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Breaking this morning, the Trump administration is expelling 60 Russian diplomats in response to the poisoning of a Russian former double agent in England. And at a crucial juncture in the investigation when the president faces the decision to be interviewed by the special counsel, Trump’s legal team appears to be a one-man operation: Jay Sekulow. With everything going on, what’s the thing that seems to have crippled the president’s Twitter fingers? Women who will not be silenced. Last night’s 60 Minutes interview with adult film actress Stephanie Clifford, aka Stormy Daniels, came on the heels of Anderson Cooper’s interview with Karen McDougal, who claims to have had a ten-month affair with the president. Both women provided what appeared to be credible insight into POTUS45. Donald Trump, known for responding to both the consequential and inconsequential, has offered neither a peep nor a tweet in response to either interview. In more G-rated news, hundreds of thousands of young people descended on the nation's capital to harness their collective voices and demand action on gun violence. Though attendees included Kanye West, Kim Kardashian West, Lin-Manuel Miranda (who later surprised the audience at the Kennedy Center and showed up for a performance of In the Heights), George and Amal Clooney, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Common, Jimmy Fallon, Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, Glenn Close, Katie Couric, and Dennis Rodman, among others -- the students were the real stars who created the most memorable moments. One came from 11-year-old Naomi Wadler, who captivated audiences everywhere with this: “I represent the African American women who are victims of gun violence, who are simply statistics instead of vibrant, beautiful girls full of potential. For far too long, these Black girls and women have been just numbers. I am here to say never again for those girls too.” And another from Emma González, a student and survivor of the Parkland, FL shooting who stood on stage at the March for Our Lives for six minutes and 20 seconds, most of it in silence, with tears streaming down her face. "Since the time that I came out here," she said, "it has been 6 minutes and 20 seconds. The shooter has ceased shooting and will soon abandon his rifle, blend in with the students as they escape, and walk free for an hour before arrest. Fight for your lives before it's someone else's job," she said and left the stage. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Rapper Killer Mike appeared on NRA TV with some questionable remarks meant to support gun owners. He later apologized. Congress is out for a two-week recess, and we’re kicking off the week with this...
- Barack Obama talks the power of young people and North Korea in Japan.
- Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) wants Cabinet secretaries’ travel costs made public.
- Staffer for Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) heads to the private sector in the Big Apple.
- Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) leads effort to stop plans on privatizing prisons in Puerto Rico.
- NY Governor Andrew Cuomo in all-out effort to gain ground with Black voters
- Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) intro bipartisan bill to raise the age of gun purchases.
- Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) ask SCOTUS to do same-day release of the audio from the travel ban arguments.
- Senators press DHS to investigate reports of asylum seekers being separated from their children.
- Congressmen Henry Cuéllar (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Donald McEachin (D-VA) head to the Middle East.
- Legislators want answers from DHS over the resignation of an ICE spokesman.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) endorses in the Maryland Governor’s race.
- FL Democratic congressional candidate faces backlash for past GOP donations.
- NABJ is Team Robin Givhan in the BET beef over that Michelle Obama chat.
- Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) leads call for DOJ to reject Tribune-Sinclair merger.
- Meet the new columnist for The Intercept.
- Read The New Yorker's take on the "extraordinary inclusiveness" of the March for Our Lives, in Blogs!
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|  | Actress and singer Jennifer Hudson with CNN's Van Jones on Saturday for a taping of The Van Jones Show. | |  | SiriusXM's and activist Joe Madison, DNC Chair Tom Pérez, and Sherry Madison on Saturday in DC at the March for Our Lives. | |
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Tammy Duckworth Intros Bill to Make Cabinet Secretaries’ Travel Cost Public
Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced legislation on Friday that would mandate Trump administration officials publicly share their travel schedule and flight class, in an effort to curb improper government spending. The Federal Travel Transparency Act specifically nods to the Cabinet secretaries of the Interior Department (Ryan Zinke), EPA (Scott Pruitt), and Treasury Department (Steve Mnuchin), all of whom have been criticized for extravagant travel on chartered planes or in first class. “Every public servant has a responsibility to be a good steward of public dollars but it’s clear that Donald Trump and his Cabinet secretaries do not always see it that way,” said Duckworth. “When Trump Administration officials spend thousands of taxpayer dollars to charter a private or military plane or purchase a first-class ticket, they should—at the very least—be required to tell the American people who are bankrolling their luxurious travel why it is necessary. By shining a light on the travel practices of Trump Cabinet officials, this bill would protect taxpayers from the Trump Administration’s wasteful spending on needless luxury travel.” The legislation does not appear to reinvent the wheel on travel rules. And it looks to avoid establishing new bureaucracies or offices. It would simply require the government to publicly disclose, on a quarterly basis, the official air travel activities of agency leadership, including the duration, destination(s), travel party, justification, and costs of official travel on an existing website such as USASpending.gov. More here.
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Carlos Curbelo and Pramila Jayapal Intro Bill to Raise Minimum Age to Purchase Firearms
Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced bipartisan legislation last week which would raise the minimum age requirement from 18 to 21 for gun buyers purchasing any firearm -- including shotguns or rifles -- from federally licensed dealers. Currently, the federal minimum age requirement to purchase handguns is 21, while the minimum age requirement for shotguns or rifles is 18. The bill would make exceptions for law enforcement officers, correctional officers, or members of the military, and would not prohibit someone under the age of 21 from possessing a firearm. “This bill is a common-sense proposal that could mitigate some of the violent tragedies being seen in communities like Parkland, without infringing upon the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Curbelo. “Americans are calling for and deserve meaningful action to ensure public safety. I’m proud to join this bipartisan effort to answer that call.” Jayapal added, “Since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, 7,000 children have lost their lives as a result of gun violence. They have been senselessly robbed of birthdays, futures and their right to grow up. Every day in our communities, people are dying because of this gun epidemic and it’s past time for Congress to act. If this concrete step can prevent even one gun violence tragedy, it will be worth it. Lives are on the line.” Curbelo and Jayapal were joined in introducing the legislation by fellow members Ted Deutch (D-FL), Thomas Rooney (R-FL), Peter King (R-NY), and Charlie Crist (D-FL). More here.
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|  | Former Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett taking a selfie with Rev. Al Sharpton on Saturday in DC at the March for Our Lives. | |  | Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords with Lin-Manuel Miranda on Saturday in DC at the March for Our Lives. | |
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Mazie Hirono and Ted Cruz Want SCOTUS to Provide Same Day Audio of Travel Ban Arguments
Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Ted Cruz (R-TX) sent a letter to Chief Justice John Roberts on Friday, urging the Supreme Court to make the audio recording of the upcoming travel ban arguments available immediately after the proceedings conclude. The high court records all oral arguments. However, tapes are rarely released on the same day a case is heard. But Cruz and Hirono say an exception is warranted given the attention the travel ban litigation commands. “Giving the public access to a primary source of information as soon as possible allows more citizens to participate in our democratic system and illustrates the care with which the Court considers the issues that matter to the people of the United States,” the letter reads. Audio recordings of a given week’s arguments are made available on Fridays. Video broadcasts from the courtroom are not permitted under any circumstances. Read the Senators full letter here.
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Six Senators of Color Press DHS to Investigate Allegations of Separation of Children From Asylum-Seeking Parents at U.S. Border
Senators Bob Menéndez (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), along with 17 of their Senate colleagues, are pressing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Acting Inspector General to investigate allegations that DHS is separating the children of asylum seekers from their parents. The move comes after recent reports of a seven-year-old girl and her mother from the Democratic Republic of Congo who were separated for more than four months after they presented themselves at the U.S. border near San Diego and sought protection in accordance with the law. “This is reportedly only one of many recent cases in which DHS has separated children from their parents who are seeking asylum. According to one analysis, at least 155 such cases were identified as of October 2017. Reports further indicate that DHS may soon formalize a policy of detaining children of asylum-seekers separately from their parents. This would be an unacceptable breach of our legal and humanitarian obligations to innocents who are fleeing war and terrorism,” the Senators wrote in a letter to DHS Acting Inspector General John Kelly. The lawmakers also asked Kelly to open an investigation to look into a number of questionable policies. See the full inquiry here.
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Senator Elizabeth Warren, a champion for working families, is looking for talented video editors to join our digital team’s 2018 re-election campaign. You’ll help tell the story of our campaign for millions of people across Massachusetts and around the country -- and motivate people to join this fight.
Click here to learn more and apply! | |
Senator Elizabeth Warren, a champion for working families, is looking for talented video producers to join our digital team’s 2018 re-election campaign. You’ll help tell the story of our campaign for millions of people across Massachusetts and around the country -- and motivate people to join this fight.
Click here to learn more and apply! | |
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Henry Cuéllar, Hakeem Jeffries, and Donald McEachin Head to the Middle East
Congressmen Henry Cuéllar (D-TX), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), and Donald McEachin (D-VA) joined a Congressional delegation to the Middle East that began Saturday, led by House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). The trip will include stops in Israel and Jordan and will focus on global and regional security and cooperation issues. Tensions between the U.S. and Jordan have been inflamed after Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announced plans to relocate the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. Jordan’s King Abdullah II called the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital “a complication” to the Middle East peace process. However, the U.S. and Jordan signed an agreement later in February boosting annual U.S. aid to the country. Other members on the trip are Jim Himes (D-CT), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Katherine Clark (D-MA), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and Jamie Raskin (D-MD). More here.
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Senators Call for Investigation Over DHS Resignation
Senators Bob Menéndez (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) joined eight of their Senate colleagues in spearheading the call for a Department of Homeland Security watchdog investigation into the resignation of James Schwab, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in California. "We have serious concerns that Trump administration officials are misrepresenting the facts and statistics surrounding this enforcement action for political purposes," they wrote. Schwab told the San Francisco Chronicle that he quit because he "didn't want to perpetuate misleading facts." In particular, he said he was frustrated that administration officials said roughly 800 undocumented immigrants escaped arrest because Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf publicized an ICE operation before it could take place. Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan, Donald Trump, and AG Jeff Sessions all intimated that Schaaf was the reason that a portion of the “864 criminal aliens” intended to be arrested as part of the operation escaped because of her. Schwab said that wasn’t true. Agents arrested 232 people during the operation that began on February 25th and which lasted several days. Read the full letter here.
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Nydia Velázquez Pushes Back on Plan to Privatize Puerto Rico Prison System
Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) led her colleagues last week in urging Puerto Rican authorities to abandon their proposal to privatize the island’s prison system. In a letter to Governor Ricardo Rosselló and the Chairman of the Oversight Board, José Carrión, Velázquez warned that privatization would engender dangerous consequences for the island, such as separating families, perpetuating unethical prison conditions, and draining local revenue. In the letter, the lawmakers repudiate the Governor’s claim that the program will save money; instead, the letter cites analysis showing that the proposed program will increase the Island’s deficit by $46.6 million. “Not only are privatized prisons known for employing inhumane conditions to save money, they tear families apart and hinder meaningful rehabilitation,” said Velázquez. “This shameful effort puts profit before the wellbeing of inmates, and must be rejected by the Board.” See the letter here.
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|  | NY congressional candidate Suraj Patel on Friday celebrating National Puppy Day with Peyton and Eli. | |  | Former AG Eric Holder with his family at the March for Our Lives on Saturday in DC. | |
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Kamala Harris Endorses Ben Jealous for Governor
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) on Friday endorsed former NAACP head Ben Jealous in his candidacy for Governor of Maryland. “Ben is a champion of working people,” Harris said in a statement. “Everyday we see the damage being done to our country by this administration and we need leaders in our states like Ben, who have shown the political courage our families need right now.” Jealous, who is making his first run for political office and is facing seven other Dems in the June 26th primary, continues to trail other candidates in the polls. A recent Mason-Dixon poll found Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III leading the primary field at 26%, followed by Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz at 15%, and Jealous, 14%. Former First Lady Michelle Obama staffer Krishanti Vignarajah is also making her first run for public office in this race as well. Incumbent Republican Governor Larry Hogan has thus far outraised potential challengers. More here.
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Miami Dem Congressional Candidate Gave to GOP
Florida congressional candidate Donna Shalala is facing a backlash from her Democratic rivals in the Miami primary. The former Health and Human Services Secretary under President Bill Clinton admits to having backed Republican candidates in the past -- including retiring Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), who holds the seat Shalala wants to occupy. She gave $1,000 to the Congresswoman in 2015. Shalala also donated $14,500 to Republican state lawmakers over the last ten years, according to a summary released by the two campaigns. In a statement, the Shalala campaign noted she was a founding member in the 1980s of EMILY’S List and called her “one of the most iconic and celebrated members of the Democratic Party” who has given about $250,000 to Democratic candidates over the years. The figure dwarfs the nearly $20,000 in Shalala donations for Republicans running in partisan elections at the state and national level. The statement also hinted at the often transactional nature of political donations made from businesses and large institutions who rely on support from lawmakers. Shalala faces State Senator José Javier Rodríguez, Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen González, former federal judge Mary Barzee Flores, Marvin Dunn, Michael Hepburn, Mark Anthony Person, state Representative David Richardson, and former Knight Foundation Director Matt Haggman in the August 28th primary. More here.
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Black Voters Take Center Stage in NY Gov Race
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo is working to make inroads with Black voters across New York. The move comes on the heels of actress Cynthia Nixon announcing her bid to challenge the Democrat who has held the office since 2011. The NYT reports that privately, Cuomo’s team has been blitzing the cellphones of politically connected African American pastors and elected officials in recent days. Publicly, he has stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Black and Latino residents and decried the state of public housing in NYC as a “civil-rights abuse.” Senior administration officials on Cuomo’s team say the governor’s recent activity has nothing to do with Nixon and everything to do with the state budget, due next week, where the governor is seeking to mobilize Black support for some of the thorniest remaining issues, including on public housing and school funding. Cuomo scored 77% of African American support in the race’s first poll. Nixon, taking note, is doing her own outreach. Before she launched her campaign, Nixon gave a quick heads-up call to Rev. Al Sharpton and the pair are scheduled to lunch together at the famed Harlem soul food restaurant Sylvia's later this month. She also reached out to other well-known Black leaders across the state, visited Black congregations, and gave her first interview after announcing her candidacy to a Black newspaper. African Americans make up close to 20% of NY’s population. Adding a wrinkle to the race -- Cuomo’s Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul is facing a challenge from Jumaane Williams, a Black NYC Councilman. Shortly after Williams announced, it was floated that Cuomo was considering swapping Hochul for Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren, an African American woman. More here.
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|  | Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) on Friday on the Hill with singer and fellow New Yorker Carole King celebrating Women's History Month.
| |  | Chef José Andrés with friends on Saturday in DC at the March for Our Lives | |
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NABJ Supports WaPo Reporter in Aftermath of Michelle Obama Story
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) wrote a letter of support Saturday for WaPo’s Robin Givhan, a Pulitzer Prize winner, after she wrote a piece on former First Lady Michelle Obama’s talk at BET’s Leading Women Defined event that many of the guests assumed was off-the-record. In the aftermath, many of the women who were in attendance at the event that was said to celebrate sisterhood harshly attacked Givhan online. However, colleagues -- including NABJ -- came to her defense. “As the world’s largest journalism organization of people of color, it is vital that NABJ stands up for the rights of journalists to do their job without being attacked,” the NABJ Board of Directors wrote in a letter. “Robin Givhan did not break any journalistic code of ethics in her decision to write about Michelle Obama at the BET conference.” TV Commentator Roland Martin also weighed in, tweeting, “These attacks on @RobinGivhan are dead wrong. She violated nothing. My suggestion to @BETherTV and anyone else: if you don’t want something reported, make it clear that the event is off-the-record. It’s not hard. It’s REAL SIMPLE.” For its part, BET said that it was not made explicitly clear that the event was off-the-record, but also said that Givhan was told of the intimate nature of the event and “knew exactly what it was.” See NABJ’s letter of support here.
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Cárdenas Calls on DOJ to Reject Sinclair-Tribune Merger
Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) Co-Chair of the Multicultural Media Caucus, is calling for the Department of Justice to reject the Sinclair-Tribune merger. In a letter to Makan Delrahim, Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division, Cárdenas and more than 35 colleagues expressed their deep concerns with the merger. "We believe the merger should be rejected outright. If the merger is approved, it will have substantial negative competitive consequences nationwide, resulting in higher consumer prices and lower quality and less local content." Signatories include Congresswomen Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Congressmen Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Rubén Gallego (D-AZ), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Hank Johnson (D-GA), Ro Khanna (D-CA), and Juan Vargas (D-CA). See the letter here.
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The Intercept Adds New Columnist
Columnist Mehdi Hasan has joined The Intercept full-time. The award-winning British columnist, broadcaster, and author hosts UpFront on Al Jazeera English and has also written two books -- a biography of former U.K. Labour Party leader Ed Miliband, and an e-book on the financial crisis and austerity economics. Mehdi has written for the NYT, WaPo, The Guardian, and the Times of London, among others, and is the former political director of the Huffington Post U.K. He graduated from Oxford in 2000. In his role at The Intercept, he will also host a podcast. He kicked off the inaugural episode over the weekend with an interview with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). Congrats, Medhi! More here.
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|  | Activist and TV host Karamo Brown with CNN commentator Ana Navarro on Saturday at the March for Our Lives. | |  | WaPo's Jonathan Capehart, MSNBC's Joy-Ann Reid, Pulse nightclub shooting survivor Brandon Wolf, and The Beat DC's Tiffany D. Cross broadcasting live on Saturday from the March for Our Lives. | |
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Obama Talks Young People and North Korea in Japan
While speaking at a conference in Japan on Sunday discussing the Obama Foundation’s work to help young people around the world get connected using the internet, former President Barack Obama said, “If I could do that effectively, then -- you know -- I would create a hundred or a thousand or a million young Barack Obamas or Michelle Obamas. Or, the next group of people who could take that baton in that relay race that is human progress.” He also said that a lot of today's problems are “caused by old men” and said that his Foundation is working to find ways social media can be used to bring people with different perspectives together to discuss issues civilly. Later, POTUS44 was welcomed by a standing ovation at a packed town hall in Tokyo. There, Obama said that negotiations with North Korea on its nuclear weapons program are difficult, partly because the country’s isolation minimizes possible leverage, such as trade and travel sanctions against Pyongyang. He said North Korea is a real threat. “Our view has always been that we would prefer to resolve these issues peacefully,” Obama said, adding that otherwise “the cost in terms of human life would be significant.” He noted that previous efforts on Iran's nuclear weapons were more successful because there was more leverage, but there's little commerce and travel with North Korea to begin with. "That makes them less subject to these kinds of negotiations," he said of North Korea. The former president wrapped up his tour of Asia which included earlier stops in Singapore, New Zealand, and Australia. More here.
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Tim Scott Staffer Heads to Edelman
Chaffon Davis has left Capitol Hill to head to the Big Apple to join Edelman's financial communications and capital markets team as a Senior Account Executive. She served most recently as Deputy Press Secretary for Senator Tim Scott (R-SC). The 2014 Marymount University graduate joined the Senator’s office one month after graduating from college. At Edelman, a global communications marketing firm, Davis will interface with clients in the private sector and help to build brands. Fun fact: Chaffon is a yoga enthusiast and a pescatarian. Congrats! More about her here.
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| FOMO Tuesday, April 3rd, 9A: The National Civil Rights Museum's MLK 50 Symposium. Scholars, historians, and thought leaders from across the country will present on the state of civil and human rights issues including Moving Memphis Forward, Economic Equity & Justice for All, and The Promise of Education. Moderated by former NPR Host Michele Norris. Rose Theatre, University of Memphis, 470 University, Memphis, TN. Free. Click here to register.
Tuesday, April 17th, 8A: The Hill Latino hosts "Latinos in College: Closing the Graduation Gap." The program will feature lawmakers, university presidents, education officials, and students in a series of conversations exploring strategies to boost Hispanic college completion rates. The event is sponsored by Excelencia in Education and Gallup. 901 F Street, N.W. RSVP to events@thehill.com.
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.
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.
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.
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