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After widespread criticism, Donald Trump finally condemned the white supremacists on Monday, two days after dozens of other public figures issued forceful denunciations leaving many saying too little too late. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) tweeted, "Today the president's remarks were clear and specific. However, they would have been more impactful on Saturday." Just hours later, Trump continued his tirade against Merck CEO Ken Frazier who inspired two other CEOs to leave the president’s council -- more on that below. And Trump may be forced to lose even more people. There’s a push to oust Steve Bannon from the WH. Rupert Murdoch has repeatedly urged Trump to fire him. WH short timer Anthony Scaramucci thrashed him on TV as a white nationalist. National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster refused to even say he could work with him. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice has requested information on visitors to a website used to organize protests against Donald Trump, the LA-based Dreamhost said in a blog post published on Monday. Some of those protesters were outside Trump Tower on Monday giving the president an unwelcome homecoming, shouting “New York hates you,” among other things. It’s a rainy day on the Vineyard but there’s a mimosa waiting for us as soon as this hits your inbox. So here’s what we’ve got today:- CA to sue Trump admin over sanctuary city policy.
- Venezuela condemns Trump remarks on possible military intervention.
- Obama sets Twitter record with a tweet on Charlottesville.
- FLOTUS44 spotted soul cycling on the Vineyard.
- Hidden Figures prompts State Department program.
- Dems want answers from FCC chair about ties to the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
- Bruno Mars digs into his wallet to help victims of the Flint water crisis.
- Charlottesville panel discussion on CNN gets ugly.
- Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) pushes to rename streets at USAG Ft. Hamilton.
- Symone Sanders told to shut up live on TV.
- Trump supporters Diamond and Silk accuse YouTube of censorship.
- St. Louis businesses and hotels hit hard by NAACP travel advisory.
- BET founders' daughter suspended from equestrian competition for a year. We’ve got the story below in Blogs.
- The CBC gathers on the Vineyard this Friday. RSVP below in FOMO.
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Reverend Al Sharpton on Monday with actress Tia Mowry outside 30 Rock. | |  |
Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) on Monday dropping her daughter Maya off for her first day of school. | |
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Obama Sets Record with Tweet
Barack Obama shared a Nelson Mandela quote following violent clashes at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, tweeting a photograph of himself peering at young children through a window with the text, "No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion..." That tweet became the third-most liked tweet in history. It quickly amassed over two million likes and 970,000 retweets, nearing other record-setting tweets, such as Ellen's famous Oscars selfie, which got an impressive 2,419,012 likes back in 2014, and Ariana Grande's 2017 tweet to fans after the deadly Manchester bombing attacks took place at one of her concerts. Grande's emotional tweet currently holds the top spot on Twitter with 2,703,092 likes. More here.
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FLOTUS Soul Cycles on the Vineyard
As former President Barack Obama and family spend some time vacationing on Martha's Vineyard, former First Lady Michelle Obama was spotted spinning at Evolve in Edgartown, according to the Boston Globe. Even if there isn't another FLOTUS44 sighting, you can still check out the pop-up through Sunday, Aug. 27th. Dubbed Destination SOUL: Martha's Vineyard, the temporary workout event features SoulCycle's popular 45-minute classes. More here.
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|  | NBCUniversal's Ryan Williams at Saturday night's NABJ's Awards Gala with NYT's Charles Blow, NABJ 2017 Journalist of the Year winner April Ryan, and a guest. | |  |
The Daily Show's Trevor Noah and actress Charlize Theron on Monday visiting Cape Town's Oaklands High School with the nonprofit group Life Choices. | |
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Correa and Thompson Want Hearings on the Rise of White Supremacy and Domestic Terrorism
Congressman Lou Correa (D-CA), who sits on the Homeland Security panel, is the first Democrat to call on GOP colleagues to hold congressional hearings on the rise of white supremacy and domestic terrorism following Saturday’s deadly outburst in Charlottesville, VA. A spokesman for Homeland ranking member Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) confirmed to Politico that committee Democrats were organizing to increase pressure on the committee to schedule hearings on white supremacist terrorism. Top House Dems will discuss the matter during a leadership call and a Democratic caucus conference call scheduled for today. More here.
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DACA Supporters Rally to Continue Program
Immigrant rights groups and supporters of the DACA are holding a series of rallies and demonstrations nationwide today to commemorate its fifth anniversary. The day of action comes amid fears that the Trump admin could end the program. Congressman Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) is leading a rally this afternoon in front of the White House, and posted a video on YouTube, saying he will continue to “stand up for the immigrants.” Gustavo Torres, Executive Director of the immigrant rights group CASA in suburban DC, issued a call for all DACA recipients and people with another form of deportation protection known as Temporary Protected Status to turn out for the rally. DACA faces a deadline of September 5th as Texas and nine other states threaten to take the administration to court unless it rescinds the program by that date. Trump said that he would help DACA recipients but has not outlined any specific plans. WH Chief of Staff John Kelly told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus last month when he was still Homeland Security Secretary that the administration would not commit to defending the program in court. More here from NBC Latino.
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Clarke Calls for a Renaming of Streets in Ft. Hamilton Amid Charlottesville Fallout
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams are renewing their calls to the U.S. Army to remove the names of Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from street signs on the U.S. Army Garrison at Fort Hamilton in NYC. Earlier this August, the Pentagon sent a letter to Clarke, flatly denied the name change request. However, the events in Charlottesville have reinvigorated the congresswoman. "What occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, was an act of domestic terrorism committed by white supremacists whose despicable beliefs represent the worst of American history,” Clarke said in a statement. “I will continue my fight to remove the name of this Confederate general as well as that of Stonewall Jackson from the streets of Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn, New York, and eliminate this insult to the descendants of women and men who were held in bondage.” More here.
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Congressman André Carson (D-IN) on Sunday joining We LIVE Indy organizer Brandon Warren, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, and others in taking action to improve the community. | |  |
Author and immigration activist Julissa Arce giving commentator Ann Coulter a copy of her book, My Underground American Dream, earlier this month. | |
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Nobuko Sasae to Chair Eleanor Roosevelt Dialogue
Politico reports that Nobuko Sasae will chair the Eleanor Roosevelt Dialogue, a forum to educate spouses of ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, White House aides and others on issues of the day. Sasae, the wife of Japanese Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae, takes over from Kathleen Biden, who led the group for the past two years. Sasae is a professional interpreter for some of the world's most prestigious conferences. The Washington Diplomat profiled her in 2013. She talks about her path, which began with fencing. "My father was a neurosurgeon and my mother's five brothers were all doctors, so I thought I was going to medical school and be a doctor, but I spent all my time practicing fencing and not studying," she recalled. But all that practicing paid off. She was an award-winning fencer and won a silver medal in the All Japan Inter-High School Match and was often featured in newspapers. Why fencing? "I like the costume," she quipped, laughing. "I thought that fencing was so cool." Read it here.
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As Trump Continues Attack on Frazier, Two More CEOs Leave WH Advisory Council
On Monday evening, Donald Trump continued his Twitter tantrum attacking Merck CEO Ken Frazier, tweeting, “.@Merck Pharma is a leader in higher & higher drug prices while at the same time taking jobs out of the U.S. Bring jobs back & LOWER PRICES!” Trump's criticism of Merck and Frazier is a reversal. Just last month he called Frazier a "business genius" and "one of the great, great leaders of business." He also praised Merck as "great for American jobs." Frazier announced Monday he would resign from the President’s Advisory Council on Manufacturing "as a matter of personal conscience" following the violence this weekend in Charlottesville. He was followed by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, who also announced his decision on Monday evening, and then Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, C.E.O. of Intel, who announced his departure in a late-night blog post on Monday. Now Richard Trumpka, head of the AFL-CIO, is hinting he may be next in line to leave the council. More here.
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Dems Want Answers from FCC’s Pai on Sinclair
Democratic leaders on the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote a letter yesterday to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai expressing concerns over media reports that since Pai became chairman, the FCC has taken actions that suggest favorable treatment toward the conservative Sinclair Broadcast Group. The letter addresses two key points: whether actions taken by the FCC under Pai’s chairmanship show a pattern of preferential treatment for Sinclair, and whether a series of interactions between Pai’s office, the Trump campaign, the admin, and Sinclair demonstrate inappropriate coordination. The letter requests a response by August 28th. See it here.
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Voto Latino's Jessica Reeves joined fellow panelists at Netroots Nation over the weekend. | |  | HACR's Cid Wilson on Sunday at the Dominican Day Parade in NYC. | |
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Symone Sanders Told to Shut Up
During a discussion about race on CNN's New Day on Monday, former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli told former Bernie Sanders Press Secretary Symone Sanders to “shut up.” They were discussing the violence over the weekend in Virginia. “Can I finish, Simone?” Cuccinelli said during the heated exchange. “Will you just shut up for a minute?” Symone quickly replied, “You don’t get to tell me to shut up on national television! I’m sorry. Under no circumstances do you get to speak to me in that matter. You should exhibit some decorum.” Anchor Chris Cuomo stepped in to demand that Cuccinelli apologize, saying, “We don’t tell people to shut up on this show. You can stand up for yourself and still be civil.” See the exchange here.
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CNN Panelist Questions Paris Dennard’s Blackness
A CNN panel on Charlottesville and Donald Trump’s response quickly went south as a screaming match between Paris Dennard and Keith Boykin broke out yesterday afternoon. After Boykin said that Trump failed to show “moral clarity” in his initial remarks and the days-long delay in denouncing neo-Nazis and white supremacists, Dennard defended the president. After Dennard pointed out Trump’s condemnation of David Duke during the campaign, Boykin immediately retorted that “I’m offended that you continue to go there, Paris, but the reality is that President Trump has not done enough. And I’m ashamed that you as an African American, Paris, will not say that.” You can imagine the scene after that remark, which culminated in Dennard saying, “I am well aware of my Blackness and don’t need you to try to classify me as being one.” Boykin responded, “Are you?” Y’all, click the image and watch for yourselves or read more here.
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Congressman Vicente González (D-TX) on Saturday attending a rally at La Lomita in Mission, TX to protest construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. | |  | Congressman Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and daughters walking the district and talking with neighbors and constituents. | |
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Hidden Figures Prompts State Department Program on STEM
Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures is now at the center of an effort to promote education and careers for girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and math. According to the Hollywood Reporter, for the first time in the history of the State Department, a movie has inspired a publicly funded exchange program, #HiddenNoMore, that will bring 50 women working in STEM in 50 countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, and Latin America to the United States. A few months after Hidden Figures' 2016 release, the State Department called Fox saying it was being deluged with requests for the film from embassies. "We really wanted to build on the momentum," says Stacy White, Office Director of the International Visitor Leadership Program, of the idea for #HiddenNoMore. Participants will travel in October to Washington, where Fox will welcome them with a screening at National Geographic. After that, the women will break into subgroups and spend three weeks meeting with organizations across the U.S., including universities and the Girl Scouts, that promote STEM for women and girls. They'll regroup in LA, where Fox, which has donated nearly $400,000 to such Figures initiatives as scholarship competitions and free screenings, will host a two-day event for them on the lot. More here.
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Diamond and Silk Accuse YouTube of Censorship
Trump supporters Diamond and Silk took to Twitter last Thursday and accused YouTube of demonetizing 95% of their videos because of their support for Donald Trump. “@YouTube @TeamYouTube stopped over 95% percent of our videos from being monetized, stating: ‘It’s Not Suitable For All Advertisers,’” the duo said in a series of tweets. “Wonder if @YouTube @TeamYouTube stopped the monetization of our videos because we are loyal supporters of the @POTUS. Hummmm. Sounds like Censorship to us, which is a Violation of our First Amendment. A Bias Method used to Silence our Conservative Voices. @YouTube, how was it OK to monetize our videos for the past two years and now those same videos are no longer eligible for monetization?” News of the largely demonetized channel comes less than two weeks after the company announced plans to fight inappropriate content. More here.
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|  | Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) welcoming students for their first day of school in Las Vegas on Monday. | |  |
Latinos at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's office earlier this month. | |
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Business in St. Louis Hit by NAACP Travel Advisory
The St. Louis Dispatch reports that the head of the city's tourism and convention agency says hotels have lost business as a result of a travel advisory issued by the national NAACP last month and that the industry is "being used as a weapon" in the political arena."We have been notified by a number of area hotels that they have lost meeting groups that were in contract phase," said Explore St. Louis President Kathleen "Kitty" Ratcliffe, in a statement Monday morning. The statement did not specify how much business has been lost. The NAACP travel advisory issued last month came at the urging of Missouri NAACP head Rod Chapel after state legislators passed a bill making it harder for employees to make the case for workplace discrimination. The advisory was the first of its kind. More here.
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California to Sue Admin Over Sanctuary Cities Policy
A spokesperson for California AG Xavier Becerra told Reuters that California is planning to sue DOJ over its policies restricting some federal grants from sanctuary cities. This would follow the lawsuits filed by San Francisco and Chicago last week. DOJ has attempted to impose conditions on national grants for local law enforcement that mandates access to jails for ICE officials, as well as a 48-hour notice before releasing anyone who may have an immigration violation. California's planned lawsuit, like those of SF and Chicago, will challenge those conditions. In a statement on Monday, Becerra said the state is best suited to determine how to allocate its law enforcement resources. "When President Trump threatened to defund our local law enforcement's ability to do its job and protect our people, he picked the wrong fight," Becerra said. More here.
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Trump Considering a Pardon for Sheriff Arpaio
Donald Trump told Fox News that he is seriously considering pardoning former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted last month for ignoring a judge’s order to stop detaining people merely because he thought they might be undocumented immigrants. Trump shared the news with Fox during a conversation in Bedminster, NJ, and, according to the outlet, said that the pardon could come quickly, perhaps in a matter of days. The 85-year-old Arpaio faces up to six months in prison as a result of his criminal contempt conviction last month by a federal judge in Arizona. His sentencing is scheduled for October 5th. DNC Chair Tom Perez weighed in saying in a statement, “Joe Arpaio spent his entire career spewing racist hatred against immigrants. Instead of catching criminals, he tore apart families. Instead of making people feel safe, he made them feel scared. And he built what one of his own deputies called a ‘wall of distrust’ between the police and the Latino community. Now Trump wants to reward Arpaio’s bigotry with a presidential pardon. " More here from the WSJ.
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|  | Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) on Saturday at the India Day Parade in Queens. | |  |
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) on Monday visiting with the staff of the Shannon West Homeless Youth Center in Las Vegas. | |
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Bruno Mars Makes Major Contribution to Aid Flint Water Victims
Singer Bruno Mars is donating $1 million to aid victims of the water crisis in Flint, MI. At a concert in Auburn Hills, MI on Saturday, the singer announced that he and the promoter, Live Nation, were using some of the money raised from the concert's proceeds to support efforts to help “our brothers and sisters” in Flint. "Ongoing challenges remain years later for Flint residents, and it's important that we don't forget our brothers and sisters affected by this disaster. As people, especially as Americans, we need to stand together to make sure something like this never happens in any community ever again," Mars said in a statement. "With a grateful heart, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint is honored to accept this inspiring donation," CFGF president and CEO Isaiah Oliver said. "We know Bruno Mars' $1 million gift will be transformative to the children and families of Flint. He understands the issues faced by Flint citizens, and we are touched by his concern and generosity." Other artists who have contributed to efforts to help Flint residents include Big Sean, Pearl Jam, Meek Mill, and Cher. More here from Rolling Stone magazine.
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Bounce TV’s Ed Gordon backstage on Sunday morning preparing to go on MSNBC's Weekends with Alex Witt. | |  | Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) meeting with constituents back home at Hinee Coffee in Helotes. | |
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Venezuela Condemns Trump Remarks on a Possible Military Intervention
In a meeting with foreign diplomats on Saturday, the Venezuelan government is strongly rejecting Donald Trump’s talk of a potential “military option” to resolve the country’s political crisis. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza (pictured) said, "The reckless threats of President Donald Trump aim to drag Latin America and the Caribbean into a conflict which would permanently alter the stability, the peace and the security of our region," adding Trump’s words are an “insolent foreign aggression.” Lee McClenny, the top diplomat at the U.S. embassy in the Caracas, was also at the meeting but offered no comment. Arreaza added that Trump’s comments violate international law. Calling Trump the "boss of the empire," Arreaza said Trump's latest comments fit a pattern of aggression against Venezuelan sovereignty and constitute a violation of international law and the U.N. charter. More here.
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| BLAH BLAH BLOGS Why Police Violence Against Women of Color Stays Hidden (Yes! Magazine)
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| FOMOToday, 11:30A: A Friends of Michael Blake Reception co-hosted by Hasoni and Michael Pratts, Tamika Mallory, Lu-Shawn M. Thompson, Tiffany Raspberry, Denora and Mark Getachew, and Christal Jackson. Martha's Vineyard. Click here to RSVP. Wednesday, August 16th - 17th: The annual U.S.-Mexico Border Summit. El Paso, TX & Cuidad Juárez, Chihuahua. Featured guests include keynote speaker Ana Navarro, Republican strategist and CNN analyst. Click here for more information and to register. Wednesday, August 16th - 20th: The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance holds its 14th biennial convention in Anaheim, CA. Click here for more information. Friday, August 18th: The deadline to apply for the Poynter Institute and the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) 2017 Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media, to be held Dec. 3rd - 8th in St. Petersburg, FL. The tuition-free program trains journalists of color to work in digital media. Click here for more information and to apply. Friday, August 18th, 11A: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights hosts A Historical Perspective on 52 Years of the Voting Rights Act. USCCR headquarters, National Place Building, 1331 Pennsylvania Av. NW, Suite 1150. RSVP via email at: publicaffairs@usccr.gov
Click here to see the event livestreamed. There will also be a call-in line for individuals who wish to listen to the presentations: (888) 329-8893; conference ID 8426586. Friday, August 18th - 20th: A weekend on Martha's Vineyard with Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and special guests Congressmen James Clyburn (D-SC), Cedric Richmond (D-LA), and Richard Neal (D-MA), and Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). For more information and to RSVP, contact Mariko Bennett: mariko@cocobproductions.com or call 301.741.3443. Thursday, August 25th, 8P: The film Hidden Figures will be shown as the final movie of the season at the MLK Memorial. Free. Sponsored by The Memorial Foundation and MPAA. 1964 Independence Avenue, S.W. For more information, click here.
Monday, August 28th, 9A: The Collective hosts the 2017 Black Power Summit to discuss possibilities, challenges, and plans to capitalize on historic political opportunities and also economic and civil rights challenges the Black community will likely face in the 2018 and 2020 political cycles. For more information, contact Quentin James at: quentin@collectivepac.org Tuesday, August 29th, 1P: NAACP President Derrick Johnson speaks at the National Press Club. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
Tuesday, August 29th, 7P: The National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) hosts an advanced screening of the movie Dolores, focusing on the life and work of civil rights icon Dolores Huerta. A moderated conversation with Dolores Huerta and filmmaker Peter Bratt will follow the screening. Free but registration is required. Click here for more information and to sign up.
Thursday, August 31st: The deadline for scholarship applications of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) for high school students entering college, or current college and graduate students. The scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 and are a key component of NAJA’s committed to increasing the representation of Native journalists in mainstream media. Open to Native American students pursuing journalism degrees at institutions of higher learning. Click here for more information and to apply. Thursday, September 7th - 9th: The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the Native American Journalists Association, and the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) sponsor the Excellence in Journalism 2017 conference in Anaheim, CA. Click here for more details and to register. Sunday, September 10th: Former First Lady Michelle Obama speaks at the Beth El Synagogue in St. Louis Park. MN about her years in the White House. Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. Monday, September 11th - 13th: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute annual Hispanic Heritage Month conference and awards gala. Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center,1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information. Friday, September 15th, 9A: Dialogue on Diversity holds its 2017 Entrepreneurship and Information Technology Conference. AT&T Forum, 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W. Click here for more information and to register. Saturday, September 30th, 8P: Join Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) for Bruno Mars' 24K Magic Tour. Capital One Arena, 601 F Street, N.W. For more information or to RSVP, contact Sierra Kelley-Chung or Randy Broz at: 202.403.0606 or email: Sierra@ABConsultingDC.com 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
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