Category: Uncategorized

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Jake Tapper On CNN’s Strained Relationship With Trump: “I Don’t Think Anybody Cares”

In an interview with “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert Wednesday, CNN’s Jake Tapper was asked about his network’s strained relationship with the White House.

Colbert: “What’s it like in the halls over there knowing that the president actively doesn’t like your network? How do people feel over there?”

Tapper: “I don’t think anybody cares. I’m not comparing the two, because they’re quite different, but I don’t think President Obama was a particular fan of mine. The job is to not be liked. My job is to tell the truth, deliver the facts and hold people accountable.”

And the crowd goes wild…

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Senate Confirms Jeff Sessions As Attorney General By Vote Of 52-47

By a narrow vote of 52-47, Jeff Sessions was confirmed today by the U.S. Senate as the next Attorney General.

The vote was along party lines except for Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia who voted with Republicans for confirmation.

Manchin, a blue-dog Democrat from a solid red state, is up for re-election in 2018.

Sessions, still a Senator at the time, voted “present.”

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Hillary Clinton On Elizabeth Warren: “She Persisted. So Must We All.”

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton chimed in today on last night’s Senate skirmish regarding Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

As I earlier reported, Warren was called out and silenced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell through the use of arcane Senate rule XIX.

Warren had attempted to read a letter from Coretta Scott King to the Senate regarding the confirmation of Jeff Sessions for a judgeship back in 1986. McConnell decided the language in the letter constituted “impugning” the character of Sessions, who was being considered for Attorney General.

Later, Warren stepped into a hallway outside the Senate and read the letter in full for her Facebook page.

Today, Clinton took to Twitter to remark, “She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted. So must we all.”

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SCOTUS Nominee Gorsuch Found Trump’s “So-Called Judge” Comment Demoralizing And Disheartening

Judge Neil Gorsuch speaks after being nominated to the Supreme Court

According to CNN, Judge Neil Gorsuch, Donald Trump’s nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court, shared with a US senator that he found Trump’s recent tweet about the a federal judge in Washington state “demoralizing” and “disheartening.”

In a meeting with Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Gorsuch, who’s largely been silent since Trump nominated him last week, took exception to Trump calling a federal judge in Seattle a “so-called judge” after blocking the President’s travel ban.

“He said very specifically that they were demoralizing and disheartening and he characterized them very specifically that way,” Blumenthal said of Gorsuch. “I said they were more than disheartening and I said to him that he has an obligation to make his views clear to the American people, so they understand how abhorrent or unacceptable President Trump’s attacks on the judiciary are.”

Ron Bonjean, who is leading communications for Gorsuch during the confirmation process, confirmed Gorsuch called Trump’s tweet about the “so-called judge” “disheartening” and “demoralizing” in his conversation with Blumenthal.

It’s worth noting that the more statements like this from Gorsuch are made public, the more independent he will appear during his confirmation. There’s no incentive to withhold comments critical of Trump.

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Preview: Jake Gyllenhaal In SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE

Jake Gyllenhaal makes his musical Broadway debut in the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece Sunday in the Park with George, set to begin previews at the historic Hudson Theatre on February 11.

The official opening of the limited run production (ten weeks only) is February 23rd.

Gyllenhaal shared this video via Facebook featuring a run-though of “Finishing The Hat.”

Watch below:

This is what happens when Riva Marker (the badass president of NineStories) and I invite #CaryJojiFukunaga to rehearsals for our new Broadway musical. Check out this video we made! #SundayintheParkWithGeorge

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TwitterLand Rejoices Over Trump’s “Easy D” Tweet

An impatient President Trump tweeted on Wednesday: “Big increase in traffic into our country from certain areas, while our people are far more vulnerable, as we wait for what should be EASY D!”

The tweet related to the wait for a decision from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals regarding Trump’s immigration policy.  

But the “EASY D” found readers a bit perplexed. While he probably meant “easy decision,” some folks thought Trump might be going for the chill vibe. Others headed in a whole different direction.

And TwitterLand rejoiced:

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States With The Most (and Least) Self-Identified LGBTs

After interviewing almost 500,000 randomly selected adults in the U.S., a new Gallup survey finds the state with the highest percentage of self-identified LGBTs was Vermont with 5.3% of its citizens identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

5.3% – Vermont
4.9% – Massachusetts, California and Oregon
4.8% – Nevada

The District of Columbia (obviously not a state) had the highest population of LGBTs with 8.6%.

Which states have the smallest populations of LGBTs?

2% – South Dakota
2.7% – North Dakota
2.8% – Idaho
3% – South Carolina, Montana

Interesting to note: other than Nevada, the areas with the highest number of LGBTs tend to be coastal states. Those states with the lowest numbers tend to be in midwestern and southern states.

These figures indicate a rise in the nationwide LGBT population from 3.5% in 2012 to 4.1% in 2016.

Gallup believes that social acceptance is the leading factor to more Americans being willing to be open about their sexuality. The vast majority of increases in these numbers come from millennials.

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Ohio: Toledo Bans So-Called “Conversion Therapy”

By a unanimous vote, the Toledo City Council has approved a ban on so-called “conversion” or “ex-gay” therapy within the city limits, AND added gender identity to it’s list of protected classes.

According to the Toledo Blade, the proposed legislation, which states “no mental health provider shall engage in sexual orientation or gender identity change efforts with any person,” would make it a misdemeanor of the fourth degree to provide the therapy. Each day in violation would be a separate offense — each with a maximum fine of $250.

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Trump Slaps Nordstrom Department Store For Dropping Daughter’s Fashion Line

President Crybaby is upset this morning that First Daughter Ivanka Trump’s line of merchandise was dropped by Nordstrom Department store last week for poor sales.

Nordstrom said last week that the brand’s declining sales led to its decision. “Each year we cut about 10% [of brands carried] and refresh our assortment with about the same amount,” a Nordstrom representative told Business Insider. “In this case, based on the brand’s performance we’ve decided not to buy it for this season.”

So what’s a dad to do when he feels his daughter’s been slighted? Take to Twitter, of course.

According to White House schedule, this tweet was sent 20 minutes into his daily intelligence briefing. Is it possible his head’s not in the game?

For someone who’s claim to fame is being a successful businessman, I’m surprised that Trump believes being “a great person” should equal success in business.

I wonder how many “great” people Trump has refused to pay for their services over the years?

UPDATE – “Sparky” Spicer did ‘attack dog’ duty on the issue when asked about it today.

Via TalkingPointsMemo:

Spicer told reporters during his daily press briefing that the decision — which Nordstrom said was a result of poor sales, not politics — was because of the clothing company’s displeasure with President Donald Trump’s executive orders and his policies.

“I think this is less about his family’s business and an attack on his daughter,” Spicer said. “He ran for president. He won. He’s leading this country. I think for people to take out their concern about his actions or his executive orders on members of his family, he has every right to stand up for his family and applaud their business activities, their success.”

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Silenced From Speaking On Senate Floor During Sessions Confirmation

Senate Republicans found a way to silence Sen. Elizabeth Warren tonight, utilizing arcane Senate rule XIX, during debate on Sen. Jeff Sessions’ nomination for attorney general.

The rule reads, in part, “no Senator in debate shall, directly or indirectly, by any form of words impute another Senator or other Senators any conduct or motive unworthy or unbecoming a Senator.”

More from the Star-Telegram:

Warren, D-Mass., was found to be in violation of the rule after reading from a 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King, the widow of Martin Luther King Jr. King submitted the letter to the Senate in opposition to Sessions nomination for a federal judgeship in 1986. He was not confirmed for the position.

Warren also quoted critical comments from former Sen. Ted Kennedy.

She was warned by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, who was the the presiding officer Tuesday night, after reading comments from Kennedy that called Sessions “a disgrace.”

About 20 minutes later, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, stopped Warren saying she had “impugned the motives and conduct of” Sessions.

Here is the part of the letter from King that McConnell objected to: “Mr. Sessions has used the awesome powers of his office in a shabby attempt to intimidate and frighten elderly black voters. For this reprehensible conduct, he should not be rewarded with a federal judgeship.”

Warren replied: “I am surprised that the words of Coretta Scott King are not suitable for debate in the United States Senate.”

Warren is now barred from speaking in the Senate for the remainder of the confirmation debate on Sen. Sessions for Attorney General.

Here’s the 1986 letter from Coretta Scott King that Warren was reading from:

Here’s the moment Warren was told to sit down and shut up: