Joe.My.God. LGBT News

The Associated Press reports: A federal judge on Saturday halted Arkansas’ unprecedented plan to execute several inmates before the end of the month because one of its execution drugs is about to expire. U.S. District Judge Kristine Baker granted a preliminary injunction requested by the inmates to block the executions. Arkansas was set to execute the first two of six …

Via press release from the Liberty Counsel: Many of the top candy makers have scrubbed the word “Easter” from their advertising and packaging. Hershey’s, M&M’s, Lindor, Russell Stover, Dove, Rolo, and Twix have all produced Easter themed candy without mentioning the word on the front of their candy. As Christians around the world celebrate Easter, there are believers who are …

The New York Times reports: China warned on Friday that tensions on the Korean Peninsula could spin out of control, as North Korea said it could test a nuclear weapon at any time and an American naval group neared the peninsula in a show of resolve. “The United States and South Korea and North Korea are engaging in tit for …

The Associated Press reports: Delta is giving airport employees permission to offer passengers up to almost $10,000 in compensation to give up their seats on overbooked flights. Delta’s move comes as United Airlines struggles to recover from images of a passenger’s forced removal from a sold-out flight. In an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press, Delta says gate agents …

Relentless hatred. The Houston Chronicle reports: Entering the fray over where transgender Texans can use public bathrooms, a far-reaching bill that a powerful House committee is scheduled to hear next week would rescind several local ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT people from discrimination. The one-page proposal, House Bill 2899, would prohibit cities and counties from passing non-discrimination ordinances and would …

“I am disgusted and appalled by reports from both the Russian media and non-governmental organizations that authorities in the Russian republic of Chechnya have rounded up, tortured, and even murdered individuals who are believed to be gay. When faced with such crimes of hate and inhumanity, it is the responsibility of every person of conscience to speak out—to oppose this …

The Wrap recaps: Disney and Lucasfilm unleashed the first trailer for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” the next chapter in the Skywalker saga, Friday morning during Star Wars Celebration in Orlando, Florida. “The Last Jedi,” as the eighth numbered-entry in the “Star Wars” saga, picks up where “The Force Awakens” left off after the franchise took a diversion in 2016 …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump will not release records of visitors to the White House, his administration announced Friday, breaking with President Barack Obama and raising concerns about transparency. The Obama administration had posted the visitor logs online. But White House communications director Michael Dubke said in a statement Trump had decided to withhold them because of “the grave national …

PAGING NIKKI HALEY. PAGING REX TILLERSON. The Associated Press reports: In the face of growing international concern about reported detentions and killings of homosexuals in Chechnya, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says the Kremlin does not have confirmed information about the matter. The respected Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported this month that police in the predominantly Muslim republic rounded up …

Bloomberg reports: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said a chemical-weapons attack in Syria that provoked U.S. missile strikes on the Middle Eastern country may have been orchestrated. “There’s growing evidence that this was staged,” Lavrov said at a Moscow news conference with his Iranian and Syrian counterparts on Friday. Publications including in the U.S. and the U.K. have highlighted “many …