Black lawmakers head to Silicon Valley today to talk workforce diversity
Black lawmakers head to Silicon Valley today to talk workforce diversity
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April 30, 2018
Marco Rubio Wants to Intercept Violence at Schools, Black Mayors Name New President, and Ajit Pai Says No
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Even with Congress in recess, it’s just another manic Monday. Donald Trump is tweeting his disdain for the weekend’s White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner after comedian Michelle Wolf delivered a stinging monologue on Saturday night. He’s also tweeting about his pending meeting with North Korean President Kim Jong-un. In the latest in diplomatic developments, the South Korean government said on Sunday that Kim Jong-un told President Moon Jae-in that he would abandon his nuclear weapons if the U.S. agreed to formally end the Korean War and promise not to invade his country. Meanwhile, Trump officials are speaking cautiously about the chances of reaching a deal and laid out a plan for the dismantling of the North’s nuclear program, perhaps over a two-year period. What does the hawkish National Security Advisor John Bolton see as a model for peacefully ending a hostile dictatorial state’s nuclear program? The disarming of Libya 15 years ago. And newly sworn-in Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says, “This administration has its eyes wide open. We know the history. We know the risks. ... We’re going to negotiate in a different way than has been done before." In campaign news, former George W. Bush ethics lawyer Richard Painter is expected to announce his run for Senate in Minnesota at a news conference today -- as a Democrat. Painter will challenge Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), who was appointed to former Senator Al Franken's seat after he resigned in January following sexual harassment allegations. In job vacancy news, the president may need a new doctor. According to reports, Ronny Jackson is returning to the White House, but not as 45’s personal physician. But the more important vacancy: someone to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs. By the way, Mr. President, what are the secrets you referenced when openly threatening Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)? Will you tell us during today’s press conference with President Buhari of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? In the telecom space, T-Mobile’s newly announced proposed merger with Sprint would create a new national wireless giant. The combined company, which would be called T-Mobile, would cover about 100 million customers. Sooo … outside of the policy implications, what does this mean for those cell phone bills? Lastly, want to party with Cardi? Sasha Obama did. Meanwhile, dad was partying with Oprah, Tom Hanks, and Rita Wilson for the couple’s 30th wedding anniversary party. We’re kicking off the week with this...
  • Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) intros a bill aimed at intercepting violence in schools.
  • Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) wants to broaden the pool of those who make money moves and pushes to makes pardons more transparent.
  • Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) “severely admonished” by Senate colleagues and must pay back gifts from FL eye doctor.
  • CBC members head back to Silicon Valley to fight for more diversity in tech.
  • Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) know that the rent is too damn high and wrote to HUD Secretary Ben Carson to tell him so.
  • Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) asked to find House Chaplain replacement.
  • Bipartisan group of lawmakers intros legislation to boost medical cannabis research.
  • Diamond and Silk meet Hank and Hakeem.
  • Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA) has a bipartisan proposal to leverage telehealth to increase access to opioid treatment.
  • Bipartisan group of Senators pushes back on the admin’s attempts to force. Medicaid work requirements on Native Americans
  • California state Treasurer John Chiang (D) hits the airwaves in CA gubernatorial race.
  • First Black Mayor in MA ends his bid to become the state’s second Black Governor.
  • The Intercept hires a Politics editor to cover the “Dem Identity Crisis.”
  • Senate Dems push FCC’s Ajit Pai to hold on media ownership changes, but he’s already saying no.
  • African American Mayors Association names a new President.
  • Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló joins a coalition of other state executives in the first Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium.
  • Hillman Foundation announces its 2018 Prize winners.
  • Be sure to catch The Beat DC's Tiffany D. Cross when she joins our tocayos over at Ari Melber's The Beat today during the 6P hour on MSNBC.
John Legend and GA gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams at the Kiehls ‘Made Better’ launch party in Brooklyn, NY on Friday.
Members Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA) and Jimmy Gomez (D-CA) congratulating Congressman Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), the new Ranking Member of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian, Insular, and Alaska Native Affairs.
Marco Rubio Intros Bill Aimed at Intercepting Violence at Schools
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)
was joined by Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Bill Nelson (D-FL), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) in introducing the EAGLES Act -- legislation that would expand the U.S. Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center to help communities proactively mitigate threats of violence at schools. “To prevent future tragedies like Parkland, a multi-pronged approach is needed to ensure that threats do not fall through the cracks. By providing funding to the National Threat Assessment Center, top-notch research to stop school violence will help prevent future tragedies. This bill will also expand threat assessment programs so that more school districts can be trained to identify threats and properly intervene,” Rubio said. Since 2002, Secret Service has conducted 444 training operations to 93,000 school administrators, teachers, counselors, mental health professionals, school resource officers, and other public safety partners. The EAGLES Act reauthorizes and expands NTAC, allowing it to scale its threat assessment operations, with a particular focus on school safety. The bill establishes a national program on targeted school violence prevention and provides additional resources to expand research and training on a national scale. The bill also requires Secret Service to develop an expansion plan and to provide periodic progress reports to Congress. More here.
Catherine Cortez Masto Wants More Transparency on Presidential Pardons
Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced the Abuse of the Pardon Prevention Act -- legislation that will add transparency and accountability to the pardon process in cases involving investigations of the president or his relatives. “I am deeply troubled by indications that President Trump may use his pardon powers as a tool to obstruct justice or derail ongoing investigations against his campaign, businesses and personal associations,” said Cortez Masto. “This bill would give Congress and the public the ability and opportunity to assess whether the pardon power has been exercised appropriately, or in the self-interest of the President and his family.” In the event a president pardons someone in connection with an investigation in which the president or one of his family members is a target, subject, or witness, the Justice Department would be required to provide all records of the investigation to the appropriate congressional committees within 30 days. The creation of this mandatory disclosure requirement would create a disincentive for any president who wishes to use the pardon power as an instrument of obstruction in an ongoing investigation. It ensures Congress has the opportunity to assess whether there may have been a conflict of interest or other impropriety involved in granting any pardon issued in a case in which the president or his family is directly involved. The move by the two Senators follows a similar companion bill filed in the House last week by Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA). More here.
Emanuel Cleaver Tasked to Find House Chaplain Replacement
Congressman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
, a United Methodist Pastor, has been tasked with finding a replacement for Reverend Patrick Conroy, the Jesuit priest who had served as House Chaplain for the last seven years. Congressman Doug Collins (R-GA) has been tapped to lead the search on the GOP’s side. Cleaver, a Methodist minister, will have to navigate the politics surrounding Conroy’s ousting -- House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) angered members on both sides of the aisle after he forced the resignation of the House Chaplain. But Cleaver called that an “excuse” and, according to WaPo, suggested that frictions between Conroy and conservative evangelical House members could be to blame: “That is a fact. I don’t think that is some kind of an unreasonable way of diagnosing what has happened ... This is ugly,” Cleaver added. “There’s only division coming out of this. Not anything positive.” More here.
Harris and Feinstein Urge Ben Carson to Reconsider Raising Rent
Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA)
and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) penned a letter to HUD Secretary Ben Carson last week expressing deep concerns on his proposal to raise rent for low-income Americans receiving federal housing assistance. The proposal, the Making Affordable Housing Work Act, would triple the minimum monthly rent families must pay in addition requiring residents to work, as well as verifying tenants’ incomes every three years rather than annually. Harris and Feinstein argue that increasing housing would leave even more low-income people without stable housing, making it harder for them to achieve upward economic mobility, and live with dignity. “If we begin to cut access to critical resources like the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, even more low-income individuals and families would be homeless, living in substandard or overcrowded conditions, or struggling to meet other basic needs because too much of their limited income would go toward paying rent,” the letter reads. The Senators also requested, in the letter, answers from Carson and HUD on the basis of the proposal, a sensitivity analysis that was conducted, and how this will specifically benefit low-income California families. More here
VA Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and producer of Netflix's One Day at a Time, Gloria Calderon Kellett, at the White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch on Saturday.
Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) visiting Starbucks in San Jose, CA for his Sunday community office hours event.
CBC Members Head to the Valley
Congressional Black Caucus Members Barbara Lee (D-CA), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), and Maxine Waters (D-CA) are heading to Silicon Valley today to push the titans of tech on increasing workforce diversity. The members will meet with several companies in the region to specifically ask how companies can better recruit and retain Black employees in tech, who make up less than 3% of employees at 21 of the top tech companies. The group is looking for an update on how tech companies are doing since the CBC created the taskforce Tech2020 in 2015 to increase Black representation at all levels of tech employment, from board members to engineers. "The tech industry has created extraordinary wealth and opportunity, but a growing number of communities and Black employees are being left out of the growth," Butterfield said in a statement. As part of this trip, the CBC members will also unveil five principles they've compiled for building a more diverse workforce. The delegation will visit tech campuses and meet with groups of Black employees from various tech companies hosted at Airbnb’s offices. This time around, the lawmakers won’t be meeting with Facebook, Twitter, Uber, and Lyft, among others the delegation visited on their trip last year. They’re, instead, interested in speaking with payments companies like Square and PayPal because they want to see how these companies can better support Black entrepreneurs who run small businesses. More here.

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Intro Bill Boosting Medical Cannabis Research
Congressmen Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)
, Darren Soto (D-FL), Lou Correa (D-CA), and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) teamed up with Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and other lawmakers to introduce the bipartisan Medical Cannabis Research Act of 2018. The legislation has a number of provisions. One would increase the amount of research grade medical cannabis, requiring at least three producers. Currently, there’s just one. The bill would also create a “safe harbor” for academic and medical institutions that want to engage in medical cannabis research, without risking other federal grants they receive. And, it would allow for a more collaborative environment between researchers and private sector innovators. Further scientific research on medical cannabis could unlock cures for veterans, the chronically ill, and the elderly. It is monumental for the House Judiciary Committee to consider cannabis-related legislation as they have not tackled legislation on this topic since 1978. More here.
Diamond and Silk Meet Hank and Hakeem
YouTube stars Diamond & Silk (Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson) appeared at a Capitol Hill hearing last Thursday. The two claimed to have been censored by Facebook because of their conservative politics. They have provided no evidence for they claim, which Facebook and other companies deny. In addition, the two were found to have erroneously claimed that Facebook did not contact them over their concerns, despite an investigation showing that Facebook reps attempted to reach out to the two over email. "The point I'm trying to make is you all have been bashing Facebook and you've been making a ton of money, isn't that correct?," asked Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA). Diamond answered, "We didn't bash Facebook. We brought the light on how Facebook has been censoring conservative voices like ours. They won't let us monetize on Facebook. They stopped it for six months, 29 days. They limited our page." Accusing Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) of wasting time the Congressman said, “We could be looking at Russian hacking... we could be talking about in this committee legislation to protect the Mueller investigation. None of this areas has this committee been involved with during the last 15 months. We could be talking about gun control, the DREAM Act. No hearings whatsoever. But what we are dealing with today, we are giving a platform to Diamond and Silk” During their testimony, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) pressed them about receiving payment from Trump’s 2016 campaign, which they denied. But a listing of campaign filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission show they did receive funds they the pair said was a reimbursement for plane tickets they purchased. More here.
Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA), comedian Chelsea Handler, and Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) on Saturday at the Women for American Values and Ethics fundraiser in Orange County, CA.
Senior Associate for SKDKnickerbocker Dominic Hawkins, CNN’s Tara Setmayer, The Beat DC’s Tiffany D. Cross, and The View’s Sunny Hostin on Saturday at the 25th White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch.
Doris Matsui Intros Bipartisan Bill Leveraging Telehealth to Increase Access to Opioid Treatment
Congresswoman Doris Matsui (D-CA)
joined Congressman Gregg Harper (R-MS) to introduce legislation that would allow certain addiction treatment centers and community mental health centers to register with the Drug Enforcement Agency as clinics, enabling them to prescribe controlled substances via telemedicine without a prior in-person examination. The Improving Access to Remote Behavioral Health Treatment Act of 2018 would direct the Attorney General, with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to issue regulations within 120 days of passage of the law for these treatment facilities to register with the Drug Enforcement Administration to provide telehealth treatment services. “Leveraging telehealth is one way we can increase the reach of treatment and services for people with substance use disorders,” said Matsui. She said the bill “will expand access to quality treatment, which can be difficult for patients and families to find. This is one of the many steps we should be taking to improve the entire behavioral health spectrum of care.” Each year, 64,000 Americans die from opioid overdose. The bill passed by a voice vote on Tuesday, and it will advance to the full Energy and Commerce Committee with bipartisan support. More here.
Bipartisan Senators Push Back on Medicaid Work Requirements for Native Americans
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
joined a bipartisan group of Senators in pushing for the Trump administration to grant exemptions to Native Americans from states' plans to implement work requirements for Medicaid. Politico reports that the 10 Senators who signed onto a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar called for him to grant the exemptions. Last week, we told you about the growing fight over Native Americans’ health care centers on tribal land and their request to be exempted from new Medicaid work rules being introduced in several states, citing Native Americans’ status as a separate government. The Trump administration has rejected the tribes‘ request, telling them in January that they were seeking an illegal racial preference. However, the Senators counter that there’s longstanding legal precedent that established Native American tribes as separate governments. “[F]ederal classifications fulfilling federal obligations to Indians are not based on race but instead on a political relationship between the tribes and the federal government,” they wrote. They also asked the administration to share the documents explaining why Native Americans would be subject to Medicaid work requirements, which HHS has yet to publicly produce despite requests from the tribes. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) was the only Republican to sign the letter. More here.
Menéndez “Severely Admonished” by Senate Colleagues
The Senate Select Committee on Ethics late last week issued a four-page “letter of admonition” against Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ), finishing a six-year look into accusations against the Senator of corrupt dealings to benefit a political donor. The Committee also ordered Menéndez to pay back the gifts he received from Salomón Melgen, a Florida eye doctor, and said he is “hereby severely admonished.” “Your assistance to Dr. Melgen under these circumstances demonstrated poor judgment, and it risked undermining the public’s confidence in the Senate,” the letter reads. “As such, your actions reflected discredit upon the Senate.” As long as Menendez repays the gifts, he is unlikely to face further official sanctions. In 2012, the Committee initiated a preliminary inquiry into alleged misconduct by Menéndez. In early 2013, “consistent with its precedent and in consideration of the Department of Justice's criminal investigation, the Committee deferred its inquiry.” Once the DOJ dropped the case against Menéndez, the Ethics Committee resumed its process in November 2017; the letter last week was the culmination of that investigation. His prosecution ended in a mistrial in November after 10 weeks in court and is likely to remain central to his 2018 re-election efforts. More here.
Regional Communications Directors (U.S.)
Energy Media, a collaboration between Resource Media and the Energy Foundation, is on a search for four Regional Communications Directors. They are seeking candidates in Las Vegas, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Raleigh. Click here to learn more and apply!
Northeast Policy Director (DC)
Energy Foundation seeks a clean energy policy expert and passionate advocate in the Northeast to join one of the most prominent organizations in the world promoting clean energy solutions. If interested, please submit your materials by May 7th. Click here to learn more and apply.
John Chiang Hits the Airwaves in CA Gov Race
California state Treasurer John Chiang (D) has hit the airwaves with his first television ad in the CA governor’s race in which he highlights his fiscally conservative record. “Some thought we were done,” Chiang says in his ad, “Quiet Storm,” referring to his work as CA Controller and Treasurer during the recession. “But I knew better. I made the tough calls. And brought California back from the brink of financial disaster because you trusted me to manage our economy.” Chiang’s campaign is spending about $500,000 to air the ad in LA and San Diego. He has a way to go to match the seven-figure ad buys for Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. More here.
First Black Mayor in MA Ends Bid to Become Second Black Governor 
Former Democratic Mayor of Newton, MA, Setti Warren, has ended his bid to become the second African American Governor of Massachusetts. In his surprise announcement posted on Facebook, Warren cited difficulties he had faced in financing a competitive campaign. “Even though we raised a lot of money from small-dollar donations, raising the kind of money we need to build a grassroots campaign that can take on Charlie Baker has been our biggest challenge from Day 1,” Warren wrote. “Today, I have come to the difficult realization that this challenge is insurmountable.” Warren’s withdrawal leaves Jay González, the former Secretary of Administration and Finance for the state of Massachusetts under Governor Deval Patrick, and social activist Bob Massie vying for their party’s nomination to face current Republican Governor Charlie Baker in the September 4th primary. Warren’s campaign account showed a balance of $51,644 as of April 15, compared to just under $7.9 million for Baker, according to records from the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance. In the two week period before April 15th, Warren had raised about $16,000 compared to the more than $250,000 pulled in by the incumbent. Neither González nor Massie had fared significantly better in raising cash -- González’s campaign showed a balance of $127,418 through mid-April, while Massie’s was at just $20,831. More here.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) on Wednesday visiting the MLK Memorial.
 Members Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), James E. Clyburn (D-SC), UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, Barbara Lee (D-CA), Karen Bass (D-CA), and Gregory E. Meeks (D-NY) in NYC on Wednesday for a meeting on U.S. security.
The Intercept Hires Politics editor to Cover “Dem Identity Crisis”
The Intercept has hired Briahna Joy Gray as Politics Editor to cover what the outlets' DC Bureau Chief calls the Democratic identity crisis. This is the first full-time journalism job for Gray, a contributing editor at Current Affairs and a Harvard-educated lawyer who’s written about topics like identity politics, cultural appropriation, for publications including Rolling Stone, the Guardian, and New York. “I started writing and was very privileged to have it take off in a way I never anticipated and have the opportunity to enter a career which has always been a passion point for me, but which everybody knows is risky,” Gray said. “I feel really grateful that I was able to write while having a stable career and the ability to pay down my law school loans, make a bit of profile for myself, and set up a transition that was a bit more easy. This opportunity at the Intercept makes it much easier than it would have been in almost any other context to walk away from the law, considering that I continue to have a good amount of law school debt on my plate.” Gray also co-hosts a podcast, SWOTI (Someone’s Wrong on the Internet), about pop culture and politics. Gray will do her new job from both NY and DC. More here.
Senate Dems Push FCC’s Ajit Pai to Hold on Media Ownership Changes
Twenty-one Senate Democrats -- including Cory Booker (D-NJ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) -- plus Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), called on FCC Chair Ajit Pai to hold off on any media ownership proceedings until it completes a full assessment of the U.S. broadcasting industry. This includes the agency’s review of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s proposed merger with Tribune Media. In the letter, the 22 Senators expressed concern about Pai’s record of rolling back restrictions on media consolidation. “When combined with the troubling trend by some broadcasters of using corporately-developed national news content as a substitute for local journalism, your recent actions risk making the ‘local’ in local broadcasting a thing of the past,” the letter reads. However, Pai appeared before the House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Thursday -- the same day the letter was sent -- and during his hearing stated that he would not agree to delay a decision on the Sinclair-Tribune deal. More here.
CNN’s Don Lemon with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle at the White House Correspondents Garden Brunch on Saturday.
Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett (D-USVI) at Carnival this weekend in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
African American Association Names New President
During the African American Mayors Association’s (AAMA) Annual Conference last week, Mayor Oliver Gilbert of Miami Gardens, FL was officially sworn in as the new President of the Association. Mayor Gilbert takes over the reigns of the organization from outgoing president, Mayor Toni Harp of New Haven, CT. The Florida A&M University graduate, who went on to complete law school at the University of Miami, has served as Miami Gardens Mayor since 2012 and is currently serving his second term. “Becoming president of the African-American Mayors Association is an extraordinary honor,” said the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity member. “Over the next year we will continue the conversation of equity and equality that affects African Americans throughout the country. We will focus on the diversity of issues that speak to our growth and evolution. From housing to wealth building, public safety to innovation. We are whole and our interests and needs are diverse; so shall be our advocacy.” More about Mayor Gilbert here.
PR Governor Joins Six Fellow Governors in First Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló joined a coalition of other fellow state executives and announced the nation’s first Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium. He is joined by Delaware Governor John Carney, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo, and Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a key initiative of the historic “States for Gun Safety” coalition between Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico. The consortium brings the thought leaders and top researchers from partner states together to undertake significant new research on all manners of gun violence, data collection, and analysis across multiple disciplines. The effort will provide the public, including policymakers, with new information to ultimately reduce the scourge of gun violence. This groundbreaking consortium fills the void left by the federal government’s 1996 ban on the use of federal funds to study gun violence, which has obstructed research efforts across the nation, including at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. “Puerto Rico is proud to have some of the strongest regulations of permits to possess guns in the United States. At the same time, we are fighting against illegal guns in the Island. I believe this consortium of states to promote shared knowledge will go a long way towards raising awareness about the direct relationship between uncontrolled access to guns and acts of violence,” said Rosselló. In addition to new research, the consortium will also create a central clearinghouse of existing data from institutional, federal, and multi-state sources for public use. More here.
Texas Voter ID Law Remains for 2018 Midterms
A Federal Appeals Court upheld the Texas voter ID law -- considered one of the strictest in the country -- leaving it in effect for the 2018 elections. In the 2-1 decision, a panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned a lower court ruling that had blocked the law last year, after concluding the state acted with intent to discriminate against minorities. Senate Bill 14, which passed in 2011 and went into effect in 2013, required voters to present government-issued photo IDs, such as a state driver's license, a Texas election identification certificate, a U.S. passport, or a military identification card. In an earlier ruling, Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas said the law discriminated against many Black and Latino people. She said the law "had a discriminatory impact" and that there had been a "pattern of conduct unexplainable on grounds other than (the) race factor." She later granted a permanent injunction against the law and said a revised version of the law was an improvement but fell "far short of mitigating the discriminatory provisions of SB 14." In Friday's ruling, the appeals court panel said the Texas Legislature intended to "cure all the flaws" of the original law by passing SB 5 and had "succeeded in its goal." The judges reversed the previous ruling because the lower court had "abused its discretion," they wrote in the ruling. Kristen Clarke, President and Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, also part of the plaintiffs' legal team, said her organization was weighing its next step. "No law should be allowed to remain in force that is merely built on the back of a discriminatory law," she said in a statement. More here.
 Trump campaign surrogate Katrina Pierson, Diamond and Silk and CNN commentator Paris Dennard at the Trump Hotel during White House Correspondents’ Weekend.
Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway with American Urban Radio Networks April Ryan at the 25th White House Correspondents' Dinner on Saturday.
Hillman Foundation Announces 2018 Prize Winners
The Sidney Hillman Foundation, which honors journalists who pursue investigative reporting and deep storytelling in service of the common good and social justice impact, recently announced the winners of its 2018 prizes. The 2018 Hillman Prize for Web Journalism went to the team from Univisión News/El Faro for their piece, “From migrants to refugees: the new plight of Central Americans,” which detailed the gang violence intensifying in Central America over the last few years and the thousands of people fleeing El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, seeking refuge in Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, and the United States. For more than a year, Univisión News and El Faro, a digital news outlet in El Salvador, extensively covered this underreported crisis. The team included Almudena Toral, Maye Primera, Mauricio Rodríguez, Andrea Patiño, Juanje Gómez, Oscar Martínez, Carlos Martínez, and Fred Ramos. Also winning for being part of the 60 Minutes and WaPo series of investigations that exposed a war within the DEA over whether to hold the powerful drug industry accountable for fueling the opioid epidemic was Bill Whitaker, a correspondent on 60 Minutes. That team was awarded the 2018 Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism. Winning the 2018 Hillman Prize for Magazine Journalism were NYT Magazine reporters Azmat Khan and Anand Gopal for their piece, “The Uncounted.” Khan and Gopal teamed up to investigate, document, and report the true civilian death toll of the U.S.-led war against ISIS. Their shocking findings revealed that the number of civilian deaths due to airstrikes is largely underreported by the American-led coalition, and that there has been a consistent failure by the coalition to investigate claims or to make previously mandated “sympathy payments” to survivors. Also of note: Richard Rothstein was awarded the 2018 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism for his book, The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America. See all of the winners here.
FOMO
Tuesday, May 1st, 6:30P: The Managed Funds Association and Women in Housing and Finance host their second annual women's leadership forum, "What It Takes to Lead." Free. To RSVP, please email WHF@whfdc.org with your name and company.
Wednesday, May 2nd, 6P: The Latino Victory Fund hosts Latino Talks 2018, on how Latinos are changing America. Special guests include former Univisión anchor María Elena Salinas. Click here to purchase tickets.
Friday, May 4th, 5P: Please join the Friends of the American Latino Museum and LatinVIP to celebrate the 7th anniversary of the American Latino Museum Commission report and Cinco de Mayo. Los Gallos Negros perform. VIP admission and specials with donations of $50 and more. Decades DC, 1219 Connecticut Ave NW. RSVP here
Tuesday, May 8th - Thursday, May 10th: The Wall Street Journal's The Future of Everything Festival. Speakers include Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund Leader Tina TchenWSJ Editors, and more. Spring Studios, 50 Varick St, NYC. Click here for more information.
Friday, May 11th, 9A: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights holds a public briefing on hate crimes and bias-related incidents. The Commission will examine best practices for local law enforcement on collecting and reporting data, and the role of the Education and Justice Departments in prevention and prosecution. USCCR, 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 1150. RSVP to publicaffairs@usccr.gov. Click here to watch a livestream of the briefing.
Monday, May 14th - Thursday, May 17th: Federal Asian Pacific America Council's 33rd National Leadership Training Program. Keynote address by U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. Sheraton Pentagon City, 900 South Orme Street, Arlington, VA. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, May 16th, 5:30P: 2018 Mission Forward Spring Reception: “Building Equity and Breaking Bias,” a powerful conversation on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Speakers include Ed Yong, science writer for The Atlantic, and Liz Neeley, Executive Director of The Story Collider. Mission Partners, 7201 Wisconsin Ave, Suite 780, Bethesda, MD. RSVP here
Monday, May 21st - Tuesday, May 22nd: Common Cause Pennsylvania will host their Democracy Works Summit. Sheraton Downtown Hotel on 201 N. 17th Street in Philadelphia, PA. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, June 6th - Saturday, June 9th: The Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit. Charlotte, NC. More than 1,000 CEOs, investors, and business experts are expected to attend. Click here for more information and to register.
Sunday, June 10th - Tuesday, June 12th: The ACLU Membership Conference. Speakers include Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse CullorsCongressman John Lewis (D-GA), and founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, AL Bryan Stevenson. Walter E. Washington Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place NW) and Marriott Marquis Washington D.C. (901 Massachusetts Avenue NW). Click here for more information
Thursday, June 21st - Sunday, June 24th: The Black Millennial Political Convention, which aims to increase engagement of Black millennials in the political sphere and shed a light on policy issues impacting black communities. This year’s theme is The Advocacy of Policy, Pipeline and Power for the People. Hyatt Regency, Crystal City, VA. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Friday, July 20 - Sunday, July 22nd: The 2nd Annual Black Campaign School, hosted by The Collective. Atlanta, GA. Click here for information
Saturday, July 7th - Tuesday, July 10th: The 2018 UnidosUS annual conference, Marriott Marquis Hotel, DC. Click here for more information and to register.
Thursday, July 12th - Friday, July 20th: March On Washington Film Festival. Click here for more information.
Tuesday, July 17th - Wednesday, July 18th: The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) 2018 National Women’s Conference. Phoenix. Click here for more information and to register.
Wednesday, August 1st - Saturday, August 4th: The National Urban League 2018 Annual Conference “Save Our Cities: Powering the Digital Revolution.” Columbus, OH. Click here for more information and to register.
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