| A number of top officials at the State Department have either resigned or been fired. Trump and Putin have a call scheduled for tomorrow. According to WaPo, Trump pressured the National Park Service to back up his false claims about crowd size. His senior advisor, Steve Bannon, said the media should just “keep their mouth shut.” It looks like taxpayers will be paying for a useless wall. Four gag orders were issued. “Alternative facts” is now part of our lexicon. And that’s not even the half of it. The New Edition miniseries is over! This is only week one. Here’s your Friday read.
Key WH Staffers of Color
The White House is almost fully staffed. Here are the people of color holding key staff positions: Daris Meeks will serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Domestic Policy for the VP; Andeliz Castillo will serve as Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs for the VP; Omarosa Manigault will serve as Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the Office of Public Liaison; Carlos Díaz Rosillo will be the Director of Policy and Intergovernmental Coordination; Ja’Ron Smith will work on Urban Affairs and Revitalization in the Office of Domestic Policy; Raj Shah will serve as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Communications Director and Research Director; Steven Cheung will serve as Special Assistant to the President and Assistant Communications Director. Press Promises Broken?
Hazel Trice Edney reported on Jan. 10th for the Trice Edney Wire that Trump aide Omarosa Manigault had promised the first interview to Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, “according to sources who attended a private meeting with the Trump transition team last week.” But it was ABC News that ended up scoring the first sit-down with the president. More here.
Sioux Chairman Writes to Trump
Standing Rock Sioux Chairman Dave Archambault II wrote to Trump about his recent executive order to continue the Dakota Access pipeline. “Millions stand by us and will continue to do so as we receive executive indication that infrastructure projects will be driven by corporate despair rather than American values,” he wrote. Read the entire letter here.
Handle Your Handle Please
Remember when Trump talked about the opposition being vulnerable to hacks? Turns out the White House on Thursday had to tighten up his lax social media security, shortly after it was revealed that the president's official Twitter account, @POTUS, was linked to a personal gmail account. More here.
Border Patrol Chief Resigns
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan has left the agency a day after Trump signed an executive order to build a wall along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. More here.
Mexican President Stays Home
Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto on Thursday canceled a planned visit to the White House amid outrage in Mexico over President Trump’s efforts to build a border wall. This appears to be one of the most serious rifts in years between Washington and one of its most critical allies. More here.
Mexican Import Tax
Trump called for a 20 percent tax on imports from Mexico to pay for that wall. But then WH Press Secretary Sean Spicer slowly walked it back. More here.
Obamacare Ads Canceled
The Trump administration has cancelled any remaining Obamacare advertising and outreach planned for the final days of the sign-up period. The move could negatively affect enrollment, given that many people wait until the Jan. 31st deadline to sign up. More here.
Trump’s Dizzying Pace
Trump doesn’t like to read books, those who know him say. And he doesn’t work out because he believes it’s an energy drain, according to the 2016 book “Trump Revealed.” But he does like to watch TV, and he is partial to cable news. On Tuesday night, he tweeted about sending help to Chicago shortly after Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s show aired a segment about crime in the city. More about his pace here.
Protests Far and Wide
In NYC, approximately 1,000 demonstrators descended on Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village on Wednesday night, vowing to stand side-by-side with Muslims, undocumented immigrants, and anyone targeted by Trump's executive orders. More here.
A People United
The leadership of the Congressional Quad-Caucus – which is composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), and the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) -- issued statements condemning President Trump’s recent executive orders, which were directly targeted at the immigrant community. Read the statements here.
Mayors Resist
The mayors of U.S. cities large and small reacted with outrage on Wednesday as President Trump signed an executive order saying he would halt funding to municipalities that did not cooperate with federal immigration officials. The defiant officials -- from New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and smaller cities, including New Haven, CT; Syracuse, NY; and Austin, TX, said they were prepared for a protracted fight. More here.
Except for this Mayor
Not everyone is down for the cause. Carlos Giménez, the Republican mayor of Miami-Dade County, yesterday sent a memo to the county’s corrections director ordering county jails to comply with federal immigration detention requests, essentially abandoning the county’s status as a “sanctuary” for undocumented immigrants. More here.
How Trump’s Immigration and Trade Policies Could Hurt Border Town Economies
U.S. companies operate factories in Mexico's border towns, providing low-skilled, low-wage jobs in the textiles and electronics industries to more than a million Mexicans in those communities, who in turn spend much of their paychecks in the United States, boosting the local tax base. But Trump’s immigration and trade policies could jeopardize that economic relationship, warn local officials, residents and researchers studying border economies. More here.
Priorities USA
Priorities USA, which recently added Symone Sanders to their team, announced the reorganization Wednesday night along with a merger with Every Citizen Counts. Priorities wants to become the "nation's largest funder of voting rights lawsuits.” Critics worry Trump’s false claim could lead to a crackdown on voting rights. More here.
Feds to Chi-town?
Yet again, Trump has taken to Twitter to threaten Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel with unspecified federal intervention if the city's violent gun crime rate doesn't drop. If Trump is serious about solving gun violence in Chicago, a Mother Jones writer says he might want to consider that the vast majority of guns used in crimes in the city come from nearby states with loose gun laws. More here.
Castro on Cruz Patrol
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) shouldn’t get too comfortable in his Senate seat. Congressman Joaquín Castro (D-TX) may just be a favorable contender. The congressman said he will decide whether to run for Cruz’s seat “by the end of spring.” More here.
Gabbard Has Secret Meeting with Syrian Leader
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) acknowledged she met with Syrian President Bashar Assad during a secret trip to Syria. “Whatever you think about President Assad, the fact is that he is the president of Syria. In order for any peace agreement, in order for any possibility of a viable peace agreement to occur, there has to be a conversation with him,” Gabbard said to CNN. More here.
Media Seems to Love Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ Style
Serving since 1991 as the U.S. representative for California’s 43rd congressional district, and previously for the 35th and 29th districts, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) isn’t new to this; she’s true to this. The Root examines her 26-year career and knuck if you buck style of legislating. More here.
Date Set For Special Election to Replace Becerra
California Governor Jerry Brown officially set the date for a special election to replace former Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA), who resigned Monday to become California's attorney general. The primary election will take place on April 4th. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, a general election will be held June 6th. More here.
Starbucks Board Gets More Diverse
On Tuesday, Starbucks nominated three new board members: Rosalind Brewer, an African American woman who was President and CEO of Sam’s Club and Vice President of Walmart Stores; Satya Nadella, an Indian American who is CEO of Microsoft Corporation; and Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, the Denmark-born executive Chairman of the Lego Brand Group. More here.
Journalists of Color Muted
After a weekend of unprecedented criticism of the newly inaugurated Donald Trump and his press secretary Sean Spicer for their unprecedented string of "alt-facts" and hectoring of the news media, the voices of journalists of color were strangely muted, if not absent. CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” for example, brought on seven media observers Sunday to discuss the issue. All were white. Richard Prince has more here.
Ben’s Chili Bowl Gets A Face Lift
Ben’s Chili Bowl announced Thursday that it has painted over its famous mural, and Bill Cosby’s face is no longer a visible presence on the popular U Street corridor. Cosby, however, wasn’t singled out: Portraits of former president Barack Obama, Go-Go music legend Chuck Brown and DJ Donnie Simpson also were covered by a fresh coat of paint. More here.
Carmen Scurato Talks NHMC
Carmen Scurato is Director of Policy and Legal Affairs at the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC). As a native of Puerto Rico, Scurato is a passionate advocate for policies that address the needs of the Latino community. She speaks about this and more with Joe Miller of the Washington Tech Policy Podcast. Listen here.
Hidden Figures
The National Women’s History Museum and the Motion Picture Association of America hosted a special screening of “Hidden Figures” Thursday night. Actress Taraji P. Henson was in attendance. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards on Tuesday.
Malia Spotted at Sundance
Malia Obama was spotted at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Monday, an eyewitness tells Us Weekly. A film buff, she was taking in the sights and also shopping with a friend at the Sundance Film Festival store. More here.
The Beat on Washington Tech
The Beat’s Tiffany D. Cross speaks with Washington Tech’s Joe Miller about how The Beat is helping policy professionals in DC stay on top of what’s happening and find relevant networking opportunities. Listen here.
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Videos of the Day
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White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer says possible voter fraud could have occurred in “a lot of states that we didn’t compete in…big states...urban areas.” | |
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In a televised address on Wednesday night, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto said that Mexico will not pay for President Trump's proposed border wall. (Reuters) | |
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Pics of the Day
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 | What's wrong with this picture? Trump meets with congressional leaders. The only woman? House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). The only person of color? The butler. | |
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A Donald J. Trump signature collection suit...made in Mexico. | |
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Deray McKesson and Symone Sanders hosted a conversation Thursday night with DNC chair candidate Tom Pérez and millennials. McKesson and Sanders plan to host similar conversations with all the candidates. | |
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Malia Obama walks to a car after eating at Red Banjo Pizza Parlour on Main Street during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday, in Park City, Utah. Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP | |
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SEARAC elevates voices from the refugee community blasting Trump's executive order that they say would destroy America's legacy as a humanitarian leader and protector of religious and political freedom. | |
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DC Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden welcomed Maxwell Calvin Leak Snowden into the world on Jan. 18th. Mom, big brother Malik, and baby are all joyful. | |
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Top Five About That Wall
Congressional Republican leaders said Thursday that they plan to move forward with legislation to provide $12 billion to $15 billion to pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But it is still unclear who will end up footing the bill for the gigantic construction. Will the administration build a wall along the entire border or just in certain areas? Several border areas already have a barrier of some sort.
WaPo reporters drove the entire entire border. They present these five notable challenges.
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Rough Terrain
The nearly 2,000-mile border features a variety of climates, vegetation and terrain. Most of the current border fence exists west of El Paso, TX, where the border switches from relatively straight lines to the winding path of the Rio Grande. On its way to the Gulf of Mexico, the river cuts through the mountains of Big Bend National Park and rests in reservoirs, including near Amistad Dam. Both present clear challenges to wall builders.
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Parts of the Border Privately Owned
A significant amount of border land in Arizona and New Mexico is owned by the federal government. But most Texas land is privately owned, thanks to its terms of entry into the Union in 1845.
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Boundary Disputes
The southern border of Texas is technically somewhere in the middle of the Rio Grande. The river has changed course in the past, creating boundary disputes between the United States and Mexico.
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Ineffective
Security experts say that border barriers are merely obstacles to would-be crossers unless they are watched with highly capable surveillance. And even then, nothing is a guarantee. Former Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano once famously remarked, “You show me a 50-foot wall, and I’ll show you a 51-foot ladder.”
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Migrants Have Few Options and Are Determined
Increased violence in some Central American countries has pushed migrants and asylum seekers to the U.S. at a breakneck pace. Apprehensions of unaccompanied children from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have doubled in the last three years, according to Border Patrol figures.
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