There was some disappointment JAY-Z never took the stage at Sunday night’s GRAMMY Awards. Not just because of his art, but because we wanted to see how or if he would respond to Donald Trump’s tweet saying, “Somebody please inform Jay-Z that because of my policies, Black unemployment has just been reported to be at the LOWEST RATE EVER RECORDED!” This was 45’s response to an interview the hip hop mogul did with Van Jones on CNN Saturday night. Somebody please inform the president that he is not doing a good job of squashing those rumors about his TV viewing habits. But who did make an appearance at last night’s GRAMMYs? Hillary Clinton. She joined other celebrities in reading passages from Michael Wolff’s Fire & Fury. And who was in the audience? Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT). His office said, “Senator Orrin Hatch, writer of laws but also songs, enjoying Childish Gambino, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, and more at the 60th annual Grammy Awards.” True story. Now to the Beltway’s own red carpet event -- Donald Trump’s first State of the Union. The president is expected to strike a unifying tone tomorrow -- that’s if he sticks to the script. He will call on Congress to spend at least $1 trillion on infrastructure. And he will use the speech to lobby millions of viewers on behalf of his plan to make a series of changes to the nation’s immigration system while granting citizenship to as many as 1.8 million young immigrants. But his proposal also includes $25 billion for a border wall and border security, and would restrict family-based immigration and end the diversity visa lottery program. Meanwhile, Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) joins the list of lawmakers boycotting tomorrow. And Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) might miss next year’s SOTU. His challenger, Congressman Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), raised more than $2.4 million in the last three months of 2017; Cruz raised just over $1.9 million in the same period. Lastly, former Florida Congresswoman Corrine Brown reports to a minimum-security Central Florida prison camp today to begin a five-year federal sentence. Guys, the only thing more frightening than reading a diverse tip sheet in America is being a diverse tip sheet in America. We’re kicking off the week with this...
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) fires CoS for “improper conduct.”
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) urges Trump admin to reinstate directive on marijuana policy.
- Detroit City Council President jumps into congressional race.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) intros bill on music licensing.
- Congressmen Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Eliot Engel (D-NY) probe State Dept on retaliation against Obama-era staff.
- Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA) on AG Jeff Sessions and criminal justice reform.
- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) teams with commentator Angela Rye on SOTU rebuttal.
- Omarosa leaves White House and heads to Big Brother.
- Congressman Mark Takano (D-CA) wants to know how much you’re paying for car insurance.
- Meet the HBCU grad nominated to the U.S. Tax Court.
- Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) has a new staffer.
- Civil rights pioneer announces MS congressional run.
- FL voters to decide on restoring voting rights to former felons.
- Univisión names new President and COO.
- Jemele Hill is Undefeated.
- NUL’s Marc Morial pushes for Black ownership in the NFL.
- Senator Elizabeth Warren’s (D-MA) re-election campaign wants you to join them. Apply!
- José Andrés had a dust-up with Ivanka Trump, but the air is clear now. WaPo’sHelena Andrews has the story. Check it out below in Blogs.