MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Beats Fox News' Hannity As "Most Watched Cable News Host"

The cable news wars are heating up as MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show beat Fox News's Hannity with a best-ever 3.058 million viewers compared to Hannity's 3 million.

Even better news for MSNBC - Maddow scored an average 671K viewers in the much-prized 25-54 demographic in the 9PM ET slot. Hannity averaged only 616K viewers.

Third place CNN garnered only 382K viewers in the 25-54 demo.

MSNBC was the only cable news network to increase viewership over the same period in 2017. MSNBC saw a 30% increase while both CNN and Fox News saw declines in their audience.

MSNBC's prime lineup was up 8% from March 2017 numbers, while both Fox (down 18%) and CNN (down 16%) saw big drop-offs when accounting for year-over-year.

I think it's undeniable that "The Resistance" remains strong since Trump's inauguration and that accounts for much of the increased appetite for MSNBC's programming.

(source)

Out Music: MGM Resorts Reimagines Wedding Songs For The LGBTQ Community

Because Las Vegas IS the wedding capitol of the world :)

MGM Resorts has produced a new EP of reimagined pop hits with a same-sex twist from artists international recording artists Bob Dylan, Kesha, Benjamin Gibbard, St. Vincent, Valerie June and Kele Okereke.

UNIVERSAL LOVE, a collection of reimagined wedding songs for the LGBTQ community, celebrates the enduring and overwhelming power of love and music to unite.

Via press release:

The album includes boundary-changing songs from some of today’s most-beloved artists. Bob Dylan, one of the most influential and successful recording artists in American history, is among the visionary artists participating in this unprecedented project. Dylan re-recorded “She’s Funny That Way” as “He’s Funny That Way.”

The album features five additional stellar artists whose involvement is a testament to the urgency of equality in entertainment: Kesha (“I Need a Woman to Love Me”), St. Vincent (“And Then She Kissed Me”), Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie (“And I Love Him”), Kele Okereke of Bloc Party (“My Guy”), and Valerie June (“Mad About The Girl”).

Phyllis James, MGM Resorts’ Chief Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, said, “We believe projects like this will help all of us reach a point where seeing the world through the lens of people who happen to be different from us becomes natural and commonplace. It is an immense honor for MGM Resorts to spearhead this inspirational project which celebrates LGBTQ dimensions of the universal emotion of love.”

UNIVERSAL LOVE is a natural extension of MGM’s two decades of advocacy work with the LGBTQ community and the company’s desire to advance initiatives that unite humanity. More than a decade before same-sex marriage was legalized, same-sex commitment ceremonies were performed at chapels at MGM Resorts’ properties.

In 2004, MGM Resorts became the first company in the gaming and hospitality industry to offer same-sex health benefits to employees, and MGM was a founding partner of the Las Vegas chapter of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in 2004.

UNIVERSAL LOVE is now available on iTunes and all streaming platforms beginning today.

UNIVERSAL LOVE Track Listing:

01 “He's Funny That Way” • Bob Dylan
02 “And Then She Kissed Me” • St Vincent
03 “My Guy” • Kele Okereke
04 “Mad About The Girl” • Valerie June
05 “And I Love Him” • Benjamin Gibbard
06 “I Need A Woman To Love Me” • Kesha

My favorite track would have to be Gibbard's cover of the Beatles classic, "And I Love Him," but the full EP is terrific.

It's important to note that more than a decade before same-sex marriage was legalized, same-sex commitment ceremonies were performed at chapels at MGM Resorts’ properties.

In 2004, MGM Resorts became the first company in the gaming and hospitality industry to offer same-sex health benefits to employees, and MGM was a founding partner of the Las Vegas chapter of the Human Rights Campaign in 2004.

MGM Resorts was named one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” for the fifth year in a row earning a perfect score for its LGBT Employee Policies and Benefits.

So, yeah, this is a company we want to support and thank for all they do for the LGBTQ community.

Breaking: Dr. Evil Fired From Trump Administration

One of my favorite creative processes that happen during political unrest is when comedy writers revisit and repurpose iconic characters of the past for present day hilarity.

And so it was last night when Mike Myers' "Dr. Evil" made a guest appearance on The Tonight Show for an interview with Jimmy Fallon as the latest Trumper to be fired.

Even Fallon was taken aback by the discovery Evil had been in the White House.

Fallon: “I’ve got to say, I had no idea that you were part of the Trump administration. What exactly did you do there?”

Evil: “Well naturally, I was going to be secretary of evil. But Steve Bannon got that job,” Said Dr. Evil, bringing his pinky to his mouth for punctuation.

Evil admitted he was more of an "ideas man" taking credit for the border wall. "It was all me. But I wanted it to be a moat with spiky blowfish."

According to Evil, his relationships in the White House were hit and miss.

"I got along swimmingly with Ben Carson. We were both evil doctors who didn't know why we were there."

Regarding Don Jr.: "That guy's creepy AF. He looks like he's missing a facial feature, you just don't know which one."

Great stuff. And great to see the evil Dr. Evil again :)

Watch below.

Poll Of 97,000 Americans Shows Trump Approval Drops To Record Low

Donald Trump may have thought his "yuuuuge tax cuts" legislation would make it popular, but he's actually dropped in terms of job approval according to Morning Consult to the lowest point of his presidency.

The latest Morning Consult poll, surveying over 97,000 Americans across all 50 states, puts his approval at just 41%.

From Morning Consult:

The new data — compiled from surveys conducted March 1 to March 31 among 97,693 registered voters in every state and Washington, D.C. — shows 41 percent of registered voters approving and 54 percent disapproving of Trump’s job performance, surpassing previous monthly lows from October and November, when 42 percent approved and 53 percent took the opposing view.

This marks a 4-point net decline from February (43% approval, 52% disapproval), and surpasses his previous monthly lows from October and November when 42% approved and 53% disapproved.

The changes were driven mainly by a loss of enthusiasm among the president’s independent and Republican supporters: Strong approval for Trump was down 2 points among GOP voters, to 45 percent, and 1 point among independents, to 13 percent.

Trump remains underwater in crucial battleground states: President Trump also saw his approval marks decline in key Senate battleground states in March. Here's where Trump stands in key battleground states:

• Ohio: (46% approve, 50% disapprove) (-5 percentage point change since February)
• Montana: (50% approve, 46% disapprove) (-5 net change)
• Arizona: (48% approve, 49% disapprove) (-4 net change)

Click here for more info including an interactive map of the U.S. where you can see Trump's approval changes over time since his inauguration.

Awesomeness: Texas Teen Gets Accepted To All 20 Colleges He Applied To With Full Ride

The college acceptance phase of life can be nerve-wracking.

I was lucky. Back when I was applying to schools, I hit up three - SMU, TCU and Syracuse University - and was accepted at all three. I had decent grades, a good SAT and the theater departments I auditioned for - fortunately - wanted me.

p.s. I went to SU because it had the best musical theatre program in the country at the time.

But here's an amazing story.

Houston high school student Michael Brown was accepted and given full scholarships to all 20 colleges he applied to.

The high point, though, was when hit top pick - Stanford University - sent their full ride acceptance letter.

From The New York Post;

The 17-year-old from Houston said he didn’t anticipate so many acceptances and remains in shock.

“I was certainly nervous,” Brown told news station KHOU. “I study a considerable amount I think.”

Brown, a Lamar High School student, said that several Ivy League schools, including Harvard, Yale, University of Pennsylvania and Princeton, are among his top choices, according to KHOU.

The teen also has his pick of colleges such as Stanford, Northwestern, Georgetown, Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins. He has until May 1 to make his decision.

When applying to schools, Brown boasted a 4.68 GPA and listed extracurricular activities such as the debate team and Young Democrats.

Brown, who grew up in the low-income neighborhood Third Ward, said he encourages others to not let their circumstances prevent them from working toward their dreams.

“Be helpful. Dream big. Don’t be afraid,” Brown told KHOU. “Be proud of your family, love yourself, love your community and then share your story. Inspire other people to really reach for the stars and achieve their dreams.”

News Round-Up: April 4, 2018

Fitness model John Gaines

Some news items you might have missed:

• I got your Hump Day right here - a woofy guy (fitness model John Gaines), a dog that woofs and a beach. What's not to like? #HumpThis

• Toronto police, under fire for the slow response to investigate a series of gay murders, will not march in the city’s pride parade this year.

• Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson, who covers the White House, will be honored by The White House Correspondents’ Association with an honorable mention for the Merriman Smith Award for print, which honors presidential news coverage under deadline pressure.

• A contest at a Malaysian university sought ideas to help “convert” gay students. The contest called for video and poster design as part of a campaign called “Back to Nature.”

• A CNN legal analyst described Donald Trump's fruitless search for a lawyer as being "reduced to Legalzoom." In light of the fact that Trump famously doesn't listen to his lawyers' advice or pay his legal fees, no one in Washington D.C. wants to rep him.

• Grindr says it will stop sharing subscribers HIV status with 3rd party companies.

• Maryland lawmakers have passed a bill that outlaws so-called "conversion therapy" for minors. The bill now goes to the governor for his signature.

• And how about one more from the hunky, handsome Mr. Gaines...

A post shared by John Gaines Jr. (@gainsbygaines) on Feb 14, 2018 at 10:01am PST

Alaska: Anchorage Voters Reject Anti-Trans Bathroom Bill

Voters in Anchorage, Alaska have rejected Proposition 1, an anti-transgender “bathroom bill” that would have forced folks to use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding with their birth certificate gender.

From Anchorage Press:

No on Prop 1 took 53 percent of the votes with yes getting 46 percent.

This failure of the referendum to pass would mean that laws would retain the rights afforded to transgender people as passed in the Anchorage Assembly resolution of 2015.

Hurray for the good guys!

Report: Trump Adviser Boasted Of Dinner With WikiLeaks Founder Same Day He Foretold Of "Devastating" Email Leaks

Roger Stone

Remember - the Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election is looking into whether ANYONE from Team Trump colluded with Russian actors to affect the election.

Roger Stone, longtime adviser to Donald Trump foreshadowed upcoming WikiLeaks disclosure on Alex Jones' "InforWars" show the same day he emailed Trump adviser Sam Nunberg that he had had dinner with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

You see where this is going, right?

From CNN:

On the August 4, 2016, InfoWars show, Stone described the soon-to-appear WikiLeaks disclosures. He also mentioned that he spoke with then-Republican nominee Donald Trump on August 3 -- the day before the interview. InfoWars is a fringe media outlet run by Alex Jones, who is known for spreading conspiracy theories.

Stone wrote to former Trump adviser Sam Nunberg on August 4, 2016, that he had dinner with Assange the night before, according to a source familiar with the email exchange. The email was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Monday. The Journal also reported that special counsel Robert Mueller is examining the exchange.

Stone has said the email about the dinner was sent in jest and that he has never met or spoken with Assange.

Roger Stone, on the day he sent an email claiming he dined with Julian Assange, also predicted that “devastating” WikiLeaks documents about the Clinton Foundation would be disclosed https://t.co/NuEgXWMcUh pic.twitter.com/0KX5KA750M

— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) April 4, 2018

That email Stone says he sent in "jest," acting like a big man, is exactly what's jacking him up right now.

Trump has said repeatedly that "there was no collusion."

It's very possible Trump didn't know his advisers were in contact with foreign actors interfering in the election. But that doesn't mean someone in his camp wasn't "colluding."

EXCLUSIVE: Roger Stone's email to Sam Nunberg saying he dined with @JulianAssange pic.twitter.com/bBYY9CPcWe

— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) April 4, 2018