Via Gothamist: Less than a week before what he called the “enormously important” New York Democratic Primary next Tuesday, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders drew an estimated 27,000 supporters to a jubilant rally last night in Washington Square Park. That head count comes from Sanders’s camp, but seems plausible—in 2007 then-candidate Barack Obama claimed 20,000 registered attendees at a Washington Square …

Yesterday they endorsed Hillary. From their editorial: New York’s 2.7 million registered Republican voters can break the fever that torments their party by voting for principled, pragmatic conservatism in the April 19 presidential primary. By his record of accomplishment in public life, by the credibility of his plans, by a temperament that marries a small government outlook with can-do effectiveness, …

From the Raleigh News & Observer: Protesters increased the level of noise surrounding the state’s new LGBT law Wednesday evening by setting off dozens of air horns at the governor’s mansion. About 100 opponents of House Bill 2 gathered, many of them wearing black T-shirts that said “Can you hear us now, Pat?” They stood on two sides of Gov. Pat …

Bears and drag queens take center stage in the new Bob Mould video. Rolling Stone reviews: With Bob Mould embarking on a tour in support of his recently released LP Patch the Sky starting April 20th, the former Hüsker Dü rocker has unveiled the new video for his latest single “Hold On.” The video finds a downhearted Mould wandering around …

CBS News reports: Lawmakers in state after state are passing bills to protect those who cite religious beliefs for refusing to serve or employ gay or transgender people. CBS News wondered why so many of these laws — including some that limit access to public restrooms — are surfacing now … and who’s behind all of this? We went and …

Fortune reports: CEOs from hundreds of companies including Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s had planned to meet in North Carolina this October to talk about using business for social good. Now, they’re not coming. In response to a controversial new state law aimed at gay and transgender people, a group of firms designated as “Certified B” ethical corporations say they …

Your quarterly book report is due. What are you reading? Writers, please feel free to plug your own work.

Politico reports: Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly and Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump met at Trump Tower on Wednesday, Kelly confirmed on her show Wednesday night. Reports of the meeting first emerged after NBC News’ Ayman Mohyeldin spotted Kelly entering Trump Tower in the morning, with NBC’s Beth Fouhy being the first person to tweet the sighting. Kelly said the …

The Boston Globe reports: Governor Charlie Baker’s speech to LGBT executives and activists Wednesday night was met with a cascade of boos after he refused to voice support for a bill to prevent bias against transgender people in public spaces. Baker’s reluctance to take a stand on the bill prompted many in the crowd at the Marriott hotel to boo …

Aaand another comic book movie. The Verge recaps: The very first teaser trailer for Marvel’s Doctor Strange has arrived. Here we get a closer look at Benedict Cumberbatch in his role as Dr. Stephen Strange, the next Sorcerer Supreme. And already it’s a much darker and much, much weirder world than what we’ve already seen in the Marvel films. Doctor …

Vintage Vinyl reports: ABC have recorded a sequel to their classic The Lexicon of Love after 34 years. For the new album Fry brought back composer Anne Dudley, who arranged the strings on the original Lexicon. Dudley has co-written two new songs, The Love Inside The Love and Brighter Than The Sun. Also contributing to the 10 new songs are …

“Sadly, once again, the civil rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have been trampled on with the recent passage of HB2 in North Carolina. Me and my team at the True Colors Fund have been closely monitoring the situation in North Carolina and support the efforts of the Human Rights Campaign, Equality North Carolina, and others to repeal …

MSNBC today published the below video report on Harlem’s bankrupt hate church, which will back on court on April 21st when a new auction date might be set. Interviewed for the piece was Ali Forney Center founder Carl Siciliano, who tells us that he’ll be at the hearing with his attorneys. Ali Forney Center has raised $330,000 towards a down …

Last weekend Ted Cruz boldly lied about Pastor Kevin Swanson’s call to execute gays, saying that he’d denounced Swanson’s words as soon he heard them. In fact, for months Cruz refused so much as comment about Swanson despite many questions from the media. Then, earlier today, Right Wing Watch reported that Glenn Beck yesterday told his audience that he’s never …

The Hill reports: Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz on Wednesday released a new radio ad attacking New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ahead of the Empire State’s April 19 primary. The 60-second ad, titled “Nerve,” starts by referring to comments made by de Blasio attacking the Texas senator. “I think Ted Cruz is out of touch with New York …

“I applaud Governor John Edwards for continuing our party’s strong tradition of equality and protecting all Americans from discrimination. His executive order protecting state workers and contractors from anti-LGBT discrimination will help ensure that LGBT Louisianans have the equal protection under the law they deserve. “Governor Edwards’ leadership stands in stark contrast to the disingenuous arguments that we’ve heard from …

Citing the Beatles classic All You Need Is Love, Ringo Starr today cancelled his June 18th concert in Cary, North Carolina, joining with fellow artists in “fighting against the bigotry of HB2.” Ringo further declares that HB2 “opens the door to discrimination everywhere.” See his message below.

Via Mediaite: A federal judge in Nebraska has ruled that the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSMism) is not a real religion, delivering a setback to practicing Pastafarians around the country. In an order filed Tuesday, U.S. District Court Judge John M. Gerrard wrote that: “The Court finds that FSMism is not a ‘religion’ within the meaning of the …

Mother Jones today took a look back at the time when then-Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz defended a state law which outlawed selling dildos. They write: The brief insisted that Texas, in order to protect “public morals,” had “police-power interests” in “discouraging prurient interests in sexual gratification, combating the commercial sale of sex, and protecting minors.” There was a “government” …

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Gov. Nathan Deal said the uproar in North Carolina and Mississippi over new laws that critics say curb gay rights should give supporters of the “religious liberty” measure in Georgia second thoughts, and warned that he’s willing to pull out the veto pen again next year if similar legislation lands on his desk. In his first …