November 30, 2017

Conyers lawyer: Pelosi 'sure as hell' won't decide resignation

Source: Politico




The embattled congressman, hospitalized and facing several claims of sexual harassment, resists calls to step down.

By HEATHER CAYGLE and JOHN BRESNAHAN 11/30/2017 11:16 AM EST Updated 11/30/2017 01:02 PM EST

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has not decided whether to resign, his lawyer said Thursday, despite calls from congressional leaders to step down amid several allegations of sexual harassment.

“Nancy Pelosi did not elect the congressman and she sure as hell won’t be the one to tell the congressman to leave,” Conyers’ lawyer, Arnold Reed, said. Conyers, 88, was hospitalized after suffering chest pains and dizziness Wednesday night.

Reed also suggested that the calls for Conyers’ resignation are racially motivated.

“I would suspect that Nancy Pelosi is going to have to explain what is the discernible difference between [Sen.] Al Franken and John Conyers,” Reed said. Franken (D-Minn.) is also facing multiple sexual harassment allegations.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/30/pelosi-calls-on-conyers-to-resign-270513?lo=ap_b1

November 30, 2017

Tillerson heads to White House after reports he could be forced out

By NOLAN D. MCCASKILL 11/30/2017 11:49 AM EST Updated 11/30/2017 12:56 PM EST

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson backed out of a planned speech and visited the White House on Thursday following reports that his ouster was imminent.

POLITICO reported earlier this month that CIA Director Mike Pompeo had emerged as the favorite to replace Tillerson as head of the State Department. The New York Times on Thursday added that the White House has developed a plan to force out the embattled secretary of state and replace him with Pompeo in the next few weeks. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) would likely replace Pompeo at the CIA, the Times said.

Tillerson was expected to deliver a keynote address to commemorate World AIDS Day on Thursday. However, Deputy Secretary of State John Sullivan will deliver the remarks instead, according to an updated State Department schedule.

Reporters spotted Tillerson at the White House within hours of the Times’ report. Neither his public schedule nor the daily White House guidance included a visit to the White House.

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https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/30/rex-tillerson-reports-forced-out-270637?lo=ap_a1

November 30, 2017

Race for House Control Is a Toss Up

November 30, 2017 at 10:04 am EST By Taegan Goddard

Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball: “Put it all together, and the battle for control of the House looks something like a coin flip, with Democrats having a very real chance to net the 24 seats they need to win a majority. In fact, the big-picture indicators might suggest the Democrats should be favored to win the House. But we’re not willing to go that far, at least at the moment, for a few reasons.”

“The first is a usual but important caveat: The election is more than 11 months away and there’s time for things to change, even though one can just as easily imagine things getting worse for the GOP as opposed to better.”

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https://politicalwire.com/2017/11/30/race-house-control-toss/

November 30, 2017

Australian senate passes marriage equality bill without any religious amendments

By Bil Browning · Wednesday, November 29, 2017

The Australian senate passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage down under. Several conservative amendments filed to “protect religious freedom” were easily voted down.

Australia‘s religious right had pushed the amendments which would have allowed for civil celebrants to refuse to perform same-sex ceremonies, provided legal protections for people who think gay and lesbian relationships are wrong, and would have allowed parents to pull children from class if the topic of same-sex marriage was mentioned.

A cross-party coalition involving all the major political parties rejected the amendments by a large margin. Even some of the most vociferously anti-gay politicians joined the “no” vote to kill the school amendment.

-snip-

The bill now moves to the House of Representatives where it is expected to pass next week. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a marriage equality supporter, has promised to sign the legislation as soon as possible, allowing same-sex couples to get married in time for Christmas.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/11/australian-senate-passes-marriage-equality-bill-without-religious-amendments/

November 30, 2017

Bette Midler: Geraldo Rivera drugged & groped me

Source: LGBTQ Nation




By Bil Browning · Thursday, November 30, 2017

In a recently unearthed interview with Barbara Walters from 1991, gay icon Bette Midler accused Geraldo Rivera of drugging and groping her.

-snip-

Jezebel wondered why Rivera was so defensive about allegations of sexual abuse and then they unearthed the video of Midler’s interview.

At the time, Rivera had released a “tell-all” book titled, Exposing Myself (natch). In the autobiography, Rivera describes the encounter with Midler, writing, “We were in the bathroom, preparing for the interview, and at some point I put my hands on her breasts.” Midler, however, shared a completely different version of the encounter.

“Geraldo and his producer came to do an interview with me, in the ‘70s, in the early ‘70s. This was when he was very hot,” she told Walters. “He and his producer left the crew in the other room, they pushed me into my bathroom, they pushed two poppers under my nose, and proceeded to grope me…I did not offer myself up on the altar of Geraldo Rivera. He was unseemly.”



Read more: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2017/11/bette-midler-geraldo-rivera-drugged-groped/

November 30, 2017

As Tax Bill Vote Approaches, Susan Collins Says 'Not So Fast'

Source: Talking Points Memo




By ALICE OLLSTEIN Published NOVEMBER 30, 2017 11:44 AM

At a breakfast with reporters Thursday morning, less than 24 hours before the Senate votes to overhaul the American tax code and kill the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said her Republican colleagues have not yet secured her vote.

With the bill still in flux, and furious last-minute negotiations going on behind closed doors, Collins laid out several problems she has with the legislation: the “mistake” of including repeal of the individual mandate, concerns about a “trigger” proposal pushed by the Senate’s deficit hawks, too-deep cuts to the corporate tax rate, and the elimination of most state and local tax (SALT) deductions.

“There are a lot of concerns I want to fix,” she said. “I am not committed to vote for this bill. Who knows what’s going to happen on the Senate floor during the vote-a-rama.”

Here are Collins’ key concerns and demands, several of which may not be addressed in the final package, putting her vote in jeopardy.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/as-tax-bill-vote-approaches-susan-collins-says-not-so-fast

November 30, 2017

Ryan: Conyers Should 'Resign Immediately' Amid Misconduct Claims

Source: Talking Points Memo




By ESME CRIBB Published NOVEMBER 30, 2017 12:14 PM

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Thursday said Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) should step down “immediately” amid allegations of sexual misconduct by former staffers.

“I think he should resign. I think he should resign immediately,” Ryan said during his weekly news conference. “I’ve just been briefed on the torrent of allegations, and I think he should.”

Ryan said he watched an interview that one of Conyers’ accusers, Marion Brown, gave on NBC News’ “Today” on Thursday detailing the allegations that led to a settlement agreement between her and Conyers.

“No one should have to go through something like that, let alone here in Congress,” Ryan said.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-ryan-says-john-conyers-should-resign-immediately

November 30, 2017

DHS lacks funding to install new screening technology at every airport

Source: The Hill




BY MELANIE ZANONA - 11/30/17 12:06 PM EST

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) does not have enough money to install enhanced screening technologies at every airport in the United States, the agency told Congress on Thursday.

“We have some funding for the CT technology. We do not have the funding to deploy it at every airport,” Acting DHS Secretary Elaine Duke said during a House Homeland Security Committee hearing. “To buy it for every airport would require much more than a reprogramming” of funds from Congress.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other industry partners have begun testing scanners at some airports in the U.S. that use computed tomography (CT) technology, which is the same technology used in hospitals.

It is able to produce three-dimensional images that make it much easier to decipher and isolate the contents of a bag when they go through airport security checkpoints.


Read more: http://thehill.com/policy/transportation/362574-dhs-lacks-funding-to-install-new-screening-technology-at-every-airport

November 30, 2017

Clyburn calls for Conyers to resign

Source: The Hill



BY MALLORY SHELBOURNE - 11/30/17 12:11 PM EST

Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) on Thursday called on Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) to resign in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations made against him, according to a reporter with Politico.

Clyburn's call for Conyers' resignations comes after House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Conyers should resign.

Conyers stepped down from his post as ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee after acknowledge that in 2015 he settled a wrongful dismissal complain. The congressman, however, denied the sexual misconduct allegations against him.

After the original revelation, a second accuser came forward saying Conyers on three occasions made sexual passes toward her while she worked in a state office.

https://twitter.com/BresPolitico/status/936278583353409536

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/362578-clyburn-calls-for-conyers-to-resign

November 30, 2017

Trump on Tillerson: 'Rex is here'

Source: The Hill




BY JORDAN FABIAN - 11/30/17 11:24 AM EST

President Trump on Thursday ducked questions about whether he is preparing to force Rex Tillerson out as secretary of State.

"He's here. Rex is here,” Trump told reporters who asked if he still wants Tillerson on the job.The president spoke during a meeting with the crown prince of Bahrain.

Trump’s comments are unlikely to quell speculation about the embattled secretary of State’s future in the administration. Multiple news outlets reported Thursday the White House has hatched a plan to replace Tillerson with CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton (R) would replace Pompeo at the top intelligence agency.

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Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/362562-trump-on-tillerson-rex-is-here