Category: News

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Giuliani Associate Drops New Evidence In Trump Impeachment

L-R Lev Parnas with Donald Trump
New evidence has come to light related to the impeachment of Donald Trump via the release of notes, text messages and documents on the cell phone of Lev Parnas, an indicted associate of Donald Trump’s personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. From Politico:

The material released on Tuesday contains several handwritten notes, emails, encrypted messages, and other documents that underscore the close relationship between Parnas and Giuliani, who was actively pursuing an effort last year to push the Ukrainian government to announce investigations targeting Trump’s political rivals. The documents also complicate one of Trump’s oft-stated defenses of his actions toward Ukraine.

A previously undisclosed May 2019 letter from Giuliani to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is among the tranche of documents the Democrat-led committee made public on Tuesday.

In the letter, which was obtained from Parnas’ cell phone that was turned over the Intelligence Committee on Sunday, Giuliani asked for a half-hour meeting with Zelensky as the former New York City mayor was pursuing investigations targeting former Vice President Joe Biden — and Giuliani made clear that he was acting with Trump’s “knowledge and consent” and in his capacity as a “personal” attorney for the president.

Trump, though, has stated that he was acting on behalf of the U.S. government when he allegedly pushed for the investigations.

Giuliani specifically said in his letter to the president of Ukraine he wanted the meeting as he acted in “his capacity as personal counsel to President Trump,” not for the United States.

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Out News Anchor Shepard Smith In Talks With MSNBC

Shepard Smith (screen capture)

Former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith is reportedly exploring a return to television news.

After months of behind-the-scenes clashes with Fox’s right-wing political personality Tucker Carlson, Smith (who came out in 2017) abruptly announced on October 11 he was leaving the network where he’d worked for 23 years.

In his farewell announcement, he told viewers he was looking to begin a “new chapter,” and it looks like that chapter may take place at Fox News’s competitor, MSNBC.

The Daily Beast reports the 56-year-old out journalist is in talks with MSNBC President Phil Griffin about anchoring a new show at the more liberal-leaning news network once his non-compete clause with Fox expires.

An unnamed insider at MSNBC told The Daily Beast, “it’s unclear what slot he would take, but we’d want him in primetime.”

“We are well aware [Jeff] Zucker [president of CNN] is also pursuing him, as are a number of the networks,” added the source.

One possibility might be the 5 p.m. slot currently held by the lackluster, ratings-challenged MTP Daily currently hosted by Chuck Todd. There are rumors the powers that be might move Todd and his crew to a morning slot.

If Smith does end up at MSNBC he would be joining fellow out journalist Rachel Maddow, who currently hosts the top-rated show on the network.

One wonders, though, if his years at right-leaning Fox News might color how MSNBC’s more liberal audiences connect with the veteran newsman. When Greta Van Susteren left Fox after 14 years for MSNBC, she only lasted six months before the plug was pulled on her new gig, For the Record with Greta.

Wherever he lands, his new network will need to be ready to pony up some heavy-duty duccets as Smith was reportedly earning $15 million a year at Fox News.

You can watch Smith’s goodbye to Fox News below.

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Senate Likely To Begin Trump Impeachment Trial January 21

MSNBC reports Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Tuesday that the Senate’s trial of President Donald Trump will likely begin Tuesday.

The announcement comes as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi indicated the House will vote to transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate on Wednesday.

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Reports Of Britain’s ‘Most Prolific Rapist’ Sparks Anti-LGBTQ Raids

No more carefree days for serial rapist Reynhard Sinaga (image via Facebook)
I recently reported on Britain’s “most prolific rapist,” Reynhard Sinaga, who was sentenced to life in prison for drugging and raping nearly 200 men. Videos found on two cell phones revealed the 36-year-old Ph.D. student had picked up primarily straight men outside nightclubs, offered them drinks spiked with date rape drug GHB police suspect, and then sexually assaulted the comatose men. Most of his victims had no idea they’d been raped until authorities showed them the video evidence. While Sinaga won’t be drugging any more victims as he spends the rest of his life in prison, it seems his crimes will continue to reverberate and affect even more people.
Reynard Sinaga (mugshot via Greater Manchester Police)
Citing the media attention focused on Sinaga, the mayor of his hometown in Indonesia has called for a new wave of harassment against LGBTQ people. The Telegraph reports Mayor Mohammad Idris of Depok in West Java asked his city’s Health, Social Affairs, and Child Protection Agencies to make extra efforts to stop the “spread of LGBT…in order to protect the children.” He also asked agencies to increase raids in rooming houses and apartments with the goal of persecuting queer people who are quietly living their lives behind closed doors. News of the raids prompted outrage from human rights groups including Amnesty International, who issued a statement blasting the “vicious campaign of harassment of LGBTI people” in Indonesia. Usman Hamid, Amnesty International Indonesia’s Executive Director, said: “This latest vicious campaign against LGBTI people must stop. “Same-sex relations are protected under international law and there can be no justification for these hateful raids.” Homosexuality isn’t illegal in Indonesia, except for the province of Aceh, but crackdowns on LGBTQ people have worsened in recent years. Following the 2017 public humiliation of 141 men arrested in a gay sauna in Jakarta, the government launched an anti-LGBTQ police force, banned all “effeminate men” and men dressing in drag on TV, and in the Aced province raided five beauty salons and arrested 12 transgender women and shaved their heads to “make them men” in 2018. (source: The Telegraph)

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News Round-Up: January 13, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • Mancrush Monday: As if it’s any secret I have a ‘thing’ for former pro rugby player Dan Tai (above). You can follow the handsome InstaHunk here. • Belfast Telegraph: Same-sex marriage comes to Northern Ireland today as couples are now able to give notice of their intent to form a civil same-sex marriage to the General Register Office for Northern Ireland. The first same-sex weddings are expected to take place from February 10, following the minimum period of notice of 28 days. • Buzzfeed News: After a year fighting with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) — successfully overturning a policy widely regarded as discriminatory — and nearly two years of intense training, James Bushe, 31, became the first person with HIV to gain a commercial pilot’s license and fly a commercial flight. • TV Line: Rumored backstage tension at Will & Grace did not precipitate the series’ end, NBC’s top exec maintains. “Some things come to a natural end,” NBC Chairman Paul Telegdy explained to TVLine. “[Series creators] Max [Mutchnick] and David [Kohan] told the story they wanted to tell. Just wait for the finale.” • Detroit Free Press: As police search for more men who may have hooked up with accused murderer Mark Latunski, the Grindr cannibal is now pleading insanity. • Daily Dog: This little guy deserves some Twitter attention. Look at him go!

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Gay Student Found Dead Of Apparent Suicide After Video Protesting Drag Queens Went Viral

Wilson Gavin arguing with drag queen Diamond Good-Rim
A conservative gay student who led a protest against a Drag Queen Story Hour this weekend was found dead of apparent suicide early Monday morning. The death of Wilson Gavin, 21, came one day after he faced intense backlash on social media when video clips that went viral showing he and 15-20 fellow students from the University of Queensland Liberal National Club storming into the Brisbane Square Library. Note: The Liberal National Party in Australia is a center-right party. The group began chanting “drag queens are not for kids” as Gavin was recorded arguing with drag queen Diamond Good-Rim. The Daily Mail reports the students were protesting against children “being indoctrinated with radical gender theories.” Organizers of the event, Rainbow Families Queensland (RFQ) said, “They entered the event chanting and scared the children. Some parents got them outside the room where they continued to chant loudly.” Hours later, Gavin was found dead at Chelmer Railway Station, reports The Star Observer. Emergency medical technicians say he died from critical injuries but have provided no further details. This wasn’t Gavin’s first time to protest LGBTQ issues. In 2017, he helped lead the “Our Voice. Our Vote.” group that opposed legalizing same-sex marriage.
Wilson Gavin on Sky News in 2018 (screen capture)

During an interview with ABC Radio’s Patricia Karvelas, Gavin said, “Marriage has always been an institution between a man and a woman.”

Arguing that schools would “teach students about LGBTQ people” and churches would be forced to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies, he expressed concerns about what he called “the negative ramifications that can come directly from same-sex marriage.”

Sally Rugg, an LGBTQ activist who campaigned for marriage equality in Australia, tweeted, “Wilson Gavin was gay. I don’t know why he campaigned against SSM. I don’t know why he was so angry at a drag queen. I don’t know why he took his life. But I wish he was still here so he could have found us all. We would love him and forgive him. We do love and forgive him.”

If you or someone you know are thinking about suicide and need someone to talk to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, you can call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue Australia on 1300 22 4636.

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Abby Huntsman Is Leaving ‘The View’

Abby Huntsman (image via Instagram)
From People:

PEOPLE can exclusively announce that the Fox & Friends Weekend alumna is leaving the ABC talk show to help run her father Jon Huntsman Jr.’s campaign for governor of Utah.

Huntsman, 33, joined the show at the start of season 22 in September 2018; the show is currently in its 23rd season. Huntsman will announce her last day on-air Monday.

“Family has always been my number one priority, and is where I need to be focused at this time,” Huntsman said in a statement. “We are incredibly close and are there to support and help each other when it matters. It’s not often there is a political campaign that involves someone you love and believe in, but this is one of them.”

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Defense Sec Didn’t See Evidence Of Impending Embassy Attacks

L-R Defense Sec. Mark Esper, House Intel. Chairman Adam Schiff
During an appearance on CBS’ Meet The Nation, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he “didn’t see” specific evidence that top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was planning U.S. embassy attacks but added that he ‘believed’ such attack would have occurred. “The president didn’t cite a specific piece of evidence. What he said was he believed,” said Esper. “I didn’t see one, with regard to four embassies. What I’m saying is that I shared the president’s view that probably — my expectation was they were going to go after our embassies. The embassy is the most prominent display of American presence in a country.”  

But later in the broadcast, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff says there was nothing shown to him in ‘Gang of 8’ intelligence briefings that showed any specific evidence regarding attacks on 4 U.S. embassies.  

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Woof: Hot Guy Finds His Two Lost Dogs

Sandy Hernandez with Ragnar & Kloud
Woofy Miami resident Sandy Hernandez has two Siberian Huskies named Ragnar and Kloud who had jumped the fence and run away. The devastated dad looked for them everywhere and posted “missing dog” flyers all over his neighborhood. But it turns out they were taken to Miami-Dade Animal Services after being found on the street. The good samaritan who found Kloud and Ragnar came across the flyers and told Sandy to go to the shelter. And when Hernandez arrived, the Huskies were taking part in a pet adoption photoshoot being run by the organization and was captured on live TV. “They are my life,” Hernandez told CBS Miami. “They are my life.” #HappyDance