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- Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) gets sponsor for marijuana legislation.
- Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) and Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) call for probe into harassment and assault claims at immigrant detention centers.
- Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) call out student loan companies.
- Hawaii’s Attorney General Douglas Chin jumps into the congressional race.
- With Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) bowing out, is former Congressman Steven Horsford readying for a comeback?
- The first Black police chief of Charlottesville, VA resigns.
- MSNBC Latino staffer named Director of Booking.
- Colorado Dems rename annual dinner for Obamas.
- Meet the new WaPo Africa Bureau Chief.
- PBS fires back at Tavis Smiley.
- UN Ambassador Nikki Haley vetoes Jerusalem resolution.
- Puerto Rico government orders review of post-hurricane deaths.
- Solidarity Strategies gives three staffers the holiday gift of a promotion.
- Jelani Cobb weighs in on Cornel West’s beef with Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Jesús “Chuy” García holds a big lead in race to replace Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL). Check both out in Blogs.
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DNC Chairman Tom Pérez meeting with "Dreamers" on Capitol Hill lobbying for DREAM Act legislation. | |  |
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) singing Hanukkah songs at the Kissena Jewish Center in Flushing over the weekend. | |
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Cory Booker Gets Co-Sponsor for Marijuana Legislation
In August, The Beat DC reported that Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana, expunge federal marijuana convictions, and penalize states with racially disparate arrest or incarceration rates for marijuana-related crimes. Booker just got some support. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) will become the first Senate co-sponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act, which the lawmakers say will reverse decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately impacted low-income individuals and people of color. In addition to removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances, the bill would incentivize states through federal funds to change their marijuana laws if those laws were shown to have a disproportionate effect on low-income individuals and/or people of color. The bill is retroactive and would apply to those already serving time behind bars for marijuana-related offenses, providing for a judge’s review of marijuana sentences. The pair made the announcement on Monday. See video here.
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Cleaver and Jayapal Call on Student Loan Companies to End Predatory Loan Practices
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) sent letters to the CEOs of the four largest student loan servicers - Navient, Nelnet, Great Lakes and FedLoan Servicing - urging them to address consumer complaints about inadequate servicing, poor record-keeping, and steering borrowers into costly repayment plans. According to the WSJ, student loan debt has grown to over $1.3 trillion with nearly five million Americans currently in default. Cleaver and Jayapal are requesting that the student loan companies implement an aggressive campaign to retrain staff on repayment plans and other available options, institute an escalated customer support pilot program to service high-risk borrowers and borrowers who have rehabilitated loans, and make sure call center business hours can service borrowers coast-to-coast. Currently, West Coast borrowers are having issues reaching East Coast servicers to receive timely support. More here.
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Chu and Grijalva Call for Probe of Sexual Assaults, Harassment Claims by Immigrants in Detention
Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) and Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) called for the creation of a special committee in the Justice Department to look for a “pattern or practice” of sexual assault in detention facilities that hold immigrants facing deportation. According to data from the DHS Office of Inspector General, there were 1,016 detainee reports of sexual abuse or assault between May 2014 and July 2016. The IG investigated just 24, about 2% of those allegations. “These are immigrants who are undergoing asylum requests or deportation hearings, and they are put completely at the mercy of others who are sometimes abusing in unscrupulous ways,” said Chu. On Monday, more than 70 members of Congress signed a letter urging the Department of Homeland Security to investigate “the prevalence of reports of sexual abuse, assault and harassment of immigrants in U.S. immigration detention.” More here.
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Commentator Rachel Campos Duffy, Fox News host Harris Faulkner, and The Beat DC's Tiffany D. Cross appearing on Fox News Channel's Outnumbered Overtime on Friday. | |  |
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley with daughter Rena, who is home from college for the holidays. | |
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Chin Launches Congressional Run
Hawaii’s Attorney General Douglas Chin is throwing his hat in the ring for Congress. He is hoping to replace fellow Democrat Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, who is running for Governor. Chin made the announcement Monday, saying that the last year of legal battles over White House actions sparked him to run. The Beat DC first told you about Chin in February when he was one of several attorneys general suing the Trump administration over the Muslim travel ban. He was also one of five other attorneys general who asked the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject the nomination of Jeff Sessions for AG. “He actually made some speech to all 50 state AGs where he announced falsely that crime was at an all-time high in the United States and that the reason why it was at an all-time high was due to illegal immigrants being in the country,” Chin said. “I found that statement to be so troubling that it really woke me up in terms of the actions I think all of us need to take responsibility for in order to make a difference.” Chin was born in Seattle to parents who migrated to the U.S. from China in the 1950s. He was appointed to be Hawaii’s AG in 2015. The Stanford University graduate completed law school at the University of Hawaii. He will face state Representative Kaniela Ing and state Senator Donna Kim in the August 11th primary. More here.
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With Kihuen Out, Will Horsford Get Back In?
With Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) announcing that he will not seek re-election, another name has surfaced as a possibility to fill the seat: former Congressman Steven Horsford. From 2013-2015, Horsford represented Nevada’s Fourth Congressional District, which covers parts of Las Vegas, Clark County, and five rural counties. During his tenure in Congress, Horsford was a primary co-sponsor of HR15, the comprehensive immigration reform bill, and he helped pass several public lands bills. He previously served in the Nevada State Senate from 2005 to 2012 and was Nevada's first African American state Senate Majority Leader. He became in 2012 the first African American and person of color to represent Nevada in Congress. He is currently President of Resources+, a certified MBE consulting firm specializing in workforce strategy, strategic partnerships, diversity media and communications, is married to Dr. Sonya Horsford and has three children. We reached out to Horsford about his future plans but he had no comment at this time. We’ll keep you posted! He hasn’t heard the last from us, and maybe Congress hasn’t heard the last from him. More about the district here.
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Colorado Dems Rename Dinner “Obama Dinner”
The Colorado Democratic Party is renaming its annual dinner the "Obama Dinner." The dinner was originally called the "Jefferson-Jackson Dinner," after Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. Democratic parties across the country used to hold annual fundraising dinners under that name, but have begun changing it in recent years. The dinner is being named after both former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, with the party's Executive Director Pilar Chapa saying the move was to recognize the couple's historic contributions. The 2018 Obama Dinner will take place on Saturday, February 3rd, at the Hilton Denver City Center. More here.
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National Urban League's Susie Saavedra got engaged on Sunday to Captain José Feliz. ¡Felicidades! | |  | Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and daughters over the weekend in his district stopping by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol holiday picnic in Miramar. | |
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MSNBC Names Director of Booking
MSNBC has named Jesse Rodríguez Director of Booking, according to Politico. He, along with fellow Director of Booking Sarah Baker, will manage current contributors and look for new voices for the network. Rodríguez will be based in NYC. He has long been a key player on Morning Joe, booking for the show and serving as its Senior Producer. He was previously a Producer for MSNBC's The Dylan Ratigan Show and an Assignment Editor for NBC News. Prior to NBC, Rodríguez was with the CBS affiliate in Miami as the station's weeknight Assignment Editor. Rodríguez was awarded the National Hispanic Heritage Youth Award for Journalism in 2002, presented by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. The 35-year-old attended Florida International University. He is fluent in both English and Spanish. ¡Felicidades Jesse! More about him here.
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WaPo Names Africa Bureau Chief
WaPo has named Max Bearak their new Africa Bureau Chief. Max joined The Washington Post as a WorldViews staff writer in 2016. He has traveled to India, Somalia, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan navigating security challenges and filing powerful stories. He spent four years reporting from India, primarily for the NYT. He grew up overseas, first in New Delhi and then in Johannesburg. He says that he regards Africa as “one of my homes.’’ The Carleton College graduate spent summers in Africa during college, trekking through rural Lesotho and Malawi doing work for a public health NGO and interning for the Centers for Disease Control in Kenya. He speaks Hindi and Spanish. Max will take up his duties in March, and he will begin preparing full-time for his new posting in mid-January, after completing one last fill-in tour in Afghanistan. More here.
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Tavis Smiley/PBS Beef Heats Up
Appearing on ABC’s Good Morning America yesterday, Tavis Smiley once again defended himself against allegations brought to light by PBS about his conduct. He criticized PBS’ handling of the situation. "PBS made a huge mistake here. They need to fix it. They need to correct it," he said. "I'm going to do anything to protect my reputation." Though he admitted to dating subordinates, saying on Fox News, “Let's face it, nobody is working 40 hour weeks anymore, we are working 40-, 50-, 70-, 80-hour weeks. Where else are you going to meet people in this business?" PBS pounced on Smiley’s comments and fired back in a statement. “First, today on Good Morning America, Mr. Smiley acknowledged he has had multiple sexual encounters with his employees, then struggled to recall the number of current employees with whom he has had sex. This contradicts his Facebook post from last week, where he cited only one previous relationship with an employee.” They go on to say, “Second, Mr. Smiley claims he applauds women who have come forward, yet his company requires former and current employees to sign non-disclosure agreements.” They close by doubling down on their decision. “Mr. Smiley's own words today, coupled with the information discovered during the investigation, confirms PBS' decision to indefinitely suspend the distribution of 'Tavis Smiley.'" More here.
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|  | Federal Law Enforcement Training Center Director Thomas Walters with Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). | |  | Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) meeting earlier this month with Native American Hill staffers to discuss overcoming barriers to greater diversity in congressional offices. | |
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Puerto Rico Government Orders Review of Post-Hurricane Deaths
A week and a half after several media outlets published reports that suggested Puerto Rico’s post-Hurricane Maria death toll was much higher than the official count, the island government ordered that every death since the storm plowed into Puerto Rico on September 20th be reviewed. Officials will look at all deaths attributed to natural causes after the hurricane. Parts of the island are still without power almost exactly three months after the storm, and the prolonged blackout has affected medical treatment for some of the most vulnerable residents. In an apparent about-face, Governor Ricardo Rosselló acknowledged that the death toll “may be higher than the official count certified to date,” after months defending its count at 64 -- while independent reviews put the toll at more than 1,000 and climbing. “We always expected that the number of hurricane-related deaths would increase as we received more factual information — not hearsay — and this review will ensure we are correctly counting everybody,” Rosselló said in a statement. More here.
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Haley Uses U.S. Veto Power at U.N. to Protect Jerusalem Policy
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley used the United States' veto power as a permanent member for the first time in more than six years. She blocked a United Nations Security Council vote Monday on a resolution that called on all states to refrain from building diplomatic missions in Jerusalem. The Security Council's other 14 members, including France and Britain, all voted in favor. The vote would have required Donald Trump to rescind his declaration of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel which reverses decades of U.S. policy. The vote showed the depth of global opposition to the U.S. move. NPR reports that after the vote, Haley lashed out at the other members of the Security Council, calling the proceedings "an insult" that "won't be forgotten." More here.
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|  | Activist DeRay Mckesson with artist Kehinde Wiley. | |  | Carlos Mark Vera and Guillermo Creamer Jr. from Pay Our Interns honoring Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) with the organization's Congressional Champion Award. | |
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Solidarity Strategies Announces Several Key Promotions
The Latino-owned consulting firm Solidarity Strategies announced on Monday several key promotions. Vice President Vanessa Moyonero, who joined the firm in 2015, has been promoted to Partner. Vanessa was previously with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a graduate of American University. Creative Director Luis Alcauter moves up to the Vice President spot. The former head of his own design firm, Luis was also previously a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute intern and is a graduate of Cal State, Fresno. Senior Associate Melissa Guzmán, who joined Solidarity Strategies in January of this year, becomes Political Director. She previously was at Squared Communications and Univisión and is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University. ¡Felicidades a todos! Read more about them here.
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Charlottesville's First Black Police Chief Abruptly Resigns
Charlottesville’s Police Chief, who oversaw the department’s widely criticized response to a violent white nationalist rally this summer, abruptly retired Monday. Alfred Thomas, an Air Force veteran who previously was Chief of the Lexington, VA Police Department, had led the Charlottesville police only since May 2016 when he became the city’s first Black police chief. In a brief statement, the city did not give a reason for the departure, which was effective immediately. “Nothing in my career has brought me more pride than serving as the police chief for the city of Charlottesville,” Thomas said in a press release. “I will be forever grateful for having had the opportunity to protect and serve a community I love so dearly. It truly has been an unparalleled privilege to work alongside such a dedicated and professional team of public servants. I wish them and the citizens of Charlottesville the very best.” The resignation comes just 17 days after the release of a report that was highly critical of the police department’s handling of the August white supremacist rally that turned deadly. More here.
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| FOMO
February 21 - 23, 2018: The NFL, Morehouse College, and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) host a program in Atlanta to educate athletes on how to develop and implement effective advocacy platforms that positively impact society. Click here for more information.
April 19, 2018: The University of North Dakota sponsors a conference on the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock protests. Click here for more information.
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