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FULL COURT PRESS… Justice Brett Kavanaugh will join his colleagues on the bench for the first time this morning as SCOTUS hears arguments in three cases concerning sentences for gun crimes. LOTS OF SWEARING… During his ceremonial swearing-in, Donald Trump apologized to Kavanaugh on behalf of the nation "for the terrible pain and suffering you have been forced to endure” and called allegations of sexual misconduct and assault “lies.” YOU’RE NOT FIRED… The president said Monday that he has no plans to fire Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein after reports surfaced last month alleging Rosenstein had contemplated secretly recording conversations with Trump and sought to gather support for invoking the 25th Amendment of the Constitution to remove 45 from office. Trump said that the two had a “good talk” on Monday while traveling together on Air Force One to an event in Florida. WATER GATES… Former top Trump campaign official Rick Gates requested proposals in 2016 from an Israeli company to create fake online identities, to use social media manipulation, and to gather intelligence to help defeat then-candidates Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton. APOCALYPSE NOW… The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report on the forthcoming impacts of climate change, and it’s not looking good. Unless the world makes drastic and immediate changes to combat damage already done, hundreds of millions of people will be irreversibly imperiled by drought, flooding, extreme heat, and increased poverty in the next two decades. HOPE FOR FOX… Former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks will join Fox as an EVP and Communications Director, likely earning a 7-figure salary. OOPS! When writing about President Barack Obama’s former National Security Advisor Susan Rice possibly being interested in a Senate run, The Hill published a photo of Condoleezza Rice instead. GOOGLE MINUS… Google is shutting down its struggling social network, Google Plus, after a security vulnerability exposed the private data of up to 500,000 people. LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO… Vote.org says it has seen an unprecedented flood of new voter registrations (more than 65K) since Taylor Swift on Sunday encouraged her 112 million followers to register to vote and endorsed Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen over Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee's Senate ra... ((interruption)) WEST WING… Kanye is coming to the White House. He’ll meet with First Son-in-Law Jared Kushner and then have lunch with Donald Trump. The rapper reportedly wants to discuss the availability of job opportunities for former convicts and how to increase the number of manufacturing jobs in the Chicago area. MADAM SECRETARIES… Season five of CBS’ Madam Secretary premiered on Sunday with guest star appearances from former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, and Hillary Clinton. The crowd better save her. ON THE RUN III… Bill and Hillary Clinton announced Monday that they are planning to hit the road for a 13-city tour over the next year that Live Nation is promoting. Jumping off the stage? No. We’re kicking off your Tuesday with this...
- Is Barack Obama’s former National Security Advisor running for Senate?
- Lawmakers introduce the Native American Voting Rights Act.
- NFL Players Association flags concerns after Congressional hearing.
- Google aims to increase diversity among podcasts.
- Be sure to catch Tiffany D. Cross today at 1:20P on SiriusXM Ch. 126 as she co-hosts Keepin’ It Real with Rev. Al Sharpton.
- Regular Beat DC readers will know Young Kim -- the Asian American immigrant running for Congress in California. The LA Times did a read-worthy profile. Check it out below in Blogs.
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PBS’ Alicia Menéndez and Facebook’s Francesca de Quesada Covey in Menlo Park for Facebook's Latina Community Summit over the weekend. | |  |
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Communication Regulatory Commission of Mongolia’s Adiyasuren Saikhanjargal on Friday in DC. | |
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Ro Khanna Unveils Principles for Internet Bill of Rights
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA)-- whose district is home to Silicon Valley giants including Apple and Intel -- released his long-awaited set of consumer data privacy regulations principles for an ‘Internet Bill of Rights.’ The release comes six months after he was charged by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to come up with creating a legislative framework to protect the privacy of the American people. Among Khanna’s set of principles for an Internet Bill of Rights, consumers would have the right to have access to and knowledge of all collection and uses of personal data by companies; to opt-in consent to the collection of personal data by any party and to the sharing of personal data with a third party; to obtain, correct, or delete personal data controlled by any company and to have those requests honored by third parties; to have personal data secured and to be notified in a timely manner when a security breach or unauthorized access of personal data is discovered; and not to be unfairly discriminated against or exploited based on your personal data. The 10 principles are built on the Obama administration’s internet bill of rights proposed in 2015 and, in part, on the input provided during conversations with former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, former Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer Nicole Wong, and former U.S. Chief Technology Officer and tech advisor to former President Barack Obama, Todd Park. Khanna also consulted with representatives from top tech companies and groups including Amazon, Apple, Center for Democracy and Technology, Data For Black Lives, Facebook, Free Press, Google, Lyft, Microsoft, National Hispanic Media Coalition, The Internet Association, Twitter, and Uber. His principles have also earned the endorsement of world wide web inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. “The internet age and digital revolution have changed Americans' way of life. As our lives and the economy are more tied to the internet, it is essential to provide Americans with basic protections online,” said Khanna. More here.
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Carlos Curbelo Aims to Help Service Members Transition into Civilian Life
Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) has joined forces with Congresswoman Jacky Rosen (D-NV) to introduce legislation that they say would help to transition members from the Armed Forces back into civilian life. Currently, the Department of Defense requires all departing service members to complete the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), which offers a required core curriculum designed to help the transition. In addition, departing service members currently have the option to participate in a specialized two-day workshop in one of the following areas: higher education, technical and skills training, or entrepreneurship. Curbelo and Rosen are proposing making the two-day workshop mandatory with the addition of advanced employment assistance. The IMPROVE Transition for Servicemembers Act would also ensure there is a full-time TAP employee for every 250 transitioning members at an installation, start the TAP process earlier, ensure the federal government works closely with state veteran services on the matter, track progress of TAP participants, and get their feedback. “We are thankful every day to our brave servicemembers who have dedicated their lives to protect our nation,” Curbelo said on Thursday. “As they begin to transition away from their military careers, we must ensure they have the necessary resources for productive and prosperous civilian careers. I am proud to join my colleagues in supporting this bipartisan, bicameral legislation.” The bipartisan measure was sent to the House Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees last week. More here.
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Chef and author of Fresh Off The Boat Eddie Huang on Sunday at Casamento’s in New Orleans. | |  |
MoveOn’s Karine Jean-Pierre outside of the Supreme Court protesting the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh over the weekend. | |
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Will Susan Rice Run for Senate?
Susan Rice, who was President Barack Obama’s National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the UN, sent the Twitterverse into a frenzy when she floated the idea that she would run for Senate in Maine to attempt to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins. Collins on Saturday voted to confirm SCOTUS nominee Brett Kavanaugh, prompting a backlash from constituents and women across the country. People angry over her decision were donating cash to defeat her in her next election. More than $50,000 (many in increments of $20.20) was given over the course of her nearly 45-minute speech on the Senate floor, bringing the total raised on an online crowdfunding campaign to more than $3 million. Just one problem -- there’s not even a named opponent. Essentially those who donated were saying anyone but you. The campaign by three activists groups -- Be A Hero Team, Maine People's Alliance, and Mainers for Accountable Leadership -- had been criticized by Collins and others over several weeks as a possible attempt to bribe Collins into voting against Kavanaugh. The donation page, titled "Either Sen. Collins VOTES NO on Kavanaugh OR we fund her future opponent" went down briefly on crowdfunding website crowdpac.com Friday afternoon because of "overwhelming" traffic to the page. Speaking in New York during The New Yorker Festival, Rice said Collins “put party and politics over her own stated principles” of supporting equal rights and legalized abortion. “I think in a way that I really regret saying, she has betrayed women across this country,” Rice said. She hinted her interest in a Senate run in a one-word tweet on Friday, responding “me” to an open question about who wanted to run against Collins. Rice lives in DC but has Maine roots. She has previously described her grandparents’ arrival in Maine from Jamaica in 1912, her yearly summer visits that began in childhood, and the home she now owns. “The last 20 so years I’ve been a homeowner in the state of Maine, so it’s not completely crazy,” she said. She said Sunday she’ll decide after next month’s midterm elections whether to run in a Susan v. Susan matchup. More here.
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Senators Intro Native American Voting Rights Act
More than a dozen Senators last week introduced the Native American Voting Rights Act to provide resources and oversight to ensure equal access for Native Americans to vote. Findings by the Native American Voting Rights Coalition revealed a lack of accessible registration and polling sites, and issues in fulfilling address requirements for voter registration, especially when dealing with addresses on reservations. The legislation would implement key provisions to ensure Native Americans have equal access to the ballot box, including the establishment of a first-of-its-kind Native American Voting Rights Task Force, which would authorize funding for tribal-state consortiums to bolster Native voter registration, education, and election participation efforts in tribal communities. The bill would also increase Native access to voter registration sites and polling locations, and ensure equal treatment for tribal ID cards for voting purposes. Finally, the bill addresses the devastating effects of Shelby County v. Eric Holder -- the Supreme Court case that killed Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act which prohibited certain jurisdictions from implementing any change affecting voting without receiving federal pre-approval that the change does not discriminate against protected minorities. This bill prohibits states from undertaking discriminatory actions without Department of Justice agreement while emphasizing the importance of government-to-government consultation. Regular Beat DC readers know that several states have used methods to exclude Native Americans from voting. More on the bill here.
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Cory Booker’s Iowa Debut Kicks Off 2020 Democratic Race
When elected officials venture to Iowa, whispers of presidential aspirations get louder. Over the weekend, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) made his debut in the Hawkeye State delivering a 45-minute speech at the Iowa Democratic Party's Annual Gala. Fresh off the Senate’s vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, the audience was eager to hear from Booker, giving him four standing ovations. The Senator spoke to more than 1,000 people at the event, where he urged Democrats disappointed by Kavanaugh’s confirmation to turn their despair into action in the 2018 midterms. “I see the pain and the hurt, but I want to remind everyone here in this room tonight, full of fellowship, this room full of faith, that this is a time in our country when we need to stay faithful,” Booker said. The appearance is widely considered Booker’s first audition for president in 2020. The Des Moines Register reports that while this was his first official appearance in the first-in-the-nation primary state, the Senator has quietly been making contacts in Iowa with the help of Des Moines lawyer Jerry Crawford -- a veteran Democratic power broker who was a leading advisor to Hillary Clinton's 2008 and 2016 campaigns. Booker also spent Sunday and Monday in Iowa, where he attended political events with local party groups and on behalf of candidates for statewide office including a fundraiser for Deidre DeJear -- Iowa’s first Black nominee for statewide office. More here.
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ID gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan (D) in Idaho last week. | |  |
SBA Administrator Linda McMahon looking on Wednesday as Labor Secretary Alex Acosta speaks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Summit in DC. | |
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OPM Director Resigns Suddenly at Request of Trump Admin
Jeff Tien Han Pon suddenly resigned last week as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) after serving in the position only since March. His resignation reportedly came at the request of the Trump administration. The son of Chinese immigrants is being temporarily replaced by Margaret Weichert, the Office of Management and Budget’s Deputy Director. OPM is an independent executive branch agency whose top several officials are political appointees subject to Senate confirmation. The change will leave the agency without a confirmed leader for an indefinite time. The White House announced the leadership change Friday afternoon while much of the press was focused on Senator Susan Collins' (R-ME) speech on Brett Kavanaugh. The personnel changes come as the government anticipates transferring OPM's 462-person Office of HR Solutions, which covers health insurance and retirement services, to the General Services Administration by March 30th, 2019. There is also a plan to shift personnel policy decisions to the White House, part of a larger government reorganization initiative. This plan has been met with opposition from federal unions that argue it would risk politicizing hiring, promotion, disciplinary and other policies for the 2.1 million career federal employees. Pon’s main focus at OPM had been to seek a thorough overhaul of civil service laws saying that many provisions are outdated. The 48-year-old had previously served as Chief Human Resources and Strategy Officer for the SHRM. He was also previously COO for Futures Inc., an organization that helps transitioning military members find civilian careers. And the University of Southern California graduate was a Principal at Booz Allen Hamilton and served as the Department of Energy's Chief Human Capital Officer. There are no announcements just yet on his next move, but The Beat DC will keep you posted. More here.
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Ben Carson Speaks at Conference with Stacey Dash and Candace Owens
HUD Secretary Ben Carson is speaking this month at Turning Point USA’s Young Black Leadership Summit -- a conference for young, conservative Blacks between the ages of 15 and 35. He will be joined by actress Stacey Dash, NRA’s Colion Noir, and provocateur Candace Owens -- who also serves as Turning Point’s Communication Director. Turning Point’s website boasts that conference attendees will hear from “some of the nation’s most well-known conservative leaders and activists, receive first-class professional development and leadership training, and network with other attendees and organizations from all across the country.” There is no entry fee, but attendees must apply to be admitted. Turning Point said they will be covering lodging at no cost for attendees as well, and they offer a travel stipend if needed. The organization was founded in 2012 by conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Its website says it has more than 350 chapters, however, The Beat DC had some challenges confirming their existence. The Summit takes place October 25th through October 28th in DC. More on the conference here.
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Federal Watchdog Calls for Investigation into Nikki Haley
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a federal government watchdog, asked the State Department Monday to investigate whether UN Ambassador Nikki Haley broke any regulations by accepting seven flights on private jets from three South Carolina executives last year. The trips were between New York, DC, and three cities in the former Governor's home state of South Carolina. Haley acknowledged the flights in her 2017 public financial disclosure report, basing the cost on first-class commercial airline tickets for the flights from New York to the three South Carolina cities. Her total was $3,219. But the four flights Haley took on a plane belonging to Jimmy Gibbs, CEO of Gibbs International in Spartanburg, alone were worth up to $24,000 based on publicly reported operating costs of a private jet CREW said. Federal ethics regulations ban employees from soliciting or accepting gifts because of their official positions. Haley claimed permissible exemptions on the flights from the executives, all of whom contributed to her gubernatorial campaigns because they are friends, according to her financial disclosure form. Haley’s work at the UN doesn’t directly link to her the donor’s business interests. However, CREW alleges that her close access to the president “makes her a valuable contact for anyone affected by his administration’s policies.” More here.
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Comedian George López and The Atlantic’s Jemele Hill on Saturday at Faces and Names in NYC. | |  |
Rapper Travis Scott, actress Awkwafina, and SNL’s Cecily Strong wrapping up Saturday’s SNL episode in NYC. | |
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Best Buy Names New Board Member
Best Buy has appointed Cindy Kent to its Board of Directors. She currently serves as President and General Manager of the Infection Prevention Division at the global science company 3M. The 49-year-old healthcare executive previously worked at medical device maker Medtronic Inc. and before that, spent 15 years at pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly & Co. Kent is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., The Links, and the Executive Leadership Council. “I have genuine respect for what Best Buy has accomplished in recent years and am excited to contribute to its overall customer-focused strategy, particularly its emphasis on the health and wellness of its customers,” Kent said in a press release. The Northwestern University graduate, who also holds an MBA and a Master’s from Vanderbilt University, joins the company as Best Buy tries to carve out a niche as a retail leader in digital health. The tech retailer bought GreatCall for $800 million. GreatCall makes Jitterbug cell phones with big buttons and bright screens designed for senior citizens, as well as medical alert devices that can detect falls and summon help. The purchase allowed Best Buy to expand its customer base overnight by attracting an older clientele. More here.
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Barbara Bush Foundation Names New President and CEO
British A. Robinson has been named the new President and CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy -- a nonprofit based in Florida aiming to improve literacy through programs directed towards preschool children and parental literacy. Robinson has more than 20 years of experience leading initiatives in international and domestic health, corporate social responsibility, public-private partnerships, government relations, and advocacy and policy development. She was most recently the founding CEO of the Women’s Heart Alliance. Prior to that, she was SVP of Innovation and Strategic Initiatives at Women for Women International, VP of Global Strategy & Programs at Susan G. Komen, and the Deputy Coordinator/Director of Private Sector Engagement for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief at the State Department. Additionally, during her tenure at the State Department, she held a special assignment as Director and Special Advisor to the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues. Earlier in her career, the George Washington University graduate, who also holds a Master’s from Johns Hopkins University, worked for the Jesuit Conference/Jesuit Refugee Services USA as the Director of Social and International Ministries. She also worked for Citigroup/Citibank in retail banking and served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. “I am thrilled to join the Barbara Bush Foundation, and excited by the opportunity to advance its work to transform the lives of the 36 million low-literate adults in the U.S.,” said Robinson. “I’ve dedicated my life and career to advocating on behalf of the most underserved communities in our society and working to solve the challenges that prevent them from fulfilling their potential. Literacy is absolutely critical to the success of not just individuals, but our nation as a whole, and should be on the hearts and minds of every American.” She began her role on October 1st. More here.
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Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) on Sunday speaking to Compton community members at a Harvest Festival. | |  | Music producer Erwin Bach with his wife Tina Turner and CBS News’ Gayle King after an interview in Switzerland over the weekend. | |
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Google Launches Podcasts Creator Program to Increase Diversity
A 2016 sampling of 1,470 podcasts from iTunes found that 85% of American podcasts had at least one white host and two-thirds had a white male host. Altogether, only 18% of podcasts had a non-white host. Google has announced the first Google Podcasts creator program to help remove barriers to podcasting, increase the diversity of voices in the industry, and to make sure content is available for all audiences. The program was created in partnership with PRX, a nonprofit which has “demonstrated a long-time commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion” in the podcasting space. With the partnership, Google hopes to get more “underrepresented voices” into podcasting -- including people of color, women, and those outside of western, urban areas. “We are committed to lowering barriers to podcasting through education and information sharing,” says Zack Reneau-Wedeen, Product Manager of Google Podcasts. Applications for the Google Podcast creator program will remain open until November 18th. As part of the program, which kicks off in January, 12 teams will receive seed funding, training, and mentorship. More here.
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NFL Players Association Flags Concern After Congressional Hearing
NFL Players Association President DeMaurice Smith (pictured) says he has significant concerns after the League’s testimony before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations last month discussing the liberalization of sports betting. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) inquired about whether a team owner can also own part of a sportsbook. The NFL’s EVP of Communications and Public Affairs Jocelyn Moore (pictured) responded and revealed that NFL owners and personnel are not completely banned from having an interest in a sportsbook company. Smith says allowing owners and team employees to have stakes in sports betting operators is an unneeded additional risk that jeopardizes integrity. "It is still a league that allows owners to be stakeholders in gambling operations, yet continues to message sort of a myopic approach," Smith said in regard to the league policy. He says he is also concerned that the NFL doesn’t classify daily fantasy sports as gambling. And DraftKings’ sportsbook at Resorts in Atlantic City and FanDuel in NYC have already moved into sports betting operations. In May, the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 -- the federal statute that had restricted legal bookmakers to primarily Nevada. Delaware, Mississippi, New Jersey, and West Virginia have joined Nevada and opened legal sportsbooks. Pennsylvania and Rhode Island should be up and running in a few months. And industry experts believe more than half of the states will be offering legal sports betting with five years. More here.
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| FOMO Today: Black Enterprise's TechConneX Summit featuring the first annual Black Tech Awards. Summit speakers include Damien Hooper-Campbell, Chief Diversity Officer at eBay, The Breakfast Club's Angela Yee, among others. San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront, 1800 Old Bayshore Hwy, Burlingame, CA. Click here for more information.
Thursday, October 11th, 5:30P: A pre-birthday fundraiser with NY congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D). Provision No. 14, 2100 14th Street N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, October 11th, 5:30P: The Hispanic Lobbyists Association hosts a happy hour honoring the Congressional Hispanic Association for 30 years of service. TBD. DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, October 11th, 6P: The Muslim Public Affairs Council hosts the 2018 Empowering Voices Awards. Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, October 16th, 6P: “Keeping the Dream Alive: A Conversation with Julián Castro” hosted by the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Tishman Auditorium, Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South, NYC. Click here for more information.
Sunday, October 21st - Friday, October 26th: National Congress of American Indians’ 75th Annual Convention & Marketplace, “Honoring the Past, Shaping the Future.” Hyatt Regency Denver, 650 15th St., Denver, CO. Click here for more information.
Sunday, October 28th - Tuesday, October 30th: The Atlantic, The Aspen Institute, and Bloomberg Philanthropies' CityLab 2018, a summit to address the most urgent urban issues of our time. Westin Book Cadillac Hotel, 1114 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI. Click here for more information.
Thursday, November 15th - Friday, November 16th: Men of Color in Communications Business Summit, a two-day conference bringing together more than 300 men of color in marketing, advertising, media, PR, and the digital space. Speakers include Jeffrey Litvack, CEO, AdWeek; Rodney Williams, CEO, Belvedere Vodka; Jana Fleishman, EVP Strategic Marketing, Roc Nation (JAY-Z's Publicist); and many more. Bloomberg Corporate Headquarters, 731 Lexington Avenue, NYC. Click here for more information.
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