NJ Senator Cory Booker released the following statement via Twitter on the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings.
Today our country lost a true leader. Congressman Elijah Cummings was a friend, a passionate fighter for justice, and a powerful voice of moral conscience in our government who served his country for decades with dignity and integrity. I’m blessed to have known him. #RIPElijah
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) October 17, 2019
A year ago, the estate overseeing the affairs of the late Minneapolis rock star Prince said they would not give President Trump permission to play any Prince music at any campaign event.
When Trump appeared in Minneapolis Thursday night, “Purple Rain” could clearly be heard playing from speakers prior to the arrival of the evening’s speakers.
The estate released the following statement in response to the song being played at the campaign event via Twitter:
President Trump played Prince’s “Purple Rain” tonight at a campaign event in Minneapolis despite confirming a year ago that the campaign would not use Prince’s music. The Prince Estate will never give permission to President Trump to use Prince’s songs. pic.twitter.com/FuMUPzSWOe
— Prince (@prince) October 11, 2019
Montgomery, Alabama — Alabama's capital, a city once known as the cradle of the Confederacy and later the birthplace of the civil rights movement, elected its first African American mayor Tuesday.
Probate Judge Steven Reed, 45, clasped the history-making victory to be elected the next mayor of Montgomery after defeating businessman David Woods by a decisive margin. Reed won about 67% of the vote in Tuesday's mayoral runoff, according to unofficial returns.
"This election has never been about me. This election has never been about just my ideas. It's been about all of the hopes and dreams that we have as individuals and collectively in the city," Reed said in his victory speech.
[SOURCE: CBS NEWS]
Senator Kamala Harris has demanded authorities investigate and bring justice for the murder of Joshua Brown, who was shot to death over the weekend just days after he was a key witness in the murder trail of a former Dallas police officer.
Joshua Brown’s selflessness and courage brought some justice for his neighbor Botham Jean. We grieve again learning of Joshua’s murder.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) October 6, 2019
I pray for his family, his community, and all those impacted by this tragedy.
We demand answers.
Democratic Sen. Cory Booker on Sunday announced he has reached the required donor threshold to qualify for the fifth Democratic presidential debate despite his campaign running behind on a self-imposed donation fundraising goal of $1.7 million.
The New Jersey senator's announcement comes after the Democratic National Committee announced last week that candidates must meet higher donor thresholds in order to qualify for the November debates. Candidates must raise money from 165,000 separate donors -- including a minimum of 600 donors each in at least 20 states or territories, up from the current minimum of 130,000 donors.
"We have nearly 35,000 donors who have been helping us make this goal. We've raised $1.5 million plus," Booker told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" Sunday. "We've actually already crossed the threshold to make the November debates of 165,000 unique donors. The surge and the momentum is great, but yeah, I still need help."
Booker has already qualified for the October Democratic presidential debate, which will be moderated by CNN and The New York Times, but he has not yet met the polling threshold to qualify for the November stage. The DNC has not yet announced the date for that debate.
During an interview Michael Smerconish SiriusXM radio show NBA legend Charles Barkley argued the Democratic party enjoys overwhelming support from African Americans but takes their votes for granted.
Listen to Barkley's comments below:
Washington, D.C. — Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. handed out bottled water and discussed Newark’s water crisis with residents at two local facilities Sept. 6. The Congressman spent more than two hours at the Bo Porter Sports Complex and the Boylan Street Recreation Center, where he helped residents get the clean water they needed and talked with them about their water concerns. The visits were part of the Congressman’s commitment to do everything possible to help local communities survive the crisis.
Congressman Payne, Jr. said he understands their concerns because he is one of them.
“As a resident and representative of Newark, I am very concerned about the discovery of elevated levels of lead in Newark’s water supply,” said Congressman Payne, Jr. “This is water my family and I drink regularly. Traditionally, Newark has been known for the quality of its water and had been known for some of the cleanest water in the country.”
He said the crisis in Newark is his top priority. He is working with local, state and national officials to solve it as quickly as possible. Congressman Payne, Jr. introduced the Test for Lead Act in Congress to establish stronger tests for lead in school drinking water across the country. Recently, he co-signed and sent letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture to make sure facilities and communities have enough bottled water to distribute until the city’s drinking water is considered safe.
But he wanted to see the situation and talk with affected residents personally. He said the urgency of the issue is one that requires physical as well as political action to get clean water to communities now and then make sure nothing like this tragedy happens in the future, especially when it comes to the safety of the district’s children.
“The greatest threat with this water issue is the health of our children,” said Congressman Payne, Jr. “We need to work tirelessly and immediately to guarantee what happened in Flint, MI. doesn’t happen anywhere else.”
Stacey Abrams said that she will not be running for the United States Senate next year following news that Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) would retire. Her spokes person released the following statement:
Statement from my spokesman: pic.twitter.com/0smIAb5ptA
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) August 28, 2019
Former first lady Michelle Obama is pouring cold water on calls for her to run for president, saying she believes there are other ways for her to help the country.
She has repeatedly made it clear she has no interest in running for the White House, however, despite repeated calls or suggestions for her to do so.
“Just between us, and the readers of this magazine — there’s zero chance,” Obama said in an interview with The National, Amtrak’s travel and culture magazine, that was published Friday.
“There are so many ways to improve this country and build a better world, and I keep doing plenty of them, from working with young people to helping families lead healthier lives. But sitting behind the desk in the Oval Office will never be one of them. It’s just not for me.”
President Donald Trump, after a weekend of attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and his Baltimore-area district, began Monday by blasting the Rev. Al Sharpton as someone who "hates whites and cops." and calling him a con man.
Sharpton came back with a witty and biting response:
NEW: Rev. Al Sharpton responds to Pres. Trump's attack this morning: "If he really thought I was a con man, he'd be nominating me for his Cabinet." https://t.co/07y027HWeS pic.twitter.com/014y5jCELb
— ABC News (@ABC) July 29, 2019
HBCU, Texas Southern University will serve as the venue for the third Democratic primary debate, to be held Thursday and Friday, September 12-13, 2019, in the Health & Physical Education (H&PE) Arena.
The agreement between ABC News and TSU was announced on ABC’s “This Week” show with George Stephanopoulos on Sunday, July 21. “As the heart and soul of Houston, Texas Southern University is proud to serve as the venue for for such a prestigious event,” said TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane. “Not only does this reflect positively on the university and the City of Houston, it also provides our students with opportunities to work directly with ABC and its partners to gain valuable experience throughout the process. We are thankful for the strong relationship we have with proud TSU alumnus Michael Strahan, who does an incredible job at ABC and has a strong appreciation for the historic significance of our university.”
The agreement between ABC News and TSU includes H&PE Arena for the debate itself, as well as the Student Recreation Center, which will serve as a media center throughout the week of Sept. 9-13. “Our students will gain valuable experience leading up to – and during – the event,” added Dr. Lane. “ABC will provide ‘real world’ work experiences for students who will serve as interns, runners, pages, etc., for both ABC and its partners throughout the event. We are working with our schools of Communications and Public Affairs specifically to make sure our students are involved and engaged in this event from a learning perspective. Likewise, our public broadcast radio station, KTSU 90.9 FM, and KTSU2 student streaming station will be involved on the media side.
On Tuesday, July 16, 2019, Congressman Al Green announced his renewed effort to impeach the President of the United States for his bigotry causing harm to society. These articles of impeachment are representative of the boiling point many Americans have reached as President Trump consistently spews racist rhetoric and finds ways to infuse it into policy and persistently aims to separate children from their parents. The President continues to be reckless, ruthless, lawless and, ultimately, unfit to hold the highest office in the land. We must impeach now.
Congressman Al Green says, “I will read articles of impeachment on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives before the close of the business today. To condemn a racist President is not enough, we must impeach him. This will be a defining vote. The world is watching, and history will judge us all.”
Rep. Al Green Articles of I... by Councilman George L. Cook III on Scribd
Sen. Cory Booker says he appreciated Joe Biden apologizing for his comments praising his work with segregationists. Read Sen. Booker's remarks below:
SEN. CORY BOOKER: I’m frustrated that it took so long. But I’m grateful for him doing and we should all, I mean, we can’t have a culture where we can't have a leader that can’t stand up and say I’ve been imperfect and I made mistakes and I apologize...
I’m sorry we had to go through all of this, I’m sorry he tried to shift blame to me. But I’m grateful. I want to say thank you. We need to extend grace to each other. I’m never going to not accept somebody I respect and admire that has come to terms with this and apologized.
I was very hurt by what he said and even more hurt that he would try to, I almost felt attacked when he said that I should be apologizing to him.
In an op-ed piece published Wednesday in Essence magazine, Hayes called Harris “the perfect antidote to our current President’s false narratives."
"With her intellect, strength and empathy at the helm, we can work to be better together. Senator Harris has laid out a powerful and bold vision for this country that is inclusive of everyone’s lived experience and grounded in the belief that success should not be defined by race, gender, socioeconomic status or zip code,'' Hayes wrote.
Harris was an early supporter of Hayes, backing for the 5th District seat before she won a primary against former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman to secure the Democratic nomination.
Cory Booker Public Education Platform
Access to a high-quality public education should not depend on a child’s zip code. Teachers across the country are overworked, underpaid, and under-supported at a time when they are going above and beyond for our students. They deserve better. We must pay teachers more, stop Republican attacks on public education, and invest in our schools.
As president, Cory will massively expand support for public schools and our public school teachers:
* Guarantee universal early childhood education.
* Invest in teachers by raising pay, eliminating student debt, and providing financial assistance for teacher certification and licensing.
* Strengthen our public schools by putting additional resources into underperforming school districts.
* Fully fund special education.
* Expand the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education.
Rush has been sharply critical of former Vice President Joe Biden in the wake of comments in which he recalled working alongside two segregationist Southern senators. Rush told Politico that Biden, another Democratic presidential candidate, was "wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience." Rush will serve as Harris' Illinois campaign co-chair.
Rush said Harris was "the only candidate prepared to fight for all Americans against a Trump Administration that has left them behind" and that she is a "once-in-a-lifetime leader" who "exemplifies what global leadership is all about."
Endorsements from the caucus, which counts more than 50 members, could be influential in the Democratic presidential primary. With Rush's endorsement, Harris now has six endorsements from the CBC.
NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson released the following statement on the Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling:
Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL 1st District) issued a scathing rebuke of Joe Biden on Friday, calling him “woefully ignorant” of the black American experience, as the former vice president confronts a growing backlash over his comments about working alongside fervent segregationists.
Rush, a high-profile activist during the height of the civil rights movement, told POLITICO in an exclusive statement that Biden’s remarks at a New York fundraiser earlier this week were “wholly out of touch.”
“You would think that after eight years of serving as Vice President under President Obama, Biden would get it, that his frame of reference would be more audacious for the future and less on the obvious incrementalism of the past,” Rush said. “With his statement he has demonstrated that he is wholly out of touch and woefully ignorant of the nuances of the black American experience and that is, in itself, beyond disappointing.”
