Category: News

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First House Republican Announces Support For Impeachment Inquiry

GOP Rep. Mark Amodei is first House Republican to support impeachment inquiry

GOP Rep. Mark Amodei is first House Republican to support impeachment inquiry Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) is the first GOP member of Congress to openly support the House’s impeachment inquiry. From the Nevada Independent:

“Let’s put it through the process and see what happens,” Amodei, the only Republican in the state’s congressional delegation, said on a call Friday with reporters, adding that he believes Congress is justified to look into the matter. 

“I’m a big fan of oversight, so let’s let the committees get to work and see where it goes,” he added.  (An audio recording of the call has been posted below.)

“Using government agencies to, if it’s proven, to put your finger on the scale of an election, I don’t think that’s right,” he continued. “If it turns out that it’s something along those lines, then there’s a problem.”

Amodei issued a statement after the call underscoring his support for the process moving forward and dispelling any impression that he currently backs voting to impeach the president.

“In no way, shape, or form, did I indicate support for impeachment,” Amodei said of the call.

Amodei declined to say whether he believes Trump committed an impeachable offense, though he noted that his comments in the call were regrettable.

“If it was my statement and I had the ability to do it over, I would probably phrase it differently,” he said. “I don’t know that it’s a smoking gun.”

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Stormy Daniels Gets $450K Settlement For Ohio Arrest

Former Donald Trump paramour Stormy Daniels has agreed to accept a $450K settlement from the city of Columbus, Ohio, related to an arrest at a strip club by pro-Trump cops in 2018.

From the New York Post:

Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, agreed to drop all of her claims in a civil suit against Columbus related to her arrest at Sirens Gentlemen’s Club in July 2018, her lawyer, Chase Mallory said in a message Friday.

Daniels, who was paid hush money to keep quiet about a sexual encounter she had with President Trump prior to the 2016 election, accused the police officers who arrested her that night of planning the bust to protect the president.

Mallory said Friday that she could have gotten a higher payout — but she accepted the amount after the police officers in the case were disciplined for the arrest.

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Trump’s Special Envoy To Ukraine Resigns Amid Scandal

Former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker (screen capture)
Donald Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Kurt Volker, resigned today after being swept up in the ongoing scandal involving Trump asking the Ukrainian president to “do us a favor” in regard to digging up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden. From the New York Times:

Mr. Volker, who told Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday that he was stepping down, offered no public explanation but a person informed about his decision said he concluded that it was impossible to be effective in his assignment given the developments of recent days.

His departure was the first resignation since revelations about Mr. Trump’s efforts to pressure Ukraine’s president to investigate former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and other Democrats. The disclosures have triggered a full-blown House impeachment inquiry, and House leaders announced on Friday that they planned to interview Mr. Volker in a deposition next week.

Mr. Volker, a former ambassador to NATO who served in the part-time, unpaid position to help Ukraine resolve its armed confrontation with Russian-sponsored separatists, was among the government officials who found themselves in an awkward position because of the search for dirt on Democrats, reluctant to cross the president or Mr. Giuliani yet wary of getting drawn into politics outside their purview.

The unidentified intelligence official who filed the whistle-blower complaint that brought the president’s actions to light identified Mr. Volker as one of the officials trying to “contain the damage” by advising Ukrainians how to navigate Mr. Giuliani’s campaign.

Mr. Volker facilitated an entree for Mr. Giuliani with the newly elected government in Ukraine, acting not at the instruction of Mr. Trump or Mr. Pompeo but at the request of the Ukrainians who were worried that Mr. Giuliani was making the rounds seeking information about Mr. Biden and other Democrats.

ABC News reports that Democrats still expect Volker to show up for his deposition on Capitol Hill on October 3. It’s important to note that not only is the special envoy to Ukraine now gone, but the U.S. has no ambassador to Ukraine since the Trump administration called Marie Yovanovitch home for allegedly being not loyal enough.

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Mark Ronson Apologizes For ‘Coming Out’ As Sapiosexual

Mark Ronson walks back his 'coming out'' as sapiosexual remarks

Mark Ronson walks back his 'coming out'' as sapiosexual remarks Academy Award-winning musician/producer Mark Ronson raised some eyebrows last week when he announced on Good Morning Britain that he was coming out as ‘sapiosexual.’ According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ‘sapiosexual‘ is a term that means “sexually attracted to highly intelligent people.” It does not refer in any way to the gender of those you may be attracted to. Apparently, the Oscar-winning music producer was backstage at GMB when an expert spoke on the subject prior to his appearance. After discussing the term, which he’d never heard before, he felt he identified as sapiosexual. So, when he was asked about the word on-air, he admitted, “Yes, I feel like I am identifying as sapiosexual.” The show’s host, Ben Shephard, congratulated Ronson on ‘coming out as sapiosexual’ and Ronson declared, “Out and proud on Good Morning Britain.” But by using the phrase ‘coming out’ some felt Ronson was diminishing the prejudice experienced by the LGBTQ community. And folks took to the Twitters:

On Wednesday night, during an interview with Rolling Stone, the hit songwriter (“Shallow,” “Uptown Funk”) clarified that in the fast-moving environment of the British morning talk show, he spoke off the cuff without being fully informed about the term. “I do not consider myself part of any marginalized community and I apologize if anybody misunderstood or took offense to it,” he told Rolling Stone’s Patrick Doyle. He explained that when asked about the idea of being attracted to intelligent people, his first response was “That sounds great. Of course, who wouldn’t be?” But by the time he got back to his hotel in London, he saw it playing out on social media in a way he’d never imagined. “It sounds like I went on a TV show to be like, ‘Guys, I have some big news!’ And the fact that I would go on and sort of declare myself — like as a heterosexual white male — part of any marginalized community was  terrifying to me, or just embarrassing.” Ronson explained he thought folks would understand or that his comments would be put in context somehow. “But, that’s not what happens on Twitter anymore,” he concluded. (source: Rolling Stone)

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News Round-Up: September 26, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Fitness guy Bremen Menelli (above) took a walk in the park. A very, very wet park… 🙂 • Instinct: Openly gay sports radio host Seth Dunlap has filed a discrimination lawsuit against his station WWL after the Twitter account for the station called him a “fag.” In the 15 days since the posting of the tweet, the station has reportedly not apologized to Dunlap nor has the employee who wrote the tweet been identified. WWL Radio is alleging that Dunlap sent the homophobic tweet himself in an attempt to extort $1.8 million from the station. • NY Daily News: A gay couple eating at a Queen restaurant say they were viciously attacked by a group of homophobic guests, and neither the restaurant employees nor the security guard moved to intervene. “We asked one of the security guys to do something about it but he said that the best we could do is to finish eating and leave.” • NFL.com: Pepsi, the NFL and Roc Nation has announced artists Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will perform for the Pepsi Super Bowl LIV halftime show on February 2, 2020 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Past headliners have included Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, and Madonna.

• The Atlantic: “It is impossible that the whistle-blower is a hero and I’m not. And I will be the hero! These morons—when this is over, I will be the hero.” – Rudy Giuliani • The Advocate: Dallas police Tuesday have arrested Domingo Ramirez-Cavente, 29, in connection with the shooting of a transgender woman, Rony Calderon, over the weekend. An arrest affidavit says that when police brought in Ramirez-Cavente, he admitted in an interview to shooting the victim. He has been charged with aggravated assault. • Variety: Newly-minted Emmy Award winner Billy Porter will add another accomplishment to his resume as it has been announced he will direct an episode of POSE for the upcoming Season 3 of the groundbreaking series. • Out Music: Synth-rock duo Dream Machines recently released this live performance of their latest single, “Sarajevo.” “Sarajevo” juxtaposes a catchy, upbeat synth groove with a political message about history’s tangential blindness to nationalism. The bass pounds like a juggernaut while lead singer Harry May-Kline’s vocals ask the listener, “are we over the line” in our fear of American zealotry.

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The Latest In Donald Trump / Ukraine Debacle

Trump walks past reporters with no comment

The latest news regarding the newly-announced official impeachment inquiry investigating allegations that Donald Trump used the presidency to encourage Ukraine to help dig up dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden: • The whistle-blower’s complaint has been released to the public. You can, and should, read the full document here. The whistle-blower states that he had “received information from multiple U.S. Government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election.” The complaint also asserts that several in the White House were “deeply disturbed by what happened on that phone call” and there was an attempt to cover it up. • The New York Times also reports the whistle-blower who filed the initial complaint is a C.I.A. agent who was detailed to work at the White House for a period of time. According to the Times, the complaint seems to suggest “he was an analyst by training and made clear he was steeped in details of American foreign policy toward Europe, demonstrating a sophisticated understanding of Ukrainian politics and at least some knowledge of the law.” • Law & Crime shares that Trump spoke about the unnamed whistle-blower today to a group of staffers from the United States Mission to the United Nations. A recording of Trump’s remarks show he wanted to know who the Ukraine whistleblower’s source or sources were “because that’s close to a spy.” The Donald also said in the “old days when we were smart” spies and traitors were treated “a little differently.” Many interpreted those words as a threat which could be seen as witness tampering and/or obstruction of justice.

• A new Morning Consult poll conducted over the last two days shows Americans split over whether they want to see Congress begin impeachment proceedings to remove Donald Trump from office. According to the survey of over 1,600 registered voters, 43 percent support impeachment, and 43 percent oppose it. What’s noteworthy here is that constitutes a 13 point net swing in favor of impeachment from another poll conducted over the weekend. The figure for support rose 7 points, while opposition dropped 6 points. (image via Flickr/White House – public domain)

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Whistleblower Complaint: Trump Used Presidency For Personal Gain, White House Tried To Cover It Up

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire

Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire From the Washington Post:

The whistleblower complaint at the heart of the burgeoning controversy over President Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president claims not only that Trump misused his office for personal gain and endangered national security but that unidentified White House officials tried to hide that conduct.

“In the course of my official duties, I have received information from multiple U.S. government officials that the President of the United States is using the power of his office to solicit interference from a foreign country in the 2020 U.S. election,” the whistleblower wrote in the complaint dated Aug. 12.

The House Intelligence Committee released the seven-page document, which was directed to the heads of the House and Senate intelligence committees, Thursday morning. It also released a two-page appendix that was once classified and portions of which remain redacted.

“This interference includes, among other things, pressuring a foreign country to investigate one of the President’s main domestic political rivals. The President’s personal lawyer, Mr. Rudolph W. Giuliani, is a central figure in this effort. Attorney General [William P.] Barr appears to be involved as well,” the whistleblower wrote.

Part of what concerned the whistleblower was that the record of the Ukraine phone call was removed from the computer system where such records are normally stored. More from NBC News:

The whistleblower says White House officials told them the conversation on July 25 between Trump and Zelenskiy was removed from the computer system that is typically used for such records of calls with foreign leaders.

Instead, the whistleblower writes, the transcript was loaded into a separate electronic system that is used only for information that is of an “especially sensitive nature.” One White House official described that as an abuse of the secure system because there was nothing “remotely sensitive” on the phone call from a national security perspective, the whistleblower said.

In his testimony today, Acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire told the House Intelligence Committee the whistleblower alleging President Trump abused the power of the presidency has “acted in good faith throughout” and that “I have every reason to believe” both the whistleblower and the inspector general “have done everything by the book and followed the law.”  

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Baby Alba Was Rejected By 20 Families, And Then Along Came The Perfect Dad

Single dad Luca Trapanese and daughter Alba (image via Instagram)
Luca Trapanese has always wanted to be a father. But as a gay single man living in Italy, the laws regarding adoption are very stringent. Married heterosexual couples between the ages of 18 – 45 are the primary candidates to adopt, although single parents may apply under certain circumstances. Luca shared with the BBC, “They told me that they would only give me children with illnesses, severe disabilities, or behavioral problems.” And along came Alba. Alba was only 30 days old and had been rejected by 20 families, including her biological mother because she had Down syndrome. But Luca, who has volunteered and worked with disabled people since he was a teen, didn’t hesitate. After receiving a call about the infant, he rushed to the hospital to sign the adoption documents. “When I held her in my arms, I was filled with joy,” said Luca. “I felt that she was my daughter straight away. I knew I was ready to be her father.”

Being gay, single and Catholic, Luca feels he’s challenging the stereotypes regarding fatherhood and traditional families. Today, Alba is 18 months old and thriving. Like all children, she loves to play and dance around the house, explore new places like parks and museums, and go to work with her dad. Luca shares that she can be a bit stubborn at times, but that’s life with a toddler. “She’s brought me happiness and a sense of fulfillment,” says the 41-year-old dad. “I’m proud to be her father.” “I’ll spend the rest of my life with a child that I love, and we’ll do so many amazing things together.” Fortunately, Luca likes to share his life with Alba on Instagram. Check out some photos of this awesome dad and daughter duo.

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Trump Asked Pelosi If They “Could Work Something Out”

According to CNN, Donald Trump apparently asked Nancy Pelosi if “we could work something out” regarding the ongoing whistleblower scandal.

President Donald Trump was incredulous Tuesday as he sat in Trump Tower and watched House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announce she was launching a formal impeachment inquiry against him, sources familiar with the moment say. Sitting in the same building where he launched his long shot presidential campaign four years ago, Trump said he couldn’t believe it, he later told people. He had felt confident after phoning Pelosi earlier that morning. The drive for impeachment in her caucus had ramped up amid reports he pushed the Ukrainian President to investigate Joe Biden, and Trump was hoping to head off a clash. He figured he could de-escalate tensions by speaking with her directly.

NBC News correspondent Heidi Przybyla shared on MSNBC that she was briefed by Pelosi on a phone call she received from Trump where the president attempted to diffuse the situation through negotiations. “The president actually said to Nancy Pelosi, ‘Hey, can we do something about this whistleblower complaint? Can we work something out?’” “And [Pelosi] said, ‘Yes, you can tell your people to obey the law.'”