CBC Meets with DoD on HBCUs, Michelle Obama Announces Memoir Details, and Mexico President Nixes Trip to White House

They’re baaaack. Congress returns to Capitol Hill today but don’t expect a lot of legislative action this week. There are no votes in the House on Wednesday or Thursday, as the late Rev. Billy Graham will be honored in the Capitol Rotunda. The Senate will be working on immigration as news just broked that the Supreme Court will not hear the Trump administration’s attempts to jump over over the Ninth Circuit and review a California federal court’s order that temporarily paused a move to end the DACA program. While SCOTUS could still hear the case in the future, it denied Trump’s attempt to speed though the process. The denial leaves in place the popular program, at least for now. Back to the Hill, the upper chamber will be gearing up for a fight on gun control. In the lower chamber, more than 100 House Dems plan to co-sponsor legislation this week banning assault weapons. This morning, Donald Trump will be discussing gun control with governors who are in town for their annual meeting. This is on the heels of Trump’s campaign using a photo of the president with one of the victims of the Parkland shooting in the hospital in an email asking for campaign donations. Over the weekend, Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee finally released their memo. It minimizes the Christopher Steele dossier and describes multiple other categories of information, including years-long suspicions that Carter Page was being recruited by Russian spies. Meanwhile, Trump is pushing his personal pilot to lead the FAA, a five-year post that requires Senate confirmation. In other news, Martin Shkreli, the former pharmaceutical executive known as “pharma-bro,” may have to give up his Wu Tang Clan album. Shkreli bought the rare album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, at auction for nearly $2 million. Federal prosecutors said he should relinquish it, along with $5 million in cash and other assets, as part of his conviction for securities fraud. Cash ruled everything around him/CREAM get the money/Dollar, dollar bills y’all. Catch me this eve in the 6P hour on our namesake MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber. Tune in! We’re kicking off the week with this...

  • Senate eyes short-term deal for DACA recipients.
  • Michelle Obama’s memoir set for November release.
  • CBC members to convene roundtable with Defense Department leaders on HBCU funding.
  • Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) named to new Committees.
  • Meet the finalists for the Congressional Democracy Award.
  • Former RNC chief confronts CPAC leader over racist remarks.
  • Barack Obama adds Australia to speaking tour.
  • Collective PAC wants answers from DCCC on lack of Black candidates in "Red to Blue" program.
  • Obama Foundation announces grants to tackle youth violence and increasing mentorship for boys and young men of color.
  • Mexico’s President cancels trip to the US after a testy call with Trump.
  • NRA surprises FCC Chair Ajit Pai with “Courage” award.
  • CA Dems changed the game this weekend with candidates of color on the rise.
  • Latino Victory Fund sets sight on Nevada.
  • NYC Councilmember Jumaane Williams’ bid for NY Lt. Gov. is shaking up Big Apple politics.
  • Want to work for Eric Holder’s National Democratic Redistricting Committee? Stay tuned all week for jobs!
  • Former SBA Administrator María Contreras-Sweet’s deal to buy Weinstein Co. fails again.
  • Bye, Omarosa.
  • Senator Bob Menéndez’s (D-NJ) co-defendant sentenced to prison.
  • NYC Mayor proclaims Loretta Lynch Day.
Brenda Arredondo