Category: Uncategorized

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Trump Offers Temporary DACA Relief In Exchange For His Permanent Wall To End #TrumpShutdown

Donald Trump, in a national address from the White House, offered a temporary extension of protections for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for $5.7 billion to fund his beloved wall.

From the New York Times:

In casting the proposal as a compromise, Mr. Trump sought to shift pressure to Democrats to end the government shutdown.

The president, delivering a 13-minute address from the White House, said he would extend the legal status of those facing deportation and support bipartisan legislation that would allow some immigrants who came to the United States illegally as children, known as Dreamers, to keep their work permits and be protected from deportation for three more years if they are revoked.

“That is our plan,” Mr. Trump said. “Straightforward, fair, reasonable and common sense with lots of compromise.” The proposal, Mr. Trump said, was intended to “break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward.”

But he reiterated his demand for $5.7 billion in funding for a border barrier, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ahead of his remarks that she considered his proposal a “nonstarter,” in part because it offered no permanent pathway to citizenship for Dreamers.

I agree with Pelosi. If he wants a permanent wall, then we want permanent protections for the DACA Dreamers.

Last year, Republicans rejected a Democratic bill for $25 billion in border wall funding in return for DACA amnesty.

It’s worth noting that Trump himself started the issue with DACA. So, now he’s merely offering a temporary solution for a mess he made.

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Update: Catholic Diocese Investigating Pro-Trump Teens Harassment Of Native American Elder

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, along with the school, acknowledged the situation Saturday afternoon, saying the matter is being investigated. Laura Keener, of the diocese, released the following statement: "We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person. "The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement."
Covington Catholic High School student attempted to harass & intimidate
a Native American elder and Vietnam Veteran

Update on the hideous incident involving pro-Trump, MAGA hat-wearing high school students from Covington, Kentucky, who harassed Native American elder and Vietnam Veteran, Nathan Phillips at the Lincoln Memorial Mall yesterday.

Covington Catholic High School is the only Catholic school in the diocese, so the the church is definitely getting involved.

Thankfully, expulsion is on the table.

From local news station WLWT5:

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington, along with the school, acknowledged the situation Saturday afternoon, saying the matter is being investigated.

Laura Keener, of the diocese, released the following statement:

“We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.

“The matter is being investigated and we will take appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.We know this incident also has tainted the entire witness of the March for Life and express our most sincere apologies to all those who attended the March and all those who support the pro-life movement.”

In related news, it turns out these hateful brats aren’t the only problems in Covington, Kentucky.

In December, former Covington Catholic High School basketball player Jacob Walter held a woman down and raped her until she bled according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Department.

He was arrested and faces three felony charges: One of rape and two of sodomy.

This is some high school, huh?

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Covington Catholic HS Students Appear To Harass, Mock Native Americans In Washington DC

Trending on Twitter right now, a group of students, who some say are from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, appear to mock & intimidate a Native American protestor at the Indigenous Peoples March yesterday in Washington, DC.

Appalling. This is why that Gillette ad exists.

On Covington’s Twitter account (which has been switched to private due to this video), the school describes itself as “Educating Young Men Spiritually, Academically, Physically and Socially.”

Does this kid look ‘spiritually’ educated?

The school’s online schedule shows students were in DC to participate in the March for Life. This episode apparently happened after they took part in that march.

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Trump Plans To Offer DACA Protections In Exchange For His Wall

Axios' Jonathan Swan is reporting Donald Trump plans to offer passage of the BRIDGE Act for DACA recipients to Democrats today in exchange for the $5.7 billion he wants for his beloved wall.
Donald Trump

Axios‘ Jonathan Swan is reporting Donald Trump plans to offer passage of the BRIDGE Act for DACA recipients to Democrats today in exchange for the $5.7 billion he wants for his beloved wall.

President Trump plans to use remarks from the Diplomatic Reception Room on Saturday afternoon to propose a notable immigration compromise, according to sources familiar with the speech.

Details: The offer is expected to include Trump’s $5.7 billion demand for wall money in exchange for the BRIDGE Act — which would extend protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — and also legislation to extend the legal status of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, according to a source with direct knowledge.

For their part, Dems are reportedly preparing to pass a package of six spending bills next week which will include an extra $1 billion for additional border security measures.

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Special Counsel’s Spokesman: Buzzfeed’s Description Of Cohen’s Testimony ‘Not Accurate’

Special Counsel Robert Mueller

A spokesman for Special Counsel Robert Mueller has made a rare statement regarding the bombshell report by Buzzfeed alleging Donald Trump instructed his lawyer, Michael Cohen, to lie to Congress.

This evening, spokesman Peter Carr issued a statement saying, “Buzzfeed’s description of specific statements to the Special Counsel’s office, and characterization of documents and testimony obtained by this office, regarding Michael Cohen’s Congressional testimony are not accurate.”

One of the Buzzfeed reporters responded to the statement: “We are very confident in our reporting…”

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First-Ever Gay Couple On Cover Of ‘Parents’ Magazine And Conservatives Are Outraged

Inspirational fitness coach Shaun T (of the ‘Insanity’ workout) and his husband, Scott Blokker, cover the February issue of Parents magazine as they share their years-long journey to becoming parents to twins Silas and Sander.
Fitness guru Shaun T and hubby Scott cover the newest issue of PARENTS

A group of ‘Christian’ conservative consumers has lost their collective minds over a gay couple appearing on the cover of a mainstream parenting magazine.

Inspirational fitness coach Shaun T (of the ‘Insanity’ workout) and his husband, Scott Blokker, cover the February issue of Parents magazine as they share their years-long journey to becoming parents to twins Silas and Sander.

Shaun and Scott are the first-ever same-sex couple to appear on the cover of the 93 year history of the publication.

In the article, the couple chronicle the “twelve attempts, six egg donors, five surrogates, two doctors, one miscarriage, and thousands of dollars” they went through before the arrival of their children in November of 2017.

But the misleadingly-named ‘One Million Moms,’ an off-shoot of the anti-LGBTQ hate group American Family Association, are angry at the coverage.

In a blog post, the group moans, “Parents is using its magazine as a platform to promote the pro-homosexual lifestyle.”

No, they’re celebrating the joy of a happy family.

The group, whose Facebook page has nowhere near a million followers, whines that “Mothers and fathers are seeing more and more similar examples of children being indoctrinated to perceive same-sex couples as normal, especially in the media.”

The haters go on to say that “this agenda is a deal breaker,” although whose ‘deal’ is being broken isn’t clear.

They also accuse Parents of trying to “force a lifestyle on the American public that the medical community identifies as unhealthy.”

Ultimately, OMMs asks folks to sign a petition from which they can possibly harvest your email address for mass fundraising campaigns.

At this writing, the petition has garnered a tepid 7,500 signatures.

Fail. (sad trombone sound here)

I think Shaun, Scott and family are fabulous. Make sure you click over to the magazine website to read the article.

And since we’re here, let’s take a trip through the fitness buffs’ Instagram account, shall we?

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Cher Premieres New ‘Here We Go Again’ Concert Tour

Cher launched her Here We Go Again concert tour last night at the Ester Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, and we’ve got the pics to prove it.
Cher debuts new “Here We Go Again” Concert Tour
(all photos: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for LiveNation)

Cher launched her Here We Go Again concert tour last night at the Ester Germain Arena in Estero, Florida, and we’ve got the pics to prove it.

The Grammy Hall of Famer did not disappoint fans with show-stopping renditions of her biggest hits including “Believe,” “Woman’s World,” and “If I Could Turn Back Time.”

She also reached back to her early hits with video duets of “The Beat Goes On” and “I Got You Babe” with then-husband Sonny Bono.

Plus, the setlist included selections from her ABBA cover album Dancing Queen like “Waterloo,” “SOS” and “Fernando.”

And it wouldn’t be a Cher extravaganza without costumes, costumes and more costumes.

Naples News reports that between songs the diva offered personal insights including the fact that she never felt any industry respect until she snagged that Oscar for Moonstruck, telling the audience, “I’ve never been accepted by singers as a singer, and actors don’t think I’m an actor.”

The diva is accompanied on this tour by special guests Nile Rodgers & Chic, who released their first album in 26 years last September titled It’s About Time.

This concert tour follows the 72-year-old’s busy 2018 which included a featured role in the ABBA-tastic movie musical, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, an entire studio album of ABBA cover songs, plus opening The Cher Show on Broadway, a new musical based on her life story.

Check out more pics from opening night below, and click here to complete tour dates.

The Here We Go Again tour continues through May 18.


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Viral Video: Two 17-Year-Olds Attempt To Dial A Rotary Phone

A little viral video action here as these two 17-year-olds try to figure out how to dial a rotary phone.

A little viral video action here as these two 17-year-olds try to figure out how to dial a rotary phone.

Kevin Bumstead shared this clip on his Facebook which shows his son Jake and nephew Kyle accepting a challenge to successfully dial a number on the phone within four minutes.

Bumstead brought the vintage phone out during the family’s holiday gathering and asked several teams to figure out the antique.

From The Chicago Tribune:

Three relatives in their early 20s quickly figured it out, as did a team of a 14- and 12-year-old girls because they had rotary phone toys when they were younger, Fox reported.

Hilarity ensued when Bumstead’s son, Jake, and nephew, Kyle, attempted the challenge.

They struggled to understand that in order to make a call on a rotary phone, one must first lift the receiver and get a dial tone.

“Wait a minute, are we supposed to pick up the phone and then do it?” one of the boys asked about two and a half minutes into the video.

It’s hilarious that the boys don’t even understand the idea of a dial tone.

“What does a zero sound like?”

Watch them figure it out below.

(h/t Towleroad)

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DC Restaurant Fined For Barring Trans Patron From Restroom

Charlotte Clymer (Photo courtesy of Charlotte Clymer

During a visit last summer to Cuba Libre, a popular Washington DC bar and restaurant, Charlotte Clymer was stopped as she attempted to use the women restroom by an employee.

The employee demanded to see the transgender woman’s ID claiming the restaurant ‘required’ her to show legal identification to prove she was female.

Clymer, who was at the venue celebrating a friend’s bachelorette party, dismissed the employee and entered the ladies room. According to the Washington Blade, the employee didn’t ask anyone else for identification.

After entering a stall to do her business, Clymer heard the man walk into the bathroom in an attempt to search for her.

“I go into a stall to do my business and I hear him walk in and search for me in this busy restroom full of women,” Clymer shared on her Facebook. “He is doing everything but opening the stall doors. I ignore him, and after a few minutes, he leaves. I do my business, wash my hands, and walk out.”

“On the other side of the door are the attendant and the manager, who says it’s D.C. law that you must have ‘female’ on your ID to use the women’s restroom,” added Clymer. “I tell him he’s wrong and there’s no chance I’m showing him my ID.”

This is where it’s important to note that Clymer works with the Human Rights Campaign, and if anyone knows the law on transgender protections, it’s Clymer.

In fact, she pulled up the DC Human Rights Act on her phone and showed the manager the ordinance that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression in regard to housing, employment and (ahem) public accommodations.

After the manager, who Clymer described as “condescending and dismissive,” threatened to call the police, she was eventually ejected from the restaurant.

Standing outside the restaurant, an angry Clymer called the police herself. According to the Washington Post, the officers showed up and reassured her the law was on her side.

Eventually, Clymer filed a complaint with the Office of Human Rights, and the DC Attorney General got involved as well.

As a result of her complaint, the owner of Cuba Libre has apologized and been ordered to pay a $7,000 fine for violating the Human Rights Act. Additionally, the settlement with the Attorney General calls for the restaurant to “institute policies on civil rights compliance and training.”

Plus, signage is now required in the establishment that states the local ordinance that “all individuals are allowed to use the restroom that corresponds to their gender identity or expression.”

For her part, Clymer Clymer told the Washington Blade that she’s pleased with the outcome.

“I am quite grateful for the work of Attorney General Racine and his staff to ensure that discrimination has no place in D.C., and I am thankful that Cuba Libre and CEO Barry Gutin have worked in good faith since the fall to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Clymer said.

“All parties worked together to make sure a terrible night was turned into a great teaching moment, which was built on the history of advocacy by trans folks in D.C., particularly trans women of color.”