The immigration debate in the Senate is not going well. We break down the latest below. Authorities responded to a shooting this morning at NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade, MD. The agency said the incident took place at a security gate. Aerial footage shows a black SUV that appears to have crashed into concrete barriers. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly continues to be dogged by rumors that his days are numbered over his handling of a former White House staffer accused of domestic violence. FBI Director Christopher Wray contradicted the White House at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Tuesday with his timeline of events. A quote worth noting from the same hearing comes from Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats: “There should be no doubt that Russia perceives its past efforts as successful and views the 2018 U.S. midterm elections as a potential target for Russian influence operations.” To date, Donald Trump has not directed his intelligence officials to specifically combat Russian interference. In other news, Trump’s personal attorney comes through like Steph Curry in the clutch. Michael Cohen paid $130,000 of his own money to a porn star who allegedly had a sexual encounter with the president before his time in office. For the record, no one has acknowledged the sexual encounter actually took place. Oh, and yesterday’s Black History Month reception at the White House was lit. The East Room gathering included HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and Surgeon General Jerome Adams, the only two senior Trump administration officials who are Black. The theme? "African Americans in Times of War." True story. The president saluted Black Americans who have served in the military for giving "their hearts, their sweat, their blood and their very lives to defend the United States, its flag and its highest ideals." Alrighty. We’re kicking off your Valentine’s Day with this...
- Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) can't take maternity leave. Huh?
- Bipartisan group of Senators urges colleagues to honor state marijuana laws.
- Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) grills FBI Director over Trump’s access to Russia investigation info.
- Another judge blocks administration efforts to rescind DACA while Senate stalls on the issue.
- Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) pledges no more corporate PAC money.
- White House names Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the Agriculture Department.
- Top PACs of color form partnership.
- Eric Holder builds NDRC team and rolls out 2018 strategy.
- DC Police investigating suspicious substance sent to Obama’s office.
- Actor Danny Glover to join Congressman Hank Johnson (D-GA) on Capitol Hill.
- Senate Dems urge investigation of HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson and family members.
- Meet the Human Rights Campaign’s new SVP & General Counsel.
- New details emerge in Omarosa firing.
- The tech firm LendUp names new Chief Risk & Compliance Officer.
- Latina named Chief of Communications and Marketing at the Association for Women in Science.
- Ava DuVernay launches diversity program to fund internships in the entertainment industry.