Politix

Pope Francis just compared abortion to hiring a hitman ... because he says both acts are designed to get rid of a problem.

The Pope made his comment to Argentinian women who oppose a new, proposed law that would decriminalize abortion. The Argentinian President vowed to sign a law that would make abortion "legal, safe and free" for all citizens.

The Pontiff said abortion was just like "hiring a killer to solve a problem."

Pope Francis, who is from Argentina, told opponents of the bill, "The country is proud to have women like you."

Francis did say as far as he's concerned, women who have had abortions can seek forgiveness and their priests will "absolve them."

You'd think Kamala Harris would have widespread support among African-Americans if she runs for President in 2024 -- but that's no guarantee ... so says Tamika Mallory.

We spoke to the world-famous activist -- whose speech about George Floyd stirred the nation just a few months back -- and she was clear ... Vice President-elect Harris doesn't get the Black vote just because of the color of her skin.

Tamika says Kamala will have to earn the Black vote by living up to the promises she and Joe Biden have been making to African-Americans ahead of this year's election --  an election she says was do or die to get Trump out of The White House.

Bottom line for TM ... 2024 will be a normal primary cycle, and she says Black America will have a better chance to vet a candidate that best serves its interests ... regardless of identity politics. If that's Kamala, great -- but don't bank on it.

We've heard this logic before -- Ice Cube was saying something similar not too long ago regarding his "Contract with Black America." Sounds like Tamika has a hard-line she won't cross when it comes to DT, but the sentiment is similar.

Donald Trump got in a few holes before his Thanksgiving dinner, but it went about as well as the election for him ... and he was VERY vocal about it.

Trump was playing Thursday at his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, and he got teed off after he teed off and the ball went in the drink.

You hear Trump grouse, "Oh s**t," and it's clear he had a history with this particular hole, and it ain't a good one. As he watches the ball disappear in the water, he mutters, "I hate this f**king hole!!!"

You'd think he'd change the configuration of the pesky hole ... after all, he owns the course. He doesn't even need to be President to do that.

Maybe Trump was off his game because he's still so pissed off about the election. He was tweeting up a storm, again claiming he won the election, saying, "Just saw the vote tabulations.  There is NO WAY Biden got 80,000,000 votes!!! This was a 100% RIGGED ELECTION."

President-Elect Joe Biden says he's celebrating Thanksgiving 2020 the way he's urging others to celebrate -- with a small group of folks who are part of his bubble.

Joe and Jill Biden went on camera to wish everyone a happy turkey day, saying, "I know this isn't the way many of us hoped we'd spend our holiday. We know that a small act of staying home is a gift to our fellow Americans. Yes, it's a personal sacrifice that each of our families can make and should make to save somebody else's life. But, it's also a shared sacrifice for the whole country."

Dr. Biden added this ... "This has been a year filled with heartache and loss. Yet, there's still so much to be thankful for. We're thankful for the millions of Americans who've been working on the frontlines throughout this pandemic. Those who care for our sick, who helped put food on our tables, who teach our children and who have put on a uniform to serve our nation and the families who loved them as well. We're thankful for everyone who met this moment with kindness, bringing groceries to neighbors or asking, How can I help."

The Prez-in-waiting was optimistic, saying "I know better days are coming."

Donald Trump is clearly angry -- enraged -- which is the only explanation for the revenge he seems to want to exact on the American people, because he's goosing his followers to expose themselves to COVID, and the Supreme Court has just facilitated his wish.

Trump's Thanksgiving message ... "I encourage all Americans to gather, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanks to God for our many blessings."

It's as breathtaking as it is reckless ... as doctors and scientists have PLEADED for people to either cancel 2020 Thanksgiving or keep it within quarantine-safe limits, Trump is subverting the message. It's especially heartless given his personal knowledge ... that large events like his Amy Coney Barrett South Lawn event became a COVID superspreader.

Trump got some backing from the U.S. Supreme Court, with decisive help from his latest SCOTUS pick. Amy Coney Barrett was the deciding vote Wednesday night in a 5-4 decision, ruling that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's restriction on religious services violated the First Amendment. Just last May and July, the Court ruled by a 5-4 vote -- with RBG still on the court -- that such restrictions were constitutional, but things have now clearly changed.

ICYMI ... we are heading into what most everyone believes will be the deadliest period during the pandemic -- precisely because people are gathering indoors.

Joe Exotic is making a plea to Americans -- enjoy Thanksgiving, and then tell your rep in Congress to pressure the Prez to spring him from the big house.

Joe wrote a long Thanksgiving message, telling folks to enjoy Thanksgiving Day but on Black Friday ... " ... please think about the last 3 holidays I have spent in here while all the people that lied to put me here and the people that made money off of films, products and so on with the people that put me here under false pretense enjoy their freedom and their families during the Holidays."

That said, Joe then makes his pitch ... "Please pick up a phone on Monday and call your congressman and ask everyone you know to support asking President Trump to sign my Pardon and make this right so I don’t have to miss another Christmas without my loved ones just as you wouldn’t want to. I would love for some of you that has the power to pick up a phone and contact some pretty influential people to do so, so I could go home before something happens to my father or Dillon."

TMZ broke the story ... Joe's legal team traveled to D.C. recently to file their pardon application, and the team leader, Eric Love, says they've been getting encouraging words back from folks in the seat of power.

Trump's in a pardoning mood ... he just spared Michael Flynn from serving his prison sentence.

Eric says he's grateful to Trump and even suggests he and Joe have a lot in common ... he's asking for a pardon, and stat.

It looks like the White House may finally be listening to a recommendation from the CDC ... it's replacing the HVAC systems in some pretty historic buildings.

According to official documents, obtained by TMZ, Uncle Sam is shelling out $1,956,924.38 to replace HVAC systems at the Jackson Place Townhouse Complexes. The townhouses include the President's Guest House, better known as the Blair House, as well as a slew of other townhouses on the block that begins at 700 Jackson Place ... right near the White House.

The CDC has previously issued guidelines to employers on how to protect staff and others to slow the spread of the virus. Among the recommendation includes improving HVAC systems and/or finding ways to increase the percentage of outdoor air that makes up the air inside buildings. The order for the new HVAC systems, according to the doc, was solicited October 27 and it's slated to be completed around January 2022. It's a huge task.

The Blair House -- reserved for former presidents and other dignitaries when they're in town -- consists of 4 distinct buildings merged into one. The property has 119 rooms ... including 14 guest bedrooms and 35 bathrooms. So, yeah ... the work could take a while.

It should be noted ... it's not the first time some of the townhouses have had work done. There was $24k worth of repairs done last year, including a new HVAC system at 726 Jackson Place. There were other upgrades in 2016 costing around $60k ... but nothing along the lines of the $2 million to repair the HVAC systems for the entire townhouse complexes.

Joe Biden knows it sounds like a cliche, but he's encouraging Americans to hang in there and come together ... and he's trying to change the discourse and direction of the country after some very tough times ... and what he said is VERY DIFFERENT from what we've become used to.

The President-elect delivered a pre-Thanksgiving address that was heavy on themes of unity, empathy and love ... something that has largely been absent from presidential speeches.

Regarding Thanksgiving -- Biden says he understands the pain and sadness hundreds of thousands of people will be feeling this year as COVID-19 deaths continue to rise ... because his family has suffered a similar loss with the death of his son, Beau.

He says he knows it's hard to care or be thankful in these moments, and acknowledges that 2020 Thanksgiving will not be the same because the pandemic is making families forego gatherings and traditions.

Still, Biden urges everyone to not lose sight of doing what has to be done to help one another ... and that caring for each other is what is going to get us to the light at the end of the tunnel.

Finally, Biden points out that Americans have gotten through many hardships other than the coronavirus since the nation was founded ... but these hardships were conquered by working together.

President Trump just absolved his former national security adviser and convicted perjurer Gen. Michael Flynn ... which might be the start of a last-minute blitz of forgiveness.

After rumors swirled this week he'd do this, the Prez announced the pardon Wednesday, tweeting ... "It is my Great Honor to announce that General Michael T. Flynn has been granted a Full Pardon. Congratulations to @GenFlynn and his wonderful family, I know you will now have a truly fantastic Thanksgiving!"

It could be the first of several lame-duck pardons to come out of the Oval during Trump's remaining time in office. As we first reported ... Joe Exotic's people say they've gotten word he could be next.

As for Flynn ... the writing's been on the wall. -- the Prez has time and again said Flynn got a raw deal and was rung up on charges over technicalities rather than anything actually wrong or harmful to the nation. Trump even had Attorney General William Barr go to bat for Flynn in court -- with the DOJ filing to dismiss the charges.

Gen. Flynn signed a plea bargain during Robert Mueller's investigation into alleged Russian collusion by the Trump campaign -- admitting he lied to FBI investigators about conversations he'd had with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak during Trump's transition to power. He allegedly told him to tell Putin to chill over Obama's lame-duck sanctions against Russia.

Flynn also lied to Vice President Mike Pence about those convos -- and Pence parroted those to the media. As a result, Trump canned him, but openly denounced the move.

There are a few other Trump campaign people POTUS could bail out if he wants -- Paul Manafort comes to mind.

President Trump still hasn't conceded, but The White House Gift Shop can certainly read the writing on the wall ... it's slashing prices to unload some Trump merch.

The gift shop website is now offering several Trump-centric products at a discount -- some up to 50 percent. Most of the items can be found in the "Our Featured Products" section.

Here's a list of what's on sale ...

The President Trump American Flag Pin, regular price $24.95, is now $15.95. The pin has "45th President of The United States, Donald J. Trump" engraved on the backside.

2018 ornaments -- just in time for Christmas -- are half off. One package which is normally $350 is now available at $175, and a smaller package normally $100 is on sale for $50. In both cases, the ornaments are engraved with "New leadership, new era, new generation, new hope" on the front, and "North Korea peace talks in Singapore,” "Dow at highest levels in U.S. history" and other accomplishments on the back.

And, of course -- Trump's red hats. Both the "Keep America Great" and "Make America Great Again" styles are marked down to $34.95 from $37.95.

Meanwhile, the WH shop is also promoting the pre-order of Inauguration Coins featuring the 46th President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The coin is priced at $100, and it says it will ship on Jan. 1 in advance of the Inauguration on Jan. 20.

Barack Obama has finally given Drake his blessing to portray him in a biopic -- something the kid has openly tried wishing into existence.

The former President was asked about Drake's comments from 2010 ... when he said it was actually a professional goal of his to play BO in a movie, noting he was sure he could do it.

At the time, Drake said he watched all of Obama's national addresses and studied his speaking inflection ... gloating about his impression game.

Welp, Drizzy might wanna start practicing that Obama voice again -- 'cause Barack officially gave his stamp of approval during a sit down with Complex News. He told Speedy Morman that Drake seemed capable of doing anything, and that if he's ready ... why not?!?

He also says his household would approve. Apparently, Sasha and Malia love them some Champagne Papi. Good card to play for Drake's future elevator pitch. BTW, Barack says he's seen clips of flicks that have taken a stab at telling the Obama story ... adding some have done it better than others.

As for Drake, you might recall ... Dude's got a background in acting. He actually started his entertainment career with a role on 'Degrassi.' Sure, the leap from that to playing Obama seems like a giant one, but who's to say it can't be done? Certainly not Obama himself.

This could be you, Joe Exotic -- President Trump just issued his first lame-duck pardon ... sparing a feathered friend from ending up on someone's Thanksgiving dinner plate.

POTUS emerged Tuesday in the Rose Garden for the annual pardoning of the turkey in advance of Thanksgiving. It's the final time he'll cut a break for a bird -- this one's named Corn -- during his Presidency.

Two turkeys arrived in D.C. for the special event, with Corn getting the honor as the official Thanksgiving Turkey. Standard ops call for there to be a backup ... and Corn's understudy fowl was Cob. Naturally, they both hail from Iowa.

The White House soldiered on with the light-hearted event despite the dark cloud looming -- there were signs of the resurgent pandemic ... the farmers who raised Corn and Cob wore masks, while Trump went mask-free. Again, naturally.

It was a rare public appearance for Trump, who continues to stew over his loss to President-elect Joe Biden -- but he resisted referencing the election results during the ceremony, and at least put on a happy face for cameras.

David Dinkins, New York City's first Black mayor, has died.

Dinkins passed away Monday night at his home in New York City of apparent natural causes. He died less than 2 months after his wife, Joyce, passed away.

Dinkins beat longtime Mayor Ed Koch in 1989 but then lost after his first term to Rudy Giuliani in 1993. He won the '89 election with a pledge for racial healing.

He was passionate about equality, saying he was the mayor of every New Yorker, adding, "We are all foot soldiers on the march to freedom."

The former Mayor referred to the people of his fair city as a "gorgeous mosaic." He worked hard to tamp down the racial tensions, especially in multicultural neighborhoods. He fought for better housing, health care and was always available to hear the voices of people who traditionally were never heard.

Dinkins, the son of a barber, served as a Marine in the Korean War. He held a variety of positions in NYC government before becoming Mayor, including Assemblyman, President of the Board of Elections, City Clerk and Manhattan Borough President.

Giuliani, who defeated Dinkins, said Dinkins gave "a great deal of his life in service to our great City."

Dinkins was 93.

President Trump is finally cracking the door for President-elect Joe Biden's administration to begin the transition -- but he's still far from publicly admitting he lost the election.

DT's double-talk came Monday when he announced he'd given the green light to the General Services Administration to bring Biden's team into the fold. At the same time, he reaffirmed the fact he's still fighting the election results.

The clear contradiction -- Trump's finally acknowledging the need for the next POTUS to start taking the reins ... without admitting there will be a new POTUS.

The Prez says he's only relenting because GSA Administrator Emily Murphy is under heavy pressure. He claims, "She has been harassed, threatened, and abused – and I do not want to see this happen to her, her family, or employees of GSA."

He added, "Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good... fight, and I believe we will prevail!"

Trump might be trying to hedge here, but according to the Biden-Harris transition team ... there's no question about it -- they have been determined to be the winner of the election, and the fact they've been reached out to by GSA signals that.

A rep for the transition team writes, "In the days ahead, transition officials will begin meeting with federal officials to discuss the pandemic response, have a full accounting of our national security interests, and gain complete understanding of the Trump administration's efforts to hollow out government agencies." Ouch!

The Governor of New Jersey can't mask himself from angry constituents -- a couple of them went after him and his family for daring to eat out at a restaurant.

Gov. Phil Murphy was dining out with is wife and their 4 kids when the apparent Trump-supporting women accosted them this weekend, and began hurling insults. One of them immediately called Murphy "such a d**k" and chided.

The women were clearly pissed off about the new coronavirus lockdowns, and one of Murphy's sons asks if they're drunk -- you gotta see their response. Stereotypical Jersey shore stuff here ... 'cause the f-bombs really started flying.

Like many governors around the country, Murphy's getting backlash from many citizens ticked off about COVID restrictions heading into the Thanksgiving holiday. He's also getting push back from some police departments which say they won't respond to reports of people breaking the rules.

Still, the Murphy fam's night out -- seated outdoors wearing jackets in cool November temps -- seems far less egregious than say California Gov. Newsom's infamous night at French Laundry.

A lame-duck is about to come bill-to-beak with a feathered friend ... the first of what promises to be a flurry of pardons before that lame-duck migrates south for the winter.

President Trump is moving forward Tuesday at The White House with the annual pardoning of the turkey ahead of Thanksgiving -- which will mark a rare public appearance from DT since he got beat by Joe Biden.

There'll actually be two birds sent to D.C. for the event ... one will be named the official Thanksgiving Turkey and the other will be an alternate (assuming the first runs away?). No word yet on what the Trump team might name the foul.

Last year, the staff dubbed them Bread and Butter ... Butter got pardoned.

The two birds this year are being selected from the Walcott family farm in Iowa -- the eighth such family from the Hawkeye State to raise birds destined for presidential sparing. After some face-time with Trump, they'll live out the rest of their days at Iowa State University and will be on public display come December.

It's a bit surprising the WH is soldiering on with such a light-hearted event ... y'know ... because of the dark cloud looming over just about everything there these days. Of course, Trump has yet to concede -- and seems more bitter than ever.