Last year the DNC created the LGBT Advisory Board to elevate “grassroots LGBT Democratic voices.” Today they announced that former Houston Mayor Annise Parker and longtime New York City HIV/AIDS activist Rev. José M. Román have accepted positions as the board’s co-chairs. Annise Parker:  “The LGBT community has made huge strides the past 7 years under Democratic leadership, but with …

Donald Trump bragged that he’d get more viewers for his anti-Fox News rally than the actual GOP debate. Not by a long shot. Via Politico: Fox News’ Trump-less debate Thursday night drew 12.5 million viewers, the second-highest telecast in the network’s history but the second lowest-rated GOP debate of the cycle thus far. To be sure, the ratings on the …

The Associated Press reports: The Obama administration confirmed for the first time Friday that Hillary Clinton’s unsecured home server contained closely guarded government secrets, censoring 22 emails with material requiring one of the highest levels of classification. The revelation comes just three days before the Iowa presidential nominating caucuses in which Clinton is a candidate. Department officials also said the …

Christian Nightmares points us to this bit of “adorable brainwashing” in which kids sing about submitting to the church administration. In multiple languages! With helpful on-screen lyrics! There are dozens of similar clips recently posted to the YouTube channel of Inc Kids, which is the work of this group: The Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) is a Christian religion …

As I reported earlier this week, former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott was flown to New York City yesterday by Alliance Defending Freedom. We now have the transcript of the speech he made to them at Manhattan’s Palace Hotel. An excerpt: For families, in Western countries at least, there’s the challenge of paying the rent or the mortgage; balancing family …

And the civil war ratchets up yet another notch. Via The Hill: Donald Trump slammed Ted Cruz as a Canadian “anchor baby” during a Friday rally in New Hampshire as he continues to ratchet up the attacks against his closest polling rival days before the Iowa caucuses. “Ted Cruz may not be a U.S. citizen,” Trump said at a town …

Late in last night’s droning GOP debate, Chris Christie pivoted to ISIS when asked about Kim Davis and religious liberty. That got a lot of folks’ attention. Via Daily Kos: Finally, Republicans are getting it! During last night’s debate, Chris Christie inadvertently explained how the Kim Davises of the world resemble radical Islamic jihadists: “what they want to do is …

Michigan Live reports: The proposal to add civil rights for LGBT people to Michigan’s constitution will no longer aim for the 2016 ballots, its organizer announced during a taping of public television show Off The Record Friday morning. “We are suspending our 2016 campaign, but I can assure you this is not the end of Fair Michigan,” said organizer Dana …

What a lovely track. NPR raves: The perfect music video makes me fall in love with a song by breathing life into its story. Here is a perfect music video. The band is Parlour Tricks, a band in love with radio pop, something I don’t always embrace, but that’s where the video worked it’s magic. I madly love the story …

Breitbart celebrates: The Drudge Report summarized Thursday night’s GOP debate, which frontrunner Donald Trump skipped, with the headline: “The Seven Dwarfed!” That assessment matches the consensus, left and right, from media observers: that Trump benefited from staging a fundraiser for wounded veterans, where he appeared relaxed, magnanimous, and in command, rather than placing himself in the crosshairs of the Fox …

St. Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, and New Orleans have been ranked among the world’s 50 most violent large cities based on homicides per 100,000 residents. Brazil has a staggering 21 cities on the list. From the Daily Mail: Latin America features highly in the ranking, released by Mexico’s Citizens’ Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice, as it is home to …

FLASH FORWARD: Anderson Cooper moderates the 2020 presidential debate: “Mr. West, in 2016 you declared your opposition to assplay. Your opponents have accused you of flip-flopping. Have you changed your position and if so, why?” West’s tweets from last night have something to do with a flame war he’s been having with his ex, Amber Rose. The full nonsense is …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: Parliamentary support for same-sex marriage reform appears to have reached critical mass and for the first time could pass in both houses, placing renewed pressure on Malcolm Turnbull to grant a free vote, rather than spend millions of dollars organising a non-binding public plebiscite. Mr. Turnbull has promised conservative colleagues he will honour the plebiscite …

Frosted Flakes mascot Tony The Tiger would appreciate it if furries would just stop tweeting him porn. The Guardian reports: If you think your Thursday was bad, just bear this in mind: someone woke up, went to their job where they pretend to be Kellogg’s Frosties’ mascot Tony the Tiger on the internet, and had to ask people to stop …

We couldn’t get out of January without losing another rock legend. Billboard reports: Jefferson Airplane guitarist, vocalist and founding member Paul Kantner has died. He was 74. Kantner passed away on Thursday (Jan. 28) of multiple organ failure, following a heart attack earlier in the week. From 1965-1972, Jefferson Airplane was a pioneer in the Bay Area counterculture psychedelic rock …

E Online recaps: How’d you like some shots with your pizza? SNL alum Rachel Dratch plays a busy mother of two in a PSA by the pro-gun control group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. The ad, titled “What Could Go wrong?” and released Thursday, mocks typical bright and cheery commercials featuring families. Dratch’s character, her partner and …

The seventh GOP main stage presidential debate begins in Ames, Iowa at 9PM Eastern. Donald Trump won’t be there – but Megyn Kelly will – so it should prove entertaining to watch Ted Cruz make his attacks. The event is being live-streamed at FoxNews.com and no cable provider login is required. Embedded below is WaPo’s live video. Watch along and …

The seventh GOP presidential debates happen tonight in Ames, Iowa where the four kids table candidates will take the stage at 7PM Eastern. Hey, Jim Gilmore! Who’s that? The event will be live-streamed at FoxNews.com and no cable system login is required. A live-stream from YouTube is also embedded below. Watch along with us and join the snark-fest.

Chris Johnson reports at the Washington Blade: Days after the Human Rights Campaign endorsed Hillary Clinton in her bid for the White House, same-sex couples that sued for the right to marry in Kentucky announced they’re behind Bernard Sanders. One of the couples is Timothy Love and Larry Ysunza, who were plaintiffs in the Love v. Beshear lawsuit seeking the …

As you surely know, Donald Trump regularly forwards messages from white supremacists and neo-Nazis to his six million Twitter followers. Today he did so again with the above image created by a man who yesterday also depicted the First Lady having sex with a gorilla. Today’s poorly-photoshopped image falsely claims that Fox News is co-owned by a Saudi prince, but …