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Here's what we learned in yesterday's hearing: Donald Trump had not even been in office for a week before Acting AG Sally Yates hurried to the WH with an urgent concern about Michael Flynn. He had lied to the VP about his contact with Russia and was vulnerable to blackmail by Moscow. Who else issued this same warning to Trump? President Barack Obama. Looks like those "alternative facts" are catching up with this administration and they are running out of people to blame. Here's what awaits you in this Tuesday read:- The Beat DC's Podcast Premieres.
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) flexes diverse staff.
- The Trump administration targets displaced Haitians.
- President Obama is in Italy.
- Texas sues MALDEF.
- John Oliver tells Ajit Pai to go FCC yourself.
- What has Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) been doing at the helm of the CBC? You asked and he answered.
- Lester Holt is to interview Donald Trump at the WH this week.
- AAPI women hold an influential and rapidly growing buying power.
- Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) on his divine bond with his CoS.
- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke began his listening tour of Bears Ears.
- TV One to air NUL's State of Black America.
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| The Beat Podcast Premieres!
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|  | On our inaugural podcast, we caught up with activist and political commentator Jeff Johnson. The media personality is launching a new TV show on BET Networks with Executive Producer Steve Harvey called The Man Cave. The Beat’s Jamal Simmons talks to Jeff about the show, Donald Trump, his friendship with Omarosa, and his journey back to BET. Click the image to play! | |
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John Oliver to Ajit Pai: Go FCC Yourself
The Hill reports that the FCC's website went down Sunday night after comedian John Oliver clowned FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to scale back net neutrality rules (click image to play video). The host of HBO's Last Week Tonight ripped the chairman's proposals and then directed viewers to visit a website with the name gofccyourself.com. That site takes users directly to a page where they can file comments to the FCC on net neutrality. After the new address was unveiled, the FCC’s website went down, which many attributed to a high volume of traffic resulting from the show. As of Monday morning, the website was still operating, although more slowly than usual. The FCC, though, claimed on Monday afternoon that its website had also been hit by a cyber attack after Oliver's segment. More here.
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Obama in Italy
This week, President Barack Obama is traveling to Italy, where he will speak about food security and climate change. He is expected to go to Milan to meet with several Italian movers and shakers to discuss those issues. On Monday, Obama met with former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. Last night, he attended a private dinner held by the Institute for International Political Studies. Today, he will give a keynote address to the Seeds and Chips Global Food Innovation Summit. The theme of the summit this year is "The Impact of Technology and Innovation on Climate Change and Food Availability Around the World." Following his keynote, the former president will take part in a Q&A session. More here.
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Jonathan Capehart with husband Nick Schmidt in California on Saturday. Capehart was presented with a Leadership Award by California Equality. | |  |
The Castro brothers, Julián and Joaquín, wishing their mother a happy birthday on Monday. | |
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Cortez Masto Shows Diverse Staff
Politico reports that in Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), the chamber’s first Latina, six of the 16 senior staff positions are held by people of color, and 20 of 38 staff positions overall. Five Asian American, three African American, and 12 Hispanic aides are part of an overall staff that’s also majority female. Cortez Masto’s move to release hiring statistics and meet staffers of color is “heartening, for sure,” said Don Bell, director of the Black Talent Initiative at the nonprofit Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. “Everything starts at the top, especially in the Senate, so having members be thoughtful and engage people is really significant.” Two Republican Senators, Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Tim Scott (R-SC), employ African American Chiefs of Staff. Read more on diversity efforts here.
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Trump Admin Targets Haitian Immigrants
The Associated Press reports that the Trump administration is taking the unusual step of hunting for evidence of crimes committed by Haitian immigrants as it decides whether to allow them to continue participating in a humanitarian program that has shielded tens of thousands from deportation since an earthquake destroyed much of their country in 2010. The inquiries into the community’s criminal history were made in internal U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services emails obtained by The AP. They show the agency’s newly appointed policy chief also wanted to know how many of the roughly 50,000 Haitians enrolled in the Temporary Protected Status program were taking advantage of public benefits, which they are not eligible to receive. More here.
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Lester Holt to Interview Trump at WH This Week
NBC News lead anchor Lester Holt will interview Donald Trump this week at the White House. The interview will air both on Thursday’s broadcast of NBC Nightly News, which Holt will anchor from DC, and on Friday morning’s Today Show. More here.
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Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) at an activism fair in NY on Sunday. | |  |
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) speaking in support of the bill restricting first use of nuclear weapons, introduced by Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA). | |
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Former Clinton Campaign Staffer Leads Press at California DOJ
Former Hillary Clinton campaign staffer Jennifer Molina has joined the California Department of Justice and will serve as Press Secretary in Los Angeles. Prior to joining the attorney general's office, the Hope College graduate worked as the constituency media director in Nevada for the Hillary Clinton campaign and previously ran the state and ethnic media for the Center for American Progress. Fun Fact -- in 2012 she lived in Spain to pursue legal studies at the Universidad Carlos III in Madrid. More about Molina here.
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Tim Scott and His CoS Jennifer DeCasper and Their “Divine” Bond
The South Carolina newspaper The Post & Courier profiles Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) and his CoS Jennifer DeCasper. “The South Carolina Republican and the 38-year-old former prosecutor who runs his office have, over the past 6½ years, developed a collaborative professional relationship and deep personal friendship through highs and lows in Washington and at home,” the article reads. A Colorado native, DeCasper was until recently the only CoS of color in the Senate. After a career as a prosecutor in Colorado and becoming a single mother, she returned to DC, where she got hired at Dulles International Airport directing airplanes and moving luggage on the tarmac. She cried during her interview with Scott. He hired her anyway. Read their complete story here.
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Zinke Tours Bears Ears
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke began his four-day listening tour of Bears Ears on Sunday at the Bureau of Land Management Office in Salt Lake City. Under direction from President Trump’s executive order, Zinke has 45 days to prepare a recommendation for the fate of Bears Ears as a national monument. "I'm here to get acquainted with the issue,” said Zinke. "I like going to the front lines and actually talking to people." Under Trump's executive order, Zinke will review nearly 30 national monuments --100,000 acres or more -- designated since 1996. More here.
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NCLR's Janet Murguía with Comcast's David Cohen celebrating red nose day to help kids in need. | |  |
Alcalde & Fay's Danielle McBeth, CHLI's Mary Ann Gómez Orta, and Yasmin AlBazzaz at the Congressional Club's First Lady Brunch last week. | |
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Texas Sues MALDEF
Just one day after Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s secretive signing of a bill that would punish so-called “sanctuary cities,” the state of Texas has stoked a legal battle against Travis County and the City of Austin in order to “uphold the constitutionality” of anti-immigrant Senate Bill 4. The complaint for declaratory judgment, filed in federal court in Austin, names Sheriff Sally Hernández, all of Austin’s City Council members, Mayor Steve Adler, interim City Manager Elaine Hart, and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) as defendants. In a statement MALDEF replied, “We will see you in court, Governor Abbott. In the meantime, we hope that both the governor and the attorney general will seek treatment for an apparent problem with premature litigation.” More here.
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Cedric Richmond’s CBC: It’s Not Your Grandfather’s Caucus
Since Congressman Cedric Richmond (D-LA) took the helm of the Congressional Black Caucus, the legislative body has taken steps to modernize its communications strategies and tactics and engage a new generation of activists. On Monday, the CBC released an interim report on communications and legislative actions taken by Chairman Richmond on behalf of the caucus from the day he was sworn in through March 2017. Highlights include a rapid response document highlighting the Trump administration's policies shortcomings titled, “What Would Trump Do?,” a 130-page policy document, “We Have A Lot To Lose: Solutions for Black Families in the 21st Century,” that was hand-delivered to the president, and also actively opposing nominees whose policies run contrary to the mission of the CBC. To read the interim report in its entirety, click here.
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Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Consider Two Bills on Wednesday
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs is meeting on Wednesday afternoon to consider two bills. One bill aims to recruit and retain teachers in Indian Country by providing scholarships, federal student loan forgiveness, and teacher development courses. The other bill extends federal recognition to six tribes in Virginia. Similar versions cleared the committee during the last session of Congress and Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), the new chairman of the panel, has placed a priority on these kinds of bills. Both measures, one for Indian education and another for federal recognition, have bipartisan support. More here.
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Neil DeGrasse Tyson congratulating Joy-Ann Reid on her one-year anniversary with MSNBC. | |  |
Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) delivered the commencement address at Allen University on Saturday. | |
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AAPI Women Hold Influential and Rapidly Growing Buying Power
A report titled Asian American Women: Digitally Fluent with an Intercultural Mindset is Nielsen's fifth-annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) consumer report. The report released Monday found that AAPI buying power and influence is experiencing "rapid" expansion and is only expected to continue to grow exponentially, driven in part by AAPI women. AAPI women own more smartphones than any other female racial group in the United States, are avid users of social media, and are influencing mainstream health and beauty trends, among other findings. More here.
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Auntie Maxine Makes Surprise Appearance at MTV Awards
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) called on artists to be socially active, in a surprise appearance at the MTV Movie and TV Awards on Sunday. “Artists, actors, singers and citizens have a unique opportunity -- the ability to speak out and inspire change,” she said. Waters, who has seen her profile grow among young people as “Auntie Maxine" for her frequent and fiery criticism of Donald Trump, presented the Best Fight Against the System Award with actress Tracee Ellis Ross. More here from Roll Call.
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Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) looking perplexed after the AHCA vote last Thursday. | |  |
Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined colleagues to rail against offshore drilling on Monday. | |
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Obamas Dine at Masseria and Get Standing Ovation
President Barack and Michelle Obama had a date night on Saturday. WaPo reports that the couple dined at Italian hotspot Masseria in Northeast DC. The Post reports that the couple left their menu in the chef’s hands and dined on “a lot of pasta,” as well as a dry-aged steak with a red wine sauce, plus a bottle of vino. When the Obamas stood to leave, a hush fell over the dining room before diners broke into applause and gave the couple a standing ovation. Chef Nicholas Stefanelli says the restaurant doesn’t usually talk about its guests but called the moment “really special.” More here.
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Obama Biographer Appears at the National Press Club on Thursday
On Thursday at 6:30P, the National Press Club is hosting Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David J. Garrow to discuss his new biography of former President Barack Obama. Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama explores the early life of Obama and the decades leading up to his winning the presidency. Garrow spent nine years working on the book and interviewed more than a thousand people to shed light on the influences that helped shape Obama’s development on his road to the White House. More here.
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TV One to Air State of Black America
Last week's release of the National Urban League’s 2017 State of Black America report, Protect Our Progress, provoked some timely dialogue. On May 31st, TV One will air "National Urban League Presents: State of Black America Town Hall," at 8P. Hosted by Roland Martin, the program features freewheeling and thought-provoking panel discussions with cultural critic Touré; political analyst Angela Rye; former RNC Director of African American Affairs Elroy Sailor; journalist Jeff Johnson; activist Symone Sanders; political consultant Paris Dennard; and professor and author Michael Eric Dyson. More here.
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|  | Congressman Joaquín Castro (D-TX) on Monday presented WWII veteran Technical Sergeant Ángel A. Cruz with five medals and thanked him for his service to our nation. | |  |
Senator Kamala Haris (D-CA) speaking at the AFL-CIO. | |
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Judges Split on Trump’s ‘Muslim Ban’ at Appeals Court Hearing
The NYT reports that federal judges peppered a government lawyer on Monday with questions about how much weight to give Donald Trump’s campaign statements calling for a “Muslim ban,” as they assess the constitutionality of his revised travel ban. The two-hour argument, before a 13-judge panel at the federal appeals court in Richmond, VA was the first appellate test of Mr. Trump’s revised executive order limiting travel from six predominantly Muslim countries. By the end of the argument, some judges seemed prepared to look behind the face of the revised order to take account of Trump’s statements, and several suggested the remarks could doom the order. Others, though, said the law did not permit judges to second guess a president’s national security assessments, indicating that they were prepared to uphold the order. Next Monday, the Ninth Circuit will hear a separate appeal of another decision blocking aspects of the revised travel ban, from the federal judge in Hawaii. That appeal will be heard by a three-judge panel. More here.
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Hill Staffer Heads to WIPP
Former Hill staffer Ashley Dior Thomas is assuming the title of first Chief of Staff to the President of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a national non-partisan organization that advocates and supports women entrepreneurs through changing the tax code, federal procurement contracts, access to capital and more. Most recently she was an Executive Assistant for Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). More about Ashley here.
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The men of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. met with Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) during their advocacy day last week. | |  |
DNC Chair Tom Pérez addressing the South Carolina Democratic Party last week. | |
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Walker’s Legacy Partners with MBDA to Support Women of Color
Walker's Legacy and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) have partnered to further support women of color in business and entrepreneurship through the signing of a joint agreement. Through a partnership, Walker's Legacy and MBDA will create programming and resources to increase the global competitiveness and promote the business growth of minority-owned businesses nationwide. The organizations will implement these initiatives by engaging multicultural women entrepreneurs with their joint network of more than 20,000 professional women and combined presence of over 40 MBDA Business Centers in cities across the United States. More here.
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| FOMO Today, 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. Today, 6:30P: Google & HBO sponsor a screening of the film, Cries From Syria. 25 Massachusetts Ave., NW. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, May 10th, 12P: The Raben Group hosts a meet-and-greet with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). By invitation only.
Thursday, May 11th, 9:30A: The Inter-American Dialogue sponsors a forum, What's Wrong with Mexico and How to Fix It. 1155 15th St., NW. Click here to RSVP. Friday, May 12th, 2P: The Asian Law Caucus sponsors a webinar, Immigration Policy: Asian Americans and Models of Resistance. Click here to RSVP.
Friday, May 12th, 7:30P: The Esperanza Education Fund holds its annual benefit concert and honors former Obama administration official Cecilia Muñoz. The Mexican Cultural Institute, 2829 16th St., NW. Click here to purchase tickets. Wednesday, May 24th, 9A: A policy breakfast with Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). The Raben Group, 1341 G St, NW. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, May 24th, 6:45P: CAMBA sponsors an Asian Pacific American Heritage Month event at the Washington office of Hogan Lovells, featuring Khizr Khan, noted speaker at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The event will also feature a panel discussion focusing on the challenges facing the Asian American community. Click here to register. 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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