LGBTQ news and entertainment
Senate Majority Leader John ThuneAfter two months of playing a political blame game, the U.S. Senate voted early Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security except for its ICE and Customs and Borders Protection operations – which is what the Democrats had been suggesting all along. Continue reading “Senate Agrees To End Homeland Security Shutdown Minus ICE Funding”
Democrats in the U.S. Senate have reached a deal with Senate Republicans to pass five spending bills to fund much of the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year.
But the agreement includes just a two week stopgap measure to fund the Department of Homeland Security while both sides negotiate guardrails to rein in ICE agents. Continue reading “Senate Democrats Reach A Deal To Avoid Government Shutdown”
Some news items for you as we close out the weekend:
• New York Times: In a 60-to-40 vote on Sunday night, the Senate cleared the way for a spending deal to end the government shutdown. A group of Democrats broke their party’s blockade to vote with Republicans.
• Pink News: As the Supreme Court decides whether to hear a case that threatens marriage equality, research published earlier this week found that 65.8% of Americans support same-sex couples’ right to marry. Continue reading “Senate Votes 60-40 To Begin Reopening Govt + More News”
The parliamentarian for the U.S. Senate (a non-partisan position) has struck down a Republican effort to to block the use of Medicaid funds for gender-affirming care. Continue reading “Senate Parliamentarian Blocks GOP Plan To Ban Gender-Affirming Care Under Medicaid”
Just after the midnight deadline last night, the U.S. Senate voted 85 to 11 to pass the “plan C” stopgap spending bill approved in the House earlier Friday and keep the government open. Continue reading “Senate Passes Stop-Gap Spending Bill + Social Security Fix”
Senate Republicans have elected Sen. John Thune (R-SD), longtime #2 in the Senate GOP leadership, to serve as their Senate Majority Leader in the next Congress. Continue reading “Sen. John Thune Chosen As New Senate Majority Leader”
Some news items you might have missed: • Huffpost: Twenty years later, “Mean Girls” actor Jonathan Bennett is upping queer representation starring in a new TV movie trilogy, “The Groomsmen,” and hosting a Christmas reality series for the Hallmark Channel. Continue reading “Jonathan Bennett Gets Busy For Christmas + More News”
It turns out there will be no criminal charges filed against the Senate staffer who recorded a sex video inside a Senate hearing room last December as the U.S. Capitol Police determined there was no evidence of a law being broken. Continue reading “No Charges For Staffer Who Shot Senate Sex Video”
A Senate aide who has been accused of being one of two men captured in a brief video clip having sex in a Senate hearing room has been fired. The video came to light on Friday. Continue reading “Staffer Accused Of Filming Sex Video In Senate Hearing Room Fired”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced he will appoint Emily’s List president Laphonza Butler to fill the vacant Senate left by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died at the age of 90 on Friday. Continue reading “Laphonza Butler To Become California’s First Openly LGBTQ Senator”