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- Thousands of migrant children will spend the rest of their childhoods in U.S. custody.
- Congressman Al Lawson (D-FL) wants employers to stop checking applicants’ credit.
- For centuries Native American property has been taken and sold. A group of lawmakers says no more.
- Black Caucus launches 2020 Census task force.
- Ford Foundation names director of Future of Work(ers). Read to the bottom!
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Comedians Dave Chappelle and The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng in NYC earlier this month.
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San Francisco reporter Luz Peña with Mickey Mouse at the UCSF Children's Hospital in Oakland last week.
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Bob Menéndez Moves to Give Marijuana-Related Businesses Access to Insurance Coverage
Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) on Tuesday introduced legislation that would ensure legal marijuana and related businesses have access to comprehensive and affordable insurance coverage. Current federal law prevents these small business owners from getting insurance coverage, and without it, they can’t protect their property, employees, or customers. The Clarifying Law Around Insurance of Marijuana (CLAIM) Act, which Menéndez introduced with Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), would prohibit penalizing or discouraging an insurer from providing coverage to a state-sanctioned and regulated cannabis business, or an associated business such as a lawyer or landlord providing services to a legal cannabis business. Further, these insurance policies could not be terminated or limited due to an association with a state-legal cannabis enterprise. The bill would also provide protections for employees of insurers. “With New Jersey just expanding their medical marijuana program, and other states across the country legalizing recreational and medical cannabis, we must ensure these businesses can fully operate just as any other legal small business would,” said Menéndez. “We can solve this problem with legislation that allows insurance companies to provide coverage to these enterprises without risk of federal prosecution or other unintended consequences.” Marijuana-related legislation has been getting more attention in Congress. The Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday met to consider bipartisan legislation that would protect banks that service cannabis businesses from being penalized by federal financial regulators. More here.
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Kamala Harris Aims to Invest Hundreds of Billions in Water Infrastructure
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) introduced legislation this week designed to address the burgeoning water crisis across the country. The Water Justice Act would immediately invest in communities and schools to test for and remove contaminants in water, including replacing toxic lead service lines. It would also provide assistance for families struggling with the cost of rising water bills and support a broad range of sustainable water infrastructure projects. “We must take seriously the existential threat represented by future water shortages and acknowledge that communities across the country—particularly communities of color—already lack access to safe and affordable water,” said Harris. The bill would invest nearly $220 billion in clean and safe drinking water programs, with priority given to high-risk communities and schools. As part of that, Harris' plan would declare a drinking water infrastructure emergency, devoting $50 billion toward communities and schools where water is contaminated to test for contaminants and to remediate toxic infrastructure. The measure would establish a $10 billion program to allow states to offset the cost of water bills in low-income communities and environmentally at-risk households. Additionally, Harris would invest $20 billion in a variety of sustainable water supply, recycling, and conservation programs. Congressman Dan Kildee (D-MI), who represents Flint, and Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) will introduce companion legislation in the House. Food for thought: freshwater makes up a very small fraction of all water on the planet. While nearly 70% of the world is covered by water, only 2.5% of it is fresh. So only 0.007% of the planet's water is available to fuel and feed its 6.8 billion people. More here.
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Jim Clyburn Teams with Elizabeth Warren to Cancel $640B in Student Loan Debt
Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC) teamed up with White House hopeful Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to introduce legislation Tuesday that would cancel approximately $640 billion of student loan debt, targeted at lower and middle-income earners. The Student Loan Debt Relief Act calls for canceling up to $50,000 of debt for all borrowers earning less than $100,000, with proportionally less debt relief for those earning up to $250,000. And the measure even outlines a process by which the federal government would automatically cancel most student loans without requiring borrowers to submit applications. The Education Department would use existing income and debt information to determine who qualifies. "Crushing student debt has reached crisis levels in America requiring big, bold solutions," said Clyburn. "Post-secondary education should be the springboard to enable students to achieve their dreams not the impediment that prevents the realization of those goals." Warren said the plan included income limits because it’s meant to be targeted “directly at bringing down the Black-white wealth gap in America.” Clyburn said he would like to pay for the bill by reversing some of the tax breaks for higher-income individuals and corporations in the GOP tax law. More here.
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MoveOn's Karrine Jean-Pierre, CAP's Juanita Tolliver, MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace, and actress Rosie Pérez at 30 Rock in NYC on Monday.
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NJ Attorney General Gurbir Singh Grewal last month celebrating National Selfie Day.
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Lawmakers Intro Bill to Safeguard Sacred Native American Items
Tribal nations have long endured the removal and export of cultural heritage items to places all over the world, and once gone, they are hard to retrieve. In one instance, the FBI raided a home and seized about 42,000 items whose cultural value was said to be immeasurable -- including over 2,000 bones belonging to Native Americans. A group of lawmakers including Representatives Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Deb Haaland (D-NM), and Tom Cole (R-OK) last week reintroduced the bipartisan Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act, a bill that would prohibit the exporting of sacred Native American items and increase penalties for stealing and illegally trafficking tribal cultural patrimony. “We have a responsibility to lend our voices to Native communities seeking to safeguard their heritage, sovereignty, and knowledge, and the introduction of this legislation is an important step,” said Luján. For centuries Native American property has been taken from communities and sold off to the highest bidder. “Our people are not just some long ago culture forced into extinction – we are still here and we still practice our traditional ceremonies and pilgrimages. The STOP Act would ensure that our communities regain the authority to determine how and where our loved ones and property are shared, while ensuring those responsible for taking our sacred property [bear] the consequences,” said Haaland, co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus. Cole, the other co-chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, added, “[j]ust as the United States helps protect and return foreign cultural property, it is only right for other countries to respect ownership of the sacred treasures, artifacts and other items belonging to Native Americans.” Congressman Don Young (R-AK) joined the House lawmakers in leading the bill, while Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the companion bill in the Senate. More here.
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Al Lawson Wants Employers to Stop Checking Applicants' Credit
These days it’s common for employers to look at job applicants’ personal credit history before making a hiring decision. But research shows that employment credit checks constitute an illegitimate barrier to employment. That’s why Congressman Al Lawson (D-FL) introduced the Restricting Credit Checks for Employment Decisions Act, which would prevent employers from seeking credit scores or credit information when interviewing or determining whether to hire a potential employee. It would also prohibit hiring managers from asking questions about past defaults or bankruptcies during a job interview or including questions about credit history on applications. “My bill creates greater access to the job market by eliminating unnecessary employment barriers,” said Lawson, a member of the House Financial Services Committee. “An individual’s history does not prove a person’s ability to perform a job well. When used in employment decisions credit scores only serve to limit an individual’s opportunity.” The practice can frequently block upward mobility, and it disproportionately affects minority job seekers. It’s also just an invasion of privacy. The bill does, however, have two exemptions for national security clearances purposes and instances where a credit check is required by local, state or federal law. More here.
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Chuy García and Hank Johnson Team on Road Safety
Around 500,000 trucking accidents occur each year in the U.S., with about 5,000 per year resulting in death. Congressmen Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Chuy García recently teamed up to introduce legislation they said would help improve truck and commercial vehicle safety. The Safe Roads Act would direct the Department of Transportation to require that all new commercial motor vehicles be equipped with an automatic emergency braking system. “Tragically, the simple installation of automatic braking systems on all commercial motor vehicles – a $500 safety feature – might have prevented these deaths and countless others across the country,” said Johnson. “America’s roads and highways should be safe for all drivers. Taking full advantage of technologies that are available and proven to anticipate and prevent crashes will save lives.” Separately, García joined Congressman Matt Cartwright (D-PA) to introduce the INSURANCE Act, which would ensure minimum insurance requirements for motor carriers are periodically adjusted to the inflation rate of medical costs, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Minimum insurance requirements for motor carriers were established in 1980 and have never been adjusted for inflation. “Thousands of families are suffering in silence, saddled with crippling medical care costs resulting from catastrophic crashes,” said García, “The inadequacy of the current minimum insurance requirement, left unchanged for 40 years, only further prolongs the suffering and financial strain on families that have already lost so much.” The three lawmakers announced the bills last week at a press conference with the Truck Safety Coalition and truck crash victims. More here.
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Cellist Yo -Yo Ma with activists Suman Raghunathan and Cayden Mark.in Chicago last month.
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Rapper-turned-columnist Luther Campbell with Roland Martin this week in Hamburg, NJ.
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‘Big Mama’ Manager Mulls Congressional Bid in Nebraska
Restaurateur Gladys Harrison has set up an exploratory committee for a possible congressional run in Omaha, Nebraska, to unseat incumbent Congressman Don Bacon (R-NE). Harrison is the general manager of the well-known Omaha restaurant Big Mama's Kitchen, which was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in 2008. She also later had a show on the network in 2013 named after the restaurant. The 52-year-old matriarch has never run for office before, but told The Intercept in late May that she was considering entering the race. Reached again last week about running, Harrison said, “at this time I am not ready to comment.” Should she enter the race and win, she would be the first woman of color to represent the state in Congress. Local party officials said the DCCC was working to recruit Harrison into the race. Last month, a DCCC spokesperson refused to “confirm or deny” that they were trying to recruit her. Declared Democratic candidates so far include Ann Ashford, Kara Eastman, and Morgann Freeman. The primary is May 12th of next year. Nebraska’s Second Congressional District is 81.6% White, 10.9% Hispanic, 9.8% Black, 3.1% Asian, and 0.6% Native American. We’ll keep you posted on Harrison’s official entry into the fray. More here.
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People of Color are Rural America, Too
When people speak about rural America, the image that comes to mind for some is a white face. However, significant populations of African Americans, Native Americans, and Latinx individuals live in rural areas across the country. While most communities of color are underrepresented in nonmetro areas overall, the racial urban-rural divide is more complicated. The Center for American Progress recently looked at the makeup. They found one in 10 African Americans lives in a nonmetro area. Smaller counties that are adjacent to metro areas have, on average, as high a share of African American residents as medium and small metro areas. Rural African American populations are concentrated in the Southeast, where the legacy of Jim Crow laws has had lasting effects on economic mobility and where poverty persists at rates far higher than for the rest of the U.S. rural population, according to the research. Native Americans tend to live in the rural, nonmetro-adjacent counties. Latinx residents are dispersed across the metro-nonmetro continuum, though a larger percentage reside in nonmetro counties that are not adjacent to metro areas. In particular, Latinx individuals in the Southwest and Native Americans in the Great Plains region tend to be clustered in nonmetropolitan counties. Native Americans living in rural areas have a lower quality of life compared with that of rural residents broadly, the research found. For example, nearly half of rural Native Americans reported having difficulty paying for major expenses in the past few years compared to about 40% of the entire rural population. More here.
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Black Lawmakers Launch 2020 Census Task Force
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) launched a new task force this week that will focus on the upcoming 2020 Census and the legacy of undercounting the African American community. Nationally, Black residents could be undercounted by as much as 3.68%, according to the Urban Institute. That equates to 1.7 million people. The Census is used to determine funding levels for federal programs, how many congressional seats and electoral college votes each state receives, as well as the drawing of congressional districts. There’s a lot at stake considering this will be the first Census to be conducted primarily online. “With the census becoming digital, can you imagine working families receiving a postcard telling them to go online to fill out their census form?,” asked CBC Chair Karen Bass (D-CA). “Many Americans might not have access to a computer or broadband services. That is why the Black Caucus is taking the lead to begin the work now.” The task force will be led by Congressman Steven Horsford (D-NV). “The Constitution declares that we must count all persons in this country. The Trump administration has taken coordinated action specifically to discourage and frighten people away from participating in the 2020 census, and now we are fighting back,” said Horsford. “We only get one chance every ten years to get this right. Let’s make it count.” In the 1990 Census, young Black children were underrepresented at twice the rate of their non-Clack peers. In 2010, young Black children were still undercounted at twice the rate as young non-Black children -- affecting federal funding allocations to programs that are supposed to serve them, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the National School Lunch Program. CBC members will meet with stakeholders and leading professionals -- which are representatives from the state, local, and advocacy space -- to discuss the current state of play. More here.
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Comedian Hasan Minhaj last week in a photoshoot for GQ.
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Congresswomen Jamie Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) on Capitol Hill this week introducing the Midwives for MOMS Act.
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Thousands of Migrant Children Will Spend the Rest of Their Childhoods in U.S. Custody
Thousands of unaccompanied migrant children are at risk of spending the rest of their childhoods in federal custody, according to a CBS News interview with the head of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR). The agency cares for unaccompanied migrant children, as well as children who arrived with their parents but were later separated from them. "Unfortunately, I have well over 4,000 of those children in my care at this time at the Office of Refugee Resettlement," said Jonathan Hayes, ORR director. "So conceivably someone could come into our care at 15 years old and not have an identifiable sponsor in the United States and remain with us for a few years." Hence, when these children turn 18, many will be taken from ORR's youth holding facilities and transferred to ICE detention camps. The children who may be stuck in federal custody have no identifiable sponsor, according to the government. As of June, children without an identifiable sponsor represented roughly one-third of all kids in ORR care. To prove their identity, sponsors need to provide a government-issued identification document and proof of immigration status or citizenship, according to the agency's website. More here.
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Meek Mill, the Modern Face of Criminal Justice Reform, Fights for New Trial
If you don’t follow politics closely, Meek Mill may be the modern-day face of criminal justice reform for you. This month, Mill and his lawyers stood before three Pennsylvania Superior Court judges to ask that his 2008 conviction on gun and drug charges be tossed out and a new trial be set. The 32-year-old Philadelphia-based rapper has been on probation for a decade and has since become an advocate for criminal justice reform. Defense lawyers said the Philadelphia judge who has long overseen the rapper’s case, a Black woman, is no longer impartial and has become overly involved in his life. She once visited a homeless shelter to confirm he was doing mandated community service. Attorney Kim Watterson also said the sole witness against Meek Mill at his 2008 trial was a discredited drug squad officer who is no longer with the Philadelphia police force. Mill, whose government name is Robert Williams, was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm and assaulting a policeman when he was 18 years old -- charges he denies pointing out that if a Black man who was armed assaulted a police officer he would not live to tell the story. Van Jones, the CEO of REFORM Alliance, spoke for Mill after the hearing, stating confidently that Mill’s conviction would be overturned completely within two months. More here.
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DOJ Releases Over 3K People from Prison
More than 3,100 people will be released from federal prison under the First Step Act -- the bipartisan criminal justice reform measure signed into law last year. They will be released from Bureau of Prisons custody due to increased good conduct time under the law, according to a DOJ statement. The department said it was the result of an increase in “good conduct time” under the First Step Act that rewards prisoners with shorter sentences for good behavior. An additional 1,691 people will receive reduced sentences due to the law's retroactive application of a 2010 law that reduces sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. To prepare for their release the DOJ said the returning citizens worked with probation offices to create “individualized release plans” to “ensure a smooth transition.” These plans included drug treatment, post-release employment aid, and youth mentorship, among others. “We struck a bipartisan blow against the mass incarceration epidemic. The bill expanded good time credit and did it retroactively. Over 3000 men & women are being released today as a result,” said Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), one of the authors of the First Step Act. More here.
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Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) with a constituent in Miami last week.
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SiriusXM's Dean Obeidallah with MSNBC's Kendis Gibson in NYC last week.
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Black Enterprise Adds VP of Strategy and Partnerships
Justin Barton will be joining Black Enterprise as VP of strategy and partnerships. In his new role, he will oversee audience growth, product, social, and partnerships including all contextual, native and affiliate advertising. Barton most recently served as head of digital strategy and analytics at Group SJR, a digital consultancy. The Hofstra University graduate, who holds a Master’s from Long Island University, previously worked as VP of audience development at iHeartMedia. Before that, he was senior director of digital research at Viacom, where he led editorial growth and insights for MTV News, VH1, and Logo's New Now Next site. "Black Enterprise Magazine is a historic, mission-driven publication, helping to enlighten and educate the African American community on business. I look forward to creating strategies to introduce the brand to new audiences on the various platforms where they consume content," said Barton. More here.
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NYT Brings On New Tech Reporter
Davey Alba is joining The New York Times as a technology reporter covering disinformation. Alba most recently was at BuzzFeed News, where she reported and wrote about A.I. and the invasive effects of tech. Before that, the Manila, Philippines, native worked at Wired, Popular Mechanics, and Gizmodo, during which she wrote about topics as diverse as the effects of algorithms on people’s lives and gender discrimination in the tech industry. Davey, who is fluent in English and Tagalog, moved to the U.S. in 2010 after graduating from De La Salle University in Manila and holds a Master’s from Columbia University. She will be based in NYC and begins her new role in August. More here.
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Reporter Jumps on Puerto Rico Debt Beat
Debtwire, an intelligence service that reports and researches on debt situations, has brought on Eva Lloréns-Vélez as a senior reporter in San Juan, Puerto Rico, covering the debt restructuring of the territory. She was most recently a reporter with Carribean Business. Lloréns-Vélez has also worked for The Associated Press, Florida Newspaper Network, San Juan Star, Puerto Rico Daily Sun, and others. She is also a part-time professor in the Graphic Design Department at the University of Puerto Rico in Carolina. Lloréns-Vélez has a Master’s from the University of Texas at Austin and a law degree from InterAmerican University School of Law. More here.
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AIPAC's Labriah Lee with Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) in Detroit on Monday at the NAACP convention.
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Chairman of NBCUTelemundo Enterprises César Conde with HACR's Cid Wilson in Miami last month.
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Ford Foundation Names Director of Future of Work(ers)
The Ford Foundation recently announced that Sarita Gupta would serve as the next director of its Future of Work(ers) program. In this role, she will lead the team that oversees Ford’s efforts to “shape a future of work that puts workers and their well-being at the center.” Gupta joins Ford from Jobs With Justice and Caring Across Generations, both of which she serves as co-executive director. Previously, the community activist and grassroots organizer held several leadership positions at Chicago Jobs With Justice, and then with the national Jobs With Justice organization, before becoming its leader. The 1996 Mount Holyoke College graduate began her career in activism after being elected president of the United States Student Association. The UK-born Gupta serves on the boards of the International Labor Rights Forum, Restaurant Opportunities Center United, the Domestic Workers Legacy Fund, Institute for Policy Studies, General Service Foundation, The Workers Lab, and the Labor Network for Sustainability. Gupta begins her new position in October. More here.
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Today: The 110th NAACP Annual Convention, convening policymakers, activists, and organizers to strategize about the work NAACP has to do to ensure that the integrity of our democracy and shape the wellbeing of our communities. Cobo Center, 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI. Click here for more information.
Today, 6P: Maritza Pérez, Juan Sempertegui, and Paulina Vera host a fundraiser to benefit three organizations at the border helping migrant families: RAICES, Annunciation House, and Al Otro Lado. Mission — Navy Yard, 1221 Van Street, S.E., DC. Click here for more information.
Today - Saturday, July 27th: The National Urban League hosts its 2019 Annual Conference, Getting 2 Equal: United Not Divided. NUL will host the nation's leading political, business, and community leaders to convene, share ideas, and discover solutions to issues that have historically plagued underserved urban communities across the country. Indianapolis, IN. Click here for more information.
Thursday, July 25th, 6P: Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries hosts his 7th annual Hip Hop On The Hill event. Opera Ultra Lounge, 1400 Eye Street N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, July 25th: APAICS hosts the 2019 Women’s Collective Summit, bringing powerful AAPI women together to share, to inspire, and to take bold action towards creating a more representative democracy. Pavilion, Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, July 31st, 6:30P: Latino Victory hosts a Democratic presidential debate watch party. Lost Society, 2001 14th St., N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Saturday, August 3rd - Tuesday, August 6th: The UnidosUS Annual Conference, the largest gathering of its kind in the Hispanic community and the meeting ground for thousands of community leaders, activists, and volunteers; elected and appointed officials; members of the corporate, philanthropic, and academic communities; college students; and youth. San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, August 7th, 12:30P: Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will speak at a National Press Club Headliners luncheon and address the Oversight Committee’s investigations into the Trump administration. National Press Club, 529 14th Street, N.W., 13th Floor, DC. Click here for more information.
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