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The BBC reports: Actor Omar Sharif, best known for his roles in classic films Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago, has died aged 83. Egypt-born Sharif won two Golden Globe awards and an Oscar nomination for his role as Sherif Ali in David Lean’s 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia. He won a further Golden Globe three years later for Doctor …

There was a huge roar from the crowd when a squad of South Carolina state troopers marched out. Chants of “USA! USA!” followed when one of the troopers began turning the crank to lower the flag. UPDATE: Breitbart columnist reacts.

Politico reports: Donald Trump is still not sure whether President Barack Obama was born in the United States. In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper that aired Thursday night, the Republican presidential candidate said he was not that interested in talking about the issue, compared to other ones. Honestly, I don’t want to get into it,” Trump said. Asked whether …

Via Courthouse News Service: A gay porn actor was found guilty Thursday of extorting and attempting to extort $1.5 million from a Florida-based business tycoon. The case ended Thursday afternoon after about two hours of deliberation, with the jury delivering a guilty verdict against defendant Teofil Brank, who performs as Jarec Wentworth, on all six of the government’s charges. Brank, …

Via the New York Daily News: Vice President Joe Biden led a raucous reception for marriage equality Thursday night at Cipriani Wall Street in lower Manhattan. The gala, celebrating the June 26 Supreme Court decision that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, was thrown by Freedom to Marry, an advocacy group that has fought for same-sex marriage since …

Clip recap: In glorious Technicolor, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic SOUTH PACIFIC comes to vivid life under the direction of Joshua Logan. Shot on location with a cast headed by Mitzi Gaynor, Rosanno Brazzi, John Kerr, Ray Walston and Juanita Hall re-creating her legendary Broadway role as Bloody Mary, it is as romantic, erotic and sumptuous a musical as Hollywood ever …

“From Hillary Clinton to John Kerry, the State Department has repeatedly violated the first rule of the diplomatic process: to respect the traditions and beliefs of other countries. In most cases, this forceful approach has made more enemies of nations than friends — especially in countries as profoundly religious as Kenya. Like other African and South American nations, they don’t …

Via the Lexington Herald-Leader: Gov. Steve Beshear told Casey County Clerk Casey Davis on Thursday that Davis should issue marriage licenses to every qualified person or resign. The governor also said he won’t call a special legislative session to address same-sex marriage issues. Some legislators and county clerks have called for a special session. Beshear met privately for an hour …

(Tipped by JMG reader Ray)

The flag comes down tomorrow morning.

Via Business Insider: Donald Trump’s position on immigration does not seem to be hurting the real-estate developer’s standing in the Republican presidential primary. Two new polls have him in first place among registered Republican voters. The latest poll arrived Thursday. In the Economist/YouGov poll, Trump holds 15% of the Republican vote nationally — ahead of former Gov. Jeb Bush of …

The video of Kentucky’s Rowan County Clerk Kimberly Davis turning away a gay couple continues to go wildly viral and has racked up over 1.2 million views at this writing. Meanwhile a tipster points us to a 2013 story about a man who reportedly had his dog stolen at a Rowan County gas station. The young woman alleged to have …

“There is existing precedent for a state’s highest court to reject an unlawful mandate from the U.S. Supreme Court. The hope of our Constitutional Republic rests upon state officials and American citizens who will refuse to allow five, black-robed judges to rob us of our free, representative form of government. A judicial opinion without constitutional basis is not law and …

NBC News reports: The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington is traveling to Cuba Saturday to spread their message through song. The 23 singers are among the first U.S. citizens who will be able to travel to Cuba since diplomatic relations with the U.S. improved. The group aims to raise awareness of LGBTQ rights through music. “It brings people together over …

It’s not raging already?

Via the Jerusalem Post: The Knesset voted down two bills regarding civil unions and marriage on Wednesday with a majority vote of 50 to 39 for each bill. The first bill, proposed by Yesh Atid MK Aliza Lavie sought to create civil unions, an alternative for those who could not have their weddings officiated by the rabbinate or other religious …

Politico reports: Next year’s Florida Senate primary between Reps. Alan Grayson and Patrick Murphy will test whether Sunshine State Democrats are ready to embrace a deep-blue liberal. The contrasts between the two are stark: Grayson is a progressive, hip-shooting firebrand beloved by hardcore liberals; Murphy is a cautious, scripted candidate favored by the Democratic establishment in Washington and Tallahassee. The …