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I SEE YOUR CONTEMPT… And I raise you Census citizenship documents. The DOJ threatened House Oversight Chair Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) with a blanket assertion of privilege if the committee proceeds with a contempt vote today. Cummings’ response came last night and, paraphrased, was essentially: get me documents on the citizenship question or miss me with the threats. LEAN IN… Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is joining the chorus of lawmakers in Congress who want a pay raise. GET THE FUDGE OUTTA HERE… “Many who support the president's administration are either racists, steeped in religious beliefs, ignorant, or as my mother used to say, just plain dumb," said a constituent’s letter, which Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH) read on the House Floor on Tuesday. Congressman Larry Bucshon (R-IN) was not happy -- and said so. CHEMICAL CASTRATION… Alabama is the latest to set the stringent parole condition for pedophiles. Potential GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore has not yet commented. IN OTHER BALL NEWS… The U.S. women’s national soccer team killed it with a record 13-0 rout of Thailand in its opening game of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France on Tuesday. So, like seriously, can they get paid as much as their male counterparts? Mad Men called and they want their sexism back. STAY IN RHYTHM… It’s time to catch The Beat. We’re kicking off your Wednesday with this...
- The artist formerly known as Scarface makes a run for Houston City Council.
- Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) wants to make it clear that DACA beneficiaries are eligible for federally backed home loans.
- The White House brings on a new director of African American outreach.
- Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) say the federal government needs to be more open about the funds it is dedicating to children.
- Ebony’s historic photo archives to hit the auction block.
- Native Americans are diving into local politics. Check it out in blogs.
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Singer Patti LaBelle with ABC's Robin Roberts at Disney World in Orlando over the weekend.
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Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) with airline pilots on Capitol Hill earlier this month.
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Tammy Duckworth and Alcee Hastings Want DOD to Update Forms Containing Racially or Ethnically Insensitive Terminology
The Department of Defense recently mailed a form to the family of deceased servicemember that contained the term “Negroid” because the form has not been updated since 1977 despite government-wide guidance updating terminology. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-FL) want this fixed ASAP. The pair on Tuesday introduced a bill that would require the Department of Defense (DoD) to review and update any in-use form containing racially or ethnically insensitive terminology that is not in compliance with guidance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). “DoD was directed to remove [“Negroid”] more than 20 years ago, and the fact that it was only done very recently demonstrates why this legislation requiring the Department to conduct a comprehensive review to make sure its thousands of other forms are accurate, up-to-date and free of offensive terminology is necessary,” Duckworth said. The legislation would direct DoD to conduct a study on the forms and surveys used by the Department to identify those that contain terms or classifications deemed racially or ethnically insensitive. The Department would also be required to issue interim reports on the study to the House and Senate Armed Services committees 90 and 180 days after enactment, as well as a final report no later than a year after enactment that contains a list of inappropriate forms and surveys and a plan for modernizing the terms included. “Quite frankly, I was shocked to see this term listed on documentation sent to the family of one of my constituents who lost his life in service to our country,” Hastings said. “[W]hile the Department moved expeditiously to rectify this oversight, the fact that this document retained such offensive language for so long calls into question the status of thousands of other forms currently in use.” More here.
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Kamala Harris and Bob Menéndez Team Up on Transparency of Federal Funds for Children
Children currently represent nearly a quarter of the U.S. population and one in five lives in poverty. Yet, according to estimates from First Focus, a bipartisan advocacy organization, programs that help children are getting a smaller and smaller share of the federal budget. Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) want the federal government to be more open about the funds it is dedicating to children. The duo linked with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and reintroduced the Focus on Children Act and the Children’s Budget Act, a package of bills aimed at increasing transparency about federal investment in the health and well-being of children. The legislation would require the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office to produce annual, public reports on proposed and actual federal spending on children’s programs. The lawmakers said the legislative package would strengthen congressional oversight and better protect the federal investments we make in America’s children. “Establishing greater transparency around the resources or lack thereof our government is putting into our young people is the first step to ensuring their success and prosperity. There is much work to be done to properly invest in our children,” said Harris. In Fiscal Year 2018, federal spending dedicated to children was only 8.06%, and the share of total federal spending on children’s programs decreased by 1.7% between 2014 and 2018. “If we as a nation value our children, then our federal budgets must reflect those values,” said Menéndez. “At a time when so many programs that safeguard their welfare are under assault by the Trump Administration, we need to examine how every budget put forward by this President – and all future Presidents – impacts the well-being of our youngest generation.” More here.
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Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-KS) with a constituent in Kansas over the weekend.
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Presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) with Young Turks' Cenk Uygur in Cedar Rapids, IA over the weekend.
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Juan Vargas Bill Clarifies "Dreamers" and Home Loan Financing
Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) has introduced a bill which aims to clarify that DACA beneficiaries are eligible for Federal Housing Authority home loans, home loans backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, and Rural Housing home loans. Earlier this year, numerous lenders said that they had been told directly by a HUD representative that DACA recipients are no longer eligible for FHA mortgages. A new HousingWire investigation has uncovered lender bulletins or guidelines from a dozen different lenders each stating that "Dreamers" are not eligible for FHA financing. “The Trump administration is quietly forcing mortgage lenders to unjustly deny Dreamers home loans,” Vargas said. He intends for his bill to correct the discriminatory practice. “When my parents purchased their first home it provided more than just shelter for my siblings and me. It offered us a sense of stability that helped us do well in school, at work, and beyond. Dreamers and their families deserve the same opportunity,” he continued. The measure specifically clarifies that eligibility of certain mortgages with federal credit enhancement may not be conditioned on the status of the mortgagor as a DACA beneficiary if all other eligibility criteria are satisfied. More here.
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Donald McEachin Wants to Invest in Offshore Wind Energy Jobs
At the end of 2017, the total worldwide offshore wind power capacity was 18.8 gigawatts, but all of the largest offshore wind farms are currently in northern Europe. Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA) wants the U.S. to invest in more clean energy, such as wind, and prepare the workforce. He teamed with Congressmen Bill Keating (D-MA), Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), and Donald Norcross (D-NJ) to introduce the Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunity Act, legislation that would help educate and train the next generation of American offshore wind workers. The bill would establish a federal grant program that would assist colleges and universities, state, and local governments, unions, and nonprofits in the development of curricula, internships, health and safety programs, and other activities to advance an offshore wind workforce. Importantly, the bill would prioritize grants to community colleges, organizations that service minority populations, and those helping workers from other industries transition to the offshore wind industry. “In order to address the mounting challenges of climate change, we must build a cleaner, more sustainable economy,” said McEachin. “We need greater investment in low- and no-carbon generating capacity and workforce development efforts to support the jobs this change will create.” More here.
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Rolling Stones' Jamil Smith, Shadow & Act's Brooke Obie, The Root's Jay Conner, and artist Nailah Porter at a screening of Ava DuVernay's When They See Us in LA over the weekend.
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Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC last weekend.
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New Poll from the Black Economic Alliance Reveals How Economic Woes Will Hit Voting Booth
The Black Economic Alliance, a nonpartisan group founded by Black executives and business leaders, released the results of a nationwide survey focused exclusively on economic priorities for Black Americans. The polling, conducted by Hart Research and Brossard Research of 1,003 Black adults, found participants viewed the economic conditions in the U.S. as significantly worse for Black communities than for the country overall. An overwhelming majority of those surveyed -- 81% of respondents -- continue to believe that it is hard for Black Americans to achieve the American Dream today. This is true among Black Americans of all ages and income levels, whether they reside in urban, suburban, small town, and rural areas. The research found that half (50%) of the participants said their family’s income is falling behind the cost of living, while 38% said it is staying about even, and only 10% said it is going up. Nearly two in three (65%) worry very or somewhat often about their income not keeping up with the cost of living. Three in four said they would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate with a plan to improve working conditions, wages, and wealth in the Black community, including 49% who would be much more likely. This Saturday, the Black Economic Alliance will host a first-of-its-kind presidential candidate forum in the key early primary state of South Carolina focused on addressing these economic priorities. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA); South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg; and former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke are slated to present specific policy solutions to help Black Americans meaningfully participate in the economy. See more of the newly released data here.
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Former Congressman Launches New PAC
Former California Congressman Mike Honda is launching a new PAC to protect the seats Democrats flipped in 2018. The Hold the House PAC will tap into the grassroots network built by the Red to Blue California PAC, which Honda used to chair. That group raised $1.8 million during the 2018 election cycle from more than 77,000 donors. “In 2020 we cannot lose sight of the importance that Congress will play in the next administration,” Honda said. “A Democratic president needs a productive partner in Congress to restore the rule of law, protect our environment, and help working class families. Simply put we must protect our gains and not lose focus.” Launching alongside Hold The House PAC is a companion joint fundraising committee, Hold The House Frontline Fund, a vehicle for supporting members of the DCCC’s most vulnerable members. Honda served in Congress until 2017, when he was defeated by Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA). More here.
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NBC Announces Debate Moderators
NBC News has announced the five moderators of their upcoming presidential debate set for June 26-27, in Miami. The moderators include Savannah Guthrie, Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Rachel Maddow, and José Díaz-Balart. Notably absent: no Black or Latina women and no AAPI representation at all. NBC does not employ any Native American journalists that we could find, and there are no yet-announced partnerships with any Native American media outlets to participate in the debate. Holt will moderate the first hour each night, with Guthrie and Díaz-Balart appearing alongside him; Holt will also appear in the second hour, with Todd and Maddow moderating, NBC News announced. In total, 20 candidates will participate in the two-night event, with 10 taking the stage each night. To participate in the debate, candidates need to either register 1% support in three qualified polls or have 65,000 unique donors to their campaign, with a minimum of 200 different donors in at least 20 states. The venue is the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. More here.
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NBC's Craig Melvin and Savanah Guthrie on set at the Today Show in NYC last month.
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Wi-Fi Alliance President and CEO
Édgar Figueroa presenting Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) the Alliance's Wi-Fi Champions Award on Tuesday in CA.
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Judge Throws Out Lawsuit to Stop Obama Presidential Center
A judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed last year to stop former President Barack Obama’s Presidential Center in Chicago’s Jackson Park. Protect Our Parks' claimed the city is trying to illegally transfer park land to The Obama Foundation, a private entity, by manipulating the approval process to skirt long-standing laws designed to ensure residents have unobstructed access to lakeside parks. Judge Robert Blakey made his decision about an hour after hearing arguments. He said the city's defense to choose Jackson Park as their location was legitimate due to the state's Museum Act, which allows presidential centers in public parks. Protect our Parks has said they will appeal. Jackson Park is named after President Andrew Jackson, who is known for his harsh treatment of 161 enslaved workers, as well as for his forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands. The site is seven miles south of downtown Chicago and is near the low-income neighborhoods where Obama once worked as a community organizer. It is also just a few blocks from the University of Chicago, where Obama was a law professor. And it’s close to the home where the Obamas lived until he transitioned to the White House in 2009. More here.
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White House Names New Director of African American Outreach
The White House has reportedly hired Nicole Frazier as its new director of African American outreach, according to Axios. She was most recently a grants program officer at Daniels Fund, a private charitable foundation based in Denver, Colorado. She also served as the Regional Director for Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO), where she covered a number of legislative issues in-state including foreign affairs, trade, cybersecurity, aerospace, and space exploration. Prior to joining Gardner’s staff, the Cornerstone University graduate served as the State Coalitions Director for the Colorado Republican Party. Frazier will succeed Henry Childs II, who replaced Omarosa Manigault Newman after she was fired in 2017. Donald Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign is reportedly developing a digital strategy in hopes of increasing support among Black Americans or, arguably, to sideline Black voters. More here.
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José Andrés to Receive Julia Child Award at Smithsonian Gala
Chef José Andrés is the next recipient of the Julia Child Award, an award given to “an individual (or team) who has made a profound and significant difference in the way America cooks, eats, and drinks.” The award comes with a $50,000 grant from the Julia Child Foundation and it is reported that Andrés plans to give those funds to his nonprofit, World Central Kitchen. He and his team have given out meals in emergency situations including following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, when Andrés and his team provided more meals to people living on the island than any other nonprofit or government agency (around 2.2 million) including the Red Cross; Hurricane Harvey in Houston; the Camp Fire in California; the earthquake in Haiti; and even during the recent federal government shutdown, where they served up thousands of free meals each day to furloughed workers. Andrés is also currently up for a Nobel Peace Prize and has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation for his humanitarian work. The ceremony will take place this November at the National Museum of American History, home of Child’s kitchen. However, Andrés may not be in the audience for the gala; Reports say that he and his team are responsible for creating the event’s menu. More here.
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San Diego mayoral candidate Todd Gloria with Long Beach Mayor Robert García last week at the CA Democratic Party Convention.
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Congresswoman Verónica Escobar (D-TX) with son Cristian Diego, who graduated from Harvard over the weekend, in Boston.
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The Artist Formerly Known as Scarface Runs for Houston City Council
Remember Scarface, the rapper from the 1980s/90s hip-hop trio Geto Boys? Well, these days, he’s going by his government name, Brad Jordan, and wants to be remembered for his life in public service and not so much for putting Southern rap on the map. “I’m not going to be a 75-year-old rapper,” he said to The Washington Post. "I’m going to be finishing my last term in office as president when I’m 75.” But first, the 48-year-old Houston native is starting with the City Council. He announced his candidacy over the weekend when the incumbent and friend, Dwight Boykins, announced plans to vacate the seat to run for mayor of Houston. Jordan will appear on the November 5th ballot, when all 16 council seats will be contested. “This is the district that I’m from, and I recognize the problems,” Jordan said. “But I don’t want to point the finger at the problems. I just want to be responsible for the solutions.” His announcement came just hours before Bushwick Bill, a fellow member of Geto Boys, died Sunday at age 52 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Jordan dropped out of high school and worked as a drug dealer. As a teenager, he attempted suicide and subsequently spent time in a hospital psychiatric ward. He was open about his mental health challenges in the Geto Boys’ 1991 song, "My Mind is Playing Tricks on Me." Jordan was also the coordinator and president of Def Jam South from 2000-2005, where he has fostered the career of Atlanta rapper Ludacris, whom he originally signed to the label. Jordan said he’s ready to make a “super impact” on the Houston community. More here.
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Letitia James and Xavier Becerra Sue to Block Sprint-T-Mobile Merger
Ten Democratic attorneys general, led by NY AG Letitia James and CA AG Xavier Becerra, on Tuesday filed a lawsuit to block a merger between Sprint and T-Mobile. The lawsuit challenges the acquisition of Sprint by T-Mobile because the attorneys general say the merger would lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers, particularly low-income subscribers -- many of whom are people of color. The Center for Media Justice said that 56% of T-Mobile customers are people of color, as are 45% of Sprint customers. That number is even higher for some of the prepaid brands they own -- 62% of MetroPCS (now Metro by T-Mobile) customers are from communities of color. “Although T-Mobile and Sprint may be promising faster, better, and cheaper service with this merger, the evidence weighs against it. This merger would hurt the most vulnerable Californians and result in a compressed market with fewer choices and higher prices,” said Becerra. Through the merger, they would become the dominant network provider for prepaid mobile services, which are available without a credit check. The lawsuit said that the merger would significantly hurt low-income communities of color by diminishing competition and increasing costs to consumers. “When it comes to corporate power, bigger isn’t always better ... [W]e are going to court to stop this merger and protect our consumers, because this is exactly the sort of consumer-harming, job-killing megamerger our antitrust laws were designed to prevent,” James said. FCC Chair Ajit Pai had recently given the $26 billion deal momentum after recommending approval of the deal. More here.
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Baltimore Mayor’s Plan to Curb Gun Violence
Baltimore Mayor Jack Young is suggesting that city youth squash their beefs in the boxing ring -- literally. Young suggested this is one way to curb the gun violence that has plagued the city for decades. “The murder rate in this city and non-fatal shooting rate in this city has increased. I’m not happy with it and neither should the citizens of Baltimore,” he said at an anti-gun violence rally earlier this month. He proposed his version of mediating disputes. “You know if they really want to settle them, we can have them down at the civic center -- put a boxing ring up and let ’em go a box it out,” Young suggested. He offered no solution for when the beef still isn’t settled once opponents leave the ring. More here.
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Florida Mayors Oliver Gilbert (Miami Gardens) and Francis Suárez (Miami) in Miami Dade, FL over the weekend.
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Oprah with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her wife, Amy, dining at Casa de Oprah in Chicago over the weekend.
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Ebony Photo Archives Hit the Auction Block
Ebony photo archives are set to go on the auction block in July, pending approval from a Chicago federal bankruptcy court. Opening bids are expected to start at about $13 million for the historic collection. The proceeds will pay off Johnson Publishing, the former magazine publisher, which filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection in April. The bankruptcy auction is also seeking to recover at least $13.6 million owed to secured creditors George Lucas and Mellody Hobson, whose company, Capital V Holdings, issued a $12 million loan to a struggling Johnson Publishing in 2015, as regular Beat readers will recall. The auctioneer says that the filmmaker and his financier wife are free to bid on the archives using the $13.6 million they are owed in principal and interest, but would receive the full collection in foreclosure if no other bidder steps up. The archives span more than 70 years of African American history totaling more than four million original images. The images include photos of Muhammad Ali, Billie Holiday, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his funeral, Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, as well as shots of seminal civil rights moments. In January 2015, then-Ebony CEO Desiree Rogers and Linda Johnson Rice, daughter of Johnson Publishing founder John Johnson, put the entire photo collection up for sale, hoping to raise much-needed capital. The auctioneer said that there’s already great interest in purchasing the photos, ranging from large corporations and museums to celebrities and athletes. The auction will take place in Chicago the week of July 15th at a date and place to be named. More here.
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Richard Borjas Jumps to NBCUniversal
Richard Borjas is now VP of programming and development for NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution. Borjas was most recently VP of production for Telemundo, where he oversaw the development and production of Un Nuevo Día, Suelta La Sopa, and La Voz Kids. Borjas is a veteran producer and brings more than 20 years of experience to the role. Prior to his time at Telemundo, he worked as a Supervising Producer for Lifetime's The Balancing Act, which won 11 Telly Awards during his tenure. Borjas also served as a freelance producer for Good Morning America and as a producer at Univisión Network for more than 11 years, where he worked on the award-winning Cristina Show. The Florida International University graduate will be based in Los Angeles. More here.
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WaPo Names New Foreign Assignment Editor
Tamer El-Ghobashy has been named the new assignment editor of the WaPo’s Foreign desk, where he will oversee early-morning operations as well as the Today’s WorldView newsletter. He was most recently The Washington Post’s Baghdad bureau chief. Before joining The Post in 2017, he covered the Middle East for the Wall Street Journal, focusing on North Africa and Iraq. Previously, the New York University graduate was a local and national reporter for the Wall Street Journal, NBC News, and the New York Daily News. He is a member of the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association and speaks English and Arabic, with a working knowledge of French. El-Ghobashy will move to DC from Toronto and begin his new role on June 24th. More here.
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| FOMO
Monday, June 17th, 12P: LGBTQ x Tri-Caucus Staff Associations host “Pronouns in the Workplace.” H-122, Speaker's Dining Room, U.S. Capitol, DC. Click here for more information.
Monday, June 17th, 1P: Green 2.0 releases their new report, "Leaking Talent: How People of Color Are Pushed Out of Environmental Organizations." The National Press Club, 529 14th Street N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, June 19th, 8A: LatinoJustice PRLDEF hosts their 10th annual Latina Trailblazers Breakfast to honor the achievements of Latina women who have paved the way for future Latina leaders. Tribeca Rooftop, 2 Desbrosses St, NY. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, June 19th, 6P: Muslim Public Affairs Council hosts its 6th Annual Empowering Voices Awards. This year's honorees include political commentator Mehdi Hasan, Yemeni American educator and activist Dr. Debbie Almontaser, and the Department of Justice's Eric Treene. Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill, 400 New Jersey Ave, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, June 26th - Sunday, June 30th: The National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women's Annual Legislative Conference, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders for thought-provoking conversation around real issues that directly affect Black women and their families. Chicago, IL. Click here for more information.
Thursday, June 27th, 7P: Management Leadership for Tomorrow’s 15th Anniversary Awards Gala Dinner, celebrating underrepresented minorities who are advancing to senior leadership roles in their organizations and communities. The evening honors those working to advance African American, Latinx, and Native American women and men. Grand Hyatt, 109 E 42nd Street, NYC. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, July 9th, 6:30P: The Multicultural Media Correspondents Dinner. Honorees include Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL). National Press Club, 529 14th St 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.
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