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News Round-Up: February 26, 2019

• InstaHunks Rick and the Griffopotamus remind,"The day is full of possibilities, just pick a direction and go for it!! Where’s your day gonna lead you???"
(image via Instagram)

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunks Rick and the Griffopotamus remind,”The day is full of possibilities, just pick a direction and go for it!! Where’s your day gonna lead you???”

• Two people were stabbed at Fort Lauderdale Pride this past weekend.

• The new season of NBC’s World of Dance premieres tonight, and for the first time there will be a same-gender salsa duo competing.

• The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) say “compelling evidence that President Trump may have personally committed up to eight criminal campaign finance and related offenses while running for president and during his first year in office.”

• Newly-crowned “Best Actor” Oscar winner Rami Malek called Freddie Mercury, the man he portrayed in Bohemian Rhapsody, a ‘gay’ man and folks aren’t happy about it.

• A bipartisan group of 58 former senior national security officials issued a statement Monday saying that “there is no factual basis” for President Trump’s proclamation of a national emergency to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

• A state lawmaker is in hot water after saying gun control advocates should be “kicked to the curb and stomped on and run over a few times.”

• One more thing about Sunday night’s Oscars – that moment when Chris Evans proved he really is ‘Captain America’ and graciously helped Regina King up the stairs to accept her Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Lovely moment 🙂

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House Passes Resolution To Disapprove Of Trump ‘National Emergency’

Donald Trump

The House of Representatives voted 245 to 182 today to overturn Donald Trump’s declaration of a ‘national emergency’ at the U.S./Mexico border.

That includes 13 Republicans in the House voting for the measure.

From The New York Times:

House Republican leaders kept defections low after feverishly working to assuage concerns among rank-and-file members about protecting congressional powers and about the precedent that Mr. Trump could be setting for Democratic presidents to use for their own purposes.

“Is your oath of office to Donald Trump or is it to the Constitution of the United States?” Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked her Republican colleagues in a speech on the floor ahead of the vote. “You cannot let him undermine your pledge to the Constitution.”

The resolution of disapproval, which passed 245 to 182, must now be taken up by the Senate, where three Republicans have already declared their support, only one short of the number needed for Congress to ratify a stinging rebuke of Mr. Trump’s efforts.

The measure now goes to the Senate which will HAVE to hold a vote. Three U.S. Senators (Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska) have said they plan to support the resolution.

Trump will veto the measure, but it will be a stinging rebuke that he’s appropriating funds to appease his core supporters on a campaign promise.

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New York: Lawmakers Hope To Decriminalize Sex Work

(stock photo)


Buoyed by the election of more progressive lawmakers in New York state, a group of legislators are hoping to decriminalize sex work.

First-term state Sen. Julia Salazar and Jessica Ramos are working with Assemblyman Richard Gottfried on a bill that would not legalize but decriminalize sex work.

Working with Decrim NY, a coalition of local human rights activists including LGBTQ, immigration and justice reform advocates, the lawmakers hope to “decriminalize, decarcerate and destigmatize the sex trade in New York City and the state,” according to The Daily Beast.

 According to Urban Institute, a 2007 study in New York showed LGBTQ youth were 7 times more likely to have traded sex for shelter than straight teens. Transgender teens were shown to be 8 times more likely

“Trying to stop adult sex work shouldn’t be the business of the criminal justice system,” said Gottfried at a press event on Monday. “Throughout history, it hasn’t worked, and it makes things worse, Decriminalizing adult sex work is harm reduction.”

State Sen. Salazar is actually the first political candidate to campaign and win on a platform that included sex workers’ rights.

“The climate of fear of intimidation caused by criminalizing sex work makes it very difficult for sex workers to seek any kind of redress for labor issues or to report the various kinds of abuse many endure in silence,” said the 27-year-old legislator at the launch event Monday. “Sex work is work, and we need to start treating it as such.”

Part of the focus of the legislation will be to clear prostitution charges from sex workers records and have them released from jail.

A transgender woman who has done sex work, Cecilia Gentili, addressed the crowd of about 150 people on Monday.

“It feels surreal to be talking about this,” said Gentili, reports HuffPost. “As a transgender woman who did sex work, I have experienced oppression and prejudice from the police, immigration authorities and even social service organizations because I was trading sex.” 
“Until we decriminalize sex work, the people most impacted by criminalization ― trans people, people of color and undocumented people ― will continue to be treated as less than the full humans they are.” 
In November, Democrats were able to take control of all three branches of state government. And so, for the first time, the issue of sex workers’ rights moved from being a taboo issue to a mainstream issue.
The three lawmakers already have support from other legislators including Assemblymembers Catalina Cruz and Dan Quart.

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Another Day, Another Homophobic Baker Refuses To Bake A Wedding Cake

A baker in Tennessee told a lesbian couple she wouldn't make a wedding cake for their wedding because of her deeply held religious beliefs
(image via Depositphotos)

Another day, another baker refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

This time, the baker is Susie Dennison of Susie’s Sweets bakery in Burns, Tennessee.

Brandi Ray shared in a Facebook post that she met with Dennison to arrange for a wedding cake for her upcoming nuptials.

Apparently the chat was very pleasant, but Ray received a note from Dennison via Facebook afterwards saying she would not be able to make the cake because ‘Jesus.’

Dennison’s message read:

“I really enjoyed our time together and I truly wish you the best but after realizing that your union will be of the same sex, I cannot with my spiritual conviction and beliefs, do your cake! I want you to know in saying that, I do love you in The Lord! Had I known before you left, I would have said something then!”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Ray responded. “Have a good night.”

Dennison claims in her note that she didn’t know it was to be a same-sex wedding, but Ray posted a photo of the invoice Dennison hand-wrote which clearly shows both brides’ names.

She also shared on her Facebook post that she mentioned her fiancée’s name, Michele Schmidt, “like 10,000 times” when she and Dennison met at the consultation.

According to the bakery’s website, Dennison says she “can bake any type of sweet treat you need for any occasion.”

Well, clearly not “any” occasion. Nowhere on the website does Dennison say she doesn’t make wedding cakes for same-sex couples.

We’ve seen cases like this before, most notably in Colorado where anti-LGBTQ baker Jack Phillips, of Masterpiece Cakeshop, refused to bake a cake for a gay couple for their wedding celebration.

Phillips took his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where he won a narrow victory when the high court ruled the Colorado civil rights commission had appeared to view his case with anti-religious bias.

Unlike Colorado, the state of Tennessee has no legal protections for LGBTQ citizens, so Dennison’s behavior here is totally legal.

🙁

Ray hasn’t indicated if she plans any kind of legal action.

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IRS Reports 2019 Tax Refund Average Has Dropped By Double-Digits

Donald Trump promised a lot with his Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but folks are finding their tax refunds are getting smaller.
Donald Trump

Donald Trump promised a lot with his Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but folks are finding their tax refund checks are getting smaller.

The IRS originally reported that tax refunds were averaging about 8% less than last year, but that figure has been revised to more than 16% less.

From Yahoo News:

The size of the average tax refund continues to drop, according to the latest IRS statistics. The IRS has found that Americans filing returns are now likely to see 16.7% less money than they received last year.

According to the data, the average refund size received in 2018 was $3,169 — while this year’s refunds have shrunk to $2,640.

Previous data released by the IRS showed that refunds had dipped by 8% on average. The refund size casts unfavorable light on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the Republican tax reform law championed by President Trump. The bill was criticized as an unnecessary win for large corporations and the rich, who saw their tax rates slashed and refunds increase.

Additionally, CBS News reports the number of tax refunds is down 26 percent.

Tax refund checks represent one of the biggest lump sum payments taxpayers get in a year. And as such, the funds usually add a boost to the economy.

With less or no refunds, economists are concerned about how this will play out in the U.S. economy.

Just remember, the Trumpster and multinational corporations will enjoy their own sweet tax cuts.

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Janet Jackson Announces Las Vegas Summer Residency ‘Metamorphosis’

Janet Jackson announces her new Las Vegas residency ‘Metamorphosis’

Music icon Janet Jackson will launch her first Las Vegas headlining residency titled, Metamorphosis, beginning May 17, 2019, at Park Theater at Park MGM Resort.

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of her ground-breaking album, Rhythm Nation, Jackson promises her new production will “follow her path to self-love, empowerment, motherhood and activism, amidst the challenges faced along her personal journey,” according to a statement.

The 15 date run of Metamorphosis (spanning May, June and August) will present bold visuals, cutting edge dance numbers, Jackson’s many chart-topping hits plus fan favorite ‘deep cuts.’

One of the biggest recording artists of all time, there’s practically no music award Jackson hasn’t won.

With a career beginning in the 1970s, the 52-year-old has garnered six Grammy Awards, two Emmy Nominations, a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for an Academy Award along with multiple American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

Additionally, Damita Jo will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month.

Janet Jackson (photo: Solaiman Fazel)

The new production will help fill the void at Park MGM left by the sudden cancellation of Britney Spears’s Domination.

The announced dates for Janet Jackson’s Metamorphosis are:

May 2019: 17, 18, 21, 22, 25, 26
July 2019: 24, 26, 27, 31
August 2019: 2, 3, 7, 9, 10

Tickets go on sale to the public March 2, but members of Jackson’s fan club will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning February 27 at 10 a.m. PST.

Additionally, Citi credit card holders will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets at 12 p.m. on February 27.

For more info, head over to JanetJackson.com.

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‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Announces Official Podcast For The Drag-Tastic Series

World of Wonder, the Emmy Award-winning producers of RuPaul’s Drag Race, have announced the launch of the show’s official podcast.

Ooh, shantay, hit play!

RPDR producer & herstorian John Polly will host the new podcast welcoming show insiders, queens and other special guests to sit down and dish each episode.

Polly promises “T will be spilt!,” as he shares behind-the-scenes insights, conversations with eliminated queens, and more.

The cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11

Beginning Thursday, March 28, new installments of the podcast will drop at 9:30 p.m. ET immediately following each new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race on VH1 in the U.S.

You can check out the announcement video below featuring All Stars 4 winners Trinity the Tuck and Monet X Change. The dynamic duo are also the guests for the first episode.

Click here to listen to a five-minute preview of episode one of The Official RuPaul’s Drag Race Podcast.

And don’t forget Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race premieres this Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on VH1.

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Trump Junior: “There Are No Crimes, Only Things People Did In ‘Past Lives'”

During an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, Donald Trump Jr. repeated his father's claim that the Mueller investigation is a 'witch hunt' and said folks like former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort were 'regular guys' who couldn't afford large lawyer fees.
Donald Trump Jr.

During an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, Donald Trump Jr. repeated his father’s claim that the Mueller investigation is a ‘witch hunt’ and said folks like former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort were ‘regular guys’ who couldn’t afford large lawyer fees.

He added that ‘no actual crimes’ have been found by the investigation, only “things that people did in past lives.”

“I’ve been hearing this for two years — everyone is going to jail. Meanwhile, they haven’t actually found anything that relates to this. What they did was put incredible pressure on regular guys that couldn’t afford a million dollars in legal fees, and got them to slip up, say something incorrectly. They pretended they were their friends. There are no actual crimes. There’s only things that people did in past lives, in 2006 before we even thought we ever get into this crazy world, and that’s what it is. They’re touting these things as victories — it’s not; and it has been a total farce, the greatest witch hunt in American history.”

I’m not really sure what ‘past lives’ he’s referring to, but if you broke the law, you broke it. And they have found crimes, and folks have pleaded guilty to them.

And the dates of these crimes range from the mid-2000s to as recent as 2016. So, ‘past lives’ sounds a lot longer ago than reality shows.

Plus, if the mid-2000s is too far back to consider crimes, why do the Trumps keep bringing up Bill Clinton’s alleged affairs in the 1990s?

Financial experts say Manafort is worth upwards of $50 million, so I don’t know that I would call him a ‘regular’ guy who can’t afford his legal fees.

Junior also claimed there are “more hoax hate crimes” than there are actual hate crimes.

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Trump Being Sued By Former Staffer For Nonconsensual Kiss During Campaign

Donald Trump

A former campaign staffer has filed a lawsuit alleging Donald Trump kissed her during a campaign event in 2016.

From The Washington Post:

In interviews with The Washington Post, and in the lawsuit, Alva Johnson said Trump grabbed her hand and leaned in to kiss her on the lips as he exited an RV outside the rally in Tampa on Aug. 24, 2016. Johnson said she turned her head and the unwanted kiss landed on the side of her mouth, which she called “super-creepy and inappropriate.”

“I immediately felt violated because I wasn’t expecting it or wanting it,” she said. “I can still see his lips coming straight for my face.”

Johnson said she told her boyfriend, mother and stepfather about the incident later that day, an account all three confirmed to The Post. Two months later, Johnson consulted a Florida attorney about the unwanted kiss; he gave The Post text messages showing that he considered her “credible” but did not take her case for business reasons. The attorney gave Johnson the name of a therapist, whose notes, which The Post reviewed, reference an unspecified event during the campaign that had left her distraught.

Trump famously said on the Access Hollywood video, “I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.”

So, he’s basically accused of doing what he said he does.

The White House denies the allegation.

Former Florida Attorney General (and Trump supporter) Pam Bondi, who was present at the event, said she did not see the incident.

“Do I recall seeing anything inappropriate? One hundred percent no. I’m a prosecutor, and if I saw something inappropriate, I would have said something.” Bondi also didn’t investigate Trump University fraud after Trump wrote her a $25k check for her reelection fund.

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Taron Egerton Duets With Elton John Raising Millions For AIDS Efforts

Elton John & Taron Egerton sing 'Tiny Dancer' raising millions for AIDS efforts around the world
Elton John & Taron Egerton perform ‘Tiny Dancer’

Since 1993, the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party has been one of the most high-profile post-Oscar events in the Hollywood film industry.

In addition to the expensive ticket sales (which are given on a invitation-only basis), there’s a celebrity auction that helps raise funds for the foundation.

At last night’s event, one item up for bid was a trip to the London premiere of the upcoming Elton John musical biopic, Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton.

During the auction, Egerton was asked if he’d sing one of Elton’s songs, reports EW. The handsome Kingsman star agreed to an impromptu performance (he does his own singing in the upcoming film) but only if Elton would accompany him on the piano.

And the music legend sat right down and began to pluck out the notes to “Tiny Dancer.”

As the introduction played, Egerton (who was clearly thrilled) turned to the audience and said with a smile, “It’s funny how life turns out, isn’t it?”

Taron Egerton “Funny how life turns out, isn’t it?”

Rocketman, which chronicles the early years of Elton’s legendary career, also stars Jamie Bell as longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin, Richard Madden as his manager, and Bryce Dallas Howard as Elton’s mother.

I recently shared the trailer for the epic musical fantasy here.

Hit the play button below for Egerton and Elton performing “Tiny Dancer” at the gala event (which raised over $6.3 million for AIDS efforts around the world).

 Rocketman lands in theaters May 31.