So, Rep. Devin Nunes – Donald Trump’s attack dog on the House Intelligence Committee might have been involved in digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine, too???
The attorney, Joseph A. Bondy, represents Lev Parnas, the recently indicted Soviet-born American who worked with Giuliani to push claims of Democratic corruption in Ukraine. Bondy said that Parnas was told directly by the former Ukrainian official that he met last year in Vienna with Rep. Devin Nunes.
“Mr. Parnas learned from former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin that Nunes had met with Shokin in Vienna last December,” said Bondy.
Shokin was ousted from his position in 2016 after pressure from Western leaders, including then-vice president Biden, over concerns that Shokin was not pursuing corruption cases.
Nunes denies the allegations calling the report “demonstrably false.”
To sum up: Trump used his office, his administration and GOP members of Congress to pressure Ukrainian government officials to investigate Joe Biden all in an effort to help Trump's 2020 campaign#DevinNunesGotCaught
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunk: Paleontologist Dr. Francesc Gascó (above) is also a bit CrossFit fan. This totally says TGIF to me. • KIT212: Kenneth has the low-down on what’s what in gay rags across the country. • Agence France-Presse: Several government ministries in Indonesia are banning LGBT job hunters in favor of what one called “normal” applicants, the Ombudsman said Friday. Indonesia, a Southeast Asian archipelago of some 260 million, has seen a jump in discrimination against gay and transgender people in recent years. •ABC News: Florida officers encounter a strange scene – a car circling in reverse with the owner’s dog Max inside. The dog’s owner had made a wrong turn, pulled over and got out of the car leaving the dog inside, who somehow hit the gear shift putting the car in reverse.
DRIVING DOG: Florida officers encounter a strange scene: a car circling in reverse—with the owner’s dog Max inside.
• Politico: Billionaire Michael Bloomberg has begun booking a huge quantity of TV ad time in media markets across the country, to the tune of possibly $10 million for only one week. As of 10:30 a.m. Friday, Advertising Analytics tracked buys in 100 local markets across the country. • Instinct: A 21-year-old man was attacked early Friday morning on a NYC subway platform. An assailant hit the man with a hammer, yelled homophobic slurs and threw him onto the subway tracks in the path of an oncoming train. • NY Times: A report by the Justice Department’s inspector general is expected to absolve those at the top of the FBI in regard to abusing their authority out of bias against President Trump, according to people briefed on a draft. • CUT: A gay man’s parents are asking to decipher the people he has slept with from a lineup of 8 potential partners (including one woman).
A little #FlashbackFriday action here as we fondly remember this Hefty ad from 2017 featuring hunky John Cena and his powerful pecs. “Hefty, Hefty, Hef-ty!” Do it again! Do it again!
L-R Sam Perwin, Kyle Motsinger (photo: Tyler William Milliron) Raised in Illinois, out singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger picked up and moved to the big, bad city – New York – to follow his dreams as soon as he could. But in his latest single, “Parallel Universe,” Motsinger considers what his path would have been like had he stayed in his hometown:
In a parallel universe I stayed / After college I moved back to town / No other plans were made / Got a job, got a dog right by my side / Settling for a slower life / Completely satisfied / Wouldn’t know any better, any worse, In that parallel universe
Then there’s the other side of the ‘what if’ coin – what if Motsinger’s hometown beau moved with him to the big city?
Opportunities I couldn’t find here / In a town not ruled by courage but by fear / In another universe you moved with me / We rented an apartment in the heart of NYC / We’d explore the city side-by-side / End our days making love completely satisfied
“I wrote ‘Parallel Universe’ after an encounter with a former lover while visiting family for the holidays in Illinois,” says the handsome artist. “I started imagining different scenarios in which we could be together. It felt like each scenario was a different parallel universe. What if there were multiple versions of us out there that were living these scenarios? I do love a good science fiction story!” L-R Sam Perwin, Kyle Motsinger (screen capture) On first listen, I felt like the song had a sense of theatrical story-telling to it, in a similar vein as some classic Billy Joel songs. And it seems that it wasn’t my imagination. “I was also more than a little bit inspired by the play/movie, Rabbit Hole, written by David Lindsay-Abaire,” shares Motsinger. “I wrote it as a pop/rock ballad and worked with fellow singer/songwriter Corey Tut to get the sound right in the studio. Chris Bonner recorded bass and Adam Stoler recorded guitars while on the road with the Broadway musical, Come From Away. So, yes, there is a pedigree of theatrical roots to the track. Motsinger says he hopes “this song makes you think about how choices can lead to many different outcomes.” I previously showcased Motsinger’s disco-tastic “Love On Each Other” featuring big dance beats and slinky 1970s strings. “Parallel Universe” is now available on iTunes,Spotify, and other digital music platforms.
Things went a bit awry at the unveiling of Telsa’s futuristic Cybertruck in Los Angeles on Thursday. In an attempt to show the assembled crowd at the event how ‘bulletproof’ the windows on Tesla’s first pickup truck are, CEO Elon Musk asked his chief designer Franz Holzhausen to throw a metal ball at the driver’s side window. Unfortunately, the glass was smashed. Holzhausen tried again with the same cracked result. “Oh my fucking God, maybe that was a little too hard,” exclaimed Musk before adding, “It didn’t go through, it didn’t go through.” Production is expected to begin in late 2021.
In this week’s podcast: • Sen. Kamala Harris calls Mayor Pete Buttigieg “naive” for relating his experience as a gay man to other marginalized communities. • A homophobic photographer in Kentucky has filed a lawsuit to block Louisville’s Fairness Ordinance just in case a gay couple were to ask her to shoot their wedding. • Three federal judges have blocked a new rule announced by the Health and Human Services Department that would allow healthcare professionals to deny service to LGBTQs. • The Straight Pride event in Dallas was the biggest fail yet. • Netflix releases teaser video for RuPaul’s upcoming scripted comedy series AJ and The Queen. • Out singer/songwriter Tom Goss’s new album explores new emotional Territories. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.
(photo: Tibo Norman) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Joel Green (above), photographed by Tibo Norman, is definitely giving off some super-hero vibes a la The CW. • The Hill: A new poll shows that 66% of Republicans believe adoption groups should not be able to turn away LGBTQ parents, compared to 75% of Democrats and 73% of independents. Overall, 72% say adoption agencies should not be allowed to deny service to members of the LGBTQ community, while 29 percent disagreed. • NBC News: A Florida jury has awarded a gay man more than $157 million in a wrongful death lawsuit after his husband died from lung cancer caused by smoking cigarettes, in what an attorney said is the first such case involving a same-sex married couple. • Raw Story: The Republican National Committee admits to buying nearly $100,000 worth of Donald Trump Jr.’s new book just days before it was released. When the tome landed on the NY Times Bestseller list, it received a connotation that ‘bulk purchases’ were involved in the sales numbers. NY Times reporter Nick Confessore confirmed the bulk purchase today with the RNC today.
New FEC disclosures show a single large RNC payment of $94,800 to Books-a-Million in October, a few days before “Triggered” was released. An RNC spokesman confirmed that the expenditure was connected to their promotion of Don Trump Jr.’s book. pic.twitter.com/vsmmsgrYCp
• CNN: Democrats are anticipating a busy December that will be filed with proceedings before the House Judiciary Committee, including public hearings and a markup, and a likely vote to impeach Trump on the House floor by Christmas Day, according to multiple Democratic sources. • HuffPost: Donald Trump traveled to Austin, Texas, on Wednesday to tour a manufacturing plant with Apple chief executive Tim Cook, touting the opening of a “new” facility that would bring high-paying jobs back to America. Except – the plant has been making Apple computers since 2013, long before Trump was elected. • Billboard: Randy Report favorite Randy Rainbow debuted at #1 this week on the Billboard Comedy chart with his new release, Hey Gurl, It’s Christmas!
By Lawrence Pfeil, Jr. Over the last fifty years, the story of what took place at the Stonewall Inn in the sweltering early hours of June 28, 1969, has become more legend and lore than verifiable fact. The first recorded archival accounts by those who were there didn’t take place until twenty years later with the audio documentary, Remembering Stonewall. StoryCorps has preserved the vital historic accounts of those events and this year also launched an effort to record the stories of the LGBTQ Community through its app. Thirty years after the firsthand stories were recorded, filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato have brought them to life in Stonewall Outloud and home to the Stonewall Inn. Narrated by RuPaul, the film honors past with present and reminds us exactly how monumental those nights were, and our history is as a community. In a special screening at the legendary bar on Wednesday night, a capacity crowd was transfixed listening to the words of those who had paved the way for them as some of today’s most recognizable LGBTQ talent (Lance Bass, Daniel Franzese, Michael Turchin, Charlie Carver, Laith Ashley and more) channeled their spirit. Lance Bass and Michael Turchin Afterward, Michael Musto hosted a Q & A with Bailey and featured Stonewall veteran and Stonewall bartender, Fredd E. “Tree” Sequoia. In Stonewall Outloud, Tree is “played” by none other than Adam Rippon. If you think he’s sassy, pull up a barstool and have a chat with Tree. He has spent 51 years working at gay bars in the Village, has all the Tea (and spills it) and has no plans to retire. He said, “I plan on dropping dead behind the bar here. Then the owners will have to clean me up!” Stories are not just a community’s history; it is their pride. If we find time to listen to each other’s stories, we’d learn they are also our joy. You can watch Stonewall Outloud below.
Lawrence Pfeil, Jr., is a freelance writer/playwright who has reviewed film and theatre, both on and off-Broadway, for media outlets including The Randy Report, the New York Blade, and Edge Publications.
Fast-food chain Chick-fil-A recently announced a shift in its charitable donations clearly intended to stave protests by LGBTQ activists and allies who have brought much-unwanted attention to the restaurant’s support of anti-LGBTQ organizations like the Salvation Army and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. But homophobic evangelist Franklin Graham posted a message on his Facebook page saying he’s spoken to the company’s CEO who he claims promised: “they haven’t changed.”
“Has Chick-fil-A caved? Some are saying they’ve rolled over, that they’ve conceded to the LGBTQ protests because they released a statement about their charitable giving. They announced that in 2020 they’re giving to fight hunger and homelessness and support education. What’s wrong with that?
“I picked up the phone and called Dan Cathy. Dan was very clear that they have not bowed down to anyone’s demands, including the LGBTQ community. They will continue to support whoever they want to support. They haven’t changed who they are or what they believe. Chick-fil-A remains committed to Christian values. Dan Cathy assured me that this isn’t going to change. I hope all those who jumped to the wrong conclusion about them read this.
“In my opinion, the gay movement wouldn’t ever be happy with Chick-fil-A unless they were open on Sunday, gave all of their charitable donations to LGBTQ organizations, and flew the rainbow flag over their stores! Their hatred for Chick-fil-A is rooted in founder Truett Cathy’s strong stand for biblical ‘traditional’ values and his desire to honor God.
“No fast food chain does a better job. I went through the drive-thru at Chick-fil-A yesterday morning, and I thought I might get dinner there — but a whole lot of other people had the same idea! A Chick-fil-A sandwich with waffle fries sounds really good right now!”
Benjamin Netanyahu (image via Flickr) From the Washington Post:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was formally charged with bribery, fraud and breach of trust on Thursday, making him the first Israeli premier to be indicted while in office and sending Israel’s already stalemated political system into further disarray.
Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit capped almost three years of investigation and months of speculation by handing down a 63-page indictment against the country’s longest-serving prime minister and its center of political gravity for the last decade.
The cases against Netanyahu center on police allegations that the prime minister and his wife, Sara, accepted more than $260,000 worth of luxury goods in exchange for political favors and that Netanyahu interceded with regulators and lawmakers on behalf of two media companies in exchange for positive news stories.
Netanyahu has consistently denied all of the allegations calling the accusations and investigation a ‘witch hunt.’ Now, where have we heard that term before? Hmm… (image via Flickr/CC license)
Some news items you might have missed: • 
