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- Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) declares climate change a national emergency.
- People of color make gains in local newsrooms.
- Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) intros bill to strike weed use as reason for deportation.
- Labor Secretary Alex Acosta faces calls for his resignation -- again.
- Haitians and Africans are increasingly among those stranded along the U.S.-Mexico border by Trump immigration policies. Check it out in Blogs.
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The Mane Choice's Courtney Adeleye, Women March organizer Tamika Mallory, and reality TV star Yandy Smith at Essence Fest over the weekend.
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Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) reorganizing his sock drawer at his home in California on July 4th -- and trolling.
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Ayanna Pressley Intros Gun Bill
Massachusetts has comprehensive gun licensing laws, and perhaps not coincidentally, one of the lowest gun death rates in the nation. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) introduced legislation that would incentivize states to adopt gun-licensing standards similar to Massachusetts. The Making America Safe and Secure (MASS) Act, which Pressley introduced with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) and Congressman Joe Kennedy (D-MA), would authorize the DOJ to make funding available to states that implement and maintain comprehensive licensing standards for gun owners and dealers. “Gun violence begets gun violence - causing intergenerational trauma that severely impacts families and communities,” said Pressley. “By creating stricter guardrails around firearm purchasing, the MASS Act works to curb the public health crisis that is gun violence.” This bill would require that all gun owners have a license, not only at the time of the purchase of a firearm, but for the entirety of their ownership. It would also require any person who sells ammunition or sells, rents, or leases a certain number of firearms obtain a state firearms dealer license. The measure would also call for the chief of police or a designee of local law enforcement function as the licensing authority. Read what else is included in the measure here.
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Set to Declare Climate Change a National Emergency
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is declaring climate change an official national emergency via a congressional resolution. She, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) will introduce the measure today. “The global warming caused by human activities, which increase emissions of greenhouse gases, has resulted in a climate emergency” that “severely and urgently impacts the economic and social well-being, health and safety, and national security of the United States,” the resolution says. It comes as the UN has warned the world is experiencing one climate disaster every week. A new analysis from the economic firm Rhodium Group finds the U.S. might achieve less than half of the percentage of pollution reductions it promised other countries in an international agreement, The Guardian reports. Sixteen countries and hundreds of local governments, including New York City last month, have declared a climate emergency already. The resolution says Congress “demands a national, social, industrial, and economic mobilization of the resources and labor of the United States at a massive-scale.” However, even if the resolution passes and was signed by the president, it would not force any action on climate change. Research shows that people of color shoulder a heavier burden from toxic water, contaminated air, and dwindling natural resources. More here.
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Raúl Grijalva Wants Answers About Funds Used for Trump’s “Salute to America"
Trump administration officials used approximately $2.5 million in National Park Service (NPS) visitor enhancement funds -- fees paid by visitors to improve parks, maintain facilities and services, and protect the natural and cultural resources -- to cover certain costs for Donald Trump’s “Salute to America” event on July 4th, The Washington Post reported. Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) last week sent a letter to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt pushing for clarification on how the Trump administration funded the president’s military parade and rally on the Fourth of July. “We ask taxpayers to pay an additional small fee to support projects that enhance their public lands experience; they are not a slush fund to fulfill the administration's whims and immediate desires. Tapping these funds for this rally is a blatant misappropriation and a violation of that agreement with the American public,” wrote Grijalva. The Congressman asked Bernhardt for a written justification for Interior’s use of those visitor fees to support the “partisan event” as well as for a detailed list of the projects that will lose funding as a result. “We have heard constantly throughout this Congress that DOI's maintenance backlog is the most pressing issue facing the Department. You highlighted the backlog as a top priority in your own testimony before this Committee. Yet DOI has raised no objection to illegally diverting $2.5 million to pay for an event that will have lasting negative impacts on the resources of the National Mall and Memorial Parks.” Read the full letter here.
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Grace Meng Pushes Census to Include South Asian Community in Outreach
Nearly 5.4 million South Asians live in the United States. This comprises individuals with ancestry from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The community also includes members of the South Asian diaspora. Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) wants to make sure that they are counted in the 2020 Census after learning the community was not included in the agency’s outreach thus far. She sent a letter to Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham urging him to include the South Asian community in the Census Bureau’s outreach leading up to the 2020 Decennial Census. “It is imperative the Census Bureau takes the necessary steps to make sure the United States South Asian population is also accurately counted. These steps include targeting the South Asian audience in the 2020 Census Paid Campaign – as part of your broader media campaign for minority communities,” Meng wrote. “Inaccuracies and depressed response rates could easily lead to severe population underrepresentation, as well as the misallocation of billions of dollars of federal aid that is distributed to communities each fiscal year.” Read the full letter here.
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Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló (L) and his wife, Beatriz, with World Cup President Gianni Infantino at the Women's World Cup over the weekend.
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Actor and activist Jesse Williams at sea last week.
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Marco Rubio Moves to Help Small Businesses with Cybersecurity
Many small business owners say they lack the resources they need to safeguard their businesses and customers from hackers, fraudsters, and cybercriminals. To help them beef up security, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Monday introduced a bill designed to protect small businesses from cyber attacks by making it easier for these companies to access tools to protect themselves. The Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Act, which Rubio introduced with Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), would authorize Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to work with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide consulting to small businesses on how to strengthen their cybersecurity protocols. It would also require DHS to develop materials and programs for SBDCs to help the small businesses in their area defend against cyber attacks. “As technology continues to play an integral role in the way business is conducted in the 21st century economy, we must equip our small businesses with the tools they need to combat cyber criminals and protect their networks,” Rubio said. “Cyber criminals and state-sponsored foreign hackers continue to target small businesses’ online systems, paralyzing their networks and ability to operate. This bipartisan bill ensures that small businesses have greater access to critical resources and training to better protect their networks before a cyber-attack occurs.” More here.
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Cory Booker Intros Bill to Strike Weed Use as Reason for Deportation
A Human Rights Watch report found that more than 34,000 immigrants were deported for marijuana possession between 2007 and 2012. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation in the Senate that would end the deportation of immigrants over marijuana offenses and the practice of denying citizenship to applicants. The Remove Marijuana from Deportable Offenses Act would no longer make marijuana use, possession, and distribution grounds for inadmissibility or deportation under the Immigration and Nationality Act. Former President Barack Obama’s administration had issued guidelines that prioritized the deportation of violent offenders. However, Donald Trump rescinded that guidance and called for the removal of individuals charged or convicted “of any criminal offense” -- including when immigrants had a connection to the marijuana industry in states that have legalized it since it is at odds with federal law. “This Administration’s efforts to use marijuana possession as a tool for deportation is disgraceful and misguided. Limited law enforcement resources should not be wasted on deporting people for something two of the last three presidents have admitted to doing,” Booker said. “This legislation will remove another one of ICE’s weapons that have been deployed to execute this Administration’s hardline immigration policy.” More here.
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Bob Menéndez Wants to Stop Horse Slaughter for Human Consumption
Tens of thousands of horses born in the U.S. are shipped each year to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered for human consumption. Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) wants to put a stop to this. He joined Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Susan Collins (R-ME) and recently introduced a bill to permanently prohibit and make it a federal crime to slaughter horses for human consumption in the U.S. The legislation would also ban any related interstate or foreign commercial activity, such as the export of horsemeat or the transport of horses to slaughterhouses in other countries. “The gruesome practice of slaughtering horses for food has no place in the United States, and it’s well past time for Congress to say once and for all that horsemeat is not what’s for dinner,” said Menéndez. “Horses are routinely treated with drugs that are dangerous for human consumption and do not belong in our nation’s food supply.” The lawmakers said the bill would put an end to the cruel and inhumane slaughter of horses while protecting families from toxic horse meat and safeguarding the reputation of the U.S. More here.
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NUL's Marc Morial, rapper Nas, and Winston Burns at Essence Fest over the weekend.
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Realtor Daniela Matute Santaella and CNN Español's María Alejandra Requena in Miami over the weekend.
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Women of Color Comprise Crucial Voting Bloc in Dem Party
Data shows that voters of color make up 43% of the Democratic Party’s electorate today, the highest share on record. Women of color are estimated to make up roughly 20% of the Democratic electorate and comprise 25% of the population in key swing states like Georgia, Florida, Arizona, and South Carolina. According to a recent survey of 2,663 women who identify as Black, Latina, or AAPI conducted by Intersections of Our Lives, a coalition of reproductive justice groups, this group overwhelmingly supported Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections. But 78% of women surveyed said that candidates often failed to focus on issues important to them. This begs the question: are women of color being rewarded with policy for their loyalty? In the survey, 76% of women said that politicians must understand that the needs of women of color are different from those of white women. “You can’t lump us in with any other group; we’re unique,” She the People’s Aimee Allison told Vox. “We want to connect with you and trust that you as a candidate have the heart and the willingness to fight for our communities.” Read the survey here.
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No Women of Color, Latinx, or AAPI Representation Among CNN Debate Moderators
CNN announced the moderators for the next presidential debate to take place later this month. Don Lemon, the only person of color, will be joined by Dana Bash and Jake Tapper. Once again, no women of color are included. And like the last NBC debate, there is no AAPI representation. Also notably absent from this lineup is any Latinx representation. CNN will broadcast the event across its flagship cable network, CNN International and CNN en Español. The network is bound by rules that only 20 candidates, split across two nights July 30th-31st from Detroit, are eligible to participate. The candidates have to register 1% support in three qualified polls or have 65,000 unique donors to their campaign, with a minimum of 200 different donors per state in at least 20 states to qualify. The DNC plans a total of 12 presidential primary debates for the 2020 election cycle. Six will be held in 2019, and the other six will be held in 2020. More here.
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Native American Groups Plan Presidential Forum
Several groups are working together to plan a presidential campaign event focused on Native American issues in Sioux City, IA next month. Groups include the National Congress of American Indians, the Native American Rights Fund, the Coalition of Large Tribes and the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association. All of the candidates have been invited. "I'll be honest with you, I think most of the candidates are going to be here, because this is the one time they'll get to speak to six million Native Americans in the United States," a spokesman for Four Directions, Matt Samp, told the Sioux City Journal. "We have soft commitments from, I'd say nine of them." He said the official lineup will be released July 19th. "I think if the presidential candidates are smart, they're going to realize the actual voting power Native Americans have," said O.J. Semans, co-leader of the Native American voting rights advocacy group Four Directions. "Right now, we have large populations in seven states that are battleground states." The Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum is named in honor of activist Frank LaMere, who died last month after battling cancer. He was a Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska member who fought for a variety of causes and lived in South Sioux City, NE. More here.
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The Daily Show's Jaboukie Young White in Kingston, Jamaica over the weekend.
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Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) with her husband Leighton Kim Oshima in HI on July 4th.
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Alex Acosta Faces Calls for His Resignation
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta is facing calls for his resignation over a deal his former office made with Jeffrey Epstein -- the 66-year-old politically connected billionaire accused of molesting dozens of underage girls. Epstein was arrested Saturday on new federal charges. He is now facing up to 45 years in prison on charges that he was running a sex trafficking ring in the early 2000s that included girls as young as 14 years old. Prosecutors said they seized possibly thousands of “sexually suggestive” pictures of nude or partially nude young women and girls from Epstein’s $56 million Manhattan townhouse. He first faced other sex crime charges back in 2006 and 2007. At the time, he could have faced life in prison for allegations with underage girls. But the prosecutor in the case, Acosta, struck a much more lenient deal and Epstein served just 13 months in county jail. Acosta defended the deal during his Senate confirmation hearing, saying that the deal was the best way to ensure Epstein served time behind bars and was forced to register as a sex offender. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has joined the chorus of people calling for Acosta’s resignation and pointing out that Donald Trump knew of the deal at the time he appointed Acosta as Labor secretary. Acosta, in his current capacity, oversees and monitors human trafficking. Earlier this year, U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Marra ruled in favor of two of Epstein’s alleged victims who filed a lawsuit claiming Acosta and other prosecutors violated a federal law that gives victims the right to be notified of potential plea agreements. The two alleged victims say no one notified them of that deal and that they were led to believe their claims remained under investigation. For now, Acosta still enjoys support from the Trump White House. More here.
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Pramila Jayapal Questions FCC Chair Ajit Pai Over Private Sector Influence on Key Security Panel
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) wants answers about the private sector’s influence over the FCC’s decision-making when it comes to network security. Jayapal and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) recently sent a letter asking FCC Chair Ajit Pai about allegations that private interests make up a majority of the agency’s Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability Council (CSRIC). The CSRIC is an advisory panel that gives recommendations to the FCC about the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications systems. In their letter, the lawmakers cited a recent investigation by the nonpartisan watchdog group, Project On Government Oversight (POGO), which found that the CSRIC is dominated by industry influences and falling short of legal requirements. In fact, "more than half of its members represented private sector interests, either as a direct employee of a for-profit company or via affiliation with an industry trade group." The lawmakers allege that industry-slanted panel has recommended industry-friendly policies that are bad for consumers and not in the public interest. For example, CSRIC often declined to recommend that the FCC issue mandatory requirements, and instead suggested the FCC issue voluntary recommendations even in cases that involve significant security concerns. “Having the FCC’s policy-making process rely on input from individuals employed by, or affiliated with, the corporations that it is tasked with overseeing is the very definition of regulatory capture,” the lawmakers wrote. “The FCC should be working on behalf of American consumers, not giant telecommunications companies.” Jayapal and Warren want answers from Pai by July 12th. See the full letter here.
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Business exec Sheryl WuDunn, journalist Ann Curry, and columnist Nick Kristof in Oregon for the Shakespeare Festival.
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Congresswoman Nanette Díaz Barragán (D-CA) (R) with a constituent at the Uptown Jazz Festival in Long Beach over the weekend.
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People of Color Make Gains in Local Newsrooms
The percentage of women and people of color in local TV newsrooms reached record highs for the second year in a row, according to a new report by the Radio Television Digital News Association. While the numbers are heading in a more diverse direction, they still have not kept up with the changing demographics of the country. In the last 29 years, the population of people of color in the U.S. has risen 12.8 points; but in TV news it is up just 8.1. Hispanics made the biggest gains in local TV newsrooms in 2019, according to the report, followed by African Americans. Asian Americans and Native Americans both held steady after losing ground last year. TV stations in the South and West were far more diverse than stations in the Northeast, with the Midwest lagging well behind in diversity data. This year, Native Americans in local TV are 59.4% men and 40.6% women. Hispanics are almost dead even at 50.4% men and 49.6% women. African American women outnumber men 53.6% to 46.4%. The greatest disparity between men and women has always been among Asian Americans, but less so today. Among Asian Americans, 60.5% are women and 39.7% are men. The report also found that the local radio workforce of color is the highest it’s been in more than 20 years -- the third-highest level ever. And the percentage of radio news directors of color is at the highest level in five years. Read the full report here.
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Univisión Owners Explore Sale
The Board of Directors and management team for Univisión are looking at “strategic options” for the Spanish-language news giant including a sale. CEO Vince Sadusky reorganized the company and adjusted its strategy since he took over a year ago, and Univisión has gone back to focusing on its Spanish-language media business after an ill-fated venture into English-language TV and online news. Sadusky said these changes have led to a “strategically, operationally and financially strong” Univisión that is now ready for a sale or partnership. WSJ reported that the company’s backers, which include billionaire Haim Saban’s Saban Capital Group and private-equity firms Madison Dearborn Partners and Providence Equity Partners, among others, have been eager for an exit. Univisión has hired Morgan Stanley, Moelis & Co., and LionTree as advisers to assist with the process. More here.
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Congressman Chuy García (D-IL) with a radio host Patti Vásquez at the Chicago Pride festival last week.
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Sadira Furlow, CoStar Group's Martin Johnson, and Google's Marta Martínez at the MLT gala in NYC last week.
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Black Press Elects New Chair
The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), the national trade organization that represents African American newspapers and media companies, known as the Black Press of America, has elected new officers and a Board of Directors to guide the storied 79-year-old organization for the next two years. Houston Forward Times Publisher Karen Carter Richards easily won election as the organization’s new chair. The voting took place during the NNPA national convention in Cincinnati last month. “Karen Carter Richards is a strong, gifted, freedom-fighting publisher. We are all blessed to have her as our Chair as we respond to the challenges and opportunities facing Black America and all people of African descent throughout the Diaspora,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. NNPA provides commentary to the more than 47 million people each week. Now in its 49th year, NNPA member resources, include newspapers, websites, digital assets, and an evolving social media presence. See other newly elected officers here.
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WSJ Adds to Editorial Staff
Sahil Patel is joining the Wall Street Journal’s editorial staff. He was most recently a media editor and senior reporter at Digiday, where his responsibilities include covering the video, OTT, and TV industries, as well as producing several annual events focused on the future of video, advertising, and TV. Before that, Patel was the editorial director of VideoInk, a business trade publication dedicated to the online video entertainment industry, and previously served as editor of Cynopsis Digital, a daily newsletter for media, marketing, and agency executives. Sahil is a graduate of Vanderbilt University. More here.
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| FOMO
Today, 6P: Slate's Dahlia Lithwick, Above the Law's Elie Mystal, and the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law's Kristen Clarke discuss what's working — and what's not — in the Left's approach to courts. The Raben Group, 1341 G Street, NW, Fifth Floor, DC. Click here for more information.
Today, 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.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: 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.
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.
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