A fourth bombing Sunday night in Austin has injured two more people. Black leaders continue to raise the alarm, as two people killed in previous attacks were African American and a seriously wounded victim is a 75-year-old Hispanic woman. Law enforcement officials say that they do not have conclusive evidence that race played a role in the bombings, but that they are continuing to explore the possibility. No comment so far from the president. In a weekend Twitter storm, Donald Trump focused on impugning Special Counsel Robert Mueller, continuing his attacks on ousted FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe who was fired on Friday, the “fake news” media, Hillary Clinton, and others. He did not, however, mention another brewing storm. For the first time, a sitting U.S. president is pursuing a $20 million lawsuit against a private citizen, Stormy Daniels, whose highly anticipated 60 Minutes interview is scheduled to air this Sunday. You want to party with the King, you’ve got to sign a non-disclosure. According to reports, Trump may have pressured senior White House staffers into signing NDAs, though they are members of the federal government, not his personal employees. This morning, 45 will release a plan to combat the opioid epidemic that includes the controversial move to use the death penalty for some drug dealers. The news comes as hundreds of millions of dollars in funding that Congress sent to states to combat the opioid crisis remain unspent more than a year later. To the Hill … Congress is facing yet another deadline this week to avert a government shutdown. Lawmakers have until Friday to reach a deal on a massive omnibus spending package to fund the government through the remainder of the fiscal year. Congressional Hispanic Caucus member Congressman Rubén Kihuen (D-NV) decided against running for re-election after all. And Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY) died early Friday morning. The 88-year-old was the first woman to chair the House Rules Committee and was celebrated for breaking down barriers for female lawmakers during her more than 30 years in Congress. The nation’s capital is preparing to host hundreds of thousands this weekend for the March For Our Lives to combat gun violence. And just in time, Broadway stars Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt announced they plan to donate a portion of the proceeds from their new mashup song, Found/Tonight, to the big event on Saturday. We’re kicking off the week with this...
- Barack Obama kicks off four-nation tour today.
- Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduces bill to protect animals on airlines.
- CBC launches NCAA task force to assist student-athletes.
- Congressmen Ami Bera (D-CA) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) launch bipartisan healthcare caucus.
- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) wants women honored on quarters.
- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke defends “konnichiwa” remark.
- Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) says Donald Trump is no racist.
- Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) summon HUD Secretary Ben Carson over mortgage discrimination.
- Top HUD official resigns amid fraud allegations.
- Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX) and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) are the go-tos on bipartisan IT legislation.
- Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) wants students to be financially literate.
- Secretary Ben Carson announces he’s fighting waste and fraud at HUD.
- Exclusive! Meet the DCCC’s new Director of African American Media and Deputy National Press Secretary.
- The National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators has new leadership.
- TX congressional candidate Verónica Escobar sued by former rivals.
- Activist becomes first undocumented immigrant appointed to statewide post in California.
- NPR adds to its White House team of reporters.
- The money and politics site Sludge announces new hires.
- Speaking of money and politics: the DCCC has a record-breaking February.
- Key cases before SCOTUS this week.
- Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-MD) wants answers to reports that career fed employees were targeted for lack of Trump loyalty.
- Native American groups sue Trump administration over humpback whales.
- Haitians allege racism in a lawsuit against the administration for ending TPS.
- Roll Call’s Nate Gonzales profiles Dan Sena, the first Latino Executive Director of a party campaign committee. And Vogue profiles Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA). Check it out in Blogs.
- Don’t miss The Beat DC’s Tiffany D. Cross today at 1:45P on Fox News’Outnumbered Overtime with Harris Faulkner!