Orlando Gunman Was Gay, Says Former Police-Academy Classmate

By Claire Landsbaum

When Omar Mateen — a 29-year-old security guard — opened fire at Pulse nightclub in Orlando on Sunday, killing 49 people and wounding 53, it wasn't his first time at the club. In fact, according to at least four regular patrons, Mateen had visited the club several times before, and one — Chris Callen, a drag queen who performs at Pulse under the name Kristina McLaughlin — said Mateen had been going there "for at least three years."

Additional reports suggest Mateen had created profiles on multiple gay-dating apps: Grindr, Jack'd, and Adam for Adam, to name a few. And a former police-academy classmate of Mateen's said he believed Mateen was gay and had asked him out on a date. "We went to a few gay bars with him, and I was not out at the time, so I declined his offer," the classmate told the Palm Beach Post. He went on, "He just wanted to fit in and no one liked him. He was always socially awkward."

Cord Cedeno, another Pulse patron, said he recognized Mateen from Grindr but "instantly blocked him because he was very creepy in his messages."

Ty Smith, another regular, told the Orlando Sentinel that Mateen would "go over in the corner and sit and drink by himself," and at times would "get so drunk he was loud and belligerent." "We didn't really talk to him a lot, but I remember him saying things about his dad at times," Smith said. "He told us he had a wife and child."

Yet another Pulse regular, Kevin West, told the Los Angeles Times that Mateen messaged him on the gay-dating app Jack'd for at least a year before the shooting, but they'd never met in person. Then, on Sunday, West was dropping a friend off at Pulse when he noticed Mateen crossing the street at about 1 a.m. — just an hour before the shooting. "He walked directly past me," West said. "I said, 'Hey,' and he turned and said, 'Hey.' I could tell by the eyes."

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full article
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/06/orlando-shooter-was-gay-says-former-classmate.html

Sanders To Address Supporters Via Video Live Stream Thursday

By KATHERINE KRUEGER Published JUNE 14, 2016, 10:46 AM EDT

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) is slated to address supporters with a video live stream on Thursday night, his campaign confirmed Tuesday.

"He will speak directly to supporters about how the revolution continues," campaign spokesman Michael Briggs said in an email to TPM.

The video address is scheduled for two days after Tuesday's Democratic primary in the District of Columbia, the final contest of the primary season. Sanders still has not signaled whether he will concede the nomination to Hillary Clinton, the party's presumptive nominee.

While the exact time for the address isn't set, Briggs said the stream would be available to anyone who signs up on the campaign's website.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/bernie-sanders-addressing-supporters-thursday

Poll: Clinton Extends Lead Over Trump With Help From White And Male Voters

By CAITLIN MACNEAL Published JUNE 14, 2016, 9:54 AM EDT

Hillary Clinton's extended her lead over Donald Trump to seven points in the latest NBC News/Survey Monkey national poll released on Tuesday.

Clinton leads Trump 49-42 among registered voters, a slight bump from the 48-44 lead she had over the presumptive Republican presidential nominee in last week's tracking poll.

Over the past week, Clinton made headway among moderate, male and white voters, according to the tracking poll. Clinton jumped 7 points among moderate voters from last week's tracking poll, now leading Trump 58-33 in that subgroup, according to NBC News.

Trump's lead among male and white voters narrowed since last week's tracking poll. He dropped five points among male voters, to lead Clinton 51-42, and he dropped four points among white voters, now leading Clinton 50-41 among white voters in the tracking poll.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/polltracker/hillary-clinton-trump-gains-white-male-moderate-voters

Conservative Media Run With Faulty ABC Report To Allege Hillary Clinton “Sold A Seat” On An Intellig

Jesse Jackson Endorses Hillary Clinton: 'We Trust Her'

Source: Talking Points Memo

By KRISTIN SALAKY
Published JUNE 11, 2016, 3:31 PM EDT


Jesse Jackson endorsed Hillary Clinton on Saturday, saying he trusts her to work with groups including women and immigrants, CNN reported.

Jackson gave a speech at the site of a memorial in Chicago recognizing the hundreds of children who have been killed in the city. He cited Clinton's commitment to working with diverse communities.

"We trust her to work on health care, to fight for the poor ... for the willingness to fight for civil rights," Jackson said, according to CNN.


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Jackson has a long history with both Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) which he said prevented him from endorsing in the primary race, according to The Hill. He previously endorsed President Obama in 2008 over Clinton.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jackson-endorses-clinton

Report: Elizabeth Warren To Endorse Clinton Thursday Night On MSNBC

Source: Talking Points Memo

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is expected to endorse Hillary Clinton Thursday night on MSNBC's “The Rachel Maddow Show," according to Boston Globe reporter Annie Linskey.

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The prized endorsement from the popular Massachusetts senator would come on the same day President Barack Obama went public with his own support for Clinton.

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Warren, who has lead the Democratic Party’s attacks on presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump, has been floated as a vice presidential pick who could help Clinton appeal to disappointed supporters of her primary opponent, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Clinton called Warren “an incredible public servant, eminently qualified for any role” in a Thursday interview with Politico.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/elizabeth-warren-endorse-clinton-thursday

WH Briefing After Obama-Sanders Meeting

Obama Endorses Clinton: 'I Don’t Think There’s Ever Been Someone So Qualified'

Appeals Court: No 2nd Amendment Right To Public Concealed Carry

Source: Talking Points Memo

The gun rights movement was delivered a setback Thursday when an appeals court based out of San Francisco said there was no Second Amendment right for a member of the public to carry a concealed weapon in a decision upholding a California firearm restriction.

"As the uncontradicted historical evidence overwhelmingly shows, the Second Amendment does not protect, in any degree, the right of a member of the general public to carry a concealed weapon in public," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit said in its opinion. In a 7-4 vote, it upheld the previous ruling of a three-judge panel of the appeals court, which had been appealed to the full court.

"The Second Amendment may or may not protect to some degree a right of a member of the general public to carry a firearm in public. If there is such a right, it is only a right to carry a firearm openly," the opinion said. "But Plaintiffs do not challenge California’s restrictions on open carry; they challenge only restrictions on concealed carry."

The opinion noted the question of open carry had not been answered by the Supreme Court.

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Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/appeals-court-no-2nd-amendment-right-concealed-carry

Sanders pledges to work against Trump after meeting Obama

Source: The Hill

Bernie Sanders said Thursday he would work to defeat presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump in November, following a meeting with President Obama at the White House.

Sanders said he would speak with his rival, Hillary Clinton, about how to fight against Trump, but declined to endorse her or drop out of the presidential race.

“Needless to say, I am going to do everything in my power, and I will work as hard as I can to make sure Donald Trump does not become president of the United States,” the Vermont senator said.

Sanders said he phoned Clinton after Tuesday's primaries to congratulate her on her "strong campaign" and said they would speak soon about "how we can work together to defeat Donald Trump and to create a government that represents all of us and not just the one percent.”

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Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/282887-sanders-pledges-to-work-to-defeat-trump-after-meeting-obama