Donald Trump proudly announced the new logo for the Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. military. Clearly, the graphic designer boldly went where someone else had gone before:
After consultation with our Great Military Leaders, designers, and others, I am pleased to present the new logo for the United States Space Force, the Sixth Branch of our Magnificent Military! pic.twitter.com/TC8pT4yHFT
Donald Trump (via White House/public domain) ABC News reports it has reviewed a recording that appears to capture Donald Trump telling associates he wanted the then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch fired. According to reports, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman – former associates of Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani – were also heard taking part in the conversation. From ABC News:
The recording appears to contradict statements by President Trump and support the narrative that has been offered by Parnas during broadcast interviews in recent days. Sources familiar with the recording said the recording was made during an intimate April 30, 2018, dinner at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.
Trump has said repeatedly he does not know Parnas, a Soviet-born American who has emerged as a wild card in Trump’s impeachment trial, especially in the days since Trump was impeached.
“Get rid of her!” is what the voice that appears to be President Trump’s is heard saying. “Get her out tomorrow. I don’t care. Get her out tomorrow. Take her out. Okay? Do it.”
Trump supporters have maintained until now that no evidence exists that directly ties Trump to the current allegations that led to his impeachment. Parnas and Fruman are currently under federal indictment in New York in a campaign finance case, but Parnas has been cooperating with authorities by releasing text messages and communications between himself and Trump’s team.
Trump has claimed he doesn't know Parnas, but here he is apparently giving him a direct order to "get rid of" a U.S. ambassador. https://t.co/LFiEkLom3V
Not that this needs to be explained but maybe it does, “Take her out” means put a hit on or kill her. That’s standard mob speak. I litigated a wrongful death/civil rights case on behalf of an Estate of someone who was murdered by the mob. NYPD personnel were involved 1/
Who among us that has been fired before, had their boss say, “Take her out.”#TakeHerOut is a hit job ordered by a mob boss. This is not a stretch to say Trump ordered a veiled assassination of a US Ambassador.
The family of a 15-year-old in Louisville, Kentucky, is suing the teen’s former private school for expelling her after seeing a photo showing her celebrating her birthday with a rainbow sweater and rainbow birthday cake. The parents of Kayla Kenney are suing private Christian school Whitefield Academy for “breach of contract, emotional distress, and defamation.” Georgia Connally, the attorney who filed the lawsuit in Jefferson County Circuit Court, told local news station WDRB, “They made an assumption about a child’s sexual identity based on a birthday cake and a sweatshirt.” Connally shares that, while Kayla identifies as LGBTQ, she wasn’t openly gay at the time of the expulsion. But, Connally notes the lawsuit isn’t about LGBTQ discrimination. “This lawsuit is about whether or not (the school) followed their own rules when they chose to expel Kayla, and they didn’t,” she said. “They skipped a whole bunch of (disciplinary) steps and went straight to plan Z, in my book, which is expelling a 15-year-old based on a photo.” The letter sent to Kayla’s parents informing them of the expulsion read, in part,“The administration has been made aware of a recent picture posted on social which demonstrates a posture of morality and cultural acceptance contrary to that of Whitefield Academy’s beliefs.” The school went on to state, “We made it clear that any promotion, celebration or any other actions and attitudes that are counter to Whitefield’s philosophy would not be tolerated.” Kayla reportedly filed an appeal asking to meet with the school administrators, but they declined the request. Once the story attracted national attention, the school issued a statement to the press saying Kayla had previous student violations that were part of the decision to expel her from school. “Inaccurate media reports are circling stating that the student in question was expelled from our school solely for a social media post,” the statement read. “In fact, she has unfortunately violated our student code of conduct numerous times over the past two years. In the fall, we met with the student to give her a final chance to begin to adhere to our code of conduct. Unfortunately, she did not live up to the agreement, and therefore, has been expelled.” Connally takes issue with the school addressing the conflict with the media which, by her reading, not only outed the teen but constitutes breach of contract. “The school went to the media to defend themselves,” explained Connally. “They have a privacy policy, a confidentiality policy, that’s also in the contract, and they didn’t follow it. And that put a child in harm’s way.” The lawyer notes that while the school is a private, religious entity, “There’s no religious exception for defamation, invasion of privacy, intentional infliction of emotional distress.” “If those things were done, then they’re just as liable as a public entity would be,” she added. Whitefield Academy has not responded to calls or emails about the lawsuit. Here’s the initial report about the expulsion from the local CBS News affiliate:
(image via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: When you look like Brazilian tourism expert Kiko Riaze (above), I’ll FIND something in my house that needs to be painted. Follow Riaze on Instagram here. • HuffPost: L.A. Law star Harry Hamlin said he’s proud of his role in the groundbreaking 1982 gay flick Making Love but believes the film was ahead of its time. “It was like 10 years too early and it completely ended my career. That was the last studio picture I ever did. The door shut with a resounding smash.” • The Advocate: A month after the Hallmark Channel’s dust-up with LGBTQ people over removing an ad for Zola wedding planning that featured a lesbian wedding, the company’s president and CEO, Bill Abbott, has stepped down. • Out Music: The Pet Shop Boys new album Hotspot drops tomorrow, January 24, and in advance of that release we get to step behind the velvet rope for their new single “Monkey Business.“ Set in a sexy nightclub and featuring a wild bunch of characters who eventually end up in a champagne fight, the tribe bust their best moves on a dance floor straight out of Saturday Night Fever.
• New York Times: Despite their fiery history on the debate stage, Sen. Kamala Harris of California is considering endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden for the Democratic nominee for president. Great – then he can pick her for veep duties and they’ll win. • BroadwayWorld: In a tribute to longtime GRAMMY executive producer Ken Ehrlich, and to acknowledge the importance of music education in schools to the Recording Academy, GRAMMY Museum® and Ehrlich, artists associated with Ehrlich’s 40-year career will gather to perform “I Sing The Body Electric” from the film Fame. The performance will feature current nominees Camila Cabello, Gary Clark Jr. and John Legend joined by Debbie Allen, Joshua Bell, Common, Misty Copeland, Lang Lang, Cyndi Lauper, Ben Platt, and The War And Treaty. • People: Did Prince Charles diss Vice President Mike Pence as he made his way down an assembly line of world leaders at the World Holocaust Forum?
A lawmaker in Missouri has proposed legislation that would strip public libraries of state funding if they hosted Drag Queen Story Hour events. Authored by state Rep. Ben Baker, the “Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act” would also allow for librarians to be fined or jailed if such events were held. Baker is forthcoming about his opposition to drag queens reading to children telling the Kansas City Star, “They’ve had these drag queen story hours and that’s something I take objection to and I think a lot of parents do.” “That’s where in a public space, our kids could be exposed to something that’s age-inappropriate,” he added. “That’s what I’m trying to tackle.” Baker’s bill would require each library to create five-person panels, or oversight boards, which would hold public hearings and decide what ‘material’ is age-appropriate. Librarians who went ahead with events deemed ‘inappropriate’ by the board could be fined $500 and sentenced to a year in jail. Baker alleges children seeing drag queens might lead to questions or a conversation with parents about ‘adult themes’ that parents may not feel ready to have. But Cynthia Dudenhoffer, president of the Missouri Library Association, says oversight already exists in the form of a board of trustees elected or appointed by the community. In an official statement, Dudenhoffer objected to the proposed legislation calling it “censorship.” What’s missing from Baker’s view on the issue is attendance at Drag Queen Story Hours is all completely voluntary. No one is forcing children to attend such events. Local performers are already planning to protest the legislation in the state’s capital on March 7. Tanner Rambo, a Springfield promoter who represents two drag queens organizing the protest, told the Springfield News-Leader, “This kind of bill is just bad policy.” “You’re talking about people in big, goofy dresses telling stories in funny voices and trying to get kids interested in reading, which I think we should all want,” said Rambo. He added, “If you want to disagree philosophically, you can. Don’t go. These aren’t things people are mandated to attend.” Rambo also notes that Baker has a history of anti-LGBTQ animus having proposed legislation that would allow adoption agencies to turn away gay couples looking to adopt if doing so offended their ‘sincerely held beliefs.’ The Starreports that while Kansas City’s public library hasn’t held Drag Queen Story Hours, such events at St. Louis public libraries are among the most popular with hundreds attending. I have to add that I agree with Mr. Rambo. The point of Drag Queen Story Hours is to encourage children to suspend belief and explore their imagination while embracing a message of diversity and acceptance. The American Library Association has fully endorsed these types of programs, in any iteration, as a right to intellectual freedom. They have even curated a collection of resources for individuals seeking to bring Drag Queen Storytime to their libraries or community spaces. Packed house at Drag Queen Story Hour in Wichita
Veteran news anchor Jim Lehrer, who co-founded and helmed the PBS NewsHour for 36 years before retiring in 2011, passed away in his sleep on Thursday at his home in Washington. He was 85.
While best known for his anchor work, which he shared for two decades with his colleague Robert MacNeil, Mr. Lehrer moderated a dozen presidential debates and was the author of more than a score of novels, which often drew on his reporting experiences. He also wrote four plays and three memoirs.
A low-key, courtly Texan who worked on Dallas newspapers in the 1960s and began his PBS career in the 1970s, Mr. Lehrer saw himself as “a print/word person at heart” and his program as a kind of newspaper for television, with high regard for balanced and objective reporting.
He was an oasis of civility in a news media that thrived on excited headlines, gotcha questions and noisy confrontations.
In 2001, Lehrer shared with The American Journalism Review he might be viewed as old-fashioned for believing “news is not a commodity.”
“News is information that’s required in a democratic society, and Thomas Jefferson said a democracy is dependent on an informed citizenry. That sounds corny, but I don’t care whether it sounds corny or not. It’s the truth.”
RIP Jim Lehrer.
Jim Lehrer was a giant in journalism. His tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news remain the core of our work at the PBS NewsHour.
With heavy hearts we report the death of PBS NewsHour co-founder Jim Lehrer at age 85. A giant in journalism, his tenacity and dedication to simply delivering the news remain the core of our work. https://t.co/UlFKURhOcL
I am devastated to share news that my dear friend and cofounder of the @NEWSHOUR Jim Lehrer died today at home. Sending love to his Kate and their family. https://t.co/ZxNsCcaZBj
In the trenches of electronic journalism over the decades, I met a lot of people. Few approached their work with more equanimity and integrity than Jim Lehrer. He was a gentlemen, and a helluva journalist. He will be missed.
Our nation has lost a champion for truth and transparency. As one of the founders of PBS NewsHour, as well as its longtime host, Jim Lehrer worked to keep America’s leaders accountable to the people. My prayers are with his wife, Kate, and their family. https://t.co/5BU80D0u3p
Bill Kristol’s conservative organization Defending Democracy Together has created an ad spot supporting Vice President Mike Pence to get promoted to commander-in-chief. The spot begins with a voiceover saying, “Mike Pence doesn’t brag about sexually assaulting women; Mike Pence doesn’t pressure foreign governments to investigate his political rivals.” The spot closes with this winner: “Trump is being impeached. It’s time for President Pence, at least it’s an improvement.”
The anti-Trump conservative group also launched a new website www.PresidentPence.com which labels Vice PresidentPence as a “bland, boring, completely typical, ordinary conservative Republican from Indiana.”
The statement continues by endorsing the impeachment of President Trump while adding that “if the Senate does its duty, they’ll make him the next president of the United States.”
By the way: Trump, like OJ, may not be convicted. But Trump, like OJ, is guilty.
In this week’s podcast: • Vice President Mike Pence spoke at a church where the ministers compared homosexuality with Satan • HIV infections rates in the UK have declined dramatically since 2012 • Utah bans harmful ‘conversion therapy’ for minors • A male stripper in Atlanta sentenced to prison for killing his secret straight-married lover • Attending the 2020 GayVN Awards (aka ‘the Oscars of gay porn’) I chat with stars Dallas Steele & Brian Davilla • RuPaul announced to host Saturday Night Live • And a new docu-series on Apple TV+ explores how LGBTQ people made our way onto the TV landscape All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Matthew Camp (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: I’m still in a Matthew Camp kinda mood since I met the woofy hunk (above) at the GayVN Awards Monday night. #EvenBetterInPerson • Instinct: After being canceled by Netflix earlier this year, PopTV has picked up Season 4 of One Day At A Time, with a premiere date of March 24th at 9:30 pm ET/PT. The LGBTQ-inclusive reboot of the 70’s classic follows the Cuban-American Alvarez clan, an immigrant family living and loving in California. The luminous Rita Moreno co-stars as sassy grandmother ‘Lydia.’ • NY Times: The impeachment trial of Donald Trump is now underway. Use this link to check for the latest developments in the trial. Today, Trump set a new Twitter record as he lashed out at House managers seeking his removal from office. • NBC News: Missouri lawmaker proposes bill criminalizing public libraries’ drag queen story hours. Under the proposed law, librarians would be subject to fines or jail time for holding such events. • Yahoo Finance: Michael Bloomberg has spent more than a quarter-billion dollars on political advertising since joining the Democratic presidential race, far outpacing all other candidates. Bloomberg’s presidential campaign has spent $209.3 million on broadcast television time, $13.7 million on cable, $1.1 million on radio and $27.2 million on digital. • WXII-12: A Wilkes County pastor was arrested Thursday on more than 100 counts of felony sex offenses that span 15 years, detectives said. Rodney Dean Luffman, 58, of Pleasant Ridge Road, was charged with 115 felony sex charges — 80 counts of indecent liberties and 35 counts of sexual offenses. One of the victims was as young as 4 years old, and the other was as old as 16 when the offenses occurred.
A man drops by his local Walmart to pick up some groceries. While waiting in line to checkout, a woman approaches him and begins to proselytize. As he politely demurs her ‘help,’ she suddenly starts dropping F-bombs like crazy. In a curiously un-Christian manner, she starts yelling expletives at her victim. Sample: “Shut your f**kin’ mouth, b*tch. If you don’t have Jesus Christ in your heart, I feel f**kin’ sorry for you.” Because…Jesus. Watch below – but serious warning: totally NSFW language.
Donald Trump proudly announced the new logo for the Space Force, the newest branch of the U.S. military. Clearly, the graphic designer boldly went where someone else had gone before: 
Once the story attracted national attention, the school issued a statement to the press saying Kayla had previous student violations that were part of the decision to expel her from school. “Inaccurate media reports are circling stating that the student in question was expelled from our school solely for a social media post,” the statement 
A lawmaker in Missouri has proposed legislation that would strip public libraries of state funding if they hosted Drag Queen Story Hour events. Authored by state Rep. Ben Baker, the “
