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In an attempt to pressure the GOP not to confirm SCOTUS nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) started talking at 6:47P and is still going this morning. We imagine the messages to him from fellow Dems read only four words, “You the real MVP.” Despite his efforts, it appears to be an inevitability that Gorsuch will be confirmed.
VP Mike Pence met with Freedom Caucus last night to talk repeal and replace. Obamacare still remains the law of the land. The next battle? Tax Reform. The House meets at 10A today with last votes at 4P. The Senate got started at 9:30A. Here's just some of what awaits you in this read:- DHS meets with CAPAC today
- Susan Rice "leaked nothing to nobody"
- Los Angeles readies for a June 6th runoff in the race to replace Xavier Becerra
- Native American journalist honored for Standing Rock coverage
- Spike Lee, Sam Jackson, and former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson pen a letter to Morehouse College Board
- Actress Holly Robinson Peete was on the Hill yesterday. And she had a muppet in tow.
- And Kendall Jenner and social justice? Just...why Pepsi? Why?
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| Pictures from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus meeting with Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly.
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CBC Calls for a Halt in Trump Admin Nominations
The CBC sent a letter to senators urging them to oppose the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch for a SCOTUS spot, and to oppose any other nomination to the nation's highest court until an independent commission has a chance to investigate Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election, as well as any and all ties between Trump and his administration and the Kremlin.
Pérez Names African American Man DNC Spokesperson
DNC Chair Tom Pérez names Michael Tyler as National Press Secretary. In this capacity, Tyler will be the main spokesperson for Pérez, DNC officers, and DNC operations. Tyler will also manage coalitions media. The Georgetown graduate previously worked as Communications Director for Russ Feingold's Senate race. He has also served as the DNC’s Director of African American Media and the Southern Regional Press Secretary with a focus on voting rights and ballot access issues. More here.
CHC Dissatisfied with DHS Secretary’s Answers
The CHC was the first congressional body to invite DHS Secretary John Kelly to the Hill, arguing their constituents were the most affected by the administration's immigration policies. That meeting finally happened yesterday. The hour-long gathering mostly focused on internal enforcement -- how ICE officers identify and apprehend deportable immigrants. The MoCs said they asked Kelly about agents who might take matters into their own hands and pursue immigrants who are not technically considered priorities for deportation - and they were not satisfied with his answers. More here.
Up next? The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
Just one day after meeting with the CHC, DHS Security Secretary John Kelly heads back to the Hill today to meet with the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus at the request of CAPAC Chair Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA). During a meeting with Dems last month, Chu, Congress’s first Chinese American lawmaker, raised concerns that racial bias has been a factor underlying deportations. Kelly rebuffed the suggestion. The Beat will keep you posted on how today’s meeting goes. Stay tuned.
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Rice Flatly Denies Trump’s Unfounded Assertions About Wiretaps
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice flatly rejected allegations that the Obama White House inappropriately spied on Trump or his transition team. In her first public appearance since the reports, Rice yesterday told MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell that such requests were “not uncommon” and “absolutely not for any political purpose, to spy, expose, anything.” “The allegation is that somehow, Obama administration officials utilized intelligence for political purposes,” she said. “That’s absolutely false.” More here.
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New Counsel on Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) has named Hazeen Ashby as Senior Counsel for the Committee. Ashby comes from the National Urban League where she was Director of Technology and Telecom Policy. She fills a position left vacant by Clint Odom who went on to be the Legislative Director for Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA). Ashby, a graduate of Howard Law School, says she is “blessed and highly favored” to start her dream job. More about Hazeen here.
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Three People of Color Sue Fox News
While many are talking about the harassment suits against Fox News host Bill O'Reilly, the network is also embattled in a racial discrimination suit. This week, a third Fox News Channel employee has joined two colleagues in their lawsuit that says they were subjected to racial discrimination by a since-fired executive. Monica Douglas said former controller Judith Slater, who was fired on Feb. 28th, frequently expressed an unwillingness to be near Black people. Two more African American colleagues, Tichaona Brown and Tabrese Wright, filed suit against Fox last week. We think it's safe to say that #BlackWomenAtWork lives on. More here.
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That's NCLR's Janet Murguía and her hubby, Mauro Morales, surrounded by friends at the NCAA Final Four on Monday. | |  |
Obama alumnus Joshua DuBois ran into Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) on Tuesday afternoon. | |
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The Border Wall Just Got Real- The Builders Have Submitted Their Plans
Imagine a border wall made of solar panels or a booby trap of nuclear waste where the U.S. meets Mexico. Those were some of the proposals submitted. DHS will choose roughly 20 companies from among the bidders, who then will be invited to build prototype designs on federal land in San Diego County. The wall has yet to be funded, as Congress is expected to debate the upcoming federal budget for much of April. More here.
Fewer Arrests Made at U.S.-Mexican Border
According to DHS, arrests of people caught trying to sneak into the United States across the Mexican border plummeted in March to the lowest monthly figure in more than 17 years. That's a likely sign that fewer immigrants are trying to make the trek into the United States. Last month less than 1,000 children were caught at the border and fewer than 1,100 people traveling as families were apprehended. More here.
GOP Refused to Honor Chávez
Last week, on what would have been César Chávez's 90th birthday, Senators Robert Menéndez (D-NJ) and Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced a resolution to honor his life and legacy. This is the 10th year in a row they've done so. Despite their attempts, no Republican senators agreed to co-sponsor the resolution, making it the 10th time such a proposal could not get GOP support in the Senate. More here.
DCCC’s Director of Office of Diversity
Jalisa Washington was named the Director of the Office of Diversity for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). In this capacity, she serves as the primary liaison for the DCCC on diversity-related matters, coordinates with external vendors, assists with member and candidate referrals and provides support as needed to the DCCC CoS, and engages stakeholders on issues relating to staff and vendor diversity. More about Jalisa here.
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Pérez Said GOP “Doesn’t Give A Sh*T About People,” and He Meant It
DNC Chairman Tom Pérez is not backing down from comments he made last week that Donald Trump and Republicans "don't give a sh*t about people." Appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday, Pé rez said he has no regrets about the remark that has drawn fire from the Republican National Committee and conservative critics. More here.
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| Gómez and Ahn Claim Victory in CA Congressional Race
California Assemblyman Jimmy Gómez will advance to a runoff for the 34th Congressional District, as predicted by many. However, former LA city planning Commissioner Robert Lee Ahn achieved a surprising victory as a relatively unknown fellow Democrat who came in second place and claimed victory early Wednesday morning. Thousands of votes separated him from the rest of the huge field. The two top finishers among the 24 in the race will meet in a June 6th runoff. More here.
Ferguson Denies City Its First African American Woman Mayor
Voters in Ferguson, MO, re-elected Mayor James Knowles III on Tuesday in the first election since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in 2014. Knowles defeated African American City Council member Ella Jones, 56 percent to 44 percent, with all of the city's 13 precincts reporting. Jones, 62, would have become the first Black mayor in the city's 122 years had she been elected. More here.
Castro: Cruz Made Washington Worse
For someone who is only “considering” a Senate run, Congressman Joaquín Castro (D-TX) sure didn’t mince words talking about his potential contender, Republican Senator Ted Cruz. “He went to Washington to run for president...Texans want a senator who is going to focus on the things they care about...They’re not sending you to Washington for your personal ambitions, they’re sending you there because they think you will be able to help them." Castro discusses this and Texas tacos here.
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APALA's Greg Cendana with Tony Sarmiento, the retiring executive director of Senior Service America, and NEA's Matt Finucane. | |  |
Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) with Dr. Chris Greens in his DC office. | |
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Actress Introduces Julia to Congress
Actress and autism advocate Holly Robinson Peete helped Sesame Street show off its new Muppet, Julia, on Tuesday at a briefing in the Capitol. The Julia character is a four-year-old with autism. She makes her debut on the show on April 10th on HBO, PBS and other carriers in an episode titled, “Meet Julia." Peete moderated a panel discussion, which included doctors from the Georgetown University Medical Center and Children’s National Health System. Peete and her husband, former NFL quarterback standout Rodney Peete, have a son with autism. More here.
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Native American Journalist Honored for Standing Rock Coverage
Columbia Journalism School faculty have named Jenni Monet, an independent journalist, the winner of the 2017 Tobenkin Award for her exceptional coverage of the Standing Rock Sioux battle against the Dakota Access oil pipeline. “Last September, Monet embedded herself in the protest encampment during the harsh North Dakota winter, reporting in a volatile environment where no one could guarantee her safety. While covering one of many confrontations between protesters and police, Monet was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing and engaging in riots, despite identifying herself to police as a journalist,” the school writes. More here.
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Espaillat Talks Public Housing…and Baseball
Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), 62, is the first Dominican American elected to Congress. He has chosen public housing as his issue to champion. “The White House is public housing. The president doesn’t pay rent. He has cold and hot water every day. He doesn’t have any mold in the bathroom or leaks in his pipes. We pay his rent and that’s public housing. We should have a level of commitment to tenants who live in public housing.” He discusses this, baseball, and Dominican food in Roll Call. More here.
CBC Forum on Civil Rights
Today, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) and Congressmen John Conyers (D-MI), Bobby Scott (D-VA), and G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) hold a forum on civil rights in the Trump administration at 10:30A in 2226 Rayburn.
Government to ‘Take a More Targeted Approach’ to Seek, Eliminate H-1B Visa Fraud
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said Monday it was stepping up efforts to ferret out fraud in a visa program that grants highly-skilled foreign workers jobs in the United States. The DOJ also warned employers petitioning for H-1B visas not to discriminate against U.S. workers. Both announcements came as the federal government began accepting H-1B visa applications for the 2018 fiscal year, which runs from October to next September. More here.
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Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) hosted a briefing on Tuesday to discuss ways to partner with the Muslim community under the current administration. | |  |
GOP Commentator Paris Dennard and Trump appointee Leah Levell at a Wizards game last week. | |
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Four Governors of Color?
Jealous Eyeing MD Gubernatorial Run
In February, reports surfaced that former NAACP Ben Jealous was considering challenging MD Governor Larry Hogan. "I love our state, and we are living through a historic moment that calls on each of us to ask what more we can do," Jealous said in an interview. "I would never do it unless there was a clear path" to victory. The scuttlebutt now is he is definitely running and people should expect an announcement soon. The Beat will keep you posted.
OH Governor Nina Turner?
Fans of former Ohio state senator Nina Turner are trying to convince the Cleveland Democrat to run for governor in 2018. When asked if she is interested in running for governor in 2018, Turner said, “I am excited for our state and this country that the progressives are organizing for a better future, especially our young adults.” There is already a Facebook page to encourage the MSNBC contributor to run. So far, it has 226 likes. See for yourself here.
CHC Chair Could Be Governor of NM
This one is no rumor. CHC Chair Congressman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) didn’t keep you guessing. She announced her run for governor of New Mexico in December. She is the only candidate to officially declare so far. In her announcement last year, Grisham was critical of current Gov. Susana Martínez, a Republican who is serving a second term and can't seek re-election in 2018 because of term limits. See her announcement here.
FL Gubernatorial Candidate Targets Scott
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum didn't keep you guessing either. He announced his Florida gubernatorial run last month. On Monday, the 37-year-old Democrat targeted current Republican Governor Rick Scott on a variety of issues, such as his opposition to the Obama administration, which included what he called an “inhumane” policy of rejecting federal dollars to expand Medicaid under Obamacare. More here.
Something to think about...What if Ben Jealous and Nina Turner both ran and won? And what if Andrew Gillum and Michelle Luján Grisham win their races? Could America add four more people of color to the list of governors? Things that make you go hmmm...
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Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) with members of he United Mine Works of America on Tuesday afternoon. | |  |
That's America's Top Model Eva Marcille with Radio One's Cathy Hughes on Tom Joyner's Fantastic Voyage cruise on Tuesday. | |
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| Morehouse Graduates Come Out to Support Embattled President and Obama Alumnus
As Morehouse College’s alumni, students and faculty discover the years of obfuscation by the board of trustees revealed in The Root’s investigative piece The War at Morehouse, three of the college’s most distinguished and successful alumni weighed in on the revelations exposed in the probe. Former Obama appointee and Morehouse President John S. Wilson is in a tense battle with the board. Academy Award-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson (Class of ’72), former Obama appointee Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (Class of ’79), and Oscar-nominated writer-director Spike Lee (Class of ’79) penned a letter to Morehouse’s board of trustees, urging its members to “engage in the difficult and awkward task of self-assessment,” adding that “the health and survival of the institution we all love depends on it.” More here.
Howard University Faculty Leaders Vote No Confidence In University President — While Others Object
More HBCU infighting. Faculty leaders at Howard University voted no confidence in the school’s president Wayne A.I. Frederick and Provost Anthony Wutoh on Friday, citing concerns about financial problems, lack of transparency and failures of leadership. Some faculty leaders said the vote took them by surprise, and questioned whether it was an accurate representation of the views of professors at the private university in the nation’s capital. The chairman of the board of trustees, Stacey Mobley, responded with a letter to the faculty senate Tuesday contesting many of the claims made in support of the vote. More here.
Sources Say Omarosa Not Postponing Wedding Due to Death Threats
Reportedly, Omarosa is not postponing her wedding because of death threats and backlash from her future husband’s church. According to a report from theJasmineBrand.com, “Her wedding date has always been, April 8th. Stories that she postponed her wedding over death threats are simply not true.” Her wedding date will reportedly be the same date her Say Yes to the Dress episode airs. More here.
Pérez Heads to Rhode Island
On Thursday, DNC Chair Tom Pérez will head to Providence, Rhode Island for a series of events focused on making higher education more affordable, with Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo. The pair will tour the Community College of Rhode Island before heading to a town hall conversation with the Rhode Island Democratic Party, the Young Democrats of Rhode Island, and the College Democrats of Rhode Island at Rhode Island College.
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Click image to play video of Kendall Jenner as a fashion model turned "social justice activist." |
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Kendall Jenner, Pepsi, and Social Justice Appropriation
Sigh. We honestly don’t know where to begin with this one. Cultural appropriation is one thing. Social justice appropriation when it’s stylish and needed to sell a product is another thing entirely. Pepsi’s new ad stages Black Lives Matter protests and casts Kendall Jenner as a high-fashion model who bravely whips off her blond wig to join a throng of protesters and ultimately bridge the divide with white male police. Huh?? We have the video for you to see for yourself. More here from Blavity.
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Does Hollywood Like Latinos?
When it comes to the wallets of Hispanics, Hollywood has a love relationship with the community, but casting is another story, so says Félix Sánchez, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Washington-based National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. “Latinos remain over-represented among frequent moviegoers...yet are the most under-cast demographic in U.S. films,” Sánchez writes in a CNN editorial.
How Black Women Can Transition Into Politics
Black women are more politically engaged than any other demographic (94% of Black women voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016) and holding more offices than ever before. NBCBLK spoke with former St. Louis Mayoral candidate Tishaura Jones, Higher Heights co-founder Glynda Carr, and brand manager Amanda Miller Littlejohn about the need for more diversity, the barriers women face, and the resources available to overcome these perceived roadblocks. More here.
NABJ Releases Strategic Plan
Funded by a $100,000 grant from the Ford Foundation, the National Association of Black Journalists released their 2017 strategic plan which focuses on jobs and advocacy. With some 3,500 members and an operating budget of $2.5 million a year, NABJ has been the leader in advocating for the hiring and promotion of Black journalists. The strategic planning committee included Roland Martin, Greg Moore, and NABJ President Sarah Glover. To view the strategic plan, click here.
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| VIDEOS
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Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) joined Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and unveiled the College for All Act. On Tuesday, she officially introduced it in the House. | |  | Congressman Joaquín Castro (D-TX) tells CNN's Wolf Blitzer that if he was a betting man, based on the evidence he's seen, that some Trump associates will go to jail for their ties to Russia's meddling in the US election. | |
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We gave you that Patrick Ewing story yesterday. Hence, you need to give us this Bey video today. The songstress released this clip of her new song as she and Jay Z celebrate their 9th anniversary. She gave the world Lemonade for crying out loud. Show some respect and press play! | |  |
The Daily Show's Roy Wood, Jr. explains Black Twitter. But really...if you need it explained, it's probably not for you. Watch anyway. | |
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| FOMO
(Fear of Missing Out) Wednesday, April 26th –Fri, Apr 28th: African American Mayors Association 2017 Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Click here for more info.
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