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DISCONNECTION NOTICE... Congressional leaders introduced a two-week funding bill on Monday to avert a partial government shutdown over Donald Trump's border wall. So wait … does this mean Mexico definitely isn’t paying?? The stopgap measure would keep the government funded through December 21st. Speaking of the border… LONG, BLURRED LINES… Hundreds of migrants have signed up to be repatriated to their home countries. Others have accepted Mexico’s offer of one-year humanitarian visas that will allow them to stay and work. More than 2,000 have begun the long process of petitioning for asylum in the U.S. And others are trying to cross the border illegally. CIA ON MBS… CIA Director Gina Haspel will brief leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees this morning on what the agency knows about the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi following reports that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sent at least 11 messages to his closest advisor, who oversaw the team that killed the dissident. OH LORDY, LET THERE BE A TRANSCRIPT… Former FBI Director James Comey will testify privately on Capitol Hill Friday about investigations into Hillary Clinton’s email server and whether Trump’s campaign advisors colluded with the Russian government to steer the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. A transcript of his interview will be released publicly after about 24 hours. IN LIKE FLYNN… Special Counsel Robert Mueller is set to reveal today the extent of Trump former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn's cooperation and insights into the dealings of Russians with the Trump campaign and administration. 2020 VISION IN COLOR… The Dem field will likely be crowded, and the staff potential candidates pick should reflect the rising majority of the country. But some say there’s only a small pool of non-white campaign managers and senior advisors. LISTEN UP! Thousands of campaigners across the country read The Beat. Holler at us, guys. COUP… Wisconsin Republicans, who were defeated at the ballot box in November, are attempting a power grab seeking to deny Democrats full control of the state’s government. SHANG-CHI… Marvel Studios is fast-tracking Shang-Chi to be its first superhero movie tentpole franchise with an Asian protagonist, and is already looking at a number of Asian and Asian American directors to bring the film to life. STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM… Drake shattered virtually every streaming record with his “Scorpion” album, released in June, and his 8.2 billion streams in 2018 make him the most-streamed artist of the year on both Spotify and Apple Music. KEKE… ARE YOU WITH ME? Time to drop this Beat! We’re kicking off Tuesday with this…
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) announce Domestic Worker Bill of Rights.
- A new name tops potential Attorney General list.
- Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX) intros bill to grow women, veteran, and minority small businesses.
- Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) names a State Director.
- Politico welcomes a new White House Correspondent.
- The Beat DC’s Tiffany D. Cross sits down with former FL gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum today at the Leadership Conference's "Bend Toward Justice" Conference in DC. Details in FOMO.
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Telemundo’s Julio Vaqueiro and special Correspondent María Elena Salinas in Mexico City on Saturday to cover the inauguration of Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. | |  |
William Bumpus Jr. with his mom, CBS News' Gayle King, in Johannesburg on Sunday for the Global Citizen Festival. | |
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Kamala Harris and Pramila Jayapal Announce Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA)and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) announced that they would introduce a bill in the 116th Congress to protect domestic workers. It would become the first national legislation to extend basic labor protections -- including the right to unionize, protection from discrimination, and the right to safe working conditions -- to domestic workers. In an opinion piece for CNN, the lawmakers teamed up with Ai-jen Poo, who is the Executive Director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, to point out that by 2026, care jobs will constitute one of the fastest growing professions in the country. Currently, most domestic workers still only earn $11 an hour or less, and almost all go without healthcare or retirement benefits. “For generations, domestic work -- traditionally performed mostly by women of color and immigrants -- has been overlooked and devalued, even in moments when other workers achieved hard-won gains,” they wrote. The National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights that Harris and Jayapal plan to introduce would close legal loopholes excluding domestic workers from certain federal labor and civil rights laws. “The legislation would also create meal and rest breaks, and establish fair scheduling practices, as well as strengthening support networks for domestic workers who are survivors of workplace sexual harassment and assault. It would include grants for domestic worker training programs and calls for paid sick days, affordable health care and retirement savings, whether the worker is employed by a big company or an individual household,” the trio wrote. “It would strengthen rules to prevent employers from retaliating against workers for reporting problems or violations of rights. And, finally, it would create a new federal task force to enforce domestic workers’ rights.” The demand for domestic workers is predicted to increase with an aging baby boomer population. Read their full piece here.
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Marc Veasey Intros Bill to Grow Women, Veteran, and Minority Small Businesses
Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX) last week introduced legislation that he hopes will eliminate economic barriers institutionally faced by women, minorities, and veteran small business owners. The Diverse Small Businesses Empowerment Act would permanently eliminate the Small Business Administration guarantee fee for any loan made under $125,000 for veterans, minorities, and women. If enacted, the bill would also cut in half the guarantee fee charged to veteran, women, and minority-owned business start-up loans between $125,000-350,000, as well as eliminate the guarantee fee for women and minority-owned businesses for SBA Express Loans. “Diversity and strength is the engine of American innovation and economic success,” said Veasey. “If we want to see growth in the business sector, we need to remove the financial barriers minority-owned small businesses face and create more good-paying jobs... This bill will level the playing field, and foster growth for more minority-owned businesses in communities across the country.” More here.
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Grace Meng and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Lead Bipartisan Letter to USAID Urging Women and Girls as a Priority
Congresswomen Grace Meng (D-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) penned a letter to U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green urging him to prioritize gender equality and women and girls’ empowerment in the Journey to Self-Reliance for partner countries. USAID’s Journey to Self-Reliance development strategy prioritizes fostering stable, resilient, prosperous, inclusive, and self-reliant countries and their ability to solve their own development challenges. “Specifically, we recommend using multiple gender equality metrics and strengthening the use of data disaggregated by age and sex to better understand the country's capacity and commitment,” the lawmakers wrote. “We also recommend maintaining USAID's established terminology, robust gender-related policies, strategies, and programming while ensuring there is sufficient staff capacity and expertise for gender mainstreaming of USAID's policies and programs.” According to USAID, nearly 98 million girls around the world are not in school. Globally, 1 in 3 women will experience gender-based violence in her lifetime. In the developing world, 1 in 7 girls is married before her 15th birthday, with some child brides as young as eight or nine. Each year more than 287,000 women, 99% of them in developing countries, die from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications. Read the full letter here.
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Actress Nomzamo Mbatha, The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah, and activist Ilwad Elman in Johannesburg on Sunday at the Global Citizen Festival. | |  |
WaPo’s Michelle Ye Hee Lee who went axe throwing in Maryland over the weekend. | |
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Eric Holder Releases State Target List
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, a potential Democratic presidential contender, released a map of the states his organization, the National Democratic Redistricting Committee (NDRC), will target leading up to the 2020 elections. The group, backed by former President Barack Obama, focuses on Republican gerrymandering and is gearing up for the next round of elections. The NDRC will focus its 2019 efforts in Kentucky, Louisiana, Virginia, and Wisconsin, according to the map. For 2020, the group will expand its focus to Florida, Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and will double down in Wisconsin. An email to supporters reads, "We have red states, blue(-ish) states, and purple states on our list—but they're all states where we need to stop or prevent Republican gerrymandering. And there's no time to lose. The 2019 and 2020 elections begin NOW, and Republicans are already working to reverse Democrats' 2018 gains." Holder has previously expressed interest in running for president and is heading to Iowa in February to deliver a speech at Drake University's Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Civic Engagement, which has fueled more speculation that he will be running in the Democratic primary for 2020. More here.
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Antitrust Chief Could be Next Attorney General
Makan Delrahim has emerged as a possible Attorney General pick for Donald Trump. The Iranian-born lawyer is currently an Assistant Attorney General supervising the Antitrust Division. He led the government's suit to block AT&T's takeover of Time Warner Inc. -- a move that puzzled a number of legal experts and contradicted Delrahim's own prior stance. As a deputy to then-White House Counsel Don McGahn, Delrahim helped shepherd the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. The 49-year-old has already been confirmed, so it would be harder to justify rejecting him should he come up for confirmation as AG. The 1991 UCLA grad completed law school at George Washington University and later earned a Master's from Johns Hopkins University in 2002. CNN asked why the White House would like Delrahim, a former White House official told them, "He was our guy." Matt Whitaker is currently the Acting Attorney General. Other names the president is reportedly considering for AG include former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and Florida's Republican Attorney General Pam Bondi. More here.
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Gregory Meeks and National Urban League Call on Amazon to Commit to Diversity and Inclusion Plan for HQ2
Amazon does not have a single top executive who is a person of color, and the e-commerce giant also does not have a single person of color on their Board of Directors. Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) on Monday sent a letter urging Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to commit to a comprehensive and specific diversity and inclusion plan for its New York headquarters. The letter, which was also signed by National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial and NY Urban League President and CEO Arva Rice, called Amazon’s failure to diversify its highest ranks “appalling.” “New York City and the borough of Queens are the most racially and ethnically diverse urban area in the entire world. ... The diversity of New York has the potential to fuel unprecedented innovation and creativity as Amazon embarks on a new phase of growth. But this won’t happen without a comprehensive and intentional plan for diversity and inclusion,” they wrote. “Amazon New York must look like New York, and we’re ready to help Amazon achieve this.” More here.
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MSNBC’s Joy-Ann Reid and actress Danai Gurira at the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg over the weekend. | |  |
Hamilton’s Phillipa Soo, Alex Lacamoire, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Thomas Kail, and Lin-Manuel Miranda on Sunday at the 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors in DC. | |
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CNN Politics Names New Immigration Reporter
Priscilla Alvarez is joining CNN Politics as a Reporter on immigration. She is currently a Politics Editor and Writer at The Atlantic, where she focuses on theatlantic.com reporting on the Latino vote and immigration. She was previously a Fellow at the National Journal, where she covered congressional hearings, White House briefings, and breaking news for the digital news team. The bilingual journalist, who is fluent in English and Spanish, has previously written for USA Today, Washingtonian, and Leesburg Today (now Loudoun Times-Mirror). The 2014 Virginia Tech graduate is also a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. More about her here.
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NYT Travel Desk Adds New Reporter
The New York Times has added Tariro Mzezewa to the travel desk as a Reporter. The Zimbabwe native was most recently a Staff Editor for NYT Opinion, where she covered issues of race, immigration, and culture -- including the infamous Kanye vs. Taylor Swift debacle. Prior to that, Mzezewa was an Editorial Assistant, where she was responsible for research, fact-checking, and social media for NYT op-ed columnists. The multilingual journalist -- who speaks English, Shona, Ndebele, and Italian -- is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. The 2014 John Cabot University graduate, who has a Master’s from Columbia University, began her career as a Reporter at Thomson Reuters. More here.
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Politico Names New WH Correspondent
Anita Kumar is joining Politico as a White House Correspondent and Associate Editor. In her new role, she’ll cover Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and help guide Politico’s White House coverage. Kumar is currently a WH Correspondent for McClatchy. The Charlottesville, VA native previously worked at The Washington Post as a Reporter, where she covered Virginia politics and government. Prior to that, Kumar was a Reporter at the St. Petersburg Times where, for nearly a decade, she wrote about the local, state, and federal governments in both Florida and DC. Earlier this year, Kumar became the first Indian American to be elected to the Board of the White House Correspondents Association. The University of Virginia graduate has also worked at the News & Advance in Lynchburg, VA and the News & Record in Greensboro, NC. More about her here.
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brilliant corners' Cornell Belcher horseback riding in Middleburg, VA over the weekend. | |  |
Childhood friends Miranda Burr, CBS News’ Weijia Jiang, and Erin Burr on Sunday at the 41st Annual Kennedy Center Honors in DC. | |
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Jayapal Taps Obama Alum for Chief of Staff
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) has named Gautam Raghavan as her new Chief of Staff. Raghavan currently serves as Executive Director of the Indian American Impact Project & Fund and as an advisor to the Biden Foundation. He previously served as VP of Policy for the Gill Foundation, the nation’s oldest funder of LGBTQ civil rights advocacy. From 2011 to 2014, Raghavan served as President Barack Obama’s liaison to the LGBTQ community, as well as the Asian American & Pacific Islander community. He also worked as the Acting White House Liaison for the Department of Defense and as Outreach Lead for the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Working Group. Raghavan was born in India and raised in the Seattle area. The 2004 Stanford University graduate also recently penned the book, West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House -- a collection of stories from his former colleagues who helped run the Obama administration, showcasing a number of former staffers and their reflections from their time in government. “Since joining Congress, Representative Jayapal quickly established herself as a bold, unapologetic, national voice for progressive values. With so much at stake, I can think of no better place to fight for a more just, fair, and prosperous future than at her side,” said Raghavan. “I’m honored to have the opportunity to support her leadership and work with her highly capable and passionate team.” More here.
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Mike Levin Names Chief of Staff
CA Democratic Congressman-elect Mike Levin has hired Kara van Stralen as his Chief of Staff. She is a Capitol Hill veteran and brings almost a decade of policy and issue advocacy to his office. She previously served as a Senior Policy Advisor for Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH), where she worked to ensure U.S. leadership on 5G deployment through the AIRWAVES Act, connecting rural communities through the MAP Broadband Act, and innovation through the Connected Government Act, among other initiatives. Prior to that, van Stralen was a Policy Advisor for Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), where she advised the Senator on policies to close the digital divide among low-income Americans. Before that, she was a Policy Analyst on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Communications and Technology Subcommittee under former California Congressman Henry Waxman. Van Stralen has worked for Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ), former Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, and CNN. The 2010 University of Redlands graduate also holds a Master’s from George Washington University. More about her here.
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WI Lt. Gov-elect Mandela Barnes, who celebrated his 32nd birthday over the weekend. | |  |
FL Democratic Congresswoman-elect Donna Shalala and NM Democratic Congresswoman-elect Deb Haaland in DC last week for new member orientation. | |
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Adriano Espaillat Names Deputy Chief of Staff
Candace Person has been promoted to Deputy Chief of Staff in the office of Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) after leading the lawmakers' communications for the past two years. Prior to joining Espaillat’s office, Person was the Director of Communications and National Media for the Congressional Black Caucus. She previously served as the Director of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs at The RLJ Companies -- an asset management firm started by BET Founder Robert L. Johnson. The Arkansas native also served as a Special Assistant for Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, Director for Regional Briefings for Al Gore’s 2000 presidential campaign, and District Aide to former Congressman Vic Snyder. The 2000 University of Arkansas graduate also holds a Master’s from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “Since 2017, I have had the privilege to witness Congressman Espaillat’s historic journey in Congress and his leadership in helping shape our national conversation on issues such as immigration, foreign affairs, housing and infrastructure, and creating educational and workforce opportunities for families around the nation,” Person said. “ I am proud of his legislative accomplishments to date and look forward to helping lead our Washington, DC and New York staff to a successful 116th Congress.” More about her here.
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Tim Kaine Names State Director
Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) has named Keren Charles Dongo as his State Director. She most recently managed Kaine’s 2018 re-election campaign. Prior to that, Dongo worked as Deputy State Director and Legislative Assistant in his Senate office. Kaine’s office said Dongo played a key role in helping to draft and build support for the 400 Years of African American History Act, which passed last year and established a commission to commemorate the 400th anniversary in 2019 of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans into English Colonial America. The 2001 University of Michigan graduate, who earned her Master’s from Regent University in 2006 and completed law school at University of the District of Columbia in 2016, also previously served as VA Deputy State Director for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign; Director of Virginia’s Democratic Coordinated Campaign in 2012; Deputy Field Director at the ONE Campaign; as an advisor to Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA); and Outreach and Political Director of the 2008 Democratic Coordinated Campaign in Virginia. “With her deep ties to Virginia and past success on both my state and legislative staff, Keren brings a level of talent and experience that is sure to continue my state team’s record of excellence,” said Kaine. More here.
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Former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutiérrez and Democratic strategist María Cardona at the American Latino Influencer Awards in DC last week. | |  |
Oprah Winfrey, Rev. Al Sharpton, and producer Ava DuVernay at the Global Citizen Festival in Johannesburg over the weekend. | |
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Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Names New President
The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has tapped Ryan Chao to take the helm as their next President. In his new position, he’ll drive the organization’s mission -- working with communities to preserve unused rail corridors by transforming them into rail trails -- emphasizing the role that trails, walking, and biking play in creating healthy communities. Chao currently serves as VP of the Center for Civic Sites and Community Change at the Annie E. Casey Foundation, where he oversees the Foundation's place-based investments, including significant neighborhood transformation initiatives in Atlanta and Baltimore, where it links economic, educational, and housing programs to strengthen families and communities. Before joining the Foundation, he was the Executive Director of Satellite Housing where he led the development of affordable housing communities. Chao also previously worked at the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone. The 1994 Washington University in St. Louis graduate, who holds a Master’s from New York University, starts his new role on January 28th. More here.
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| FOMO
Today, 11:30A: The Beat DC's Tiffany D. Cross in conversation with Andrew Gillum at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights' “Bend Toward Justice” Conference. Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert Street N.W., DC. More about the conference here.
Today, 5:30P: A conversation and book signing with AURN White House Correspondent April D. Ryan moderated by CNN's Don Lemon. 1 Time Warner Center, NYC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, December 6th - Sunday, December 9th: National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators host their 16th National Summit. Kona Kai Resort, 1551 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA. Click here for more information.
Monday, December 10th, 10A: The Aspen Institute hosts “Future of Sports Activism: Reimagining its Bottom Line,” a conversation about the implications in a number of areas, such as fan engagement, sponsorships, relationships within teams, athlete health and welfare, and society in general if more athletes spoke out. Featuring Etan Thomas, former NBA player and author of We Matter: Athletes and Activism; Joe Briggs, NFL Players Association Public Policy Counsel; and Ellis McKennie, University of Maryland football player, among others. The Aspen Institute, 2300 N St. N.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Thursday, January 3, 2019, 6P: A reception honoring Congresswomen-elect Sharice Davids (D-KS) and Deb Haaland (D-NM), the first Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street & Independence Avenue, S.W., DC. Click here for more information.
Saturday, February 16, 2019: 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.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019: 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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