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The GOP has scheduled a vote on their longtime mission to repeal Obamacare. Learning from past mistakes, this signals they think they have the votes to pass the controversial plan. If they succeed, the bill moves to the Senate, where passing it won't be so easy. Eyes will surely be glued to the House floor today as this vote is sure to come down to the wire as the White House is desperate for a win. Here's what we've got for you this Thursday:- CBC Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) releases a statement on the Alton Sterling case.
- President Barack Obama releases plans for the Obama Presidential Center.
- NAFOA elects an all-female board.
- SCOTUS Justice Sonia Sotomayor gets interrupted the most.
- There was almost another Mrs. Obama?!
- If confirmed, Jovita Carranza will be the seventh Latina U.S. Treasurer.
- Could the country have five governors of color?
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María Hinojosa in LA on Tuesday with her two BFFs. | |  |
Spencer Overton, Sue Zoldak, and Greg Carr on Wednesday morning before appearing on TV One's NewsOne Now with Roland Martin. | |
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The Obamas Donate $2 Million to Chicago Summer Jobs Programs
At Wednesday’s community event hosted by President and Mrs. Obama, the Obama Foundation released the conceptual vision and site map for the Obama Presidential Center. The Obama Presidential Center will include a museum, classrooms, labs, and outdoor spaces, and it will conduct programs that give visitors tools to create change in their own communities. It will be based on the South Side of Chicago, but, via partnerships, programs, and digital initiatives, have projects all over the city, the country, and the world. Obama fielded questions from residents at a forum near the site, delving into nitty gritty details of traffic patterns, green space, and job creation while avoiding any mention of his successor in the White House. "What we want this to be is the world premiere institution for training young people and leadership to make a difference in their communities, in their countries and in the world," he told the friendly crowd. But that's not all. “One of the things that we’ll be starting this year is Michelle and I are personally going to donate $2 million to our summer jobs programs here in the community,” the president said. "It's so that right away young people can get to work and we can start providing opportunities to all of them.”More here.
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Former President Barack Obama speaking with the community on the South Side of Chicago with former WH staffer Mike Strautmanis. | |  |
A look at the Obama Presidential Center. See a video of plans for the center below in the "Video" section. | |
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Tri-Caucus Chairs Submit Amendments to Omnibus Bill
In an effort to increase transparency, defend civil rights, and keep the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accountable to their mission, the Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus -- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Judy Chu (D-CA), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) -- submitted three amendments to the omnibus funding bill including: defend civil rights, transparency and accountability, and prioritize national security. "The Trump Administration would have us believe that DHS is using their limited resources to target terrorists and national security threats, yet the stories of separated families and fear in immigrant communities say otherwise," they said in a joint statement. "Too often we have received reports of civil rights and due process violations or heard conflicting stories following arrests and deportations. These sensible amendments would implement tried and tested accountability measures and ensure that the funds allocated to DHS are used responsibly. Although these amendments were rejected by the Rules Committee, we are committed to continue fighting on behalf of all of our communities.” More here.
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The Raben Group's Estuardo Rodríguez with members Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Rubén Gallego (D-AZ) and Norberto Salinas at the congresswoman's quinceañero Wednesday night. | |  |
CBCF's Tasha Cole with Airbnb's Janaye Ingram at the Emily's List gala at the Washington Hilton on Wednesday night. | |
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CBC Chair Releases Statement on Alton Sterling Case
CBC Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) released a statement after the DOJ disclosed its findings in the investigation of the death of Alton Sterling at the hands of Baton Rouge police officers. “Today's announcement, and the process that led to it, leaves me extremely disappointed,” he said. “However, I am convinced the fight for justice for Alton Sterling continues ... I share the concerns of the Sterling family regarding the way they learned of DOJ's decision. There is no reason they should have read about the decision in the media with no direct contact from Justice officials for days. We deserve better from the department and I look forward to engaging Justice officials, through the relevant oversight committees in Congress, to get to the bottom of this failure of leadership.” More here.
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Pence to Host Cinco De Mayo Celebration
Politico reports that VP Mike Pence will host a Cinco de Mayo celebration on Thursday, keeping up a longstanding tradition some in the Hispanic community weren’t sure would continue in the Trump administration. The reception will be held in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the building next door to the White House, on Thursday, the day before the holiday. An unnamed political operative said, “It's in the Indian Treaty Room. From the Lawn to a closet? No mames!" An official in Pence’s office said it’s unclear whether Donald Trump, who marked Cinco de Mayo last year with a tweet about a taco bowl, will attend the White House celebration. More here.
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California AG Xavier Becerra joined members of the CA Highway Patrol on Wednesday. | |  |
José Antonio Vargas with comedian Cristela Alonzo catching a Broadway show last week. | |
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Susan Rice on Testifying -- Nah
Former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice won't testify before Congress next week, her lawyer informed a Senate subcommittee by letter Wednesday. Rice attorney Kathryn Ruemmler said in her letter, which was obtained by CBS News, that Rice "respectfully declines Senator Graham's invitation to testify," citing the fact that she had not received a bipartisan invitation from both Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism and ranking member Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Ruemmler said that Whitehouse hadn't agreed to Graham's invitation to Rice, "a significant departure from the bipartisan invitations extended to other witnesses." She said that Rice would assist Congress with its probe of Russian election interference "because of the important national interests at stake, provided they are conducted in a bipartisan manner, and as appropriate, in a classified session." More here.
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Sotomayor is the Most Interrupted Justice
A new study shows that even in the United States Supreme Court, male justices and lawyers far more frequently interrupted female justices than they did male justices. Justice Sonia Sotomayor is the most interrupted justice, with eight percent of all interruptions being directed at our sole female justice of color. An op-ed contributor for The Hill examined the study and found that all three female justices have done is to change how they speak. For instance, they are less likely to say “Excuse me,” before beginning their question. This makes it harder to interrupt but does not entirely stop interruptions altogether. More here.
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Marc Morial presents Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) with an award during the NUL conference on Tuesday. | |  |
Marc Morial presents Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) with an award during the NUL conference on Tuesday. | |
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Barack Obama Proposed to Another Woman Before Michelle (insert gasps here)
Apparently, Barack Obama dated a woman before Michelle. Sheila Miyoshi Jager, now a professor at Oberlin College, was just a mention in Obama’s 1995 memoir, Dreams from My Father. But, according to reports, their relationship was actually quite serious. In the fall of 1986, Jager told David Garrow -- who is authoring a new book on Obama -- that the 44th president asked her to marry him. She said “not yet”; her mother thought Obama, two years Jager’s junior, was too young. But, she said, a year later, Obama’s own ambitions changed. Then Obama met Michelle who would help him make history becoming the first Black president of the United States. Moral of the story? Let this article offer a little inspiration and take a five-minute praise break for the relationships that DON’T work out. More on this story here.
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Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) speaking out on Wednesday against the GOP's attempt to replace and repeal Obamacare. | |  |
Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL) posing with mine workers on Wednesday. | |
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LA’s Congressional Candidate Robert Ahn
Robert Ahn, an attorney and former LA city planning commissioner, is making a run to represent California's 34th congressional district in a special election scheduled for June 6th. Hailing from the private sector, Ahn broke out of a crowded primary that originally included 23 candidates. He finished second with 22.25 percent of the vote. Ahn will face fellow Democrat Assemblyman Jimmy Gómez for the congressional seat vacated by now-CA AG Xavier Becerra. If Ahn wins, he will be the first Korean American member of Congress in nearly 20 years. The son of immigrants from South Korea, Ahn was born in Los Angeles and raised primarily by his grandparents because his parents were always working, he said. NBC Asian America profiles him here.
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Tribal Coalition Holds Press Conference to Protest Trump’s EO on National Monuments
The Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, a coalition of five sovereign Tribal Nations, held a press conference on Wednesday at the National Press Club in response to Donald Trump’s executive order on national monuments, his comments on Bears Ears National Monument, and threats to the Antiquities Act. Trump’s executive order is viewed by the tribes as a thinly veiled attack on the designation of Bears Ears National Monument. They say Interior secretary Ryan Zinke has ignored meeting requests since January from sovereign tribal nations to meet regarding Bears Ears. They say he now plans to meet with state and county officials and only give a cursory 45-day look at the lengthy process that led to the designation of Bears Ears National Monument. More here.
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Angela Rye at the State of Black America release on Tuesday. | |  |
African American Mayors Conference's newly elected president, New Haven, CT Mayor Toni Harp with New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Wednesday at the NUL conference. | |
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An Apology for Keith Ellison
Minnesota’s Republican Party apologized Tuesday for a hateful message targeting Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) that a state party official posted on Facebook. A caption called the congressman the “Head Muslim Goat Humper,” a reference to Ellison’s religion. Minnesota’s newly elected Republican Party chair, Jennifer Carnahan, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the person responsible for the post “resigned immediately.” She declined to identify the individual. Ellison, who serves as deputy chair of the National Democratic Party, tweeted his appreciation to Martin for “denouncing hate.” Read more.
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Carranza Would Be Seventh Latino U.S. Treasurer
NBC Latino reports that Donald Trump's nomination of Jovita Carranza for U.S. Treasurer would put a Latina in a spot that has been held by six other Latinas, all since the Nixon administration. Other Latinas' whose signatures have been on American currency are: Romana Acosta Bañuelos, a Nixon appointee; Katherine Dávalos Ortega, appointed by Ronald Reagan and then by George H.W. Bush; Catalina Vásquez Villalpando, George H.W. Bush appointee; Rosario Marín, George W. Bush; Anna Escobedo Cabral, George W. Bush; and Rosie Ríos, appointed by Barack Obama. Should Carranza be confirmed, her signature would be on U.S. currency. She would also oversee the U.S. Mint, the Bureau of Engraving, and Fort Knox,and serve as a liaison to the Federal Reserve. Her confirmation would continue a trend of presidents filling the position with a Latina. More here.
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Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Congressman Tim Scott (R-SC) snap a selfie during the NUL conference on Wednesday. | |  |
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) posing in front of the Jeannette Rankin exhibit, the first woman ever elected to Congress 100 years ago. | |
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Mellody Hobson Becomes First Black Woman Chair of Economic Club of Chicago
Ariel Investments President Mellody Hobson will become the first African American woman -- and the second woman in a row -- to chair the 90-year-old Economic Club of Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hobson, 48, will assume her new position on July 1st. The incoming board is set to have 47 members, 16 of whom are women and 13 are people of color. Besides helping to helm Ariel, a minority-owned investment firm that has about $11.7 billion under management, Hobson serves on the boards of directors for several organizations, including Starbucks and Estée Lauder. She's a regular contributor on finance and economic trends for CBS News, serves as chair of the Chicago nonprofit After School Matters. More here.
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NAFOA Elects All Female Board
The Native American Finance Officers Association (NAFOA) Annual Conference has elected two new members to its board of directors. In a historic election, the NAFOA conference attendees and member tribes’ votes resulted in NAFOA’s first all-women board of directors. The new board members include Melanie Benjamin, the Chief Executive of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and Hattie Mitchell, a Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation (PBPN) tribal member and the current PBPN elected treasurer for its governing body -- the tribal council. More here.
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Soledad O'Brien with LA92 filmmakers, Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA), and former police officer Dennis Zine. | |  |
The Beat DC's Tiffany D. Cross was on hand to celebrate Minority Leader Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's comms guru, Ashley Etienne, being named to Politico's Power List on Wednesday night at a rooftop reception at the Newseum. | |
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Senators Want Crackdown on Venezuela
A bipartisan group of senators, including Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Robert Menéndez (D-NJ), introduced legislation that calls on the State Department to coordinate an international response to the growing crisis in Venezuela -- including earmarking $10 million in humanitarian aid for the South American country -- and requires the U.S. intelligence community to prepare an unclassified report looking into the involvement of Venezuelan government officials in the drug trade and corruption. Spiraling inflation and food shortages have led to weeks of violent protests against President Nicolás Maduro. The bill also calls for sanctions against Venezuela and demands that Trump step in to prevent a deal struck by Venezuela’s state oil company that could lead to Russian ownership of a U.S. oil company. More here from CBS News.
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| Senator Live Tweets the Deportation of a Honduran Family
On Wednesday, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) live tweeted the news that a young Honduran child and his mother were being deported. The child and mother were being held at the controversial Berks County Residential Center -- a facility that was scheduled to lose its license to operate with the state of Pennsylvania before a judge overruled the state’s decision last week. The family's attorney, Bridget Cambria, said she and other attorneys were arguing on behalf of the pair before a federal judge when they were notified that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) had put the two on a plane for Honduras. “We applied for the child this week who had qualified for a special immigrant juvenile status (SIJS) and brought it to ICE and the courts and we were in court today,” Cambria said. “We literally were arguing to include this child while immigration was watching the plane take off.” Sen. Casey accused the DHS of sending a mother and her young child on "a plane ride that can very likely lead to their death." See the tweets and read more here.
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MOCs Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Ed Markey (D-MA) on Wednesday. | |  |
Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on Wednesday. | |
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Country’s First Latina LT Governor Talks Empowerment
Illinois’ Lt. Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti is the first Hispanic to hold statewide office in Illinois and the first Latina lieutenant governor in the country. After falling on a bad sidewalk and severely injuring herself, she ran for city council and earned the nickname ‘Sidewalk Lady’ in Wheaton, IL. During her tenure, she made fixing the city's sidewalks a priority. Now, she says, "they're beautiful." It's important to Sanguinetti, a Republican, that more women get involved in public service -- regardless of their political affiliation. Particularly as a Latina, Sanguinetti wants the younger generations to see people in power who look like them. She discusses this and more in Governing Magazine's podcast. Listen here.
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Youngstown Dems Give Brown the Go Ahead in Mayoral Race
A Youngstown, OH contender to be mayor, Jamael Tito Brown, just ousted the incumbent Mayor John McNally with 52 percent of the vote in the primary. Brown said he would continue his campaign message as he faces three independent candidates in November. "We're going to talk about livable wage jobs, safer and brighter neighborhoods for our community, and we will reinvest back into our youth in this community," said Brown. He is likely to advance to become the mayor as there are no Republican mayoral candidates on the ballot. More here.
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First Lady Michelle Obama posted this photo on IG with this message: "Excited by the potential of the Obama Pres. Center. Barack & I will continue to champion the issues close to our hearts, including girls ed." | |  |
Apple's Lisa Jackson threw it back to when Al Gore came to the company to talk climate change. | |
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White House Photog Throws It Back to the Obama Years
When he was the chief White House photographer, from 2009 to 2017, Pete Souza took approximately two million photos of President Barack Obama. About 300 of those shots will soon comprise a new book of Souza's work, Obama: An Intimate Portrait: The Historic Presidency in Photographs, which will be published this fall. It's likely to have a bittersweet reception, scheduled to be released on November 7th, almost one year to the day after Donald Trump won the presidency. Souza’s Instagram feed provides much fodder as the photos posted frequently coincide with Trump’s presidential timeline -- which many concede have been less than presidential. More here.
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| #TBT: Five Governors of Color?
A few weeks ago, we looked at governors races which may potentially include people of color. On this #TBT, we’re throwing it back to that story to highlight a newcomer to this bunch and offer some updates.
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Real House Leader of Atlanta Explores GA Gubernatorial Run
Yesterday, we told you that Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams filed paperwork to run for governor. Abrams would become the highest-profile Democrat in the race to succeed Governor Nathan Deal. She has hired staffers and crisscrossed the state readying for an announcement. The 43-year-old would instantly become the Democratic frontrunner in a wide-open race to replace Deal. Three Republicans are already in the race, including Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Secretary of State Brian Kemp, and about a half-dozen others are considering a bid. A graduate of Yale Law School, Abrams has represented an Atlanta-based district in the Georgia House since her 2006 victory. Fun fact: she has also written eight romance books under the pen name Selena Montgomery. Her latest, a novel called Deception, was published in 2009. More here.
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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.
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CHC Chair Could Be Governor of NM
CHC Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) didn’t keep you guessing. She announced her run for governor of New Mexico in December. Grisham raised $892,744 in a six-month period, compared to $211,569 for potential Democratic rivals state Attorney General Héctor Balderas, who has not announced if he’ll run, and state Sen. Joe Cervantes, who reported loaning himself $197,000. In her announcement last year, Grisham was critical of current republican Gov. Susana Martínez, who is serving a second term but cannot seek re-election in 2018 because of term limits.
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Tallahassee Mayor Presses Forward in FL Gubernatorial Race
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum announced his Florida gubernatorial run in March. Since then, Republican Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam filed on Monday to run, and former Democratic Congresswoman Gwen Graham announced her candidacy on Tuesday morning. Seemingly unphased, Gillum's campaign responded, “We’re excited to offer our different approach to solving the challenges Florida faces on healthcare, the economy, public education, protecting our environment, and common sense gun safety reforms. At this critical time, Florida needs a new, fresh direction and we look forward to debating the best way to achieve that.” More about the FAMU graduate here.
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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, Turner said, “I am excited for our state and this country that the progressives are organizing for a better future, especially our young adults.” In February, supporters held a "Nina For Governor" event that attracted people who find her political savvy a welcome leadership in the OH Democratic Party. There is already a Facebook page to encourage the MSNBC contributor to run. So far, it has 246 likes. See for yourself here.
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Recognize her? That's Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) with her prom date. Now he's her husband Wayne. | |  |
This adorable face is none other than Congressman Salud Carbajal (D-CA). | |
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| VIDEOS
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The first look at the Obama Presidential Center. | |
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| FOMO Today, May 4th, 1:30P: In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association (CHSA) hears from Mexican senator and independent presidential candidate Armando Ríos Piter. Senator Ríos Piter is a lawyer, economist, Georgetown and Harvard graduate. 430 Dirksen. RSVP here. Today, May 4th, 3:30P: Government Affairs Consultants Meet & Greet with House Democratic Staff. 1310 Longworth. Friday, May 5th: LatinVIP and the Friends of the American Latino Museum host a Cinco de Mayo celebration (presented in partnership with The Beat) with a special performance from "Los Gallos Negros." The invite is open for a short time if you RSVP here. Monday, May 8th, 7P: Black44 members across the nation have been hosting and attending small dinners based on common geography, industry, and interests. Registration is required and is limited to Black44 members only. The next gathering takes place in Cambridge, MA. Click here to RSVP.
Tuesday, May 9th, 3P: The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts New Voices in Foreign Affairs: 40 Under 40 Latinos in Foreign Policy. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW. Click here to register. Wednesday, May 10th, 12P: The Raben Group hosts a meet-and-greet with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). By invitation only. Froday, May 12th, 2:30P: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Staff Association (CHSA) hosts a get-together for staffers interested in becoming CHSA members. Cafecito con CHSA takes places in HVC 200. Wednesday, May 24th, 9A: A policy breakfast with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). The Raben Group, 1341 G St, NW. Click here to RSVP. Thursday, May 25th: Vote It Loud sponsors the second-annual Multicultural Media Correspondents Dinner at the National Press Club. By invitation only.
Thursday, June 15th, 8A: The Hill sponsors a Latina Leaders Summit. Participants include Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Click here to RSVP.
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