Congresswoman Karen Bass Elected Next Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus

Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA-37) has been elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) for the 116th Congress. Congresswoman Bass will be the 26th chair of the CBC, and the eighth woman to hold the position.

“From her days in the California General Assembly where she became the first African-American woman in U.S. history to lead a state legislative body, to her work in Congress to address both domestic and international issues affecting people of African descent, Congresswoman Bass has demonstrated tried and true leadership,” said outgoing CBC Chair Cedric L. Richmond (D-LA-02). “I commend Congresswoman Bass on becoming the new chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. There’s much work to be done next Congress to ensure equality and justice for African Americans and other marginalized communities, and I am confident Congresswoman Bass will continue to provide strong leadership in this regard.”

Also elected were: Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), 1st Vice Chair; Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (D-MI-14), 2nd Vice Chair; Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA-04), Secretary; Congressman A. Donald McEachin (D-VA-04), Whip; and Congressman-elect Steven Horsford (D-NV-04), Parliamentarian.

The new CBC executive committee will assume office on the first day of the 116th Congress.

Amber Guyger Indicted for Murder in the Death of Botham Shem Jean

A grand jury indicted Amber Guyger for murder, Dallas County District Attorney Faith Johnson told reporters in a press conference Friday afternoon.

Prosecutors argue the defendant should be held responsible for fatally shooting the victim at his apartment on September 6. Police say Guyger entered Jean’s home at the South Side Flats after a shift, and opened fire, striking him in the torso. She allegedly claimed she mistakenly believed that his fourth floor apartment was her third floor residence. Guyger lost her job over the incident. Others wondered how this shooting could possibly have happened. They were neighbors, but apparently didn’t know each other.

At the press conference, reporters asked Johnson why the charge was bumped up to murder. She said she couldn’t discuss the evidence presented to the grand jury, but previously explained it was the Texas Rangers who pursued the manslaughter charge. The D.A.’s office was still investigating at the time, she said.

[SOURCE: LAW & CRIME]

Democrat Mike Espy files to run for Senate in 2020

Democrat Mike Espy appears to be gunning for a rematch in his bid for Senate in Mississippi.

The former agriculture secretary and congressman filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Friday declaring his intention to run for Senate in 2020.

The filing comes just three days after he was defeated by Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) in a heated runoff election. A spokesperson for Espy's campaign did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment.

Hyde-Smith, who was appointed earlier this year to replace former Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) in the chamber, beat Espy on Tuesday by roughly 8 points.

Because Hyde-Smith was appointed this year and elected in a special election, she will face reelection again at the end of Cochran's term in 2020 when she's expected to seek her first full term in the Senate.

[SOURCE: THE HILL]

Michelle Obama's "Becoming" is best selling book of 2018

Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming" has become the best selling book of the year in the United States, surpassing Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" and others.

Wolff's "Fire" was a publishing world sensation when it came out in January. To date it has sold 1,008,088 hardcover copies, according to NDP BookScan data.

All year long, it was the year's No. 1 political book. Its closest competitor was "Fear," by Bob Woodward, which came out in September and has sold 872,567 hardcover copies to date.

But "Becoming" outpaced them both in just a couple of weeks. BookScan shows 1,122,618 hardcover copies of Obama's uplifting memoir have sold since its November 13 release date.

That makes it No. 1 for the year. The year's No. 2 book in terms of hardcover sales is "Magnolia Table," a cookbook by TV star Joanna Gaines. "Fire and Fury" now ranks No. 3, followed by Rachel Hollis' self help book "Girl, Wash Your Face" at No. 4 and "Fear" at No. 5.

Obama's publisher, Penguin Random House, said Friday that "Becoming" "sold more than 2 million units in all formats and editions in the U.S. and Canada during the first 15 days of its publication."

The hardcover edition of "Becoming" is now up to six printings, meaning the publisher has had to order more and more copies to keep up with demand. By the end of the sixth printing, there will be 3.4 million copies in print in the U.S. and Canada, well-timed for the holiday book-buying season.

[SOURCE: CNN]

Barack and Michelle Obama statement on passing of George H. W. Bush

Former President Obama and his wife Michelle have issued a statement on the passing of George H.W. Bush who died at the age of 94 on Friday.