Dropping the trailer for their new Matt & Dan web series, Matt Wilkas (Gayby, New York Is Dead) ( and Daniel Vincent Gordh (The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Eastsiders) describe the project as “some funny sometimes gay stuff.” You may also know Wilkas as Gus Kenworthy’s boyfriend who received the kiss seen round the world at the Winter Olympics this year 😉 Season One starts next Wednesday but you can check out the trailer below.
After a 22-year tenure with the National Center for Lesbian Rights, lesbian activist Kate Kendell has announced she will step down as head of the San Francisco-based LGBTQ advocacy group.
Kendell said in a statement her decades on the job at the now leading LGBT organization “has widened my vistas and laid open my heart.”
“I am honored to have held this position and privileged to have experienced the countless moments of joy and awe that have forever changed our lives as LGBTQ individuals,” Kendell said. “I’ve been at the center of enormous NCLR victories, four at the U.S. Supreme Court, including the freedom to marry, a fight that seemed impossible to many when I became executive director 22 years ago. I feel enormous gratitude to have been a part of the NCLR legacy and part of the history of the fight — still on-going — for justice for all LGBTQ people.”
Kendell’s efforts over more than two decades can be seen across a wide swath of the LGBTQ landscape.
From the beginnings of same-sex marriage with then-Mayor Gavin Newsome of San Francisco to the California Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality; banning “ex-gay” therapy to fighting Donald Trump’s ban on transgender soldiers; and lots of LGBTQ legislation around the country.
Kendell’s colleagues in LGBTQ advocacy have nothing but praise for her decades of work:
.@KateKendell is one of the most tireless and fearless advocates I have ever met. She has led @NCLRights to new heights and made a difference in the lives of millions. She will be dearly missed, but I can’t wait to see what she does next. https://t.co/MD9dwtesX9
Under @KateKendell’s leadership, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (@NCLRights) has reached new heights, working to secure national marriage equality and defend the rights of #LGBTQ people before the U.S. Supreme Court. https://t.co/1I27LWSSUf
What a legacy @KateKendell leaves behind at @NCLRights. A voice of conscience and calm in the #LGBTQ movement, and a strategic mastermind responsible for so much progress. She is one of the most gifted, wise, & kind leaders I’ve had the honor to work with. https://t.co/3plYo9peed
President Trump boasted at a private fundraiser in Missouri Wednesday of making up trade claims during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before knowing whether they were true.
Quel surprise!
Discussing trade relations with the U.S. ally, Trump lied about running a trade deficit. The Donald told his audience last night, “I didn’t even know.”
President Trump boasted in a fundraising speech Wednesday that he made up information in a meeting with the leader of a top U.S. ally, saying he insisted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the United States runs a trade deficit with its neighbor to the north without knowing whether that was the case.
“Trudeau came to see me. He’s a good guy, Justin. He said, ‘No, no, we have no trade deficit with you, we have none. Donald, please,’ ” Trump said, mimicking Trudeau, according to audio of the private event in Missouri obtained by The Washington Post. “Nice guy, good-looking guy, comes in — ‘Donald, we have no trade deficit.’ He’s very proud because everybody else, you know, we’re getting killed.
“… So, he’s proud. I said, ‘Wrong, Justin, you do.’ I didn’t even know. … I had no idea. I just said, ‘You’re wrong.’ You know why? Because we’re so stupid. … And I thought they were smart. I said, ‘You’re wrong, Justin.’ He said, ‘Nope, we have no trade deficit.’ I said, ‘Well, in that case, I feel differently,’ I said, ‘but I don’t believe it.’ I sent one of our guys out, his guy, my guy, they went out, I said, ‘Check, because I can’t believe it.’
As the audio recording became news this morning, Trump took to Twitter to repeat that the U.S. has a trade deficit with Canada.
We do have a Trade Deficit with Canada, as we do with almost all countries (some of them massive). P.M. Justin Trudeau of Canada, a very good guy, doesn’t like saying that Canada has a Surplus vs. the U.S.(negotiating), but they do…they almost all do…and that’s how I know!
However, the Office of the United States Trade Representative reported in 2016 that the United States exported $12.5 billion more in goods and services than it imported from Canada, leading to a trade surplus, not a deficit.
Watch NBC News’ report below.
President Trump admits he made up facts during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and @NBCNews has obtained an audio recording of those remarks. pic.twitter.com/kmm62IYENz
Good morning! The president just admitted that he attended a negotiation with the leader of our closest ally, was completely ignorant of the matter being negotiated, then just made some shit up to cover his ignorance. He then boasted about it all. https://t.co/Wx43jHsozW
President Donald Trump will name Larry Kudlow, CNBC TV host, as the next head of the White House National Economic Council, two sources familiar with the decision according to CNN.
Trump apparently offered Kudlow the job Tuesday night during a phone call and he accepted.
Kudlow will be Trump’s second top economic adviser after Gary Cohn, a former Goldman Sachs executive who held the position for a year, resigned earlier this month over disagreements regarding the President’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.
Folks were quick to point out some choice facts about Kudlow:
Seven months into the recession, Kudlow was still arguing that there was no recession or housing crisis, arguing that America was “in a mental recession, not an actual recession.” https://t.co/ltMVuQektJ
OK, so it’s Kudlow for top economic adviser. At least he’s reliable — that is, he’s reliably wrong about everything. We all make mistakes, but if Kudlow says it, you know it won’t happen https://t.co/SREfSH7B7z
Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering firing former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe just days before his retirement.
McCabe is set to officially retire on March 18 but, according to a source, could be fired just days before and lose his pension after a 22-year career.
McCabe stepped down in January, many say he was told to do so. His official retirement couldn’t begin until this Sunday as he needs to be 50 years-old to leave the FBI with his pension intact.
CNN has learned the FBI’s Office of Professional Responsibility has recommended McCabe be fired and now the decision is up to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
The issue stems from findings in an internal Justice Department watchdog report that claims he misled investigators about his decision to authorize FBI officials to speak to the media about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation.
A representative for McCabe declined to comment.
That report, which has been complete for over a week, according to the source, has not been released publicly. The office is currently examining how investigations were handled at the department and the FBI in advance of the 2016 presidential election, including, notably, the Hillary Clinton email server probe.
JUST IN: Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering firing former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. He is set to officially retire on March 18 but, according to a source, could be fired just days before and lose his pension after a 22-year career https://t.co/cp770Ktg2Npic.twitter.com/uTQlQTvhlL
McCabe is scheduled to retire on Sunday. This smacks of a petty, cruel effort to deny him his pension after 21 years of service to his country. https://t.co/4omLShxFIf
Sessions is reportedly considering firing Andrew McCabe just days before he retires. If fired, he will have to give up a pension worth $1.8 million that he earned for serving in the FBI for 2+ decades
I don’t care what party you are. This is just immoral and SAD!
After all that the GOP & Trump have done that is wrong, this is a form of bullying, almost terrorism. Firing Andrew McCabe after 21 yrs of svc < ONE WK before retirement is just wrong. #WednesdayWisdom#TheResistancehttps://t.co/OLgBOWa5Gd
Actor Nick Robinson chatted with Ellen DeGeneres about his new coming-out/coming-of-age film Love, Simon and what it was like to have his brother come out while shooting the movie.
The movie opens this Friday nationwide.
The notices for Love, Simon have been very good. Here’s just a sample of the reviews:
“Simon is a fully realized three-dimensional character, hilariously unsteady when he tries to flirt with a landscaper and a wreck when a friend gets wind of the email exchanges. How refreshing to see a teen boy on a big screen that’s not a sleepy-eyed, monosyllabic jerk just looking to get laid.” — Us Weekly‘s Mara Reinstein
“That this story is coming from a major studio, with the gay kid depicted as an all-American everyboy and main character, rather than a comic sidekick, represents undeniably heartening progress.” — AV Club‘s Jesse Hassenger
“There’s still something undeniably powerful about ‘Love, Simon’s’ ordinariness. After all, there have been dozens of mediocre studio films about straight teen romances over the decades; it says something about the direction of the film industry to finally see one centered on a young gay man.” — The Atlantic‘s David Sims
Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy shared his rave review via Twitter:
Y’all NEED to see Love, Simon! It’s funny, cute, earnest and it will go down in history for breaking the mold on what a coming-of-age romance movie can be! I’m so happy that LGBTQ kids will grow up with this movie available to them. Times they are a-changing. ❤️💛💚💙💜 pic.twitter.com/kpiPc71wBz
Stormy Daniels has launched a crowdfunding campaign to cover the legal costs of breaking her non-disclosure agreement with Donald Trump regarding her alleged sexual relationship she had with him over a decade ago.
As we all know by now, Daniels accepted $130,000 from Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, as hush money 12 days before the election.
“I am attempting to speak honestly and openly to the American people about my relationship with now President Donald Trump and the intimidation and tactics used against me,” Daniels says on the fundraising page.
“But unfortunately, I do not have the vast resources to fight Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen alone,” she writes. “Thank you for supporting me.”
Daniels says on the website that she will use donations for attorney’s fees, out-of-pocket legal costs, any damages assessed against her and security costs. Avenatti cited “credible” threats against Daniels in recent days, though he would not detail those threats or her security measures. Refunds of any leftover money will be prorated under the CrowdJustice.com policy.
Avenatti told CNN last week that “at least” 10 people have offered to give Daniels $1 million so she can speak freely about her relationship with Trump.
“We could have easily gone out and secretly raised millions from a number of ‘fat cat’ donors who don’t like the president,” Avenatti told The Post on Wednesday. “But that isn’t in the spirit of what this is about.”
My name is Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels).
I am attempting to speak honestly and openly to the American people about my relationship with now President Donald Trump, as well as the intimidation and tactics that he, together with his attorney Michael Cohen, have used to silence me.
In order to tell my story, I have had to file a public lawsuit in Los Angeles, California in an effort to void a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that Mr. Trump never signed and yet is trying to use to intimidate me.
Rather than agree that the NDA is invalid, thus allowing me to talk, Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen have instead attempted to hide the facts from the public using a bogus arbitration proceeding and have threatened me with millions of dollars in damages ($1M each time I speak out) if I tell the truth about what happened.
I recently made an offer to return the $130,000 I was previously paid if it was agreed that I could simply tell the truth publicly. Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen did not even bother to respond.
I need funds to pay for: attorneys’ fees; out-of-pocket costs associated with the lawsuit, arbitration, and my right to speak openly; security expenses; and damages that may be awarded against me if I speak out and ultimately lose to Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen.
I am more fortunate than many, many people in this country. And for that I am grateful. But unfortunately, I do not have the vast resources to fight Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen alone. Thank you for supporting me.
High school students across the entire country are sending a clear and powerful message to the nation’s lawmakers and the National Rifle Association that we need more than “thoughts and prayers” to solve our gun violence problem in the U.S.
These kids are woke.
From The New York Times:
Thousands of students, emboldened by a growing protest movement over gun violence, stood up in their classrooms on Wednesday and walked out of their schools in a nationwide demonstration, one month after a gunman killed 17 people at a high school in Florida.
The 17-minute protests unfolding at hundreds of schools are intended to pressure Congress to approve gun control legislation after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., and come 10 days before major protests in Washington and elsewhere.
Remember why we are walking out. We are walking out for my friends that passed, all children that have been taken because of gun violence. We are walking out for the empty desks in my classes, and the unsaid goodbyes. This epidemic of School shootings must stop. #Enoughwalkout
In support of the national student walkout over gun violence, Viacom cable networks, including MTV, Nickelodeon, BET and Comedy Central will all be suspending programming for #17minutes to honor the victims of the shooting at MSD High School in Parkland, Fla.#NationalWalkoutDaypic.twitter.com/0rdbwOoowN
Student speaks in front of the U.S. Capitol on #NationalWalkoutDay: “Their right to own an assault rifle does not outweigh our right to live. The adults have failed us. This is in our hands now, and if any elected official gets in our way, we will vote them out.” pic.twitter.com/VEdAcLnuOI