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Despite two Republicans saying they are voting no on Betsy DeVos, the Education Secretary nominee appears to be closer to being confirmed. A committee vote this morning cleared the way for a final vote on Monday or Tuesday, where Vice President Pence may have to cast the deciding vote. The president continues to govern 140 characters at a time. This morning he is tweeting about everything from Iran to Australia. He continues his attacks on the media and looped protesters with anarchists and thugs. See here. Yesterday, he threatened to pull federal funding from UC Berkeley after students protested an appearance by Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos. And Kellyanne Conway continues to tout alternative facts. This time it was on a Bowling Green Massacre that never happened. Are we great again yet? On a positive note, we hear there’s some sort of football game this weekend. But the big news? Bey is having TWO bey beys. Here's your Friday read...
Australia Deal
As thousands are still in limbo due to the president's EO on immigration, we begin this Friday read with clarity about the country's deal with Australia. According to the agreement -- which took months of negotiation -- America would accept about 1,200 refugees (not, as Trump called them, "illegal immigrants") from Australia. The United States would prioritize families and children, and all candidates would be subjected to a thorough vetting process. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security would conduct two rounds of interviews with each candidate. More here.
DCCC Gears Up for 2018
Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) says the Democratic Congressional Committee has hired staffers in 20 targeted districts held by Republicans in an effort to reclaim the majority in 2018. They also launched a “March into ‘18” website and a Facebook page. More here.
Shouting Match Erupts at House Hearing
Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) found himself at odds, yet again, with Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) when a routine House Oversight Committee hearing turned into a shouting match between the Republican chairman and Cummings, the ranking Democrat, and Kelly over Russian interference in the presidential election. More here.
Booker and Scott Join Forces on Anti-Poverty Legislation
Meanwhile, others have found some common ground. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) have teamed up to form a bipartisan group of lawmakers hoping its anti-poverty legislation will become law this year as part of a broader push for a tax overhaul. The “Investing in Opportunity Act” is aimed at spurring private-sector investment in struggling communities. “We are teed up for success in this Congress,” Scott said. “The realistic opportunity for tax reform was not last Congress. It’s this Congress.” More here.
More than 70 Arrested at Standing Rock Arrested -- Journalist Among Them
More than 70 people were arrested on Wednesday afternoon near the proposed route of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, as Western lawmakers expressed opposing views on the future of the $3.8 billion project. Journalist Jenni Monet, who last week began blogging for Reveal from Standing Rock, was among them. More here.
DNC Forum
Tomorrow, the Democratic National Committee will hold its third of four regional DNC Future forums at Wayne State University in Detroit. To submit a question for the forums, click here.
Pérez Picks Up Another Endorsement
A fifth AFL-CIO-affiliated group, The International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC), broke with the labor giant to back former Labor Secretary Tom Pérez over Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) in the race to be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). More here.
Ben, Jerry, & Keith
The co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on Thursday endorsed Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) for the DNC chairmanship. “Over 650,000 people have already signed a petition endorsing Ellison. No other candidate has that level of popular support,” Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield said in a joint op-ed published Thursday in U.S. News & World Report. See full endorsement here.
Trump’s BHM
At a “listening session” comprised of African American staff and supporters, and absent any civil rights leaders or policy experts, Donald Trump revealed some good news. Apparently Frederick Douglass is alive! At the tender age of 122, both Trump and Sean Spicer recognized him for all the good work he is doing. A transcript of the Trump’s remarks can be found here.
Trump’s Black Staffers
One good thing that came out of Trump’s listening session -- we got to see some of the people of color who work for this administration. The African American staffers included: Omarosa Manigault, Director of Communications, OPL (Office of Public Liaison); Landon Davis, Department of the Interior; Ashley Bell, Department of State; Lynne Martine Patton, Department of Housing and Urban Development; Daris Meeks, Director of Domestic Policy, OVP (Office of the Vice President); Ja’Ron Smith, Domestic Policy, Urban Development and Revitalization; Mary Elizabeth Wells, Political Affairs; Leah LeVell, Communications; Monica Alexander, OPL; and Kara McKee.
The Deal Gangs Want to Broker with Trump (Not)
During the listening session, Cleveland Pastor and Trump supporter Rev. Darrell Scott told the president that Chicago’s "top gang thugs" wanted him to pass along a sensational offer that gang leaders would "lower the body count" if given new federal programs. "They want to work with this administration,” Scott added. But he later walked it back saying that a lack of sleep caused him to tell the president that alternative fact. He said he actually spoke to one former gang member, and not to any gang leaders. Really? But we all totally believed you! More here.
MoCs Call for Bannon’s Immediate Removal
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and leadership of the Congressional Quad-Caucus -- which is comprised of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) -- sent a letter to President Trump calling for the immediate removal of white nationalist Steve Bannon, from his position on the National Security Council (NSC).
Bad Hombres
According to reports, Donald Trump warned in a phone call with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto that he was ready to send U.S. troops to stop "bad hombres down there" unless the Mexican military does more to control them, according to an excerpt of a transcript of the conversation. More here.
More Muslim American Candidates
One group doesn’t want Ellison to be alone. A nationwide campaign to get more Muslim Americans involved in local politics is being launched by a Massachusetts non-profit. Jetpac Inc., is focused on training Muslim Americans on how to leverage social media, data analysis and other critical political tools to build winning campaigns for city council, school committee and other down ballot races. More here.
Chance the Rapper-Thanks Obama
Chance The Rapper is the new model for Chicago designer Joe Freshgoods' "Thank You Obama" clothing line. The clothing includes a burgundy "Malia" tee (it has the message "we all smoke, it's ok"), a King Obama tee, an Obama all-star jersey and more. Freshgoods explained the message behind the line saying, “with this project I wanted to timestamp a period in my life where I felt like I can do whatever I wanted to do and be whatever I wanted to be.” More here.
Fattah Reports to Prison
Former Congressman Chaka Fattah (D-PA) has begun serving his 10-year sentence. He reported on Wednesday to the Federal Correctional Institution-McKean in Lewis Run, in western Pennsylvania, near the New York border. He will be in the minimum-security camp adjacent to the medium-security prison. More here.
New CBA President Focused on Diversity
The newly sworn-in president of the Congressional Black Associates says he will “fight tooth and nail” for more minority staffers on Capitol Hill. “We want to keep adding pressure,” said Lewis Myers, 31. “This is a subject matter that has been discussed and debated for years -- I would almost argue decades. And what are the results?” More here.
NABJ Addresses Tamron Hall’s NBC Departure
It’s official. Tamron Hall is leaving NBC. Now the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is slamming the network for Hall's abrupt departure, accusing the network of “whitewashing” to make way for former Fox News star Megyn Kelly. More here.
Black Television News Channel
There’s a new channel in the works. Charter Communications announced the launch of The Black Television News Channel (BTNC). The Black Television News Channel will provide 24/7 cable news programming dedicated to covering the unique perspective of African American communities. BTNC is the entrepreneurial endeavor of former Congressman J.C. Watts (R-OK). More here.
#PenceBlackHistory
VPOTUS Mike Pence whitewashed Black History Month by tweeting, “As #BlackHistoryMonth begins we remember Pres. Lincoln submitted the 13th Amendment ending slavery to the states, #NationalFreedomDay.” Black Twitter responded accordingly. See how here.
Bayard & Me
Civil rights leader and activist Bayard Rustin is widely known for his work organizing the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the film Bayard & Me, a short documentary, we get a glimpse into his personal life and a lens into his interracial same-sex relationship. More here. Nineteen-Year-Old Female GA Candidate Fights to Stay on Ballot
Stonecrest (GA) City Council candidate Mary-Pat Hector, a student at Spelman College and a nationally recognized youth leader, is fighting to stay on the ballot in DeKalb County, Georgia. At issue? Her age. She’s 19, and after a potential opponent emerged, Hector was told that her age may be an obstacle after all, even though the city charter doesn’t have an age requirement. More here.
Federal Judge in LA Says No to Trump’s Ban
A federal judge in Los Angeles has added another legal ruling against Trump’s controversial suspension of travel from a group of predominantly Muslim countries, issuing an emergency order that forbids government officials from enforcing many of the new rules. Using sweeping, unambiguous language, U.S. District Judge Andre Birotte, Jr. on Tuesday night granted a temporary restraining order against the executive order Trump signed late last week. More here.
HI State Rep Says Bye to GOP
State Rep. Beth Fukumoto, a Republican representative in Hawaii, says she no longer felt she was in the position to defend the GOP after she became the subject of intense criticism from her caucus over her participation in the Women's March in Honolulu on Jan. 21, where she spoke out against the racism and bigotry that had become associated with the Republican Party, as well as the rhetoric and actions of President Trump. More here.
Trump’s EO Affecting Hollywood
Many foreign-born actors are in the U.S. with green cards or 01 visas. Actors whose pilots film in Canada, South Africa or Europe could have problems returning to the country if they are originally from any of the banned countries or have relatives there. The issue is creating anxiety among studio and network casting executives who have been consulting with immigration attorneys. There is some chatter that network executives may be evaluating their remaining strong script contenders for potential casting problems that the executive order may cause. More here. WHCA Correspondents Dinner and Weekend Changing Under Trump
The New Yorker is canceling the kickoff party that it usually holds at the W Hotel in DC, according to a spokeswoman for the magazine, Natalie Raabe. Vanity Fair is pulling out of co-sponsoring the dinner’s most exclusive after-party, a celebrity-studded affair most recently hosted at the French ambassador’s residence that is considered the capital’s hottest ticket of the year. More here.
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Videos of the Day
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Budweiser's new Super Bowl commercial highlights immigration themes. | |
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Trevor Noah recaps Donad Trump’s Black History Month listening session. | |
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Tamron Hall thanks her followers for their support. | |
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NCAPA's Chris Kang joins members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) and leaders from the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and Muslim communities for a press conference opposing the president’s executive order banning Muslims and refugees from certain countries from entering the United States. | |
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 | Because TV ratings are what we should be focused on right now. | |
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Pics of the Day
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 | The Obamas enjoying their vacation. | |
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The Obamas relaxing with pal Sir Richard Branson in the British Virgin Islands. | |
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Pine Street Strategies' Don Calloway with Mary Kay's Mariko Bennett Broz pose for a picture at the Collective PAC event on Thursday night. | |
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 | NUL's Marc Morial and Don Cravins give a toast to The Beat on Wednesday night. | |
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Spotted
The Collective PAC
The Collective PAC convened the DC circuit regulars at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown DC on Thursday night. Spotted: Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA), hosts Quentin and Stephanie James, co-chairs Isaac Fordjour, Chaka Burgess, Symone Sanders, Chanelle Hardy, Thomas Penny, and co-hosts Brian Woolfolk, Lisa Hodges, Corey Dade, Moses Boyd, Carol McDonald, Don Calloway, Travis Nembhard, Markus Batchelor, and Adjoa Asamoah, and attendees Mariko Bennett, Erika West, Paul Thornell, Missayr Boker, Cornell Belcher, Paul Thornell, Marc Littlejohn, Heather Foster, and many others.
BoldPAC Kick-Off
Earlier this week, BoldPAC (the Congressional Hispanic Caucus fundraising arm) held its 2018 Cycle Kick-off Reception at the American Gaming Association (AGA) and announced its new and ambitious fundraising goal for this cycle. The Beat spotted the following MoCs: Rubén Kihuen (D-NV), Nanette Barragán (CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Vincent González (TX), Lou Correa (CA), Linda Sánchez (CA), Filemón Vela (TX), CHC Chair Michelle Luján-Grisham (NM), and Eloy Martínez of the AGA, Javier Martínez of Davita, Zuraya Tapia of The Raben Group, Cristina Antelo of The Podesta Group, Susan Santana of AT&T, Norberto Salinas of Intel, Moe Vela, Virginia Zigras, Dean Aguillén, Moses Mercado, Roberto Fierro of D&P Strategies, Kory Vargas and Christina Haley of Connectiva DC, the Strathdee Group team, and many other lively partygoers.
NUL Welcomes 115th Congress
The National Urban League hosted a welcome reception for the 115th Congress. Spotted: NUL’s Marc Morial, Don Cravins, and Hazeen Ashby; MoCs Darren Soto (FL), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Al Lawson (D-FL), Dwight Evans (PA), and Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), and ABA’s Patrice Webb, Hill staffers Francisco Bencosme and Don Bell, GOP strategists Tara Setmayer and Telly Lovelace, Verizon’s Debra Speed, and a host of other festive people.
Passing the Torch
Passing of the Torch with Team Cárdenas! On Wednesday evening friends and colleagues gathered at the UPS Townhouse to congratulate Miguel Franco as he takes over as CoS for Congressman Tony Cárdenas and to give best wishes to Virginia Zigras (departing CoS) in her new endeavors as she takes over as VP of Government Relations at NCTA -- The Internet and Television Association. Spotted: HLA’s Larry González, Congresswoman Nanette Barragan (D-CA), AT&T’s Susan Santana, Verizon’s Marcela Urrutia-Zamora, NEA’s Al Campos, Raben Group’s Estuardo Rodriguez, and Ogilvy’s Dean Aguillen and Moses Mercado, and American Gaming Association’s Elroy Martinez.
Cocktails
Media Matters' Kristian Ramos and The Podesta Group’s Oscar Ramírez at separate tables at Denson in Chinatown on Thursday evening.
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Today, 1P: CHSA hosts their candidate’s forum in HVC-201AB. For more info contact: CHSA Elections Officer, Christine Godínez: Godinez.christine@gmail.com
Tuesday, February 7th, 8:30A: Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council’s 8th Annual Broadband and Social Justice Summit. More info here.
Tuesday, February 7th, 7PM: Alvin Ailey Opening Night Gala. Invite only.
Thursday, Feb. 16th, 8:30A: Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Representatives Bobby Scott, Gerry Connolly, Don Beyer, and Donald McEachin host a Commonwealth Coffee with Virginia's African American leaders in the Russell Senate Office Building, Room SR-253.
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