Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was on the defense Tuesday during an appearance
before a House subcommittee. While Kennedy was there to answer
questions about his department’s fiscal 2026 budget request, Democratic
lawmakers seized on the opportunity to grill him over three-plus hours.
Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz of California used his time to question Kennedy about “The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Healthy Again.”
The congressman asked whether Kennedy, as chair of the Make America
Healthy Again Commission, had read and fact-checked the report’s sources
before publication
After Kennedy conceded that he had not fact-checked the report, Ruiz pointed out that the document had several citation errors, with references to papers that do not exist.
“How
does that happen under your leadership, sir?” Ruiz asked. Kennedy
responded by telling the congressman that “all of the foundational
assertions in that report are accurate.”
“They did not exist,” Ruiz interjected. “How can they be accurate if they did not exist, sir?”
Ruiz added:
“I was a premed [student] at UCLA. … If somebody turned this in, as an
undergrad, to their professor at UCLA, they would have received an ‘F,’
sir, an ‘F’ — for the misinterpretation, the falsehoods, the denials,
and also citing references that don’t even exist. That’s lying and
dishonest, sir.”
“I am not aware of that investigation,” Kennedy replied.
Ocasio-Cortez appeared to be in disbelief:
“You are not aware that the Trump Department of Justice is
investigating the largest insurance company in America for fraud in
Medicare Advantage?”
Also in the news, January 6th insurrectionists who think they can get away with anything. Marcia's "Lock him up" covers a traitor who thinks Chump pardoning him for January 6th means he's also cleared for his plot to build bombs targeting the FBI and to kill FBI agents. Treason. There should have been no pardons.
Anti-LGBTQIA+
Christians often rely on a handful of Bible verses to justify their
condemnation of queer people. One of the most commonly cited is Genesis
19:1–38, which tells the story of Sodom and Gomorrah’s destruction.
Traditionally, many interpret this as God punishing homosexuality. But a
closer look shows something different. The story actually centers on an
attempted gang rape of angelic visitors, not a consensual same-sex
relationship. Outreach scholars agree that the passage is about sexual
violence, power, and inhospitality, not LGBTQIA+ love.
Leviticus
18–20 also includes a verse that forbids a man from “lying with a man
as with a woman,” and many interpret it as a blanket condemnation of
homosexuality. However, scholars argue the passage likely focused on
concerns about procreation, preserving tribal identity, or preventing
incest. Some even suggest it aimed to protect against intrafamily sexual
abuse. Notably, Leviticus never mentions female same-sex relations at
all.
Another set of frequently referenced
verses comes from 1 Corinthians 6 and 1 Timothy 1, where Paul uses Greek
terms that are notoriously difficult to translate. Many scholars argue
these words refer to sexual exploitation, such as men paying for sex
with young male prostitutes, rather than condemning consensual same-sex
relationships. During that time, there was no such thing as same-sex
marriage. That’s why some theologists believe Paul wasn’t talking about
LGBTQIA+ relationships at all, but rather condemning excessive abuse and
coercion.
While some folks misquote the bible
regarding LGBTQIA+ people, it’s important to remember that people will
make interpretations and move accordingly. That said, there will always
be some contention where religion and sexuality are concerned.
So try remembering that when some bigot tries to cite THE BIBLE. Kaiya Shunyata (STACKER) has an interesting list of
LGBTQ musicians over time including blues pioneer Ma Rainey, blues
legend Bessie Smith, Lady Gaga, Queen Latifah, Lil Nas X, Lou Reed,
David Bowie, Tracy Chapman, Frank Ocean, Janelle Monáe, kd lang,
Janis Joplin and many others. I'm surprised that they didn't note
Melissa Etheridge or the late Laura Nyro or George Michael or Sam
Smith. There's one person they note but that person's name will never
appear at my site. That person lied and lied for years about being gay
and was willing to look stunted -- I just live with my mananager and his
wife because that's what people in their 30s and 40s do. This person
lies about everything. Ava and C.I. busted this person for lying to NPR
and busted NPR for airing the obvious lie. NPR did do correction after
Ava and C.I. called them out.
BUZZFEED has a list of LGBTQ+ shows to catch.
OVERCOMPENSATING isn't on the list and I'd note that. It's on AMAZON
PRIME. Ava and C.I. reviewed it in "MEDIA: Happy Pride." . One of my three brothers is
visiting and, yes, he's my gay brother. We watched OVERCOMPENSATING
together on Monday -- we binged -- it was really good. So good, in
fact, that we asked Ava and C.I. if there was another one we might
like? OVERCOMPENSATING is about a college freshman athlete coming to
terms with the fact that he's gay. It's funny and has a lot of twists and turns and -- warning -- ends on a cliffhanger.
So the other one Ava and C.I.
recommended was NETFLIX's GLAMOROUS. Kim Cattrall is a former super
model who now runs her own cosmetic company. Her son Chad is her right
hand. All he wants to do is work out -- in his office. He's gay and is
forever reminding people of that when they don't think he'll get
something. He's annoying but a stick a pin in him. Kim's second
personal assistant is the main character Marco played by Miss Benny.
Marco starts to work there and meets a non-work guy that he doesn't
realize is gay until, at the gym, the guy drops his own towel and tells
him before strutting off. There's also a guy at work that is quiet and
kind and nice that likes Marco. Marco ends up breaking up with gym guy
because he can't accept that Marco likes to dress in femme clothes and
wear makeup. My brother and I agreed from the first episode (I think
there are 10 episodes) that the gym guy was not right for Marco.
But we disagreed about who Marco should be with. My brother thought the work guy Ben who is nice and loves Marco.
I thought Chad.
Chad is a jerk.
Yes.
But
Chad does warm to Marco and does appreciate him (he hates him until he overhears Marco lying to Chad's mom to make Chad seem more competent than he actually is). . And when Chad has
scenes with Marco's mother they really talk and you see a different side
of Chad. And you know it's a real side because Marco's mother can see
through anything. So I felt like those scenes were gearing us up to the
fact that Chad and Marco could be a couple.
We'll never know because NETFLIX didn't give the show a second season. But it's worth watching.
Third
one would be MID CENTURY MODERN which stars Nathan Lane, Matt Bomer and
Nathan Lee Graham. That's on HULU and on DISNEY+ and it's a very, very
funny sitcom -- see Ava and C.I.'s "Media: The intended and the unintended jokes."
I need to write more bout Pride this month. I love all my brothers (and my four sisters too). And if you're not okay with my gay brother, you're not okay with me -- or with anyone in my family. If you're part of the LGBTQ+ community, I hope you're having a happy Pride and I hope you know that the bigots re not going to win. This country is better than that. And you are our friends and our family members and so many of us will stand with you.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025. The senators strike back and
liberate The Kennedy Center, Chump claims credit for a cease-fire but
apparently his self-brag didn't reach Israel, ICE agents continue to
kidnap and beat up people on the streets of America, and much more.
Last night, Rachel Maddow reported, The Kennedy Center celebrated Pride last night thanks to
Senators Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Jacky Rosen, Brian Schatz and John Hickenlooper.
Senator John Hickenlooper's office issued the following:
Musical theater concert produced by acclaimed Broadway producer
Jeffrey Seller, with music directed by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley
WASHINGTON – Tonight, U.S. Senators John
Hickenlooper, Tammy Baldwin, Elizabeth Warren, Jacky Rosen, and Brian
Schatz hosted a Pride celebration and musical performance titled “Love
is Love”, which was produced by acclaimed Broadway producer Jeffrey
Seller, at the Kennedy Center’s Justice Forum.
In the last years of the 20th century, and the early years of this
century, gay marriage went from being vilified by some to being widely
accepted. “Love is Love” is a celebration of the important role that
Broadway, Hollywood, and other creative enterprises played in this
dramatic transformation of the America we love.
The actors and other creative talent who created this show gave their
time and creative energy to recognize and amplify this cultural
transformation. The Kennedy Center, long an outpost and a beacon for
equality in the arts, seemed the perfect venue.
The performance reminds us that our fight for equality – and for
democracy – isn’t over. It’s happening right now, all around us.
“In our darkest hours, we must continue to seek out the light,” said Hickenlooper.
“Tonight, we honor the role that the freedom of expression and the
theatrical arts play in continuing to expand LGBTQ rights in America.”
“We have made incredible progress in our fight for true
equality, but we cannot mistake progress for victory and we still have
some big hills to climb. Look no further than the Trump Administration’s
shameful attacks on the LGBTQ community and our right to live a life
with dignity, respect, and free from discrimination. While this
administration won’t say it, we will: To all LGBTQ members of our
community, we see you, we respect you, and we are proud to celebrate
you,” said Baldwin.
“As the Trump administration keeps up its hateful attacks on
LGBTQ+ Americans, we’re meeting their bigotry with resilience and joy.
Tonight, we’re celebrating that joy at the Kennedy Center with artists
and stage workers for a special performance. I’ll never stop fighting to
make sure every single person is free to live exactly who they are,” said Warren.
“The Trump Administration’s cruel and harmful attacks against the LGBTQ community are having dire consequences,” said Rosen.
“Trump is not only actively targeting LGBTQ Americans with
discriminatory policies, he’s seeking to erase LGBTQ history and
culture. That’s why it’s more important than ever before to stand up and
proudly celebrate the LGBTQ community.”
“Every attack on LGBTQ+ rights by the Trump administration is
an attack on human rights, on freedom, and on every American’s right to
equal protection under the law. We have come too far to go backward.
Now is the time to stand up and fight back in every way we can – in the
courts, at the ballot box, in peaceful protests, and with the arts,” said Schatz.
Photos from the event can be found HERE and attributable to the Office of U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper
###
Good for the senators and for all the artists who took part. Discrimination isn't compatible with real democracy. DEADLINE notes
that sour queen and Chump's token gay Richard Grenell had another one
of hissy fits in public. We don't have time for that mama's drama and
we won't quote him. He's a liar and we went over all of this when he
was attacking Harvey Fierstein. Love is Love and love, the arts and
freedom won last night.
"Hello I'm Stupid and I Shouldn't Have A Job." That's not the headline to Kinsey Crowley and Sudiksha Kochi latest garbage for USA TODAY
but it should be. General studies majors. Remember that's all most
journalists are -- glorified general studies majors. The dim bulbs type:
Immigration
was a flashpoint going into the 2024 presidential election, and it
remains President Donald Trump's strongest issue in a recent poll.
A
NBC News Decision Desk Poll released June 15, conducted along with
SurveyMonkey, found that 45% of Americans approve of the way Trump is
handling his job as president, while 55% disapprove. Those figures
remain unchanged from an NBC News survey in April. (The survey was
conducted among 19,410 adults nationwide between May 30 and June 10. It
has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.1 percentage points.)
According
to the survey, 51% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of border
security and immigration, while 49% disapprove, the exception to his
negative overall rating.
I
really hate stupid idiots who think they can address a topic but lack
the training to do so. Chump's not winning on immigration in that
poll. The results do not demonstrate that. You have 51% approval and
49% disapproval and the typists run with that. But that's not how the
social sciences work. Let me repeat what I've said over and over for
years now -- right here, for years. If you did not take a college
research and methodology course, sit your tired ass down because you
clearly don't know what you're talking about. 2.1%. That's the margin
of error. Social sciences are not true sciences. The polling is not
just the numbers for and against, it's also the margin of error. The
true result of the poll that the two idiots are too stupid to be writing
about? It's a tie. The results are within the margin of error.
That's not a win.
They
then want to offer proof that he's 'winning' because they're apparently
some zonked out on tigers blood Charlie Sheen wanna be:
Economist/YouGov
poll: (June 13-16, 1,512 U.S. adult citizens, margin of error plus or
minus 3.3%). Overall approval rating: 41% approve, 54% disapprove;
Immigration issue approval rating: 44% approve, 52% disapprove. That's a
new low, according to this pollster.
Morning Consult: (June
13-15, 2,207 registered voters, margin of error plus or minus two
percentage points). Overall approval rating: 46% approve, 52%
disapprove; Immigration approval rating: 51% approve, his best rating
among the issues.
Fox News Poll with Beacon Research and Shaw
& Co. Research: (June 13-16, 1,003 registered voters, margin of
error plus or minus three percentage points.) Overall approval rating:
46% approve, 54% disapprove; Immigration approval rating: 46% approve,
53% disapprove. The poll also asked about border security, which
received higher approval at 53% compared to 46% who disapproved.
The
ECONOMIST-YOU GOV Poll (and I typed that correctly -- it's a joint poll
requiring a "-" between the two organizations) shows disapproval and
it's beyond the margin of error. The same is true of the FOX "NEWS"
Poll. "His best rating among the issues!" they gush of the MORNING
CONSULT Poll -- you know, the one they refuse to provide the number for
disapproval.
You know what else the bad USA TODAY typist fail to provide regarding the MORNING CONSULT polling? This finding:
Voters
are souring on Trump’s immigration, national security handling: Since
the beginning of June, Trump’s net approval ratings on immigration and
national security have been cut in half. Voters are still 7 percentage
points more likely to approve than disapprove of his handling of
immigration, but that’s down from a 12-point gap, and his 6-point net
approval rating on national security is down from 13 points over the
same time frame.
Per MORNING CONSULT, that's the main finding of their poll but somehow USA TODAY's typists miss that.
NJ ADVANCE MEDIA employs actual journalists which is how Lauren Sforza can report on the MORNING CONSULT poll that USA TODAY's typists so bungled:
The poll also found that Trump’s approval rating on immigration and national security has also dropped in recent days.
“Since
the beginning of June, Trump’s net approval ratings on immigration and
national security have been cut in half. Voters are still 7 percentage
points more likely to approve than disapprove of his handling of
immigration, but that’s down from a 12-point gap, and his 6-point net
approval rating on national security is down from 13 points over the
same time frame,” the analysis stated.
The polls show that the trend is more and more people opposing Chump's immigration 'plan.'
Why is that?
Because of things like this.
And this.
As
people see what's going on, they grow more and more repulsed. Masked
persons are kidnapping people off the streets. Frequently, they push
the suspected immigrant to the ground and then they -- plural ICE agents
-- begin whaling on the unarmed immigrants.
As
we see the thugs of ICE beat up one person after another, take actions
that law enforcement is not allowed to, the country grows more
repulsed.
Every day, this
abuse happens. Every day people are abducted. During the abduction,
they are often beaten. In what world is this law enforcement?
It's not.
And
we've noted before that by using masks and not identifying themselves,
they're at risk of a good Samaritan in an open carry state witnessing
this abuse and trying to rescue the person being attacked.
A
U.S. citizen who was violently arrested in a California ICE raid and
detained for 24 hours said it was all worth it if an undocumented person
was able to use that moment to flee.
Job
Garcia, a 37-year-old PhD student at Claremont Graduate University, was
arrested during an ICE raid last Thursday at a Home Depot in Hollywood,
ABC 7 reported.
Video captured an ICE agent telling Garcia, who is a U.S. citizen, “You want to go to jail? Fine, you got it.”
Garcia
recalled the horrifying moment he was placed into custody by the
officer: “The pressure of like, the knee on my back, and his hand on my
neck, I thought like ‘Is this it for me?’”
Footage of the violent arrest, which came as ICE agents detained about 30 people at the store, quickly went viral.
Job's
not going to back down. Others aren't either. ICE's actions are
unAmerican and illegal. At some point, that reality sinks in -- it even
sinks in for ICE agents which is why I've noted that you can't buy back
you soul and a lot of people working for ICE will have a future of drug
abuse and/or suicide. You can't carry out these inhuman acts be left
untouched. You know what you're doing is wrong. You know it's
destroying lives and you're not going to be able to walk away from your
actions in five or ten years nor are you going to be able to live with
what you've done without the aid of drugs.
Each day, we see more and learn more and the
number of people opposed to Chump's immigration abuse grows. That is
the trend. USA TODAY typists can't or won't tell you that but that is
what is happening.
Americans are watching
with outrage as a secret police -- that's what ICE has become --
terrorizes people on the streets, beats them up and kidnaps them.
That's not America and you must be a crazy USA TODAY typist if you
believe this is no big deal.
U.S.
Space Force Master Sgt. Sabrina Bruce didn’t know her life was about to
change forever when she got into her car last month to head to the
Pentagon and reenlist for another six years.
Bruce,
34, was excited to continue a career that had set her on a
life-altering path. She’d enlisted in the Air Force in 2013 to escape
her gender dysphoria, she said, referring to the medical term for the
distress felt when one’s sex assigned at birth does not align with their
gender. Instead, she found a culture that empowered her to come out as a
transgender woman.
But just
before Bruce began the drive to her reenlistment ceremony on May 6, she
saw the news on her phone. The U.S. Supreme Court had ruled the Trump
administration could execute plans to bar her and thousands of other
transgender service members from the armed forces. Despite her intent to
keep serving, Bruce realized her military career doing top-secret
cybersecurity work would probably be measured in weeks or months — not
years.
“I was in shock,” she said, adding: “I was intending to serve out my time and keep working and keep contributing to the nation.”
Bruce
started transitioning in 2017, seven months after the military lifted
its ban prohibiting transgender troops from serving openly. Nine years
after that ban ended, the same military is now kicking them out.
Active-duty
transgender service members faced a June 6 deadline to self-report
their gender dysphoria, which President Donald Trump and Defense
Secretary Pete Hegseth said is incompatible with military service. Trump
called transgender identity a “falsehood” that does not comport with
the “humility and selflessness required of a service member.” Advocates
for transgender service members say expelling cyber experts like Bruce
and others in highly specialized fields — pilots, nuclear engineers,
intelligence analysts — will harm the military as leaders try to reverse
a years-long trend of recruiting shortfalls.
The
Washington Post spoke with 10 transgender troops as some wrestled with
the decision to self-report by the deadline, others scrambled to find
new jobs and all grieved the sudden, unwanted loss of a life built
around military service. Each of them repudiated the Pentagon calling
their de facto firings as “voluntary” separations after requiring them
to report their gender dysphoria for the express purpose of casting them
out.
“This is not
voluntary separation. This is separation under duress. This is
coercion,” said U.S. Navy Cmdr. Emily Shilling, a fighter pilot and
president of SPARTA Pride, a nonprofit that advocates for transgender
troops. She, like the other service members interviewed, spoke in a
personal capacity and not on behalf of the military.
While
the Chump administration works to run off qualified service members,
they recruit uqnalified idiots to fill security positions. Joe DePaolo (MEDIAITE) reports:
Amid
the threats of retribution from Iran following the U.S. military strike
on three Iranian nuclear sites, critics have ramped up their scrutiny
of the 22-year-old who was assigned to a major terrorism-prevention post
by President Donald Trump.
In a Sunday morning
post to X, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) called out Trump for appointing
22-year-old Thomas Fugate to a role at the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) in which he oversees the Center for Prevention Programs
and Partnerships (CP3) — a division of the agency which is tasked with
terrorism prevention.
“As
our nation girds for possible Iranian terrorist attacks, this is the
person Trump put in charge of terrorism prevention,” Murphy wrote —
referring to Fugate. “22 years old. Recent work experience:
landscaping/grocery clerk. Never worked a day in counter-terrorism. But
he’s a BIG Trump fan. So he got the job.”
A
June 4 investigation from Pro Publica into Fugate’s background turned
up a stunningly thin resume. Fugate got the job in May after William
Braniff — an Army veteran with over two decades of national security
experience — resigned in protest of cuts to CP3. Per his Linkedin page,
Fugate said he spent several months performing “lawn care work around my
neighborhood,” and also worked part time as a clerk at an H-E-B
supermarket.
“Maybe
he’s a wunderkind. Maybe he’s Doogie Howser and has everything at 21
years old, or whatever he is, to lead the office. But that’s not likely
the case,” an counterterrorism researcher, who has worked with CP3
officials for years, told ProPublica. “It sounds like putting the intern
in charge.”
In light of Iran’s threats,
critics are calling out the president for giving a 22-year-old a key job
which has now become even more important:
Iran
retaliated for recent U.S. military strikes on Monday, June 23,
launching a missile strike against a military base in Qatar.
Iran's
armed forces claimed a “powerful and destructive missile strike on the
United States’ Al-Udeid military base in Qatar," NBC News reported.
Al-Udeid
is the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East. It is the forward
headquarters for U.S. Central Command and is home to about 10,000
troops.
Explosions
were reported near Doha, the capital city of Qatar, where the base is
located and the U.S. Embassy issued a "shelter in place" warning to all
citizens.
Just
before the explosions, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on
social media platform X: "We neither initiated the war nor seeking it.
But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer."
The US confirmed the air base was targeted by a missile attack from Iran but added that casualties were reported.
Tehran
said the attack in Qatar matched the number of bombs dropped by the US
on Iran's nuclear sites over the weekend, signalling its likely desire
to de-escalate.
Three Iranian officials told the New York Times they had forecast its strikes with Qatar in a bid to minimise casualties.
Donald Trump was also aware of the attack plans in advance, Western officials said.
The
Ain al-Assad base housing US troops in western Iraq was also targeted,
an Iraqi security source said, but Iran did not claim that attack, which
could have been carried out by militias.
President
Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform to deliver a rambling
monologue in the wake of Iran's bombing of U.S. airbases in Qatar.
Rather
than addressing the pressing international crisis, the U.S. leader
chose to focus his attention on lambasting what he calls "sleazebags in
the media" and "fake news."
He posted: "The sites that
we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it. Only the
Fake News would say anything different in order to try and demean, as
much as possible - And even they say they were 'pretty well destroyed!'
"Working
especially hard on this falsehood is Allison Cooper of Fake News CNN,
Dumb Brian L. Roberts, Chairman of 'Con'cast, Jonny Karl of ABC Fake
News, and always, the Losers of, again, Concast's NBC Fake News. It
never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that's why their
Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW - ZERO CREDIBILITY!".
Senile Chump has no idea who he is at war with. Can we get him into a home already?
He spent last night claiming a ceasefire was now in place and taking credit for it.
However . . .
Minutes ago, REUTERS reported, "Iranian and Israeli media reported new Israeli airstrikes
on Iran on Tuesday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump having said
Israel had called them off at his command to preserve an hours-old ceasefire. Two
explosions were heard in the capital, the judiciary news outlet Mizan
reported. Israeli army radio said Israel had struck an Iranian radar
site near Tehran."
Let's wind down with this from Senator Elizabeth Warren's office:
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren
(D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, released new data
from the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), a nonpartisan Congressional
committee dedicated to analyzing tax legislation, revealing that the
majority of the benefit from the 199A tax deduction goes to
millionaires.
The 199A tax deduction was created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,
with Congressional Republicans claiming it would support small business
owners by allowing them to deduct up to 20 percent of their business’s
qualified income from their personal income taxes.
JCT’s responses provided a breakdown, by income level, of who claims
the 199A deduction, in addition to other key information about who the
deduction benefits. Key findings include:
More than 50% of the benefit of the 199A deduction goes to millionaires.
The top 10% of taxpayers claimed 87% of the benefit of 199A, while the bottom 20% claimed no benefit whatsoever.
84% of the businesses through which individuals claimed the 199A deduction had no employees.
More than two-thirds of the 199A deduction goes to individuals above
the deduction’s phase-out thresholds, demonstrating that the law’s
guardrails to prevent wealthy individuals from taking the benefit are
ineffective.
The proportion of 199A benefits claimed by millionaires increased over time from 2018 to 2022.
The House version of Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” now under
consideration by the Senate, includes an expansion of the 199A deduction
from a 20 percent deduction to a 23 percent deduction.
