Category: News

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Trump & McCarthy Had Expletive-Laden Shouting Match During Capitol Invasion

(screen capture via CNN)
Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican from Washington state, has told CNN that Donald Trump got into a heated conversation with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy while the U.S. Capitol building was being invaded on January 6. Herrea Beutler and other House Republicans have confirmed the details of the call wherein McCarthy begged Trump to call off his mob. From CNN:

“Well, Kevin, I guess these people are more upset about the election than you are,” Trump said, according to lawmakers who were briefed on the call afterward by McCarthy.

McCarthy insisted that the rioters were Trump’s supporters and begged Trump to call them off.

Trump’s comment set off what Republican lawmakers familiar with the call described as a shouting match between the two men.

A furious McCarthy told the President the rioters were breaking into his office through the windows, and asked Trump, “Who the f–k do you think you are talking to?” according to a Republican lawmaker familiar with the call.

Multiple House Republicans say the call demonstrates Trump had no intention of calling off the rioters even as lawmakers were under siege. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), who voted last month to impeach Trump, said, “I think it speaks to the former President’s mindset. He was not sorry to see his unyieldingly loyal vice president or the Congress under attack by the mob he inspired. In fact, it seems he was happy about it or at the least enjoyed the scenes that were horrifying to most Americans across the country.” This news broke after the impeachment proceedings had ended for the day. As Dan Rather asks, how do you not call McCarthy as a witness at this point?

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HUD Will Now Investigate Anti-LGBTQ Housing Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the White House have announced that HUD will enforce the Fair Housing Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. From the Washington Blade:

“Housing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity happens throughout the United States,” a HUD official said during a background conference call with reporters. “Housing providers need to know it violates the law, and it demands urgent enforcement action.”

The memorandum is the result of President Biden’s executive order directing all federal agencies to comply with the Supreme Court’s decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, which determined anti-LGBTQ discrimination is a form of sex discrimination, thus illegal in the workplace under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ruling has broad implications for all laws that bar sex discrimination, including the Fair Housing Act.

The memorandum, a HUD official said, would allow HUD to begin accepting cases of anti-LGBTQ discrimination and retroactively review allegations that were submitted after Jan. 20. Unfiled claims that are still timely (based on alleged anti-LGBTQ discrimination within the past year) can be filed or added to a current complaint, the HUD official said.

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Podcast: Country Star TJ Osborne Comes Out, Pete Buttigieg & More

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this episode of The Randy Report podcast: • Country music star TJ Osborne comes out as gay • Pete Buttigieg becomes first openly gay White House Cabinet member approved by the Senate • President Biden issues memorandum promoting/protecting LGBTQ rights abroad • Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says passing The Equality Act is a “priority” • A white Florida man shoots and kills his Black lover but only gets one year in prison • Out singer/songwriter John Duff drops his latest pop bop, “Do It” All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report You can subscribe/listen to The Randy Report on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, Soundcloud and wherever you find your favorite podcasts. If you enjoy catching up on LGBTQ news in a quick podcast, please consider sharing with your friends or on social media 🙂

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No Charges For Cops Who Shoved 75-Year-Old Resulting In Brain Injury

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The two Buffalo police officers who shoved a 75-year-old man during a protest last June and left the man bleeding in the street will not face any repercussions for their actions. “We as a society give police the authority to use force,” the District Attorney told reporters today. “The question comes down to if it crossed the line.” From The Daily Beast:

A grand jury has declined to indict two Buffalo cops caught on camera shoving a 75-year-old protester during a June 2020 anti-police brutality protest and leaving him in a pool of blood, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn announced Thursday.

Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32, were each charged with assault in the second degree, a Class D felony, for shoving Martin Gugino, a longtime peace activist in the upstate New York city, during the June 4 protest in the wake of George Floyd’s police killing.

A viral video showed Gugino falling down, blood pooling around his head after he hit the pavement. On June 30, Gugino was released from the hospital with a brain injury.

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South Dakota Governor Hosts 25-Person Super-Spreader Event

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem hosts a super-spreader dinner party of 25 people

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem hosts a super-spreader dinner party of 25 people
(image via Twitter/govkristinoem)
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has long been criticized for taking little-to-no steps to slow the coronavirus pandemic in her state. South Dakota has had 109,580 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 1,815 deaths. With current testing positivity at nearly 27% the state is one of the hardest hit by the virus per capita. So few were surprised (but still horrified) when the governor (a huge Trump supporter) shared a photo from a 25-person dinner party she recently held with practically no face masks in sight. Only one brave young woman had the temerity to still wear a face mask.

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News Round-Up: February 10, 2021

Funnyman Michael Henry is down because he doesn't have a boo for Valentine's Day

Funnyman Michael Henry is down because he doesn't have a boo for Valentine's Day
Michael Henry is down about Valentine’s Day (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Yahoo News: Ryan Williams, 24, was beaten until he lost consciousness by Brandon Forrester, 19, in 2019. Forrester pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm and was sentenced to a nine-month term. But due to the COVID pandemic and “previous good character,” his sentence was suspended and was allowed to walk free. “After court he started laughing at my mum’s face, he showed no remorse,” said Williams. • Instinct Magazine: The U.K. has experienced a record number of HIV tests recently and many attribute the increase to the popular new AIDS-era drama, It’s A Sin. HIV advocacy group Terrence Higgins Trust says there has been a “four-fold increase” on HIV Testing Week stats compared to earlier years. • YouTube: Funnyman Michael Henry (top image) throws a wrench into plans to shoot a ‘quarantine cruising’ clip with his buddy ‘Terry’ because he’s down about not having a boyfriend for Valentine’s Day.

• Boy Culture: Matt Rettenmund remembers Larry Flynt, the controversial publisher of Hustler Magazine who championed free speech (smutty or not). Flynt died today due to heart failure at the age of 78. • The Daily Beast: During an appearance on CNBC’s Squawk Box on Wednesday Twitter’s CFO Ned Segal told viewers that Donald Trump will never be allowed on the social media platform. • The Atlantic: Soon after the November election, a business colleague of Donald Trump’s close ally Corey Lewandowski offered a whistleblower and convicted ex-banker an expensive deal: In exchange for a $300,000 fee up front—plus another $1 million if successful—the two men would push the then-president for a pardon. • HBO Max: Check out the trailer for the new HBO documentary There Is No ‘I’ In Threesome premiering on February 11. Ollie Lucks is the director of the new doc film that explores his bisexual, polyamorous identity alongside his girlfriend Zoe. Hoping to expand their sexual horizons, the couple decided to open up their relationship before getting hitched.

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Insurrectionist Now Says He Was ‘Duped’ By Trump

DOMINIC PEZZOLA IN AN UNDATED PHOTO (LEFT) AND A PHOTO FROM INSIDE THE U.S. CAPITOL (RIGHT) VIA FBI

DOMINIC PEZZOLA IN AN UNDATED PHOTO (LEFT) AND A PHOTO FROM INSIDE THE U.S. CAPITOL (RIGHT) VIA FBI
Dominic Pezzola in undated photo (L) and a photo from inside the U.S. Capitol (R) via FBI
Dominic Pezzola, a member of the Proud Boys arrested on 8 federal charges for his participation in the January 6 invasion of the Capitol, said in a statement via his lawyer that he now feels duped by Donald Trump’s “deception” and “acted out of the delusional belief” that he was following the orders of the commander in chief. From Politico:

“[D]efendant acted out of the delusional belief that he was a ‘patriot’ protecting his country … He was responding to the entreaties of the-then commander in chief, President Trump,” Pezzola’s lawyer argued in the filing. “The President maintained that the election had been stolen and it was the duty of loyal citizens to ‘stop the steal.’ Admittedly there was no rational basis for the claim, but it is apparent defendant was one of millions of Americans who were misled by the President’s deception.”

“Many of those who heeded his call will be spending substantial portions if not the remainder of their lives in prison as a consequence,” Pezzola’s attorney wrote. “Meanwhile Donald Trump resumes his life of luxury and privilege.”

Investigators reportedly found several bomb-making manuals stored on a thumb drive while searching Pezzola’s home in Rochester, New York.

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News Round-Up: February 9, 2021

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (image via Chasten Buttigieg)
Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (above) has gone into quarantine for two weeks without his husband Chasten after a member of his security detail tested positive for COVID-19. • C&C: At the end of HIV testing week last week, HIV advocacy group Terrance Higgins Trust revealed that they had seen more tests ordered in that week than ever before. The stats follow the news that AIDS drama It’s A Sin was Channel 4’s most-streamed TV show, ever. • Revry: Continuing its month-long celebration of Black History Month, the LGBTQ streaming platform shares a block short films including the acclaimed Light in Dark Places (trailer below). “A mother makes a shocking discovery when she’s left to pack up her daughter’s house after a tragic car accident.”

• The Advocate: Two more Black transgender women have died by violence in the past couple of weeks, one in Louisiana and one in Florida. • New York Times: President Biden will travel to Milwaukee on Tuesday to participate in a CNN town hall event to be moderated by Anderson Cooper, his first substantive trip outside of Washington since assuming office. • CNN: Donald Trump was very unhappy with the opening argument made by his lawyer, Bruce Castor, on the Senate floor this afternoon. Trump was almost screaming as Castor made meandering arguments that struggled to get at the heart of his defense team’s argument, which is supposed to be over the constitutionality of holding a trial for a president no longer in office.

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QAnon Shaman: ‘I Am Deeply Disappointed In Trump’

Jacob Chansley, aka the QAnon Shaman, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison for his role in the Jan 6 Capitol Building invasion

Jake Angeli, aka the 'QAnon Shaman'
Jake Angeli (screen capture)
Jake Angeli, aka the “QAnon Shaman,” who proudly took part in the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 6, now says he is “disappointed” in Donald Trump and apologizes for his participation in the January riot. Angeli, whose real name is Jacob Chansley, said in a statement released by his attorney, he now realizes he was “wrong.” From the Arizona Republic:

Angeli, whose costume and painted face had helped make him an icon of the incursion, was arrested by the FBI and charged with six criminal counts, including two felonies, that could net him 28 years in prison. He has been ordered held in custody in D.C. pending trial.

Angeli said that his incarceration “has permitted me to start reanalyzing my life,” the statement said.

Among the aspects of his life, he has re-analyzed was his support of Trump.

“I am deeply disappointed in former President Trump,” Angeli said in his statement. “He was not honorable. He let a lot of peaceful people down.”

Angeli expressed regret for his actions on January 6 in his statement as well. “I am sorry for having aroused fear in the hearts of others. That was wrong. Period.” “Please be patient with me and other peaceful people who, like me, are having a very difficult time piecing together all that happened to us, around us, and by us,” he added. “We are good people who care deeply about our country.” If you put all of that through a Google Translate, it comes out: “I really don’t like being in prison. Get me out of here.”

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Impeachment: Senate Votes 56-44 That Trump Trial Is Constitutional

U.S. Senate votes that second impeachment of Donald Trump is constitutional

U.S. Senate votes that second impeachment of Donald Trump is constitutional
(screen capture via C-Span2)
As the first day of Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial got underway, House Managers leading the prosecution against Trump began with a powerful video presentation compiled from actual footage from the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building. Following the video, Trump’s own lawyers, during a meandering speech, acknowledged the video was a very compelling argument. It’s worth noting that, in a written response a day ago, Trump’s lawyers described the mob who attacked the U.S. Capitol building “a small group of criminals.” “A small group?” That sounds like five, six people…a dinner party… Does this look like a “small group of criminals?”

Weeks ago, five Republicans voted with Senate Democrats that the impeachment proceeding was constitutional. After today’s presentations, Sen. Cassidy (R-LA) changed his mind and made it six Republicans who believe the impeachment is constitutional as the final vote was 56-44. Many sources are reporting that Trump was irate to the point of screaming at the TV as his lawyer failed to make a full-throated defense. Even Trump-friendly legal expert Alan Dershowitz admitted on the far-right leaning outlet Newsmax that Trump’s team didn’t score any points today.