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August 09, 2017
Donna Brazile Heads to Harvard, Cory Booker and Mazie Hirono on Civil Rights, Alex Acosta Bucks Boss, and Young Turks Raise Millions
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Donald Trump’s warning on Tuesday that North Korea would experience “fire and fury like the world has never seen” was in response to the North Korean statement which read, “Packs of wolves are coming in attack to strangle a nation. They should be mindful that the D.P.R.K.’s strategic steps accompanied by physical action will be taken mercilessly with the mobilization of all its national strength.” No, this is not the leaked episode of Game of Thrones: The Spoils of War. This is real life. And Trump’s statements have put the globe in a state of unrest as such rhetoric has escalated tensions between the two nations at an all time high. North Korea has warned that it might strike Guam, a U.S. territory in the Pacific. But just this morning, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson defended the president’s warning and dismissed concerns Guam is in any imminent danger from Pyongyang’s missiles. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed strong reactions to the statements as Donald Trump, ill-experienced in global diplomacy, has drawn an irreversible red line. This morning he tweeted, “ My first order as President was to renovate and modernize our nuclear arsenal. It is now far stronger and more powerful than ever before....Hopefully we will never have to use this power, but there will never be a time that we are not the most powerful nation in the world!” What are we looking at this morning for research purposes? Bunkers. Meanwhile, 45 also gave remarks yesterday after a briefing on the opioid epidemic offering insight on how to address the massive overdoses. His original advice: just don’t start using them and tell kids that they are bad for you. Seriously -- why didn’t anyone else think of that? These are abnormal times we're living in. But do try and exhale today. Here’s what we’ve got:
  • Donna Brazile and Wael Ghonim head to Harvard.
  • CBC joins MS lawmakers in push for SCOTUS to hear Confederate flag case.
  • Former Congressman Chaka Fattah wants conviction overturned. 
  • The number of wealthy Latinos is growing, and they’re giving back.
  • Ex DHS chief Jeh Johnson defends DACA.
  • Labor Secretary Acosta bucks boss on immigration.
  • Young Turks bring in the cash.
  • Senate Banking Committee gets new staffer.
  • DOJ shifts its position on Ohio voter purge case.
  • Dems press Ed Secretary Betsy DeVos on head of civil rights office.  
  • Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) has something to say about Blacks and the Democratic Party.
  • Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) is following the taxpayer money on Trump properties.
  • NAHJ and NABJ join forces in 2020.
  • Former NYT editor heads to the Knight Foundation.
  • Civil rights group launches hip hop record label.
  • Spike Lee stands with Colin Kaepernick.
  • GoFundMe page set up for Capitol Police Officer David Bailey.
  • An Outlaw will lead the Portland Police Department.
  • The Detroit mayoral race is heating up. And what’s the fascination with “immigration porn”? Read on in Blah Blah Blogs below.
  • If you're on the Vineyard, Eriq La Salle is screening a film today at 3P. RSVP below in FOMO.
MSNBC's Jacob Soboroff with Vice News' Eddie Huang on set on Sunday.
Friends of Latino Museum ED and Raben Group Principal Estuardo Rodríguez, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) LA Veronica Durónand T-Mobile's Anaís Carmona at Dirty Martini in DC on Tuesday night.
Dems Send Bicameral Letter Pressing DeVos on Head of Office for Civil Rights
Fifty Democrats in Congress -- led by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI), as well as Congressman Jared Polis (D-CO) and Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE) -- are urging Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to nominate a "qualified individual" to run the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. In a letter sent yesterday, they singled out Candice Jackson, the acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, for displaying a "hostility towards the very mission and functions of the office she is charged to lead." Citing the department's approach under her watch to policies involving students of color, English-language learners, LGBTQ students, among others, the members call for an OCR nominee that has “an unrelenting belief that every student regardless of race, religion, disability, country of origin, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity has the right to be at school every day, feel safe, and treated with dignity without the burden of discrimination.” Education Week has more here.
Maxine Waters Weighs in on Blacks and the Democratic Party
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) joined The Breakfast Club radio show on Monday morning and was asked if it was time for Black people to form their own political party. “No, not at this point,” Waters said. “You have to show that you’re willing and you’re able to put the numbers together and exercise your influence. We still are not voting our influence yet,” she continued. “What we should do is organize our power, exercise our power, particularly in the Democratic Party because that’s where most of us are.” But the congresswoman then suggested that when Black people are “strong enough” they may branch out into their own party. More here.
Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) on Tuesday calling for fixes to the NYC subway system.
Vestige Strategies' Stefanie Brown James and Quentin James welcomed Elijah Kenneth at the end of July.
Cummings Seek Answers on Tax Dollars Going to Trump Properties
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
is leading House Oversight Committee Dems who want to know how many taxpayer dollars are flowing to Trump Organization businesses or affiliates. The lawmakers sent letters to 23 federal agencies, asking for information on how they're spending on products or services tied to the president's namesake company. They’re raising concerns that Trump may be profiting from his office. They claim his decision to retain ownership of his businesses is problematic and can create divided loyalties, and have asked the agencies for responses by August 25th. "The President's financial entanglements make it impossible to know whether he is making his decisions in the public interest or to benefit him or his family members financially," wrote Cummings. Read the entire letter here.
Chaka Fattah Appeals 10-Year Prison Sentence
Former Congressman Chaka Fattah is hoping a recent Supreme Court ruling that other politicians have used to clear their names can help him overturn his corruption conviction. The Philadelphia Tribune reports that lawyers for Fattah argued in their filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on Friday that prosecutors used too broad a definition of bribery in their client’s case and that jurors may have convicted Fattah for conduct that is not unlawful. The 60-year-old Fattah spent two decades in Congress before his 2016 conviction, where a jury found that he laundered federal grants and nonprofit cash to repay an illegal $1 million campaign loan and help friends and family. Fattah was logged in on Jan. 25th at the Federal Correctional Institution-McKean in Lewis Run, in western Pennsylvania, near the NY border. Records show he is housed in the minimum-security camp adjacent to the medium-security prison. His son, Chaka “Chip” Fattah Jr., is serving five years in an overlapping bank fraud case at a prison in Michigan. Fattah Sr.’s wife, Renee Chenault-Fattah, left her job as an anchor at NBC10. It was a position she held for two decades. More here.
Congressman G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) back in his district last week visiting Duke Primary Care in Henderson.
Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI) visiting the Detroit Lions during training camp on Sunday.
Alex Acosta Bucks Boss on Immigration Issue
Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta spoke with reporters last Thursday at a Western Governors Association meeting in South Dakota. On the heels of Donald Trump announcing legislation to significantly reduce legal immigration and shift the country toward a system that prioritizes merit and skills over family ties, Acosta said replacing American workers with lower-wage foreigners is a disservice to U.S. laborers. He went on to say that immigration is “legal and appropriate” if businesses can’t fill a job, but that “so much immigration” amounts to substituting foreign workers for Americans. According to projection models cited by the bill’s sponsors, legal immigration would be slashed 41% in the first year. More here.
Jeh Johnson Weighs in on DACA
The attorneys general of ten states have written the U.S. Justice Department in recent months, threatening to sue the federal government unless it ends the policy of DACA. Jeh Johnson, Barack Obama’s former DHS chief, weighs in on the issue in an op-ed in the WSJ. “If the states sue, they will argue that legal logic of the court decisions striking down a policy called DAPA requires that DACA suffer the same fate. I know about DAPA—Deferred Action for Parents of American Citizens—as I was its author in 2014. There are important legal and factual differences between DACA and DAPA,” Johnson writes. And despite referring to the undocumented as “illegal aliens” (c’mon Mr. Secretary), it’s worth a read as he defends his signature legislation. Read the entire piece here.
Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) delivered the Ohio State University commencement address on Sunday.
HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson last week at a moment of prayer to start the Insight America/Joint Center 2017 breakfast series in DC last month.
Latinos Flexing Their Philanthropic Power
The Financial Times finds that while Latinos still hold a tiny proportion of US wealth -- about 2.2%, according to the Federal Reserve -- the number of wealthy individuals is growing and many are starting to give to the arts and social causes. Traditionally, Latinos had focused on remittances or giving to churches and religious institutions, but the new trend has been influenced by the needs of underprivileged Latino communities in the U.S. It has helped that celebrities like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ricky Martin, and Gloria Estefan have raised the profile of charitable giving. FT also profiles some of the largest and most influential Latino donors, including Thomas Meléndez, Aixa Beauchamp, Ella Fontanals-Cisneros, and Isabel Allende (all four pictured above). Read their piece here.
Donna Brazile and Wael Ghonim Head to Harvard
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, based at the  Harvard Kennedy School, has announced their fall 2017 fellows and visiting faculty. Among them, former interim DNC Chair Donna Brazile and internet activist Wael Ghonim. Brazile was a fellow at Harvard’s Institute of Politics in 2001. While at the Shorenstein Center, Brazile will write about understanding American democracy after the cyber-attack on the 2016 election. Ghonim is best known for his role in the Egyptian revolution in 2011, and he is the author of Revolution 2.0: The Power of the People is Greater than the People in Power. The former Google employee was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was named one of Time’s 100 most influential people in 2011, and received the 2011 Profile in Courage Award from the Kennedy Library Foundation. While at the Shorenstein Center, Ghonim will research the impact of social media algorithms on political and social discourse, and meet with students. See other fellows and visiting faculty here.
New Staffer Joins Senate Committee on Banking
Ashley Lewis joined the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs as the Democratic press secretary. She most recently served as the Senior Communications Advisor and Director of Media Relations for the Export-Import Bank. Prior to that, she was the Deputy National Press Secretary for the DNC. The Michigan State University graduate also spent some time in labor doing media outreach for the AFL-CIO. Congrats, Ashley! More about her here.
Capitol Police Officer David Bailey Sets Up GoFundMe Page
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Capitol Police Officer David Bailey to help with medical expenses he incurred when a gunman opened fire on Republicans practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game. “As a result of the injuries sustained, Agent Bailey has incurred financial burdens,” the page reads. As of Monday afternoon, $4,475 was raised for Bailey, who was placed on administrative leave for his injuries. The page hopes to raise $30,000 for Bailey. Bailey was hit by bullet fragments when a gunman opened fire on congressional Republicans, injuring House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) who was just released from the hospital at the end of July. See the page here.
Right4Girls ED Yasmin Vafa married Nate Brown at the Cleveland Museum of Art over the weekend.
Congressman Danny Davis (D-IL) on Saturday at the 7th Congressional District Education Recognition Ceremony in Chicago.
NAHJ and NABJ Announce Joint Convention in 2020
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) announced Tuesday that the two will come together again and host a joint convention in 2020. NABJ and NAHJ held a joint convention in 2016 which drew 4,000 attendees and even then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. “Both groups executed a memorable convention experience for our members and the journalism industry last year. We have a lot of momentum to build off of as we head into 2020,” said NABJ President Sarah Glover. “It only makes sense to bring Black and Hispanic journalists together as we move toward what is shaping up to be a history-making election in 2020.” NAHJ President Brandon Benavides said, “It is critical that as the two-largest journalism associations of color, we not only make an investment into our student journalists, but also provide the best resources to develop talent and make it our mission to create more leadership training opportunities for all of our journalists.” More here.
Young Turks Raise $20 Million
The WSJ reports that The Young Turks Network, the left-leaning, YouTube-driven political news outlet led by outspoken activist Cenk Uygur, has raised $20 million, which it plans to use to double the size of its newsroom and business operations. “News is red hot right now and being positioned on the progressive side of the coin has put us in a very good place,” Uygur said. The company, which endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the 2016 election, currently has close to 70 staffers and 30 freelancers but plans to use the investment to increase its staff to about 200 employees. Part of that expansion will be in creative talent, but Uygur said it would also entail building an ad sales team and bolstering its paid subscription offerings. More here.
NYT Editor Joins Knight Foundation
After taking a buyout from the NYT last month, LaSharah S. Bunting has joined the Knight Foundation, a major funder of journalism programs as well as a supporter of those in the arts and technology. She is the new Director of Journalism programs. In a Facebook post, the Columbia University graduate said, “I’m excited to use my passion for journalism and digital transformation to support and advance the industry.” Bunting began her career at The Dallas Morning News before landing at the NYT where she left as a senior editor. More about her here.
Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA) on Tuesday at Safariland Group, makers of law enforcement & military equipment.
Native American activist Samantha Eldridge last week after joining the board of directors of Racially Just Utah.
Spike Lee Promotes Protest Supporting Kaepernick
Director Spike Lee is promoting a rally in support of unsigned NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick on Wednesday, August 23rd. Arguably one of the most talented QBs in the league, Kaepernick supporters say he has been blacklisted for protesting police brutality all last season. Lee announced the protest on Twitter on Tuesday. The rally will take place in front of the NFL headquarters in NYC. Lee says he did not organize or set up the protest. “However I Still Support My Brother And His Stance On The Injustices In The USA,” the filmmaker tweeted. Kaepernick also has six career playoff starts to his credit, including a Super Bowl appearance. More here.
Civil Rights Group Launches Hip Hop Record Label
The Southern Christian Leadership Conference plans to start a hip hop record label that produces music with social justice themes. NPR reports that the Atlanta-based nonprofit is struggling to stay relevant after once leading civil rights and social justice battles 50 years ago. With this new label, Justice Hip Hop Music, it hopes to get the attention of a younger audience. "Our goal is to use the power of music for messaging to address social and civil issues such as the wealth gap, police brutality," says Sarah Reynolds, co-director of the SCLC's Youth Outreach Music and Entertainment division. Simpson says the SCLC is currently trying to raise $20,000 through a GoFundMe page and investments with businesses to fund the label in its planning stages. She says the nonprofit is looking for investments from medium and large-sized businesses that have shown a commitment to social justice causes and an interest in the arts. They hope to officially launch the label with an artist or two by next summer. More here.
Jessica Byrd over the weekend with a member of the activist group Dream Defenders.
Brittany Packnett with actor Wood Harris on Tuesday.
Black Lawmakers Want Mississippi Confederate Flag Case to Land in SCOTUS
Back in June, we told you about Carlos Moore (pictured) a Black attorney in Mississippi who filed a lawsuit in February 2016 proposing that the confederate flag be declared an unconstitutional relic of slavery and is "state-sanctioned hate speech.” Members of the Congressional Black Caucus and the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to hear Moore's state flag case. Moore sued Gov. Phil Bryant in 2016, challenging the constitutionality of Mississippi's state flag, which contains a Confederate battle flag on its upper left side. The lower court, as well as the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, blocked Moore's case, saying the lawyer did not have standing, so he appealed to the Supreme Court in June. Caucus members argue that the lower court's conclusions about Moore's standing ignored the nature of the discriminatory speech the state flag has on him. The Southern Poverty Law Center and Lambda Legal also filed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to grant Moore's writ of certiorari, which is the motion he filed asking the high court to hear the case. More here.
DOJ Reverses Obama Admin Stance on OH Voter Purge Case
The Trump administration is reversing an Obama admin stance and supporting the state of Ohio in its bid to revive a state policy that purges voters from voter rolls if they do not regularly cast ballots. The DOJ on Tuesday filed documents with the Supreme Court stating its new position on the case, which the high court is expected to take up when it returns for its new session in October. Under the state policy, if registered voters don’t cast ballots for two years, they are sent notices to confirm their voter registration. If they do not respond to the notices and continue to not vote over the next four years, they are removed from the rolls. Former President Barack Obama's Justice Department had argued in a lower court that Ohio's policy violated the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, which Congress passed to make it easier for Americans to register to vote. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit, saying thousands of voters have been illegally removed from voter rolls and that the rule greatly impacts people of color and the poor. More here.  
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) and others celebrating the groundbreaking of the new Sacramento Community Clinic on Tuesday.
Congressman Joaquín Castro (D-TX) spending time with Northwest Immigrant Rights Project staff on Tuesday.
Portland Names First African American Woman Police Chief
Portland, Oregon’s new police chief, Danielle Outlaw, will be the first African American woman and only the third city “outsider” to head the bureau. Outlaw, a 19-year veteran of the Oakland (CA) police department, comes to Portland at a fraught moment for policing. Mayor Ted Wheeler highlighted Outlaw's leadership skills, an ability to work with diverse populations, and a commitment to community policing and police accountability that set her apart. Outlaw, who has two teenage sons, will earn $215,000 annually and is expected to start no later than October 2nd. More here.
FOMO

Today, 3P: A screening of the second episode of the docu-series MEN, a series that explores the undiscovered lives of black men in America. Directed by Eriq LaSalle (of ER and Logan fame), The Father is about a dreadlocked ER doctor who is the front man for an underground punk rock band. Showing at the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, Martha's Vineyard Performing Arts Center, 100 Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road, Oak Bluffs.

Today - 13th: The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) holds its annual convention and career fair in New Orleans. Click here for more information and to register.

Thursday, August 10th - 13th: The Congressional Black Caucus Political Education & Leadership Institute sponsors the 2017 Mississippi Policy Conference in Tunica, MS. Click here for more information and to register.

Thursday, August 10th, 5P: Reception for Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Hosted by Ambassador Andrew Young, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed,  DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, and Ebenezer Baptist Church Senior Pastor Dr. Rev. Raphael G. Warnock. Zucot Gallery, 330 Chapel Street, S.W., Atlanta. To RSVP, call 443.525.8262.

Thursday, August 10th, 7P: Jotaka EaddySymone SandersDr. Ikenna MyersWaikinya ClantonNicholas Wiggins, and Moyer McCoy host a pool party. Penthouse Pool Club. 1612 U Street, N.W. Click here to RSVP.

Monday, August 14th, 4P: The Center for American Progress sponsors a panel discussion, "The Power of Black Media and Journalists During the Trump Administration." Click here to RSVP.

Wednesday, August 16th - 17th: The annual U.S.-Mexico Border Summit. El Paso, TX & Cuidad Juárez, Chihuahua. Featured guests include keynote speaker Ana Navarro, Republican strategist and CNN analyst. Click here for more information and to register.

Wednesday, August 16th - 20th: The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance holds its 14th biennial convention in Anaheim, CA. Click here for more information

Friday, August 18th: The deadline to apply for the Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) 2017 Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, to be held Dec. 3rd - 8th in St. Petersburg, FL. The tuition-free program trains journalists of color to work in digital media. Click here for more information and to apply

Friday, August 18th - 20th: A weekend on Martha's Vineyard with Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and special guests Congressmen James Clyburn (D-SC)Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and Richard Neal (D-MA), and Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). For more information and to RSVP, contact Mariko Bennett: mariko@cocobproductions.com or call 301.741.3443. 

Thursday, August 25th, 8P: The film Hidden Figures will be shown as the final movie of the season at the MLK Memorial. Free. Sponsored by The Memorial Foundation and MPAA. 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W. For more information, click here.

Monday, August 28th, 9A: The Collective hosts the 2017 Black Power Summit to discuss possibilities, challenges, and plans to capitalize on historic political opportunities and also economic and civil rights challenges the Black community will likely face in the 2018 and 2020 political cycles. For more information, contact Quentin James at: quentin@collectivepac.org 

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.

Sunday, September 10th: Former First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at the Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park. MN about her years in the White House. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Monday, September 11th - 13th: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute annual Hispanic Heritage Month conference and awards gala. Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center,1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information.

Friday, September 15th, 9A: Dialogue on Diversity holds its 2017 Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Conference. AT&T Forum, 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information and to register.

Saturday, September 30th, 8P: Join Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) for Bruno Mars' 24K Magic Tour. The Verizon Center, 601 F Street, N.W. For more information or to RSVP, contact Sierra Kelley-Chung or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or email: Sierra@ABConsultingDC.com

Wednesday, November 29th, 8P: Join Congressman André Carson (D-IN) for JAY-Z's 4:44 Tour. The Verizon Center, 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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