News

Jason Chaffetz announces retirement from House

Strike up the band! Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), one of the worst homophobes in the U.S. House of Representatives and a frequent meddler in D.C. affairs, announced today that he…

US drops largest non-nuclear bomb in Afghanistan

Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne report at CNN. The bomb is called MOAB. It is 21,600 pounds and is GPS-guided, dropped by an MC-130 aircraft on ISIS targets in Afghanistan….

Cosby’s books join ‘most challenged’ list

Graham Bowley reports at NYT: Bill Cosby’s “Little Bill” children’s book series was among the 10 “most challenged” books in 2016, according to a list compiled by the American Library…

DC Surrogacy legalization becomes law

At long last, the Collaborative Reproduction Amendment Act, legalizing and regulating surrogate parenting agreements in the District, took effect on April 7 after completion of its congressional review period. It…

FBI Obtained FISA Warrant to Monitor Carter Page

WaPo reports: The FBI and the Justice Department obtained the warrant targeting Carter Page’s communications after convincing a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge that there was probable cause to believe…

Nebraska State Supreme Court Upholds Ruling That Struck Down Nation’s Last Ban On LGBT Adoption

Joe My God reports on the ACLU reaction: The Nebraska Supreme Court today upheld a lower court decision which strikes down a decades old ban on gay and lesbian foster…

LGBT advocates criticize nominee for Army secretary

(Photo of Mark E. Green by Erik Schelzig/Associated Press) Helene Cooper and Maggie Haberman report at NYT: A Tennessee state senator who has criticized federal attempts to bar discrimination against…

State Dept. Urges Russia to stop Chechen murders and torture

Joe My God reports: Yesterday the State Department called on Russia to investigate reports that Chechen police are rounding up and murdering gay men. Tonight the State Department has issued…

Lambda Legal responds to confirmation of Gorsuch to SCOTUS

David Badash of The New Civil Rights Movement reports this statement by Lambda Legal Director of Strategy Sharon McGowan: The arc of the moral universe may bend towards justice, but…

Haley on Syrian chemical attack: US may act if UN does not

https://youtu.be/-5ALihbCVoU UN Ambassador Nikki Haley spoke eloquently at an emergency meeting at the UN on the horrific chemical attack in Syria that killed dozens of children among others. It is…