White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders found out today what it’s like to be interviewed by a journalist who’s done his homework.
In an interview with Fox News‘ Chris Wallace, Sanders attempted to push the false claim about terrorists being caught at the southern border on Fox News Sunday, but Chris Wallace just happened to have the facts at hand.
“I know the statistic, I didn’t know if you were going to use it, but I studied up on this,” Wallace said. “Do you know what those 4,000 people come where they are captured? Airports.”
“Not always,” Sanders tried.
“Airports. The state department says there hasn’t been any terrorists found coming across the southern border,” continued Wallace. “But they’re not coming across the southern border, Sarah, they’re coming and they’re being stopped at airports.”
“They’re coming a number of ways, they’re certainly, I’m not disagreeing with you that they’re coming through airports,” lamely offered Sanders.
You have to wonder how different would the state of the nation be if every journalist was prepared with facts when interviewing politicians?
Watch below.
Chris Wallace “I know the statistic, I didn’t know if you were going to use it, but I studied up on this. Do you know where those 4,000 people come, where they are captured? Airports.” Sarah Sanders didn’t see that coming! pic.twitter.com/OTHlck84xY
Sarah Sanders attempted to push the false claim about terrorists being caught at the southern border on Fox News Sunday and Chris Wallace was having none of it.https://t.co/qGBS6V8PR2pic.twitter.com/cdDynlvxwA
.@PressSec didn’t get grilled, she got eviscerated for the flat-out fabrications and pathetic factual distortions she, @realDonaldTrump and @SecNielsen keep pushing out there.
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Chris Wallace Grills Sarah Sanders on Bogus Border Terror Threat Claims https://t.co/zix7LVtvCF
Donald Trump says he relates to folks who can’t pay their bills
Asked by NBC’s White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell if he “can relate to the pain of federal workers who can’t pay their bills” thanks to the current #TrumpShutdown, billionaire Donald Trump said he could.
The Donald added that ‘many of those people’ who are now having to go without a paycheck ‘agree 100 percent’ with what he’s doing.
“I can relate, and I’m sure that the people that are on the receiving end will make adjustments, they always do, and they’ll make adjustments. People understand exactly what’s going on. But many of those people that won’t be receiving a paycheck, many of those people agree 100 percent with what I’m doing.”
My question to the president, “Can you relate to the pain of federal workers who can’t pay their bills?” Pres. Trump:”I can relate…”. Watch: pic.twitter.com/WJCBHZQ15x
On his way to LaLa Land and the 2019 Golden Globe Awards where he is nominated for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series” for his star turn in the FX series, Pose, Billy Porter dropped by Buzzfeeds’ Cocoa Butter to share his ‘Seven Tips To Live By.’
Having survived highs and lows in the business of show for over 30 years, Mr. Porter knows of what he speaks.
1. “Choose yourself, save yourself, bet on yourself!”
How is someone going to believe in you if you don’t? Enough said.
2. “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have!”
Billy adds with a smile, “So if you’re wondering why I’m always turning it with the clothing and the looks, darling, that is why – I have goals.”
3. “Don’t wait for anyone to give you permission to practice your art!”
Porter told me once that Tony Award-winning stage director George C. Wolfe shared this little bon mot with him in the early 2000s when he was an Artist in Residence at the Public Theatre in NYC. “You need to be practicing it always, every day, every moment you get. People usually ain’t listening, but sometimes they do. You’ve got to be ready…when it’s time.”
4. “Be on time!”
Porter explains exactly what that means to him: “Fifteen minutes early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable. The doors will be locked!”
5. “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.”
With a glint in his eye, the 49-year-old leans into the camera and continues, “Y’all know what I’m talking about; we got a lot of people we could be talking about.”
6. “Be of service.”
A wider purpose adds dimension to your work. “When your intention is service, everything else will work itself out,” says Porter.
7. “Mean what you say and say what you mean – and deliver. Be impeccable with your word.”
Rockell Blu reads ‘Everyone Is Special’ at Drag Queen Storytime in Florida
A federal judge ruled on Thursday that Christian activists who attempted to stop Houston libraries from hosting “Drag Queen Storytime” lack standing to bring their suit, and so, the case was dismissed.
The program, which brings drag queens to children’s story-telling hours in libraries, bookstores and schools, was begun over a year ago by the nonprofit RADAR Productions.
Drag Queen Storytime encourages children to suspend belief and explore their imagination while learning to embrace diversity and tolerance.
The American Library Association has fully endorsed these types of programs, in any iteration, as a right to intellectual freedom. They have even curated a collection of resources for individuals seeking to bring Drag Queen Storytime to their libraries or community spaces.
Three men, including a pastor, filed suit against Houston Public Library Executive Director Rhea Lawson and Mayor Sylvester Turner in October 2018.
In the lawsuit, plaintiff Tex Christopher declared that “‘gay marriage’ is ‘fake marriage’” and as a Houston taxpayer and library cardholder he has standing because the library spent money on books for the story hours and paid for flyers to promote them.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal dismissed their lawsuit Thursday for lack of standing and failure to state a viable First Amendment Establishment Clause claim.
Rosenthal said the men could not prove the threshold issue that they had been injured by the story hour because it’s unclear from their pleadings that any of them attended the events.
“The plaintiffs assert the very opposite: they purposefully avoided ‘Drag Queen Storytime’ because of its alleged immorality and potential to harm their children. Instead of witnessing the event, the plaintiffs ‘researched [it] online,’” Rosenthal wrote in a 19-page order.
To put these men in some context, it’s notable that one of the plaintiffs, Chris Sevier, has previously filed lawsuits claiming if men can marry men, then he should be able to marry his laptop computer.
Christopher now says he plans on appealing to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Donald Trump told reporters on Friday that former presidents have shared with him privately that they wish they had built a wall along the Mexican border.
“This should have been done by all of the presidents that preceded me and they all know it,” Trump said. “Some of them have told me that we should have done it.”
But spokesmen for three of the four living former presidents – Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — say (guess what?) that has not happened.
Asked if Clinton told Trump that he should have built a border wall, Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said, “He did not. In fact, they’ve not talked since the inauguration.”
Bush spokesman Freddy Ford also said the two men had not discussed the matter. And Obama, for his part, has not spoken with Trump since his inauguration, except for a brief exchange at George H.W. Bush’s funeral in Washington, D.C.
No official word from Jimmy Carter, but in September he said, “If I were president again, I’d change all of Trump’s policies.”
So, there you go.
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UPDATE – January 7, 2019 – Jimmy Carter has weighed in officially now saying, “I have not discussed the border wall with President Trump, and do not support him on the issue.”
Clarification from former U.S. President Jimmy Carter:
“I have not discussed the border wall with President Trump, and do not support him on the issue.” — Jimmy Carter
CNN’s Don Lemon addresses the ongoing Kevin Hart/homophobia story
I’ve been conflicted watching this whole Kevin Hart kerfuffle on whether he should or shouldn’t host the Oscars after homophobic tweets and jokes from some years ago resurfaced.
Yesterday, I posted a segment from Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show where she implored Hart to reconsider hosting the Academy Awards saying she knows him, she knows he’s grown as a person and she believes in him and his apology.
As you may recall, Hart was selected to host on December 4, but stepped down from the gig three days later in the aftermath of the homophobic tweets returned to the spotlight.
In the interview, Hart says, “It’s ten years old. This is stuff I’ve addressed. I’ve talked about this; this isn’t new. I’ve addressed it. I’ve apologized for it.”
Now, I believe we can change to some degree as we grow older. And I believe a good, straightforward apology is something to be accepted.
One sticking point I’ve had, though, is Hart saying he had apologized for his ‘jokes’ already and didn’t want to keep doing so.
Out journalist Louis Virtel had this take on that statement:
I feel like if you’re not homophobic anymore, you shouldn’t mind apologizing for your past homophobia again and again and again. I don’t want to hear a hostile retelling of how we didn’t hear your meager apology the first time.
But I couldn’t find an actual apology in his history, other than the one he issued after he stepped down from the Oscar gig.
It turns out I’m not the only one.
CNN host Don Lemon, armed with some info via Vulture, took to the airwaves last night to weigh in on the issue now that Ellen had hosted Hart on her afternoon talk show and urged Hart to reconsider hosting the Oscars.
Lemon says he felt the need to address the issue as a member of both the LGBTQ and Black communities.
“These issues need to be addressed especially when it comes to black youth in our country. They need to know that they have value. And it’s ok to be who they are.
“We in the African American community have to stop low-key cosigning homophobia. It is not cool. And we won’t tolerate jokes that tell those youth otherwise.
“We need to talk about how some people who’ve messed up can become allies as well. Because apologizing and moving on does not make the world a better place for people who are gay or are transgender. Being an ally does.”
Lemon also noted that LGBTQ homeless youth are disproportionately black, with black kids representing some 62% of homeless trans youth.
Lemon then contrasts Hart’s jokes about violence against a potentially gay son is especially harmful. “The truth is that is a reality for many little boys in the United States,” said Lemon. “Somewhere, a black dad is beating his black son.”
I’m not always the biggest fan of Lemon, but I think he has salient points here. Definitely worth the watching.
“Apologizing and moving on does not make the world a better place for people who are gay or people who are transgender, being an ally does,” says CNN’s @DonLemon, reacting to the Oscars’ openness to Kevin Hart’s return https://t.co/ITGU3Uj2ezpic.twitter.com/4u48sfBF0U
As Nancy Pelosi returned to her position as Speaker of the House yesterday, she made a point of saying passage of The Equality Act will be a priority in the upcoming Congress.
The legislation, which has already been introduced in the House before, would outlaw LGBTQ discrimination on a federal level.
“We will make America fairer by passing the Equality Act to end discrimination against the LGBTQ community,” Pelosi said in remarks as she was reelected to Speaker.
I’m always grateful to see LGBTQ legislation brought up, and the Equality Act does stand a good chance of being passed in the House with the newly-installed Democratic majority.
But with the Senate in Republican-control and Donald Trump in the White House, I’m not counting on the legislation becoming law any time soon, unfortunately.
The Human Rights Campaign estimates nearly 50% of LGBTQ Americans live in one of 30 states with no legal protections whatsoever, and could lose their job, be evicted or denied public services based on their sexuality or gender identity.
Donald Trump may declare a national emergency to fund his border wall
Donald Trump told the press today that he is considering declaring a national emergency in order to allocate funds to build his infamous ‘border wall.’
Trump didn’t offer details on how that process would work.
JUST IN: Pres. Trump says he’s considered declaring a national emergency to circumvent congressional approval to allocate funds for border wall: “We can call a national emergency because of the security of our country… I haven’t done it, I may do it.” https://t.co/cOHXje4LUFpic.twitter.com/DWay2YzddE
“All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives … No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” U.S. Constitution, Article I. https://t.co/BlY6k6Ij7o
Trump’s confusing message: He claims he can declare a national emergency and build wall himself; Mexico is paying for it through a trade deal that hasn’t been approved by Congress; and the wall is already being built.
But he wants Congress to appropriate $5 billion for the wall
In related news, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told the press today that Trump said in a meeting today regarding the current government shutdown that he “would keep the government shutdown for a very long period of time – months or even years.”
Chuck Schumer: “We told the president we needed the government open. He resisted. In fact, he said he’d keep the government closed for a very long period of time. Months or even years.” Via ABC pic.twitter.com/5XYOoXH8mo
Jason Boyce has accused photog Bruce Weber of sexual misconduct (image via Instagram)
Celebrated fashion photographer, Bruce Weber, has been under attack for the past year fighting a slew of sexual misconduct accusations by over 20 male models.
One of those models, Jason Boyce, filed a lawsuit against the photographer last year alleging inappropriate sexual behavior during a 2014 photo shoot.
The complaint alleges that Weber grabbed Boyce and kissed him on the lips. It also states, “Weber put his fingers in Mr. Boyce’s mouth. Shocked, Mr. Boyce opened his eyes. Mr. Weber told him to keep his eyes closed, and kept his fingers in Mr. Boyce’s mouth. ‘If you just had confidence, you’d go really far,’ Mr. Weber whispered. ‘How far do you want to make it? How ambitious are you?’ Mr. Boyce did not respond.”
Then, in December, five additional models filed a lawsuit according to The New York Times. The new filing labels Weber a “serial sexual predator” alleging he touched the men while leading ‘breathing exercises’ during photo shoots, and insinuated he could help their careers if they complied.
Weber’s lawyer, Jayne Weintraub, issued a statement to The New York Times that called the new allegations against the 72-year-old “outrageous.”
“Bruce Weber has never lured, recruited, or forced anyone to do anything and has never inappropriately touched a model,” wrote Weintraub in an email. “This lawsuit is nothing more than a media-hungry lawyer’s attempt to extort Mr. Weber with false, fictitious and legally frivolous claims. We are confident that Mr. Weber will prevail against these false allegations; not just with words, but with evidence in a court of law.”
Weintraub and Weber are now asking that Boyce’s lawsuit be dismissed, and have submitted with their filing several racy pics and text messages they say Boyce sent to Weber before and after the 2014 photo shoot in question.
“It has been over a year since Plaintiff, an unsuccessful 32-year old male model, filed his complaint containing false and salacious allegations that Mr. Weber, an internationally acclaimed fashion photographer, inappropriately touched him during a brief photo shoot in 2014.”
“Since then, Plaintiff has refused to provide required discovery and failed to identify any evidence to support his claims, because his claims are false. Nonetheless, now, almost one year later, Plaintiff is ‘doubling down’ on his false claims’ charade, by seeking leave to amend and assert a claim against Mr. Weber under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015.”
The new filing says Boyce “repeatedly texted pictures of himself to Mr. Weber in provocative poses, both prior to and after the brief photo shoot, demonstrating that Plaintiff was soliciting Mr. Weber, not the other way around.”
“Similarly, Plaintiff’s allegation that he was so horrified at the thought of running into Mr. Weber that he fled New York and sought refuge in California, cannot be reconciled with the provocative and solicitous texts that Plaintiff sent to Mr. Weber over the next several months,” added Weintraub.
Over decades of work, Weber has shot enormously successful photo campaigns for companies like Abercrombie & Fitch, Louis Vuitton and Versace.
Boyce currently lists his employment as a fitness coach on his Instagram.
