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Last night’s congressional baseball game outdrew the MLB games yesterday in Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago. More than 20,000 tickets were sold for the annual charity event, raising more than $1 million for area charities. Dems won the game 11-2. Meanwhile, Congressman Steve Scalise (R-LA) is better but remains in critical condition. We’re wishing him a speedy recovery. For those waiting for the repeal of Obamacare, keep waiting. Doesn’t look like they will make their July 4th deadline. Oh yeah -- VP Mike Pence is not trying to catch a case. Homeboy lawyered up. Pence has retained as his personal lawyer Richard Cullen, a former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia to guide him through the various investigations encircling the White House. The craziest thing? MSNBC reports that Cullen is James Comey's daughter's godfather. Too. Much. Drama! This week has felt like a month! The House and Senate are out today. We all deserve a breather. Who’s having a long liquid lunch and where? You never know. The Beat DC may show up and pick up your tab! We appreciate our readers! Here’s what we’ve got for the weekend read:
- Congressmen Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and James Clyburn (D-SC) want to step up security measures after the shooting.
- Barack Obama awards Jay Z. But the big question remains -- did Bey have the twins or not?!
- Trump appoints a woman of color to lead HUD's largest region. Imagine how dope this news might be if she were actually qualified.
- Friends of the Latino Museum gets some star power from actress Diane Guerrero.
- Trump's hands might go where they don't belong but he won't be touching DACA -- for now.
- A message from Planned Parenthood.
- Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) has returned from a CoDel and is ready to champion humanitarian aid to Sudan and Uganda.
- Obama lawyer joins DC law firm.
- Looking for a j-o-b? We've got a couple for you below and on our website!
- Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduces medical marijuana legislation.
- Deep in the sunken place, Dennis Rodman gifts The Art of the Deal to North Korea's leader.
- It's decision time for SCOTUS and the travel ban.
- Black Lives Matter sues Chicago.
- Ebony Magazine -- you're embarrassing us.
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|  | Congresswoman Nanette Barrágan (D-CA) with friend Joe Foley right before her first-ever congressional baseball game. She ended up getting an infield hit. Play like a girl! | |  | Injured Capitol Hill Police officer David Bailey throws out the first pitch. | |
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Tri-Caucus Urges Admin to Leave DREAMers Alone and For Now, Trump Obliges
The chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus sent a letter to DHS Secretary John Kelly on the fifth anniversary of DACA asking him to clarify the agency’s policies toward DACA and to protect DREAMers from deportation. “We are greatly concerned that DACA recipients continue to be the target of immigration enforcement actions and we request that DHS fulfill its promise to these young individuals that they are protected from deportation.’ Well, Politico Pro reports that late last night, the Trump admin issued its most explicit promise to date that so-called DREAMers can keep their permission to work legally in the U.S. "No work permits will be terminated prior to their current expiration dates," the Department of Homeland Security said in guidance posted on its website Thursday night. The new statement from DHS seems to be a forward-looking promise not to take action against those in the program. "I ... think it shows the strength of the DREAMer movement," said immigration attorney David Leopold. "DREAMers can breathe a little easier tonight. It also means the DAPA and DACA+ case will be out of Judge Hanen's hands soon and that's a good thing." See the guidance here.
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Cárdenas and Clyburn Stress Security Concerns Following Wednesday’s Shooting
Congressmen James Clyburn (D-SC) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) join other members in security fears following Wednesday’s shooting. Clyburn, the third-ranking House Democrat, said he wants to give lawmakers more flexibility to secure their homes and offices. “For us to have a rule ... that you can’t have security cameras in your offices unless you pay for them with your campaign -- I just found that out this morning -- or you can’t have security stuff in your homes?” Clyburn said. “I can’t tell you how many threats I’ve had against my home. In fact, I’ve had state police staying at home with my family.” Cárdenas said he urged Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to fast track new security measures for lawmakers. “Many of us receive threats. And it’s not that we get used to it. You’ve just got to hope and pray that people don’t follow up on those threats, but at any given moment they could, like we saw this morning. I personally stressed to the Speaker if we could put that on hyper drive and get those results and those decisions as quickly as possible.” More here.
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A Sponsored Message: The Senate is considering legislation that would “defund” Planned Parenthood. "Defunding" Planned Parenthood would prevent millions of people with Medicaid coverage from accessing basic health care, including birth control and cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood health centers. Hear from people who would be hurt most here.
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Blue Magic: Obama Awards Jay-Z
Jay Z made history Thursday by becoming the first hip hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The best part of this historic moment? President Barack Obama presented him with the award (click the image to play). The entire presentation was done via video as neither were able to be at the NYC event. “Nobody who met us when we were younger men would have expected us to be where we are today,” Obama said acknowledging their common ground. “We know what it’s like not to have a father around, we know what it’s like not to come from much, and to know people who didn’t get the same breaks that we did. So we try to prop open the door of opportunity so that it’s a little easier for those who come up behind us to succeed as well.” The former president also acknowledged with a fair amount of certainty that he’s pretty sure he’s still the only president to listen to Jay Z’s music in the Oval Office. “That may change at some point, but I’m pretty sure that’s true now,” he said. Trump is definitely the mad rapper in this scenario. Obama paid homage to both of their better halves. “Let’s face it. We both have wives who are significantly more popular than we are.” Okay! Now we can get to the real news. Queen Bey! Did she have the twins or not?? And did Obama accidentally reveal that they’re having twin girls in the video?! Come on -- the Internets are going crazy and The Beat must know. More here.
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Legislators Introduce Bill for Latino Museum on the National Mall
Supporters of a National Smithsonian American Latino Museum are pushing Congress to vote this year on legislation to move the project forward. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Senator Robert Menéndez (D-NJ) introduced a bipartisan bill Thursday that would start the process of securing a location near the Smithsonian’s other iconic museums. They were joined by actress and immigrant rights advocate Diane Guerrero, known for her roles on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black and CW’s Jane the Virgin. “Our stories are intertwined in the history of our country,” she said. Danny Vargas, Chairman of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, said “We have a unique opportunity here. We have a Congress that wants to move forward with positive projects. The way we are presenting this to Congress is that this is a way to highlight and celebrate American history.” Executive Director of the Friends of the American Latino Museum, Estuardo Rodríguez, also serves on the Advisory Board of The Beat DC. More here from The Beat DC’s Patricia Guadalupe.
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One of the Mothers of the Movement, Lucia McBath (Jordan Davis' mom), with FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at a Color of Change event in Atlanta on Tuesday. | |  |
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) with her granddaughters on Thursday. | |
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Obama Lawyer Joins DC Law Firm
The law firm of King and Spalding has welcomed Obama alumna Wintta Woldemariam as a member of the firm's Government Advocacy and Public Policy practice in their DC office. Wintta advises clients on congressional investigations, policy development, and enforcement actions, in areas ranging from data privacy and cyber security to financial services. Additionally, she counsels clients on crisis communications and management issues. Prior to joining the firm, Woldemariam served as Ethics Counsel to President Barack Obama in the Office of the WH Counsel. In that role, she advised senior WH officials on federal ethics law. Before that, she was an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Legislative Affairs of the DOJ. The Duke grad also spent time on the Hill in the offices of Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). She’s a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and attended law school at the University of Texas. More about Wintta here.
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WaPo’s Lily Lacks Some Color
On Thursday, WaPo launched The Lily -- a new publication for millennial women that spotlights the paper’s award-winning journalism on distributed platforms. Led by Editor Amy King and Deputy Editor Neema Roshania Patel (pictured), The Lily will also have a twice-weekly newsletter. While we’re happy to see some diversity with Patel, not a single Black or Latinx is part of this new venture. So how “curated” can their content be? Spokesperson Shani George said to Richard Prince from Journal-isms that while there are no Black or Latinos, “half the team is non-white.” Fam, we’ve seen what happens when media outlets lack a certain perspective. When will they learn? Don’t worry. We got you! More about The Lily here.
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Latino Victory Fund's Cristóbal Alex with Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) at Wednesday night's LC Voters dinner. | |  |
Tyrone Gayle, Press Sec for Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), and SKD's Doug Thornell enjoying some boat time last weekend. | |
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Trump Event and Wedding Planner Will Run HUD’s Largest Regional Office
She’s arranged tournaments at Trump golf courses, served as the liaison to the Trump family during his presidential campaign, and even arranged Eric Trump’s wedding, so why not hand her control of billions of dollars of our HUD budget, right? Trump has appointed longtime loyalist Lynne Patton -- who has zero housing experience and claims a law degree that Quinnipiac says she never earned (she also lists Yale though HUD didn't know why) -- to run the office that oversees federal housing programs in New York. Patton was appointed Wednesday to head up the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Region II where she’ll oversee distribution of billions of taxpayer dollars. Don't worry folks, she does have some organizational management experience: from 2011 through January, she also helped run the Eric Trump Foundation. Oops. That’s the charity now under investigation by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Last month she paid a surprise visit to NYCHA but never actually entered a NYCHA apartment. NYCHA Chairwoman Shola Olatoye said, “I think the reaction was surprise, maybe a little bit horrified.” More here.
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Trump to Rollback Part of Obama’s Cuba Policy
In yet another rollback of Obama-era policies, Trump plans to roll back some of 44’s opening to Cuba later today. The new rules include prohibitions against Americans spending money on businesses controlled by the military, which has a wide reach in the Cuban economy. Trump plans to more strictly enforce the ban on American tourism to Cuba, eliminating “people to people” exchanges that have allowed far more visits to the island for recreation. It’s expected that the U.S. embassy in Havana will remain open. Additionally, the Trump policy would keep Obama’s immigration changes in place. Guess that kills our Havana Nights dream. More here.
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María Cardona interviews PG&E CEO Geisha Williams at The Hill Latino's Latina Summit on Thursday. | |  |
The stage was set on Thursday for the Latina Leaders summit hosted by The Hill Latino. | |
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Bass Returns from Sudan and Uganda Ready to Champion Aid
Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) has returned from a Congressional Delegation to famine-stricken South Sudan and neighboring Uganda, led by Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa.“When you visit a camp with hundreds of thousands of refugees you begin to understand on a much deeper level the impact of man-made famine. The conditions are devastating,” Bass said upon her return. On a six-day trip, the delegation visited aid sites in both Uganda and South Sudan, including Bidi Bidi, which became the world’s largest refugee camp in April. As of May, there were nearly one million refugees from South Sudan living in Uganda, according to USAID estimates. The U.S. has already pledged more than $1.2 billion, including a $990 million allocation for famine relief, legislation that was authored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Congressman Tom Rooney (R-FL) last April. More here.
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Mark Takano Says “I Told You So”
Throughout the debate over the AHCA and after it passed the House, Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA) says he repeatedly warned his Republican colleagues that their bill would open a loophole jeopardizing access to healthcare tax credits for as many as seven million veterans. Each time, he says he was told by the bill’s authors and supporters that the loophole did not actually exist. Now, more than a month after voting to pass the bill, Republican leadership is acknowledging the loophole exists, and on Thursday, the House voted to fix it. The congressman offers his breakdown in Medium. Click here to read.
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Looking for qualified diverse candidates? The Beat DC can help! Email brenda@TheBeatDC.com to learn more.
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Booker Rolls Bipartisan Medical Marijuana Legislation Into the Senate
A bipartisan group of senators and representatives have reintroduced legislation that would enable states to set their own medical marijuana policies. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), joined by Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN), made the announcement on Thursday. The bill is at odds with a letter AG Jeff Sessions sent to congressional leaders, in which he asked that federal medical marijuana protections be reversed. Booker addressed the Sessions letter, saying the AG “misrepresents the facts” on medical marijuana. “I dare him to sit down with families and listen to their stories and then pursue a policy like he’s advocating for now,” he said. Sounds like a nope to us, AG. More here.
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Jimmy Gómez Ready to Battle the President
CHC’s newest member, Congressman-elect Jimmy Gómez (D-CA), promised to adopt a hard line against Donald Trump's agenda once he takes office. The California assemblyman elected to replace Xavier Becerra says, "My district really wanted me ... to take a hard stance against a Donald Trump agenda.” Gómez, a former Capitol Hill staffer and labor organizer, has a super liberal base to appease. At a time where things are increasingly partisan, he will fall to the left of an already liberal caucus. More here from The Hill Latino.
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|  | Former Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) staffer Alex Burgos with his daughter and Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) at last night's congressional baseball game. | |  |
GA gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams campaigning at Miller Brothers Rib Shack in Georgia. Don't you just love the Dirty South?! | |
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The Worm Gifts Kim Jong Un Trump’s Book
During former NBA star Dennis Rodman’s fifth visit to North Korea, the Worm gifted the book, The Art of the Deal, to the regime’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un. Trump’s book highlights the president’s famous mantras such as “think big” and “maximize your options.” Rodman was featured on Trump’s former reality show Celebrity Apprentice, and the two appear to have developed a friendship. Rodman had previously tweeted that Trump “has been a great friend for many years.” This begs the question, is Dennis Rodman acting as an emissary for the U.S., wriggling his way through our complicated relationship with NK? According to the State Department, Rodman’s trip isn’t anything other than a private one, but it still raises questions. Or maybe Trump just wanted someone to read his book. More here.
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King of Racist Comments Blames Shooting on Obama
Some things we find beneath our dignity to tell you about. So, admittedly, we were somewhat conflicted on this one. In the spirit of being a tipsheet, here’s your daily dose of bananas (as if that Dennis Rodman story weren’t enough). Congressman Steve King (R-IA) has blamed former President Barack Obama for fuelling political divisions that led to Wednesday’s shooting at the GOP congressional baseball practice. Obama "focused on our differences rather than our things that unify us," King said. This from a man who has credited the white race for contributing the most for civilization, once tweeting, "We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies," called Obama King Jong POTUS, and accused Huma Abedin of having close ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. But sure ... Obama focused on our differences. Where is Angela Rye when you need her? GTFOH. Normally this is where we’d say “more here.” But you don’t need to read more of this foolishness. Boy, bye!
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Congressman Ami Vera (D-CA) helping vets in his district last week. | |  |
On the fifth anniversary of DACA on Thursday, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) shouted out to activist Astrid Silva. | |
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PR Governor Brings Plebiscite Results to DC
Just days after residents of Puerto Rico voted overwhelmingly last Sunday to join the United States as the 51st state, island Governor Ricardo Rosselló was in Washington to officially report the results to Congress and begin the process of pushing for statehood for the island. “As part of the democratic exercise on our island, we are making sure today that Congress receive the message that the people of Puerto Rico are claiming their equal rights as American citizens,” said Rosselló at a press conference Thursday at the National Press Club. “The people of Puerto Rico spoke. Congress has to act now. When Martin Luther King fought for civil rights, when women fought for their rights to suffrage, they weren’t waiting for the right time. They thought that the right time was right now. And we need to act in the same way and accordingly," said Rosselló, saying the U.S. has to "take action." More here from The Beat DC’s Patricia Guadalupe.
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Decision Time for SCOTUS on Trump’s Travel Ban
In the coming days, SCOTUS justices must decide whether to lift the temporary injunction on the travel ban and whether to hear the government’s appeal of lower court rulings that stopped the executive order from taking effect. The order, which Trump signed in March, would ban most nationals from six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States for 90 days. The administration said the countries -- Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen -- are at heightened risk for terrorism. Critics have fought the edict tooth and nail in court, calling it unconstitutional. If the court decides to take up the case, some expect that the justices will schedule a special sitting to hear oral arguments before they break for the summer at the end of the month or in early July. More here.
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Teach for America's Brittany Packnett enjoying the beach on Thursday. | |  |
Congressman David Scott (D-GA) met with the Young Dems in his DC office on Tuesday. | |
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Netflix Jumps in FCC Fight
After a few months of wishy-washy statements on net neutrality indicating that the company had largely given up on it, Netflix is changing course. Now they’re all in. And they’re ready to battle FCC Chair Ajit Pai. The company on Thursday said it is joining the tech advocacy group Fight For The Future’s net neutrality day of action, in which companies and other stakeholders will “sound the alarm about the FCC’s attack on net neutrality." They are one of the largest streaming services to join the effort, alongside Amazon, Kickstarter, Vimeo, and the Internet Association, a Google-backed DC trade association for web companies. More here.
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Ted Lieu Highlights Disconnect Between the White House and State Department
During a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee hearing with U.S. officials overseeing foreign military sales, Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) asked Tina Kaidanow, Acting Assistant Secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, whether reports were true that the U.S. has agreed to sell Boeing F-15s to Qatar for $12 billion. She said the contract has just been signed. “I don't mean to be facetious about this, but does the president know that?" Lieu asked. "I believe so," Kaidanow answered. Just one small problem. On June 6th, Donald Trump tweeted, "During my recent trip to the Middle East I stated that there can no longer be funding of Radical Ideology. Leaders pointed to Qatar -- look!" Mr. President: consult with your team. That’s why they’re there. WH team: take away his Twitter. That’s part of the reason why you’re there. More here.
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Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) showing some Pride last weekend in LA. | |  |
Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) speaking with EMTs in her DC office on Wednesday. | |
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Black Lives Matter Sues Chicago
Several leading community groups, including Black Lives Matter, filed a class action lawsuit against the city of Chicago on Wednesday in a bid to bypass or even scuttle a draft agreement between the city and the DOJ that seeks to reform the nation's second largest police force without federal court oversight. They argue that an overhaul of Chicago's 12,000-officer force in the wake of a damning civil rights report in January can't work without the intense scrutiny of a court-appointed monitor answerable to a judge. AG Jeff Sessions has expressed skepticism about court involvement while President Barack Obama's administration saw it as vital to successful reforms. Obama's Justice Department typically took a city reform plan to a judge to make it legally binding in the form of a consent decree. More here from NBCBLK.
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DOJ Quietly Moving Away from Consent Decrees
Speaking of consent decrees, the DOJ appears to be turning away from them. AG Jeff Sessions is not a fan of the agreements or settlements that resolve a dispute between two parties without admission of guilt (in a criminal case) or liability (in a civil case). Top officials in the DOJ civil rights division have issued verbal instructions through the ranks to seek settlements without consent decrees -- which would result in no continuing court oversight. Consent decrees often require agencies or municipalities to take expensive steps toward reform. Local leaders and agency heads then can point to the binding court authority when requesting budget increases to ensure reforms. Without consent decrees, some say that many localities or government departments would simply never make such comprehensive changes. More here.
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Texas Dems Congressmen Vicente González and Filemón Vela welcome community leaders from their home state to DC on Wednesday. | |  |
Broadway producer Jhett Tolentino, Greg Cendana, and Jason Tengco on a panel at the Phillipine Embassy on Wednesday. | |
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Border Patrol Agents Target Encampment that Aids Immigrants
Border Patrol agents on Thursday arrested four undocumented immigrants who had been receiving medical care at an encampment near the U.S.-Mexico border run by a group that provides water and medical treatment to anyone who crosses the desert. The encampment is a few miles north of the Mexican border near Arivaca, Arizona.The arrests came during a heat wave -- temperatures in the area on Thursday reached 105 degrees -- and after several days of heightened surveillance of the camp, which is run by the humanitarian group No More Deaths. CBP has long been aware of the encampment, but during the Obama administration, the group had come to an informal agreement that immigration enforcement agents agreed to treat the encampment as a medical facility and would not enter the area. More here from BuzzFeed.
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C’mon Ebony
The National Writers Union says it has increased the number of Ebony Magazine writers it is representing to 21, saying they are collectively owed $46,700. A June 3rd pledge from Ebony to settle the debts within 30 days is not good enough, the union said in a news release. “Some of the invoices we’ve seen are over a year old,” NWU President Larry Goldbetter said. “We are pleased EBONY Media has been responsive to the grievance, but we are now at a point where we need a payment schedule in writing. For a freelancer to have to struggle to pay rent because Ebony owes is ridiculous.” More here.
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| BLAH BLAH BLOG Michael Bennett Speaks to 'The Breakfast Club' (The Undefeated)
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| FOMOToday, 10A: The Center for American Progress sponsors Race in America: A Conversation with Mayor Landrieu. 1333 H Street, NW. Click here to RSVP.
Saturday, June 17th, 1P: Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) hosts an "Immigration Day of Action." Columbia University Medical Center, 1150 St. Nicholas Avenue, NYC. RSVP to: RSVP.Espaillat@mail.house.gov
Wednesday, June 21st, 4P: A meet and greet with Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, running for Governor of Florida. The Madison Group, 1030 15th Street NW, Suite 1080 West. RSVP: akilah@invictusstrategygroup.com
Wednesday, June 21st, 6P: Reception and fundraiser for Kia Hamadanchy for Congress. 408 East Capitol Street, NE, RSVP at: info@KiaForOrangeCounty.com
Wednesday, June 21st, 6:30P: Reception and fundraiser for David Min for Congress. Rooftop at Steptoe and Johnson, 1330 Connecticut Avenue, NW. Click here to RSVP.
Thursday, June 22nd, 6P: MALDEF hosts its 2017 Chicago Awards Gala honoring Carlos Tortolero, President and Founder of the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, and Mary Meg McCarthy, Executive Director of the National Immigrant Justice Center.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Thursday, June 22nd - Saturday, June 24th: NALEO holds its 34th-annual conference in Dallas. Click here to register.
Saturday, June 24th, 4P: The DC chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) hosts its annual BBQ and fundraiser. Click here to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, June 28th, 8A: The Southeast Asia Resource Action Center sponsors a rally in front of the White House in support of immigrants and refugees and their families. Click here for more information.
Thursday, June 29th - July 4th: Amnesty International holds a fast and vigil in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in support of abolishing the death penalty. Click here from more information.
Wednesday, July 26th - Friday, July 28th: ColorComm, Women of Color in Communications, holds its 2017 conference in Miami, FL, featuring keynote speaker Whoopi Goldberg. Click here to register. Thursday, September 7th - 9th: The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the Native American Journalists Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) sponsor the Excellence in Journalism 2017 conference in Anaheim, CA. Click here for more details and to register.
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