Here’s a breakdown of Donald Trump’s proposed cabinet:
• 18 men, 2 women (Obama had 5, George W. had 4)
• 18 white, 1 African-American, 1 Asian- American (Obama had 8 non-white, George W. had 6)
• 0 Democrats (the past 3 administrations all had members from the opposing party)
This will be the first cabinet since Reagan to not have a single Hispanic cabinet member.
The first cabinet since George H.W. Bush to not have a member of the opposing party.
I expect all of these to be confirmed, except a possible upset over Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State. Sen. Marco Rubio asked tough questions at Tillerson’s confirmation hearing, and could possibly vote against him. If that happens, it could open the door for John McCain and one or two others to follow suit.
Celebrities who oppose Donald Trump are not sitting out this Inauguration. The night before Trump is to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States, A-listers came out in droves for the “We Stand United” rally in New York City.
Stars including Alec Baldwin, Julianne Moore, Cher, Mark Ruffalo, Shailene Woodley, Marissa Tomei, Robert De Niro, Sally Field, Rosie Perez, Michael Moore, Cynthia Nixon, and NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio all spoke and sang at the rally, which was held outside of Trump Tower.
Me top of the pic center as a college cheerleader at Syracuse University in 1982 right after cheerleading accident on national TV
My college cheerleading buddy, Ken Fischer, pointed out that an early national news story in my life happened 35 years ago today. The story was run today as a #ThrowbackThursday item on Syracuse.com:
Syracuse versus Georgetown basketball games in the 1980s were always must-see events.
The game between the Orange and the Hoyas on Jan. 17, 1982 was another highly anticipated matchup between the teams. Georgetown was ranked seventh in the nation and had won 13 games in a row.
The game was shown nationally on NBC with Syracuse alum Bob Costas on the call.
When it was over, though, few were talking about Syracuse’s 75-70 upset win, or the second largest crowd ever to see a college game.
Instead, a cheerleader’s fall and her agonizing scream was what was remembered.
The Syracuse cheerleaders had gone out onto the court after the game’s first timeout and formed a human pyramid, three bodies high. When 5-foot-1-inch Michelle Munn, from Sayre, Pennsylvania, flipped from the top, no one was there to break her fall.
She landed on her head, and the large crowd hushed.
Post-Standard reporter Mark Wallinger wrote that all “that could be heard was the hum of the electrical fan keeping the Teflon dome inflated and Michelle’s wails and screams.”
The cheerleaders had practiced the stunt – called a Swedish Roll – for about three weeks, but it was the first time they had attempted it in public.
Later, cheerleaders speculated that Munn may have miscalculated her jump because of the noise of the loud crowd, starting her count too early before her spotter was in position.
Paramedics at the game rushed the engineering major and cheerleading co-captain, to Crouse-Irving Memorial Hospital, where she was diagnosed with a fractured skull.
Her parents rushed to join her, as did her fiance, who was watching the game on TV from her apartment.
She was listed in satisfactory condition.
Forty minutes after the accident, the Dome crowd was informed that Munn was in “very stable condition,” which brought a loud cheer.
Munn returned to campus a couple of weeks later.
She said she did not know what went wrong with the stunt, and said she could not recall much about the accident.
“I vaguely remember crashing into something, but nothing’s very clear,” she told the newspaper.
Despite headaches and backaches she was able to return to class but had no idea when she could rejoin the cheerleading squad.
She would hesitate “only a moment” before attempting the pyramid stunt again, and disagreed with some calling for it to be banned.
She said,”Every sport is going to have some risk to it.”
My cheerleading partner, Lisa, in mid-air during the accident
I remember exactly what happened: we had been doing the pyramid called a “Swedish Roll” for some time. Two sets of shoulder stand with a girl held like a beam parallel to the floor. The two girls were my partner, Lisa, and Michelle. They would hit the position, with one leg lifted, then Michelle would call “roll” and the girls would drop into the arms of guys waiting below.
A new element we had just incorporated was two guys flipping under the towers via mini trampolines before the “roll.” Nothing dangerous, basically a dive roll and then the girls would dismount as usual. But it was the first timeout with a huge crowd playing Georgetown, big rival, adrenaline rushing as we hit the court.
We did the pyramid like we had done, but before the guys could flip, Michelle (who was one of the squad captains) looked at Lisa and yelled “one, two, roll!’ As Lisa tried to stop her from going, Michelle went, and hit Reed (who was in mid-air flipping) on her way down. Because she went early and the mini tramp was still there, no one was in place to catch her.
The whole thing led to a big national debate about cheering safety.
It’s amazing to me that all the details from that moment are so clear in memory today, 35 years later.
• Instahunk Lex Abramov (above) is giving you “silver-haired ice-bear.”
• The niece of former GOP presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, will take over the reins as Chairman of the Republican Party from outgoing Reince Priebus. Ronna Romney McDaniel takes over as Priebus is moving on to be Donald Trump’s Chief of Staff in the White House.
• Energy Secretary Rick Perry was quite contrite at his confirmation hearing today, saying he regrets his now infamous “oops” moment during the 2012 presidential campaign when he vowed to eliminate the department he’s now nominated to run.
• The latest CBS poll shows President Obama leaving office with a 62% approval rating.
• The former Apprentice contestant who accused Donald Trump of groping her is now suing him for defamation.
• North Korea may test-fire one of their intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) as early as Friday, the day Donald Trump is inaugurated, in an attempt to provoke Trump.
• The Virginia state House killed a potential “bathroom bill” similar to North Carolina’s HB2, which has had a devastating effect on the Tarheel State’s economy.
• Check out Troye Sivan’s latest single, “Heaven” featuring Betty Who, from his Blue Neighbourhood album. You can watch the gorgeous black and white music video below featuring intimate shots of Sivan along with vintage clips of important moments in the LGBTQ rights movement.
It’s a long-standing tradition for the sitting president of the United States to leave a parting letter in the Oval Office for the American elected to take his or her place. It’s a letter meant to share what we know, what we’ve learned, and what small wisdom may help our successor bear the great responsibility that comes with the highest office in our land, and the leadership of the free world.
But before I leave my note for our 45th president, I wanted to say one final thank you for the honor of serving as your 44th. Because all that I’ve learned in my time in office, I’ve learned from you. You made me a better President, and you made me a better man.
Throughout these eight years, you have been the source of goodness, resilience, and hope from which I’ve pulled strength. I’ve seen neighbors and communities take care of each other during the worst economic crisis of our lifetimes. I have mourned with grieving families searching for answers — and found grace in a Charleston church.
I’ve taken heart from the hope of young graduates and our newest military officers. I’ve seen our scientists help a paralyzed man regain his sense of touch, and wounded warriors once given up for dead walk again. I’ve seen Americans whose lives have been saved because they finally have access to medical care, and families whose lives have been changed because their marriages are recognized as equal to our own. I’ve seen the youngest of children remind us through their actions and through their generosity of our obligations to care for refugees, or work for peace, and, above all, to look out for each other.
I’ve seen you, the American people, in all your decency, determination, good humor, and kindness. And in your daily acts of citizenship, I’ve seen our future unfolding.
All of us, regardless of party, should throw ourselves into that work — the joyous work of citizenship. Not just when there’s an election, not just when our own narrow interest is at stake, but over the full span of a lifetime.
I’ll be right there with you every step of the way.
And when the arc of progress seems slow, remember: America is not the project of any one person. The single most powerful word in our democracy is the word ‘We.’ ‘We the People.’ ‘We shall overcome.’
Raw Story points up this moment today from incoming White House spokesman Sean Spicer’s first official press conference.
Asked a question about President-elect Donald Trump’s scheduled visit to his Washington, D.C. hotel, the Trump International Hotel, to promote the dining room there while claiming to disassociate himself from his business dealings, Spicer called the idea “very smart.”
“I don’t think the idea that he’s going to his own hotel should be a shocker. It’s a beautiful place; It’s somewhere that he’s very proud of.
“It’s an absolutely stunning hotel. I encourage you to go there if you haven’t been by.”
While Thailand has held a pride event each year in the island of Phuket, the pride parade coming back to the capital is a show of unity for the local LGBTQ community, one of the organisers said.
“It was the lack of organisation and a lack of a definite plan back then that really affected Pride to go ahead,” Paul Heymans, founder of OUT BKK, one of the LGBTQ organisations involved in Bangkok Pride, told Mashable.
The pride parades of a decade ago were organised by the business sector, and capitalised on the gay movement, and were less focused on promoting visibility or acceptance for the LGBTQ community, claims Rapeepun Jommaroeng, the deputy secretary-general of Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand (RSAT), another one of the organisers.
“It was more about promoting their businesses in the views of activists,” Jommaroeng wrote in an email. “I never perceived solidarity within this sector.”
Organisers are also hopeful that increased visibility will help the community move toward gender and marriage equality.
“(Pride) could be another opportunity to sensitise Thai society about gender diversity issues,” said Jommaroeng.
Heymans added: “Getting married legally is a basic human right and one many Thai LGBT organisations set as a main priority.”
In that Thailand’s largest northern city, Chiang Mai, has seen anti-LGBT protests in the past, perhaps this renewed sense of celebration will help foster a more open sensibility of inclusion for LGBTs across the country.
The event will take place at some point in November. Originally slated for May, the delay is in honor of a one-year mourning period following the October death of the revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
• President Obama, speaking at his final news conference with the White House press corps, spoke about the progress of LGBT rights and protections under his administration. While he acknowledged his team was proud of the movement forward, he gave props to all the out and proud Americans who, through their sheer visibility, helped to bring about a huge change in the way society views LGBTs.
“I think we made useful contributions… but the primary heroes are the activists.”
• President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Education Secretary, billionaire Betsy DeVos, was directly questioned about her past support for anti-LGBT organizations, and especially so-called “ex-gay” therapy.
• And it’s finally official – the hit TV show that many say helped give much exposure and visibility to the LGBT community, Will & Grace, is coming back to NBC for a 10 episode season next year.
