“Hi, I’m governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, wanting to say, congratulations, Canada, on preserving your National Igloo.”

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The prank was pulled off in 2001, by Canadian satirical newscaster Rick Mercer, on his show "This Hour Has 22 Minutes."

One segment on the show, called "Talking to Americans," ridiculed American ignorance of Canada, and Huckabee, who was then the governor of Arkansas, fell victim.

Mercer told one American that, "Our capitol building in Canada is actually a downscale model of your Capitol building, except it's made out of ice. It's an igloo, you see. Now, we're worried about global warming and the fact that it might, uh, melt, so we're putting a dome over it but in order to pay for it we have to attract tourists. Would you be interested in visiting Canada's National Igloo?"

Huckabee, for one, appeared enthusiastic about the project, congratulating the Canadians on the success of their campaign.

"Hi, I'm governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, wanting to say, congratulations, Canada, on preserving your National Igloo," he said.

According to the Toronto Star, Mercer confirmed in 2007 that Huckabee wasn't in on the joke, recalling that he asked if the igloo was controversial in Canada.

"He had at least a glimmer of political acumen," the comedian said of Huckabee.

Among Mercer's other exploits reportedly include convincing Harvard students that Ottawa had a plan to "give Irish-Canadians the vote as a counterbalance to Quebec separatists," also in 2001. The year before, he got George W. Bush, then a Republican candidate for President, to accept the endorsement of Canadian Prime Minister "Jean Poutine."

GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee once refused to give a speech to the group that inspired alleged Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, but he did send them a videotaped message.

Edward Sebesta / Via Facebook: edward.sebesta

Edward Sebesta / Via Facebook: edward.sebesta

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee sent a videotaped message to the Council of Conservative Citizens, the white supremacist group cited by alleged Charleston, South Carolina church shooter Dylann Roof in his manifesto, the Daily Beast noted over the weekend.

Huckabee, the Beast notes, was the lieutenant governor of Arkansas at the time and was originally scheduled to speak to the group until he learned one of the other speakers had previously made anti-Semitic comments.

"I will not share the stage or platform with someone who thinks the Holocaust didn't happen," Huckabee said according to a 1993 Arkansas Gazette article.

The speaker in question was Kirk Lyons, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as "a white supremacist lawyer."

Instead, Huckabee sent a videotaped message. The Citizen Informer, the official publication of the Council of Conservative Citizens appears to have incorrectly described why Huckabee was absent, but according to the newsletter, Huckabee's speech was "terrific" and was "extremely well received by the audience."

"Ark. Lt. Governor Mike Huckabee, unable to leave Arkansas by law because the Governor was absent from the state, sent a terrific videotape speech, which was viewed and extremely well received by the audience," the newsletter read.

BuzzFeed News obtained the newsletter from Edward H. Sebesta, a widely-cited and high regarded expert on the neo-Confederate movement. Sebesta posted the newsletter on his Facebook page earlier this week.

Clinton confidant fires back after becoming subject of closed Benghazi hearing: “If all the Republicans have left to nail [Hillary Clinton] with is Media Matters and Blumenthal, this is an investigation that may as well shut down.”

Longtime Clinton adviser Sidney Blumenthal, left, arrives at the Capitol to be deposed by the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Sidney Blumenthal's deposition before the House Select Committee on Benghazi last week lasted nine hours. There were hundreds of questions: more than 270 about his business activity in Libya; 160 about his relationship with the Clintons; and some 20 about the terrorist attack on the U.S. compound where four Americans died in 2012 during Hillary Clinton's tenure as secretary of state.

There were also 45 questions, according to the Democrats who sit on the Republican committee, about the group Media Matters and its founder David Brock.

Blumenthal, a former journalist who joined Bill Clinton's administration in 1997 and stayed close to the couple since, became a focus of the Benghazi investigation last month after the New York Times reported that he'd advised Clinton, then secretary state, on matters pertaining to Libya while pursuing financial interests there.

But the committee, chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy of South Carolina, has also taken an interest in Blumenthal's work for Brock, another Clinton adviser, and his suite of entities supporting her campaign for the Democratic nomination. Blumenthal currently works as a paid consultant to Media Matters as well as American Bridge, a super PAC founded by Brock to work against Republican candidates, a spokesman for Media Matters told BuzzFeed News.

In an open letter on Monday afternoon, Brock said his relationship with Blumenthal was well-known, described the committee's focus on Media Matters as politically motivated, and joined calls from other Democrats for Gowdy to reverse his decision to keep private the transcript from Blumenthal's deposition.

Gowdy said on Monday that the transcript should not be treated differently from others, which remain private. He also noted that Clinton has not shown the committee equal transparency: On Monday, Gowdy released a new batch of emails from Clinton that she did not previously produce voluntarily, he said.

Brock, though, said that the members of the committee were keeping the transcript private "to save themselves from political embarrassment." Blumenthal and his lawyers, according to Brock, were told by "the lead Republican lawyer for the committee" that the nine-hour deposition had produce little of use: "'Maybe we got five minutes worth of something,'" they said afterward, Blumenthal told Brock.

"At this point, it's obvious that the committee's intended target is potential Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton," Brock said, referring to the congressional investigation as the "House Select Committee on Media Matters."

"If all the Republicans have left to nail her with is Media Matters and Blumenthal, this is an investigation that may as well shut down," said Brock, whose groups worked in the lead-up to Clinton's campaign to support her likely run for president.

Because the transcript of the deposition has not been made public, it's not clear what specifically the committee asked Blumenthal.

In his letter, Brock said that one focus was Blumenthal's possible role in the production of four Media Matters articles about coverage of Benghazi. Another was whether Blumenthal had been involved in a statement about the committee from Correct the Record, another Brock group aimed at defending Clinton. (Brock said that Blumenthal had no part in any of the aforementioned activity.)

A spokesman for the Benghazi committee declined to comment for the record.

Believe it or not, Cruz and Jindal both appear to be using the same slogan.

Louisiana Governor and potential Republican presidential candidate Bobby Jindal addresses a legislative luncheon held as part of the "Road to Majority" conference in Washington June 19, 2015. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

Carlos Barria / Reuters

As the 2016 Republican presidential field continues to grow more crowded, candidates seem to be facing a national shortage of unclaimed campaign catchphrases.

Exhibit A: Ted Cruz's campaign has been promoting a big rally in Des Moines, Iowa this Saturday under the optimistic, if somewhat vague, tagline, "Believe Again."

"It's time to break with the past," the Cruz campaign's website reads. "Break from the status quo. Break from the DC power brokers. It's time to 'Believe Again.'"

The candidate himself has used the same language on Twitter this week to plug his event and call for a restoration of trust (or credulity, depending on one's interpretation).

But as it turns out, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal — who is expected to announce his presidential candidacy in New Orleans Wednesday — has already called dibs on "Believe Again." A pro-Jindal super PAC was formed in January under that name, and in February Jindal's own political action committee was renamed to adopt the phrase. When he officially kicks off his campaign, don't be surprised if those words are splashed across one or two giant banners.

Is Cruz ripping off Jindal's campaign slogan? A spokesperson for the Texas senator told BuzzFeed News that they were not aware when they began to discuss the phrase that it was the name of the pro-Jindal SuperPac, but became aware of it shortly after.

The Jindal camp declined to weigh in.

In the meantime, if candidates are looking for buzzwords that simultaneously convey a sense of despair at the current state of politics and a promise of hope for the future, we have a few ideas.

“… I think to every African-American in the country it’s a symbolism of slavery to them and now it’s a symbol of murder for this young man and so I think it’s times to put it in a museum.”

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul says he believes the Confederate battle flag is "inescapably a symbol of human bondage and slavery" and needs to go.

"No, I agree, I think the flag is inescapably a symbol of human bondage and slavery, and particularly when people use it obviously for murder and to justify hated so vicious that you would kill somebody I think that that symbolism needs to end, and I think South Carolina is doing the right thing," Paul told radio host Jeff Kuhner on WKRO radio on Tuesday morning."

Paul added it was obviously a decision for South Carolina to make but said if he were in South Carolina he would vote to get rid of it. Paul said for every African-American the flag is a symbol of slavery and it was time to put in a museum.

"There have been people who have used it for southern pride and heritage and all of that but really to I think to every African-American in the country it's a symbolism of slavery to them and now it's a symbol of murder for this young man and so I think it's time to put it in a museum."

Here's the audio:

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“I think it is unfortunate that some have used it in a way that it raised questions about their views. But our state, I think, has demonstrated that it is not a racist state.”

Republican Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran expressed support for the Mississippi state flag, which features the Confederate battle flag, in a 1995 interview with the neo-Confederate Southern Partisan magazine.

"I don't think Congress ought to decide," Cochran said when asked about Mississippi's state flag. "I think it is strictly up to the state legislature of Mississippi, and if I were a member of the legislature I would vote to keep the flag as it is."

"I think it is unfortunate that some have used it in a way that it raised questions about their views," said Cochran, cutting off the questioner when pressed about "separating heritage" from the flag. "But our state, I think, has demonstrated by our actions that it is not a racist state. We have full rights and participation in all the political processes. It's a decision the Mississippi state legislature has made, and I respect their decision."

On Monday night, Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn called for the Confederate emblem on state's official flag to be removed. In the aftermath of the Charleston shooting, there has been a surge in public demands to remove Confederate flag symbols.

Cochran also decried the Voting Rights Act in the magazine, saying aspects of it "ought to be discontinued."

"No, I think that it is regrettable, and it ought to discontinued," said Cochran to the magazine. "When we last had the Voting Rights act before the Senate, I offered an amendment to apply the law to all states not just to those of the old Confederacy."

Cochran explained that his amendment was intended "to show everybody what a great deal of trouble" the law's 'preclearance' requirements were.

At the time, the law required "every political subdivision, local community, township, county and state government, to go to Washington and get the federal government's permission before any change in a boundary could be made, or any election law could be changed to be certified in effect, that it did not unfairly or improperly disadvantage anyone in their efforts for full political participation."

"That's not necessary any longer," said Cochran.

"There are probably as many or more instances of discrimination against persons in voting situations in other parts of the country as there are in the deep South," Cochran continued. "We have elected more African Americans in my state than any state in the Union."

"I think we can make a persuasive argument that we are committed to full political participation by all the citizens of our state irrespective of color, gender, or age, so I am insulted that Mississippi has to continue to carry this burden or mantle of suspicion in the eyes of our federal government," argued the senator. "I hope we continue to fight it."

"I want the law to be applied equally and fairly throughout the states," Cochran concluded. "It shouldn't be applied one way in one part of the country and another way in another part. We shouldn't have one region covered by the law and another region not covered."

"I think that is totally out of date and unjustified."

A Cochran spokesman said Monday evening that they weren't going to comment on the interview.

BuzzFeed News obtained this copy of the interview from Edward H. Sebesta, a widely-cited and high regarded expert on the neo-Confederate movement who maintains a collection of all the issues of the Southern Partisan, formerly one of the country's leading neo-Confederate magazines,

The magazine's store, as previously noted by BuzzFeed News, has featured full-page ads for the book Was Jefferson Davis Right?

Previous copies of the magazine have also featured a "General Store Catalogue" with a cotton t-shirt labeled "I have a dream" on the front, and featured an image of a Confederate flag flying over the White House. A shirt labeled "Lincoln's Worst Nightmare" on the front featured southern flags with the words "A States Rights Republican Majority From Dixie" imprinted on the back.

A book, So Good A Cause, A Decade of Southern Partisan, which featured some of the most notable writings from the magazine, contains articles bearing titles such as"John C. Calhoun Vindicated," "The World After the South Won," "The Dark Side of Abraham Lincoln," "The Truth about Jefferson Davis," "Nathan Bedford Forrest and the Death of Heroes," "Why the South Fought," and "Why Yankees Won't (And Can't) Leave the South Alone."

Southern Partisan Magazine

Southern Partisan Magazine

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“The problem is that racism and hatred is being taught.”

A protest rally in Columbia on June 20.

MLADEN ANTONOV / Getty Images

The South Carolina leaders who fought to remove the Confederate flag from the campus of the statehouse say that Gov. Nikki Haley's move Monday will only begin to close the state's well-documented racial divide.

In interviews with BuzzFeed News, several of those leaders said removing the flag is only the beginning of the process. For some, the next debate includes measures aimed at criminal and economic justice, or education and housing — issues that disproportionately affect African-Americans in South Carolina.

Leaders calling for added measures say the flag's removal is necessary to heal, and even to honor those slain at Charleston's Emmanuel AME Church last week.

But many fear lowering it from the grounds of the state Capitol won't cure the state of years of racism they say the flag stands for. A debate on what to do after the "symbol that divides us," as Haley said Monday, is removed, is already underway.

"The flag is only a symptom of the problem. The problem is that racism and hatred is being taught," Jaime Harrison, the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, told BuzzFeed News. "In order to rectify that we need to have dialogue designed to have people to get know each other."

Harrison, who is considered a rising star in the party, told BuzzFeed News the people of South Carolina need to find a "commonality that people don't always know is there," and is working on calling for a statewide dialogue on race relations.

In the aftermath of the shooting, rallies and petitions to remove the flag swelled in the state Capitol.

Harrison said he was encouraged by a large rally on Saturday, estimating that 75% of the crowd was white. "It gave me such a sense of hope, I have nothing but hope that we can come together as a state," he said.

Haley addressed the widespread calls to remove the Confederate flag at a press conference Monday. "We have stared evil in the eye, and watched good prayerful people get killed in the most sacred of places." Haley said, adding that while the flag represents the past, it "does not represent the future of our great state."

South Carolina Democratic Rep. James Clyburn called it a "tremendous first step" in an interview on MSNBC.

Republican Sen. Tim Scott said in a statement released by his office Monday evening that he hopes "the South Carolina General Assembly will move to this topic swiftly, so that our state can continue to move forward."

However, even that largely symbolic move may be a high hurdle to clear. Any legislative measure to remove the flag that suspected shooter Dylann Roof idolized must garner two-thirds support in the South Carolina legislature. "We need to get the votes so we can get the bill to the governor," Harrison said.

Stephen Gilchrist, the chair of the South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce, called for greater economic prosperity in the state following the events. For African-Americans in South Carolina, economic advancement and the build-out of policies that promote and support the advancement of black business ownership is at the forefront of the discourse related to racial equality.

"The people in South Carolina have been very harmed by these events, and so I would hope that the Gov. Haley would use her bully pulpit to ask all South Carolinians to consider these families and begin to think about what we should do as a state to heal after the type of massacre that's taken place," Gilchrist said. "But at the same time, while taking the flag down is great, there's another step that we all must consider and that's that we continue to push policies that drive economic prosperity for all of the people of South Carolina."

In 2007, 12% of the businesses in South Carolina were black-owned. The state is 28% black according to the latest census data.

"We need to have a serious dialogue in this state about what divides us," state Sen. Marlon Kimpson told CNN Monday. "I am particularly interested in economic empowerment. I have asked many major municipalities here in Charleston and the publicly funded projects, how much of that money is spread [out to] minority contractors and other people of color? Until we include everyone in the process, particularly with our publicly funded projects, we can't bring all South Carolinians along. Economics will certainly be on the agenda."

Other leaders are pointing to the removal of the flag and fallout from the shooting of nine victims as a flashpoint to ease the state's history of racial tension.

A MoveOn.org petition to remove the flag was started Thursday morning by a woman named Karen Hunter. The number of signatures ballooned to well over 500,000 Monday afternoon.

But bills and measures can only go so far, leaving South Carolinians pondering a much deeper problem.

"How do you penetrate that into the hearts and minds of people?" Harrison asked. "That's something you can't legislate a cure for."

“What I saw today did nothing but confirm my belief walking through the door that we should end the jailing of women and children in these proceedings.”

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Undocumented immigrant families held at a detention center in Texas protest their living conditions while members of Congress tour the facility.

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WASHINGTON — Hoisting makeshift protest signs and chanting "Libertad," hundreds of undocumented immigrant mothers and and their children protested their living conditions in a detention center in Dilley, Texas, during a tour of the facility Monday by members of Congress, according to cell phone video obtained by BuzzFeed News.

The video, taken by one of the members of Congress, shows the women and children being held in the facility chanting as the delegation of lawmakers walks toward them. Demonstrators can also be seen holding up crudely written protest signs made from pillowcases and bedsheets.

According to a source present at the protest, lawmakers — who were being taken on a tour of the facility — approached the demonstrators and discussed living conditions in the facility.

The South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley is one of several privately operated prisons being used by the Department of Homeland Security to house the thousands of immigrant children and families that flooded the southern border last year.

Lawmakers on the trip included Reps. Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Raul Grijalva, Luis Gutierrez, Sheila Jackson Lee, Zoe Lofgren, and Lucille Roybal-Allard.

Human rights activists and attorneys representing immigrants detained at Dilley and similar facilities have complained not only about living conditions in the prisons, but also their often remote locations, which makes obtaining competent legal counsel extremely difficult.

Following a Monday visit to a similar facility in Karnes, Texas, the lawmakers called for the closure of the family detention centers.

"What I saw today did nothing but confirm my belief walking through the door that we should end the jailing of women and children in these proceedings. It is by its nature punitive, whether it is intended to be or not," Lofgren said, the San Antonio Currant reported Tuesday morning.

A source said the lawmakers will meet with Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson on Tuesday night to discuss their visit.

“Well, that is an approach that has some strong support, Senator Warner, Vice President Biden has been saying this for years. I have some kind of concerns about it but it may end up being the only realistic alternative.”

Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, says cutting up Iraq along sectarian lines might be "the only realistic alternative."

"Well, that is an approach that has some strong support, Senator Warner, Vice President Biden has been saying this for years," the Virginia senator told the John Fredericks Show last week in an interview. "I have some kind of concerns about it but it may end up being the only realistic alternative."

Kaine, who has been one of the most prominent voices calling for a new authorization to fight ISIS in Iraq, expressed concern that breaking up the modern Iraqi state would empower both Sunni Muslim extremists and the neighboring Shia state of Iran.

"I'll tell you the concern I have about it is, if you say 'look, Iraq probably can't be governed together so you should split it up,' which I really worry about empowering Iran because what you had, you would have a Shia core of Iraq that would be largely dominated by Iran."

"You would have a Kurdish region, and the Kurds are great allies of ours and we work very closely with the Kurds, but then you end up with this Sunni region where they don't have a lot of assets.They don't have a lot of like, oil assets in the Sunni region and I think that they would easily be dominated by Sunni extremists."

"So, and then you end up with a bubbling three way fight between Kurds, Sunnis and Shias. If there is a way to get an Iraqi central government to try to operate the country as an Iraq for all Iraqis where Sunnis, Shias and Kurds can all be part of a state together. That should be, I think everyone would agree, that is the preferred. That would be the optimal. Maybe it's not possible but I'm not willing to give up on it yet."

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“The first speaker was Judge Roy Moore, Ala. 16th Circuit Court, who has received national recognition for posting the Ten Commandments in his courtroom.”

Citizens Informer

Roy Moore, the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, once addressed the "semi-annual national conference" of the Council of Conservative Citizens, the white supremacist group that alleged Charleston shooter Dylann Storm Roof cited as a formative influence in his online manifesto.

Moore became famous in 2003, when the Alabama Court of the Judiciary unanimously relieved Moore of his duties as Chief Justice after he refused to comply with a federal judge's order to remove a monument to the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Judicial Building.

After two unsuccessful campaigns for the Republican nomination for governor of Alabama, and an abortive exploration of the prospect of running for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, Moore sought and won back his old post as Alabama's Chief Justice.

But back in 1995, Moore — according to the Citizens Informer, the newsletter of the Council of Conservative Citizens — was simply "Judge Roy Moore, Ala. 16th Circuit Court, who has received national recognition for posting the Ten Commandments in his courtroom."

Citizens Informer

He was also "the first speaker" at the group's semi-annual conference, held in Birmingham.

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“[I]t does not belong on state or federal property, and it should not be flown in a place of honor as a part of any state flag,” the 29 LGBT groups say in a joint statement. A BuzzFeed News exclusive.

Christian Mergner, of Columbia, S.C., holds a sign during a rally to take down the Confederate flag at the South Carolina Statehouse, Tuesday, June 23, 2015, in Columbia, S.C.

Rainier Ehrhardt / AP

WASHINGTON — The Confederate battle flag should not be displayed on the South Carolina capitol grounds or as part of any state flag, 29 LGBT groups across the country said Tuesday.

"We support efforts to remove the Confederate flag as a contemporary symbol in the public square, beginning in South Carolina," the groups, including the Human Rights Campaign and several national legal LGBT groups, said in a letter provided to BuzzFeed News. Among the state groups signing on to the statement were three South Carolina groups: ACLU of South Carolina, SC Equality, and South Carolina Black Pride.

The groups joined a chorus of calls for the removal of the flag from the South Carolina statehouse grounds in the wake of last week's shooting deaths of nine black people in Charleston, South Carolina's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17.

Going further than many statements this week, the groups also said the Confederate battle flag and "versions of the same ... should not be flown in a place of honor as a part of any state flag" — a call that would implicate Georgia and Mississippi's flags, as well as potentially other states' flags as well.

The groups go on to state that they "also recognize that our work isn't done with the state's disavowal of a racist symbol." Specifically, they state, "[W]e also stand committed to addressing the hard truths that divide us, to finding solutions for the inequities facing people of color, and to ensuring access to fairness and to justice for all."

The Confederate battle flag and versions of the same do not stand for heritage. It is, as South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said, "a deeply offensive symbol of a brutally racist past." In the America of 2015, it does not belong on state or federal property, and it should not be flown in a place of honor as a part of any state flag.

In South Carolina, these words take on particular resonance, as calls for the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol come just days after a white supremacist opened fire on a Bible study in a historically black church, killing nine black Americans, including a state senator. It is no wonder Republicans and Democrats are crossing the aisle to join in support of taking down the flag from the front of the State House.

As organizations that stand for equality and justice for all people, we are united in our opposition to the usage of such offensive and violent symbols. We support efforts to remove the Confederate flag as a contemporary symbol in the public square, beginning in South Carolina. But we also recognize that our work isn't done with the state's disavowal of a racist symbol.

Even as we stand side-by-side with those who wish to see the confederate flag removed from South Carolina— and in all public spaces across the nation—we also stand committed to addressing the hard truths that divide us, to finding solutions for the inequities facing people of color, and to ensuring access to fairness and to justice for all.

ACLU of South Carolina
Center For Black Equity
CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers
COLAGE
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
Family Equality Council
Freedom to Marry
Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders (GLAD)
Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund & Institute
Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC)
Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN)
GLAAD
Human Rights Campaign
Lambda Legal
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Marriage Equality USA
National Black Justice Coalition
National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Transgender Equality
National LGBTQ Task Force
New York City Anti-Violence Project
Out & Equal Workplace Advocates
PFLAG National
Pride at Work
SC Equality
Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)
South Carolina Black Pride
The Pride Network
Trevor Project

LGBT advocates praised the long-awaited move to cover transition-related care — while noting that questions about implementation remain.

YURI GRIPAS / Getty Images

WASHINGTON — The federal government on Tuesday ordered federal employee health insurers to include transition-related health coverage for transgender employees in their plans.

The change was made through the Office of Personnel Management's issuance of a new "carrier letter" — instructions to federal health plan participating insurers — with no accompanying news release.

"Effective January 1, 2016, no carrier participating in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program may have a general exclusion of services, drugs or supplies related to gender transition or 'sex transformations,'" the letter stated. "This letter clarifies OPM's earlier guidance recognizing the evolving professional consensus that treatment may be medically necessary to address a diagnosis of gender dysphoria" — the medical diagnosis that corresponds with seeking treatment for being transgender.

The move came two months after an OPM spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that no such decision would be made until the fall.

A year ago, OPM told carriers it had ended its ban on covering such services — but it did not require such coverage at that time. BuzzFeed Editor-in-Chief Ben Smith asked President Obama about the issue in February. A month later, OPM "strongly encourage[d]" plans to include transition-related coverage, but, again, did not require it.

Now — the day before President Obama is to host LGBT advocates at the White House for an LGBT pride month reception — the coverage is a requirement for all federal health plans, effective the start of 2016.

Advocates who have been pressing the administration for change celebrated the news. "With today's announcement, transgender federal employees can now access health care that is so fundamental to their well-being and, in the long-term, will make transgender employees happier and more productive workers," National Center for Transgender Equality Executive Director Mara Keisling said in a statement.

Emily Prince, a lawyer who writes and often speaks out about treatment of transgender federal employees like herself, has been pressing for Tuesday's move — particularly after being told by her own insurer that her transition-related health claim would not be accepted.

"I'm cheered by today's announcement, and I'm glad to have helped push OPM to end its discriminatory ban on coverage for transition-related care," Prince told BuzzFeed News. "While we wait for this decision to go into effect, OPM still has to deal with the consequences of its past discrimination, and we need to watch closely to make certain that Federal employees truly have access to transition-related care next year."

Keisling added a second question about implementation of the change, noting, "We know that plans will still try to exclude some necessary services, and we will keep pushing to eliminate all insurance discrimination against trans people."

The carrier letter:

Univision and the Washington Post will hold a forum with Republican presidential candidates, BuzzFeed News has learned. The Spanish-language giant was not included among the first nine announced debates.

The last Univision presidential town hall event with Republicans was with Mitt Romney in 2012.

Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Univision News is poised to announce a Republican presidential candidates' forum ahead of "crucial" March 2016 primaries in partnership with The Washington Post, after missing out on the initial batch of debates sanctioned by the Republican National Committee.

According to a draft of a press release obtained by BuzzFeed News, the Spanish-language giant will co-host the forum after the four early states have completed their contests and during the run-up to March primaries in Texas, Florida, Ohio, Virginia and Michigan.

The Republican Party has had a complex, at times painful, relationship with Univision — knowing it needs to be represented on one of the largest networks in the country and a critical connection to Hispanic homes in the U.S., but also a place it often feels slighted by.

In January, RNC chairman Reince Priebus told BuzzFeed News, "It's highly questionable whether we're treated fairly on Univision."

And the RNC was criticized in January when its initial slate of debates didn't include Univision. New York City council speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, said the RNC was likely "scared to debate" on the most-watched Spanish-language network, calling the decision "shameful."

But a Republican source with knowledge of the issue told BuzzFeed News that Univision never submitted a request to hold a debate, something that was not reported at the time.

The RNC says it sought to limit the number of debates so that candidates could focus on engaging voters instead of preparing and traveling for debates but now Univision is moving forward with its own forum, the existence of which doesn't violate Republican Party rules. But it is not sanctioned by the RNC either and time will tell if the forum structure ultimately violates RNC rules.

"We encourage our candidates to engage with all voters and to share their vision for the future. We hope this forum complies with RNC rules," said Ruth Guerra, RNC director of Hispanic media.

The state of the race will determine the date and location of the candidates' forum, according to the release, and invitations to the leading candidates will be extended then. It is unclear what the structure would be and the exact date still has not been decided.

The release says the forum would happen once the field of candidates has been "winnowed down by the early contests and as party rules begin to allow state-by-state distribution of delegates on a winner-take-all basis."

The announcement also serves as the beginning of a partnership between the two news organizations, which will include a series of polls and joint reporting efforts.

"The collaboration will allow us to enhance and expand our coverage of the 2016 presidential elections and provide both our audiences with the most comprehensive and reliable profile of the U.S. Hispanic electorate available to date," said Isaac Lee, the president of Univision News, according to the release.

The first Republican debate is slated for August 6 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Spanish-language networks Telemundo and CNN en Español were both included in the announced debates. Telemundo's debate will be done with sister organization NBC News, along with National Review, in Houston, Texas on Feb. 26.

In March, Priebus spoke about the debates on Spanish-language networks at an event held by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, making it sound like he was OK with Univision not being part of the initial slate of debates.

"I'm proud to say that one of our partners is Telemundo," he said. "With NBC, they will host a debate, which is important, because together, NBC and Telemundo reach 91 percent of Hispanic households. In addition to that, every debate that airs on CNN will also air on CNN Español."

“I got to have a good reason to change what it is, because right now what we have is a result of compromise and that should be respected.”

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In speaking with many people over the course of the last few days, it has become clear that the flag does in fact mean different things to different people in our state. And I blame myself for not listening closely enough to people who see the flag differently than I do. It is a poor reflection on me that it took the violent death of my former desk mate in the SC Senate, and eight others of the best the Charleston community had to offer, to open my eyes to that. And because of those very different — and very valid — impressions of what the flag represented, I admit that the flag has become a distraction: something that prevents us from talking about all that is good about South Carolina. It strikes me as particularly disappointing, for example, that we have spent more time talking about the flag for the last few days than we have talking about the extraordinary display of faith, love, and forgiveness shown by the families of the victims of the shooting in Charleston. If the flag has become an excuse for people to ignore things like that, then perhaps time has come for a change.

I hope that the Legislature can do the same thing now that they did 15 years ago: take the time and effort to fashion a compromise that removes the flag in a way that all South Carolinians can rally around with pride and respect — and with the sense of community that has been on display for the world to see in Charleston in the aftermath of last Wednesday evening. By doing that we will once again have the opportunity to show everyone what is special about our state. Maybe with the flag removed, people will listen.

South Carolina Republican Rep. Mick Mulvaney says the Confederate battle flag at the state capitol grounds is the "result of a compromise" that should be respected, and he's not sure if the flag should be removed.

"Here is the starting point for that debate and you may remember this, not everybody listening would remember this," Mulvaney said in an interview on WRHI Monday. "The reason the flag is where it is was the result of a compromise. Something that is all too rare in my business. It was part of a compromise that I wasn't there and I didn't vote on it at the time but it was predated my presence in Columbia by just a couple years.

"That had nearly 100% of support. Republicans, Democrats, white, blacks, take the flag off the dome, put it on the monument and then create the African-American monument that is there today," Mulvaney continued. "So I think the starting point for debate needs to recognize the fact that things are like they are on the statehouse grounds as the result of compromise. And I think it's important to recognize that."

Mulvaney said he was "saddened by the fact that we are going to focus immediately it seems, before the funeral has even started we have already started talking about things that can divide us on things that can divide us and things that are negative instead of focusing on this tremendous expression of love and faith and forgiveness that the families showed last week at the hearing for the young man."

"We have a flag on the statehouse grounds that some people think is divisive yet we had no race riots they don't have that flag in Ferguson, Missouri they had race riots," he continued. "They don't have that flag in Baltimore, Maryland yet they had race riots so maybe the flag isn't the heart of the matter here. Maybe it's the community that is the heart of the matter. I'm open to talking about it, I'm open to having the debate if this compromise is something folks want to talk about, lets do that."

Mulvaney said he welcomed the debate over the flag, but that debate should be between South Carolinians. He said the state should "not let Al Sharpton drive the debate in South Carolina" or "make decision based on reactionary principles during an emotional time. If you want to have the debate, lets have it in a reasoned fashion."

"None of their business," he added when asked about Al Shaprton and Jesse Jackson.

Mulvaney said we should also listen to what African-American members of the state legislature have to say. "Lets let South Carolinians have this debate," he said.

Asked if he would change his position if the flag should move, he said, "I don't know. I got to have a good reason to change what it is, because right now what we have is a result of compromise and that should be respected."

“For 100 years, the United Daughters of the Confederacy has maintained and built upon the wonderful legacy of your founders.”

Handley Regional Library System

As president, Bill Clinton sent a number of letters to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the society of female descendants of veterans of the Confederate army.

The organization, founded in 1894, has sponsored a number a Confederate memorials throughout the south, including memorials to General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson in the National Cathedral. In the past, articles in the group's magazine argued that the "glorious blood-red Confederate Battle flag" is "an emblem of Freedom."

"I am delighted to honor the United Daughters of the Confederacy as you celebrate your 100th anniversary," read a letter printed in their magazine in 1994 from the then-president.

"One of the most rewarding of human experiences is the coming together of people to share common experiences and interests," wrote Clinton.

"For 100 years, the United Daughters of the Confederacy has maintained and built upon the wonderful legacy of your founders. The strength of your organization today is a testament of the vision of your founders and to your commitment to your shared goals."

"I congratulate you on your achievement, and I extend best wishes for many years of continuing success," he concluded.

A 1996 version of the magazine also cited a letter from then-President Bill Clinton. In 2008, the website Black Commenter found several other letters attributed to the then-president that ran in the magazine.

In a video posted on Facebook, the GOP Louisiana governor tells his family he is running for president.

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Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal announced Wednesday that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in 2016.

A video posted on Facebook shows Jindal telling his his wife and children "we have decided we are going to be running for president this year."

Once a rising star in the Republican party, Jindal is now struggling to stand out in a crowded primary field. Jindal is the 13th Republican to enter the race so far, and other candidates are expected to announce in the coming weeks.

The first Indian-American governor, Jindal has a strong appeal with social conservatives. He issued an executive order earlier this year protecting those who opposes same-sex marriage for religious reasons.

Here's the video:

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Jindal also promised his daughter a puppy if they moved into the White House:

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“They stood for nothing and they fell for everything and they went right down the tubes,” the Republican presidential candidate once warned.

Jose Luis Magana / AP

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson once said that America could "go the same route as Ancient Rome" because of "political correctness."

In an interview with host Soul Watson uploaded to SoundCloud three years ago, Carson talked about advice he offered young people on the importance "of having values and principles that govern your life."

He said that "no society" "can long survive without values and principles," and argued that "political correctness" was eroding the values of America.

"You know, there is no society that can long survive without values and principles," he said. "And if we get so caught up in political correctness, that nothing is right and nothing is wrong, then we go the same route as Ancient Rome. They did exactly the same thing. And they forgot who they were. They stood for nothing and they fell for everything and they went right down the tubes."

Here's the clip:

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Bern, baby, Bern. The video, uploaded to YouTube, features Sen. Sanders recording the song “Freedom” in 1987. The video’s uploader calls it “the Berniest Bernie Sanders video ever.” You decide?

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Possible 2016 presidential candidate addresses Confederate flag controversy, saying flag was used for racist purposes, but “our complex multicultural society is founded on the principle of mutual respect.”

Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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Former Democratic Virginia senator and possible 2016 presidential candidate Jim Webb weighed in on the controversy over the Confederate Battle Flag Wednesday, saying it was used for racist purposes but that "honorable Americans fought on both sides of the Civil War."

In a Facebook post Wednesday, Webb wrote: "This is an emotional time and we all need to think through these issues with a care that recognizes the need for change but also respects the complicated history of the Civil War. The Confederate Battle Flag has wrongly been used for racist and other purposes in recent decades. It should not be used in any way as a political symbol that divides us."

"But we should also remember that honorable Americans fought on both sides in the Civil War, including slave holders in the Union Army from states such as Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland and Delaware, and that many non-slave holders fought for the South," Webb continued. "It was in recognition of the character of soldiers on both sides that the federal government authorized the construction of the Confederate Memorial 100 years ago, on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery."

"This is a time for us to come together, and to recognize once more that our complex multicultural society is founded on the principle of mutual respect," he concluded.

Webb previously declined to comment on the Confederate flag, and is the last of the likely 2016 candidates from both parties to stake out a position.

Webb previously said he would announce his presidential intentions by the end of June.

“But think about it: the European Union was talked about for twenty years before it finally occurred and this is the same thing.”

Manuel Balce Ceneta / AP

Republican presidential candidate Rand Paul said in December 2007 that a highway between Mexico and the United States could lead to a "North American Union," comparing the relationship between the US and Mexico to the early stages of the European Union's formation.

Paul, who at the time was campaigning for his father Ron Paul, then a Republican presidential candidate, said on the Future Quake radio show that his father had been unfairly "ridiculed" for discussing the possibility of a "North American Union."

"After my father mentioned the North American Union he was completely ridiculed, not only just in the debate, but Newsweek came out and wrote an article just completely making fun of him, saying it was all crazy people," Paul said. "But you know the funny thing about it is, they're saying it's all just crazy people, but it's already being built. I mean, the road is being built. The Trans-Texas Corridor."

Proposed by Texas Gov. Rick Perry in 2002, the Trans-Texas Corridor was initially intended to be a 4,000 mile network of highways and railways. According to the Houston Chronicle, Perry claimed it was necessary partly because of increased Mexican truck traffic "following passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement." The idea was largely scrapped in 2009.

Echoing his father, who argued that the "superhighway" would link the US, Mexico, and Canada, and that "the ultimate goal" included an "integrated North American Union--complete with a currency," Rand Paul dismissed the notion that the corridor was a secret "conspiracy."

"There's already money funded for it," he said. "It's been a huge debate in the Texas legislature, it's not like it's a secret. I mean, the Texas legislature voted against it because they were going to take so much land from so many farmers to build this road. So it's not like some secrecy or conspiracy that no one knows about. It needs to be publicized obviously so people will talk about it, but it's happening. So it's a real thing."

Paul then said that the President of Mexico had "talked about having, you know, a currency," saying that this was "the same thing" as what happened with the European Union.

"The President of Mexico apparently has talked about having, you know, a currency and I know people have called it the Amero," he said. "I'm not sure where that started. But think about it: the European Union was talked about for twenty years before it finally occurred and this is the same thing."

He concluded by saying that organizations like the Council for Foreign Relations and the Trilaterals Commission didn't think it was "a big deal" to have "countries sort of together in one currency."

"Most people--until people got on our side started thinking about the loss of sovereign entity and the dangers of this--they thought about it as a very bland sort of subject, they would have it at their meetings, all these, you know, the Council for Foreign Relations, the Trilaterals Commission, these type of folks. These are real organizations that exist. They talk and they talk about these things and they think it's not a big deal. They think we should have all countries sort of together in one currency and they think it's of some benefit somehow."

Here's the audio:

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