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"To the career men and women at DOJ/FBI: you know what the job entails and how to do it. Be strong and unafraid. Duty. Honor. Country." These were the words from former AG Eric Holder after Donald Trump fired FBI Director James Comey with a letter that read in part, "While I greatly appreciate you informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation, I nevertheless concur with the judgment of the Department of Justice that you are not able to effectively lead the bureau." The move was so abrupt and appears to be not very well planned. As of 8:55A this morning, Comey is still listed on the website as the FBI Director. Senate Dems are meeting this morning to talk about "next steps." Here's what's up this Wednesday:- Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) demands an emergency hearing.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) asks WTF?
- Google partners to see more entrepreneurs of color.
- Barack Obama is a prisoner to selfies.
- Julián Castro pens a book.
- BET is leaving DC.
- A Miami Dem eyes Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s seat.
- Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) champions better data for AAPI.
- Congressman Raúl Labrador (R-ID) runs for governor.
- Trump administration denies Native American tribe college prep.
- Meet the Morehouse grad running for mayor of Birmingham.
- Shaq is running. Not on a court -- for office.
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Russia's Top Diplomat Jokes About Comey Firing
Just moments ago, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared before the press with Russia’s top diplomat, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who appeared to feign ignorance and inject what we could only assume to be misplaced humor about Comey being fired. See the video here. No, this is not a movie. This is the reality TV for which the American people voted.
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Cummings Demands Emergency Hearing over Comey Firing
On Tuesday, Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) demanded “immediate emergency hearings” over Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey. “Congress needs to have immediate emergency hearings to obtain testimony directly from Attorney General (Jeff) Sessions, the deputy attorney general and FBI Director Comey,” Cummings said in a statement. "The White House was already covering up for (former national security advisor) Michael Flynn by refusing to provide a single document to Congress, and now the President fired the one independent person who was doing the most to investigate Trump and his (2016) campaign over allegations of coordination with Russia.” More here.
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Obama Gives First Speech Abroad Since Leaving Office
On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama repeated calls for increased engagement in the democratic process during an appearance in Italy, saying that "you get the politicians you deserve." It was his first speech abroad since leaving office and addressed the dangers of climate change -- and Obama joked about the lighter side of his post-presidential life (click image to play clip). During a Q&A with former White House chef Sam Kass, Obama was asked what he doesn't miss about the White House. Obama said the list was long, but at the top of it was the isolation of being president. "You live in what's called 'the bubble,'" POTUS44 said. "And it is a very nice prison. So you don't have the freedom of movement to just take a walk or to sit at a café ... Now I am only captive to selfies, which is almost as bad," he said.
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Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) meeting with beermakers in her DC office last week. | |  |
Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) thanking a teacher on Tuesday on National Thank A Teacher Day. | |
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Former HUD Secy Busy Writing a Book
While Congressman Joaquín Castro (D-TX) is not entirely ruling out a Senate run, his twin brother Julián, former HUD Secretary during the Obama administration, is back in his hometown of San Antonio with absolutely no intention of seeking elected office. “I’m not running for anything in 2018,” he told NBC Latino’s Suzanne Gamboa. Castro, in fact, is busy writing a memoir he put on hold when he went to Washington. The book will focus on his family’s story and its unique take on the American dream in the Southwest. More here in NBC Latino.
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Freedom Caucus Founder Announces Gubernatorial Bid
On Tuesday, the founding member of the Freedom Caucus, Congressman Raúl Labrador (R-ID), announced he is mounting a bid for governor of Idaho. This announcement comes on the heels of the congressman facing angry constituents at a townhall on Sunday where he said, “no one dies because they don’t have access to healthcare.” The announcement ends months of speculation that the Idaho Republican could throw his name into an already crowded field of gubernatorial candidates. More here.
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Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) renaming the 115th Street Library in NYC in honor of actor Harry Belafonte on Monday. | |  |
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) highlights Mental Awareness Month. | |
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| BET Moving Operations to NYC
BET Networks confirmed on Tuesday that it is shuttering its DC headquarters -- the city where the network got its start in 1980 -- before it was acquired by Viacom in 2000. The office will close July 7th, and operations will move to New York. It was unclear whether the staff was offered the opportunity to transfer to NYC or whether there will be layoffs. According to Deadline Hollywood, the DC team has about 20 salaried employees and 40 freelancers. The network currently shoots its gospel music series Joyful Noise in DC; it is unclear whether that series will also move. CEO Debra Lee has put her DC home on market and moved to LA. The commercial real estate site Bisnow reported last month that BET was close to a deal last month to sell its Brentwood property which has been on the market since mid-2016. More here.
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Google Partners to Help Entrepreneurs of Color
Google wants to help underserved small businesses grow online, and it has enlisted the help of Walker’s Legacy, an 8-year-old professional collective for women of color in business. The Silicon Valley technology giant’s new digital coaching program sets out to support minority entrepreneurs and teach them how to utilize digital marketing resources with free, in-person classes throughout the year. Walker’s Legacy will run the program in the District. More here.
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| ICYMI: The Beat DC Podcast
Our inaugural podcast launched yesterday. Jeff Johnson and Steve Harvey built The Man Cave on BET and invited The Beat's Jamal Simmons to hear all about it. Click the image to watch the video.
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Harris’ Staff Diversity
The office of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) reported to Politico that two-thirds of its staff positions are held by people of color, including a majority of its senior staff positions. “I'm proud my staff reflects the Californians we serve, and I remain committed as ever to any effort to make the Senate workforce as a whole reflect the diversity of our country," Harris said in a statement. Of her entire staff including California and DC, 66% are people of color and 52% are women. Among her senior staff, 63% are people of color and 63% are women. More here.
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| Kamala Harris to Labrador: WTF?
Speaking of Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA), she didn’t mince words when it came to her reaction to Congressman Raúl Labrador (R-ID) defending why he voted for the AHCA. “Nobody dies because they don’t have access to health care,” Labrador said, and he was booed and shouted down by the audience at his townhall in Idaho. Although Harris didn’t mention Labrador by name in her response, it was fairly obvious from her commentary: “This guy, this congressman, you might as well say, ‘People don’t starve because they don’t have food,’” Harris said during the interview with Pod Save America released Monday. “What the f**k is that?” The podcast was recorded on Saturday in front of a live audience, which cheered at her comments. Earlier in the program, the junior U.S. senator from California had to stop herself from saying the word “bulls***.” We feel you, Senator. We feel you. More here.
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Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) posing with interns. Her office is currently hiring interns. | |  |
APALA's Greg Cendana enoying the stoop of his new home on Tuesday. | |
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Greyhound Dedicates New Terminal to Cummings
On Tuesday, the grand opening of the new Greyhound Intermodal terminal in Baltimore was dedicated to Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), who supported the project before it got off the ground and throughout the construction process. “I am deeply humbled by this tremendous honor,” Congressman Cummings said. “This new bus terminal is a vital investment in Baltimore’s future and will serve our city’s residents and visitors for years to come. Baltimore’s federal, state and local officials must continue working in partnership with our business community to ensure that Baltimore residents will have reliable and affordable transit options.” More here.
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Hirono Champions Better Data for AAPI Communities
Last week, Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) and ten Senate Democrats urged the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to update its standards for the collection of racial and ethnic data to better reflect the nation’s growing AAPI population. Standards have not been updated since 1997. "A lack of disaggregated data on the AAPI community has led to the ‘model minority’ myth that -- based on the current federal data -- virtually all AAPIs are self-sufficient, well-educated, and upwardly mobile. However, in reality, these metrics differ widely among different AAPI subcategories,” the Senators wrote. “Better data collection will more accurately reflect the AAPI community’s realities and needs such as educational challenges, language access, poverty, and disability.” More here.
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Salvador Mendoza, Robert Rodríguez, and Mickey Quiñones at the Elevar Latino Leadership program in NYC. | |  |
Eliza Manuela Ramírez and Iván Zapién at the 2017 Latinos in Foreign Policy Speaker Series. | |
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Bipartisan Pleas for Trump Admin to Restore College Prep for Blackfeet Nation
Lawmakers from both parties are calling on the Trump administration to restore grants that help prepare Indian and low-income students for college. The University of Montana was among the institutions whose Upward Bound grants were denied by the Department of Education. A summer program that served students from the Blackfeet Nation for 50 years will be shut down this year as a result, the Associated Press reported. Republicans and Democrats alike want Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to restore the funds. More here.
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From A Harley Riding Police Chief to Roaming the Halls of Congress
Before freshman Congresswoman Val B. Demings (D-FL) landed in Congress, the 60-year-old was the first Black woman to be Orlando’s police chief. She majored in criminal justice at Florida State and wanted to go to law school. But when she graduated she had no money and the opportunity presented itself to work at the Orlando Police Department. She recalls thinking, “I really want to go to law school, but maybe I’ll work at the police department for a while and save up some money.” But after a couple of months on the street, she says she loved the immediate gratification of the job. She talks this, the love for her Harley, and more in Roll Call’s Top Five. Click here to read.
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Tamron Hall, Soledad O'Brien, and Robin Roberts at Michelle Obama's College Signing Day event last week. | |  |
Dr. Ian Smith with Rev. Al Sharpton on Tuesday. | |
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Orrin Hatch’s Condescending Remarks to Native Americans About Bears Ears
Speaking alongside Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke about the Trump administration’s order to review -- and potentially shrink or eliminate -- nearly 30 national monuments, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said Native Americans were “manipulated” into their support for the 1.35 million acre Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. Think Progress reports that the senator went on to say, “The Indians, they don’t fully understand that a lot of the things that they currently take for granted on those lands, they won’t be able to do if it’s made clearly into a monument or a wilderness ... Once you put a monument there, you do restrict a lot of things that could be done, and that includes use of the land ... Just take my word for it.” Hatch’s dismissal of Native voices is not only condescending, it is incredibly inaccurate in the case of Bears Ears. Tribal leaders are demanding an apology. More here.
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NHLA's Héctor Sánchez participated in the Raise Wages, Not Walls summit last week. | |  |
California AG Xavier Becerra paying tribute to 15 peace officers on Tuesday who lost their lives in the line of duty. | |
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Morehouse Grad Runs for Mayor of Birmingham
Birmingham, AL could see new leadership soon. Randall Woodfin, 35, is the newest rising political voice in a city remembered for its deep and impactful connection to the civil rights movement. The Grio reports that Birmingham is now grappling with its future, as a site for new economic development and cultural rebirth. Woodfin, a graduate of Morehouse College where he served as SGA president, is a lawyer and former school board president. He is challenging incumbent Mayor William A. Bell Sr. this summer. Woodfin says the “old guard” should step aside so a new generation can step up to the plate. He has recently caught the attention of Stefanie Brown and Quentin James’ The Collective PAC. As an undergraduate, he briefly worked for former Congressman Earl Hilliard (D-AL). Learn more about Woodfin here.
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A Democrat Seeks Ros-Lehtinen’s Seat
Arguing that “the character of our democracy” is at stake, Florida state Senator José Javier Rodríguez plans to soon become a candidate for Congress. The Miami Democrat told the Miami Herald that he intends to compete for Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s seat in 2018. “It’s a really important time to run,” Rodríguez said in an interview. “It’s a time when we’re trying to define what country we are, and the character of our democracy.”Rodríguez, 38, would be the first big-name Democrat to declare a candidacy since Ros-Lehtinen said she wouldn’t seek reelection. More here.
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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) at the CBCF Executive Economic Summit in Chicago on Tuesday. | |  |
Actor Hill Harper joins the CBCF for their Executive Economic Summit in Chicago on Tuesday. | |
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California Legislature Holding onto Holder
When the California Legislature hired former AG Eric Holder, it was an unorthodox and high-profile move, signaling California legislators’ pugnacious stance toward the Trump administration even before the president was sworn into office. The LA Times reports that long-term plans to keep Holder and his firm, Covington & Burling, on contract to provide additional legal firepower against the Trump administration are still to be determined. Senate leader Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) told The Times he planned to "move forward" in retaining Covington's services indefinitely. But Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendón (D-Paramount) was less open-ended in discussing future work with the firm. Given the state’s battles with the Trump administration and their stance on sanctuary cities, we don’t imagine Holder will be going anywhere anytime soon. California will need all the help it can get. More here.
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Shaq Is No Longer Running on the Court -- Now He’s Running for Sheriff
NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal says he will try to become sheriff in 2020. O'Neal didn't clarify where he would enter a sheriff race, though he holds residencies in Florida and Georgia. "This is not about politics for me. It's something that I always wanted to do. It's just about bringing people closer together," Shaq said Friday. "You know, when I was coming up, people love and respected the police, the deputies. And I want to be the one to bring that back, especially in the community that I serve." The athlete sparked criticism last year when he said, “I’m not worried when I get stopped by police because I show respect.” More here.
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Private HBO Screening at Google
On Tuesday night, The Raben Group hosted a private screening of HBO's documentary film "Cries of Syria" at Google’s DC office to discuss the refugee crisis, Syrian civil war, and the role of tech to advance human rights. Attendees included Malika Saada Saar, Evgeny Afineevsky, Heidi Nel, Anna Therese Day, Marcia Dyson, Charlie Crocker, Kisha Bird, Vince Stehle, Ken Biberaj, Thomas Bowen, Bonnie Abaunza, Ryan Jones, Jen Nedeau, Meredith Fineman, Angelica Annino, Erin Fitzgerald, Jessica Jennings, Jeffrey Zubricki, Joe Walsh, Penny Tilghman, and more. More about the film here.
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| VIDEOS
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The Beat Team: Tiffany D. Cross and Jamal Simmons discuss the headlines. | |
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| FOMO Today, 12P: The Raben Group hosts a meet-and-greet with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). By invitation only. Friday, May 12th, 7:30P: The Esperanza Education Fund holds its annual benefit concert and honors former Obama administration official Cecilia Muñoz. The Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St., NW. Click here to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, May 24th, 9A: A policy breakfast with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). The Raben Group, 1341 G St, NW. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, May 24th, 6:45P: CAMBA sponsors an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month event at the Washington office of Hogan Lovells, featuring Khizr Khan, noted speaker at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The event will also feature a panel discussion focusing on the challenges facing the Asian American community. Click here to register. Thursday, May 25th: Vote It Loud sponsors the second annual Multicultural Media Correspondents Dinner at the National Press Club. By invitation only.
Thursday, June 15th, 8A: The Hill sponsors a Latina Leaders Summit. Participants include Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Click here to RSVP.
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