Deadly Nerve Agents Are in Our Food, Nydia Velázquez Wants to Ban Them
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) has introduced a bill to end the use of organophosphate pesticides -- which have been linked to neurological damage, respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and other chronic and debilitating diseases -- from food in the U.S. Organophosphates are derived from chemicals developed in Nazi Germany as nerve gases. Just this week, 10 people died in Peru at a funeral from eating food that appears to have contained organophosphates. Small amounts of organophosphates are allowed on crops, but it’s up to farmers to ensure that the amounts don't reach dangerously high levels. Research has shown that some people have a genetic makeup that cause them to be extremely vulnerable to the toxic effects of pesticide exposure (and children are even more vulnerable than adults). In 2017, then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt reversed an Obama-era ban on Chlorpyrifos, a toxic pesticide of the organophosphate family. Shortly thereafter, Velázquez introduced legislation to reinstate a ban on Chlorpyrifos. Her latest bill, the Ban Nerve Agents in Our Food Act, goes further by banning 23 organophosphate pesticides. “Organophosphates were first developed as weapons of war and our government ought to put an end to their use, not continue to fuel a deadly industry,” Velázquez said. “Families need to be assured that when their children are eating food grown in our fields, they are safe for consumption and not tainted with dangerous chemicals that harm kids.” More here.

Grace Meng Wants FDA to Keep Harmful Chemicals Out of Food
Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) on Tuesday penned a letter to FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb calling for the agency to address the threat that food additives pose to children. The letter comes in the wake of a new American Academy of Pediatrics report which revealed that certain colorings, flavorings, and chemicals deliberately added to food during processing may be dangerous to children’s health. The report also claimed the FDA “does not regularly consider cumulative effects of food additives in the context of other chemical exposures that may affect the same biological receptor or mechanism, despite its legal requirement to do so.” In the letter, Meng introduced several proposals based on the Academy’s recommendations, including establishing requirements for the labeling of additives with limited or no toxicity data and those not reviewed for safety by the FDA; updating the scientific foundation for the FDA safety assessment process; prioritization and retesting of previously approved chemicals, and more. “I concur with the Academy when it states that the potential for endocrine system disruption posed by food additives is of great concern, especially in early life, when developmental programming of organ systems is susceptible to permanent and lifelong disruption,” Meng wrote. “As the mother of two young children, I am committed to ensuring that every American child and family is protected from unknowingly consuming chemicals that may cause them harm.” More here.

Tri-Caucus Members Oppose Weaker Clean Car Standards, Warn of Disproportionate Impact on Communities of Color
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, economically disadvantaged and minority populations share a disproportionate burden of air pollution exposure and risk, and experience higher residential exposure to traffic and traffic-related air pollution than non-minorities and persons of higher socioeconomic status. That’s why more than 50 Tri-Caucus members (Black, Hispanic, and Asian American lawmakers) on Tuesday sent a letter to Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao in opposition to Donald Trump’s recently announced plan to weaken federal clean car standards. Led by Tri-Caucus members Donald McEachin (D-VA), Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-CA), and Doris Matsui (D-CA), the letter expresses how specific pollutants are associated with car and truck emissions. They also addressed the lasting impacts from tailpipe pollution, such as asthma, premature deaths, low birth weight, impaired fetal brain development, and more. “Clean car standards benefit all Americans, especially low-income communities and communities of color. Protecting our children from dangerous air pollution and the pervasive impacts of climate change is a moral imperative,” the letter reads. “As such, we strongly urge you to keep our nation’s current clean car standards in place and work to ensure that America’s auto industry has the regulatory certainty it needs to thrive through the 2020s and beyond.” More here. 

Ben Ray Luján Intros Bill to Reduce Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations 
Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) this month introduced legislation to improve access to senior care at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, almost 20% of all hospital admissions originate from SNFs, and 45% of them could have been avoided through access to virtual care. Additionally, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission asserted that rehospitalizations expose seniors to increased risk of falls, delirium, infections, and adverse medication interactions. Joined in its introduction by members Joe Crowley (D-NY), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Diane Black (R-TN), and Morgan Griffith (R-VA), the Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalization (RUSH) Act aims to reduce rehospitalizations at qualified SNFs by giving them more incentives, such as Medicare reimbursements, to use telemedicine and telehealth to improve patient care. “Currently, most nursing homes are not equipped to handle even minor emergencies. This means most patients are sent via ambulance to a hospital emergency room at any sign of emergency. This can be expensive and hard on patients and their families – especially in rural areas,” said Luján. “The RUSH Act provides an exciting new opportunity to allow technology to bridge the gaps for patients and providers in nursing homes across the country.” More here.

Barack Obama to be Given Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization announced that former President Barack Obama will be one of this year's laureates and be given the Ripple of Hope Award. RFK Human Rights, a human rights advocacy group, is named in honor of the former U.S. Senator and Attorney General, who fought for civil rights and social justice. This year marks 50 years since Kennedy's assassination in June of 1968, the same year he was campaigning for president. The Award recognizes those who work to advance the legacy of Robert F. Kennedy in these challenging modern times. "In his post-presidency, President Obama remains committed to lifting up the next generation of leaders through his work with the Obama Foundation," the group said. "Bobby Kennedy was one of my heroes," Obama said. "I first got into public service because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself, believing that my own salvation was bound up with the salvation of others. That's something he expressed far better than I ever could when he talked about the power that comes from acting on our ideals, those ripples of hope that can ‘sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” The awards ceremony will take place in New York in December 2018. More here.

VA Lt. Gov. Chairs Newly Formed Org of Fellow Democratic Lieutenant Governors 
Democratic Lieutenant Governors across the country on Tuesday announced a new national organization committed to driving critical state issues and supporting candidates across the nation. Chairing the newly formed Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association (DLGA) will be Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax. The DLGA, an independent voluntary political organization, will provide resources to fund operations, advise on policy matters, and assist Democrats in their campaigns for Lieutenant Governor. Roshan Patel, the former Finance Director of the Democratic Governors Association, will serve as Executive Director and build out the DLGA team moving forward. Democratic Lieutenant Governors serve as a state’s second-in-command and perform critical tasks overseeing economic development, trade policy, homeland security, education, and overall legislative processes. Lieutenant Governors are the only officials with specific duties and powers in two branches of state government: the executive and legislative branches. Currently, 25 states elect a Lieutenant Governor on a ticket with the governor, while 18 states elect a Lieutenant Governor separately. Executive Committee members include Delaware Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Montana Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney, and Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib. Stay tuned to The Beat DC for additional hires as the group builds their team. “This organization is long overdue, and I am excited to support both our current leaders and future Democratic candidates for these important statewide roles,” said DLGA Chairman Lt. Gov. Fairfax. “Fourteen states have Democratic lieutenant governors right now. That changes this year.” More on the organization here.

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Michigan Republicans Choose Trump Endorsed Candidate for Senate
John James has won the Republican nomination in Michigan's Senate race. He is endorsed by Donald Trump and says he would love for the president to join him on the campaign trail in the general when he faces off with incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). “There are going to be some people who are so blinded by their hatred of the president that they’ll miss the opportunity to have someone who will do everything he can to serve everyone in the state of Michigan. I’m looking forward to treating people like independent thinkers,” James said. Stabenow, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, was first elected to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate since 2000. The 37-year-old 2004 West Point graduate grew up in Detroit and spent eight years in the army including service in Iraq, leading two platoons of Apache helicopters. He is the President of the family-run business which was founded by his father, a global supply-chain management provider of logistics support for Fortune 500 companies. “We keep sending lawyers and career politicians to Washington and we wonder why we’re not get anything done. People want somebody who understands how to run a business before they make regulations that will affect business,” he said. “They want somebody who understands what it’s like to sign the front and the back of the check.” The espoused Christian who holds strong anti-abortion and gun rights views faces an uphill battle -- he reported nearly $869,000 cash on hand as of July 18th versus Stabenow’s $6.27 million. The Senate currently has only one Black Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina. More here.

Historic Candidate Set to Take John Conyers Seat in Congress
Former Michigan state Rep. Rashida Tlaib has won the Democratic nomination to run unopposed (no Republicans ran in the district) for the House seat long held by former Congressman John Conyers, setting her up to become the first Palestinian Congresswoman. She could also be the first Muslim woman elected to Congress as well depending on how other historic candidates running across the country make out. Ilhan Omar, a Somali American who is a top candidate in next week’s Democratic primaries in Minnesota, is also running in a deep-blue district and would be expected to advance should she win next Tuesday. Tlaib bested the competition and pulled off a win in a majority-Black district contested by several prominent figures in the Black community including Conyers’ nephew. Still, the 42-year-old took 33.6% of the vote following a strong grassroots campaign in which she raised more than $1 million. After graduating from Wayne State University Law School in 2004, Tlaib -- who is the eldest of 14 children -- went to work in Michigan State Legislature. She won her first campaign in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2008 and became just the second Muslim woman to serve in a state legislature nationwide, after Jamilah Nasheed of Missouri. The 13th Congressional District she will represent includes a large southern area of suburban Detroit in Wayne County. After boundary lines were redrawn in 2012, the 13th is the only congressional district entirely within one county. “People are ready for someone like me. I’m not talking about being Muslim, Palestinian, brown or a woman,” she said. “I vote the right way and go beyond that.” More here.

Univision Hires Henry Ahn to Oversee Distribution and Partnerships
Henry Ahn has been named President of Content Distribution and Partnerships at Univision Communications, based in Miami. Ahn was most recently President of Content Distribution and Marketing for Scripps Interactive Networks where he oversaw all aspects of distribution with both traditional and linear partners. Prior to that, he served as EVP of TV Networks Distribution at NBCUniversal, where for 17 years he led negotiations for distribution deals with major multichannel distributors for all content related matters for NBCU properties including cable networks, station retransmission consent, new media rights, and more. The Boston College graduate, who also has a Master’s from Fordham University, has earned numerous honors over the years, including the 2013 National Cable & Telecommunications Association’s Vanguard Award for Marketing. His appointment is one of the top executive changes since Vincent Sandusky took over as CEO in June, and comes after a series of layoffs and high-profile exits as the company explores selling their top assets such as Jezebel, Gizmodo, The Root, and more. More here.

Shorenstein Center Names Fall Fellows
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, based at Harvard Kennedy School, announced on Tuesday the appointment of its fall 2018 Fellows. Among them is María Hinojosa, Anchor and Executive Producer for the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA, distributed by NPR, and for PBS’s America By The Numbers with Maria Hinojosa. Her nearly 30-year career includes reporting for PBS, CBS, WNBC, CNN, NPR, Frontline, and CBS Radio, and anchoring the Emmy Award-winning talk show Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One. In 2010, Hinojosa created the Futuro Media Group, a nonprofit organization producing multimedia journalism that gives voice to the diversity of the American experience. While at the Shorenstein Center, Hinojosa will lead a student study group on the topic of immigration. She will be joined by Sarah J. Jackson, an associate professor of Communication Studies at Northeastern University, affiliated with the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program and the Department of Cultures, Societies. and Global Studies. Her areas of expertise include social movement communication, Black and feminist activism, and alternative journalism. She is the author of Black Celebrity, Racial Politics and the Press, and co-author of the forthcoming #HashtagActivism: Race and Gender in America’s Networked Counterpublics. While at the Shorenstein Center, Jackson will write a paper on “Black Women’s Digital Storytelling and the New Politics of Black Activism.” The Shorenstein Center’s mission is to study and analyze the power of media and technology and its impact on governance, public policy, and politics. Research, courses, fellowships, public events, and engagement with students, scholars, and journalists form its core. Meet the rest of the Fellows here.

FairTest Names a New Executive Director
The National Center for Fair & Open Testing (FairTest) has named Andre L. Green as the new Executive Director. He will replace Monty Neill, who is retiring this summer. Green previously served as the Political Director at MASSCreative, Massachusetts’ statewide arts advocacy group, serving as its primary liaison to elected officials. During that time, he also consulted with FairTest on their development of a new strategic plan. Prior to that, Green was a Senior Project Manager for the On Solid Ground Coalition, a research-base coalition dedicated to increasing housing stability and economic mobility for low-income Massachusetts families. Before that, the bilingual education advocate -- who is fluent in English and French -- was a Senior Manager for YouthBuildUSA, where he helped disadvantaged youth earn high school credentials while developing job skills. The 2001 Bard College at Simon’s Rock graduate began his career as a Teacher at St. Benedict’s School in Massachusetts. More here.