Former CIA Director John Brennan: Trump’s Performance at Summit ‘Was Nothing Short of Treasonous’

Former CIA Director John Brennan: Trump’s Performance at Summit ‘Was Nothing Short of Treasonous’
John Brennan

Former CIA Director John Brennan blasted Donald Trump’s astonishing performance at the summit with Vladimir Putin, in which he threw the FBI under the bus and sided with Russia over election meddling among other things, “treasonous.”

Tweeted Brennan: “Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???”

Donald Trump’s press conference performance in Helsinki rises to & exceeds the threshold of “high crimes & misdemeanors.” It was nothing short of treasonous. Not only were Trump’s comments imbecilic, he is wholly in the pocket of Putin. Republican Patriots: Where are you???

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) July 16, 2018

Added Brennan: “Why did Trump meet 1 on 1 with Putin? What might he be hiding from Bolton, Pompeo, Kelly, & the American public? How will Putin use whatever Trump could be hiding to advantage Russia & hurt America? Trump’s total lack of credibility renders spurious whatever explanation he gives.”

Why did Trump meet 1 on 1 with Putin? What might he be hiding from Bolton, Pompeo, Kelly, & the American public? How will Putin use whatever Trump could be hiding to advantage Russia & hurt America? Trump’s total lack of credibility renders spurious whatever explanation he gives.

— John O. Brennan (@JohnBrennan) July 16, 2018

The post Former CIA Director John Brennan: Trump’s Performance at Summit ‘Was Nothing Short of Treasonous’ appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Former CIA Director John Brennan: Trump’s Performance at Putin Summit ‘Was Nothing Short of Treasonous’

Upgrade to the latest version of Skype for desktop

Upgrade to the latest version of Skype for desktop

Skype has always been about bringing people together. We continue to be driven by the opportunity to connect our global community of hundreds of millions, empowering them to feel closer and achieve more together. As we pursue these goals, we’re always looking for new ways to enhance the experience, improve quality and reliability, and connect people from any device.

Today, we are rolling out an updated version of Skype (version 8.0) for desktop that will replace Skype version 7.0 (also known as Skype classic).

We are encouraging everyone to upgrade now to avoid any inconvenience as only Skype version 8.0 will work after September 1, 2018. As we roll out improvements, there comes a time when we must shut down older services and application versions. This is done to ensure that all customers have the best possible Skype experience, and that there are no quality or reliability issues resulting from old technology and new technology interoperating. We know change can be hard, so we’re working to make the update as simple as possible. For help with the upgrade, please visit our support site. We appreciate the support of the Skype community as we upgrade the experience and listen to feedback along the way.

Everything about this new version, from the underlying performance improvements to the usability enhancements, is designed to keep you connected to the people who matter most. We built Skype version 8.0 based on feedback from our community—adding exciting new features while ensuring it’s simple to use with the same familiar interface of Skype version 7.0.

Here are some of the new features that come with Skype version 8.0—our most powerful, intuitive, and flexible version of Skype version yet:

  • Free HD video and screensharing callsGet together with 1 or 24 of your friends, families, or colleagues no matter what device they use Skype on. See everyone in high definition, view 1080px video, and share things together.
  • More productive messaging—Express how you’re feeling by reacting to messages in conversations. Use @mentions to easily grab someone’s attention in a group chat. Simply type the @ symbol followed by their name to trigger a notification for them. You can easily find all your @mentions and get back to people in the notification center.
  • Chat media gallery—Looking for the link or photo sent a few weeks ago? Chat media gallery makes it easy to find files, links, and photos that were shared in a conversation, whether it was yesterday or last month. No more scrolling through your chat history—just click Gallery under the chat name to see all the files, links, and photos in the conversation.
  • Share photos, videos, and other files—Share up to 300 MB at a time over Skype just by dragging and dropping files into your conversation window.

Visit our upgrade page to learn more about all the latest features available on Skype version 8.0.

We have a few more ideas up our sleeves, too. Here’s a sneak peek at more new features we’re starting to roll out now with more coming later this summer:

  • Skype version 8.0 rolling out on iPad—Features such as quoted messages, personalized themes, chat list, @mentions, and more are now available on the Skype for iPad experience.
  • Read receipts—See at a glance who’s read your messages. Once someone reads your message, their avatar appears beneath it in the Skype chat—enabling you to see how far someone has read in the conversation without tapping every message. This is especially useful in group conversations to help you make sure everyone is caught up with the latest messages.
  • Private Conversations—Have end-to-end encrypted Skype audio calls and send text messages or files—such as images, audio, or videos—using the industry standard Signal Protocol. Messages and notifications in these conversations will be hidden in the chat list to keep the information you share private. More information can be found at the Private Conversations FAQ.
  • Call recording—Take call snapshots to the next level with call recording. Capture a special Skype calls with loved ones or record important meetings with colleagues. Call recording is completely cloud-based, and as soon as you start recording, everyone in the call is notified that the call is being recorded—so there are no surprises. Call recordings combine everyone’s video as well as any screens shared during the call.
  • Profile invites—Easily start a conversation or call with people who aren’t on Skype yet. Simply go to your profile in Skype and tap the Share Profile option to invite friends to join you on Skype.
  • Group links—Quickly get a group together on Skype, for either a group chat or call. Create a new group and tap the Invite More People option to share a link to your group. Anyone you send the link to can join your group quickly and simply.

To upgrade to the latest version of Skype from the app, select Help from the top toolbar and then select Check for Updates or visit Download Skype. It’s quick and easy—your account information will automatically and securely sync to the latest update—including password, contacts, and conversation history from the last year.

To learn more about the upgrade, please visit our friendly FAQ. For more information on which devices and operating systems Skype currently supports, please check our support site. To chat with us directly, please let us know your feedback through our Community, or use the “Send Feedback” option within the Skype app—just go to Settings and select Help & Feedback to send us a message.

The post Upgrade to the latest version of Skype for desktop appeared first on Skype Blogs.

blogs.skype.com/news/2018/07/16/upgrade-to-the-latest-version-of-skype-for-desktop/

Randy Rainbow’s Newest ‘Pirates of Penzance’ Trump Slam is a Lyrical Tour De Force: WATCH

Randy Rainbow’s Newest ‘Pirates of Penzance’ Trump Slam is a Lyrical Tour De Force: WATCH
randy rainbow stable genius

randy rainbow pirates stable genius

Randy Rainbow takes the Gilbert and Sullivan comedic opera Pirates of Penzance to new heights with “A Very Stable Genius”, his take on the iconic musical’s “I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major General”.

A sampling of Rainbow’s brilliant lyrics:

He’s always been a pro at things like violating protocols
And reproducing other egotistical neanderthals
To all our greatest allies he decides to say “get outta here”
While doing all he can to satisfy his daddy Vladimir.
There’s no one as accomplished in the art of the distraction
Of anything that’s factual he orders a retraction
When greeting foreign leaders he prefers the pomp and circumstance
Then vomits verbal diarrhea to satisfy his sycophants…

Watch:

The post Randy Rainbow’s Newest ‘Pirates of Penzance’ Trump Slam is a Lyrical Tour De Force: WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Randy Rainbow’s Newest ‘Pirates of Penzance’ Trump Slam is a Lyrical Tour De Force: WATCH

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: July 16, 2018

#AM_Equality Tipsheet: July 16, 2018

HRC CONFRONTS TRUMP-PUTIN WITH PROJECTION CALLING OUT ANTI-LGBTQ CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY IN CHECHNYA: Just ahead of the Trump-Putin summit in Helsinki, HRC projected an enormous message onto the Presidential Palace demanding that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin immediately end the ongoing anti-LGBTQ crimes against humanity occurring in the Russian republic of Chechnya. For more than 15 months, Donald Trump and his administration have refused to publicly condemn the systematic torture, abuse, and murder of LGBTQ people occurring in Chechnya as Vladimir Putin has licensed the violence to continue. More than 100 LGBTQ people have been rounded up, tortured, and abused — and as many as 20 have been murdered. More from HRC, Newsweek, The Hill, Daily Mail, Bustle, HuffPost and Pink News.

  • Earlier on Sunday, HRC Global Director Ty Cobb spoke at a rally in Helsinki to crowds gathered to protest the Trump-Pence and Putin regimes’ dangerous attacks on LGBTQ people, saying “Trump has unconscionably turned a blind eye to some of the worst anti-LGBTQ atrocities in a generation, including monstrous attacks on gay and bisexual men in Chechnya.”

 

FEDERAL JUDGE IN PHILLY RULES FOSTER CARE AGENCIES MUST ADHERE TO CITY’S NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY: Catholic Social Services, alongside three parents, had claimed in a lawsuit that they should have a license to discriminate against same-sex couples. In his ruling, U.S. District Court Judge Petrese B. Tucker wrote that the Department of Human Services had a legitimate interest in ensuring “that the pool of foster parents and resource caregivers is as diverse and broad as the children in need of foster parents.” More from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING MONDAY: U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh has ruled that an employer’s religious beliefs should be allowed to override their workers’ access to birth control. While refusing to answer whether he believed Roe was correctly decided during his confirmation hearing for the D.C. Circuit, once on the bench he wrote that his colleagues had “badly erred” by determining that an undocumented immigrant teen should have access to an abortion. And, in dissenting against the Affordable Care Act, Kavanaugh claimed that “the President may decline to enforce a statute… when the President deems the statute unconstitutional, even if a court has held or would hold the statute constitutional.” More from HRC

 

TROUBLING NEW DATA ON TRANS VETERANS FROM UCLA’S WILLIAMS INSTITUTE: The study found that transgender veterans are more likely to experience poverty and are less likely to be employed, have a college education or have health insurance. More from Windy City Times.

HORRIFYING — TRANS ASYLUM SEEKER ALLEGEDLY SEXUAL ASSAULTED WHILE IN DETENTION: Nicol, a trans woman escaping violence in Honduras, was raped and physically assaulted while in a detention center in New Mexico. She is fighting to be released on parole to escape further violence — though fears it will not be granted because of the Trump-Pence administration’s anti-immigrant policies. More from Arizona Public Media.

MORNING MUST READ FROM A TRANS BLACK WOMAN IN MISSISSIPPI ON THE STATE’S ANTI-LGBTQ HB1523: The harmful Mississippi state law, passed last year, allows the use of religion to justify discrimination against LGBTQ Mississippians at work, school and in their communities. “I’ve spent my whole life here, and despite the difficulties, this state is my home. It’s a part of me,” writes Malaysia Walker. “I am committed to fighting discrimination with everything I have, on behalf of all of the people who live here. That work starts with talking about our issues and, for me, educating others about what it means to be transgender.” More from Vice.

In a powerful oped, a Black #transgender woman in #Mississippi shares how she has faced bullying, discrimination and harassment – and why she’s not backing down, even in the face of laws like #HB1523. t.co/b4rF3jE2wF

— Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) July 13, 2018

HAWAII SUPREME COURT RULES BED AND BREAKFAST DISCRIMINATED AGAINST SAME-SEX COUPLE BY DENYING THEM A ROOM: Diane Cervelli and Taeko (Ty) Bufford were represented by Lambda Legal. More from Patheos.

ADDRESSING SUICIDE RATES AMONG LGBTQ YOUTH IN NORTH CAROLINA: A new report from the University of Connecticut and the HRC Foundation details the ways bullying, violence and harassment contribute to negative mental health outcomes for LGBTQ youth. State LGBTQ group Equality North Carolina is calling on lawmakers to repeal the state’s anti-LGBTQ HB 142 and has developed a youth fellowship program to uplift LGBTQ youth in rural areas. More from The (Durham) Herald Sun.

HOW ANTI-LGBTQ SO-CALLED “PANIC” DEFENSES HARM LGBTQ PEOPLE: Mobile, Alabama, native Amanda Scott writes on why her state should ban the nefarious tactic employed by some criminal defense attorneys who use the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity to justify a crime. More in Al.com.

HRC FOUNDATION HOSTS FAITH LEADERS FOR JUSTICE CAMP AT GATHERING FOR PROGRESSIVE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS: “As southern states continue to codify discrimination against LGBTQ individuals and families under the guise of religion, it is heartening to experience the warm welcome of LGBTQ people in a space such as the Wild Goose Festival,” said Eva Kendrick, HRC Alabama state director. More from HRC.

SEVENTH ANNUAL ‘CHEFS FOR EQUALITY’ TO BE HELD OCT. 9 AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL: More from HRC.

 GLOBAL EQUALITY NEWS

LGBTQ ASYLUM SEEKERS IN THE U.K. ARE BEING DENIED REFUGE BECAUSE OF LEVEL OF PROOF DEMANDED: The UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group reported that some asylum seekers have been denied because they are LGBTQ and Muslim. More from Reuters.

DESPITE INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM, INDONESIA’S ACEH PROVINCE CONTINUES TO PUBLICLY WHIP LGBTQ PEOPLE: More from The Straits Times.

CHILD OF SAME-SEX COUPLE DENIED IRISH PASSPORT: The government told the fathers to prove that one of them is the child’s biological father, a process that would deny the second father parental rights. More from Pink News.

ISRAELI ARMY PROMOTES FIRST-EVER OPENLY GAY MAJOR GENERAL: More from Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

AUSTRALIAN PRIEST REMOVED FROM CATHOLIC CONFERENCE FOR SUPPORTING MARRIAGE EQUALITY: More from The Georgia Voice.

READING RAINBOWBookmark now to read on your lunch break!

Swimming World interviews openly trans NCAA Division 1 swimmer Schuyler Bailar (@sb_pinkmantaray); Home Health Care News reports on the Visiting Nurse Service of New York’s new program to affirm transgender patients; Corpus Christi (Texas) Caller Times announces that the local police have created a new LGBTQ liaison officer position; Pride Source speaks to Kalamazoo, Mich.. Mayor Bobby Hopewell about LGBTQ equality; HRC spotlights Makayla Humphrey, HRC youth ambassador

Have news? Send us your news and tips at [email protected]. Click here to subscribe to #AM_Equality and follow @HRC for all the latest news. Thanks for reading!

www.hrc.org/blog/am-equality-tipsheet-july-16-2018?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss-feed

The Best Local Dating Spots in the U.S. According to People Who Actually Date

The Best Local Dating Spots in the U.S. According to People Who Actually Date

Here are the 2018 OkCupid + Yelp Daters’ Choice Awards winners

Looking for the perfect date spot? You’ve come to the right place. Your fellow OkCupid daters did the legwork for you and found the coolest local date spots in 8 cities across the U.S. These are places you won’t find in any old guidebook, but ones with the stamp of approval from real people who go on real dates every day (FACT: OkCupid users go on 50k coffee and drink dates every week). We partnered with Yelp to ask those daters to vote for the best spots in various categories from cheap eats to no-judgements makeout spots (#priorities) for this year’s OkCupid Daters’ Choice Awards—and the results are in!

So here they are, your 2018 OkCupid Daters’ Choice Awards winners. If you want to skip directly to your home city click on it below, or scroll through the old-fashioned way and see the entire list. You can also see the full detailed list from Yelp here.

Boston

Philadelphia

New York

Austin

Chicago

San Francisco

Los Angeles

Seattle

Best Morning After Brunch: Lulu’s Allston

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Lawn on D

Best Hotel Bars: Noir

Cheap Eats: Charlie’s Kitchen

Photo Friendly Spots: Top of the Hub

Spots that Spark Conversation: MFA

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: Eastern Standard

Best Themed Bar: A4cade

Bookmark the Boston spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: Sabrina’s Café

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: Tattooed Mom

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Schuylkill River Trail

Best Hotel Bars: Stratus Rooftop Lounge

Cheap Eats: Loco Pez

Photo Friendly Spots: Spruce Street Harbor Park

Spots that Spark Conversation: Franklin Institute After Dark

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: Friday Saturday Sunday

Best Themed Bar: Garage

Bookmark the Philadelphia spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: Sweet Chick

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: House of Yes

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Chelsea Piers

Best Hotel Bars: Standard Beer Garden

Cheap Eats: Ramen-Ya

Photo Friendly Spots: Mother of Pearl

Spots that Spark Conversation: Museum of the Moving Image

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: The Happiest Hour

Best Themed Bars: Otto’s Shrunken Head

Bookmark the NYC spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: Snooze an AM Eatery

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: Cheer Up Charlies

Fitness & Wellness Dates: EpicSup Paddle Boarding

Best Hotel Bars: The Driskill Bar

Cheap Eats: Trorchy’s Tacos

Photo Friendly Spots: Jo’s Coffee

Spots That Spark Conversation: Blanton Museum of Art

Spots Where Drinks Could turn Into Dinner: Whisler’s

Best Themed Bar: Midnight Cowboy

Bookmark the Austin spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: Lula Café

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: Slippery Slope

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Urban Kayaks

Best Hotel Bars: Cindy’s Rooftop

Cheap Eats: 90 Miles Cuban Café

Photo Friendly Spots: Punch House

Spots That Spark Conversation: Adler Planetarium

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: The Violet Hour

Best Themed Bar: Three Dots and a Dash

Bookmark the Chicago spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: Nopa

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: El Rio

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Dogpatch Boulders

Best Hotel Bars: The View

Cheap Eats: La Taqueria

Photo Friendly Spots: Foreign Cinema

Spots That Spark Conversation: California Academy of Sciences

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: Trick Dog

Best Themed Bar: Smuggler’s Cove

Bookmark the San Francisco spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: Nighthawk: Breakfast Bar

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: The Varnish

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Moonlight Rollerway Skating Rink

Best Hotel Bars: Skybar

Cheap Eats: Smorgasburg

Photo Friendly Spots: Griffith Observatory

Spots That Spark Conversation: The Broad

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: The Edison

Best Themed Bar: Tiki-ti

Bookmark the LA spots on Yelp.

Best Morning After Brunch: 5 Spot

No-Judgement Makeout Spots: Lava Lounge

Fitness & Wellness Dates: Seattle Bouldering Project

Best Hotel Bars: Stoneburner

Cheap Eats: Katsu Burger

Photo Friendly Spots: The London Plane

Spots That Spark Conversation: Seattle Art Museum

Spots Where Drinks Could Turn Into Dinner: The Pink Door

Best Themed Bar: Unicorn

Bookmark the Seattle spots on Yelp.

Now that you’ve got the place, go find the date on OkCupid.


The Best Local Dating Spots in the U.S. According to People Who Actually Date was originally published in The OkCupid Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

medium.com/m/global-identity?redirectUrl=https://theblog.okcupid.com/the-best-local-dating-spots-in-the-u-s-according-to-people-who-actually-date-2b424b9e6599?source=rss—-2cd59e7d4ed1—4

Harry Styles: ‘We’re All a Little Bit Gay’ – WATCH

Harry Styles: ‘We’re All a Little Bit Gay’ – WATCH
Harry Styles gay

Harry Styles held the final concert of his solo world tour at The Forum in Los Angeles on Saturday night. During the concert he reacted to a gay fan who was holding up a sign for the One Direction singer.

Said Styles after approaching a fan: “Can I read [the sign]? It says ‘I’m gay and I love you.’”

“I love you as well. Thank you for coming. I mean, we’re all a little bit gay.”

RELATED: Harry Styles Wants to ‘Make America Gay Again’ – WATCH

Styles has been showing support for the LGBTQ community throughout his tour. He has even been selling tour merchandise – rainbow t-shirts with the phrase “Treat People With Kindness” – that benefit GLSEN. In June he held up a rainbow flag that said “Make America Gay Again”.

Styles sent fans into a frenzy on social media in March after performing his track “Medicine” at a gig in Basel, Switzerland. Some suggested the lyrics meant he was coming out as bisexual.

Styles was tight-lipped when asked about his sexuality in a 2017 interview with UK tabloid The Sun.

“It’s weird for me — everyone should just be who they want to be,” said Styles. “It’s tough to justify somebody having to answer to someone else about stuff like that.”

RELATED: ‘Billboard’ Takes a Deep Dive into the Voyeuristic ‘Femme’ Gender Signals in Harry Styles’s Cover Art

When asked if he gives his sexual orientation a label, Styles said: “No, I’ve never felt the need to really. No.”

But he praised artists like Miley Cyrus, who do discuss it: “Being in a creative field, it’s important to be ­progressive. People doing stuff like that is great.”

ALSO: Harry Styles Asks Niall Horan if He Can Sit on His Face

Styles also told a French talk show that he sees LGBT equality as something that’s “fundamental” and not political.

In 2014, Styles told One Direction bandmate Niall Horan “Hey, don’t knock it ’til you try it,” when Horan was asked about dating men.

The post Harry Styles: ‘We’re All a Little Bit Gay’ – WATCH appeared first on Towleroad Gay News.


Harry Styles: ‘We’re All a Little Bit Gay’ – WATCH