Campaign Staffer Says Kihuen Harassed Her; Pelosi Calls for Him to Step Down
Freshman Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) is accused of making repeated unwanted sexual advances toward his former campaign Finance Director. According to BuzzFeed, the woman identified as "Samantha" says Kihuen propositioned her for dates and sex despite her repeated rejections. She says that on two occasions, he touched her thighs without consent. Samantha said she spoke with a contact at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to explain why she was quitting so abruptly and told the mid-level staffer, who is no longer with the DCCC, that Kihuen had done things that made her uncomfortable. Because the race was, at that point, still in the primaries, the DCCC had limited involvement in Kihuen’s campaign. In a statement Friday from his congressional office, Kihuen said, "The staff member in question was a valued member of my team. I sincerely apologize for anything that I may have said or done that made her feel uncomfortable. I take this matter seriously as it is not indicative of who I am. I was raised in a strong family that taught me to treat women with the utmost dignity and respect. I have spent my fifteen years in public service fighting for women’s equality, and I will continue to do so." House Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has called for Kihuen to step down. Kihuen has no plans to resign. More here.

POTUS in Paris
While in Paris on Saturday, former President Barack Obama expressed regret at the lack of American leadership in the global push to fight climate change, lamenting the fact that the U.S. was no longer involved with the Paris climate agreement. POTUS44 spoke at an invitation-only conference in France called the Napoleons. "I grant you that at the moment we have a temporary absence of American leadership on the issue," Obama said. But the U.S. remains on track to meet its targets, he said, thanks to the action of some states and cities and because it made "business sense." He also called for more women to be put in positions of power "because men seem to be having some problems these days." POTUS44 said, "Not to generalize but women seem to have a better capacity than men do, partly because of their socialization." Earlier in the day, Obama had a two-hour private lunch with President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysée Palace, where the meeting was expected to include a presentation about the Obama Foundation. Obama also met with former French President Francois Hollande, who hosted the UN’s climate conference two years ago, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. Obama was in China and India (where he met with the Dalai Lama for 45 minutes to discuss promoting peace) before he arrived in France. Speaking in India, Obama delivered a subtle jab at Trump, saying, "I've got 100 million Twitter followers. I actually have more than other people who use it more often." More here.

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Mia Love Says STOP Those Sexual Harassment Payments in Congress
Congresswoman Mia Love (R-UT) says she is outraged by the use of taxpayer money to settle sexual harassment cases in Congress. Hence, she introduced a bill Friday to end the practice. The Stop Taxpayer Obligations to Perpetrators of Sexual Harassment (STOP) Act would end the practice of making payments to settle these cases on behalf of members of Congress. "Taxpayers should not be paying to settle these cases just because the accused happens to be a member of Congress," said the sole Black female Republican in Congress. "If someone behaves badly, the consequences to those actions are that person’s responsibility and no one else’s." More here.

CBC Members Intro Resolution Honoring Morehouse College
Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), joined by Morehouse grads Congressmen Sanford Bishop Jr. (D-GA) and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA), introduced on Friday a bipartisan resolution honoring the 150th anniversary of the founding of Morehouse College. "Morehouse students and graduates, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ... encouraged generations of Americans, including me, to commit to improving ourselves and our communities. To this day, students, graduates, administrators, and professors in the Morehouse family continue to contribute to all aspects of American and global life and culture through business, arts, health, science, and public service." Read the full text of the resolution here.

Internet Association Taps Former Lobbyist to Head Seattle Office
The Internet Association -- which lobbies on behalf of top tech companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Airbnb, and Uber -- has named former lobbyist Rose Feliciano as the new Manager of Government Affairs for the Northwest. The Internet Association is anchored in DC and Feliciano will be charged with opening the Seattle office, which will focus on issues at the state and local level throughout the Northwest. The Seattle office will cover the broader Northwest, stretching out to Wyoming, the Dakotas, and Nebraska. This work can set the tone for regulations of internet companies across the country. On the national level, the group advocates for its members on issues such as net neutrality and immigration reform. The Carnegie Mellon grad joins the group after 15 years working in government relations for the city of Seattle. She also served as Special Assistant to former Commerce Department Secretary Gary Locke during his time as Governor of Washington. More here.

Conyers Great-Nephew Poised to Pursue Uncle’s Seat in Congress
Michigan state Senator Ian Conyers tells BuzzFeed’s Darren Sands that if Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) steps down, he will run to take his great uncle's seat. On Thursday, the 29-year-old Conyers hosted a kickoff reception for his Senate re-election campaign in Detroit. The Georgetown University grad and member of Kappa Alpha Psi also worked briefly for former DC Mayor Adrian Fenty from 2010-2011. A former Democratic Party Treasurer for Michigan's 13th Congressional District, Ian was a Regional Field Director for Barack Obama’s 2012 campaign and is currently a Partner at Ruth Strategies. More here.

Kaepernick Honored by ACLU
Colin Kaepernick was honored Sunday at the ACLU of Southern California’s annual Bill of Rights Dinner in Beverly Hills. He was awarded the Eason Monroe Courageous Advocate Award, a recognition that was a surprise to event guests, who gave him a standing ovation. His name was not on the star-studded list of honorees released before the banquet that included Gina Rodríguez, Reginald Hudlin, Dolores Huerta, Viola Davis, Jane Fonda, and Judd Apatow. “We all have an obligation no matter the risk, and regardless of reward, to stand up for our fellow men and women who are being oppressed with the understanding that human rights cannot be compromised,” 30-year-old Kaepernick told the crowd while accepting the award. Meanwhile, despite the NFL offering to provide nearly $90 million for causes deemed important by players -- with a special focus on issues facing African American communities -- players continued their peaceful protests on Sunday with at least 20 still taking a knee. More on Kaepernick here.

TIME Announces Person of the Year Shortlist
This morning on the TODAY show, TIME announced its shortlist for 2017’s Person(s) of the Year. The list includes “Dreamers,” who continue to push for a chance at permanent legal residency; North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, frequent sparring partner of Donald Trump; Colin Kaepernick, whose movement has not only cost him his job but has brought focus to social injustice; Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has shaken up the Saudi crown; and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the country’s most powerful leader in decades. Also on the shortlist: Jeff Bezos, Patty Jenkins, #MeToo, Robert Mueller, and Donald Trump. The 2017 Person of the Year will be unveiled on TODAY in the 7A hour on Wednesday morning. Read more here.

WSJ Names Deputy Coverage Chief
The Wall Street Journal has named Anupreeta Das as Deputy Coverage Chief. She joined the Journal in 2010 to cover deals and proceeded to break news of many of the biggest mergers in the post-financial crisis era. She went on to cover Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway and also revitalized the paper's coverage of the global rich. Most recently, she was on the paper's Money & Investing enterprise team, where she has co-authored a series on family offices and another on the joys of chickens. Before joining the WSJ, Preeta covered tech, media, and telecom deals for Reuters. She holds graduate degrees from Boston University and the London School of Economics, and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Delhi. Originally from India, Preeta has lived and worked in more than eight cities. More here.

Joy-Ann Reid Apologizes for Old Homophobic Posts
MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid has issued an apology for posts she wrote a decade ago on her old blog that used homophobic language about then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Reid wrote multiple posts -- now deleted -- for her blog, The Reid Report, that contained homophobic conspiracies and anti-gay jokes. Reid referred to Crist as “Miss Charlie” and wrote, “I can just see poor Charlie on the honeymoon, ogling the male waiters and thinking to himself, ‘god, do I actually have to see her naked...?'” as Crist went on his honeymoon. Reid has issued an apology, saying, “Let me be clear: at no time have I intentionally sought to demean or harm the LGBT community, which includes people whom I deeply love. My goal, in my ham-handed way, was to call out potential hypocrisy. Nevertheless, as someone who is not a member of the LGBT community, I regret the way I addressed the complex issue of the closet and speculation on a person’s sexual orientation with a mocking tone and sarcasm. It was insensitive, tone deaf and dumb. There is no excusing it – not based on the taste-skewing mores of talk radio or the then-blogosphere, and not based on my intentions. In addition to friends and coworkers and viewers, I deeply apologize to Congressman Crist, who was the target of my thoughtlessness.” Read more here.

U.S. Withdraws from UN’s Global Compact on Migration
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley informed the United Nations that the U.S. will no longer take part in the global compact on migration which aims to ensure the rights of migrants, help them resettle, and provide them with access to education and jobs. The United States had been a part of the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants since it was formed last year. In explaining its withdrawal Saturday, Haley said the pact contains provisions that are inconsistent with the nation's immigration policies. "Our decisions on immigration policies must always be made by Americans and Americans alone," she said. "We will decide how best to control our borders and who will be allowed to enter our country." More here.