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Trump (Again) Claims He Helped At 9/11 Attack Site

At a signing ceremony to permanently authorize the 9/11 victims compensation fund, Donald Trump once again claimed he somehow ‘helped’ at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

“I was down there also. I don’t consider myself a first responder, but I was down there. I spent a lot of time down there with you.”

The Washington Post has already debunked this myth: “While Trump did visit the site a couple of days after the attack and did some interviews, there is no evidence that he got down to help clear rubble, which people would certainly have remembered.”

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Amazon Rainforest Deforestation Accelerates Under Brazil’s New President

(image via rosinakaiser/pixabay)

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro is making good on campaign promises to allow increased deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest, according to the New York Times.

While campaigning for president last year, Mr. Bolsonaro declared that Brazil’s vast protected lands were an obstacle to economic growth and promised to open them up to commercial exploitation.

Seven months into his term, that is already happening.

Brazil’s part of the Amazon has lost more than 1,330 square miles of forest cover since Mr. Bolsonaro took office in January, a 39 percent increase over the same period last year, according to the government agency that tracks deforestation.

In June alone, when the cooler, drier season began and cutting trees became easier, the deforestation rate rose drastically, with roughly 80 percent more forest cover lost than in June of last year.

The deforestation of the Amazon is spiking as Mr. Bolsonaro’s government pulls back on enforcement measures like fines, warnings and the seizure or destruction of illegal equipment in protected areas.

The Amazon Rainforest makes up so much of South America that, if it were its own country by mass, it would rank 7th in the world.

The Amazon Rainforest has been called the lungs of the planet helping to create a huge portion of the oxygen needed to sustain the world population. So, imagine losing that much oxygen-producing plantlife.

Plus, when deforestation happens in the Rainforest, it’s not just cutting down tree. The process often uses techniques like torching vast areas of vegetation, which also destroys valuable nutrients and shortens the lifespan of the land.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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Baltimore Mayor: Trump Is Disappointment To Our City & The World

Baltimore Mayor Bernard "Jack" Young (D) responded to Donald Trump's ugly tweets about his city and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Saturday, calling the president a "disappointment to the people of Baltimore."
Donald Trump

Baltimore Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young (D) responded to Donald Trump’s ugly tweets about his city and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Saturday, calling the president a “disappointment to the people of Baltimore” and the world.

“It’s completely unacceptable for the political leader of our country to denigrate a vibrant American City like Baltimore, and to viciously attack U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings a patriot and a hero,” Young said in a statement shared via Twitter.

“Mr. Trump’s rhetoric is hurtful and dangerous to the people he’s sworn to represent,” he continued. “As the Mayor of Baltimore, I won’t stand for anyone, not even the alleged Leader of the Free World, attacking our great City or our representative to Congress.”

“Mr. Trump, you are a disappointment to the people of Baltimore, our country, and to the world,” he concluded.

And, by the way, if Trump’s concern is for the people of Baltimore, why doesn’t HE do something?

As we all know, there’s always a tweet:

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Baltimore Sun To Trump: Better To Have A Few Rats Than To Be One

Donald Trump

After Donald Trump criticized the city of Baltimore in an attack on Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland), the editorial board of the Baltimore Sun penned a blistering essay taking the Donald to task for his anti-American attack.

In case anyone missed it, the president of the United States had some choice words to describe Maryland’s 7th congressional district on Saturday morning. Here are the key phrases: “no human being would want to live there,” it is a “very dangerous & filthy place,” “Worst in the USA” and, our personal favorite: It is a “rat and rodent-infested mess.”

[snip]

It’s not hard to see what’s going on here. The congressman has been a thorn in this president’s side, and Mr. Trump sees attacking African American members of Congress as good politics, as it both warms the cockles of the white supremacists who love him and causes so many of the thoughtful people who don’t to scream. President Trump bad-mouthed Baltimore in order to make a point that the border camps are “clean, efficient & well run,” which, of course, they are not — unless you are fine with all the overcrowding, squalor, cages and deprivation to be found in what the Department of Homeland Security’s own inspector general recently called “a ticking time bomb.”

[snip]

Finally, while we would not sink to name-calling in the Trumpian manner — or ruefully point out that he failed to spell the congressman’s name correctly (it’s Cummings, not Cumming) — we would tell the most dishonest man to ever occupy the Oval Office, the mocker of war heroes, the gleeful grabber of women’s private parts, the serial bankrupter of businesses, the useful idiot of Vladimir Putin and the guy who insisted there are “good people” among murderous neo-Nazis that he’s still not fooling most Americans into believing he’s even slightly competent in his current post. Or that he possesses a scintilla of integrity.

Better to have some vermin living in your neighborhood than to be one.

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Quote Of The Day: Pete Buttigieg

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Taking questions from voters in Ankeny, Iowa, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked how unemployment would play out during the presidential election:

“Yeah, the president’s going to say unemployment is low, & it is. Of course, under the Obama admin, we went from like 12 to 5, and then he sees it go from 5 to 4, and he’s like the rooster, thinks he made sun come up.”

The mayor was also asked “Wine, or beer, or fireball?,” which got some applause from the crowd.

Pausing for second, Buttituge said, “Well in six months we might be into fireball territory, but right now, just beer, just beer for now.”

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Bishop Says If A Mother Has Anal Sex During Pregnancy The Child Becomes Gay

A bishop tells followers the child of a pregnant woman becomes gay if she has anal sex during pregnancy and enjoys it

Britain’s Metro reports that Bishop Neophytos Masouras of the Church of Cyprus recently told followers that gay people happen when a pregnant mother has enjoyable anal sex.

In a video translated by Metro.co.uk translators, he said: “It happens during the parent’s intercourse or pregnancy. It follows an abnormal sexual act between the parents. To be more clear, anal sex. Saint Porfyrios says that when the woman likes that, a desire is born, and then the desire is passed on to the child.”

I guess that means, back in the 1960s, my parents were really ‘freaks in the sheets.’

LOL…

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“Where Did You Get The Courage To Come Out” Ask Queer Eye Guys – “You” Say Queer Teens

As part of the new season, the Fab 5 head to the Kansas City high school where cast member Jonathan Van Ness spent his teens to 'make better' his favorite teacher. As a bonus for that episode, the guys sit down for a chat with the school's Gay/Straight Alliance for a candid conversation on subjects ranging from coming out, burgeoning self-awareness, bullying, and allies.
(images via Netflix)

In case you missed it, Netflix dropped Season 4 of the Emmy Award-winning series, Queer Eye.

As part of the new season, the Fab 5 head to the Kansas City high school where cast member Jonathan Van Ness spent his teens to ‘make better’ his favorite teacher.

As a bonus for that episode, the guys sit down for a chat with the school’s Gay/Straight Alliance for a candid conversation on subjects ranging from coming out, burgeoning self-awareness, bullying, and allies.

Van Ness openly shares that during his days at Quincy High School, “”I couldn’t walk in these halls – I got called the F word every ten steps I took.”

“At that time Gay-Straight Alliance was something I didn’t think would be literally allowed,” he added. “As someone who got so bullied and so tormented, you guys are light years ahead of where I thought the movement would be.”

I had a similar experience in high school growing up in Texas. As a gay man today, I’m not impressed by the support these kids get via a GSA, but how they have such confidence to deal with who they are at such a young age.

Karamo Brown asks the kids, “Where did you get the courage to come out?”

With no pause a student chimes in, “You,” pointing at the Fab 5.

“I was having a lot of anxiety and doubt, but then I discovered you guys, but you don’t seem to have much stress at all,” she continued.

Check out the 5-minute clip with Van Ness, Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski – and some really amazing kids – below.

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Trump Likes To Reserve A Certain Word For Black/Brown People

After Donald Trump went on another Twitter rant, this time directed at Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland), CNN host Victor Blackwell noticed a pattern in the Donald’s choice of language when referring to certain people.

I really don’t need to say anything else. Just watch.

UPDATE: Rep. Cummings responded to Trump’s ugliness. You’ll note that Cummings, instead of going ‘low,’ talks about doing his job for his constituents and asks the Donald to be a part of the solution.

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Supercut Video Contrasts Fox News Hypocrisy In Treatment Of Michelle Obama Vs Melania Trump

The folks at NowThis share this video compilation contrasting how differently the folks at Fox News treat First Lady Melania Trump versus her predecessor, Michelle Obama.

The folks at NowThis share this video compilation contrasting how differently the folks at Fox News treat First Lady Melania Trump versus her predecessor, Michelle Obama.

Even on similar subjects, the treatment is shockingly different.

When Michelle opted to encourage kids to eat better, it was called the “nanny state.”

But when Melania launched her ‘BeBest’ campaign asking kids to stop bullying, she’s a saint.

There’s much, much more.

Hit the play button – you’ll see.

(h/t JoeMyGod)

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SCOTUS Rules Trump Can Use Defense Funds For Border Wall

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the Trump administration can use Pentagon funds to build Donald Trump's beloved border wall.
Donald Trump

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the Trump administration can use Pentagon funds to build Donald Trump’s beloved border wall.

From the AP:

The Supreme Court said Friday that it would lift a freeze on the money put in place by a lower court. The Supreme Court’s action means the Trump administration can tap the funds and begin work on four contracts it has awarded. Four liberal justices wouldn’t have allowed construction to start.

A trial court initially froze the funds in May and an appeals court kept that freeze in place earlier this month. The freeze had prevented the government from tapping approximately $2.5 billion in Defense Department money to replace existing sections of barrier in Arizona, California and New Mexico with more robust fencing.