Donald Trump speaking to Axios (screen capture) Donald Trump balked at paying the legal bill proposed by the legal team that was set to defend him in his second impeachment trial. According to many, Trump wanted the lawyers to continue his line of baseless claims that the election was ‘stolen’ from him, which has no basis in reality. The attorneys said the best course of action would be to argue against the constitutionality of the impeachment proceeding saying the Constitution doesn’t provide for impeaching a president out of office. In any case, the legal eagles flew the coup coop. But now, Axios reports that Trump balked at paying the legal fees the lawyers were requesting. Mind you – this is after Trump had already grifted over $170 million from his cultists to be used for legal defense.
The notoriously stingy former president and his lead lawyer, Butch Bowers, wrangled over compensation during a series of tense phone calls, sources familiar with their conversations said. The argument came even though Trump has raised over $170 million from the public that could be used on his legal defenses.
The two initially agreed Bowers would be paid $250,000 for his individual services, a figure that “delighted” Trump, one of the sources said.
However, Trump didn’t realize Bowers hadn’t included additional expenses — including more lawyers, researchers and other legal fees that would be accrued on the job.
He was said to be livid when Bowers came back to him with a total budget of $3 million. Trump called the South Carolina attorney and eventually negotiated him down to $1 million.
Scrambling, Trump announced on Sunday he had found new attorneys to represent him: David Schoen and Bruce L. Castor Jr. Trump is probably not worried about being found guilty anyway after a preliminary vote showed 45 Republican Senators are not in favor of the impeachment proceeding.
Rick Grenell served as “acting” director of national intelligence for three months but was neither nominated nor confirmed by the Senate.
In addition to being one of the highest ranking LGBTQ public officials in the country, Buttigieg is also the first millennial to be confirmed to a White House Cabinet position.
The Army veteran is the 19th Transportation Secretary and the 5th member of President Biden’s Cabinet to be confirmed. Buttigieg and Vice President Kamala Harris are the only two 2020 presidential contenders to join the Biden Cabinet. https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1356672112015081472
LGBTQ advocacy groups were quick to celebrate the news.
The Human Rights Campaign noted the history-making moment writing, “Another barrier broken for our community.” https://twitter.com/HRC/status/1356654155889324032 “Pete shattered a centuries-old political barrier with overwhelming bipartisan support and that paves the way for more LGBTQ Americans to pursue high-profile appointments,” said Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Institute. “Pete testifying at his confirmation hearing, with his husband looking on, will be among the powerful images that define this unprecedented political moment and will be remembered as a milestone in America’s move toward social justice.” https://twitter.com/VictoryFund/status/1356654085039095809
“The role of Secretary of Transportation requires an innovative thought leader, someone who understands all Americans’ needs and has the courage to create and form the road ahead,” read a statement by GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “Secretary Buttigieg’s vision will improve all Americans’ lives and navigate toward needed change to serve communities on the margins. We know he will continue to lead our country’s drive for LGBTQ acceptance. Congratulations, Secretary Buttigieg.”
“Buttigieg is a true example of what it means to have all voices — including LGBTQ Americans — at the table, and he’ll be an inspiration for so many who until this moment may have believed certain dreams were not possible,” read a statement from the Indiana Democratic Party.
https://twitter.com/INDems/status/1356653019274821635 For those wondering, the thirteen ‘no’ votes (all Republicans) were Sens. Cruz (Texas), Cotton (Ark.), Marshall (Kansas), Scott (Fla.), Tuberville (Ala.), Shelby (Ala.), Hawley (Mo.), Blackburn (Tenn.), Rubio (Fla.), Scott (S.C.), Lankford (Okla.), Hagerty (Tenn.), and Cassidy (La.). Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania did not vote. Expect many of those to run for president in 2024.
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett (image via Depositphotos) Legendary recording artist Tony Bennett has re-teamed with Lady Gaga for a second album of standards as a follow-up to the massive 2014 hit album, Cheek to Cheek. The album, recorded between 2018 and early 2020, is set for a spring release. In announcing the upcoming release, however, Bennett’s family has also shared a secret: that Bennett, now 94, was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease four years ago. From AARP:
Tony Bennett has Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of age-related dementia. Alzheimer’s is characterized by a progressive memory loss that robs its sufferers of many of the gifts that we all take for granted — speech, understanding, treasured memories, recognition of loved ones — and leaves them utterly dependent on caregivers.
Bennett, first diagnosed in 2016, has so far been spared the disorientation that can prompt patients to wander from home, as well as the episodes of terror, rage or depression that can accompany Alzheimer’s frightening detachment from reality; and, indeed, he might never develop these symptoms. But there was little doubt that the disease had progressed.
Early in the article, writer John Colapinto shares this brief moment from the recording sessions with Bennett and Lady Gaga:
The pain and sadness in Gaga’s face is clear at such moments — but never more so than in an extraordinarily moving sequence in which Tony (a man she calls “an incredible mentor, and friend, and father figure”) sings a solo passage of a love song. Gaga looks on, from behind her mic, her smile breaking into a quiver, her eyes brimming, before she puts her hands over her face and sobs.
AARP adds this ‘disclaimer’ in the article:
Eager for as many ears as possible to hear and enjoy what may very well be the last Tony Bennett record, they have jointly decided to break the silence around his condition, a decision they have, necessarily, had to make without Tony’s input, since he is, Susan said, incapable of understanding the disease, let alone making momentous decisions about whether to publicly disclose it.
Gayatri Devi, M.D., who diagnosed Bennett, said the singer has some “cognitive issues, but multiple other areas of his brain are still resilient and functioning well.” Read the full article at AARP.
Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer’s. Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and @AARP The Magazine for telling my story.
Donovan Crowl (mugshot) We all recall the chaos and mayhem caused by the hundreds of Trump supporters who invaded the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. You know, the ones who felt so DEEPLY that the presidential election they held SO DEAR had been stolen from them? CNN did a deep dive into the voting histories of some 80+ people who have already been arrested for taking part in the insurrection and found many of the insurrectionists didn’t even vote. Just one story:
Federal authorities later identified Crowl, 50, as a member of a self-styled militia organization in his home state of Ohio and affiliated with the extremist group the Oath Keepers. His mother told CNN that he previously told her “they were going to overtake the government if they…tried to take Trump’s presidency from him.”
Despite these apparent pro-Trump views, a county election official in Ohio told CNN that he registered in 2013 but “never voted nor responded to any of our confirmation notices to keep him registered,” so he was removed from the voter rolls at the end of 2020 and the state said he was not registered in Ohio.
Crowl was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of destruction of government property and conspiracy for allegedly coordinating with others to plan their attack.
There’s much more at the click. CNN notes that some of the voting records of those who have been charged in the Capitol riots were not available to the public. So there may be even more hypocritical ‘patriots’ out there who couldn’t bother to cast a ballot.
They stormed the Capitol to overturn the results of an election they didn’t vote in:
Some of the rioters who stormed the US Capitol did not vote in the very election they were protesting.https://t.co/aiAIKuVSRD — Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) February 1, 2021
OK. Why would you protest if you didn’t care enough to vote?
Screen capture of the Top 10 LGBTQ podcasts on SpotifyWarning – just a little humble brag coming… Clicking through Spotify this morning I happen to do a search for LGBTQ podcasts, and guess what I found? It looks like The Randy Reportpodcast is the #1 LGBTQ podcast on the streaming platform! #happydance I appreciate all of you who tune in to catch up on politics, pop culture and entertainment news. p.s. no ads… I know folks listen from a lot of outlets, so make sure you look for me on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts, Stitcher and Spotify. If you missed any episodes, you can check them here on the blog, at the links above or on Spotify below.
Beginning Tuesday, February 2, the TSA will require folks to wear a face mask through airport security checkpoints and all the way through commercial and public transport systems. TSA agents have been authorized to fine anti-maskers at airports if the rules aren’t followed. From the Transportation Security Administration:
The federal face mask requirement extends to the nation’s domestic network of airports; passengers and crewmembers flying aboard airplanes operated by domestic and foreign air carriers with inbound flights to U.S. ports of entry; and surface transportation modes, such as passenger rail, bus systems, and over-the-road bus companies.
Passengers without a mask may be denied entry, boarding, or continued transport. Failure to comply with the mask requirement can result in civil penalties.
Whether beginning the security screening process at the airport Travel Document Checker (TDC) or submitting checked baggage for screening, all passengers who appear to be over the age of 2 must properly wear a face mask throughout the security screening process. The officer at the TDC will request that travelers temporarily lower the mask to verify their identity.
Those who approach the TDC without a mask will be asked to wear or obtain one to proceed. Passengers who refuse to wear a mask will not be permitted to enter the secure area of the airport, which includes the terminal and gate area.
Depending on the circumstance, those who refuse to wear a mask may be subject to a civil penalty for attempting to circumvent screening requirements, interfering with screening personnel, or a combination of those offenses.
Back in June I reported on homocon Brandon Straka who was removed from a flight for refusing to wear a mask. For all you anti-maskers at airports, the new rules will stay in effect through May 11, 2021.
NEWS: Masks are required in all airports across the United States. While wearing your mask through security, be prepared to adjust it so the TSA Officer can visually confirm your identity. Read more at: https://t.co/1xXldTCgw1pic.twitter.com/vMUbehkEFp
BREAKING: Starting Feb. 2, air travelers without a mask may be denied entry through the @TSA checkpoint, boarding the aircraft or continued transport. Failure to comply with the mask requirement can also result in civil penalties.
— Lisa Farbstein, TSA Spokesperson (@TSA_Northeast) February 1, 2021
A gay couple living on Staten Island, New York, were terrorized by a drunk homophobe who yelled anti-gay slurs outside their home, kicked their front door, and promised to “get you wherever you go.”
Joe Canale and Raymond Gamarra were home on Saturday, January 23, when they heard loud noises coming from a neighbor’s late night house party.
According to Gay City News, they went to the neighbors to ask to them to keep the noise down, but a man attending the party became enraged.
The next thing the couple knew, a man identified as Clifford Hammel walked over to their front yard and began harassing them.
In the video obtained by Gay City News, Hammel can clearly be heard shouting, “I see you, f*cking fa**ot. You little b*tch. F*ck you. You fucking fa**ot.”
At one point, Hammel qualified his language as he repeated the slurs, yelling, “You f*cking fa**ot — and that’s not a homosexual. I don’t give a f*ck if you suck d*ck.”
Along the way, Hammel reportedly named the gym the couple go to as well as the school where Canale is the principal.
After attempting to kick the couple’s front door in, Hammel added, “Wherever you go, I will get to you.”
The moment when a man harassed a gay couple with anti-LGBTQ slurs, threatened them, and kicked the door of their home in Staten Island. pic.twitter.com/S58jKx0ooX
Canale called the police but were told officers were already on their way to the location as someone attending the party apparently needed medical attention having passed out.The couple say the police officers who arrived, Lieutenant Rosago and Officer Vincent of the NYPD, seemed “dismissive” of their situation after explaining the disturbing visits from Hammel. Canale said the officers were “reluctant” to even view the video footage of the man threatening them
The officers explained they thought Hammel was the man being taken to the hospital, so they “don’t have to worry or be afraid.”
But when Canale followed up with police at the 121st Precinct, it seems the officers had written Hammel’s name down incorrectly. AND, Hammel wasn’t the partygoer transported to the hospital.
L-R Raymond Gamarra and Joe Canale (photo via Canale)
Disturbed by the nonchalant handling of the incident, the couple reached out to Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.
In a statement, McMahon said, “Any time a serious allegation is brought to our attention, we work in tandem to thoroughly investigate and bring criminal charges when appropriate under the law.”
He added, “We are committed to securing the right of every person to live their lives free from bias and hate on Staten Island.”
But Gamarra and Canale are unconvinced as to how seriously their concerns were treated.
“Staten Island is not a bastion of tolerance,” Canale told GCN. “There are so many things that are disturbing about this that I don’t even know where to begin.”
“I understand there’s COVID, but justice delayed is justice denied as far as I’m concerned.”
Frustrated by the rollout of the coronavirus vaccines? This is a reason why it’s going so poorly. StatNews journalist Nicholas Florko reports Trump officials actively lobbied against giving states money for Covid-19 vaccine administration. Via StatNews:
Top Trump officials actively lobbied Congress to deny state governments any extra funding for the Covid-19 vaccine rollout last fall — despite frantic warnings from state officials that they didn’t have the money they needed to ramp up a massive vaccination operation.
The push, described to STAT by congressional aides in both parties and openly acknowledged by one of the Trump officials, came from multiple high-ranking Trump health officials in repeated meetings with legislators.
Without the extra money, states spent last October and November rationing the small pot of federal dollars they had been given. And when vaccines began shipping in December, states seemed woefully underprepared.
Paul Mango, the former deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services, was apparently a big part of the lobbying effort. He told StatNews that since states hadn’t spent the $200 million that the CDC sent in September, they must not need the funds. Mango told StatNews he believed the states were asking for the funding to help fill empty tax coffers. “A lot of them had shut down their economies and they weren’t getting tax revenue,” he said. There’s much more over at StatNews – quite the deep dive into the facts.
Trump officials have insisted publicly that states wouldn't need much money for the vaccine effort, but as I show here: The Trump administration wasn't just dismissing states' concerns, it was actively undermining their efforts to get more money from Congress
I was shocked when I learned this. Turns out, the official at the center of all of this, Paul Mango, wasn't bashful about his efforts. He insisted states couldn't justify why they needed more money. He accused them, on the record, of wanting the $ to make up for lost tax revenue
Folks are outraged over the one-year prison sentence given to a white Florida man who shot and killed his Black male lover.
Gardner Kent Fraser, 32, was charged with – and pleaded guilty to – tampering with evidence in the investigation of the 2018 shooting (and killing) of 31-year-old Dominic Jerome “DJ” Broadus Jr.
A spokesman for the 4th Judicial Circuit issued a statement regarding the charges filed which read, in part, “The investigation has not generated evidence to disprove Fraser’s claim of self-defense.”
“The evidence in this case, Fraser’s unwavering claims of self-defense, and Florida law do not provide support for homicide charges,” added the spokesman. “We are ethically prohibited from instituting criminal charges that we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
Gardner Fraser being led into a van to go to the Baker County Jail. Fraser will serve one year in County Jail for tampering with evidence connected to the shooting death of #DJBroadus, a man police say he had an intimate relationship with. @ActionNewsJaxpic.twitter.com/Ho01uJlJA1
Dominic Broadus Sr, the father of the victim, said Fraser “fatally shot my son in the back of the head twice” to “hide his feminine, bisexual nature.”
He added Fraser attempted to “destroy any evidence of their relationship by deleting all text from his phone and destroying/hiding my son’s phone, then calling three people before reporting the shooting to the proper authorities.”
After shooting Broadus, Fraser was asked if he knew the victim. “Ahh, I believe I do” was his reply.
Police say Fraser got rid of Broadus’s phone in an effort to hide communications between the two men. Even without Broadus’s phone, police were able to determine via forensic analysis of Fraser’s phone that the two men had been involved in an intimate relationship.
Although Fraser had deleted text messages from his own phone, investigators were able to recover 115 phone calls and 35 text messages between the men from Fraser’s phone. According to reports, many of the messages and images were “sexual in nature.”
Dominic Jerome ‘DJ’ Broadus Jr. (image via family)
Because Fraser is the son of a retired Baker County police deputy, the case was turned over to the 4th Circuit State Attorney Melissa Nelson in an effort to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest.
But many locals say they believe prejudice and racial bias still came into play in the case.
Anita “Baker” McGoogin, who co-organized protests in support of the Broadus family, told News4Jax, “It’s brought light on to what everyone already knows: The prejudice is here. The racism, that’s here. The favoritism, that’s here.”
Additionally, The Root has reported that Fraser’s family has “deep ties to the Ku Klux Klan.”
At his sentencing, Fraser was adjudicated as guilty, and sentenced to one year in county jail to be followed by 4 years supervised probation with community service.
Judge begins saying he wants to be crystal clear that this sentence is only for what Fraser is charged with Tampering with evidence. Fraser is adjudicated guilty, and sentenced him to 4 year supervised probation, community service, and 1 year in county jail. @ActionNewsJaxpic.twitter.com/E7FM9GDW3U
A FEMA healthcare worker prepares a COVID-19 vaccination (image via FEMA) President Biden ordered FEMA to jump in a help with vaccination efforts across the country, and things are already happening on the ground in several states. From NBC News:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is deploying or supporting vaccination efforts in at least 11 states after President Joe Biden ordered the government to get on a war footing in his mission to vaccinate 300 million Americans by summer’s end.
The states are Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, according to a FEMA official. Federal workers are also supporting efforts in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the official said.
FEMA has reportedly already set up vaccination sites in four of those states – Arizona, Nevada, Texas, and Washington. In a statement, FEMA said they are “determining where staff support, supplies and other resource gaps are — and then working to fill them. Items that are funded can include: • Supplies and commodities needed to safely store and administer the vaccine. • Transportation support and reasonable, necessary security for refrigerated trucks. • Medical and support staff. • Communication materials that keep the public informed. • Training personnel on vaccine distribution and administration.
This week we provided over $1 billion to help states, tribes and territories open vaccine sites to get more people vaccinated for #COVID19. These funds support our partners with resources and supplies in order to achieve this goal. Learn more: https://t.co/ABGlLWdGFqpic.twitter.com/TbNQb7vphr
