Monthly Archives: April 2019

CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread

Playbill reports: Daniel Fish’s reimagined revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! officially opens on Broadway today at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it has been in preview performance since March 19. The cast is led by Rebecca Naomi Jones (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Significant Other) as Laurey and Damon Daunno (Brief Encounter) as Curly. Helmed by Fish, …

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BREAKING: DHS Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen “Resigns”

CBS News reports: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is expected to offer her resignation at a meeting at the White House on Sunday, U.S. officials familiar with the matter say. Nielsen was set to meet with President Trump at 5 p.m., the officials said. Nielsen’s expected departure is a part of a massive DHS overhaul engineered and directed …

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Sen. Cory Booker Raises $5 Million In First Quarter

The Washington Post reports: Sen. Cory Booker has raised more than $5 million in the two months since he announced his 2020 plans, the presidential candidate’s campaign said Sunday. Booker’s haul, while competitive, puts him behind other Democratic White House aspirants, including former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Sen. Kamala D. Harris (Calif.) and South Bend, Ind., …

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GOP Plots $10 Million Push To Siphon Jewish Voters

Politico reports: Republicans are planning a multimillion-dollar offensive aimed at fracturing the Democratic Party’s decades-long stranglehold on the Jewish vote. Spearheading the push is the Republican Jewish Coalition, which receives substantial funding from casino mogul and GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson. On Friday morning, the group’s board members — many of them prominent Republican Party donors — gathered in a conference …

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GOP Rep. Devin Nunes To Send Eight Criminal Referrals To DOJ Over “Leaks” During Mueller Probe [VIDEO]

Fox News reports: House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes exclusively told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” that he is preparing to send eight criminal referrals to the Department of Justice this week concerning alleged misconduct from “Watergate wannabes” during the Trump-Russia investigation, including the leaks of “highly classified material” and conspiracies to lie to Congress and the Foreign Intelligence …

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Mayor Pete Blasts Evangelical Hypocrisy In Supporting Trump: He’s Not Consistent With Anything In Scripture

NBC News reports: Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, defended his lack of experience Sunday, arguing that voters should look at the “quality, as well as quantity” of time spent in public service. Appearing on “Meet the Press” a week before he formally announces his presidential bid, Buttigieg argued he would step into the White House with more …

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ISRAEL: PM Benjamin Netanyahu Refuses To Commit To LGBT Rights In First Meeting With Activists In 10 Years

The Times of Israel reports: Leaders of Israel’s LGBT community blasted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday after the Likud leader told them during a meeting that coalition pressures prevented him from promising to promote equal rights. In a rare meeting with activists at his residence in Jerusalem, the prime minister said opposition from religious and ultra-Orthodox parties blocked him from …

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BRITAIN: House Of Commons Speaker John “ORDER!” Bercow Takes On His Viral Fame Due To Brexit [VIDEO]

As those of you who closely follow the Brexit chaos probably know, in recent recent weeks House of Commons Speaker John Bercow has emerged as a global viral star of the debates, with his seemingly endless cries for “ORDER!” turned into countless memes, gifs, and even remixed dance tracks. This weekend Bercow addressed his sudden fame with the below explainer …

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Mick Mulvaney: Dems Will “Never” See Trump’s Taxes

The Hill reports: Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that Democrats will “never” see President Trump’s tax returns. “Nor should they. That’s an issue that was already litigated during the election. Voters knew the president could have given his tax returns. They knew that he didn’t and they elected him anyway,” Mulvaney said during an appearance …

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SNL Tees Off On “Touchy-Feely” Joe Biden [VIDEO]

USA Today reports: Former SNL cast member Jason Sudeikis returned to his old stomping grounds to reprise his impression of Joe Biden that the former vice president once called “so good it scared me.” “I’m a hugger, I’m a kisser and a little bit of a sniffer. But the last thing I want to do is offend anyone,” Sudeikis’s Biden …

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CNN Anchor Don Lemon Announces Engagement

From the Hollywood Reporter: Don Lemon is tying the knot. The CNN Tonight anchor revealed in an Instagram post shared Saturday that his boyfriend, Tim Malone, popped the question while celebrating the real estate agent’s birthday. “He gave me a present on his birthday. How could I say no?” the 53-year-old news anchor captioned the photo, which showed two photos …

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Trump Mocks Dem Rep After Death Threat [VIDEO]

Esquire reports: On Friday, a Trump supporter was arrested for threatening to murder Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar, one of the first Muslim women ever elected to Congress. And instead of condemning the threat against Omar’s life, Trump mocked the Congresswoman during a speech Saturday, inciting boos from his audience. The president began his Saturday remarks to the Republican Jewish Coalition …

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Rhino Poacher Trampled By Elephant, Eaten By Lions

Complex reports: A rhino poacher was trampled to death by an elephant and his remains were devoured by a pride of lions, Kruger National Park officials said Thursday. The man was hunting with a group in the preserve in South Africa on Tuesday when he was trampled by the elephant, the Letaba Herald reported. Four other hunters were arrested Wednesday. …

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CHATTER AWAY: Overnight Open Thread

Playbill reports: Before Fosse/Verdon premieres April 9, FX offers a longer inside look at the limited series. Featuring scenes, songs, and new interviews with stars Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams (who play Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon, respectively), plus showrunner Steven Levenson (Dear Evan Hansen) and director Thomas Kail (Hamilton), the new video takes viewers behind the scenes as the …

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LONDON: Protesters Storm Entrance Of Brunei-Owned Hotel Over New “Stone Gays To Death” Law [VIDEO]

The BBC reports: Brunei should be “chucked out” of the Commonwealth if it does not revoke its anti-LGBT laws, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has said. Dozens of protesters chanted “shame on you” outside the Brunei-owned Dorchester hotel in London on Saturday. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he had expressed “deep UK opposition” to the new laws to Brunei’s government. …

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Britain Deletes “European Union” From New Passports

The New York Times reports: Some British citizens planning to travel abroad already have a tangible sign of what life will look like once the country is no longer a member of the European Union: new passports missing “European Union” on the front cover. Last month, even as lawmakers wrestled over the principal terms of the withdrawal process known as …

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Fritz Hollings, Dem Senator For 38 Years, Dies At 97

The Charleston Post & Courier reports: Ernest Frederick “Fritz” Hollings, the charismatic and quick-witted former U.S. senator and South Carolina governor who became one of the state’s most important national political figures, died early Saturday after a period of declining health. He was 97. “Our father, Fritz Hollings, was dedicated to his family, the United States Senate and the people …

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Trump Claims “Every Right” To See Full Mueller Report

The Hill reports: President Trump said Saturday he has not yet read special counsel Robert Mueller’s final report which was delivered to the Justice Department late last month, but said he has “every right to do so” as House Democrats clamor for the document to be released publicly. Democratic lawmakers have tried five times to pass a House resolution, which …

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Dem Leaders Troubled By Lingering 2016 Primary Anger

The Associated Press reports: Some establishment-aligned Democrats worry the party could lose in 2020 if lingering concerns about the last primary aren’t put to bed. “It has the potential to escalate, and it has the potential to help re-elect Donald Trump,” said Mo Elleithee, a former spokesman for Clinton and the DNC. The acrimony stems from a fiercely fought campaign …

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British Government Monitors Pre-Brexit Hoarding

NBC News reports: In the spare bedroom of Sarah Cuffe’s house are piles of food and toiletries. Natural disasters don’t hit the English county of Hertfordshire very often but it looks like she’s ready for one. “Just in case the worst comes to the worst, we thought we’ve got a spare bedroom, so why not stockpile stuff like pasta, tinned …

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