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TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE... Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia are meeting at a presidential palace in Helsinki for their first summit. Putin arrived late and spoke first to the gathered press in a preview of the conversation. Trump said they would discuss China, nuclear weapons, and trade. Not a peep on election meddling. The two are meeting alone -- sans any senior advisors. APOLOGY TOUR… The conversation comes on the heels of the President of the United States tweeting, “Our relationship with Russia has NEVER been worse thanks to many years of U.S. foolishness and stupidity and now, the Rigged Witch Hunt!” and over the weekend, he described the EU as a foe. REIMBURSE US, PERIOD!! Back on Capitol Hill, Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) pressed Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to allow congressional offices reimbursement for tampons, but private citizens intervened. Maloney’s office received 500 tampons from six private individuals located across the U.S. IN HER FEELINGS… Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) paid homage to Drake and participated in the "#InMyFeelingsChallenge" to encourage young people to vote in the midterm elections this November. AUTO VOTER REGISTRATION… Speaking of voting, the Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously to pass a bill to enact automatic voter registration. Once signed into law, any adult Massachusetts citizen who completes a transaction at the Registry of Motor Vehicles or signs up for MassHealth would be automatically registered to vote. MEDAL OF ARTS… Donald Trump has yet to award a National Medal of Arts or the National Humanities Medal since he has taken office. The deadline for nominations for the 2016 arts medals was in February 2017. The admin’s response? We’re working on it. ONLY PAPA WE RECOGNIZE IS BIG… Morehouse College announced Friday it would be severing its relationship with Papa John’s Pizza, which has a location on the college’s campus in Atlanta, due to the founder’s use of the N-word. VIRTUAL PORNHUB… What’s the first real boom in virtual reality? Pornography. Naughty America produced the first VR porn video in 2015, and adult-entertainment giant Pornhub contracted with Rochester, NY-based virtual-reality porn production company BaDoinkVR to produce videos for its websites. TWO WINS, ONE CUP… The French won their second World Cup title, beating Croatia, 4-2, in the final. SASHA OBAMA GOES ON THE RUN WITH SASHA FIERCE… Former First Lady Michelle Obama was spotted in the stands with daughter Sasha on Sunday at the Stade de France stadium to see Beyoncé and JAY-Z’s On the Run II tour. The news cycle is already spinning like rims on a Cadillac. Have you ever seen a writer go apesh*t? We’re kicking off the week with this...
- Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) backs Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) for leadership.
- Facebook diversity numbers show Black and Hispanic numbers are decreasing or stagnant.
- FCC Chair Ajit Pai proposes changes around kids programming rules.
- California Dems choose Kevin de León over Senator Dianne Feinstein.
- Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) wants a consumer advisory board revived.
- Deval Patrick stumps with former NFL player and congressional candidate.
- CBS News names a new weekend anchor.
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NWLC President Fatima Goss Graves with actress and activist Jane Fonda on the Hill last week to support the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund. | |  |
CNN’s Don Lemon with his pooch, Boomer Ma Lemon, on Friday making edits before going on air in NYC. | |
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Pramila Jayapal Demands TSA Treat Transgender Travelers With Dignity
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) wants to know more about reports that transgender travelers experienced discrimination or harassment with transportation security officers during the screening process. The Congresswoman was joined by Congressman Joe Kennedy III (D-MA) in leading 30 of their colleagues in a letter to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Administrator David Pekoske requesting information regarding the agency’s treatment of transgender travelers. Forty-three percent of transgender individuals surveyed by the National Center for Transgender Equality who had traveled in the last year responded reported having had negative experiences passing through TSA. “This is an unacceptably high rate. Some travelers reported that TSA agents instructed them to remove clothing to the point where they are nearly naked. Others have reported being groped and publicly humiliated,” they wrote. “[M]ore must be done to ensure our nation’s homeland security without compromising the civil rights of transgender passengers.” Read the letter here.
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Kamala Harris Wants DHS to Investigate ICE Treatment of Pregnant Detainees
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and other Senate colleagues sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Inspector General John Kelly on Friday, urging him to conduct an investigation into ICE policies and practices related to the detention of pregnant women in ICE detention facilities. The letter comes after press reports highlighting the inhumane treatment pregnant women are enduring. Women held in detention centers say they have been denied medical care -- which led to miscarriages in some instances, shackled around the stomach, and abused. The Senators wrote that “Medical experts have expressed serious concerns regarding ICE’s ability to provide adequate health services to pregnant women...Recent reports cite the inadequate care that pregnant women receive while in ICE custody, pregnant women’s lack of access to medical care, and their heightened vulnerability to sexual assault...Given the multiple findings of harmful and substandard conditions of detention for this particularly vulnerable population, we ask that you open an investigation into the treatment and care of pregnant women in ICE detention facilities.” Harris was joined in the letter by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Patty Murray (D-WA), and all members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. See their letter here.
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Dems Call on President to Cancel Putin Meeting
Democrats on Friday sent a letter to Donald Trump unsuccessfully trying to stop this morning's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin after Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s indictment of a dozen Russian military officers for their efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. election. In a letter signed by Congressmen Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Jimmy Gómez (D-CA), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and others, the members say the meeting should be called off until Russia changes its behavior or his Administration condemns Russia’s destabilizing actions. “Meeting with President Putin without an improvement in his behavior or strong U.S. condemnation of Russian malign activity signals that the United States is unwilling or incapable of opposing destructive behavior by rogue states,” they wrote. “President Putin must understand that interference in democratic institutions via media manipulation, criminal networks and blackmail will be met with severe consequences. Russia must suffer sanctions for its invasion of Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova, and be punished for attacking Estonia and other NATO allies.” The lawmakers close by saying Putin’s rebuff of every olive branch renders him “unworthy of your time as president of a strong, proud, and principled nation such as ours.” The summit between the two leaders proceeded in Helsinki today. Read the full letter here.
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Honor The Earth Director Tara Houska and Amskapipikuni members celebrating the Fourth of July at a veteran’s powwow on the Blackfeet Nation Reservation. | |  |
Musicians Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio Estefan with CNN commentator Ana Navarro in Miami last weekend. | |
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Bob Menéndez Probes CFPB on Disbanded Consumer Advisory Board
Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) and 24 other Senate Democrats sent a letter to Acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Mick Mulvaney urging him to reinstate members of the agency's Consumer Advisory Board (CAB), who were fired last month, and to provide details on the firings. In a letter to Mulvaney on Thursday, the lawmakers ask for a detailed plan on how and when the CFPB will meet with the Advisory Board, which is mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act. “By dismissing the CAB, the CFPB is deliberately rejecting statutorily required advice from qualified professionals who are volunteering their services to the American public, with no credible explanation as to why the present CAB members are not capable of fulfilling their responsibilities,” the Senators wrote. “Importantly, you took these actions without ever meeting with the advisory board. Since assuming the mantle at the CFPB, you have failed to convene the CAB once. In 2018, you canceled two scheduled meetings with the CAB, in spite of the statutory requirement that the advisory board meet twice a year.” The CFPB fired the 25-member consumer advisory board and disbanded two other agency boards, the Community Bank Advisory Board and the Credit Union Advisory Board. Read the full letter here.
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House Dems Call for Extension of TPS for Somalia
Eighty-three House Democrats have come together to push for a renewal of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Somali nationals living in the U.S. The letter, led by Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), urges Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to redesignate TPS for Somalia and extend the program for 18 months. The members say that armed conflict and targeted attacks on civilians still cause massive loss of life in Somalia, while famine and flood have caused widespread hunger, displacement, and contagious disease. “Somalia has repeatedly received Temporary Protected Status designation from Republican and Democratic administrations, and dire conditions of terrorism, poverty and environmental disaster persist. A departure from this policy would be cruel and inhumane,” said Jayapal. Ellison stated that: “Given the Administration’s assessment that the situation on the ground is still too dangerous to move our Embassy into Somalia and nearly half of the population continues to face food insecurity, it would be inhumane and irresponsible to force Somalis in the TPS program to leave their homes and communities here in the United States.” Clarke added: “After decades of instability, violence tragically continues to destabilize Somalia. Al-Shabaab’s frequent attacks against military and civilians terrorizes the lives of Somalis throughout the country. ... it is imperative to re-designate Somalia for another 18 months of Temporary Protected Status in order to protect the lives of the 500 Somalis currently in the United States benefiting from this program.” Nielsen has until July 19th to decide whether to extend or terminate TPS for about 500 Somalis living in the country, with the program currently set to expire on September 17th. More here.
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Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta “passing the fast” to National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Association ED Delia García as part of the #BreakBreadNotFamilies campaign last month. | |  |
Philanthropist Cookie Johnson and husband and former NBA player Magic Johnson with former BET CEO Debra Lee on Saturday at the HollyRod Foundation anniversary party in Malibu. | |
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Facebook Diversity Report Shows Black and Hispanic Leadership Numbers Decreasing or Stagnant
In a new diversity report released on Thursday, Facebook said that the numbers of Black and Hispanic employees in technical and leadership roles are stagnant or, in some cases, decreasing. Over a four-year period, Facebook made no increases in the percentage of Black people in technical roles -- which is at a low 1% -- nor did it increase the percentage of Black leaders at the company, which is stuck at 2%. Hispanic employees in technical roles stayed at 3%, while Hispanic leaders dropped from 4 to 3%. Overall, however, the number of Black and Hispanic employees at the company have increased from 2 to 4% and 4 to 5% over the same period. The social media giant also revealed that women now make up 36% of the company, up from 31% in 2014, and that a little under one-third of its leaders are women, as well as about 22% of its technical workers. Facebook did announce that: “Over the next year, we will partner with the UNCF to design courses for their HBCU CS Summer Academy. We will also co-host the HBCU CS Faculty Institute in partnership with UNCF’s Career Pathways Initiative to offer faculty professional development.” More here.
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FEMA Report Highlights Shortcomings in Puerto Rico
An internal report concluded that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) failed to properly prepare for last year's hurricane season and was unable to provide adequate support to hurricane victims in Puerto Rico and other areas. “Because of #FakeNews my people are not getting the credit they deserve for doing a great job,” Donald Trump tweeted at the time. The White House even put out a propaganda video to prove how swell everything was supposedly going. Its first screen, showing government choppers to the rescue, accompanied by dramatic music, featured these words: “What the Fake News Media Will Not Show You in Puerto Rico.” However, FEMA’s own report found Puerto Rico's emergency-supply warehouses were nearly empty when Hurricane Maria hit in October, without things like cots or tarps, because many of the supplies had been rerouted to the U.S. Virgin Islands. The report also found FEMA had been understaffed going into the hurricane season and that most specialized disaster staffers were deployed to the other storms when Maria struck. The initial response was also hampered by huge communication challenges. Almost 95% of cell towers were down after the storm. But FEMA did not have enough working satellite phones to adequately spread to the island's leadership, making it difficult to get a handle on the scope of the damage. More here.
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TV producer Mara Brock Akil and with fellow Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. soror and NBC’s Jacque Reid on-set in NYC during the weekend. | |  |
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) -- who brought her newborn Maile Pearl to Capitol Hill last week. | |
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Ro Khanna Supports Barbara Lee for Dem Leadership Post
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) is throwing his full support behind Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) once she makes a final decision to run for Caucus Chair, the leadership position being vacated by Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY). Lee has made her intentions clear and has been canvassing Democratic House members to gauge support ahead of any official announcement. Khanna’s support makes the backing of the full Congressional Progressive Caucus, a bloc of 78 Dems that will likely to grow by 2019, that much more likely. “I am proud to support Barbara Lee for conference chair. I will be rallying my colleagues in the progressive caucus for her and also incoming freshman whose campaigns I have helped,” he told The Intercept. “I have often said that if John F. Kennedy were writing ‘Profiles of Courage’ today, there would be a chapter on Barbara Lee. Her vote in opposing the blank check to war is one of the most courageous acts of modern time.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on Friday unexpectedly called for leadership elections to occur after Thanksgiving. About 20 members, including Congressional Black Caucus Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA), drafted a letter Thursday calling for the elections to be held on December 5th. Politico reports that some Democratic sources described the letter as another sign that Pelosi's longtime hold on the Caucus might be waning. More on Khanna’s endorsement here.
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California Dems Endorse Kevin de León for Senate
Leaders of the California Democratic Party on Saturday voted overwhelmingly to endorse Kevin de León for Senate over incumbent Senator Dianne Feinstein. De León garnered 65% of the vote among the party's executive board members, Feinstein received 7% of the vote, and 28% voted "no endorsement." Sixty percent of the vote was needed for the party to officially endorse a candidate. In a statement shortly after the endorsement, de León renewed his call for a debate against Feinstein and celebrated the win. "Earning the endorsement of so many leaders and activists of the California Democratic Party isn't just an honor and a privilege; today's vote is a clear-eyed rejection of politics as usual in Washington, D.C.," de León said in the statement. "Through years of hard-won progress, we have proven to the world that California can forge a path for the rest of the nation." The endorsement comes with potentially millions of dollars of support, cash de León could use, as he trails Feinstein badly in fundraising and polls. More here.
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Deval Patrick Stumps with Former NFL Player and Congressional Candidate
Texas Democrat Colin Allred got some help in his bid to represent the 32nd Congressional District. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick visited the Lone Star State to lend the former NFL player some support in Allred’s bid to unseat incumbent Congressman Pete Sessions (R-TX). The pair campaigned together on Sunday launching a block walk in a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb which was followed by a sit-down with campaign volunteers and fellows at campaign HQ. Patrick was already slated to be in Texas to deliver a speech on Saturday at the NAACP’s annual conference in San Antonio. The potential presidential candidate has said he planned to stump this summer for candidates in elections where he can be helpful. Politico reports that Patrick also planned to meet with Congressman Beto O’Rourke (D-TX), who is running to unseat Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). The two-term Governor said he will make a decision on his 2020 aspirations by the end of the year. More here.
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HI Governor David Ige on Friday congratulating the University of Hawaii at Manoa’s Rainbow Warriors Racing Team for their accomplishments in STEM in Hawaii. | |  | NDWA’s Ai-jen Poo and Anthem of Us Founder Anurima Bhargava on Wednesday celebrating leadership of the National Women's Law Center in DC. | |
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CBS Names New Weekend Anchor
CBS Reporter Michelle Miller will be a permanent co-host of CBS This Morning: Saturday. The Los Angeles native, now based in New York, will join current co-host Anthony Mason on the show, which airs from 6A to 8A. The two will continue to report for all of CBS News’ programs and venues. They replace Alex Wagner, the co-host who held forth with Mason between November 2016 and March 2018. Miller joined CBS News in 2004, and has covered events ranging from the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT, the unrest in Ferguson, MO following the shooting death of Michael Brown, to the death of Whitney Houston. She won an Emmy for her series of reports on the National Guard Youth Challenge Academy and an Edward R Murrow for her coverage of a daycare center stand-off in New Orleans. The Howard University grad, who holds a Masters from the University of New Orleans, has served as a Reporter for the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and LA Times and as an anchor at WWL in New Orleans, where she met and married National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial. She kicked off the new gig this past weekend. More here.
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NYT’s Diego Sorbara to Join ProPublica As Standards Editor
Diego Sorbara is joining the ProPublica staff as its first-ever Standards Editor. Sorbara comes to ProPublica from The New York Times, where he most recently served as Deputy Editor of the international edition. He also served as a Copy Editor and Manager on the copy desk and helped establish the NYT copy desk in London, developing procedures and best practices to ensure quality and consistency across a 24-hour news operation. Prior to joining the NYT, the 2006 University of Missouri at Columbia graduate worked at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver where he spent a year and a half as a Copy Editor and Page Designer. “I’ve been a longtime admirer of ProPublica’s work, and I’m excited to be joining the team,” said Sorbara. “I’m very much looking forward to working with amazing reporters and editors, and helping make top-notch investigative journalism shine.” His first day is August 13th. More here.
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FCC Proposes Easing Children’s TV Mandates on Broadcasters
The FCC on Thursday introduced a proposal that would eliminate rules that require children’s informational and educational programs be at least 30 minutes or more in length. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says the provision discounts the value of short-form programs, especially for children with short attention spans. He says it would also discourage broadcasters from only airing children’s educational specials, and instead incentivize broadcasters to provide a mix of regularly scheduled weekly programming and specials. In a statement, Pai added that it was “beyond time” to take a look at the rules, noting the changes in the media landscape since the Children’s Television Act was passed in 1990, which mandated restrictions on the amount of time that broadcasters could devote to advertising during children’s programming, and that stations serve the educational and informational needs of kids. “The FCC’s current children’s television rules don’t reflect the vast changes that have revolutionized the video marketplace in recent years. It’s beyond time to take a fresh look at our ‘kidvid’ regulations and explore how they should be modernized,” Pai said. The landscape has changed. YouTube maintains a designated sandbox for kids fare and on-demand and cable services like Netflix and HBO air originals for kids. The agency believes the old rules simply should not apply. More here.
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NBC White House Correspondent Kristen Welker and CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in Helsinki, Finland to cover the Trump-Putin summit. | |  |
Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA), CA congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (D), Latino Victory Fund’s Cristóbal Alex, and Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA), at an LVF fundraiser in DC last week. | |
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Obama Visits Family in Kenya Before Heading to South Africa
Former President Barack Obama made a stop in Kenya on Sunday for a quick family visit before he heads to South Africa to attend the late Nelson Mandela's birthday tribute. In his first trip to the country of his father's birth since leaving office, Obama met Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition leader Raila Odinga, and other top officials. Today, POTUS44 will attend the inauguration of a sport and vocational center founded by his sister, Auma Obama. The center in Siaya County will provide educational and economic opportunities to help young people serve their communities. "Given that his own mission under the Obama Foundation is to inspire and empower people to change the world, his attendance at this event at our ancestral home, where our father was laid to rest, is of great significance to me," Auma Obama said last month. From there, Obama heads to South Africa where he'll meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa and speak at an event in honor of the late Nelson Mandela's birthday in Johannesburg. Former speechwriter Ben Rhodes says Obama views this as the most important speech he has given since leaving the White House, one that will set the tone for his post-presidency. He'll also take part in a town hall with 200 new leaders of the Obama Foundation in Africa. In a Twitter post last week, Obama described Africa as “a continent of wonderful diversity, thriving culture, and remarkable stories.” More here.
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Today - Friday, July 20th: Inaugural Black Women’s Congressional Alliance Week. A series of events that will help Black women navigate Capitol Hill, compete for senior roles, build brands, sharpen political skills, and more. Click here for more information. Tuesday, July 17th - Wednesday, July 18th: The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 2018 National Women’s Conference. Phoenix. Click here for more information. Tuesday, July 17th - Saturday, July 21st: The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 2018 National Convention and Expo. Phoenix. Click here for more information. Wednesday, July 18th 8:30A: The Democratic Association of Secretaries of State and CA Secretary of State and DASS Chair Alex Padilla will host a breakfast and discussion of the 2018 elections. 1341 G St N.W., DC. To RSVP and for sponsorship information, email Patricia Brooks at Patricia.brooks@hklaw.com. Wednesday, July 18th 5:30P: Join the first Latina Speaker of the House in Colorado and the U.S, Crisanta Duran, for a conversation about the 2018 election. 40 Ivy Street SE. Washington DC. Suggested Contributions: $250 to Host / $50 to Attend. RSVP to DuranForColorado@gmail.com. Wednesday, July 18th - Saturday, 21st: NAHJ International Training Conference and Career Fair. InterContinental Miami Hotel. 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL. Click here for more information. Thursday, July 19th, 8:30A: DNC African American Leadership Summit and IWillVote Gala with Chair Tom Pérez. Special guests include Stacey Abrams, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), New York Assemblyman & DNC Vice Chair Michael Blake, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Eric Holder, and more. Address upon RSVP. Atlanta. Click here to RSVP. Thursday, July 19th - Saturday, July 21st: The National Black Chamber of Commerce's 26th Annual Conference. Senate Hart Building, DC. Click here for more information. Friday, July 20th, 8:30A: “Ballots & Black Women: Marching to the Polls.” National Political Strategist L. Joy Williams joins the March on Washington Film Festival and The Raben Group to explore the role of electoral participation as a vital part of our democracy, the importance of the upcoming midterm elections, and the impact of Black women candidates nationwide. 1341 G Street, N.W., Fifth Floor, DC. Click here for more information. Friday, July 20 - Sunday, July 22nd: The 2nd Annual Black Campaign School, hosted by The Collective. Atlanta, GA. Click here for information. Wednesday, August 1st - Sunday, August 5th: NABJ Annual Convention & Career Fair. Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. 400 Renaissance Drive, Detroit, MI. Click here for more information. Monday, August 6th - Saturday, August 11th: 16th Annual Run&Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Click here for more information. Wednesday, August 8th - Saturday, August, 11th: AAJA National Convention. Marriott Marquis Houston. 1777 Walker St., Houston, TX. Click here for more information. Friday, August 17th - Sunday, August 19th: Martha’s Vineyard celebrates Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s (D-CA) 20 years of service. Special guests include House Assistant Minority Leader Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and more. Harbor View Hotel, 131 North Water Street Edgartown, MA. Kelley House, 23 Kelley Street Edgartown, MA. Click here for more information. Tuesday, September 11th - Wednesday, September 12th: CHCI's Annual Leadership Conference. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., DC. Click here for more information. Wednesday, September 12th - Saturday, September 16th: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 48th Annual Legislative Conference. Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Click here for more information. Thursday, September 13th: CHCI's 41st Annual Anniversary Awards Gala. Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. 901 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
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