IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS. Opening statements from Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) (read it) and Rep. Devin Nunes R-CA), deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs George Kent, top U.S. diplomat to Ukraine Bill Taylor.
MICK MULVANEY. Trump aides begging president not to fire him during impeachment hearings: “Senior advisers have cautioned Trump that removing Mulvaney at such a sensitive time could be perilous, the people said — both because Mulvaney played an integral role in the decision to freeze the aid, and because of the disruption that would be caused by replacing one of Trump’s most senior aides.”
ROBYN CRAWFORD. Whitney Houston’s lover says the late singer almost came for Wendy Williams. “If this were back in the day in Newark, I’d meet you outside.”
NARWHAL. Adorable puppy with extra tail on its face goes viral.
FRIENDS. Reunion special in the works: “Talks are currently underway for an unscripted reunion special that would feature Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer, as well as series creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman. Sources caution that a deal is far from done and agreements with cast and creatives still need to be hammered out.”
MATTHEW SHEPARD. Washington National Cathedral to get plaque marking his remains: “Soon after last year’s ceremony, cathedral representative Kevin Eckstrom said it became very apparent that Matthew was one of the most important of the 200 people buried in the cathedral, in addition to Hellen Keller and former President Woodrow Wilson. He said visitors came from across the country wanting to pay respects, leave flowers and letters, and light a candle. In conjunction with the foundation, the church raised $30,000 for a permanent marker at the burial site through GoFundMe.”
FBI. Nearly 1 in 5 hate crimes motivated by anti-LGBTQ bias.
WHAT BECOMES A LEGEND MOST? Here’s People‘s Sexiest Man Alive, and here are the other men who were honored.
CYNTHIA BAILEY. Real Housewives‘ star’s daughter Noelle comes out as sexually fluid. “It really just, like, came out of nowhere a little bit. Like, I just, like, wasn’t really expecting it to happen.”
SANTA ANA. Man pleads guilty to threatening gay roommates at knifepoint and slashing tires of one victim’s car: “Joe Martin Rodriguez pleaded guilty Wednesday to a felony count of criminal threats and a misdemeanor hate crime. He was scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 16 in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana.”
GRETA THUNBERG. The young climate activist has found her ride to Europe: “Greta Thunberg will hitch a ride with two Australian sailing YouTubers on her low-emissions voyage from America to the UN climate change conference in Madrid. The 16-year-old Swedish climate activist had initially been stranded in the United States after the location of the conference was abruptly changed from Chile to Spain at the last minute.”
GAY GAMES. Organizers committed to 2022 event in Hong Kong despite unrest: ‘A joint statement from the FGG and the Hong Kong organisers said they recognised that troubles in Hong Kong continue, but asserted the Games would be a “spectacular sports and cultural event that will kickstart and foster LGBTQ+ connections among our communities in the city and region”.
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE DAY. Jakk Fynn “Fire”. Jakk describes the video as “an artistic statement on how society imposes gender constructs and sexual identities on its members, but this motif is applicable to all marginalized groups.” He adds, “It is a post-apocalyptic assembly line with an unknown force assigning rigid identities to its inhabitants. The repercussion is a lack of individuality and a colorless society.”
COVER OF THE DAY. Niall Horan covers Post Malone’s “Circles” (and “Pumped Up Kicks”).
VIRAL VIDEO OF THE DAY. Bachelor contestant dragged because she can’t pronounce gnocchi.
TRAILER OF THE DAY. Dolly Parton Heartstrings.
HUMP DAY HOTTIE. Fuentes by Pedro Pereira for Made in Brazil’s Sambazine.
