Category: Uncategorized

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Former National Security Adviser Mike Flynn Pleads Guilty To Lying To FBI

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has charged former Trump national security advisor Michael Flynn with “willfully and knowingly” making “false, fictitious and fraudulent statements” to the FBI regarding conversations with Russia’s ambassador.

According to CNN, a federal judge has accepted Flynn’s plea of guilty to the one charge of perjury charge related to four separate false statements made to the FBI.

Specifically, Flynn is charged with falsely claiming that he had not asked Russia’s ambassador Sergey Kislyak “to refrain from escalating the situation in response to sanctions that the United States had imposed against Russia that same day” last December 29.

As most legal experts are explaining on news outlets right now, the only reason for Mueller to cut a plea deal with Mike Flynn would be in exchange for information regarding higher up actors in the Russian collusion investigation.

ABC News is reporting that Flynn has promised full cooperation to the Mueller team and is prepared to testify that candidate Trump “directed him to make contact with the Russians.”

Flynn was forced to step down as national security adviser after the Trump administration revealed he had reportedly lied to Vice President Mike Pence about conversations with Russian actors.

It’s worth noting that Flynn is the 4th Trump team member to be charged with a crime following Paul Manafort, Rick Gates and George Papadopoulos.

According to folks on Twitter, it took Flynn 499 days to go from leading “Lock her up” chants at last year’s GOP National Convention regarding Hillary Clinton to copping to committing a felony. Let’s go back to the videotape.

By the way, you know who’s NOT pleading guilty to ANY federal charges today? Hillary Clinton.

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News Round-Up: November 30, 2017

Some news items you might have missed:

• Andrew Serkin (above) handles the cold in Miami with a stylish vest sans shirt. I’m good with that 🙂

• Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson was not extended an invitation to the White House’s annual Christmas party this year. Johnson attends the White House press briefings almost daily, and has attended the holiday fest at the White House the last seven years. Now, why do you think Team Trump would snub a gay reporter… Oh, got it. Nevermind.

• Jim Nabors, of Gomer Pyle, of The Andy Griffith Show, and the show’s spinoff, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., died at the age of 87. He married his partner Stan Cadwallader in 2013. They had been together 42 years. Thanks to his “Gomer Pyle” role, Nabors was one of the few ever to be named an Honorary Marine.

• Crediting the preventative drug PrEP, the Department of Health says 2016 had the lowest number of new HIV diagnoses in New York City history, an 8.6% decrease in new infections as opposed to the year before.

• Timothée Chalamet had a great night at the New York Film Critics Circle last night where he snagged the Best Actor award for his stunning work in the coming-of-age gay romance, Call Me By Your Name. Chalamet also saw another film he is appearing in, Lady Bird, win for Best Film.

• Check out this year’s holiday commercial from H&M titled “A Magical Holiday” starring Nicki Minaj, Grey Anatomy’s Jesse Williams, and John Turturro as the villain who stole Christmas presents from children across the globe. Three minutes of non-Trump, holiday cuteness – watch below.

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Russell Tovey & Wentworth Miller Deliver Same-Sex “Super-Kiss” In Primetime

Wentworth Miller (L) and Russell Tovey (R)

Being the comic book geek that I am, I caught up on The CW’s “Crisis On Earth X” last night in one four-hour binge.

I loved it! So well done across all four CW shows – The Flash, Supergirl, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.

Plus, there were two (TWO!) same-sex relationships incorporated into the storylines.

First, we saw Supergirl’s sister, Alex (Chyler Leigh) connecting with White Canary (Caity Lotz).

And, we were treated to two gay super-heroes kiss in primetime! And the heroes were played by two openly gay actors (Wentworth Miller, Russell Tovey).

Check out the liplock between Tovey and Miller below. And if you like the super-hero genre, use that On Demand thingy and watch “Crisis On Earth X.”

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Colin Kaepernick Honored With 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award

(Colin Kaepernick – photo credit: Brook Ward)

He may not be able to get a job in his chosen field, but Colin Kaepernick can get recognition for the spotlight he’s shown on inequality and social injustice.

Sports Illustrated announced today that Kaepernick is the recipient of the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award. He is the youngest to receive the award since SI began the honor.

From the announcement:

In the last 16 months, Kaepernick’s truth has been twisted, distorted and used for political gain. It has cost him at least a year of his NFL career and the income that should have come with it. But still, it is his truth. He has not wavered from it. He does not regret speaking it. He has caused millions of people to examine it. And, quietly, he has donated nearly a million dollars to support it.

For all those reasons—for his steadfastness in the fight for social justice, for his adherence to his beliefs no matter the cost—Colin Kaepernick is the recipient of the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.

Each year SI and the Ali family honor a figure who embodies the ideals of sportsmanship, leadership and philanthropy and has used sports as a platform for changing the world.

“I am proud to be able to present this to Colin for his passionate defense of social justice and civil rights for all people,” says Lonnie Ali, Muhammad’s widow. “Like Muhammad, Colin is a man who stands on his convictions with confidence and courage, undaunted by the personal sacrifices he has had to make to have his message heard. And he has used his celebrity and philanthropy to the benefit of some of our most vulnerable community members.”

Previous Legacy winners—including Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brown, Jack Nicklaus and Magic Johnson—were deserving. But no winner has been more fitting than Kaepernick. Ali lost more than three years of his career for his refusal to serve in the military in opposition to the Vietnam War. Kaepernick has lost one year, so far, for his pursuit of social justice.

In tweeting the news, SI wrote, “It is a rare person who gives up what he loves in exchange for what he believes.”

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Donald Trump’s World AIDS Day Proclamation Has No Mention Of LGBTs Or People Of Color

Donald “Not so better for the gays” Trump

I don’t know how you write a World AIDS Day proclamation without mentioning the millions of gay men, transgender folks and people of color who have died from the plague, but somehow Donald Trump’s White House has managed to do just that.

The proclamation even goes out of it’s way to mention young girls and women, but none of the main demographics that the disease has ravaged here in the U.S.

Appalling.

But one can only guess mentioning the gays would look like he has sympathy for us, and his supporters can’t stand the idea of that.

Perhaps the White House position is “Can’t do a Pride Month proclamation, but AIDS affects folks other than the gays, so we gotta do ‘something.'”

Additionally, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was scheduled to speak at a World AIDS Day event later today. He’s now cancelled.

See? I’m not making this stuff up.

Here’s the full proclamation:

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

The first documented cases of the human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) 36 years ago became the leading edge of an epidemic that swept across the UnitedStates and around the globe, devastating millions of individuals, families, and communities. As a Nation, we felt fear and uncertainty as we struggled to understand this new disease. In the decades since through public and private American leadership, innovation, investment, and compassion we have ushered in a new, hopeful era of prevention and treatment. Today, on World AIDS Day, we honor those who have lost their lives to AIDS, we celebrate the remarkable progress we have made in combatting this disease, and we reaffirm our ongoing commitment to end AIDS as a public health threat.

Since the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, more than 76million people around the world have become infected with HIV and 35million have died from AIDS. As of 2014, 1.1million people in the UnitedStates are living with HIV. On this day, we pray for all those living with HIV, and those who have lost loved ones to AIDS.

As we remember those who have died and those who are suffering, we commend the immense effort people have made to control and end the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In the UnitedStates, sustained public and private investments in HIV prevention and treatment have yielded major successes. The number of annual HIV infections fell 18 percent between 2008 and 2014, saving an estimated $14.9billion in lifetime medical costs. We have also experienced successes around the globe. Through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and its data-driven investments in partnership with more than 50countries, we are supporting more than 13.3million people with lifesaving antiretroviral treatment. We remain deeply committed to supporting adolescent girls and young women through this program, who are up to 14times more likely to contract HIV than young men in some sub-Saharan African countries. Our efforts also include the DREAMS (Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDSfree, Mentored, and Safe) public-private partnership, which has resulted in a 2540percent decline in new HIV infections among young women in districts in 10 highly affected African countries during the last 2 years.

While we have made considerable progress in recent decades, tens of thousands of Americans are infected with HIV every year. My Administration will continue to invest in testing initiatives to help people who are unaware they are living with HIV learn their status. Internationally, we will rapidly implement the recent “PEPFAR Strategy for Accelerating HIV/AIDS Epidemic Control “(2017-2020), which uses data to guide investments and efforts in more than 50 countries to reach epidemic control.

Due to America’s leadership and private sector philanthropy and innovation, we have saved and improved millions of lives and shifted the HIV/AIDS epidemic from crisis toward control. We are proud to continue our work with many partners, including governments, private-sector companies, philanthropic organizations, multilateral institutions, civil society and faith-based organizations, people living with HIV, and many others.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the UnitedStates of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December1, 2017, as World AIDS Day. I urge the Governors of the States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, officials of the other territories subject to the jurisdiction of the UnitedStates, and the American people to join me in appropriate activities to remember those who have lost their lives to AIDS and to provide support and compassion to those living with HIV.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirtieth day of November, in the year of our Lord twothousandseventeen, and of the Independence of the UnitedStates ofAmerica the twohundred and forty-second.

DONALD J. TRUMP

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The Federalist: Even If Roy Moore Has Sex With My 14-Year-Old Daughter I’d Vote For Him

Roy Moore

Tully Borland, of the ultra-conservative The Federalist, has gone all and said in public what many conservatives really feel about Alabama GOP nominee Roy Moore: Even if Moore did have sex with a 14 year-old, it’s better to vote for him rather than a Democrat.

Here’s the main thrust of the piece:

Here is one thing we know and should admit from the start: in his early thirties, Moore had a penchant for dating teenagers. Apparently, this was not an uncommon occurrence during this time. In fact, this practice has a long history and is not without some merit if one wants to raise a large family.

To have a large family, the wife must start having kids when she is young. The husband needs to be well-established and able to support the family, in which case he will typically need to marry when older.

Times have changed. But, like it or not, four decades ago Moore dated teenagers (even his wife is 14 years younger than he).

But let’s suppose the accusations are mostly true. Then from a conservative moral perspective, Moore is guilty of lying, trying to have pre-marital sexual relations with girls half his age, and pressuring them to do so without first determining that they reciprocate. There is no sugar-coating what he did. Moore was a dirt bag and is currently lying about his actions rather than confessing the truth and asking for forgiveness.

If elected, Moore would join the ranks of other undignified politicians who have been liars and fornicators. I have a 14-year-old daughter. If I caught him doing what was alleged, for starters I would kick him where it counts. Hard. That being said, I don’t think it’s wrong to vote for Moore.

Borland goes on to say that voting for Democrat Doug Jones would be far worse than Moore because Jones supports abortion rights which kills more people.

See? Like that.

Even conservatives on Twitter weren’t buying this load of crap.

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ELLEN: “Call Me By Your Name” Stars Share Backstory Of Their First Kiss

Call Me by Your Name stars Armie Hammer and Timothée Chalamet sat down with Ellen DeGeneres today sharing behind-the-scenes stories of making the award-winning film including their first rehearsal which apparently consisted of rolling around in the grass making out.

Chalamet also noted the new-found dangers of “razor burn” making out with the handsome Hammer.

“That’s a real thing that people deal with,” shared Chalamet.

Ellen concurred, “Oh yes. Yes. I don’t anymore, but I did….”

Hilarity ensues.

The two actors clearly have great chemistry together. Can’t wait to see the film.

Watch the interview below.

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MSNBC: Did Donald Trump Really “Bring Back Christmas?”

I keep hearing about this “War on Christmas” thing.

But where is it?

Donald Trump has said many times he will “bring Christmas back.” But where did it go?

Did we stop celebrating Christmas? I must have missed that one.

Trump tells folks all the time that we’re going to be able to say “Merry Christmas” again – but who stopped?

I know part of the rant from Trump is aimed at his favorite target, President Obama, who the Trumpster claims banned the words “Merry Christmas” from the nation.

But did he?

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes sheds light on whether or not Barack Obama ever said the holiday Christmas greeting.

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Trump Plans To Remove Secretary Of State Rex Tillerson By End Of Year

Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to kick Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to the curb by the end of the year or early January.

From The New York Times:

The White House has developed a plan to force out Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson, whose relationship with President Trump has been strained, and replace him with Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, perhaps within the next several weeks, senior administration officials said on Thursday.

Mr. Pompeo would be replaced at the C.I.A. by Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas who has been a key ally of the president on national security matters, according to the White House plan.

Mr. Cotton has signaled that he would accept the job if offered, said the officials, who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations before decisions are announced.

Tillerson has been known to call Trump a moron, so clearly, Trump is looking for someone less inclined to tell the truth.

Should Tillerson leave the State Department by the end of the year, it would be the shortest tenure of any secretary of state in 120 years not ended by a change of presidents.