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- Lawmakers propose repealing discriminatory law harmful to Native Americans.
- State Department monitoring rapper A$AP Rocky’s detention in Sweden.
- When keeping it real in the group chat goes wrong. PR Gov. Ricardo Rosselló faces growing calls to resign.
- Former AMEX CEO just dropped major cash on a female startup. Read to the bottom!
- Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) demands protection from deportation for families of active-duty troops.
- President Barack Obama pens letter to HBCU student.
- Professor Michael Eric Dyson pens a book on JAY-Z. Check it out in Blogs.
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|  | Univisión's Jorge Ramos shooting a stand up in Texas last month for his ESPN special, Southmost: Football & Life on the Border.
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Some of the freshman squad at Netroots Nation in Philly over the weekend: Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and Deb Haaland (D-NM).
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Nydia Velázquez Wants ICE and CBP to Stop Impersonating Police
ICE officers can't enter someone's residence without a warrant. When they don't have a warrant, they sometimes describe themselves as police officers to get people to let them in the door. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) is pushing for a new law to stop this practice. The Combating Deceptive Immigration Enforcement Practices Act would prohibit immigration officers from wearing any clothing bearing the word “police,” including CBP officers. “Due to this President’s heartless policies and hateful rhetoric, immigrant communities are on edge, living in fear of deportation and detention,” said Velázquez. “As we continue opposing the threat of raids and mass deportation, we must also prevent practices which foster distrust between police officers and immigrant communities, such as when ICE agents misidentify as police.” ICE planned to sweep major cities on Sunday in a series of raids as part of an effort to detain 2,000 immigrants who have been issued final orders of removal. The agency said they would raid cities including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, and San Francisco beginning Sunday. Because of Tropical Storm Barry, the raids on New Orleans and Houston will reportedly be postponed. However, some immigrants fear shelters working with federal officials and may be riding out the storm. More on Velazquez’s bill here.
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CBC Members Want HUD to Act When Properties Fail Inspections
Last year, NBC reported that there had been an increase of more than 30% in the number of failed physical inspections of federally assisted housing properties. And although failed inspections are required to yield immediate action by HUD as well as the property’s landlord, many residents are sometimes left months without any action taken to upgrade or improve living conditions. Representatives Al Lawson (D-FL), Alma Adams (D-NC), and Val Demings (D-FL) last week introduced the HUD Inspection Act, which would ensure HUD takes greater action when federally assisted housing properties fail to come into compliance with federal housing laws. The bill would tighten up HUD inspections and enforce already existing laws by providing transparency in the inspection process and strengthening enforcement actions against property owners who fail to maintain their properties. “We’ve seen HUD properties in dilapidated conditions pass inspection, and this is absolutely unacceptable,” Lawson said. More than 10 million people rely on federal rental assistance for housing, yet “too many of them are living in HUD properties that have passed inspection, despite being unsafe or in disrepair ” said Adams. Demings, a former chief of police, helped residents fight substandard management during her time on the force. “This important new legislation will crack down on property managers who receive federal money while allowing their buildings to fall apart. No apartment in the greatest country in the world should ever have to get to that point before action is taken,” she added. More here.
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Ted Lieu Wants to Know if Trump Traded Tariffs for Fireworks
Reports emerged over the July 4th holiday that the CEO of fireworks retailer Phantom Fireworks -- who donated $750,000 of products to Donald Trump's “Salute to America” celebration -- had lobbied against expanding Chinese import tariffs in a private White House meeting. The same day the donation was announced, Trump decided to postpone his threatened $300 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods. Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) is now calling on the FBI to investigate whether this donation, or any others, were done as part of a quid pro quo on the tariffs. In a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Lieu and Congresswoman Kathleen Rice (D-NY) urged Wray to launch an investigation to determine whether Phantom Fireworks or any other company executives bribed, or attempted to bribe, the president in exchange for favorable trade policies. Bribery of public officials is prohibited. “If Phantom donated its fireworks for corrupt purposes, its executives could be held criminally liable. In executing its “top criminal investigative priority” of combatting public corruption, we believe the FBI has a duty to swiftly examine this potentially illegal behavior,” the lawmakers wrote. Read the full letter here.
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NBC's Craig Melvin and Al Roker twinning on set in NYC last week. Who wore it best?
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CBS' Ramy Inocencio, NYSE's Betty Liu, and pianist Hsin-I Huang at the China World Shopping Mall in Beijing over the weekend.
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Lawmakers Propose Repealing Discriminatory Law Harmful to Native Americans
Lawmakers last week introduced legislation that would repeal several outdated federal laws that are discriminatory against Native Americans, including laws that allow for the forced removal of Native American children from their homes to be sent to boarding schools and laws subjecting Native Americans to forced labor. The Repealing Existing Substandard Provisions Encouraging Conciliation with Tribes Act was introduced by Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) -- a member of the Chickasaw Nation -- who acknowledged that the dark chapters in America’s history cannot be erased. “Though no longer enforced, these laws are a painful reminder of the past suffering and poor treatment experienced by Native Americans,” said Cole. Chickasaw Nation Gov. Bill Anoatubby said the proposal will help "provide a foundation of mutual respect and understanding for our government-to-government relationship, which is vital as we work together for the benefit of everyone concerned." One of the laws the measure would repeal is that food, clothing, and money can be withheld from Native American families whose children don't attend school. Cole was joined by Senators Mike Rounds (R-SD), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and James Lankford (R-OK) and Congressmen Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) and Dusty Johnson (R-SD). More here.
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Tammy Duckworth Demands Protection from Deportation for Families of Active-Duty Troops
Reports recently emerged that the Trump administration is moving to pull back a program that protects undocumented family members of active-duty troops from being deported. Attorneys for some of the families impacted told NPR they are racing to submit applications for what is known as “parole in place” (PIP) after hearing from the wives and loved ones of deployed soldiers who have been told that option is "being terminated." Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led 21 Senate Democrats in demanding the administration reverse course immediately. In the letter to Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan and Acting Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the lawmakers emphasized how deporting military spouses and family members is a significant threat to military readiness and our national security, especially at a time when servicemembers are being asked to sacrifice for our country. “Terminating PIP would not only cause personal hardship to our servicemen and women, but negatively impact them in combat. Withdrawing protections from military families is a direct threat to our military readiness and our national security,” the Senators wrote. “[W]e must enact policies that support our men and women in combat, rather than repeal policies that cause unnecessary harm. Ending the program flies in the face of American values and signals that we do not value the contributions of military families. The Trump administration should provide favorable immigration solutions for military families, not break them up.” Read the full letter here.
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Allure's Michelle Lee on ABC's Good Morning America on Friday.
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Mother of the Movement Sybrina Fulton welcoming CNN commentator April Ryan into the sisterhood of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. last week.
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Michelle Obama Kicks Off New Program
Michelle Obama kicked off a new program under her "When We All Vote" initiative on Friday. She is calling on educators across the country to engage and register their students to vote. There are over 3.5 million young people in the upcoming school year who will be eligible to vote in the November 2020 elections. That’s why the Forever FLOTUS, as she is affectionately known, has enlisted the help of new partners to ensure these students make their way to the ballot box next year. The partners include the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, The League of Women Voters, Inspire-US, YMCA Youth and Government programs, and Rock the Vote. “In November, our country saw historic voter turnout and that’s progress we should celebrate. But even then....the portion of people who turned out to vote was still far too low—only one in three of our youngest voters cast a ballot '' said Obama. "Obviously, we shouldn’t be telling them how to vote or who to vote for... we just want them to vote, period—to take that first step toward making voting a lifelong habit." The call to action is directed towards educators of all subjects, counselors, librarians, administrators, and all school staff. When We All Vote, a non-partisan organization, and its partners will support educators with tool-kits that include lesson plans to guide the conversation around civic education and voter registration, provide webinar and in-person trainings, and host ongoing activities and events throughout the school year to continue driving this important work. Watch Obama’s video message here.
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Stephanie Murphy Says Public Should Know About Election Interference
Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) is out to make the process of protecting U.S. elections more transparent. She said she first learned of election security breaches by Russian hackers from a single line tucked into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, which detailed numerous attempts to cause discord online and showed operations by Russian military intelligence to hack Democrats. “Strengthening the security of our elections, especially from attacks by foreign adversaries, needs to be a top priority,” said Murphy. Last week, she joined Congressman Michael Waltz (R-FL) in introducing the Achieving Lasting Electoral Reforms on Transparency and Security. The measure would require federal to promptly alert appropriate state and local officials, as well as members of Congress, if there is credible evidence of an unauthorized intrusion into an election system and a basis to believe such intrusion could have resulted in voter information being altered or otherwise affected. The bill would also require state and local officials to alert potentially affected voters. U.S. intelligence officials have warned that the Russians will be back in 2020. And this time, other adversaries -- such as China and Iran -- will join them. More here.
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Kamala Harris Unveils Proposal to Clear Backlog of Rape Kits
Presidential candidate Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) said Thursday that if she wins the White House, she’ll push Congress to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in her first term to help state law enforcement agencies process tens of thousands of untested rape kits that could help police identify perpetrators of sexual assaults. By some estimates, the nationwide backlog includes more than 225,000 cases in which evidence from reported sexual assaults has gone untested. “The federal government can and should prioritize justice for survivors of sex abuse, assault and rape,” Harris said. “As California’s Attorney General, I committed resources and attention to clearing a backlog of 1,300 untested rape kits at state-run labs, and we got it done within my first year in office. We need the same focus at the national level to pursue justice and help hold predators accountable.” One of the reasons states have such a backlog is due to the cost of testing. According to the advocacy group, End the Backlog, it costs roughly $1,000 to $1,500 to test a rape kit. The annual estimated cost of the program is $100 million, which is $2 million less than what taxpayers have reportedly spent on Trump’s golf trips, according to a press release announcing the plan. Harris has not yet said how she would pay for the proposal, but she is the only one to come out so far to address the issue which impacts hundreds of thousands of victims. More here.
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NBC's Mariana Atencio with Latin America Fashion co-founders Estefania Lacayo and Samantha Tams at Luxury Living Miami last week.
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CNN commentator Angela Rye paying homage to abolitionist Harriet Tubman in New Orleans earlier this month.
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Chaka Fattah’s 10-Year Sentence Stands
Former Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah, who’s currently serving a 10-year prison term, had his sentence upheld on Friday. Fattah had asked a judge to reduce his sentence after four bribery and money laundering counts were thrown out on appeal. Federal prosecutors insisted, however, that Fattah should still serve 10 years on more than a dozen corruption-related counts remaining. Despite apologizing in court, the 62-year-old was handed the same punishment again. While incarcerated, Fattah has reportedly tutored numerous inmates in reading skills in preparation for their GED examinations, and has also worked in the library where he assists inmates in locating books, taught seminars on life choices and job pursuits, and assisted in teaching a variety of other classes to his fellow inmates, according to the sentencing memo. The judge was unmoved. Fattah was found guilty of misspending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars and charitable donations to repay an illegal campaign loan; using campaign cash to help pay off some of his son’s college tuition debt; pushing to create a sham environmental nonprofit to settle up with a political consultant; and arranging a fake car sale to help buy a vacation home in the Poconos. Fattah is also responsible for $614,500 in restitution. He has paid $73,393.98 of that total, according to court documents. He’s scheduled for release in 2025. More here.
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Kwame Kilpatrick Relocated, Asks Trump for Pardon
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who has been incarcerated for four years for multiple corruption crimes, has been transferred to a new prison. He was previously at a medium-security facility but, according to the Bureau of Prisons, the 47-year-old is now serving his 28-year corruption sentence in New Jersey at the Federal Correctional Institution at Fort Dix, a minimum-security prison with 4,302 inmates. Of those, nearly 300 live at the nearby low-security prison camp. The reason for his transfer is unknown. Kilpatrick has thus far has lost all appeals -- the Supreme Court declined to hear his case. He is representing himself in a legal challenge that seeks to overturn his conviction, based largely on a claim that he had an ineffective lawyer. That appeal is before U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds, who oversaw his trial and handed down the 28-year sentence. He has also penned a letter asking Donald Trump for a pardon. The correspondence reportedly includes a two-page cover letter in which Kilpatrick praises Trump’s presidential win and achievements in office. Kilpatrick was sentenced to 28 years in prison after he was convicted in 2013 on several charges including racketeering, bribery, and extortion. His earliest scheduled release date is in 2037. Trump has not responded. More here.
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Only Native American to be Removed from Key State Department Cultural Committee
The president announced that he was appointing Stefan C. Passatino, who worked as outside legal counsel for the Trump administration and dealt with the many congressional investigations, to the Cultural Property Advisory Committee at the State Department. The problem? To do so, he removed Shannon Keller O’Loughlin -- a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the first and only American Indian representative on the Committee -- in order to appoint someone with no known experience in protecting cultural heritage resources. The Committee essentially works with other nations to protect cultural heritage by reducing the incentive for further pillage of archaeological and ethnological material. Native News Online reported that O’Loughlin -- who was appointed by President Barack Obama -- is the only Committee member replaced during the Trump administration so far. O’Loughlin is the executive director and attorney for the Association on American Indian Affairs. She is an expert on U.S. law that protects cultural heritage and has served on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act Review Committee as well. Meanwhile, Passatino is currently being investigated by the House Oversight Committee for ethical misconduct relating to making false statements regarding Trump’s financial dealings with Michael Cohen. More here.
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State Department Says They’re Monitoring A$AP Rocky’s Swedish Detention
The State Department is raising concerns about the arrest and detention of rapper A$AP Rocky in Sweden and is urging the Swedish government to treat him fairly, Politico reports. Rocky, whose government name is Rakim Mayers, voluntarily turned himself in to Swedish police on July 2nd, after he and his associated were filmed fighting with a couple of men on a street in Stockholm. The 30-year-old Harlem native, who is being held in solitary confinement, said he and his team were not at fault, as the two other men were the instigators. Rocky was in Stockholm for the Smash music festival on June 30th, when he said he and his entourage were verbally harassed by two men who started following them, and then a melee ensued. Swedish law enforcement raided the hotel room of Rocky's longtime manager, John Ehmann, on Friday. “There are certainly some facts about the arrest and detention that raise concerns,” a State Department spokesperson told Politico. “We expect all governments, including Sweden, to treat American citizens fairly and with respect. ... We hope to see ASAP Rocky and his colleagues back on tour and reunited with friends and family soon.” Rocky will remain behind bars until at least July 19th, when officials must decide to either file a prosecution or request a longer detention to complete the investigation. Politico reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been briefed on the situation. Watch A$AP Rocky’s account of what happened here.
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NBC's Morgan Radford on the Today Show set in NYC on Sunday.
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CNN's María Alejandra Requena with actor John Leguizamo in Miami on Friday.
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Ricardo Rosselló Refuses to Step Down Despite Inflammatory Group Chat; Top Officials Resign
Calls for Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló to resign have grown louder after controversial texts were uncovered. Taken from the messaging service Telegram, the messages reveal Rosselló mocking his political opponents with often misogynistic and homophobic slurs, openly fantasizing about an assassination of San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, calling former NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito the Spanish word for "whore," and heaping ridicule on ordinary Puerto Ricans with whom the government came into contact. Two of Rosselló's top officials -- CFO Christian Sobrino, who is also the governor's representative to the financial control board, and Secretary of State Luis G. Rivera Marín -- resigned over the weekend as a result of the group chats. However, Rosselló has said he has no plans to leave. He went to church seeking forgiveness Sunday and .plans to run for a second term in November of 2020. The governor blamed his conduct on the stress of 18-hour days and said he was venting in the group chats. Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez announced that she was creating a special task force tasked with determining whether any laws were broken regarding the chat and comments made. On top of the texts, the island has struggled to recover from Hurricane Maria -- Rosselló's administration has been accused of improper management of funds -- and his recent tenure has been plagued by scandals involving funding. Regular Beat readers will recall that two former officials were arrested last week on fraud charges involving more than $15 million of federal funding. And Rosselló asked Treasury Secretary Raúl Maldonado to resign following comments Maldonado made to a local radio station claiming there was an "institutional mafia" and that people tried to bribe him multiple times. The FBI recently arrested the executive director of Puerto Rico's Senate Office of Government Affairs and two advisors accused of creating an alleged billing scheme for professional services never rendered. More here.
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South Dakota Unveils Obama Statue, POTUS44 Pens Letter to HBCU Student Whom He Granted Clemency
The South Dakota town of Rapid City unveiled a statue of President Barack Obama holding hands with his youngest daughter, Sasha. It's the latest addition to the city’s collection of life-size bronze presidential sculptures along its sidewalks. The Obama statue was completed by local artist James Van Nuys, who based his work on a photo taken at Obama's first inauguration in 2009. The statues, which are all privately funded, have been placed throughout town since 2000 to honor the legacy of previous presidents. In other Obama news, POTUS44 recently penned a handwritten note to Danielle Metz, a woman he granted clemency in 2016. Obama praised her for making the dean's list at Southern University, an HBCU where she enrolled after she left prison. Metz was sentenced in 1993 at age 26 to three life sentences plus an additional 20 years for her role in a cocaine trafficking ring run by her husband. She earned her GED in federal prison and wrote letters to lawmakers pleading for her freedom. Obama commuted her sentence in 2016. More here.
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NY Joins CA and Bans Natural Hair Discrimination
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo signed off on legislation Friday to ban race-based hair discrimination. The measure amends the state’s human rights law and the Dignity For All Students Act to add new sections on the definition of race, including “traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to hair texture and protective hairstyles.” The NYC Commission on Human Rights had received seven complaints detailing incidents, in which employees were told that their tresses had to be straightened in order to comply with business standards. In February, the agency stepped in and officially banned “hair discrimination” in the city, granting victims of this kind of racial bias grounds to take legal action. Regular Beat readers will recall that California passed similar legislation this year. The CROWN Act stated that workplace policies prohibiting natural hair "including afros, braids, twists, and locks, have a disparate impact on Black individuals as these policies are more likely to deter Black applicants and burden or punish Black employees than any other group." More here.
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Indian Country's Mark Trahant (center) with fellow attendees at Netroots Nation in Philadelphia over the weekend.
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The Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle at Wimbledon watching Serena Williams play in the women singles final over the weekend.
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Former AMEX CEO Leads Investment Round for Private Businesswomen's Company
Former American Express CEO Ken Chenault led a round of a $22 million investment for Chief, a private club for the powerful women of NYC. The company launched in January with 200 members. Today, the network has a 5,000-person waiting list and nationwide demand. Chenault will also join Chief’s board. The company plans to use the money to expand in New York and open chapters in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, and DC by the end of 2020. “Throughout my career, I certainly have experienced the challenges of moving forward,” said Chenault, one of a small handful of Black people to lead a big publicly held company. “Chief is very serious about placing more women in leadership positions and cultivating those leaders. We want to be a part of that.” Co-founded by Carolyn Childers and Lindsay Kaplan, Chief is only interested in women who are already successful -- defined as a job at the VP level or higher. Many members have gotten their employers to cover the cost of the annual dues, which are set at $5,400 or $7,800, depending on experience level. Members also get access to the Tribeca clubhouse, a Slack channel, and events with speakers like Whoopi Goldberg and Valerie Jarrett. We’ll keep you posted if we hear there’s a specific focus on women of color. More here.
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| FOMO
Tuesday, July 16th, 12:30P: The Urban Institute hosts, "Black Homeownership Gap: Research Trends and Why the Growing Gap Matters." 500 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, July 17th, 6P: The Raben Group hosts the Honorable Martha Bárcena Coqui, Ambassador of México to the United States, for "The U.S. and México Today," a discussion of key issues currently shaping U.S.-México relations. Raben's Estuardo Rodríguez will moderate the conversation. 1341 G Street, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Saturday, July 20th - Wednesday, July 24th: 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.
Wednesday, July 24th - 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, 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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