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DISROBING… With Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announcing his retirement, both sides of the divide moved swiftly to react to the news. The GOP is ready to move on a nominee. Dems say Republicans are hypocrites for not following the “McConnell rule” and trying to hold a vote before midterms. The problem? Dems really have no leverage here. LABOR PAINS… Speaking of SCOTUS, the Court dealt a major blow to organized labor, ruling that government workers who choose not to join unions cannot be required to help pay for collective bargaining. TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE… Donald Trump will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16th, in Helsinki in Finland. "The two leaders will discuss relations between the United States and Russia and a range of national security issues,” WH Press Sec Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the historic summit, which comes just after the NATO summit. This morning 45 tweeted, “Russia continues to say they had nothing to do with Meddling in our Election!” before he shifts blame to the DNC and HRC. THE INVESTIGATION … OF THE INVESTIGATION? Deputy AG Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Chris Wray will appear on Capitol Hill today, where they are expected to face questions from House Republicans, angry over the DOJ’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email and the Trump-Russia investigations. Elsewhere on the Hill… BYE BILL… As predicted, the House resoundingly rejected a far-reaching bill on Wednesday that would have protected “Dreamers,” funded a border wall, and made significant changes to legal immigration. MIGRANT CHILDREN… The Department of Health and Human Services' Inspector General is launching a review of the conditions at the agency's shelters for unaccompanied migrant children. THE NEW HOPE FROM FOX… Trump is expected to name former Fox News Co-President Bill Shine to be his new Communications Director, a position left open when Hope Hicks left the White House at the end of March. SARAH’S SECRET SERVICE… White House Press Sec Sarah Huckabee Sanders is expected to receive temporary high-level Secret Service protection, which is ordinarily reserved for the President, VP, and their families. Why? Reportedly because she was politely asked by a Virginia restaurant owner to leave. SUPERDELEGATES NOT SO SUPER… A DNC panel voted Wednesday to move forward with a plan to limit the power of superdelegates in picking future presidential nominees. THE MOUSE ALMOST HAS THE FOX… Disney has moved one step closer to purchasing a big chunk of 21st Century Fox as the DOJ announced on Wednesday that it had approved the proposed deal, valued at a total $71.3 billion. NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE… Joe Jackson, the Jackson family patriarch, died on Wednesday of pancreatic cancer at the age of 89. BEATS BY DRE… Dr. Dre and music mogul Jimmy Iovine have been ordered to pay $25.2 million to a former partner in their headphone company, Beats. Steven Lamar claimed credit for the idea of creating a brand of celebrity-endorsed headphones. BEATS BY US… We’re kicking off your Thursday with this...
- Meet the candidates of color on the shortlist to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
- Votes are finally in: meet the gay, Latino Democratic nominee in Utah’s First Congressional District.
- CHC BOLD PAC announces its next round of endorsements.
- Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) wants Congress to require the feds to reunite separated migrant families, but the House says nope.
- Congressman Donald McEachin (D-VA) intros a bill to keep kids safe from lead.
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LCLAA Executive Director Hector Sánchez Barba and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta at the U.S.-Mexico border on Tuesday fasting to call attention to the detainment of migrant children. | |  |
Our Revolution President Nina Turner and rapper Ice Cube in NYC yesterday after their segment on The Breakfast Club. | |
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Marco Rubio Intros Bill to Limit Chinese Companies from Small Business Programs
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Congressman Chris Collins (R-NY) on Wednesday introduced a bicameral bill that would prevent Chinese-owned businesses from qualifying for assistance offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The bill comes as the Trump administration is reportedly gearing up to limit Chinese companies’ ability to invest in U.S. tech companies. Under current law, any business that legally operates in the U.S. is qualified for grants or small loans from the SBA. If passed, the Denying Chinese Investors Access to U.S. Small Business Aid Act would ensure that money intended to spur the American economy doesn’t go to Chinese-owned firms. Specifically, it would prohibit SBA benefits from being awarded to businesses headquartered in China, owned by Chinese entities, or have at least 25% of their voting stock owned by Chinese investors. “Chinese companies are abusing our current system to exploit American small business programs, which are taxpayer subsidized and were created to help spur American ingenuity and boost small businesses,” Rubio said. “This bill will ensure that our tax dollars aren’t going overseas to China, our biggest economic competitor.” More here.
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Donald McEachin Intros Bill to Keep Kids Safe from Lead
Congressmen Donald McEachin (D-VA) and John Faso (R-NY) introduced bipartisan legislation on Wednesday aimed to protect children from lead exposure. Lead is a powerful toxin that attacks the central nervous system and is particularly damaging to the developing nervous systems of young children. Though lead poisoning in children has diminished, the lawmakers say regulations, as they stand, do not adequately prevent contact with lead and its serious detrimental health impacts. Children with lead poisoning often require long-term medical treatment and special education services, as some effects can be irreversible. Lead paint is still present in millions of homes, sometimes under layers of newer paint. The Lead-Safe Housing for Kids Act provides three protections for children in federally assisted housing. It prohibits the use of visual assessments in housing built before 1978, and instead requires risk assessments -- which they say is a more comprehensive tool to determine the presence of lead hazards. It also necessitates a process for families to relocate if a lead problem is found and the landlord does not mitigate the problem within 30 days of notification. The bill also requires landlords to disclose if lead is known to be in the home. “No child should be exposed to hazards simply by living in his or her home. Lead poisoning is an avoidable tragedy and we must do what we can to prevent it,” said McEachin. “Moreover, preventing lead poisoning is cheaper and less arduous and less painful than trying to mitigate the damage to a child who has been stricken.” More here.
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Jenniffer González-Colón Intros Bill on Puerto Rico Statehood
Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), Puerto Rico's non-voting representative, on Wednesday introduced legislation to grant the island statehood by 2021. González-Colón’s legislation has bipartisan support -- 14 Democratic and 20 Republican are backing the bill so far. If passed, it would establish a bipartisan, nine-member task force that would submit a report to Congress and to the president identifying laws that would need to be amended or repealed so Puerto Rico could become a state. The panel would also be instructed to recommend temporary economic measures to help the island Rico in the transition to statehood, the AP reported. Puerto Ricans last year voted overwhelmingly in favor of becoming a state. Even though its people are U.S. citizens, they cannot vote in presidential elections and have only one congressional representative with limited voting powers. Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló (D) has said the island's status has played a role in the way it was treated following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. "This is the first step to open a serious discussion regarding the ultimate status for the island," González-Colón said. More here.
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MD gubernatorial candidate Ben Jealous and his family yesterday, thanking constituents after clenching the Democratic primary nomination. | |  |
Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragaán (D-CA) and Congressman Rubén Gallego (D-AZ) on Friday at the #NALEOConf18 in Phoenix, AZ accepting the Ohtli Award from the Embassy of México on behalf of the Hispanic Caucus. | |
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Meet the Candidates of Color on the Shortlist to Replace Anthony Kennedy
After Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced that he would retire, effective July 31st, Donald Trump stated that the nominee to replace the 81-year-old would come from two previously-released lists of people. There are two people of color on the list of 25 names. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Judge Amul Thapar of Kentucky is a former Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. The 49-year old was born in Troy, Michigan to immigrants from India. In May 2017, the Boston College grad, who completed law school at UC Berkeley, became just the second Indian American judge of an appeals court in the U.S. He has also previously served as an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and a trial advocacy instructor in the Georgetown University Law Center. He was an attorney in the law firm of Williams & Connolly in DC and served as General Counsel to Equalfooting.com from 2000 to 2001, before briefly returning to private practice at the Squire, Sanders & Dempsey firm in Cincinnati, Ohio from 2001 to 2002. U.S. District Court Judge Federico Moreno of Florida also made the list. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, the 1974 University of Notre Dame grad received his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law in 1978. He served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender from 1979 to 1981 before returning to private practice in Miami from 1982 to 1986. He served as a judge on the Dade County Court from 1986 to 1987, and then on the 11th Judicial Circuit Court from 1987 to 1990. In addition to his service, the 66-year-old serves on the Executive Committee of the Judicial Conference of the United States. See the other potential picks here.
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SCOTUS to Review Native American Tribe Gas Tax Exemption
The U.S. Supreme Court will review a case on whether Yakama Nation gas station owners are exempt from Washington state fuel taxes when bringing wholesale fuel onto the reservation. The case centers on Cougar Den, an on-reservation gas station and convenience store in White Swan, WA owned by tribal member Kip Ramsey. The state’s top court ruled in favor of Ramsey last year, citing a provision in the Yakama Treaty of 1855 that promised tribal members free access to all roads and highways, and also allowed them to freely bring goods to market. But in a joint statement, the state Attorney General’s office and the state Department of Licensing said the previous interpretations of the treaty are too broad and unfair, and that the gas should be subject to the state’s taxes. As members of a sovereign nation, Yakama tribal members are exempt from state gas, tobacco, and sales tax on the reservation, however, state authorities have complained that too often non-tribal members go to the reservation to buy goods and escape state taxes. The court is slated to review Washington State Department of Licensing v. Cougar Den during its next term. More here.
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Congresswoman Val Demings (D-FL) in DC on Tuesday congratulating Ashay Stephen on becoming a Congressional Award Gold Medalist for his service in Boy Scouts. | |  |
Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) in Chicago yesterday morning standing up for workers’ rights. | |
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Obama Prepares to Hit Campaign Trail
Former President Barack Obama is expected to make a return to the campaign trail for House, Senate, and gubernatorial candidates running in the midterm elections. Obama’s team is working with Organizing for Action -- a nonprofit organization that advocates for the Obama agenda through grassroots initiatives -- chaired by Jon Carson, the former Director of the Office of Public Engagement. The team is also working with Eric Holder’s National Democratic Redistricting Committee. While his team hasn’t determined where or when it will make its first mark, the two Obama alumni groups published a map in early June of House districts they’re looking to target, which could be a guide to where POTUS44 focuses his efforts. Wherever the former president lands, Obama’s fundraising efforts are expected to be fruitful. Today, he heads to a gala for the DNC in Los Angeles. The tickets start at $2,700 for general admission and $100,000 for premium seating. On Friday, he’s going to San Francisco to headline a luncheon fundraiser for the DCCC. The event will be hosted by Liz Simons and Mark Heising with tickets ranging from $10,000 to $237,300. More here.
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Lee Castillo Wins in Utah
Utah’s First Congressional District finally has a Democratic nominee: Lee Castillo. The Utah-born and raised social worker was finally declared the winner of the primary Wednesday afternoon. Castillo is a gay, Hispanic, single father who views himself as a voice for marginalized communities. The former agricultural fieldworker has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Utah, currently works for the Utah State Hospital, helping with the people suffering from mental illness in the area county jails. Prior to that, he worked at Hill Air Force Base’s Family Practice Clinic and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. He will challenge eight-term Republican Congressman Rob Bishop in November. More here.
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CHC BOLD PAC Announces New Endorsements
BOLD PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, today announced its latest round of political endorsements. Among the nine endorsements it announced were Lauren Underwood, who is running in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District; Sharice Davids, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation, who is running in Kansas’ Third Congressional District; Deb Haaland, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, who is running in New Mexico’s First Congressional District; Aftab Pureval, who is running in Ohio’s First Congressional District; and Gina Ortíz Jones, the Democratic challenger to incumbent Congressman Will Hurd in Texas’ 23rd Congressional District. “Each of these candidates embody BOLD PAC's mission of electing energized and commonsense problem solvers who are able to bring a diverse set of voices to Congress and advocate for the shared values of our communities,” said Andres Orellana, Political Director of CHC BOLD PAC. Rounding out the endorsements are TJ Cox (CA-21); Katie Hill (CA-25); Jason Crow (CO-6); and Brendan Kelly (IL-12).
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#TBT: A Nation of Immigrants
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Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA) at 5 years old, around the time when she first arrived to the U.S. from Guatemala. | |  |
A young Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and her mother after arriving to Hawaii from Japan in the mid-50's. | |
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People of Color Still Struggle for Representation in Newsrooms
Fewer women and people of color worked at radio stations in 2017 than 2016 according to the Radio and Television Digital News Association and Hofstra University’s annual newsroom survey on newsroom diversity released on Wednesday. The good news? Women are slowly seeing themselves reflected in a wider variety of broadcast newsroom jobs. The percentage of women and people of color in TV newsrooms and in TV news management are at the highest levels ever measured, but while the minority population in the U.S. has risen 12.4 points in the last 28 years, the minority workforce in TV news is up just seven points. The disparity in representation of people of color in TV management is also shrinking. The bad news? People of color are still struggling to reach proportional numbers of representation in newsrooms. There are fewer women and people of color in radio this year than last. The percentage of people of color in radio is up from its low in 2010, but down from the high 22 years ago and far from on par with the population overall. More here.
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NYT Gender Team Adds Maya Salam
Maya Salam will join the NYT’s Gender Initiative as a writer and general jane-of-all-trades. In her new role, the Metropolitan State University of Denver grad will be revamping their newsletter and contributing to projects like “Overlooked” and “45 Stories of Sex and Consent on Campus.” Salam was a Senior Staff Editor on the Times’ Express team. Prior to that, she worked as an Editor and Content Specialist for Yahoo!, and was on the staff of Associated Content, VPI, the Greely Tribune, and HarperCollins. Salam is a first-generation Arab American and spent her earliest years in Beirut during its civil war. More here.
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MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid on Tuesday with her son after voting in NY’s primary. | |  |
Congressman Ami Bera (D-CA) on Tuesday discussing the importance of diverse communities having a seat at the table, last week at #AAPIsOnTheHill event in DC. | |
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Ben Carson EnVisons Centers
HUD Secretary Ben Carson has installed “EnVision Centers,” which he says will give residents receiving federal housing assistance access to services to achieve “self-sufficiency,” at 18 public housing facilities in 15 states and DC. Located on or near public housing developments, EnVision Centers are centralized hubs that HUD says serve as an incubator for the “four key pillars of self- sufficiency; character and leadership, educational advancement, economic empowerment, and health and wellness.” They argue that through results-driven partnerships with federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities, and housing finance agencies, EnVision Centers will leverage public-private resources for maximum community impact. WaPo describes the hubs as a kind of interactive vision board that Carson says will let children and families in poverty “see beyond what you can see, as my mother used to always say.” It will centralize access to programs that offer job training, child care, education, and scholarships. “EnVision Centers are designed to help people take the first few steps towards self-sufficiency. Every household we are able to help graduate from HUD-assistance allows HUD to help one more family in need,” Carson said. But what about those rent hikes Carson proposed? The Secretary said Tuesday that most public-housing residents he spoke to in a cross-country tour didn’t seem worried about the rent hikes because they “realize that’s just the beginning of a conversation about being able to sustain these programs.” Carson launched the first EnVision Center June 7th in Detroit, and the next location for an EnVision Center is Youngstown, OH. The program is funded by $2 million allocated in the fiscal 2019 federal budget. More here.
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Top Dems Want Commerce Secretary Investigated
The Democratic Ranking Members of eight House Committees with jurisdiction over the Department of Commerce -- including Financial Services Committee Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA), Science, Space and Technology Committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Small Business Committee Ranking Member Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Elijah Cummings (D-MD), and Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) -- sent a letter to the Agency’s Inspector General, Peggy Gustafson, requesting an investigation into Secretary Wilbur Ross’s compliance with federal ethics requirements, his ongoing issues with conflicts of interest, and his potentially false comments regarding certain financial holdings. The request follows a recent Forbes report detailing how, while serving as Secretary of Commerce, Ross maintained stakes in companies co-owned by the Chinese government, a shipping company tied to Russian President Vladimir Putin, a bank in Cyprus reportedly part of an investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, and a company in an industry Ross is now investigating. Additionally, the NYT reported that Ross shorted stock in Navigator Holdings, a shipping company tied to the Russian energy company Sibur, potentially putting himself in a position to make money when the share prices dropped. “Rather than fully divesting these assets as he committed to do in his confirmation hearings, Secretary Ross appears to have placed certain assets into a trust that benefits his family members,” the Ranking Members wrote. “Secretary Ross’s holdings in Navigator, his sale of those holdings, and his lack of transparency with regard to those holdings, are especially troubling given that he is responsible for promoting the interests of U.S. companies and for implementing sanctions against Russia.” The other signatories Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). See the letter here.
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Karen Bass Intros Bill Requiring Feds Reunite Families, House Says Nope
Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA), the top Democrat on the House Subcommittee on Global Human Rights, introduced legislation on Wednesday which would require the federal government to reunite families that have been forcibly separated at the border. The Family Unity Rights and Protection Act would require parental notification regarding process and procedure pertaining for the return of their children and prohibit the termination of parental rights without actual notice to the parents, wherever they may be. It would also establish a family registry to aid in reuniting children separated from their parents. “The separation of children at the border is a human rights violation. It’s government-sanctioned child abuse,” said Bass. “When the federal government is the one responsible for the separation, they should also be responsible for reunification. That responsibility was notably absent from Trump’s insufficient executive order that he issued last week." When she offered the bill as an amendment on the House floor for a vote, House Republicans blocked the motion. The Congresswoman is holding a press conference this morning at 10A EDT to discuss. More here.
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|  | NY congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) and Voto Latino President and CEO María Teresa Kumar at the U.S.-Mexico border last week.
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Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) on Tuesday welcoming former The Mercury News Editor Barbara Marshman and constituents to DC. | |
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New Acting Chief of Staff Named in the Senate
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has named Roscoe Jones, her Legislative Director of just over a year, acting Chief of Staff. Previously, Jones served as Senior Counsel to Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and in the same capacity to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on the Senate Judiciary Committee. He served in numerous capacities at the Justice Department, including as Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Appellate Attorney, Special Assistant U.S. attorney in DC, and Assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle. He clerked for both the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for Maryland. The member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity also taught at the University of Washington Law and Evans Schools. A Stennis Fellow for the 115th Congress, he was also a Wasserstein Fellow at Harvard Law School, a Murnaghan Fellow at the Public Justice Center, and has been published in the Harvard Law & Policy Review. The Stanford University graduate studied law at the University of Virginia, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & Law. Jones is also currently an Adjunct Professor at the George Washington University Law School. More about him here.
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Arcus Foundation Announces New Social Justice Program Lead
The Arcus Foundation, a global foundation focused on issues related to LGBT rights, social justice, and conservation, announced last week that Alisha Williams would be a Program Officer in their Social Justice program. The Drexel University grad, who received their law degree from Yeshiva University, most recently served as Director of the LGBTQ Poverty Initiative at the Vaid Group. Previously, Williams served as a Senior Staff Attorney with the Peter Cicchino Youth Project of the Urban Justice Center, providing legal services to homeless youth. Earlier, they led the Prisoner Justice Project of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a transgender legal advocacy and organizing organization. They will start in the new role at the end of June. More here.
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| FOMO Today, 2:15P: Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will host a press conference following their trip to the Crystal City Immigration Court, where they will witness, firsthand, immigration proceedings involving children, many of whom lack legal counsel. Arlington Immigration Courthouse in Crystal City. 1901 South Bell Street, Suite 200. Arlington, VA 2202. Email carlos.paz@mail.house.gov to RSVP.
Today - Sunday, July 1st: The Color of Conversation Film Series. Program debuts with the documentary, MR. SOUL!, winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature at AFI DOCS 2018. Other highlights include festival favorite, BLINDSPOTTING; acclaimed documentary, MAYNARD; and Boots Riley's highly anticipated feature debut, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, with the filmmaker in attendance. AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, Silver Springs, MD. Click here for more information.
Saturday, July 7th - Tuesday, July 10th: UnidosUS’ 2018 Annual Conference. Speakers include Ilia Calderón, Co-Anchor of Noticiero Univisión, Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, Maria Teresa Kumar, President and CEO of Voto Latino, among others. Walter E. Washington Convention Center, DC. Click here to register.
Saturday, July 14 - Wednesday, July 18th: NAACP’s 109th Annual Convention. Henry B. González Convention Center. San Antonio, TX. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, July 17th - Wednesday, July 18th: The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 2018 National Women’s Conference. Phoenix. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, July 17th - Saturday, July 21st: The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 2018 National Convention and Expo. Phoenix. Click here for more information.
Friday, July 20 - Sunday, July 22nd: The 2nd Annual Black Campaign School, hosted by The Collective. Atlanta, GA. Click here for information.
Wednesday, July 18th - Saturday, 21st: NAHJ International Training Conference and Career Fair. InterContinental Miami Hotel. 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami, FL. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, August 1st - Sunday, August 5th: NABJ Annual Convention & Career Fair. Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center. 400 Renaissance Drive, Detroit, MI. Click here for more information.
Monday, August 6th - Saturday, August 11th: 16th Annual Run&Shoot Filmworks Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, August 8th - Saturday, August, 11th: AAJA National Convention. Marriott Marquis Houston. 1777 Walker St., Houston, TX. Click here for more information.
Friday, August 17th - Sunday, August 19th: Martha’s Vineyard celebrates Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s (D-CA) 20 years of service. Special guests include House Assistant Minority Leader Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and more. Harbor View Hotel, 131 North Water Street Edgartown, MA. Kelley House, 23 Kelley Street Edgartown, MA. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, September 11th - Wednesday, September 12th: CHCI's Annual Leadership Conference. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, September 13th: CHCI's 41st Annual Anniversary Awards Gala. Marriott Marquis Washington, DC. 901 Massachusetts Avenue N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, September 12th - Saturday, September 16th: Congressional Black Caucus Foundation 48th Annual Legislative Conference. Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Click here for more information.
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