Feb 28th 2017 Former President George W. Bush has been busy settling into his post-White House life as a painter, but he still has a few things to say about politics. In a recent interview with People magazine, he admitted he does have an issue with the current climate in the country. Said Bush, "I don't like the racism and I don't like the name-calling and I don't like the people feeling alienated. Nobody likes that." He further noted that the political climate in Washington, D.C. is "pretty ugly." Nonetheless, he did express hope, commenting, "I'm optimistic about where we'll end up...We've been through these periods before and we've always had a way to come out of it. I'm more optimistic than some." When asked if he planned to inject himself into the current political situation, he said that he does not, but mentioned, "However, at the Bush Center we are speaking up." The center has a number of programs that aid immigration and support those choosing to make a life in the United States, notes the Huffington Post. In a recent interview on NBC's Today show, Bush noted that he is in favor of an immigration policy "...that's welcoming and that upholds the law."
Latest role: Travolta has been attached to the Gotti project for six years.
Gotti at his 1990 trial
On and off screen: Gotti's wife Victoria, is played by Travolta's real life spouse of 26 years, Kelly Preston.Travolta and Preston's 16-year-old daughter Ella Bleu will also appear as Gotti's first daughter Angel.
Gotti's wife Victoria always dressed in black
Gotti's oldest son John Gotti Jr, who wrote the memoir Shadow of My Father, is one of the film'sproducers
Gotti was Italian-American gangster who was born into poverty in The Bronx but turned to a life of crime from an early age, quickly rising to become boss of the Gambino crime family. Betrayed by a trusted crime family member, he died behind bars in 2002, aged 61, one year after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
Staying in character: Indeed the mob boss he is playing was once known as Dapper Don in the media for his love of fine suits, hand-painted ties and immaculately combed hair
Snitches get stitches: He chatted with actor William DeMeo, who plays Sammy the Bull Gravano, his right hand man turned FBI informant, the man who, ultimately, brought Gotti down.
Lookout: Spotted behind the two men (L) was Gotti's enforcer Bartholomew 'Bobby' Boriello, played by Leo Rossi keeping a watchful eye over his boss
Little did Gotti know that his greatest threat was always right beside him. Salvatore Gravano went on to become the highest ranking member of the Five Families mafia organization then became an FBI informant, testifying against Gotti which led to his life imprisonment.
Now 71, Gravano is set to be released from prison on March 8, 2019, having served almost 20 years for drug trafficking.
At the helm...Kevin Conolly
Between takes, John chatted to Entourage star Kevin Connolly, who is directing the crime biopic. Travolta has been attached to the Gotti biopic for six years now, staying with the project even as numerous Hollywood heavyweights dropped out of the film.
Nick Cassavetes, Joe Johnston and Barry Levinson were all attached to direct at one point, while a trio of Oscar-winning actors - Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Anthony Hopkins - left the film after being cast due to multiple false starts that kept pushing back the start date for principal photography.
Lindsay Lohan was also set to star in the role of Victoria when the project was first announced back in 2011.
Gotti's oldest son John Gotti Jr, who wrote the 2015 memoir Shadow of My Father, is one of the film's producers.
Maybe John will reprise his 'Pulp Fiction' role. You may recall his character was a tough, mob guy, more of a soldier than a boss. But he played the role exceptionally well. Whatever his lifestyle, he is a fine actor. This could be his best performance, the high point in a long, colorful career. It is being filmed largely in New York to give it an authentic flavor.
ARIS FOLLEY, AOL.COM Former football legend O.J. Simpson could be paroled within months after serving a fraction of his 33-year sentence for kidnapping, robbery and assault, and would be free to cash in on his multi-million dollar NFL pension, according to new reports. The former American football star's parole board hearing is booked for July 3 -- six days before Simpson's 70th birthday -- when he'll face a possible release if he can convince a majority of his parole board that he has kept clean during his incarceration, also avoiding gang-membership and drug and alcohol abuse, the Sunday Express reports. Simpson was convicted of a string of charges in 2008, including armed robbery and kidnapping, and has spent the better part of the last decade serving time at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Nevada. However, the families of the two victims whose murders Simpson was found civilly liable for in 1997 -- Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman -- will not receive a penny of the $33.5 million Simpson owes the families. In 2013, Simpson was paroled on five of his 12 charges after proving he had displayed good behavior while serving his sentence. The former athlete has maintained his innocence from being cleared of double murder in the death of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in what became known as "The Trial of the Century'" in 1995. That case was thrust into the public eye again decades later after the release of the series, "The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story." "Let me go on the record and say that I can't regret it, it's the past," Darden in regards to his decision to have Simpson try on the leather glove found at the murder scene for the first time before the Los Angeles jury. "I think desperate times call for desperate measures. For me, as a lawyer, I'm always going to try and win." Darden's choice, however, was fundamental for Simpson's then-defense lawyer Johnnie Cochran's closing arguments, during which he uttered the now famous phrase, "If it doesn't fit, you must acquit." His story also made its way into the spotlight again when the documentary based on his life -- "O.J.: Made in America" -- won an Oscar on Sunday night.
by SAMANTHA SCHNURR & SENTA SCARBOROUGH They were just children when their father O.J. Simpson stood on the criminal trial "of the century" for the alleged murder of their mother Nicole Brown Simpson. Now, Sydney Simpson and Justin Simpson are full-fledged adults who have built full lives away from the tragedy that struck them over two decades ago. At 30 years old, the eldest of Nicole's children went on to attend Boston University, where she graduated with a BA in Sociology from the school's College of Arts and Sciences in May 2010, Director of Media Relations Colin Riley shared with E! News. Sydney marked her first days at the school during move-in weekend in 2004, where her father helped get her situated, a source told E! News. "He was just like a regular dad moving his daughter into college," the source revealed. Since her college days, she lived in Atlanta and recently moved to St. Petersburg, Fla. where she purchased a house in August. As for income, she opened her own business, Simspy LLC, in 2014, which she currently still operates out of St. Petersburg, Fla and purchased two additional properties in the area.
In regard to Sydney's younger brother Justin, he was only two months shy of his sixth birthday when he lost his mother. At 27 years old today, he is a successful real estate agent listed with Coldwell Banker Homes out of St. Petersburg, Fla., the same town as his older sister. He shows a clear passion for his career on all of his social media accounts, discussing his flair for real estate on Twitter and on a separate business page on Facebook. "Having a family immersed in hospitality, Justin sets himself apart by dominating customer service and his communication/negotiation skills give his clients the competitive edge!" his biography reads on the company's website. Like his sister, Justin also owns his own limited liability company. In the romance department, it appears he has been in a steady relationship, at least as of December.
O.J Simpson's daughter, Sydney Simpson, has resurfaced in St. Petersburg, Florida. She was quietly living there, until the swell of interest over the FX crime drama about her father. Sydney, now 30, blended in with the rest of her neighbors doing the usual errands ... taking out the trash and walking her dog. You can't help but feel bad ... Sydney was 8 and her brother, Justin, only 5 when their mother, Nicole Brown Simpson, was nearly decapitated at her Brentwood condo while they both slept upstairs. It's almost unthinkable ... but O.J. left Nicole's body for her kids to find. Luckily, cops intervened. Florida ... a long way from Las Vegas, where O.J.'s currently in prison for a different crime. At the funeral service :
WILLIAM STEAKIN, AOL.COM February 18th 2017 Former CBS News anchor Dan Rather took to Facebook on Saturday and called President Donald Trump's recent attacks on the press a "deep betrayal of our national history." "I have resisted commenting on President Trump's outrageous attack on the press," said Rather, who felt the need to speak out following Trump's recent tweet claiming the media was "the enemy of the American people." Rather, however, refused to address Trump's claim directly, instead focusing his attention toward Republicans he deemed as Trump's "enablers." "By their silence on this travesty normalize a behavior that is antithetical to our Constitutional principles," he continued. "Future generations will not look kindly on profiles in cowardice." The former anchor's statement follows President Trump's unprecedented Thursday press conference, that MSNBC host and former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough called "one of the most chaotic, rambling press conferences anybody has ever seen." Following the media's negative response to the presser, and multiple polls from Pew, Gallup, and FOX News showing Trump's approval rating at historically low levels, the president tweeted out "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!" Trump then used conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh's praise of the controversial press conference as evidence that any critiques of the presser are "fake news" and "dishonest." "One of the most effective press conferences I've ever seen!" says Rush Limbaugh. Many agree.Yet FAKE MEDIA calls it differently! Dishonest," Trump tweeted. Rather wrapped up his Facebook post with a message to his colleagues in the media. "To my fellow journalists, I know you will not be bullied or intimidated. Keep doing your job. Your country depends on your service. Courage." https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/?ref=nf Dan Rather on Saturday I have resisted commenting on President Trump's outrageous attack on the press with his tweet calling the media "the enemy of the American people." It is a sentiment that is a deep betrayal of our national history. The evidence to the contrary is so overwhelming that to choose any one example is to play into the alternate reality Mr. Trump is seeking to exploit for his cynical political purposes. My message is not for he who will not listen. Instead I wish to address his enablers, specifically those in the Republican Party who by their silence on this travesty normalize a behaviour that is antithetical to our Constitutional principles. Future generations will not look kindly on profiles in cowardice. And to my fellow journalists, I know you will not be bullied or intimidated. Keep doing your job. Your country depends on your service. Courage.
February 19th 2017 Kellyanne Conway has been called out by the president of her alma mater, Trinity Washington University, in a recent school blog post titled, "On Lies and the Truths We Must Tell." In the piece, Patricia McGuire states that "Presidential Counselor Kellyanne Conway, Trinity Class of 1989, has played a large role in facilitating the manipulation of facts and encouraging the grave injustice being perpetrated by the Trump Administration's war on immigrants among many other issues." She goes on to point out, "Ms. Conway invented the now-infamous phrase 'alternative facts' to defend Trump's claims about the size of crowds at his inauguration, a thinly-veiled autocratic scheme..." The school president then says, "Ms. Conway has been part of a team that thinks nothing of shaping and spreading a skein of lies as a means to secure power. Perhaps the 'Bowling Green Massacre' comment was truly a mistake, as she claims, but she repeated that canard on three different occasions as an explanation for why the travel ban, an executive order that clearly discriminates against Muslims, was necessary." In response, Conway told the Washington Post, "It's a disappointment to have the president of the university lift up other Trinity graduates who have a casual relationship with the truth." Trump's adviser reportedly brought up fellow alum Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and others who, in Conway's words, "attack me, and never have the courtesy of calling or emailing me to ask what I meant on any given occasion." Nevertheless, comments to the critical blog post appear to be largely positive, with one self-identified former alum writing, "Thanks, Pat, for your clarity and eloquence. You give voice to the Trinity I know, respect and love."
Business Insider JEREMY BERKE February 19th 2017 President Donald Trump reportedly isn't adjusting well to life in the White House after his first month in office. That's according to Axios' Mike Allen's latest newsletter, in which he writes that a Trump adviser told him the president is experiencing "cabin fever" in the White House. Trump is reportedly experiencing headaches and frustration that he can't spend his evenings dining at restaurants like he could around Trump Tower in his old neighborhood in New York City. Trump's campaign-style rally in Melbourne, Florida yesterday — where he mentioned a nonexistent incident of refugees committing crimes in Sweden — was "partially about Trump management," Allen writes. The rally was a chance for Trump to escape from the pressure-cooker environment in Washington after a month of turmoil, and bask in the adoration of his most passionate supporters. Trump will spend Sunday interviewing candidates to replace Mike Flynn, the president's former national security adviser who was ousted over his connections to Russia.
Witchy wants to know : Could those who believe in Teump explain to me what he has done that makes you feel so confident in placing such trust in him, that you don't even see the need for the media to report on him? Is it because this loose mouth charlatan doesn't know anything about world events or domestic affairs for that matter. He is completely clueless just like his staff. Let the truth be told ...tRUMP will never be able to adapt to any lifestyle where he is not the total king and ruler, he really did not anticipate the power of our constitution and the resolve of both republicans and democrats to protect our way of life. It will be our constitution that is his downfall. A womanizing racist bigot obviously can convince enough people to vote for him but he CANNOT convince the real Americans to join him in dismantling our constitution....Nuff said .
NBC News CHUCK TODD AND MATT RIVERA February 18th 2017 Sen. John McCain is taking a veiled swipe at President Donald Trump's ongoing attack on the fourth estate, cautioning that "how dictators get started" is by shutting down the press. The Republican Arizona senator, in an exclusive interview on Meet the Press airing Sunday, admitted that the relationship between the media and elected officials can sometimes be tense — highlighted by the Trump administration's repeated sparring with reporters and the president calling news organizations "fake news." Watch the interview with Sen. McCain on Sunday on NBC's Meet the Press Half-jokingly, McCain said, "a fundamental part of that new world order was a free press. I hate the press. I hate you especially. But the fact is we need you." His defense of the media came in response to a Friday tweet from President Donald Trump in which he called certain news outlets "the enemy of the American People." Speaking from Germany, where he was attending the Munich Security Conference, McCain said that without a free press, "I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That's how dictators get started." McCain clarified that he wasn't referring to the president as a dictator, but that attacks on journalists who are questioning those in power are usually a hallmark of autocratic governments. "When you look at history," McCain said, "the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press. And I'm not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I'm just saying we need to learn the lessons of history."
Witchy sez : Listen folks , think for yourselves.. There are 3 things the United States of America does not need and should be abolished. First, there is no need for hand guns in the general public. Secondly, there is absolute no need for pit bull terriers. Thirdly. there is absolutely no need for Donald J. Trump for any reason. Hey that's just me and the way I roll ... nuff sez.
CHRISTINA GREGG, AOL.COM February 16th 2017 One day after an Us Weekly report claimed Melania Trump finds it "miserable" to be the first lady, President Trump spoke out on his wife's White House role. As her first major move as first lady, Melania Trump announced earlier this week that the White House visitor's center will reopen on March 7, 2017 -- allowing for tours of the storied estate. These oppositional stories have caused many to question Melania Trump's White House role, and how she will differ from first ladies of years past. "She is going to be a fantastic first lady," Trump said in his lengthy Thursday press conference. "She is going to be a tremendous representative of women and of the people." The first lady made her first White House appearance since Inauguration Day on Wednesday, when she met with the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and joined her husband in hosting Sen. Marco Rubio and his wife for dinner. The president also noted that his daughter, Ivanka Trump, will be working closely with the first lady. Melania also made headlines recently when model Emily Ratajkowski revealed a New York Times reporter called Mrs. Trump a "hooker" during a conversation the two had at a party. The reporter has since apologized. "She gets so unfairly treated...I've known her for a long time," Trump said. "She was very successful, a very successful model. She would go home at night, and didn't even want to go out with people." "She was always the highest quality that you'll ever find," the president said of his wife. "The things they say are so unfair." The president also noted that Melania Trump feels very strongly about women's issues -- something the first lady has yet to speak publicly on since the inauguration. Ivanka Trump, though, was present at a White House meeting this week attended by President Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on women's business initiatives. "They're not doing this for money, they're not doing this for pay," Trump said. "They're doing this because they feel this, both of them."
US News ANDREW SOERGEL February 13th 2017 Leaving little downtime between his visit with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the end of last week, President Donald Trump hosted another foreign dignitary Monday as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to the White House. Trudeau – who was elected prime minister from Canada's Liberal Party in 2015 and who reportedly maintained a congenial relationship with President Barack Obama – became the third international leader to personally visit Trump in Washington following his inauguration, trailing Japan's Abe and U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May. Hanging over the visit were Trump's promises to renegotiate or withdraw from the North American Free Trade Agreement – a deal designed to foster trade relations between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Canada represented the largest buyer of American goods exports in the world last year. Trump and Trudeau, however, said in a joint statement Monday that they have "affirmed their longstanding commitment to close cooperation in addressing both the challenges facing our two countries and problems around the world." "No two countries share deeper or broader relations than Canada and the United States," the statement said. "We recognize our profound shared economic interests and will work tirelessly to provide growth and jobs for both countries." The two individually made similar comments at a news conference Monday afternoon, with Trump promising that America "is going to have a great relationship with Canada" under his watch. Trudeau, for his part, praised Monday's "very productive meeting" and indicated "maintaining strong economic ties is vital to our mutual success." "At the end of the day, the president and I share a common goal. We both want to make sure that hardworking folks can go to work at a good job, put food on the table for their families and save up to take a vacation every once in a while," Trudeau said. Prior to the news conference, the two leaders participated in a roundtable discussion focused on opening up more opportunities for the advancement of female business leaders. Those in attendance included Julie Sweet, who heads information technology outfit Accenture's American and Canadian operations; Carol Stephenson, who sits on General Motors' board of directors; and Tina Lee, CEO of T&T Supermarket Inc., according to White House press pool reports. Trump's daughter, Ivanka, reportedly played a role in organizing the event. The two North American leaders also announced the formation of the Canada-United States Council for Advancement of Women Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders – an initiative aimed at bolstering female workplace participation and removing barriers holding working women back. "This initiative is more than just about dollars and cents. This is about ensuring that women have access to the same opportunities as men and prioritizing the support and empowerment of women who are senior business leaders and entrepreneurs," Trudeau said. "In doing so, we'll grow the Canadian and American economies and help our businesses prosper." Trump and Trudeau also touched on national security and terrorism concerns during the news conference and made several passing references to trade dynamics. The new U.S. administration has made restructuring trade with Mexico a key priority, but analysts believe Trump won't be able to retool NAFTA without also impacting America's business with Canada. The two did not appear to have reached any sort of trade finality as a result of their meeting Monday, but their joint statement acknowledged that "Canada is the most important foreign market for 35 U.S. states," that "more than $2 billion in two-way trade flows across our shared border every day" and that "millions of American and Canadian middle-class jobs, including in the manufacturing sector, depend on our partnership." Trump said he and Trudeau discussed policies that would be "a lot better for trade and a lot better and a lot faster for trade," possibly involving new technological innovations.
President Trump has been gradually filling his cabinet positions, but there's one key position in his administration that's proving tough to find a candidate for: Communications director. White House press secretary Sean Spicer has been doing double duty in the role, but it's unusual for the same person to hold both positions. CNN has reported that a source tells them Trump has been unhappy with Spicer's performance. Jason Miller, who managed communications for Trump's campaign, was going to fill the post but stepped down during the transition. Politico reports that White House chief of staff Reince Priebus has been attempting to find a new candidate but has been having trouble due to the challenges of working in Trump's unusual administration. Former John McCain campaign strategist Steve Schmidt told Politico, "[W]hen you look at the complete and total chaos emanating from the White House on a number of issues, it's clear they have no strategic planning function."
Witchy wants to Know : We have the most inept administration we have ever had. Trump has botched every move he has made, with the exception of signing his name to several documents. The implementation of the travel ban was as inept as you can get, and his first military mission was a complete failure. Why did The Trump team come up with year old info, that we already had, as a justification for this failed mission? Why? Now for some laughs : Larry, Moe and Curly are already on staff.... what about Shemp? Now really?? 3 weeks in , get a grip!! He has done more damage in 3 weeks than any so called president has done in 8 years! Such a dividing figure! Wanted: WH Communications Director: Must be able to keep a straight face in all meetings, be able to say the phrase "bad dudes" in at least 12 languages, be able to stand in front of an 8 alarm fire and claim that you do not smell smoke and be able to help other staff members find pesky light switches in dark rooms. Resume and salary requirement to: Trump House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington DC Would you want to be the communications director if you worked for a president who tweeted all the time. waste of time for any serious professional ?
KELSEY WEEKMAN, AOL.COM February 7th 2017 The New York Times posted an article Sunday about the new Trump White House, calling the adjustments happening in the West Wing "turbulent." White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer immediately tried to brush off the story as "fake news." What grabbed the most attention in the article, however, was a strange line about President Donald Trump watching the news in his bathrobe. "There were just literally blatant factual errors and it's unacceptable to see that kind of reporting or so-called reporting," he said during a press meeting aboard Air Force One on Monday. Spicer used the odd story as a telltale sign that the article includes many falsehoods. "I don't even think the president owns a bathrobe. He definitely doesn't wear one," he said. Twitter users quickly started sharing photos of Trump in loungewear to prove the press secretary wrong. Though the photos are not solid proof that Trump currently wears a robe to watch TV, there's no denying he has certainly worn one in the past. Maggie Haberman, who co-wrote the New York Times article that sparked the debate, told CNN's Anderson Cooper that the piece was meant to humanize the president and show what goes on behind the scenes.
Business Insider ALEX LOCKIE February 6th 2017 White House senior adviser Kellyanne Conway cited a demonstrably false "massacre" as justification for President Donald Trump's temporary immigration ban in an interview with Cosmopolitan Magazine days before making headlines by saying the falsehood on MSNBC's "Hardball." Conway said in a phone interview with Cosmo on January 29th that Obama had called for a temporary ban on Iraqi refugees after the nonexistent "Bowling Green massacre." "Why did he do that? He did that for exactly the same reasons. He did that because two Iraqi nationals came to this country, joined ISIS, traveled back to the Middle East to get trained and refine their terrorism skills and come back here and were the masterminds behind the Bowling Green massacre of taking innocent soldiers' lives away," Conway told the magazine. The Obama administration did in fact review the refugee program from Iraq after the incident in Bowling Green, but did not outright ban refugees in the way that Trump's executive order has. Two Iraqi refugees in Bowling Green, Kentucky were arrested in 2011 and indicted on federal terrorism charges accusing them, in part, of providing material support to Al Qaeda in Iraq, but no attack ever took place. The refugees were ensared in a FBI sting operation. When Cosmo reached out to the FBI about Conway's account, an FBI spokesman told the magazine that their facts were "incorrect." Cosmo didn't publish Conway's remarks initially, but on Friday, Conway told the same story on "Hardball." Immediately, she corrected herself issuing tweets saying that she misspoke, saying she meant to say "Bowling Green terrorists" and not "Bowling Green massacre." In an interview with Fox News' Howard Kurtz on Sunday, Conway again defended the legitimacy of her story. "I should have said plot or I should have just called them terrorists. ... I clarified immediately. I should have said terrorists and not massacre," Conway said. "I'm sure it will live on for a week." "I misspoke one word. The corrections in the newspapers that are attacking me are three paragraphs long every day," she added.
Witchy sez: That is all a lie. No one wants sanctuary for terrorists . BUT you people who are afraid of EVERYTHING are being played like a fiddle by tRump's regime. You can't make this stuff up; and disagreeable news is fake news, yet Trump's trailer trash believe every word. Everything about Kelleyanne Conway is FALSE and FAKE. Just like her boss! Now folks .... a word to the wise : Massacre and terrorists are not even close in meaning. Words have consequences and Kellyann just found that out? How long has she been spokesperson for Trump and prior to that Ted Cruz? Come one GOPers stop defending incompetence. Had Obama's spokesperson made such an egregious mistake, you would have been all over it like stink on s##t! The more Conway speaks, the more she lies and twists and manipulates.
How could she remember all those lyrics at three??? This one brought tears to my eyes. I can only take a certain amount of cuteness without breaking down.
