A group of Republicans who are critical of Donald Trump has released a new TV spot that calls out Vice President Mike Pence for looking the other way when foreign governments spend millions at Trump resorts and hotels. Since Trump took office, bookings by foreign governments at Trump hotels has skyrocketed. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Pence criticized Hillary Clinton for the Clinton Foundation’s acceptance of donations during her time as Secretary of State. Note: none of the funds donated to the Clinton Foundation went into Hillary’s pocket. All went to charitable organizations.
Today, Pence’s reaction to the ramped-up stays at Trump resorts is just, “Who cares?”
I’m always so proud of my friend, Javi Morgado. As the executive producer of CNN’s New Day, he just kills it every day. Such a pro. But that’s just part of his story. I’ve known Javi for years as a leader among LGBTQ journalists where, as a longtime member of the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association, he’s given back time and time again. And throughout his career, he’s returned to Miami – where he began his professional journey – to give back to aspiring journalists. In one of the rare moments Javi has stepped in front of the camera, he shares some thoughts on his pride for Hispanic Heritage Month. “Proud to share my family’s story & represent CNN in AT&T’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration,” says Javi.
It looks like Pete Buttigieg’s success as a two-term mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has inspired some other accomplished LGBTQ folks to run for office in the Hoosier state. Josh Owens, the CEO of Indianapolis-based online retailer SupplyKick, has announced his bid for governor of Indiana. Owens is the state’s first openly gay major party candidate for that office. Owens promises to focus on improving education and bringing an end to housing and workplace discrimination in Indiana. “I’m running for Governor now because I believe in an Indiana where teachers are paid what they deserve and where all are welcomed, respected and protected,” says Owens in his announcement video. “We need a leader who will ensure our state budget, policies and laws reflect a bold and inclusive vision for collective Hoosier success. “Today, many Indiana teachers have to work second jobs and even then, they spend their own money on classroom supplies,” he adds. “As a businessman, I know every Hoosier in the workplace matters, and leadership is required to solve this problem and finally pay them fairly.” Find out more at JoshOwens.com.
A massage therapist, who was permitted to anonymously file a lawsuit against Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey (above screen capture) for sexual assault, has apparently died. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Spacey’s legal team filed a notice in court that the accuser’s attorneys had notified them on September 11 that their client had ‘recently passed.’ No details regarding the therapist’s death were disclosed. The plaintiff, using the name ‘John Doe,’ filed suit in September 2018 alleging Spacey forced him to grope the actor’s genitals twice during a massage at Spacey’s private residence in October 2016. After asking to leave, Doe claimed Spacey offered him oral sex. Doe was suing for battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and false imprisonment. In April, Spacey’s attorneys asked a federal judge to order the accuser to identify himself or dismiss the lawsuit. But in May, U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Lew ruled the massage therapist’s lawsuit could continue anonymously due to his “vulnerability to humiliation, harassment, and threats” which was “exacerbated by the nature of Defendant’s status as a high-profile celebrity and the media attention that comes with it.” In light of that ruling, the two legal teams had begun planning for what many expected to be a seven to eleven-day trial. In August, there were reports that the therapist claimed to know of two other “masseur victims” of Spacey’s “sexual assaults who expressed concern for their safety and/or do not want their names revealed publicly in the media.” The lawsuit could still continue, although according to The Hollywood Reporter the issue of anonymity could become complicated. For the family of the accuser to show standing, they would probably have to identify the accuser. The judge may not be as inclined to protect the privacy of a deceased man since he would no longer be ‘vulnerable to humiliation.’ In July, prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped criminal charges against Spacey just days after his accuser invoked his Fifth Amendment rights while on the witness stand. Spacey was facing charges of indecent assault and battery in connection to allegations of ‘groping’ an 18-year-old male at a Nantucket bar. But the case fell apart when the teen’s cellphone went missing. Spacey’s lawyers alleged the teen and his mother had altered text messages before handing the phone over to the police.
Hours after telling the House Judiciary Committee he has “no obligation to be honest with the media because they are just as dishonest as everybody else,” former campaign manager Corey Lewandowski sat down for a series of interviews with multiple news outlets. From Vox reporter Aaron Rupar: On Wednesday morning, hours after the former Trump campaign manager’s chaotic and hyper-partisan testimony before the House Judiciary Committee ended with him admitting, under sharp questioning from committee Democrats’ counsel, to not playing it straight with the media regarding his involvement in President Donald Trump’s efforts to curtail the special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Trump and Russia, both Fox & Friends and CNN booked Lewandowski for interviews. Lewandowski’s interview on Fox & Friends — a show that regularly legitimizes the Trump administration’s talking points — was predictably chummy. But Lewandowski’s appearance on CNN, a network where he once worked as a paid contributor, produced the jarring image of him being interviewed over a chyron that seemingly refuted the rationale for booking him in the first place. Predictably, Lewandowski’s interview on CNN devolved into a pro wrestling-style confrontation in which he deflected from questions about the veracity of his congressional testimony by raising questions about Trump critics who, as he once did, work as paid contributors for the network, such as former acting FBI director Andrew McCabe.
CNN's interview with Corey Lewandowski was, predictably, a mess. Here he is steamrolling Alisyn Camerota as she tries to ask him questions. pic.twitter.com/ctBFyUxECk
UPDATE: Mike Folmer has resigned from the Pennsylvania state Senate as a result of his child pornography charges.
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The Washington Post is reporting conservative Pennsylvania state Sen. Mike Folmer has been charged with possession of child pornography.
The charges against Folmer include sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.
The married grandfather of seven was caught as the result of a tip that popular blogging site Tumblr found that a user had uploaded an image of child pornography using its application, officials said.
They said the tip eventually led investigators to Folmer’s home in Lebanon, Pa., where they executed a search warrant and found child pornography images on his cellphone.
Folmer told the police that he received the images via his Tumblr account and that he was experiencing some ‘personal problems.’ Gov. Tom Wolf has called for Folmer’s immediate resignation. It will come as no surprise that Folmer has often voted against LGBTQ protections or rights during his time in office because, you know, Jesus. In 2008, he was a sponsor of Pennsylvania’s “Marriage Protection Act;’ in 2016, he blocked the Pennsylvania Fairness Act saying he didn’t see any ‘urgency’ to passing the legislation; and in 2018, he blocked that same legislation again.
Some news items you might have missed: • KIT212: Kenneth-in-the-212’s ‘Tennis Tuesday‘ serves up some serious booty workout tips from hunky Australian trainer, Coach Clayton (above). Definitely worth the click here. • NewNowNext: The 5th season of the acclaimed sitcom Schitt’s Creek will debut on Netflix on October 10, with the sixth and final installment to drop in January. The series, heralded for its positive portrayal of LGBTQ life, is nominated for 3 Emmy Awards this weekend. It is the first Canadian sitcom to receive an Emmy nomination for Best Comedy Series. • Variety: After snagging another Emmy Award this past weekend (for her guest appearance on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) Jane Lynch told reporters she and Cyndi Lauper are set to co-star in a new Netflix series that will be “a Golden Girls for today.” • The Sun: Nicole Scherzinger has accepted a reported ‘multi-million pound’ offer to rejoin her former Pussycat Dolls band mates for a 10th anniversary reunion/world tour. • Merriam-Webster: The venerable dictionary has announced a new definition for the word ‘they’ in referencing the gender identity of nonbinary people. • PBS: Longtime ABC News political reporter Cokie Roberts passed away at the age of 75 from complications due to breast cancer. She was NPR’s congressional correspondent for more than a decade beginning in 1978, and co-anchored ABC’s “This Week” from 1996 to 2002. • Roll Call: 13 House Republicans have announced they will not be running for reelection in 2020. • TVLine: Shortly after comedian Shane Gillis was announced to join the cast of Saturday Night Live this season, footage of racist and homophobic ‘jokes’ by Gillis surfaced and SNL reversed their casting decision. Gillis initially issued one of those ‘I apologize if anyone was actually offended’ statements, but then followed up with a bitter little tweet saying he was “always a MADtv kind of guy” anyway. p.s. MADtv got cancelled, too, so…maybe he is that kind of guy.
A gay man in Oklahoma has filed a police report after members of the First Assembly of God Church in Blackwell allegedly held him down and punched him in an attempt to ‘pray the gay away.’ Sean Cormie, 23, came out as gay this past spring. Since that time, his family has asked him to attend services at the church. His partner, Gary Gardner, was invited to attend as well. “I wanted to go to church to make my mom proud,” Cormie told local news station KFOR. On September 8, the couple joined family members at the church, which Cormie had attended several times. Cormie says there was nothing unusual about the service until the end when Cormie and Gardner were asked to come up to the alter. As they did, church members stood up and began to circle the couple. At the same time, the pastor began to preach against homosexuality. “It’s a sin, it’s an abomination, you need to realize, wake up, and see it for a sin,” recalls Cormie. As the praying by 12-15 congregants grew louder and louder, Cormie and Gardner felt uncomfortable and moved to leave. But while Gardner made it out of the church, Cormie says he was physically restrained by the congregants. Gardner told News 9 that Cormie was “slammed to the ground by his stepfather.” “They hold me down, pin me down, and I’m crying, and the Holy Spirit just comes through me, and they keep speaking in tongues, praying over me,” said Cormie. At some point, Cormie says he was punched in the face. “I was just crying ‘mercy, mercy,’” he added.
Cormie says eventually it was his sister who convinced the congregants to let him go. When he was finally released, Cormie says he left the church with a black eye and bruises on his arms and face. He immediately headed to the Blackwell Police Department where he filed a report. According to KFOR, the police chief acknowledges the incident is being investigated. Bill and Tami McKissick, pastors for the First Assembly Church of God, issued this statement:
“On behalf of First Assembly, we have been asked by the media to respond to the allegations that have been made. This began as a family matter that escalated. Our church would never condone restraint of any person unless they were engaged in violent activity. There is much more to this incident, and we are cooperating fully with law enforcement to hopefully bring all of the facts to light as a rush to judgment is not in anyone’s best interest.”
Since filing the police report, Cormie says he’s received anonymous threats to drop his allegations. He adds that family members, who he believes were involved in the incident, have urged his to let the issue go. But Cormie is firm in his belief that “what they did was totally wrong” and he feels there should be “some consequences out of it.” On a spiritual level, he says he believes being gay is a sin, but he is who he is. “I’m a full-fledged gay, you can’t change it,” he told KFOR. “It’s my nature, I’m born that way, so let it be.”
Responding to new reports regarding the college behavior of Supreme Court Justice Brett ‘Skippy’ Kavanaugh by the New York Times, Donald Trump called for “the resignation of everybody at the New York Times” involved in the reporting. He has lost his mind.
I call for the Resignation of everybody at The New York Times involved in the Kavanaugh SMEAR story, and while you’re at it, the Russian Witch Hunt Hoax, which is just as phony! They’ve taken the Old Grey Lady and broken her down, destroyed her virtue and ruined her reputation…
As part of an investigation into the alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels by Donald Trump, the District Attorney of Manhattan has subpoenaed 8 years of personal and corporate income tax returns by the Donald. From the New York Times:
The subpoena was issued by the Manhattan district attorney’s office late last month, soon after it opened a criminal investigation into the role that the president and his family business played in hush-money payments made in the run-up to the election.
Both Mr. Trump and his company reimbursed Michael D. Cohen, the president’s former lawyer and fixer, for money Mr. Cohen paid to buy the silence of Stormy Daniels, a pornographic film actress who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. The president has denied the affair.
"The state prosecutors are seeking a range of tax docs from the accounting firm, Mazars USA, including Trump's personal returns and those of his business, the Trump Org. The subpoena seeks federal and state returns for both the president and the company dating back to 2011." https://t.co/c6p17nptbv
A group of Republicans who are critical of Donald Trump has released a new TV spot that calls out Vice President Mike Pence for looking the other way when foreign governments spend millions at Trump resorts and hotels. Since Trump took office, bookings by foreign governments at Trump hotels has skyrocketed. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Pence criticized Hillary Clinton for the Clinton Foundation’s acceptance of donations during her time as Secretary of State. Note: none of the funds donated to the Clinton Foundation went into Hillary’s pocket. All went to charitable organizations. 
A gay man in Oklahoma has filed a police report after members of the First Assembly of God Church in Blackwell allegedly held him down and punched him in an attempt to ‘pray the gay away.’ Sean Cormie, 23, came out as gay this past spring. Since that time, his family has asked him to attend services at the church. His partner, Gary Gardner, was invited to attend as well. “I wanted to go to church to make my mom proud,” Cormie told local news station 
Responding to new reports regarding the college behavior of Supreme Court Justice Brett ‘Skippy’ Kavanaugh by the 