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It’s a showdown over a shutdown. The fight over “Dreamers” is escalating as the legislative calendar winds down and a year-end clash that may lead to a government shutdown is looking probable. House conservatives don’t want Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) to include a “Dreamer” fix into a year-end deal. But liberal Dems have already vowed to withhold votes from the spending bill should it not address “Dreamers.” Speaking of shutdowns, the Trump Foundation is closing its doors after facing scrutiny during the presidential campaign for unusual practices, and afterward as a source of potential conflicts of interest. Also, even more claims of sexual harassment continue to surface. CBS’ Charlie Rose is the latest to be named, after eight women say he made advances towards them. More on other claims below, including those against CBC founding Member Congressman John Conyers, Jr (D-MI). In obnoxious news, here are some clips from CNN's interview with LaVar Ball. In sad news, Della Reese passed away Sunday evening at the age of 86. The famed gospel and jazz singer, actress, and minister became the first Black woman to co-host The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. As a reminder, this is our last Beat DC for the week so the team can enjoy Thanksgiving with family. In thankful news: Perhaps inspired by the November election results, The Beat DC saw a hefty spike in subscriptions this month with more than 2,000 new readers signing up for the daily rundown in the first three weeks of November alone. If you need something to talk about over the dinner table before Cousin Calvin hits you up for some cash or Uncle Joe starts relaying his latest conspiracy theory, tell your friends and family to subscribe to The Beat DC! It’s our honor to reach tens of thousands of influencers all across the country as we highlight the diversity that leads the nation’s capital. Oh, and btw, we all know what happens when history gets revised. So, as a reminder, here’s the real story about Thanksgiving from our friends at Indian Country. Until next week, enjoy those greens, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, and you NAME it. See ya on Monday!
- Bombshell report reveals Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) settled harassment claims.
- Senators want an investigation into FCC objectivity and impartiality in Sinclair-Tribune deal.
- FCC Chair Ajit Pai rolls out plan today to dismantle net neutrality.
- Conservative commentator Armstrong Williams looking to buy DC City paper.
- Poynter and NABJ announce participants in 2017 Leadership Academy.
- NJ Democratic Senators Cory Booker & Bob Menéndez want to know why DHS is keeping social media info on immigrants.
- Former Miami Dolphins player running for Hawaii Lieutenant Governor.
- NM gubernatorial candidate Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM) calls on fellow Democrat to pull out of Lt. Gov. race after harassment allegations resurface.
- Meet the Morehouse grad and the “Master of Selfies” jumping into the race to succeed retiring Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s (R-FL).
- Miami Dade College president joins Urban Institute’s board.
- NALEO elects new board members.
- DOJ targets Harvard over affirmative action policies.
- Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) “endorses” fellow NJ Senate Democrat Cory Booker for president.
- Group of Dems continues to push for Trump impeachment.
- Digital ads target Republicans who voted for House tax plan.
- Atlantic.com has a new editor.
- Former longtime CNN en Español anchor joins Univisión.
- The Chicago Sun-Times has a new COO.
- Administration ends TPS protection for Haitians.
- DOJ showers millions of dollars on cities that report undocumented immigrants.
- Indian Country fights Keystone XL Pipeline.
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|  | Dr. David D. Ho, Madeleine K. Albright, Bill T. Jones, Rita Moreno, and Spike Lee honored at the National Portrait Gala in DC on Sunday. (Zach Hilty/BFA) | |  |
In a birthday message to former VP Joe Biden, Barack Obama memed: "ME: Joe, about halfway through the speech, I’m gonna wish you a happy birth--
BIDEN: IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! ME: Joe.
Happy birthday to @JoeBiden, my brother and the best vice president anybody could have." | |
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Conyers Settled Sexual Harassment Allegations
In an explosive report published last night, BuzzFeed reported that in 2015, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) settled a wrongful dismissal complaint with a former employee who alleged she was fired because she would not “succumb to [his] sexual advances.” Documents reviewed by BuzzFeed -- and corroborated by people involved in the case -- stated that Conyers made sexual advances to female staff. In her complaint, the former employee said Conyers allegedly asked her for sexual favors and demanded she touch his penis while in a hotel room, or find him a woman who would satisfy his sexual demands. Other former staffers said Conyers was known to rub the hands, legs, and backs of female staffers in a sexual manner. Others stated that he asked staffers to pick up women and bring them to his apartment or hotel room, often using Congressional resources. Conyers’ office did not respond when asked to comment. BuzzFeed’s report comes on the heels on of WaPo story which found that the Congressional Office of Compliance had settled 264 incidents with federal employees to the tune of $17 million over 20 years for violations including sexual harassment. Read the entire piece here.
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Booker, Menéndez Have Questions for DHS on Plans to Monitor Legal Immigrants’ Social Media
New Jersey Democratic Senators Bob Menéndez and Cory Booker led a group of their colleagues in sending a letter to Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, calling into question a recent notice by the Trump administration that DHS would retain "social media handles, aliases, associated identifiable information, and search results" of immigrants, including of lawful permanent residents and naturalized U.S. citizens. "Without any information explaining the scope and timing of the Department’s plans to implement social media screening of all applicants for immigration benefits, we are concerned with the constitutional and privacy concerns raised by this action," they wrote. "Not only does this data collection affect immigrants, it would appear to impact any individual in the United States who communicates with an immigrant, including a U.S. citizen." See their letter here.
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House Dems Continue to Make the Case for Trump’s Impeachment
In a USA Today op-ed, Congressmen Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL), Al Green (D-TX), Adriano Espaillat (D-NY), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH), continued to make the case for the impeachment of Donald Trump. The members introduced five articles of impeachment last week alleging obstruction of justice, violations of both the foreign and domestic emoluments clause, undermining the federal judiciary, and undermining the freedom of the press. In their op-ed, the members write that Donald Trump’s actions “were not simply inappropriate or wrong; they threaten to undermine our fundamental constitutional structure, our national security and our democracy … the Constitution’s framers provided for this extraordinary remedy to allow the people’s representatives to confront extraordinary threats to our democracy and constitutional order posed by the actions of federal officeholders, including the president. It is time for the House to rise to the challenge and begin an impeachment inquiry.” Read their full piece here.
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|  | Aja Johnson with former AG Eric Holder at the launch of the Eric Holder Institute at Columbia. | |  | AT&T's Susie Santana with Congressman Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) at a CHC BOLD PAC gathering on Sunday. | |
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DOJ Blocks AT&T Time Warner Bid
On Monday, the DOJ sued to block AT&T’s $85.4 billion bid for Time Warner. The first blockbuster acquisition to be considered by the Trump administration and drawing limits on corporate power in the fast-evolving media landscape will take on a starkly different approach than the Obama administration, as noted by the NYT. At the center of the showdown is Makan Delrahim, the DOJ’s top antitrust regulator, who said a union of the two companies would harm consumers and weaken competition. "It would mean higher monthly television bills and fewer of the new, emerging innovative options that consumers are beginning to enjoy," said Delrahim. If AT&T’s bid for Time Warner were to go through, the merger would create a media and telecommunications behemoth. By itself, AT&T is one of the nation’s largest internet and telephone providers. With its 2015 acquisition of DirecTV, the country’s largest satellite company, it also became the largest television distributor in the U.S. Some have speculated that the DOJ’s actions are influenced by Donald Trump’s public disdain for CNN which falls under AT&T’s umbrella. Government officials say AT&T had offered to sell CNN. However, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson put out a statement saying he had never offered to sell CNN. More here.
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DOJ Announces Millions for Police Who Promise to Report Undocumented Immigrants
On Monday, the DOJ announced it will award more than $98 million to local police departments, giving preferential treatment to 80% of the recipients because they'd agreed to let federal immigration officers inside local jails and notify federal authorities about undocumented immigrants in local custody. BuzzFeed reports that the grants are part of a broader effort by AG Jeff Sessions to reward cities that cooperate with the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, while threatening to block standard-issue crime-fighting grants from dozens of jurisdictions that may have adopted sanctuary policies. By contrast, the same grant program under the Obama administration gave a leg up to police departments in 2016 that were “building trust” within their communities, based on standards set out in Obama’s 21st Century Policing plan, which sought to promote transparency and diversity among police, and switch to a “guardian” culture instead of “warrior culture of policing.” More here.
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Happening Today: FCC Chair Ajit Pai Rolls Out Plan to Dismantle Net Neutrality
Meanwhile, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai will reveal plans to his fellow Commissioners today to fully dismantle the Obama-era net neutrality regulations. The commission will vote on the proposal at their December 14th meeting. Pai would also follow through on his plans to scrap the legal foundation adopted in 2015 that required tighter oversight on internet service providers, according to Politico. Under the Obama administration, rules were put in place that prevented internet service providers like Verizon, AT&T, and Comcast from either speeding up, slowing down or blocking content from specific web services. The idea of net neutrality is to make all corners of the internet open and free for everyone at all times. Tech giants, including Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook have been vocal proponents of net neutrality. Pai also aims to get rid of the so-called general conduct standard, which gives the FCC authority to police behavior by internet service providers it deems unreasonable. Politico also reports that the FCC will look to another agency, the Federal Trade Commission, to police whether internet service providers are acting in an anti-competitive manner. More here.
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Is the FCC Impartial in the Sinclair-Tribune Merger? These Senators Want to Know
Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) joined 12 of their colleagues in signing a letter requesting the FCC Inspector General to open an investigation into whether the FCC has been objective and impartial in its review of the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcasting with Tribune Media. In the letter, the Senators say they have found 16 actions and events that they say are "a disturbing pattern of a three way quid pro quo involving Sinclair, the Trump Administration and Chairman Ajit Pai," with Pai overturning long-standing legal precedent. In a letter to FCC Inspector General David Hunt, Senators point to Donald Trump meeting with the Sinclair former CEO David Sinclair shortly after last year’s presidential election where they reportedly discussed changing FCC rules to benefit Sinclair, and that Pai at the time had an off-the-record meeting with Sinclair company executives that wasn’t publicly disclosed. Earlier this month, we reported that Congressmen Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Ranking Member on Oversight, is also calling for Pai to be investigated over whether he has been improperly clearing regulatory hurdles for the Sinclair Broadcast Group. The $4 billion deal would make Sinclair -- already the No. 1 local broadcaster -- an even bigger behemoth, with stations covering 72% of U.S. households. More here.
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|  | Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) on Sunday at Period Con 2017, a conference held in NYC to address the fight for menstrual equity. | |  | Congressman Dwight Evans (D-PA) visiting
Temple University researchers & students to discuss federal funding for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. | |
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Chicago Sun-Times Names New COO
The Chicago Sun-Times announced the hiring of Nykia Wright as their COO. She has previously worked as a Financial Analyst and Consultant for companies in Chicago, Atlanta, and London. Some of those companies include JPMorgan Chase, Huron Consulting. and North Highland Worldwide Consulting. Her clients have run the gamut, from McDonald’s to Tyson Foods to a variety of universities, including the University of Michigan, the University of Wisconsin, and Duke University. In her new role, she will oversee the circulation, information technology, and finance departments for Sun-Times Media. Fluent in both English and Spanish, the Atlanta native is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with an MBA from Dartmouth College. More about her here.
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Urban Institute Adds New Board Members
The Urban Institute, a DC-based think tank that carries out economic and social policy research, announced that it had added Eduardo Padrón, President of Miami Dade College, to the Institute's Board of Trustees. Padrón has served since 1995 as President of Miami Dade College, which awards more degrees to Hispanics and African Americans than any other higher education institution in the nation. Last year, then-President Obama awarded Padrón the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S., for championing access and inclusion in higher education. The Institute also announced that Shaun Donovan, former Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, had joined their Board. Learn more here.
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NALEO Elects New Board Members
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund announced the election of a Treasurer and one new member to serve on the organization’s 15-member board. Rick R. Olivarez, a partner in Olivarez Madruga Lemieux O'Neill, LLP and a current NALEO Educational Fund board member, was elected to serve a three-year term as Treasurer of the board, during a meeting held in LA over the weekend. State Farm Counsel and current NALEO Educational Fund Secretary Michelle Mancías was also elected to serve a second three-year term on the Board of Directors. Additionally, former California State Assemblymember Bonnie García was elected to serve an initial three-year term. García currently works as the National Director of Legislative Services for ecoATM-Gazelle, where she provides strategic planning, public policy analysis, and direct advocacy before regulatory bodies. More here.
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|  | Congressman Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and UNCF President & CEO Michael Lomax receiving the UNCF Excellence in Education award on Saturday. | |  | Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) Sunday on ABC's This Week talking about confronting sexual harassment on Capitol Hill. | |
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Armstrong Williams Aiming to Buy Washington City Paper
Conservative commentator Armstrong Williams is trying to buy Washington City Paper, the alternative weekly newspaper covering the nation’s capital. Mother Jones reports that the paper’s Editor, Alexa Mills, informed the staff on November 10th that Williams was interested in buying the publication. Later that morning, Williams and three associates arrived in the newsroom and went around the newsroom shaking hands with members of the editorial staff and asking about their journalism backgrounds. The conservative businessman, TV talk-show host, and longtime confidant of HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson has faced allegations of sexual harassment and was embroiled in a scandal several years ago for promoting on his radio program the education policy of the second Bush administration without disclosing that he had received payments from the government. More recently, Williams was accused of using television stations he owns to boost Carson’s 2016 presidential campaign. The 55-year-old South Carolina native has long been a fixture of Republican politics. There’s more to Williams, his past, and his effort to buy the paper. Read it here from Mother Jones.
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Janiot Joins Univisión
Long-time CNN en Español anchor Patricia Janiot is heading to Univisión, where she will co-anchor Noticiero Univisión Edición Nocturna alongside Enrique Acevedo. Beginning January 2018, Janiot will take over the 11:30P Edición Nocturna co-anchor role vacated by Ilia Calderón, who is joining Jorge Ramos on the network’s national evening Noticiero Univisión 6:30P newscast. Janiot will also co-anchor Univisión’s weekly primetime newsmagazine Aquí y Ahora (Here and Now), with Calderón and Teresa Rodríguez, and is launching a new Latin America-focused news program on all Univisión News digital platforms. And on top of all of that, Janiot will develop content for special programs for Univisión News. Whew. ¡Estamos cansadas solo de pensarlo! Más aquí.
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Atlantic.com Gets a New Deputy Editor
The Atlantic is expanding its editorial leadership team with the hire of Swati Sharma as Deputy Editor of TheAtlantic.com. Sharma will begin with The Atlantic on January 2nd. The Northeastern graduate is currently the WaPo’s Deputy General Assignment Editor. Before joining WaPo in 2013, the Northern California native covered nightlife and hyperlocal news at The Boston Globe. In 2013, she coordinated live-blog coverage of the Boston Marathon bombing, contributing to the Globe’s Pulitzer Prize for breaking news. More here.
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Poynter and NABJ Announce Leadership Academy
The Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) announced the 2017 class for the Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, a leadership program for journalists of color. The 25 participants, chosen from a pool of more than 200 applicants, are emerging leaders in digital media who have demonstrated an aptitude for leadership through current projects and references. The academy will include guidance on navigating newsroom culture, leadership styles, the business of journalism and entrepreneurship, as well as networking and one-on-one coaching. Some of the journalists include CNN Political Writer Juana Summers; Connie Wang, Senior Features Writer for Refinery29; Axios Deputy News Editor Alexi McCammond; Marshall Latimore, Editor-In-Chief, The Atlanta Voice; HuffPost Editor Aurora Ellis; and Danielle Cadet, Senior Editor at ESPN’s The Undefeated. See the full list here.
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|  | Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) in his district on Sunday to commemorate the addition of 274 new veteran names to the Walk Of Honor at the Veterans Administration in Fresno. | |  |
Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) with NYC Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito at the Puerto Rico Unity March on Sunday in DC. | |
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Menéndez “Endorses” Booker for President
As The Beat DC told you last week, Senator Bob Menéndez (D-NJ) was very grateful to his colleagues Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for testifying on his behalf during his federal corruption trial -- which recently resulted in a mistrial after a hung jury. Well, during his remarks after the announcement, Menéndez showed his appreciation for his fellow NJ Senator by saying, "I want to thank my colleague Senator Cory Booker, who has been supportive of me from day one … I know that many who were close to him urged him not to testify, but it's the measure of an incredible man who is willing to use not only his personal reputation, but take a risk in order to see justice done," Menéndez said. Then he stated that Booker "is a public servant of unlimited potential who could just easily serve our country in the highest office of the land." Sounds like you have your first Senate colleague endorsement, Mr. Booker. Read Menéndez’s complete comments here.
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Former NFL Player Runs for Lt. Governor of Hawaii
A Mayor in Hawaii has announced his intention to run statewide. Bernard Carvalho Jr. announced he plans to run for Lieutenant Governor in 2018. Carvalho was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in 1984 shortly after graduating from the University of Hawaii. He played in the NFL for the Dolphins for two seasons and returned to the city of Kauai after leaving the Dolphins in order to get married. He says when he was deciding to run that he did a lot of listening, soul searching, and spiritual guidance. “Goal if elected will be to work with the governor to be a bridge between the governor and the people,” says Carvalho. “For me, we’re going to run .. do the right thing.. and engage with community. I want to hear what they want to say and put everything together, shift it to where it needs to go to make things happen action with aloha.” Current Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui has already announced that he will not run for re-election. State Senators Jill Tokuda and Josh Green have announced they’re running for Lt. Governor in 2018. More here.
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2044, the effort to organize minority donors, show strength, and come together to push Senate Democrats on diversity, candidate recruitment, and procurement wants you to join the movement. Their efforts have already gained traction -- the Senate has instituted the Rooney Rule and required demographic tracking and reporting, but there's still much more to be done. 2044 Co-Chairs, Senators Cory Booker and Brian Schatz, are hosting the 2044 Holiday Cocktail Event on Wednesday, December 6th, and they want you there. Click here to RSVP and join the cause. A sponsored message by 2044.
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|  | UN Ambassador Nikki Haley hanging out in the Big Apple with friends visiting from back home in South Carolina. | |  | Congressman Raúl Labrador (R-ID) with Idaho military spouse Jeanette Davidson-Mayer, a Caregiver Fellow at the Dole Foundation. | |
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Morehouse Grad and Vet Runs for Congress
Dr. Marvin Dunn, a former psychology professor at Florida International University, is jumping into the race to succeed retiring Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Inspired by Donald Trump’s response to the attack on American troops in Niger that killed four, including the late Sgt. La David Johnson of Miami Gardens, the 1961 Morehouse College graduate said, "When I saw what happened with those bodies, coming back from Niger, I thought, I was in the service for six years. Had I lost my life for my country, and had my life been ignored for two weeks before the president even spoke — that was the last straw." Dunn began his career as a naval officer. While still on active duty he earned his Master’s from Roosevelt University in Chicago and his Ph.D. from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. "I don’t recognize this new America that Trump has created. I have the sense that we’re just an uncivil society now — that we’ve lost our moorings." More here from the Miami Herald.
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“Master of Selfies” Running to Replace Ros-Lehtinen
There's another candidate running to take over retiring Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's (R-FL) seat. Mayra Joli, an immigration attorney, Spanish-language television pundit, and five-time beauty queen, is adding her name to the list. The lifelong Democrat is entering the race without a party affiliation. Joli is a Donald Trump supporter who likened her political ambitions to his, saying, “I am not looking to run because I need a paycheck, like Donald Trump. I’m not looking to run because I need fame, like Donald Trump. I’m running because I need this country to succeed.” Joli said, adding, “We need to chill out, we need to relax a little … We’re going to take pictures. I am the master of selfies. My husband says I was born with a built-in selfie [stick]. I take pictures with everybody.” Her campaign kickoff was a pro-Trump rally complete with a karaoke machine and an LED billboard displaying her face. As she grabbed the microphone to introduce herself to the audience, the karaoke machine began to play Whitney Houston’s "I Will Always Love You," and Joli jumped right into the chorus, belting out an off-key “And I...” before beginning her stump speech. The Dominican Republic native received her law degree in 1989 from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, and her B.A. degree in 1996 from St. Thomas University. Read more here.
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Luján Grisham Calls on Fellow Dem to Pull Out of NM Lt. Governor Race After Allegations Resurface
CHC Chair Congresswoman Michelle Luján Grisham (D-NM), the leading contender for the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Mexico, over the weekend called on fellow Democrat and State Senator Michael Padilla to end his bid for Lieutenant Governor over claims he harassed women during his time as an Albuquerque City Supervisor. Even though Padilla has denied the allegations, which he says stemmed from a hostile workplace environment and not sexual harassment, Luján Grisham told the AP that her “position on sexual harassment is clear: it is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated by me or in my Administration. Michael Padilla's actions were wrong. ... There is no room for excuses and he should withdraw his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor." More here.
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Digital Ads Target GOPers Who Greenlighted House Tax Plan
Congressmen Devin Nunes (R-CA), Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), and Will Hurd (R-TX) are among a group of Republican legislators in 33 GOP-held districts and five open seats targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in digital ads that will run on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram that criticizes the GOP tax plan, running even in districts where Republicans voted against the plan. Nunes, Curbelo, and Hurd voted for the legislation. The DCCC, headed by Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), also rolled out a website that allows voters to post their own video testimonials about the bill. The National Republican Congressional Committee launched on Friday its own digital ads on Facebook targeting 25 Democrats. More here from Roll Call.
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|  | Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) back in her district on Monday visiting with employees at a UPS Customer Center. | |  | Pearl Means at Alcatraz with LaNada Means WarJack, who led the 1969 student occupation of Alcatraz Island and established a precedent for Native American activism. | |
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TPS Ends for Haitians
The Department of Homeland Security ended the Temporary Protected Status program for Haitians who have been living in the U.S. since a 2010 deadly earthquake upended that Caribbean country. Under TPS, recipients are exempt from deportation when fleeing natural disasters, wars, and other conditions that prevent their safe return. Homeland Security Acting Secretary Elaine Duke said in a memo Monday evening that conditions in Haiti no longer warranted the special protection and that TPS was ending on July 22, 2019, affecting nearly 60,000 Haitians -- not counting the U.S.-born children of those who face deportation. Haitian community activists say the country, the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, grapples with political and security uncertainty and is not prepared to take back so many, even 18 months from now. The DHS decision comes while a State Department travel advisory warning U.S. citizens against traveling to the country has been in effect. More here.
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DOJ Probes Harvard Over Affirmative Action Policies
The Civil Rights Division at the DOJ has opened an investigation into the use of race in Harvard University’s admissions practices and has accused the university of failing to cooperate with the probe, according to documents reviewed by the WSJ. A federal civil lawsuit filed in 2014 in Boston alleges Harvard intentionally discriminates against Asian Americans by limiting the number of Asian students who are admitted. The lawsuit, brought by a nonprofit called Students for Fair Admissions, said the practices violate federal civil rights law and asks a federal judge to prohibit Harvard from using race as a factor in future undergraduate admissions decisions. The suit is still pending. The university is being investigated under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars discrimination on the basis of race, color and national origin for organizations that receive federal funding. John M. Gore, the acting Assistant AG for the Civil Rights Division, said in a letter to the school that they had failed to comply with a November 2nd deadline to provide documents related to the university’s admissions policies and practices. The department told Harvard it “may file a lawsuit” to enforce compliance if Harvard doesn’t hand over the documents by a new deadline of December 1st. Harvard has previously said its admissions process is consistent with the legal precedents set over the past 40 years by the Supreme Court, which have allowed universities to consider race as a factor in admissions to obtain the benefits of a diverse student body. More here.
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Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) on Saturday at the 17th-annual Feeding 5000 Thanksgiving Harvest event in Newport News. | |  | National Hispanic Leadership Agenda Chair Héctor Sánchez Barba and NHLA members discuss relief for Puerto Rico two months after Hurricane Maria hit. | |
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Indian Country Fights Keystone XL Pipeline
The controversial Keystone XL Pipeline found new life Monday after a Nebraska regulatory agency approved a route for it through the state. It wasn’t pipeline owner TransCanada’s preferred route, but Indian Country reports that the 3-2 vote by the Nebraska Public Service Commission signaled a path forward for the company. Democrat Crystal Rhoades, who voted against it, was the only Commissioner who spoke before the vote Monday morning. She faulted TransCanada for failing to reach out to tribes. "The applicant admitted that it had not spoken with the Nebraska Native American tribes. The applicant reported, according to the DOS (Department of State), that they had worked with the southern Ponca Tribe, who reside in Oklahoma, not in Nebraska." The Nebraska commission's approval represented one of the final hurdles for the project. Reaction from Indian Country was swift and strong. More here.
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Whitefish Stops Working on Puerto Rico
Whitefish Energy is stopping its work to restore Puerto Rico's broken electricity grid because the company says it is owed more than $83 million by the island's power authority. The company’s CEO Andy Techmanski told CNN that repeated requests for agreed payments were not met and there was no choice but to suspend work. Whitefish Energy, which is under scrutiny over how it was selected for work in Puerto Rico, claimed credit for the restoration of transmission lines by its contractors, even after the company's controversial contract with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was set to be voided."The Whitefish contract is under investigation by the state and federal authorities," PREPA spokeswoman Odalys de Jesús told CNN. "We will not give more information or statements until the investigation process ends. The reason is to prevent the process from being affected." More here.
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| FOMO
Wednesday, November 29th, 9:30A: The Center for American Progress and the National Urban League host a forum to discuss how the GOP tax plan would affect communities of color. Click here for more information and to RSVP.
Wednesday, November 29th, 8P: Join Congressman André Carson (D-IN) for JAY-Z's 4:44 Tour. Capital One Arena, 601 F Street, N.W. For more information or to RSVP, contact Courtney Hodges or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or email: Courtney@ABConsultingDC.com
Thursday, November 30th, 6:30P: A reception in support of Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA). 3205 R. St N.W. Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday, December 6th, 6P: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute holiday reception in honor of retiring Hispanic members of Congress. Library of Congress, Madison Hall, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Click here to RSVP. Wednesday, December 6th, 6P: The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee 2044 Leadership Council holiday party. SE. For more information and to RSVP contact: Gisele Aceves at gaceves@dscc.org or 202.545.3565
Thursday, December 7th, 6P: The Ladies of Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. Metro DC Chapter’s 15th Annual Holiday Party. SAX Lounge 734 11th Street, N.W. Click here to RSVP.
Monday, December 11th, 6P: A reception with former Attorney General Eric Holder in support of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Click here to RSVP. Location provided upon RSVP.
Wednesday, December 13th, 2P: The Congressional Caucus on Black Women & Girls is hosting a roundtable discussion, Leading From The Black: How Black Women Lead Even When Ignored. 2168 Rayburn HOB. Click here for more information and to RSVP. Thursday, December 14th, 6P: Solidarity Strategies hosts a Holiday Fiesta. Invite only.
Saturday, December 16th, 8P: The National Black MBA DC Chapter Annual Holiday Party. Hard Rock Cafe, 999 E Street, N.W. Click here to purchase tickets.
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