News Round-Up: December 25, 2020

Some news items you might have missed: • Pink News: Dolly Parton wants Christian homophobes to quit shaming gays – “Judging is God’s job.” • Instinct Magazine: President-elect Joe Biden has tapped openly gay Gautam Raghavan, who previously served as a White House staffer in the Obama administration, to serve as Deputy Director of the Office of Presidential Personnel. Raghavan will be tasked with identifying, recruiting, and vetting more than 4,000 political appointments across the federal government. • Page Six: ‘Sex and the City’ will return to the small screen, with a limited series reboot coming to HBO Max, and would include all the original stars — except Kim Cattrall, who has repeatedly said she is not interested in returning. • KIT212: Racist uses the n-word and pays for it. I agree with Kenneth – the guy stopped punching too soon.

Racist uses the n-word and pays for it pic.twitter.com/yCk6l32c2v

— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) December 24, 2020

• AP News: The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits last week – 803,000 – is somber evidence that the job market remains under stress nine months after the coronavirus outbreak sent the U.S. economy into recession and caused millions of layoffs. Before the virus struck, jobless claims typically numbered around 225,000 a week before shooting up to 6.9 million in early spring when the virus — and efforts to contain it — flattened the economy. • Washington Post: Donald Trump’s latest pardons are just the final steps taken to complete the coverup of the Russia scandal. Included are GOP lawmakers who admitted to breaking the law, and convicted Blackwater contractors who killed unarmed civilians in a 2007 massacre. • Law and Crime: Tiger King star Joe Exotic, is hoping to join the ranks of Paul Manafort and Roger Stone by landing himself a presidential pardon before Donald Trump leaves office next month. The self-described “gay, gun-toting redneck” and former Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate has dropped his lawsuit against the DOJ, telling a federal judge that he believes the president has personally received his pardon petition. • Twitter: President-elect Joe Biden and soon-to-be First Lady Jill Biden wish everyone glad tidings on this festive holiday.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. pic.twitter.com/TJjZSN4Sj7

— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) December 25, 2020