Joe.My.God. LGBT News

The Associated Press reports: The Biden administration on Tuesday is notifying Congress of its intent to lift the U.S. designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, the White House announced, as part of a deal facilitated by the Catholic Church to free political prisoners on the island. Senior U.S. administration officials, who previewed the announcement on the condition …

Axios reports: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) has been making calls and telling people she is likely to make a bid for governor, D.C. and Tennessee sources tell Axios. Blackburn would be a formidable contender in the 2026 gubernatorial race. She would be running to be the first female governor in the state’s history. State and federal elected officials have been …

The Guardian reports: Pope Francis has said he inherited a “large white box” full of documents related to various scandals faced by the Catholic church when he took over from his predecessor. The pontiff makes the revelation in his much-anticipated autobiography, Spera (Hope), which is published on Tuesday. Francis became pope in 2013 after the shock resignation of Benedict XVI, …

“There’s a lot of senators here I wouldn’t have on my board because there’s no qualifications except your age and you’ve got to be living in the state and you’re a citizen of the United States to be a senator. How many senators have showed up drunk to vote at night? Have any of you guys asked them to step …

Reuters reports: Brazil’s government said on Tuesday it is “seriously concerned” about Meta Platforms’ recently announced changes to its hate speech policy, adding that it believes they do not comply with the country’s legislation. The Brazilian government ordered the social media company, which also owns Instagram and Threads, to explain its plans, which President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva had …

Florida Politics reports: President-elect Donald Trump is weighing in on the debate regarding a Special Session called by Gov. Ron DeSantis, slated to start on Jan. 27. “Thank you Ron, hopefully other Governors will follow,” Trump posted to Truth Social as he backed the call. DeSantis explained his reasoning for a Special Session on social media, saying “officials in Florida …

Mediaite reports: Sen Mazie Hirono said: “In June of 2020, then-President Trump directed former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to shoot protesters in the legs in downtown D.C. An order secretary Esper refused to comply with. Would you carry out such an order from President Trump? Hegseth began to respond: “Senator, I was in the Washington DC National Guard unit …

Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate reports: A former Racine pastor convicted of child enticement was sentenced Monday to 11 years in prison. Prosecutors argued Bernabe Leon-Alvarez used his position of power to inappropriately touch two teenage girls while he worked at a Racine church that is now closed. A jury found him guilty of attempted sexual exploitation by a therapist and child …

CNN reports: President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, defended his support for service members accused and convicted of war crimes on Tuesday, saying there was “prosecutorial misconduct” in their cases and that he was “proud” to ensure they were looked after. “In many of the cases you’re talking about in particular, sir, there was evidence withheld, there …

Axios reports: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) has been removed from the House Rules Committee after being the lone vote against Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) reelection. Massie’s departure from the influential panel could make it easier for Johnson to get legislation to the House floor. He has been replaced with Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), a low-key member of the right-wing House …