There’s time left on the clock, but not a lot. Funding for the government runs out on Thursday. Immigration negotiators say they've taken steps in the right direction, but no DACA deal has thus far been reached. Lawmakers have only until March 5th to save “Dreamers” under Donald Trump’s deadline. Congressional leaders from both parties have said they don't foresee a second shutdown. The House could vote tomorrow to keep the government funded, with the Senate expected to pass the measure soon after. Hence, a DACA punt is starting to seem inevitable. There’s also another battle brewing. This one is over that controversial GOP-drafted memo which alleged to expose improper behavior by FBI agents investigating Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by Trump associates. Spoiler alert: it was tantamount to watching the series finale of The Sopranos -- there was no big reveal. Now Dems want to release their memo. A vote on this is expected today. On Wednesday, Democrats kick off their retreat in Cambridge, MD. Former VP Joe Biden will serve as the keynote. In Fed news, Jerome Powell will be sworn in today as the 16th Chairman of the Federal Reserve. In campaign news, a Chicago-area Holocaust denier running for Congress has no opponents in the Republican primary. Will he make his way to the Capitol? And in sports news, last night, Tom Brady never found his way to victory. The Patriots QB failed to dodge Brandon Graham, who helped lead the Eagles to victory, knocking the ball from Brady’s hands. Speaking of Dodge, a question for the auto company: have you any African Americans in senior positions of leadership? They likely would have been useful in reviewing that ad (mis)using Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s words to sell trucks. We place jobs ads. If you’re looking for some great, diverse talent. Call us. Lastly, in July 2015, when Barack Obama traveled to Kenya, he quoted Janet Jackson to highlight citizens’ frustrations with democracy and also has her in heavy rotation on his playlist. Happy belated #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay. We’re kicking off the week with this...
- Barack Obama is heading to New Zealand.
- Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) teams with Ivanka.
- Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) addresses ‘memo’ controversy.
- Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) intros bipartisan bill to combat homelessness among veterans.
- The Fugees’ Pras launches new media platform
- Lawmakers warn of medical shortage post-Hurricane Maria.
- Omarosa rumored to be getting her own talk show.
- NYT overhauls its fellowship program.
- Meet the new leadership at the Online News Association.
- The Service Year Alliance has a new president.
- HI AG and congressional candidate to step in as the state’s Lt. Gov.
- Black unemployment rises -- what say ye, POTUS?
- HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson asks IG to review his family’s role and influence at the agency.
- “Iron Stache” capitalizes on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) $1.50 Twitter snafu.
- Several Eagles give a preemptive no thanks to WH visit, while Super Bowl bets hit the Hill.
- Next stop: Scandal. The Beat DC’s Tiffany D. Cross is profiled by Shondaland. Read all about it in Blogs.