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- Lawsuit filed against Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX).
- Justice Democrats target Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX).
- New org to increase voting for Indian Americans.
- Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) wants Interior to stop calling furloughed employees back to work.
- Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) fights to end sex and drug trafficking.
- Goldman Sachs names new foundation President.
- Catch The Beat DC’s Tiffany D. Cross on Meet the Press Daily on Monday at 5P EST.
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Radio personality Sway and The Daily Show’s Jaboukie Young-White on Tuesday at SiriusXM studios in NYC. | |  |
MSNBC’s Mariana Atencio covering Julián Castro’s official presidential announcement in San Antonio over the weekend. | |
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to Teach Dems Twitter 101
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) achieved Twitter stardom not just from her interactive videos and engaging social media presence, but also by weaving in policy that resonated with her constituents and beyond. Now, she’s hoping to teach her fellow Dems how to better engage Twitter. The House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee is hosting a session this morning with her, CT Congressman Jim Himes, representatives from Twitter, and the House Administration Committee. She will focus “on the most effective ways to engage constituents on Twitter and the importance of digital storytelling." Ocasio-Cortez has turned her engagement on Twitter into 2.42 million followers and counting. The class comes as the Congresswoman just delivered her first floor speech Wednesday evening. “It's not normal to shutdown the government when we don’t get what we want,' she said. “The truth of this shutdown is that it's actually not about a wall. The truth is, this shutdown is about the erosion of American democracy and the subversion of our most basic governmental norms.” Watch the full speech here.
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Maxine Waters Meets with CBS After Network Reveals 2020 Election Team Without Any Black Reporters
Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) met with CBS executives on Tuesday after she tweeted criticism over the network’s lack of a single Black correspondent or producer on their 2020 election coverage team -- which was made up of eight reporters and four associate producers. The staffing announcement was met with widespread criticism from journalists, civil rights leaders, and members of Congress. “CBS, the efforts on your website about your support for diversity fly in the face of your display of all of the reporters you've selected for the 2020 campaign. Not one Black. What's up with this? An explanation is needed,” Waters tweeted on Monday. On Tuesday, she met with CBS VP of News and Executive Director of Staff Development and Diversity, Kim Goodwin, and CBS VP and Washington Bureau Chief, Christopher Isham. “The CBS representatives accepted full responsibility and understood the troubling optics-- and subsequent public backlash -- that occurred as a result of the rollout of their 2020 presidential election team,” Waters said in a statement after the meeting. “CBS admitted that the initial 2020 campaign team did not reflect the diversity that the company had committed to; assured me that it will not happen again.” She says the executives told her that in the coming months, they will unveil a more diverse and inclusive slate of African American journalists and journalists from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. “I will hold CBS accountable to their diversity and inclusion commitments. In addition, I will work with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for continued engagement and follow up on diversity and inclusion at CBS and all that they have agreed to,” Waters said. More here.
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Lawsuit Filed Against Sheila Jackson Lee for Alleged Retaliation
A former staffer for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) has filed a lawsuit claiming that the Congresswoman fired her in retaliation for legal measures she was getting ready to take against a former employee of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) for an alleged sexual assault. The woman alleges that Damien Jones, a former Intern Coordinator for the CBCF, raped her in October 2015 when she was a 19-year-old intern. She declined to press charges at the time, but years later changed her mind. She says she went to Jackson Lee’s Chief of Staff, Glenn Rushing, in early 2018 of her plans. The unnamed staffer, Jane Doe, asked to speak with Jackson Lee -- whom she was working for when she decided to file suit -- but was not given a meeting and was fired weeks later, allegedly in retaliation. The TX Congresswoman is Chair of the Board for the CBCF. “We had nothing to do with any of the actions that have been cited and the person was not wrongfully terminated,” Rushing told BuzzFeed; Jane Doe was told she was being let go for budget reasons. BuzzFeed reports that the woman said she reported the alleged rape to police and told several people at the time, including Congresswoman Terri Sewell (D-AL). Sewell reportedly called Jane Doe’s mother without Jane Doe’s permission to alert her that something had happened; Sewell and Jane Doe’s mother are related, according to the complaint. Jane Doe also said she met with representatives of the CBCF in November 2015. The lawsuit includes claims against Jackson Lee and the CBCF. More here.
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The View’s Sunny Hostin on-set on Tuesday celebrating the Founder’s Day of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. | |  |
IL Treasurer Michael Frerichs with Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) on Monday at the Illinois state inauguration. | |
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Raúl Grijalva Tells Interior to Stop Bringing Furloughed Employees Back to Work
Congressman Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) asked the Interior Department to stop bringing back employees who were furloughed during the government shutdown to work on sales of land for oil and gas drilling purposes in the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter sent on Wednesday to Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, he called the move "an outrageous step." The House Natural Resources Committee, of which Grijalva is Chair, learned that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management had changed its contingency plan on January 8th to allow employees to continue working on seismic permits, upcoming offshore lease sales, and the five-year offshore oil and gas leasing program. "We urge you to reverse these actions immediately and prioritize health, safety and the protection of natural resources over the needs of the oil and gas industry," Grijalva wrote. "If you refuse, we insist that you come to Capitol Hill this week for a detailed briefing providing the legal justification for what appears to be a violation of the Antideficiency Act, and providing information on where the funding for these activities is coming from, how it is being spent, and what the consequences are of spending that funding during the shutdown." The Antideficiency Act prohibits "accepting voluntary services for the United States, or employing personal services not authorized by law." More here.
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Rubén Gallego Intros Bill that Could Ban U.S. Tech Exports to Some Chinese Telecoms
Congressman Rubén Gallego (D-AZ) on Tuesday introduced bipartisan legislation to direct the president to impose denial orders banning the export of U.S. parts and components to Chinese telecommunications companies that are in violation of U.S. export control or sanctions laws. The legislation follows the news that Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s chief financial officer, was arrested last month in Canada at the request of U.S. prosecutors on charges of violating U.S. sanctions. The Telecommunications Denial Order Enforcement Act would require the White House to report to Congress on Chinese companies that are in violation of sanctions or export controls, and to impose strict restrictions banning violators from participating in any way in any transaction involving any commodity, software or technology exported or to be exported from the U.S. that is subject to the Export Administration Regulations. The bill also would ensure that penalties are not removed until violators have shown a pattern of compliance for at least one year, and would prohibit Executive branch officials, except for the president, from altering sanctions. “Huawei and ZTE’s actions to systematically undermine U.S. and allied cybersecurity show that Beijing does not wish to be part of the rules based system, but rather to break it,” Gallego said. He is joined in introducing the bicameral bill by Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). More here.
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Juan Vargas Fights to End Sex and Drug Trafficking
Online marketplaces have become a major platform to buy, sell, and advertise for illicit goods and services associated with sex and drug trafficking. Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) want to know more about how virtual currencies and online marketplaces are used to facilitate sex or drug trafficking. The pair introduced the bipartisan Fight Illicit Networks and Detect (FIND) Trafficking Act. This bill would require the Comptroller General of the U.S. to fully study and analyze the issue and determine how to best impede the use of virtual currencies and online marketplaces for that purpose. “The anonymity behind virtual currencies has made them a preferred payment method to carry out harmful and illegal activities,” said Vargas. “Congress must understand the full extent of how virtual currencies are being used to facilitate drug and sex trafficking and propose legislative solutions to fight these crimes.” More here.
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Congresswoman Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) on Wednesday standing in solidarity with LA teachers who went on strike this week. | |  |
WA State Rep. Debra Lekanoff (D), the first Native American woman to be elected to the state’s House of Representatives, in traditional Tlingit garments at her swearing-in this week. | |
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Justice Democrats Target Henry Cuellar
Justice Democrats, the group that helped engineer Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) path to Capitol Hill, is targeting Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX). The group believes the anti-abortion centrist earned a spot in their crosshairs. He votes with Trump more than 60% of the time and is against Medicare for All. And party loyalty is something neither side can tout. Cuellar supported an incumbent House Republican over a Democrat in the 2018 midterm races and has previously sided with the GOP on immigration. “An outside group thinks they know south Texas politics better than I do, I think [they’re] going to find out,” Cuellar said to Politico. “My district, I’ve polled it and polled it and they are moderate and conservative Democrats.” Ocasio-Cortez and her team have tried to create distance between the 29-year-old Congresswoman and Justice Democrats. They claim they are not involved in the group’s plans to mount primaries against incumbent Democrats it deems too moderate. But two of Justice Democrats' Founders, Saikat Chakrabarti and Corbin Trent, are senior staffers in her office. And Chakrabarti, her Chief of Staff, just resigned from the board of Justice Democrats this week. More here.
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Organization Elevating Indian American Voters Launches
A new organization aimed at increasing the participation of Indian Americans in voting and the civic process has launched. The Voice of Indian American (VIA) Voters, a non-partisan platform for the community, will organize informational seminars and host debates for candidates seeking to represent areas with large Indian American populations, in order to better inform voters. Based in Chicago, VIA Voters is aiming to create a national list of Indian Americans and start local chapters in cities that have a sizable Indian population like New Jersey, New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles. The founding members of the group are Sanjjeev Singh, Dr. Anuja Gupta, and Dr. Bharat Barai. "As a community we need to be more involved in the voting process. The time has come to engage more seriously in our civic responsibility in keeping with our economic & social success" said Barai. AAPI Data found that of the AAPI candidates who ran for Congress in the 2018 midterms, 30 (38%) were Indian American, more than any other AAPI subgroup. More here.
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Congressman Antonio Delgado (D-NY) with his mom, Thelma P. Hill, in the late 1970's in NYC. | |  |
Vrindavan Gabbard and her older sister, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), in the 1980’s. | |
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Goldman Sachs Names Global Head of Corporate Engagement, President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation
Goldman Sachs has named Asahi Pompey Global Head of Corporate Engagement and President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. In her new role, she’ll serve as primary liaison with nonprofit organizations around the world, and identify new opportunities to partner with nonprofits and other service organizations. Pompey most recently served as the Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, where she oversaw the firm's existing philanthropic initiatives, including 10,000 Women, 10,000 Small Businesses, Goldman Sachs Gives, and Community TeamWorks. She also worked there as a Co-Chief Compliance Officer of Goldman and Global Head of Investment Banking Division Compliance. Prior to that, the Guyana native worked as Senior Corporate Counsel at Pfizer and as Counsel at The Economist. The Swarthmore College graduate, who earned her law degree at Columbia University, began her career as an Associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in NYC. More about her here.
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UTA Names Head of Newly Launched Culture and Leadership Division
United Talent Agency (UTA) has hired Darnell Strom to lead their newly created Culture and Leadership division. In his new role, he’ll represent and work with clients who want to grow their cultural influence and business in the diversity space, spanning the fields of entertainment, media, entrepreneurship, politics, the arts, and thought leadership. Strom was most recently an agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), where his clients included former VP Joe Biden, Malala Yousafzai, Gayle King, will.i.am, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Jeff Gordon, and Chad Hurley, among others. While there, Strom struck major talent partnerships with top global brands including Google, YouTube, Target, Red Bull, Salesforce, and Samsung. Prior to joining CAA, he worked with former President Bill Clinton, where he served as Millennial Network Director and helped launch the Clinton Millennium Network -- engaging the next generation of leaders, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs. Strom has also served on GQ's Gentlemen's Fund Advisory Committee and former President Barack Obama's White House Entertainment Council. The 2004 Florida A&M University graduate began his career in politics and public service as Director of the Chairman’s Office at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. “Some of the most impactful artists, authors, thought leaders, change makers and entrepreneurs have harnessed the power of this new landscape to connect and create big, bold, brave ideas,” said Strom. “UTA’s incredible infrastructure across all mediums and its holistic approach to representation will serve as a creative hub for these leading voices.” More here.
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Offensive Security Appoints New CEO
Ning Wang has been named the new CEO of Offensive Security, a cybersecurity training business that trains hackers. She most recently served as COO and CFO at HackerOne, where she played an instrumental role in growing adoption of its hacker-powered security platform. The bilingual exec -- who is fluent in English and Chinese -- was previously an SVP at Hewlett-Packard. Wang’s professional history includes several C-Suite positions, including as CFO at Eucalyptus -- an open-source computer software for building Amazon Web Services -- and as CFO, CTO, and later on COO of Lynda.com, an online learning platform. The 1984 Peking University graduate, who earned her Doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley, began her career at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. “For companies to best protect and defend themselves, they need to work with well-trained security professionals capable of doing their jobs with the same offensive, ‘try-harder’ mindset,” Wang said. “The opportunity to join Offensive Security is unique not only because of the impact we can make on closing the talent gap, but also because of its tremendous brand in the community, the shared values of the founders and the commitment of its team to our students’ success.” More here.
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Martin Luther King III and former BET CEO Debra Lee at a dinner on Tuesday in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday. | |  |
CNN’s MJ Lee and WaPo’s Michelle Ye Hee Lee in DC on Tuesday. | |
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Environmental Movement Getting Less Diverse
Leadership among environmental groups remain overwhelmingly white, according to Green 2.0 -- an independent advocacy campaign to increase diversity among environmental groups. New data on the environmental movement’s top 40 NGOs and top 40 foundations showed leadership within these organizations are trending in the wrong direction when it comes to diversity. The most striking disparity? Among senior staff positions at foundations, from 2017 to 2018, the number of people of color fell from 33% to just 4%. Meanwhile, the proportion of white senior staff at foundations rose from 67% to 96%. Environmental groups showed small gains -- the number of senior staff of color rose from 14% to 21%. However, but the racial diversity of full-time staff and board members fell. “For the past five years, we’ve been working to ensure that the environmental movement and its leaders reflect the current U.S. workforce demographics,” said Whitney Tome, Executive Director of Green 2.0. “Communities of color bring to bear experience and perspective on both problems and pathways to power building. As an organization, we plan to take a more aggressive approach to calling out the environmental movement for their lack of diversity. This is just the beginning. Environmental groups are now on notice.” More here.
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Harvard Institute of Politics Names Spring 2019 Fellows
The Harvard Institute of Politics has named its Spring 2019 Fellows, who will lead an eight-week, not-for-credit study group on a particular subject according to their experience, interests, and expertise. Among the new Fellows is Andrew Gillum, the former Mayor of Tallahassee, FL and the 2018 FL Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Prior to becoming Mayor, the Florida A&M graduate was elected to the Tallahassee City Commission at age 23 -- the youngest person elected in the city’s history. Former FL Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo represented Florida's 26th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019. The 2003 University of Miami grad earned his Master’s in 2011. He was also recently named a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Aisha Moodie-Mills is the former President and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund and Institute, where she was the first Black woman to lead a national LGBTQ organization. The two-time University of Maryland graduate previously served as the Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC. The Institute also named their Visiting Fellows, and among them is Michael Nutter, who served as Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016. Prior to that, the 1979 UPenn grad spent almost 15 years on the Philadelphia City Council. Nutter and former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu recently launched Cities United, an initiative dedicated to creating partnerships between cities, nonprofits, and others to combat violence and crime among African American men and boys. Other Resident Fellows include former VA Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, former Ambassador Catherine Russell, and CNN’s Michael Zeldin, and the Visiting Fellows include Landrieu, former ND Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and former National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn. More here.
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RAICES Adds Chief Advocacy Officer
Erika Andiola has joined RAICES -- a nonprofit agency that promotes justice by providing free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees, as their new Chief Advocacy Officer. She will head the Advocacy Department, where her team will work on media relations, social media, video, internal communications, and public policy/advocacy. Andiola, who is a “Dreamer,” was most recently the Political Director of Our Revolution. Prior to that, the Arizona State University graduate was the Press Secretary for Latino Outreach for the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign and a congressional staffer for then-AZ Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema. She co-founded the Dream Action Coalition and the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, and served on the National Coordinating Committee and the Board of Directors for the United We Dream Network. “Now more than ever, we need the voice of RAICES to be lifted up in the current conversation. The organization has worked with hundreds of migrants, undocumented folks, and refugees and needs to play a central role in showing the American people what is the REAL crisis happening in this country,” she told the Luz Collective. More here.
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Stockton, CA Mayor Michael Tubbs with newly sworn-in Councilmember Sol Jobrack and his wife, Jessica Jobrack, on Tuesday in CA. | |  |
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and WaPo’s Jonathan Capehart before Harris’ book event at George Washington University last week. | |
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Philadelphia Inquirer Names Deputy Business Editor
Lison Joseph has joined the Philadelphia Inquirer as the Deputy Business Editor. He was previously an Assistant Business Editor at the Dallas Morning News where he and his business team covered statewide issues such as energy, real estate and the economy, and airline industry giants Southwest and American Airlines. Prior to that, Joseph was an Enterprise Editor at LNP Media Group (formerly Lancaster Newspapers) where he covered business, health care, education, politics, technology, agriculture, and the environment. He’s also worked for The Economic Times, Daily News & Analysis, The Times of India, and Mint -- a daily business newspaper published by the owner of the Hindustan Times and in collaboration with the Wall Street Journal. The multilingual native of India -- who is fluent in English, Hindi, and Malayalam -- is also a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. Joseph graduated from Mahatma Gandhi University in 2001 and earned his Master’s from the University of Notre Dame. More here.
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Thrillist Adds Senior Travel Editor
Thrillist, an online media website covering food, drink, travel, and entertainment, has had added Joseph Hernández as Senior Travel Editor. In his new role, he’ll cover lifestyle content falling in the category of the travel industry, airlines/cruises/transportation, food, wine, and travel deals. Hernández was most recently the Deputy Food Editor for the Chicago Tribune, where he helped shape the coverage of Chicago's restaurant scene, including breaking news, recipe writing and development, wine, beverage, and travel. He also worked there as a Features Reporter and Video Producer. Before that, he was the Senior Associate Digital Editor for The Wine Enthusiast, worked as a Cookbook Assistant to celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, and was a retail manager and bartender for a boutique Brooklyn wine shop and bar. The 2009 Columbia College Chicago graduate is also a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. More about him here.
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Roll Call Adds Senior Video Producer
Jinitzail Hernández has joined Roll Call as a Senior Video Producer. She most recently worked at Sightline Media Group as a Fellow where she reported on military structure and technology. Prior to that, she served as the Floor Director for WGN-TV in Chicago, where she supervised the news stage and also worked Assistant Director. The bilingual journalist -- who is fluent in English and Spanish -- has also worked for NBC Telemundo, Medialine, Cornwell Casting, and Telepictures. The 2010 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign graduate earned her Master’s at Northwestern University. More about her here.
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| FOMO Friday, January 18th, 9A–3P: The Indigenous Peoples Movement hosts the Indigenous Peoples March to bring awareness to the injustices affecting Indigenous men, women, and children. DC. Click here for more information.
Sunday, January 20th, 10A: "MLK Shabbat: Visions of Freedom and Justice," a service featuring the Sixth & I chorus and the choirs from Turner Memorial AME Church and Metropolitan AME Church, commemorating the spirit and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. 7201 16th Pl, Hyattsville, MD. Click here for more information.
Monday, January 21st, 8:30A: National Action Network’s 2019 Dr. King Day breakfast. Mayflower Hotel, 1127 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, January 24th - Friday, January 25th: The Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the National Congress of the American Indians, and the Tohono O’odham Nation host the Tribal Border Summit. Pascua Yaqui Casino Del Sol Resort Conference Center, 5655 W Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, January 30th, 3:30P: "New Chiefs of Staff Empower Hour." Join new Chiefs as they share their paths to Capitol Hill and give tips on how you can start preparing for senior roles in 2020. Location provided upon RSVP. Click here for more information.
Thursday, February 7th, 12-6P: Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) will host the first annual Dominicans on the Hill, a day at the U.S. Capitol where Dominican Americans from communities around the nation will attend workshops on issues ranging from immigration, education and the workforce, the U.S. economy, and trade. DC. Click here for more information.
Saturday, February 16th: The Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s 93rd Annual Black History Luncheon. Washington Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, February 21st – Sunday, February 24th: The Power Rising Summit, a space for Black women to turn their power into action and create an actionable agenda. Hyatt Regency New Orleans, 601 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, LA. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, February 27th - Saturday, March 1st: Black Women Talk Tech presents the 3rd annual Roadmap to Billions 2019 Conference, the only annual tech conference created exclusively by Black women founders for Black female founders and their supporters. Union West, 535 West 28th Street, New York, NY. Click here for more information.
Thursday, February 28th - Sunday, March 3rd: The Women of Power Summit, a professional leadership conference designed especially for executive women of color. Confirmed speakers include Valerie Jarrett, Stacey Abrams, and Merary Simeon, Diversity Vice President, Pepsico, among others. The Mirage, 3400 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV. Click here for more information.
Friday, March 8th - Sunday, March 17th: SXSW 2019. Featured speakers include Co-Founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Priscilla Chan; Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY); Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI); and Endeavor's Bozoma Saint John, among others. Austin, TX. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, May 14th: APAICS 25th Anniversary Awards Gala Dinner to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. The evening honors Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders, both current and pioneers, and recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that continue to politically empower the AAPI community. 1000 H Street, N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
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