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When the Senate returns, they will likely reprise the fight ahead of the next deadline to avoid another government shutdown on March 23rd. Lawmakers could compromise, extending protections for “Dreamers” for an additional three years in exchange for three years of border wall funding. In another provocative debate, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) is quickly becoming the face of congressional inaction on tougher gun restrictions. Three mobile billboards parked near his district office read, “Slaughtered in school. And still no gun control. How come, Marco Rubio?” He’ll clarify his position on gun control during tonight’s CNN town hall, along with a spokesperson from the NRA. Meanwhile, the president announced Tuesday that he had instructed AG Jeff Sessions to move on a ban of so-called "bump stocks," the accessory used to simulate fully automatic fire, although they weren’t involved in the attack at the high school in Parkland, FL. He also signaled that he’s open to legislation to strengthen the national system for background checks. On Tuesday, Oprah pledged to donate $500,000 to the March For Our Lives, the protest that was launched by the students affected by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She is matching the $500,000 pledge made by George and Amal Clooney and others in support of the movement. Tonight, R. Kelly is set to perform in Detroit with Charlie Wilson as part of their "Tale of Two Kings" tour. But the “scandal proof” artist is no longer. He'll meet opposition from #MuteRKelly activists, who plan to protest the show, saying his sexual misconduct allegations should disqualify him from performing at the arena, which is partially taxpayer funded. Speaking of sexual misconduct, a dating site for Trump supporters used a sex offender as its model. For real. Lastly, 53 years ago today, Malcolm X was assassinated. He once said, “Early in life I had learned that if you want something, you had better make some noise." We’re kicking off Wednesday with this noise...
- Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) reaches across the political aisle to launch a new Caucus with Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA).
- Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) wants to regulate Bitcoin, and he’s joining Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH) on a venture capitalist tour that’s kicking off today.
- What’s going on with the WH Opioid Commission? Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wants to know.
- HUD IG is investigating Secretary Dr. Ben Carson’s family.
- NAHJ leadership to meet with Albuquerque newspaper editor over controversial cartoon.
- Portraits of the Obamas attract record crowds at the National Portrait Gallery.
- Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) is seeking answers from Jared Kushner.
- Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) is urging the EPA to revise its rules on lead-based paint.
- APAICS picks its new President & CEO.
- Deal to buy Weinstein Co. back on the table.
- Meet the new nominee for U.S. Attorney for Hawaii.
- SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas dissents from court decision on guns.
- Physician launches congressional bid in Oregon.
- NPR names new co-host of Morning Edition.
- HuffPost names new head of HuffPost India.
- Tavis Smiley sues PBS.
- FCC set to officially publish its rules on net neutrality.
- Meet the new University of Chicago Institute of Politics Pritzker Fellows.
- The City of Brotherly Love to drop marijuana possession charges for small amounts.
- Eric Holder asks “who counts?” in the New Republic. Check it out in Blogs.
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|  | Lisa Hope King and Tanzina Vega earlier this month co-hosting the tech and business news program Cheddar. | |  | UN Ambassdor Nikki Haley with her parents on Monday celebrating their 57th wedding anniversary. | |
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Ro Khanna Wants to Regulate Bitcoin
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) said that Bitcoin mining should be regulated in the same fashion as proposed carbon taxes. He says the mining of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, which have been in the spotlight recently due to their investors and fluctuating valuations, should be taxed for their considerable energy consumption. Bitcoin transactions require an enormous amount of energy. Dutch bank ING estimates that a single transaction consumes enough electricity to power a home for weeks. The expensive and energy-consuming verification process of transactions, otherwise known as mining, is meant to deter crime and fraud. Because Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rose to prominence in 2017, research claims that the total energy consumption from last year was more than the annual usage of 159 countries. "You could have environmental regulations of what could be used or a tax on the use of the mines that are going into the bitcoin, so that if they have externalities that they're causing the environment, that they have to pay a tax on that," Khanna said. "I think more broadly we need much more regulation, whether it's against fraud, whether it's against environmental harms, whether it's against the use of bitcoin to foster terrorism. We need to have much more regulation there and we need to see all the regulations that have come from last hundreds of years for the banks." More here.
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Cummings Wants WH Update on Opioids
Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, wants to know what’s going on with the president’s Opioid Commission. In a letter last week to Committee Chairman Congressman Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Cummings called for the Committee to obtain a briefing from the White House on the status of the Trump administration’s efforts to implement the recommendations of the Commission; it had previously issued nearly 60 recommendations on how to combat the epidemic. Those recommendations were issued on November 1st. “I strongly believe that the Commission’s recommendations have the best chance of being fully implemented if the White House works with federal agencies and Congress to organize a bipartisan effort,” Cummings wrote. “I understand that President Trump has designated Kellyanne Conway as his point person on this issue, so her input would help the Committee with its ongoing efforts to evaluate the status of the Commission’s recommendations.” More here.
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Yvette Clarke Launches New Caucus with Darrell Issa
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) is reaching across the aisle to team up with Congressman Darrell Issa (R-CA) to start the Congressional Smart Cities Caucus. In a letter to colleagues, Clarke and Issa said the Caucus "serves as a bipartisan group of members dedicated to bringing American communities into the 21st century through innovation and technological change." The Caucus is intended to convene lawmakers with industry stakeholders, state and local government officials, and local community leaders to share ideas and best practices, as well as give insights to Congress on new policies. It was announced Thursday at the Smart Regions Congress in DC and is expected to formally launch with an event on Capitol Hill in early March. "Embracing smart technology will make our communities more sustainable, resilient, efficient, livable and competitive in a world in which technology is constantly advancing," Clarke and Issa wrote in their letter. More here.
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|  | Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) last week on the Democracy Now! program talking about the proposed Trump federal budget. | |  | Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) is featured in the latest issue of Elle magazine
(See Blogs for story). | |
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Lieu and Others Await Answers from Jared Kushner
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) and eight fellow members of Congress sent a second letter asking Senior White House Advisor On-All-The-Things, Jared Kushner, to explain whether he has used his position to seek financial bailouts for 666 Fifth Avenue, a property owned by Kushner Companies. The legislators first sent a letter to Kushner on December 6th that has yet to receive a response. The second request comes after reports that Special Counsel Robert Mueller is looking into whether Kushner was securing financing from foreigners for Kushner Companies during the presidential transition. “The questions we’ve been asking are pretty simple: Did he have any discussions with foreign nationals about 666 Fifth Avenue? And, if so, did he discuss anything related to helping finance, purchase, or assist with the debt on 666 Fifth Avenue. The longer we wait for a response, the more it seems like Mr. Kushner has something to hide,” the letter reads. Fellow members Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), among others, joined Lieu. See the full letter here.
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Bob Menéndez Urges EPA to Revise Lead-Based Paint Rule
Senators Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent a letter urging the EPA to revise its lead-based paint and dust-lead hazard standards, which has been a persistent health concern for decades. The letter is in response to a December 2017 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Court requiring the agency to update its current standards within 90 days. “It is widely known and accepted that lead hazards present an urgent health and safety threat to children. Lead poisoning causes significant health, neurological, behavioral, intellectual, and academic impairments,” the Senators wrote to EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “As such, we urge the EPA to take immediate action and issue a rule to update these outdated and deficient standards in order to ensure children are adequately protected against lead exposure. If the EPA fails to do so, it will be continuing to knowingly jeopardize the health of children across the nation.” The EPA’s current standards were finalized in 2001, a nine-year delay after Congress required the agency to issue standards in the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. More here.
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HUD Inspector General Officially Investigating Carson Family
The Inspector General’s office at HUD yesterday confirmed that there is an “open matter” with regard to HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and the role that his family has played at the Department. WaPo reported last month that HUD officials were worried that Carson possibly violated ethics rules by involving his family in a “listening tour” event last summer in Baltimore. Ben Carson Jr., a local businessman, was inviting potential clients to the event, giving the appearance that Carson’s family was using his position for his family’s gain. Carson had called for an IG review of the matter and Senators had also called for a more extensive review of the family’s activities. More here.
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|  | Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) on Friday visiting the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Flushing, where Father Paul Palesty is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his ordination and 20 years with St. Nicholas. | |  | Haiti President Jovenel Moïse earlier this month with Open Society Foundations President Patrick Gaspard. | |
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Kenji Price Nominated for U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai'i
Donald Trump late last week announced another wave of U.S. Attorney nominees. Among them was Kenji M. Price, who has been nominated to serve as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai'i; Price is currently the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawai'i. Prior to this position, he was a Director at Alston Hunt Floyd & Ing, where he focused on white-collar criminal defense and commercial litigation. Previously, he was a partner and of counsel at Carlsmith Ball LLP in Honolulu, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, and he clerked for Judge Kent A. Jordan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and Judge Robert B. Kugler of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. The Gonzaga grad, who earned his Juris Doctor from UPenn’s Law School, also served as an officer in the U.S. Army. More here.
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Clarence Thomas Dissents from Supreme Court Decision Not to Review California Gun Law
The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down a request from gun rights activists to examine California’s ten-day waiting period for firearm sales. This prompted Justice Clarence Thomas to file an impassioned 14-page dissent in the case. He said his colleagues are turning the Second Amendment into a “disfavored right.” Thomas was alone among the justices to note his dissent from the court’s refusal to review a ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals upholding California’s law, which is similar to one in eight other states and DC. Thomas said the 9th Circuit’s ruling was “symptomatic of the lower courts’ general failure to afford the Second Amendment the respect due” a constitutional right. “If a lower court treated another right so cavalierly, I have little doubt that this court would intervene,” Thomas wrote. “But as evidenced by our continued inaction in this area, the Second Amendment is a disfavored right in this court.” More here.
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Oregon Doctor Launches Bid for Congress
Oregon physician Dr. Jenni Neahring kicked off her campaign for Congress last week. The Democrat is seeking the nomination in Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District in an effort to unseat Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR), who lead the charge to dismantle President Barack Obama’s healthcare legislation. Neahring has worked in the medical field for nearly 30 years but no longer practices medicine full-time. She does, however, help local medical centers when needed. She said she believes the key to fixing the country's healthcare system is to lower overall costs and simplify health insurance. “Most things that we need to fix are tied back to health – not just healthcare – the ways that we’re going to work on making sure we have a robust economy, the way that we look at our infrastructure,” said Neahring. The 51-year-old Northwestern University med school graduate also said, “Talking with national healthcare leaders, including an author of the Affordable Care Act, I realized that the best way to make an impact is to run for office.” She will face Eric Burnette, Michael Byrne, Jim Crary, Raz Mason, Jamie McLeod-Skinner, Steven Cody Reynolds, and Timothy White in the May 15th primary. More here.
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ESPN's Cari Champion, Jemele Hill, and Chiney Ogwumike together last week for a special on Black athletes. | |  |
Blavity's Morgan DeBaun on Saturday with Erik Moore of Base Ventures and Uber's Bozoma Saint John. | |
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Barack and Michelle Obama Paintings Attract Record Crowds
The new paintings of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Portrait Gallery have attracted more than 72,100 visitors -- including 50,000 during the long Presidents’ Day weekend -- the first week the paintings were on display. Those numbers are three times greater than last year’s holiday weekend, which attracted 16,041 visitors. Thousands of visitors lined up for hours to see the works and snap selfies in front of them. The gallery commissioned contemporary powerhouse Kehinde Wiley and emerging star Amy Sherald to create the paintings of the former first couple. The museum prepared for the increase in visitors by creating two traffic patterns: one for guests who wanted to view the paintings and those who wanted to take pictures in front of them. On Sunday, when more than 20,000 visitors came through the doors, the line for a photo with Wiley’s portrait stretched for 90 minutes. More here.
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Miami Dolphins Player Externs for Sheila Jackson Lee
Last week, Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas externed for four days for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). Her district covers much of Houston, where Thomas went to high school. His official responsibilities ran the gamut. He scurried to the cloakroom to hand off materials and papers to other Jackson Lee staffers, drafted committee hearing memos, and wrote a one-minute speech for the House floor. His goal for the week, he said, was to make connections with multiple Capitol Hill offices and learn how he could amplify policies -- and tangible bills with real effects on real Americans -- from his platform as an NFL athlete. Thomas feels compelled to speak so vociferously against racial prejudice and advocate for criminal justice system reform for a core reason: he has lived it. His parents both received their law degrees from Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA before moving back to Mississippi -- where Thomas’ grandfather worked the sugarcane fields -- to start a law firm: Thomas & Thomas. He has been an outspoken leader in the NFL leading players-only meetings to discuss social justice issues, including kneeling for the National Anthem, with his teammates. “The experience that he is gaining on Capitol Hill will be invaluable to not only building on the work he is already doing within the community, but also in continuing the great dialogue that we have seen within locker rooms among our men who are committed to using their platform, voice and constitutional rights for good,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said in a statement. Roll Call has a lot more.
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|  | Ava DuVernay in Los Angeles at a photo shoot with WaPo photographer Marvin Joseph. | |  | Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) on Sunday in NYC speaking about the need for more affordable housing. | |
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Weinstein Deal Back on the Table as Contreras-Sweet Meets with AG
Maria Contreras-Sweet is meeting today with NY AG Eric Schneiderman as they seek a way forward on the purchase of the faltering Weinstein Co. The meeting signals that the bidders are still interested in pulling off a deal if possible. Last week, the $500 million purchase fell apart after Schneiderman’s office filed a discrimination suit alleging that the company abetted Harvey Weinstein’s sexual misconduct. The AG’s office sought wide-ranging oversight of the company, causing the bid group to balk. Schneiderman also said Contreras Sweet’s plan to establish a “victims’ fund” amounted to little more than window-dressing, and he blasted a plan to promote David Glasser, who was COO under Weinstein, to become CEO. Schneiderman alleged that Glasser was an active enabler of Weinstein’s harassment, and should not be left in charge of the new company. Glasser has since been fired. Contreras-Sweet will be joined in today’s meeting by Ron Burkle, a billionaire who is said to be putting in 20% of the equity. More here.
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Tavis Smiley Sues PBS
Tavis Smiley sued PBS on Tuesday, according to WaPo. The suit alleges that the network breached its contract and damaged his production company when it fired him in December over sexual-harassment allegations. The talk-show host has been outspoken in his denials of PBS’s accusations. PBS dropped Smiley’s late-night interview program in December after 14 years over what it said were “multiple, credible allegations” of workplace misconduct by the host. It did not spell out the accusations, but news reports said Smiley allegedly had sexual relationships with employees of his company, TS Media. Smiley has acknowledged that he had romantic relationships with colleagues over his 30-year career as a speaker, TV host and author, but that these were always consensual. He also said PBS never presented him with the names of his accusers, specific allegations, or details of an investigation into his workplace relationships that led up to his dismissal. He has vigorously defended himself in media interviews, and even staged a five-city tour last month in which he led panel discussions about workplace harassment. His suit also asserts that some of the “tension” between PBS and Smiley, who is African American, was racial in nature. “I’ve spent the bulk of my career in public media, so filing a lawsuit against PBS was the last thing I wanted to do,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “But litigation seems to be the only way to get at the truth.” More here.
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NAHJ Leadership Calls Foul on Controversial Editorial Cartoon
National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) Board President Brandon Benavides (pictured) and NAHJ members will meet with Albuquerque Journal Editor-in-Chief Karen Moss on March 5th to continue talks after fallout over a highly controversial editorial cartoon the newspaper published. In early February, the paper published a cartoon that depicted a group mugging a white couple with the caption, “Now, honey ... I believe they prefer to be called ‘Dreamers’ ... Or future Democrats.” The paper apologized for running the cartoon, but NAHJ wants assurances from its management that reporters will not be reprimanded for speaking out on social media and is calling for the creation of a newsroom diversity committee. “Our mission is to continue our dialogue with the paper’s editors to ensure fair and accurate coverage of Latinos in the community,” said Benavides. “The published cartoon did a disservice to the community and now we are coming together to ensure it does not happen again.” This isn’t the first time that the cartoon’s author, Sean Delonas -- once-called "the Picasso of prejudice” -- has gotten into hot water over his drawings; in 2009, an uproar ensued over an NYPost cartoon that some said depicted then-President Obama as a chimpanzee. More on the NAHJ meeting here.
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FCC Will Officially Kill Net Neutrality
The FCC is set to finally publish on Thursday its order overturning the Obama-era net neutrality rules. Reuters reports that the official publication in the Federal Register will start the clock on the 60-day window that Congress has to pass a resolution reversing the order; currently, a Senate measure has 50 votes, one shy of what is needed to block the reversal. Even if the Senate passes the resolution, it is likely to hit a wall on the Republican-led House. The official publication does mean that lawsuits targeting the rules’ reversal can move forward. Many are getting ready to battle FCC Chair Ajit Pai’s “Restoring Internet Freedom” order in court, including NY AG Eric Schneiderman, pro-net neutrality groups, and many internet giants who’ve come together under the Internet Association, which represents Airbnb, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and others. More here.
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NPR Names New Co-Host of Morning Edition
Noel King will join David Greene, Steve Inskeep, and Rachel Martin as the fourth host of NPR’s Morning Edition and the Up First podcast. Before coming to NPR, King was a Senior Reporter and fill-in host for Marketplace, where she investigated the causes and consequences of inequality. She spent five months embedded in a pop-up news bureau examining gentrification in an LA neighborhood and also listened in as low-income and wealthy residents of a single street in New Orleans negotiated the best way to live side-by-side. She got her start in radio when she moved to Sudan a few months after graduating from college, at the height of the Darfur conflict. She has freelanced for Voice of America based in Khartoum, and her reporting took her to Kigali, covering Rwanda's economic and social transformation, and entrenched conflicts in the the Democratic Republic of Congo. From 2011 to 2013, the Brown University graduate was based in Cairo, reporting on Egypt's uprising and its aftermath for PRI's The World, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and the BBC. “This is an opportunity to work with some of the smartest, fastest, most talented people in radio. Every day, the team at Morning Edition is on the front lines of breaking news," King said. "We live in complicated times, and I am genuinely excited to be given the chance to ask questions of leaders at the centers of power, while also shining a spotlight on ordinary people who are affected by the decisions those leaders make." Congrats! More here.
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HuffPost Names Editor-In-Chief of HuffPost India
Aman Sethi, previously an Associate Editor with the Hindustan Times, is joining HuffPost as Editor-In-Chief of HuffPost India. Sethi previously worked as the Africa Correspondent for The Hindu. His work has been published in international publications such as The Guardian, Foreign Policy, and Granta. His reportage in India and overseas has probed pressing issues such as India’s Maoist insurgency, Europe’s migrant crisis, and land grab in Africa. In India, Aman’s work spans politics, communalism, education, labor unrest, and the rural economy. Aman is also the author of the critically acclaimed non-fiction work, A Free Man. From gender to politics, HuffPost India focuses on the range of issues that audiences in India care about most. Lifestyle and entertainment will remain important areas of coverage. Born in Mumbai, Sethi studied chemistry at St. Stephen's College, Delhi before moving on to study journalism at Asian College of Journalism, Chennai and business journalism in 2008 at Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism as an Inlaks Scholar. “I look forward to working with our talented pool of reporters to produce compelling multimedia reportage on traditionally underreported subjects like the environment, healthcare, and the intersection of politics, business and technology,” he said. Aman takes his new position on April 2nd. Congrats! More here.
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GA gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Saturday with volunteers from her seventh statewide Day of Action. | |  | NV congressional candidate Steven Horsford on Saturday out on the campaign trail visiting a senior center. | |
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APAICS Announces New President & CEO
The Board of Directors of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS) has announced the appointment of Madalene Xuan-Trang Mielke as its next President and CEO, succeeding S. Floyd Mori who announced his retirement in October 2017. Mielke has spent her career working to bring diversity to the political process and mentoring candidates, elected officials, and staff across the country. The Tulane University graduate comes to APAICS from Arum Group, LLC., a political and nonprofit consulting firm that she founded in 2002. “I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to serve as APAICS’ next CEO. I look forward to working with the board and our stakeholders to highlight APAICS’ mission while expanding the organization’s platform as a resource to the AAPI community,” she said. Mielke will join APAICS in mid-March. Mori will continue to work with APAICS through its annual gala in May to ensure a smooth leadership transition. Fun fact about Mielke: she had a stint as a caterer for friends and family and is known for spontaneously hoping on a plane in search of the perfect accessory, or catching a wave while surfing. More here.
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University of Chicago Announces 2018 Pritzker Fellows
The University of Chicago Institute of Politics has announced its spring quarter 2018 Pritzker Fellows. Among them is Dr. Nneka Jones-Tapia, the Executive Director of the Cook County Department of Corrections. Prior to her current position, Dr. Jones Tapia served as the First Assistant Executive Director of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, where she oversaw mental health strategy at the Cook County Jail, and developed the Mental Health Transition Center to build a support system for the successful reentry of mentally ill inmates into the community, as well as several programs geared toward increased health in the inmate population. Prior to joining the Sheriff’s Office, Dr. Jones-Tapia worked as the Chief Psychologist at Cermak Health Services, where she developed and chaired numerous mental health programs and committees and advised the Cook County DOC on mental health-related issues. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill grad earned her Master’s in clinical psychology from East Carolina University and her Doctorate of psychology from the Virginia Consortium Program in Clinical Psychology. Jones-Tapia will be joined by Dawn Turner -- a former Columnist and Reporter for the Chicago Tribune. In 2008, Turner created the Tribune's Exploring Race blog. She has also written commentary for NPR’s Morning Edition as well as for television in Chicago, and was a regular analyst on NPR’s Talk of the Nation. She is the author of two novels, Only Twice I’ve Wished for Heaven and An Eighth of August, and is a recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. She’s now adapting Only Twice as a television miniseries. Other Fellows include former New Hampshire Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte; Vladimir Kara-Murza, Chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom and Vice Chair of Open Russia; Gerrit Lansing, former Chief Digital Officer for the White House; Matt Lewis, Senior Columnist at The Daily Beast, Mark Murray, Senior Political Editor at NBC News, and former Virginia Democratic Congressman Tom Perriello. Congrats, all! More here.
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|  | The Ford Foundation's Darren Walker (second from left) on Saturday with friends in South Carolina to see Black Panther. | |  | Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility's Cid Wilson with former LULAC CEO Brent Wilkes last week at LULAC's legislative conference and awards gala in DC. | |
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HUD Backs Down on Challenge to Low-Income Family Housing Rule
Secretary Dr. Ben Carson’s HUD has finally agreed to allow an Obama-era rule that helps low-income families find housing to go forward after initially attempting to delay the new regulation. HUD had tried to delay the rule for two years but will move forward with its implementation after a judge ruled in favor of civil rights groups -- including the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and NAACP LDF, among others -- challenging the delay. The Small Area Fair Market Rule increases the amount of money the government would pay for voucher-holders to rent homes in high-opportunity areas. Sherrilyn Ifill, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP LDF said, “HUD must not delay restoring the Housing Choice Voucher program and we will continue to hold the Administration accountable. Blacks, Latinos and low-income Americans have an equal right to economic prosperity including the ability to choose where to live.” More here.
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Ro Khanna Joins Tim Ryan for Venture Capitalists Tour
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) is joining Congressman Tim Ryan (D-OH), who is leading a delegation of venture capitalists on a tour of heartland cities, kicking off today in Youngstown, OH. The purpose is to learn what it will take to get more investment flowing to companies in these cities. Other stops on the tour include Akron, OH; Detroit and Flint, MI; and South Bend, IN. The group will meet with local businesspeople, elected officials, and business incubators in each city with the goal of having venture capitalists learn about the startup activity and investment opportunities outside the coasts. Together, these venture capitalist firms make more than $14 billion in investments. Some companies their funds have backed include SpaceX, Airbnb, Uber, Alibaba, Spotify, Facebook, Flexport, Zendesk, Twitter, and Snap. More here.
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Philly Drops Criminal Marijuana Charges
Philadelphia's newly elected District Attorney Larry Krasner announced Thursday that he would drop any marijuana possession cases brought to the court by the police. "We are going to tell them, yes, drop any cases that are simply marijuana possession," he said. In 2014, Philadelphia became the country’s largest city to remove criminal penalties for possession of less than 30 grams of the plant and up to 8 grams of hash. Arrests dropped by an estimated 10,000, saving the city millions of dollars. A key factor cited in support of the shift was reducing the racial disparity in marijuana arrests. However, Black adults in Pennsylvania were still eight times more likely than white adults to be arrested for marijuana possession in 2016, according to an analysis by the ACLU. The data also shows that marijuana use is essentially equal across races. Krasner said that 90% of instances of possession now result in a citation. More here.
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| FOMO Today, 11A: Dialogue on Diversity's tenth annual colloquium exploring the past, present, and future of the internet: “INTERNET, DATA, & PRIVACY COLLOQUIUM LAW AND TECHNOLOGY: PATHS TOWARD A HUMANE SOCIETY.” The Raben Group, 1341 G Street. N.W., 5th Floor. Click here to register.
Today, 12P: The Aspen Institute Latinos and Society Program and the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program sponsor “Drivers of Opportunity: How Will Latinos Shape the Future of the American Dream.” The Aspen Institute, 2300 N Street N.W., #700. Click here for more information and to register.
Today - Friday, February 23rd: The NFL, along with Morehouse College and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE), hosts 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.
Saturday, February 24th: The Association for the Study of African American Life and History hosts the 92nd Annual Black History Month Luncheon. Washington Renaissance Hotel, 999 9th Street, N.W. Click here for more information and to register.
Tuesday, February 27th: Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) co-hosts the Second Annual HBCU Fly-in: “Advancing Opportunity and Entrepreneurship.” House Administration Committee, Room 1310 Longworth HOB. Open to press. RSVP by emailing Scott_Press@scott.senate.gov.
Tuesday, February 27th, 10A: Former AG Eric Holder will sit down for a wide-ranging interview with Jonathan Capehart for his podcast, "Cape Up." Free. Click here to register. Wednesday, February 28th, 7:30P: The Annual Poynter Lecture presents Racial Justice & Religion in the Public Sphere, an evening with Joshua DuBois, sponsored by the Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars. Kay Spiritual Life Center, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W.
Thursday, March 1st, 6P: The Multicultural Media Correspondents Association launch reception, and the unveiling of AKUAREL the first-ever multicultural media stakeholder directory. Soul Hollywood, Los Angeles. Click here to RSVP.
Tuesday, March 6th, 12P: A lunch and reception honoring CA Attorney General Xavier Becerra. The City Club, South Flower Avenue, 51st. Floor, Los Angeles. RSVP to Elizabeth Tauro, 310.795.3977 or etauro@capstratca.com, or click here to RSVP online.
Tuesday, March 6th, 7P: The Brown Institute for Media Innovation at Stanford University welcomes NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet as their third Media Innovator Series Speaker for 2017-2018. Free. Click here for more information and to register.
Friday, March 9th - Saturday, March 10th: The Progressive Caucus Center hosts the 2018 Strategy Summit. Baltimore, MD. Click here to register.
Tuesday, March 13th, 7P: The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials presents Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) with the 2018 Edward R. Roybal Award for Outstanding Public Service during the organization’s annual Edward R. Roybal Legacy Gala in DC. JW Marriott, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, March 14th, 9A: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute sponsors the CHCI Energy Summit: A World in Transition. Newseum, 5 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, March 14th - Sunday, March 18th: The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation 7th Annual Black Women’s Roundtable Women of Power National Summit: Time for A Power Shift!!! Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Friday, March 16th, 6P: The Greater Washington Urban League celebrates its 80th anniversary at the 46th annual Whitney M. Young, Jr. Gala. Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) will receive the COURAGE UNDER FIRE Impact Leadership Award. Congressman Lewis will also be interviewed by retired AMEX CEO Ken Chenault in a live, one-on-one discussion. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Thursday, March 22nd - Sunday, March 25th: The National Hispanic Medical Association 22nd Annual Conference, "Conquistando el Futuro: Clinicians Leading Latino Health Care.” Gaylord National, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD. Click here for more information and to register. Congressional staffers or federal government workers: email pmontenegro@nhmamd.org for a discount code.
Thursday, April 12th - Sunday, April 15th: The inaugural Black Millennial Political Convention. The gathering aims to increase engagement of Black Millennials in the political sphere and shed a light on policy issues impacting the Black community. Hyatt Regency Hotel.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Wednesday, April 18th, 6P: The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) 2018 Gala and Awards. Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. To purchase tickets, contact Heaven Ocampo, hocampo@maldef.org or 213.629.2512 ext. 143.
Wednesday, April 18th - Saturday, April 21st: The National Action Network hosts its annual conference, this year commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Sheraton Times Square, NYC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, April 19th: The University of North Dakota sponsors a conference on the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Standing Rock protests. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, April 25th - Friday, April 27th: The African American Mayor Association 2018 Annual Conference. DoubleTree Hotel, 300 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA. Click here to purchase tickets.
Saturday, July 7th - Tuesday, July 10th: The 2018 UnidosUS annual conference, DC. Click here for more information and to register.
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