With CBS News in Anchor Shuffle|url=https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/bianna-golodryga-parts-ways-cbs-news-1203179800/|magazine=Variety|date=April 3, 2019|access-date=April 3, 2019}} Later that year, CNN announced that Golodryga had accepted a full-time role at the network as a senior global affairs analyst.

Amidst the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, Golodryga interviewed Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the erstwhile Pakistani Minister of Foreign Affairs. During the interview, Qureshi said: "Israel is losing out. They are losing the media war, despite their connections."{{cite web|last=Golodryga|first=Bianna|title=Pakistan FM invokes antisemitic slur|work=CNN|date=May 20, 2021|url=https://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/05/20/amanpour-pakistan-shah-mahmood-qureshi-israel.cnn|access-date=May 21, 2021}} Golodryga asked Qureshi: "What are their connections?" to which Qureshi replied: "Deep pockets," adding, "they are very influential people — they control media." Golodryga remarked several times during the interview that she considered this remark to be antisemitic.{{Cite web|title=Pakistan Official's Alleged Antisemitic Remarks Spark Controversy|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/south-central-asia_pakistan-officials-alleged-antisemitic-remarks-spark-controversy/6206054.html|access-date=May 24, 2021|website=Voice of America|date=May 21, 2021 |language=en}} After her exchange with Qureshi became a matter of international discussion, she elaborated further: "There should be zero point zero doubt that accusing Israel of 'controlling the media' and having 'deep pockets' is anti-Semitic." Since the interview, Pakistani government officials and social media commentators have defended Qureshi's remarks.{{Cite web|date=May 21, 2021|title=CNN presenter accuses Pakistan foreign minister of 'antisemitic remark' live on air|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/pakistan-minister-qureshi-antisemitic-interview-b1851505.html|access-date=July 2, 2021|website=The Independent|language=en}}

Awards

Golodgryga is the recipient of an Emmy Award for Outstanding Morning Program, the Keystone Policy Center Leadership Award and the University of Texas at Austin Pro Bene Meritis Award among others.{{cite web |title=Bianna Golodryga Senior Global Affairs Analyst: Full Bio |url=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/bianna-golodryga |website=cnn.com |publisher=Cable News Network, Warner Bros. Discovery |access-date=18 April 2022 |language=English |date=2022}}

Personal life

File:Bianna and Peter 5.jpg

In September 2010,{{cite web|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/dan-harris-named-gma-weekend-co-anchior_b34352|title=Dan Harris named GMA Weekend co-anchor|access-date=April 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140213174745/http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/dan-harris-named-gma-weekend-co-anchior_b34352|archive-date=February 13, 2014|url-status=dead}} Golodryga married Peter R. Orszag, the CEO of Lazard, a financial services firm, and the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget during the Barack Obama administration.{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/28/bianna-golodryga-peter-orszag_n_741605.html|title=Bianna Golodryga, Peter Orszag Get Married|publisher=Huffingtonpost.com|access-date=November 27, 2010|first=Jack|last=Mirkinson|date=September 28, 2010}} They have a son and daughter.{{cite journal|last1=Knox|first1=Merrill|title=ABC's Bianna Golodryga Gives Birth to Baby Boy|journal=Adweek|date=April 2, 2012|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/bianna-golodryga-gives-birth-to-baby-boy/120647?red=tn|access-date=November 10, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/a-mothers-day-like-no-other-for-bianna-golodryga/293035|title=A Mother's Day Like No Other for Bianna Golodryga|last=Ariens|first=Chris|date=May 8, 2016|website=Adweek|access-date=August 5, 2021}}