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Today, Donald Trump will overrule his national security advisors and decline to certify the Iran nuclear agreement. Doing so would reopen a volatile debate, but wouldn’t necessarily end the deal. The administration is also poised to roll back the federal requirement for employers to include birth control coverage in their health insurance plans, vastly expanding exemptions for those who cite moral or religious objections. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Nate is expected to strengthen into a hurricane and strike the Gulf Coast over the weekend. But that’s not the storm we’re most worried about this morning. During a photo op on Thursday evening with his highest-ranking military aides, Trump alluded to this being the “calm before the storm.” When asked to elaborate, he said: “You’ll find out.” Cue the scary music here. Listen -- can we please not treat our national security as though it were a cliffhanger at the end of an episode of some ridiculous TV show? In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s a pretty somber and scary time in the country. So, can we drain the Sharknado-type conjecture from the Oval Office swamp? The president is hosting a Hispanic Heritage Month event today at the White House. If any of you go, try and get some clarity on this “calm before the storm” stuff, would ya? We’ll let the rest of you know who attends when we’re back on Tuesday. Oh, yeah! We’re going dark on Monday for Indigenous People’s Day. But don’t worry. We leave you with A LOT to read below. So let’s get to it. Here’s your Friday calm before the storm...
- Michelle Obama criticized for comments about a lack of GOP diversity, but numbers don’t lie.
- Barack Obama tells Brazil they can change the world.
- Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has special loophole to travel on private planes.
- Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) says it’s time for new House leadership.
- Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) successfully quashes racist video game.
- Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wants answers from Ivanka and Jared on their emails, while Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) goes after their security clearances.
- NAACP sues the Commerce Department over Census 2020 preparations.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda lines up Latin superstars for hurricane relief medley. Escucha la canción.
- Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) mum on what he’ll do if convicted on corruption charges.
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) calls on airlines to continue to help those affected by Las Vegas shooting.
- Former Congresswoman Donna Edwards announces bid for local office.
- Lawmakers not happy with administration’s apparent lack of attention to cybersecurity.
- Black Lives Matter sued again.
- The Daily Show’s Roy Wood Jr. talks about covering this White House.
- Harvey Weinstein says he’ll see NYT Editor Dean Baquet in court.
- Judge orders former Congressman William Jefferson be released from prison.
- Congressmen Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) talk about their trajectories from undocumented immigrants to members of Congress.
- CHC Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján-Grisham (D-NM) wants to stop medical “surprise” billing.
- Joy-Ann Reid continues to shine on MSNBC.
- The Beat DC’s Brenda Arredondo talks to Native American activist Samantha Eldridge about being a POC in advance of Indigenous People’s Day.
- CNN has a new breaking news politics reporter.
- Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy says emotional well-being and loneliness are big public health concerns.
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|  | Harvard University Professor Henry Gates Jr. with Hutchins Center's W.E.B. DuBois Medal honorees Darren Walker of the Ford Foundation, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, director Ava DuVernay, rapper LL Cool J, and artist Kara Walker. | |  |
San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz making a statement during a Wednesday interview on MSNBC. | |
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What Obama Said in Brazil
Speaking to an audience in Brazil, former President Barack Obama on Thursday told business leaders that he regretted not having been able to do more to remedy the deeply polarized politics of the U.S. while he was in office. His 23-minute keynote address in São Paulo, Brazil’s financial capital, was titled “Change the World? Yes, You Can.” The event, sponsored by the Spanish bank Santander and the Brazilian media conglomerates Valor and Globo, attracted mainly bankers and other business people. “My biggest regret is not being able to bridge the differences that were emerging in our politics as much as I wanted,” Obama told an audience of about 1,000 people who paid $1,500 to $2,400 to hear him speak. He steered clear of referencing Donald Trump by name nor did he directly address the scandals that have roiled Brazil in recent years, ensnaring scores of politicians and business leaders in a wide-ranging corruption investigation. Political leaders “have to be held accountable,” Obama said, without elaborating. While there, POTUS44 also participated in a roundtable which included 11 young leaders from across Brazil. Each individual is working on critical issues about which the Obamas are deeply passionate, including civic engagement, social inequality, climate change, and public education. More here.
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Michelle Obama on the GOP
We told you about Michelle Obama’s appearance with Shonda Rhimes at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women on Tuesday. We didn’t even flinch when FLOTUS44 said many Americans do not trust the GOP to represent their interests because they don't see themselves reflected in its leadership. She described the demographics of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle during the State of the Union speech in the chamber of the Capitol saying, “One side: all men, all white. On the other side: some women, some people of color. And whenever I was sitting, I would always have a guest in that booth, and I was always the most embarrassed at the beginning when people would see that, because I'd say that, is it just me, am I looking at how governance works?” And she added, “I'm sure we can go in any C suite in this country and we'd see the same thing happening.” Everyone from Fox News to Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) pounced on her remarks. Well ... let’s look at the numbers. According to Politifact, there are three African American Republicans in Congress compared to 48 Dems; 13 Latino Republicans compared to 30 Dems; and 0 AAPI Republicans compared to 13 Dems. The numbers don’t lie. WaPo takes it from here.
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The Raben Group's Surjeet Ahluwalia and and Walmart's Tony Waller at the Asian Americans Advancing Justice American Courage Awards. | |  | Women's March organizer Linda Sarsour, a 2017 Changemaker awardee, at the Asian Americans Advancing Justice American Courage Awards. | |
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Sánchez Says It’s Time for Pelosi, Clyburn, and Hoyer to Go
Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (D-CA) said on Thursday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) should step down and make room for the next generation of leaders. She also included Assistant Minority Leader Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD), saying they should step down as well. “I do think it’s time to pass a torch to a new generation of leaders, and I want to be a part of that transition. I want to see that happen. I think we have too many great members here that don’t always get the opportunities that they should. I would like to see that change,” she said in an interview with C-SPAN, adding, “They are all of the same generation, and, again, their contributions to the Congress and the caucus are substantial. But I think there comes a time when you need to pass that torch. And I think it’s time.” Pelosi survived a leadership challenge from Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) last fall with 66 members voting against her. Sánchez says she doesn’t know if Pelosi would survive another challenge. More here.
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Cedric Richmond and Bennie Thompson Chide DHS Cybersecurity Efforts
However, during a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security showed signs that it may not have the resources to keep up with cybersecurity threats. CyberScoop reports that although the department has made significant progress on programs designed to defend federal networks from malware, many key leadership positions remain unfilled. The hiring process for new talent is dangerously slow and the enterprise cybersecurity strategy that was due in March is now six months late with no estimate of when it will be complete. “I understand the Trump administration did not fill leadership positions relevant to the DHS cybersecurity strategy with any real sense of urgency, and ongoing vacancies may be contributing to the delays. But the strategy is six months overdue and that is not acceptable,” said CBC Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA). The Trump administration has been criticized for neglecting the importance of cybersecurity. One estimate places the number of cybersecurity positions that remain unfilled throughout the federal government at 10,000. “We cannot expect DHS to carry out these responsibilities with both hands tied behind its back,” said Ranking Member Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS). “To be successful, the department needs adequate resources, a robust staff, strong leadership and a clear strategy.” More here.
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Meng Squashes Racist Video Game
Earlier this week we told you about Congresswoman Grace Meng’s (D-NY) objection to the Big-O-Tree Game “Dirty Chinese Restaurant,” the video game that negatively depicted individuals of Chinese descent. Well, her efforts proved successful. The company announced it will not release the game, and the game makers also apologized to the community. “Racism must be called out, whenever and wherever we see it,” said Meng. “I want to thank everyone who joined me and spoke out against the demeaning and negative stereotypes depicted in the video game, Dirty Chinese Restaurant. While I’m pleased that Big-O-Tree Games has decided not to release its racist video game, it is disturbing that something like this would have progressed as far as it did. I hope this company does not live up to its name in future endeavors.” See their statement here.
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Cortez Masto Calls for Airlines to Continue to Provide Aid to Victims and Families of Las Vegas Shooting
Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Dean Heller (R-NV) yesterday sent a follow-up letter to airline industry leaders requesting additional consideration for those wounded and the families of those killed in the attack in Las Vegas. This letter is a continuation of previous requests, which included that airlines send personnel to the convention center to support families and that the airlines provide discounted charges to transport the remains of the deceased. “As we continue to do everything we can to assist the victims and their loved ones from Sunday night's senseless shooting in Las Vegas, we wanted to encourage you to consider additional policies that would ease travel for families at this difficult time,” the Senators wrote. “Your focus and attention to the victims, the deceased, and those closest to them will ensure one less painful experience in the devastation of this week's events.” More here.
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Angela Rye on Wednesday heading to civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery's 96th birthday celebration. | |  |
CNN's Jim Acosta last week posing with one of the featured stars of the evening, a Lamborghini, at the Chicago Latino Network's 11th Annual Awards Gala | |
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Chao Travels Through Loophole
While some members of the Trump administration have come under scrutiny for their taxpayer-funded private travel choices, one official is covered by a loophole. WaPo reports that Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has access to a small fleet of executive aircraft that have long served the U.S. and international travel needs of Transportation secretaries. Chao has flown on the government’s Gulfstream IV and two leased Cessnas seven times in the past eight months, including day trips to cities about an hour’s flight from Washington, as well as longer official sojourns to France and Italy -- for which flights cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. The Federal Aviation Administration charges other government agencies nearly $5,000 an hour to fly. Chao’s spokeswoman said that the secretary also exercises caution and typically flies coach on commercial flights. Chao took 38 commercial flights this year. More here.
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Now Cummings Comes for Ivanka and Jared
Yesterday, we told you about Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) going HAM on Kellyanne Conway and other administration officials. Well, he was not done. On Thursday, the top Dem on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee sent letters to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner demanding that they preserve government-related messages they sent using private email addresses and explain why they reportedly transferred the emails to Trump Organization servers after the committee told them not to relocate the records. “Neither you nor anyone from the White House contacted the Committee before you took these steps, despite the fact that you had received our letters before you reportedly took these actions,” Cummings wrote. Finally, there are questions about whether any of the emails you sent or received on your private email accounts included classified or sensitive information, such as information relating to foreign leaders or the schedules of senior White House officials.” Cummings also sent letters to GoDaddy, which originally housed the couple’s email accounts and servers, and to the Trump Organization, instructing both companies to preserve the records. More here.
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Lieu Comes Back for Jared’s Security Clearance -- and Ivanka’s Too
And that's not all. Congressmen Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) yesterday sent a letter to White House Counsel Don McGahn calling on him to immediately revoke the security clearances of Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner after the recent reports of private email accounts and missed deadlines for reporting financial assets to the Office of Government Ethics. Additionally, Lieu and Beyer say that Ivanka was reportedly close to being indicted for real estate fraud in 2012 but avoided prosecution after a meeting between Donald Trump’s lawyer and the New York District Attorney. Read the full letter here.
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Menéndez Won’t Say If He’ll Resign If Found Guilty
While back in DC for the first time since his trial began, Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) refused to tell CNN what he would do if he were convicted on federal corruption charges. If he chose to stay, Dems would find themselves in a pickle, likely facing pressure to vote for Menéndez's expulsion -- something that would require the support of two-thirds of the Senate. However, if he resigns while Republican NJ Governor Chris Christie is in office, Christie would pick his replacement. "I have no intention of being anything but exonerated," Menéndez said to CNN. "So therefore, I'm not contemplating anything but reelection next year." Read more here.
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Authors Ta-Nehisi Coates and Jason Reynolds on Thursday at Comic Con New York discuss their superhero comic books, Black Panther and Miles Morales. | |  | U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Javier Palomárez on Thursday in Dallas talking about small business issues. | |
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NAACP Sues Commerce Department
On Thursday, the NAACP, the NAACP Connecticut State Conference, and the NAACP Boston Branch (“NAACP”) filed a federal lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act to compel the Commerce Department to produce records they say it has unlawfully withheld about preparations for the 2020 Census. Census advocates have said they are worried about the 2020 Census being able to fully count the U.S. population, including historically undercounted minority groups, because of a Trump administration hiring freeze at the agency. The Government Accountability Office has already labeled the 2020 Census a “high risk program.” The NAACP had requested documents in June related to the Bureau’s plan to address those issues and ensure a full count. The Bureau had not responded until this week, sending documentation to the NAACP that the group considers inadequate. “The Census Bureau routinely undercounts communities of color, young children, home renters, low-income persons, and rural residents,” said NAACP General Counsel Bradford M. Berry in a statement. “But all signs indicate that the 2020 Census will be a particularly egregious failure on this front.” The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for Connecticut and alleges that the Census still faces “serious obstacles” in the 2020 population count. More here.
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Hawaii Will Challenge Travel Ban 3.0
In a letter to the Supreme Court sent yesterday, Hawaii’s attorney, Neal Katyal, said the state plans to file a motion in district court today that challenges the lawfulness of the third travel ban. State Attorney General Doug Chin said in a statement that Hawaii fought Trump’s first and second travel bans "because they were illegal and unconstitutional efforts to implement the president’s Muslim ban. "Chin continued, "Unfortunately, the third travel ban is more of the same. This new ban still discriminates on the basis of nationality, it still exceeds the president’s legal authority, and it still seeks to implement his Muslim ban. Simply adding an obvious target like North Korea to the list and banning travel by some government officials from Venezuela does nothing to disguise this. And – unlike the first two versions – Travel Ban 3.0 has no end date." Get more here.
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Black Lives Matter Sued Again
Remember when we told you about the federal judge who threw out a police officer's lawsuit blaming Black Lives Matter and activist DeRay Mckesson for injuries the officer sustained during a protest over a deadly police shooting in Baton Rouge last year? Well, the officer's lawyer also attempted to add "#BlackLivesMatter" as a defendant, but U.S. District Judge Brian Jackson ruled a hashtag can't be sued either. Now the same judge is vowing to dismiss a separate suit filed on behalf of a sheriff's deputy wounded in the July 2016 attack that killed three other officers in Baton Rouge, LA. The same Baton Rouge-based attorney, Donna Grodner, filed both suits. The judge is giving her until October 13th to respond to his order and present arguments on why the deputy's case shouldn't be dismissed. More here.
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|  | JustLeadersUSA's Glenn Martin flanked by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) talking about legislation to end mass incarceration. | |  | MSNBC's Richard Liu on Tuesday talking about the art of storytelling at a conference on education issues. | |
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Former Congresswoman Edwards Announces Bid for Local Office
Former Congresswoman Donna Edwards announced on Thursday via a YouTube video that she is running for Prince George’s County Executive, the second-largest jurisdiction in Maryland. In 2008, Edwards became the first African American woman to represent Maryland in Congress after unseating then-Congressman Al Wynn. She left that seat to run for Senate, losing in the Democratic primary in 2016 to now-Senator Chris Van Hollen. “I’m an independent decision maker, and we’re going to create a government in Prince George’s County that is transparent, that is open, and that is accessible,” Edwards said in the video. The current County Executive, Rushern Baker, is running for governor. Before her stint in Congress, Edwards was a lawyer and community activist, in addition to heading a foundation that handed out grants to progressive causes. Edwards says she wants to focus on several key issues, including improving schools, growing the local economy, and increasing access to affordable healthcare. She will compete in the June 2018 Democratic primary against State Senator Anthony Muse, Prince George’s State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, and former Obama administration official Paul Monteiro. More here.
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Former Congressman William Jefferson Released from Prison
A federal judge in Virginia has released former Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson from prison -- for now. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis of Virginia threw out seven of the ten charges for which Jefferson was sent to federal prison in 2012. Ellis ordered that Jefferson be immediately released pending his December 1st re-sentencing for the three remaining corruption charges. What changed, you ask? Judge Ellis ruled that the instructions he gave the jury at Jefferson's trial of an "official act" were too broad, given the Supreme Court’s decision last year tossing out the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell on corruption charges. It is unclear when exactly Jefferson, now 70, will be released from the pokey. More here.
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|  | Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) at a Capitol rally on Thursday in support of DACA and DREAM Act legislation. | |  | National Press Club President Jeff Ballou on Thursday with NPC Lifetime Achievement Award honorees sportswriters Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. | |
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Lin-Manuel Miranda Lines Up Latin Superstars for Hurricane Relief Medley
Ever since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, actor and activist Lin-Manuel Miranda has been at the forefront of efforts to raise awareness of the devastation and urging people to donate to on-the-ground efforts. Now, he has brought together a superstar lineup of Latin artists including Jennifer López, Gloria Estefan, Fat Joe, Luis Fonsi, Rubén Blades, Camila Cabello, John Leguizamo, Rita Moreno, and Marc Anthony for “Almost Like Praying,” their new collaboration to raise funds for hurricane relief. "I would much rather be writing a song than jumping up and down and making noise. So this is our way of doing that. It's also, I have to say, despite the humanitarian crisis going on on the island, despite the difficulties, despite the slowness of the U.S. government's response, I've never had more faith in people and American people and people all over the world. My Twitter feed is full of kids breaking their piggy banks to donate,” Miranda told NPR. Hear the song and his interview here.
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Harvey Weinstein Says He’ll See NYT’s Dean Baquet in Court
On Thursday, the NYT ran an exposé about "decades of harassment" on the part of Hollywood royalty Harvey Weinstein reporting that the studio executive had reached at least eight settlements with women over allegations including sexual harassment and unwanted physical contact. The article names actresses Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan and former employee Lauren O’Connor. The paper attributed the sources of this information to two company officials speaking on the condition of anonymity. Now the mogul's attorney Charles Harder, who represented Hulk Hogan in his lawsuit against Gawker, says he's preparing a lawsuit against the paper with his client calling out the paper’s editor by name. “They never wrote about the documentary I did with Jay-Z about Rikers Island, they never write that I raised $50 million for amfAR, nor my work with Robin Hood -- instead they focus on trying to bring me down. This is a vendetta, and the next time I see Dean Baquet [the executive editor of the Times] it will be across a courtroom,” Weinstein said. More here.
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|  | Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) speaking about the needs of women and children. | |  | Florida A&M University alumn Tallahassee Mayor and FL gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum celebrating with his family the school's 130th anniversary. | |
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Beats By Samantha
In our first edition of “Beats,” we talk to Native American activist Samantha Eldridge, who travels the country advocating for issues but spends most of her time as an Associate Instructor at the University of Utah. Given Indigenous People’s Day on Monday, we thought it fitting that she would be the ideal inaugural subject. “The best thing about being a person of color is knowing who and where I come from. Our family has lived on this land we call America since time immemorial; long before borders were drawn. Our traditions, culture, and language have been passed on from generations and despite the Federal Government's attempt to assimilate us we are still here,” she says. “Where so few Native American voices have a seat at the table, I am fortunate to be able to advocate for American Indians/Alaska Natives at the national level specifically around social justice issues. My advocacy centers around eliminating the historical and institutional structures that create inequitable policies, practices, and barriers that impede the success of Native American communities.” She says that in Navajo, they have a concept called hózhóogo naasháa doo. It means ‘in beauty I walk.” Beauty not in terms of physical beauty, but rather striving to live in balance and harmony with yourself and the world and reminding us of the beauty that is all around us as we walk through our everyday. She says she carries that with her every day. Read the full “Beats by Samantha” here.
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CNN Hires Breaking News Reporter
Maegan Vázquez is leaving IJR media to join CNN as a breaking news politics reporter. It will be a full circle moment for Vázquez who interned at CNN in 2014. The NYU graduate also interned at MSNBC for the Rachel Maddow show before joining IJR where she held a number of posts including Deputy News Editor. She’s leaving the outlet as a White House reporter. The bilingual journalist is sure to have her hands full keeping track of breaking news which, as of late, happens multiple times in a news cycle. Congrats, Maegan! More about her here.
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Roy Wood Jr. on Covering This White House
WaPo profiles The Daily Show (TDS) correspondent Roy Wood Jr. The Birmingham, AL native studied broadcast journalism in college and comes from a family filled with journalists. He started stand-up at 19, and did radio for a decade, becoming especially known for doing prank calls for a morning show. Through the years, he’s been on the road, done TV late-night sets and was a finalist on Last Comic Standing. But he became most visible to the public in 2015 when he joined TDS at the same time as Jon Stewart’s replacement, Trevor Noah. He talks the show’s satirical coverage of the current administration saying, “The biggest issue is to not fall victim to just the knee jerk reaction ... Really looking deeper at the issues and what something means in the long-term. It’s one thing to go, ‘Can you believe what he said on North Korea?’ But then what does that mean in the bigger sense of diplomatic relations? The most difficult thing is to maintain sight of the bigger issue going on.” Read the full piece here.
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Joy-Ann Reid is Working Overtime at MSNBC
Joy-Ann Reid continues to make waves on MSNBC. Her overall viewership for AM Joy rose 59% in the third quarter, while viewership in the 25-54 demo rose 55% in the same time period. In recent weeks, viewers have seen her filling in for the network’s most-watched personalities, including Chris Matthews, Chris Hayes, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O’Donnell. In early 2017, an MSNBC press release boasting about ratings gains put Morning Joe on the top, noting it had 849,000 total viewers. But all the way at the bottom of the document, it showed that more people were watching AM Joy. Despite MSNBC’s “Morning Joe speaks truth to power” promos on the air and Joe Scarborough’s recent anger with Donald Trump, some viewers still remember when he spoke with that same outrage against some of the Black Lives Matter activism and enjoyed friendly banter with Donald Trump. NBC News executives say they see Reid as a unique voice to viewers who are accustomed to getting headlines and a bickering panel of talking heads. In a profile piece in Variety, they pose the big question: after getting more hours on MSNBC’s primetime schedule, would Reid like to test other time slots? “I think we’re making an impact on the weekend,” she says. “I’m happy there.” Ultimately, viewers may want to see her during the week. Variety goes deep in this profile piece, delving into her rise from Harvard to the network.
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Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) on Tuesday at a rally supporting "DREAMers." | |  |
Univisión's Jorge Ramos with actor and activist John Leguizamo discussing his new play, Latin History for Morons. | |
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Luján Grisham Intros Legislation to Ban Hospitals from Surprise Billing
Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) introduced healthcare legislation that would prohibit surprise billing. The Fair Billing Act is designed to protect patients from being charged expensive out-of-network rates for services they get at in-network hospitals. “Medical billing is extremely complicated, even in the best of circumstances,” Luján Grisham said. “Consumers who have done their homework, choosing an in-network provider covered by their insurance and doing their best to plan for the expense of a particular procedure, treatment, or service should not be held responsible for these unexpected costs. The Fair Billing Act would prohibit patients from being asked to pay more than the cost-sharing amount they would have been required to pay for care provided by an in-network provider. Additionally, providers will be permitted to charge higher rates only if they obtain written consent from the patient at least 72 hours in advance. More here.
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Homeland Security’s GOP Members Vote with Dems and Reject Border Wall
On Thursday, the House Committee on Homeland Security took two votes that unanimously rejected key features of Donald Trump’s border wall plan. Committee Republicans joined Democrats in rejecting the notion that Mexico should pay for Trump’s wall. Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, said, “It was surprising to see every Committee Republican join us in a bipartisan rejection of President Trump’s laundry list of requirements for his wall including the ridiculous notion that Mexico should pay for it. While we differ on how to secure the border, I am glad that Republicans and Democrats agree that the President’s demands for his border wall are nonsense, conflicting, and absurd. While I am confident this legislation never becomes law, I hope going forward we can finally have a serious conversation about the border and move on together in a productive manner.” More here.
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Ben Ray Luján Champions Smart Cities
Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA) introduced legislation to promote the advancement of smart cities. The bill aims to enhance federal coordination of smart city programs, provide assistance and resources to local governments interested in implementing smart city technologies, develop a skilled and technology savvy domestic workforce, improve the quality and performance of smart city technologies, and foster international collaboration and trade in smart city technologies. “Smart infrastructure has the potential to make our communities safer, more efficient, healthier, and more sustainable. But these advances shouldn’t just be reserved for major cities and Silicon Valley,” said Luján. Learn more here.
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Journalist Jacque Reid on Wednesday 'Reiding the Runway.' | |  |
Star Jones, Ertharin Cousin, and Leah Daughtry in Paris on Thursday for the Women's Forum Global Meeting. | |
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Espaillat and Kihuen Talk Being First Undocumented Members of Congress
As we’ve pointed out before, for the first time in U.S. history, there are two formerly undocumented immigrants serving in Congress and making America great. Vice News spoke with Congressmen Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) for their first-ever joint interview. Thirty-seven-year-old Kihuen is separated by a generation from Espaillat, who is 63. Kihuen migrated from Mexico, and Espaillat from the Dominican Republic. When Vice reporter Alex Thompson asks if Trump is a racist, Espaillat replied, “Not all Trump supporters are racists, but all racists voted for Donald Trump.” Not exactly a direct answer but Kihuen added, “I would agree with that.” Neither is apologetic about coming to the country as undocumented immigrants. Kihuen, who arrived in the U.S. at the age of eight (Espaillat came at age 9) said, “We did things right. We stayed out of trouble. We worked hard and we got an opportunity at the American dream and we achieved the American dream.” The two discuss their respective paths to citizenship, their first nine months in Congress, and their efforts to save DACA. Check it out here.
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Henrietta Lacks Day
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh signed a bill designating October 4th as Henrietta Lacks Day. Lacks, an African American patient at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1950s diagnosed with cervical cancer, had her cells taken without her consent and used to create the first strain of self-replicating cells, known as HeLa cells. That has led to some of the most significant discoveries in medical research. Public interest in Henrietta Lacks and her family peaked after publication of Rebecca Skloot’s best-selling book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which HBO adapted into a movie this year starring Oprah Winfrey. Pugh’s bill is not the first Henrietta Lacks Day legislation. Over the summer, MD Governor Larry Hogan designated August 1st as Henrietta Lacks Day. And Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz announced this year that the first Saturday of every August will be recognized as Henrietta Lacks Day in the county. More here.
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The Former Surgeon General Says Work May Be Creating a Loneliness Epidemic
Former Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, who became the U.S. Surgeon General in late 2014 after a lengthy confirmation battle over his remarks about guns being a healthcare issue, has now added emotional well-being and loneliness to his list of big public health worries. In a Harvard Business Review cover story, Murthy treats loneliness like a public health crisis, and the workplace as one of the primary places where it can get better -- or worse. He writes, that “we live in the most technologically connected age in the history of civilization, yet rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s.” In an interview with WaPo, Murthy says, “Our social connections are in fact largely influenced by the institutions and settings where we spend the majority of our time. That includes the workplace.” He says that most people go to work wanting to enjoy their relationships with the people they’re working with, but that’s not the experience many people have, since they don’t view colleagues as friends. “There’s a real lost opportunity there, because when people have strong connections with the people they’re working with that can not only improve productivity and the overall state of the company, but it can also improve their own health.” Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m taking The Beat DC team -- I mean my friends -- out for a long Friday lunch. Read more of Murthy’s thoughts here.
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| FOMO
Today – Saturday, October 7th: The National Indian Education Association Convention in Orlando, FL. Click here to register. Tuesday, October 10th, 7P: A reception in support of Justin Fairfax, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Hosted by Judith Batty with special guest Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), Deputy Chair, Democratic National Committee. Click here for more information.
Thursday, October 12th - 14th: Moving Mountains, A Southeast Asian American Equity Summit. Renaissance Washington Hotel, 999 Ninth Street, N.W. Click here to register.
Thursday, October 12th, 9A: The Raben Group hosts a breakfast with Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. Congress. 1341 G Street, N.W. Free. Click here to RSVP.
Friday, October 13th - 15th: The Black44 Annual Retreat and Professional Development Weekend. Confirmed special guests: Valerie Jarrett, Former Senior Advisor and Assistant to President Obama for Intergovernmental Affairs and Michael Strautmanis, Vice President, Civic Engagement, The Obama Foundation. George Washington University, 805 21st Street, N.W. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, October 18th, 6P: We Act for Environmental Justice 2017 Awards & Gala honors changemakers New York City Councilmember Costa Constantinides, Native American activist Dallas Goodtooth, The Raben Group's Robert Raben, Hip Hop Caucus Senior Vice President Mustafa Santiago Ali, NYC Council legislative attorney Samara Swanston, and 1199 SEIU Executive Vice President Estela Vázquez. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
October 25th, 11A: A presentation ceremony in the U.S. Capitol to honor Filipino World War II veterans. The event will be livestreamed on speaker.gov/live. More here.
Sunday, November 19th: The National Portrait Gallery Second biennial American Portrait Gala, honoring five individuals: former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, HIV/AIDs researcher Dr. David D. Ho; artistic director, choreographer, and dancer Bill T. Jones; film director, producer, writer, and actor Spike Lee; and multi-award-winning actress Rita Moreno. Click here for more information. Wednesday, November 29th, 8P: Join Congressman André Carson (D-IN) for JAY-Z's 4:44 Tour. Capital One Arena, 601 F Street, N.W. For more information or to RSVP, contact Courtney Hodges or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or email: Courtney@ABConsultingDC.com
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