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☆ South Carolina Democrats stunned by Biden’s plan to put them first in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Alex-Seitz-Wald-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Alex Seitz-Wald | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Not even Rep. Jim Clyburn, the longtime dean of South Carolina Democrats and a key Biden ally, received an early heads-up. He found out Thursday night in a phone call from the president, according to a South Carolina Democratic official. Gerald Herbert / AP fileFor a red state, South Carolina plays an outsize role in Democratic politics. The South Carolina plan has plenty of detractors, especially from states that were passed over for the prime spot. Instead, South Carolina would go first, followed by New Hampshire and Nevada on the same day, trailed by Georgia and then Michigan.

[1/7] U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) walks on the day of House Democratic leadership elections on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 30, 2022. The vote by Jeffries' fellow Democrats also marked the rise of a younger generation of leaders in the 435-member House and the end of the Nancy Pelosi era. In 2007 she became the first woman to be elected House speaker. Jeffries, a 52-year-old New Yorker, will hold the position of House Democratic leader for the 118th Congress that convenes on Jan. 3. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was not surprised that Jeffries, a fellow Brooklynite, was chosen.

☆ U.S. House Democrats set to elect Hakeem Jeffries as first Black party leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Jeffries, a 52-year-old New Yorker, is running for House Democratic leader for the next two years. If he is elected as expected during closed-door voting, he would become the first Black person to hold a top party leadership job in the House or Senate. "Meaningful policymaking and public engagement opportunities should be robustly distributed regardless of length of service," Jeffries wrote in a letter to fellow Democrats. Running for election as part of Jeffries' team are Representative Katherine Clark, 59, who is seeking the No. 2 Democratic whip job, and Pete Aguilar, 43, vying for Jeffries' current job of Democratic caucus chairman.

WASHINGTON — House Democrats will elect their new leadership team Wednesday morning, ushering in a younger generation of leaders after Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer decided to step aside after Democrats narrowly lost the majority this month. In recent years, younger, equally ambitious and talented Democrats looking to climb the leadership ladder discovered they had nowhere to go but out. Democratic Caucus Chair Xavier Becerra took an appointment as California's attorney general and then was named by President Joe Biden as health and human services secretary. Others, including Steve Israel of New York, who led both House Democrats' campaign arm and communications shop, opted for retirement. “The House Democratic Caucus is at its best when everyone has an opportunity to be on the playing field, playing the right position," he said.

Shortly before Pelosi’s announcement Thursday that she was stepping down, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff signaled he would not run for House leadership and would focus his efforts on a future Senate bid instead. 2 leadership post, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal of Washington decided to run for another term leading her caucus of roughly 100 House liberals. Aguilar originally had his eyes set on the assistant leader position, but Clyburn’s move forced him to run for caucus chair. 4 and Democratic Caucus chair will move up to No. That left Rep. Joe Neguse, 38, who had been campaigning behind the scenes for months for caucus chair, as the odd man out.

"For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic Caucus that I so deeply respect," Pelosi, 82, said in her floor speech. “Pelosi and Hoyer showed a lot of grace in stepping aside,” one younger Democratic lawmaker told NBC News. Meg Kinnard / AP fileAguilar said Friday he is now running for Democratic Caucus chairman. Under that scenario, Aguilar's caucus chair role would move up to No. But with Clyburn going for the assistant job and Aguilar entering the race for caucus chair, Neguse could find himself the odd man out.

WASHINGTON — New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the fourth-ranking House Democrat, said Friday that he will run to replace House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the party's leader after Republicans took back control of the chamber in last week’s midterm elections. The ascension of the 52-year-old Jeffries to minority leader would also represent generational change. Clark, 59, announced a bid for Democratic Whip, while Aguilar, 43, is running for Democratic Caucus Chair. Congressional Black Caucus Chair Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, said Thursday she was confident that the powerful bloc of more than 50 Black lawmakers would line up behind Jeffries. “I’m very comfortable saying I believe that every member of the Congressional Black Caucus would vote for Hakeem Jeffries,” Beatty told reporters Thursday.

Jeffries, 52, would be the first Black House Democratic leader, representing both the party's diverse voter base and bringing a new generation of leadership. House Democrats are scheduled to vote on their leaders on Nov. 30. Jeffries, who has held the leadership post of House Democratic Caucus chairman since 2019, also would represent a stylistic contrast to Pelosi, who made her announcement on Thursday. Current House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer, 83, said he would not seek a leadership position in the next Congress and backed Jeffries. Clyburn told reporters ahead of Pelosi's announcement that he intends to remain in the House Democratic leadership regardless of the path she takes.

☆ There have only been 2 Black elected governors in US history, but the 2022 midterm elections could usher in unparalleled change
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

There have only been two Black elected governors in US history, but that could change on Tuesday. With the victory, Wilder became the first Black elected governor in the United States, generations after P.B.S. He said people brag about him as the first Black governor elected in America. However, this year, Black gubernatorial candidates weren't overly reliant on the party leadership to help them land the nominations in their respective states. At the end of the day, if that's what I accomplished, that's not enough," Moore told Insider.

House Democrats have unified as they fight to retain their fragile majority in next month’s midterms. But given Biden’s unpopularity and the GOP lead on the generic congressional ballot (which asks only which party people would support), the more likely scenario is a bad election night for House Democrats. If Pelosi, Hoyer and Clyburn head for the exits, the leadership matchups become pretty clear. Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., conducts a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center on Sept. 20. The Massachusetts Democrat has significant support from fellow female members and has stayed close to the Black, Hispanic and Asian caucuses — big voting blocs in the diverse 220-member Democratic Caucus.

☆ Will Smith's first project since Oscars fiasco gets December release date
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-03 | by ( Jack Stebbins | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

US actor Will Smith accepts the award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "King Richard" onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. Will Smith's upcoming film "Emancipation" will be released in theaters on Dec. 2 and on Apple TV+ a week later on Dec. 9. It's Smith's first project since the Oscars, where he made headlines for slapping host Chris Rock on stage and winning Best Actor for his titular role in "King Richard." In "Emancipation," Smith plays a runaway slave searching for his family in the swamps of Louisiana. In a tweet, NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson called the film "a story of adversity, of resilience, of love, and of triumph."

☆ Young Black activists are done waiting their turn for political office. They're taking on the 'John Lewis generation' of elder lawmakers who they say are out of touch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Elvina Nawaguna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

Most members of the Congressional Black Caucus are twice as old as the median Black person living in the US. The Congressional Black Caucus, a powerful voice for Black Americans, is significantly older than those it speaks for. Clay had replaced his father, William Lacy Clay Sr., a civil-rights icon and founding Congressional Black Caucus member who had represented the area since 1969. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesThe Congressional Black Caucus is reckoning with a leftward shift it's struggled to embrace. A spokesperson for the Congressional Black Caucus did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

WASHINGTON — The House on Thursday passed a package of police funding and public safety bills, legislation that will help vulnerable Democrats blunt GOP campaign attacks that they want to “defund the police” and are ignoring rising crime. John Minchillo / AP fileThe passage of four policing and safety bills came after some last-minute, intraparty drama earlier in the day. Had they followed through, it would have derailed the entire package and dealt Democrats an embarrassing blow on a major campaign issue before the midterms. The Gottheimer bill, which easily passed 360-64, would provide grants to local police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers. While there is Senate support for some of the House-passed bills, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has no plans to bring a policing package to the floor before the Nov. 8 midterm election.

WASHINGTON — Moderate and progressive House Democrats struck a deal Wednesday on a long-awaited policing and public safety package, a breakthrough they hope will unify the party on a key issue weeks before the midterm election. The package includes four bills written by moderate Democrats. Another by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey would provide grants to local police departments with fewer than 125 sworn officers. A third, by Rep. Katie Porter of California, would provide grants for mental health professionals and other resources. Two other policing bills, written by moderate Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Dean Phillips, D-Minn., that had previously been a part of the negotiations were removed from the package announced Wednesday.

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