Tag: Elizabeth Warren

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News Round-Up: January 7, 2019

• The hunky Alex Landi, who plays out Dr. Nico Kim on Grey's Anatomy, tells Attitude Magazine that he just wants to do his best when portraying roles regardless of his sexuality or his character’s.
Alex Landi (promo photo: Grey’s Anatomy/ABC)

Some news items you might have missed:

• Buff Alex Landi, who plays out Dr. Nico Kim on Grey’s Anatomy, tells Attitude Magazine that he just wants to do his best when portraying roles regardless of his sexuality or his character’s.

• Michigan’s Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) has signed a new directive banning LGBT-based discrimination in state services or by state contractors. The new executive order does not include a loophole exemption for religious organizations that receive state funds.

• Virulently anti-gay Texas Pastor Donnie Romero resigned last week after it was revealed he has a deep history of gambling, hiring prostitutes and smoking marijuana. At the time, Romero actually cheered the Pulse Nightclub shooting wishing the gunman had ‘finished the job.’ Ye who protesteth the loudest, do it the mosteth.

• Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts has changed her position on healthcare for transgender people in prison saying she now supports access to all “medically necessary services, including transition-related surgeries.”

• Donald Trump may think Special Counsel Robert Mueller might wrap up his investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election soon, but Mueller just extended his grand jury in Washington, D.C., for another six months.

• Tony Award winner (Kinky Boots) and Golden Globe nominee (Pose) Billy Porter dropped a new music video for “Love the Pain Away,” a song he wrote in 1999.

Billy shares he recently came across the song again and realized it still applies to what’s happening today in the U.S.

Note how Billy extends the video to give all of his band and chance to shine. #Class

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Announces Exploratory Committee For 2020 White House Run

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced today she is establishing an exploratory committee in advance of a presidential run in 2020.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts (image via Twitter)

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced today she is establishing an exploratory committee in advance of a presidential run in 2020.

You’ll note the multiple shots of pride events and LGBTQ folks in the announcement video below.

I’ve never personally connected with Warren on a visceral level. That said, I do like much of what she says and I’m happy to listen.

Bottom line is: I will be voting for the Democratic candidate in 2020 because Trump will not get my vote.

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Elizabeth Warren Takes DNA Test Indicating She’s Part Native American, Trump Doesn’t Remember $1 Million Pledge

Donald Trump has been mocking Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts for years over her claim that she is part Native American.

We’ve seen him time after time at campaign rallies refer to her as “Pocahontas.”

He even promised at a July 5 rally in Montana to donate $1 million to her favorite charity if she would submit to a DNA test and prove she’s part American Indian.

Well…

Guess who took a DNA test?

From The New York Times:

There is “strong evidence” that Ms. Warren has Native American pedigree “6-10 generations ago,” according to a document she released from Carlos Bustamante, a renowned geneticist from Stanford University. The error rate is less than one-in-a-thousand, he said.

In releasing a DNA test, Ms. Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, was rebutting the taunts of Mr. Trump and other conservatives, who have mocked her as “Pocahontas” and claimed she used her heritage to gain an advantage when she was a law professor.

Trump conveniently doesn’t remember any such promise about a $1 million donation.

Let’s go to the video tape:

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Honoring Navajo Code Talkers At White House, Trump Cracks “Pocahontas” Joke

I. Just. Can’t. With. This. Guy.

Today at a White House event honoring the three surviving Navajo code talkers from WWII, Donald Trump joked about calling Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas.”

“We have a representative in Congress who has been here a long time – longer than you. They call her ‘Pocahontas!'”

The comment took place in front of a portrait of President Andrew Jackson who signed the Indian Removal Act.

According to reporters present, the comment was met with abject silence.

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren Proposes Allowing Same-Sex Marriage Couples To Re-File Taxes For DOMA-Related Tax Refunds

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has filed a bill that would allow same-sex married couples to go back and amend their federal income taxes jointly for the three years before the 2013 SCOTUS ruling which brought federal recognition of legal of marriage equality – if it would result in a tax refund.

From Chris Johnson at the Washington Blade:

Same-sex couples could file an amended return if they feel they would’ve receive a refund in one or more prior tax years for up to three years in the past: 2010, 2011, and 2012. Under some circumstances, such as signing an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to keep the statute of limitations open, these couple might have been able to seek a refund from an earlier time.

The Refund Equality Act would extend the window period for a refund further back in time. Same-sex couples could file a joint return to seek a refund dating to the time of their marriage, which in Massachusetts could be as early as 2004.

Same-sex couples who wed in jurisdictions with marriage equality more than three years before the DOMA decision — Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and D.C. — could be eligible for a refund under the Refund Equality Act.

I can share that hubby Michael and I filed jointly for the first time in 2013. In that we make different incomes (he’s a big deal entertainment publicist, I’m a journalist), we saved a LOT.

At the time, our accountant showed us four different scenarios of what our taxes would have been ranging from “single” to “married – filing jointly.” The difference was huge.

I think if a couple’s incomes are similar the impact isn’t as great.

Michael and I married in California in 2008, so I would definitely take advantage of this law if it comes to pass.

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Elizabeth Warren Sidesteps Questions On 2020 White House Run

Will she or won’t she?

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), currently promoting her new book, This Fight Is Our Fight: The Battle to Save America’s Middle Class, dodged questions whether she plans on a White House run in 2020.

“No,” Warren told the hosts of NBC’s “Today” show. “I am running in 2018 for senator from Massachusetts.”

But when host Matt Lauer mentioned that  “a lot of people are already printing up those bumper stickers for 2020 that say ‘she was warned, she was given an explanation, nevertheless she persisted,’” Warren gave a coy, silent smile.

Watch below.

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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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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:

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Sen. Elizabeth Warren To Trump: “Nasty Women Vote!”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren campaigning for Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire today:

“Donald Trump disrespects — aggressively disrespects — more than half the human beings in this country. He thinks that because he is a celebrity, he can rate women from 1 to 10. He thinks that because he has a mouthful of tic-tacs, he can force himself on any woman within groping distance.”

“Get this, Donald, nasty women are tough. Nasty women are smart, and nasty women VOTE. Non Nov. 8, we nasty women are gonna walk our nasty feet to cast our nasty votes to get you out of our lives forever.”

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Must-See: Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Awesome Take-Down Of Wells Fargo CEO

I’d seen folks post this video of Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s epic take down of Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf at yesterday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing, but I just got around to watching.

I know a 17 minute video seems long (in internet terms), but this is well-worth the watching.

THIS is what we want to see our elected officials say and do – hold folks accountable.

Without raising her voice, Warren calmly repeats that Well Fargo has perpetuated a “scam.” After he claims being “accountable,” she directly asks the CEO if he has offered to resign, given back a nickel of the millions and millions he made while Wells Fargo created some 2 million fake accounts to prop up it’s stock value (fraud), or if he’s asked any senior executive to resign.

This is really great political theater. And what we should be seeing in all our elected officials.