“I have seen this man’s life. I have watched this man. I have prayed about this man. I have prayed about it by myself, out loud, in quiet, with my family, with my staff, and I happen to believe that Ted Cruz actually was anointed for this time. Would there not be someone that was in the pool that might …

“I have no idea whether or not the cover story about Ted Cruz in this week’s issue of the National Enquirer is true or not, but I had absolutely nothing to do with it, did not know about it, and have not, as yet, read it. Likewise, I have nothing to do with the National Enquirer and unlike Lyin’ Ted …

Blue Ridge Now reports: State Sen. Tom Apodaca (R-Henderson) has asked his staff to look and see how the General Assembly can charge Charlotte to cover the costs of Wednesday’s special session, including the possibility of withholding the city’s sales tax revenues. Lawmakers met Wednesday and passed a law invalidating a measure the Charlotte City Council passed last month to …

“I want to be crystal clear: these attacks are garbage. For Donald J. Trump to enlist his friends at the National Enquirer and his political henchmen to do his bidding shows you that there is no low Donald won’t go. These smears are completely false, they’re offensive to Heidi and me, they’re offensive to our daughters, and they’re offensive to …

Mediaite reports: A CNN debate between a Donald Trump supporter and former Ted Cruz communications director Amanda Carpenter went off the rails Friday when the Trump supporter suddenly accused Carpenter of having an illicit affair with her former boss. CNN’s Kate Boldoun was hosting a segment on the feud between Trump and Ted Cruz. “Are you ready for Trump to …

In one of the more unusual 2016 election clips, two senior citizen mermaids with thick Brooklyn accents lounge by the sea, gossip, and kvetch about their ailments while bemoaning a Republican plan to privatize Medicare. As one of them leafs through Mermaid Jones magazine, they agree that only Hillary can save Medicare. Watch below.

Teabagistan is aflame today over the National Enquirer’s claim that Ted Cruz made sexytime with five women not married to him in Jesus’ name. They write: Presidential candidate Ted Cruz is trying to survive an explosive “dirt file” on the finger-wagging conservative senator! And the new issue of The National ENQUIRER — on newsstands now — reveals how the reports …

Michelangelo Signorile today blasted the HRC for its endorsement of GOP Sen. Mark Kirk. He writes: The simple truth is that in 2016 in Illinois we don’t need Mark Kirk — he needs us. Kirk is in a deep blue state and he absolutely must support full LGBT equality in order to win. His coming out for the Equality Act …

Sports Illustrated reports: Recent anti-LGBT legislation in North Carolina could impact the NBA’s ability to host the 2017 All-Star game in Charlotte, the league announced Thursday. “The NBA is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for all who attend our games and events,” the statement reads. “We are deeply concerned that this discriminatory law runs counter to our guiding principles …

Yesterday major corporations took to social media or released statements to denounce North Carolina’s new anti-LGBT law. See some of their messages below. Perhaps most prominent among them is IBM, the state’s largest private employer. Fortune reports: Big Blue, North Carolina’s largest employer, posted a statement on Thursday that expressed disappointment with the new law, which LBGT rights supporters widely …

From the editorial board of the New York Times: By promoting the ludicrous idea that transgender women are inherently dangerous, the law endangers citizens who are already disproportionately vulnerable to violence and stigmatization. Transgender men go largely unmentioned in bathroom bill debates, but that could change. James Parker Sheffield, a transgender man with a beard, exposed the foolishness of the …

Last night Buzzfeed News reporter Dominic Holden appeared on PBS NewsHour to deliver a succinct recap of North Carolina’s nasty new anti-LGBT law. Watch below. Holden: What the city council did in Charlotte was very common in the United States. There are about 200 cities with ordinances like these that ban discrimination against LGBT people. What the lawmakers did in …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: Five people were arrested after protesters blocked North Blount Street in front of the governor’s mansion in downtown Raleigh Thursday evening in response to Gov. Pat McCrory signing the state discrimination bill into law Wednesday night. Jade Brooks, 30, of Durham, Salma Mirza, 28, of Durham, Ngoc Tran, 20, of Durham, Jessica Jude, 27, of Durham, …

Via press release: Leaders in North Carolina achieved more in a day than many state leaders have been able to accomplish in years. In a single-day special session, legislators passed and the governor signed into law protections for the privacy of children and women using school and public bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms in the Tar Heel state. Governor Pat …

JMG reader Mike points us to the above message from Democratic Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, who slams North Carolina and plugs tourism to his state in one tweet. Bullock is running for reelection against nutjob software mogul and anti-LGBT activist Greg Gianforte, who is a major donor to Focus On The Family and the Heritage Foundation. In addition to funding …

Variety has the story: Comedian, actor, writer and producer Garry Shandling, known for “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” has died, TMZ reported on Thursday. He died at an L.A. hospital on Thursday, according to the outlet. A cause of death has not been released. He was not known to be suffering from any illnesses, and just …

From the petition: In July of 2016, the GOP will host its convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. Though Ohio is an open carry state, which allows for the open carry of guns, the hosting venue—the Quicken Loans Arena—strictly forbids the carry of firearms on their premises.According to the policy on their website, “firearms and other weapons …

As a break from today’s political hell, how about some big belting gay diva disco? Below is a JMG exclusive remix of the hot new track from Glee star Alex Newell, who is currently touring to support Adam Lambert. Newell’s EP Power is now available at iTunes and Amazon.

Whoa. We’re another step closer to a literal cage match. Via Mediate: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have been going at it in the last few months, as the two top Republicans vying for the presidential nomination are expected to do. Trump accused Cruz of being ineligible for the presidency due to being born in Canada and Cruz laughed it …

“Following the gruesome terrorist attacks in Brussels earlier this week, President Obama chose to continue gallivanting across the communist country of Cuba with the Castros. Now, he is dancing the tango in Argentina. Not only do I believe that President Obama should immediately return to America, I am inviting him today to come to Florida and address the concerns of …