Author: Randy Slovacek

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News Round-Up: April 24, 2020

Canadian Idol winner Theo Tams (press photo)
***Re-upping this post as it didn’t seem to post correctly last night*** Some news items you might have missed: • OutSports: Brock Weston, a 25-year-old college hockey player from Marion University in Font du Lac, Wisconsin, came out to his hockey team and was surprised by the reaction. “People I thought would disown me or become even more cruel were among the first to voice their acceptance.” • NBC News: A top Health and Human Services official who said he was transferred from his post for pushing back on “efforts to fund potentially dangerous drugs promoted by those with political connections” felt pressured to rush access to chloroquine treatments for coronavirus after President Donald Trump had a conversation about it with a mega-rich donor • Out Music: Canadian singer/songwriter and pianist Theo Tams (above) drops his new video “The Last Song” which features the Canadian Idol winner as a character chameleon of sorts, all in the name of self-love and care. “The song represents the moment you realize your own self-worth,” says Tams. “It’s about recognizing you are enough and letting go of the past. Finally.”

• NY Times: The Trump administration is considering cutting back on sharing intelligence with partner countries that criminalize homosexuality as part of a push by the acting director of national intelligence, Richard Grenell, to prod those nations to change their laws. • OUT: On April 26, the Schitt’s Creek cast will join other Canadian celebrities in a commercial-free 90-minute special to support front-line workers fighting the global pandemic. Titled Stronger Together, Tous Ensembles, the display will feature musical artists like Michael Buble and Justin Bieber, as well as Cirque Du Soleil and Avril Lavigne. • SiriusXM: Host Jess Cagle speaks to Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Debra Messing about the pride they feel over their “goofy sitcom” and its cultural impact. The final episode of the series airs tonight at 9 pm ET on NBC. The finale is followed by a retrospective, “A Will & Graceful Goodbye,” at 9:30 p.m.

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Trump: ‘I Was Being Sarcastic About Injecting Disinfectant’

After Donald Trump suggested during a White House press briefing on Thursday that perhaps medical experts should look into some sort of “injections” of “disinfectant” might be a possible treatment for COVID-19, Trump walked those remarks back saying he was just being ‘sarcastic.’ “I was asking it sarcastically to reporters just like you to see what would happen,” Trump said in the Oval Office today. You can see the Trumpster pull the ‘sarcastic’ card in the first tweet below along with his video of his actual comments during yesterday’s press briefing where he clearly directed his questions about disinfectant to his medical experts.

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Andy Cohen & GLAAD Call For End To Gay Blood Ban

Andy Cohen on ‘Watch What Happens Next Live’
This morning, Good Morning America ran an in-depth piece about Lukus Estok, a young gay man who had recovered from COVID-19, but was turned away from donating his plasma at the New York Blood Center because he is gay. In a new statement to Good Morning America, an FDA spokesperson stated that “the FDA is committed to considering alternatives to the time-based deferral for men who have sex with men by generating the scientific evidence that will support an effective individual risk assessment-based blood donor questionnaire.” The FDA also revealed to Good Morning America that it is “working to commence a pilot study that will enroll about 2000 men who have sex with men and who would be willing to donate blood.” “The FDA is placing American lives on the line as they debate stigma, not science,” said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “During the current crisis, the FDA is wasting time and money on a pilot study when all the scientific research and medical authorities plainly state that gay and bi man should not be restricted from donating blood.” “All blood donations, regardless of sexual orientation, are screened to ensure healthy samples and now the American Medical Association, leading elected officials, and more than 600 medical professionals have all done the work for the FDA and unequivocally state that this ban needs to end,” added Ellis. On his Thursday evening broadcast of Watch What Happens Live, Andy Cohen revealed he was denied from giving plasma after surviving COVID-19. He called out the FDA’s restrictions for being based on “stigma rather than science,” which is ultimately impeding on the urgent need for blood donations from Americans, as well as plasma donations from COVID-19 survivors. Watch Andy Cohen’s impassioned speech here.

GLAAD thanked Andy on Twitter for speaking out against the ban:

Earlier this week, attorney generals from 19 states and D.C. issued a letter to the Assistant Health Secretary, requesting that the FDA further loosen its ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men. (via press release)

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Trump Suggests Injecting ‘Disinfectant’ As Possible Treatment For COVID-19

After Donald Trump spent weeks touting the power and efficacy of malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, a study at a Veterans Administration hospital showed more folks who received the drug actually died than the patients who only received standard care. But don’t worry – Trump has more ideas. Today, at the White House press briefing he pitched the idea of injecting COVID-19 patients with disinfectant to kill the virus. Via The Independent:

Donald Trump, a businessman by training and trade, floated more trial medical trial balloons on Thursday night – repeatedly suggesting disinfectant be injected into the bodies of humans to cure coronavirus patients while doubling down on his claims that sunlight kills the deadly virus.

“I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning,” the president said during his daily Covid-19 briefing.

A senior health official, under questioning from reporters, later said federal laboratories are not considering or trying to develop such a treatment option.

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Idaho Protester Arrested After Refusing To Leave Closed Playground

Sara Walton Brady (photo via Ada County Sheriff’s Office)
In a video shared on social media platforms, anti-vaccination activist Sara Walton Brady, 40, dared police to arrest her as officers tried to peacefully disperse an organized protest on a closed playground in Idaho. Any guesses as to what happened next? The group was protesting Gov. Brad Little’s stay-home order after removing signs and caution tape indicating the park’s closure. From the Idaho Statesman:

Sara Walton Brady, 40, of Meridian, was noncompliant and refused to leave after being given many opportunities, police said. She was arrested on one count of misdemeanor trespassing. She was booked into Ada County Jail and released.

According to a police press release, officers on Tuesday night responded after several calls were made to dispatch. Officers then informed those gathered that the playground structure was closed and that they were welcome to utilize open areas of the park.

Walton Brady posted a $300 cash bond Tuesday evening, and her next court date is set for May 29, according to online court records.

A GoFundMe campaign was launched to “buy booze” for the arresting officer.

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Nigeria: Men Dragged From Private Home, Stripped & Beaten For Consensual Sex

(image via Pexels)
A police officer in Nigeria was attacked, stripped naked, and beaten by a group of young vigilantes for having consensual sex with another man in private. Constable Chibuike Ukazu, who is reportedly married,  and another man only identified as Yellow, were confronted in a private residence in Orlu, Imo, last Tuesday. An unnamed source told The Nation the two men were “caught red-handed having anal sex.” “Immediately we entered the house, the police officer took down his trousers and pulled off his shirts, bend over and the yellow guy, started having annal sex with him,” said another man who is a part of the vigilante group. “Immediately our men broke in and arrested them and took them down to the community hall.” A police spokesman, Orlando Ikeokwu, confirmed the incident saying the youths “pounced” on the men and “beat them to stupor” before taking them to the palace of the community leader. It was there that police took the men into custody as they were being jeered by the vigilantes for “practicing sodomy.” The spokesman also seemed to express more concern that the vigilantes had roughed up a fellow police officer more than the assault itself. “The command, therefore, wishes to warn members of the public to desist from taking laws into their hand by resorting to self-help especially on infractions by the members of the Police or other security agencies, all are advised to report all grievances to the nearest Police station for prompt and decisive action,” said Ikeokwu. “However, investigation into the matter has commenced with a view to unravel what actually transpired and if found culpable will face the wrath of the law.” In a country with some of the most virulently anti-LGBTQ laws in the world, Ukazu and his partner face up to 14 years in prison if convicted. When the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act was signed into law in 2014, polling showed 92% of Nigerians supported the legislation. The act not only bans gay marriage but also criminalizes homosexual clubs, associations, and organizations. Another poll by Pew Research showed 98% of Nigerians didn’t feel homosexuality should be accepted by society. That is the highest percentage of disapproval of LGBTQ people recorded by Pew Research.

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Another 4.4 Million File For Unemployment Benefits

(graphic via MarketWatch)
The Labor Department reports 4.4 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week marking the fifth straight week of job losses measured in the millions. From MarketWatch:

The spike in unemployment has likely pushed the jobless rate to between 15% and 20%, economists estimate. The only other time in American history when unemployment was that high was in the early stages of the Great Depression almost a century ago.

In less than two months, the pandemic has eliminated all the 23 million jobs created after the 2007-2009 Great Recession.

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News Round-Up: April 22, 2020

Ansel Elgort (image via IMDB)
Some news items you might have missed: • Entertainment Weekly: Actor Ansel Elgort (above) left the internet shook Tuesday night when he shared a revealing photo via social media with the caption, “OnlyFans LINK IN BIO.” Turns out the link actually directed his fans to a crowdfunding campaign “Brooklyn For Life!” to help feed those working on the frontlines at hospitals in Brooklyn, New York. • Radio.com: During an appearance on “I’m Listening: Stay Connected,” Walking Dead star Daniel Newman shared that, thanks to homophobia, sexuality played a deeply negative role in his life growing up as a gay man. He said he was told from childhood “that sex is private, you don’t talk about it, gay people are weird, it’s gonna ruin your career if you say anything. And on top of that, it’s nobody’s business, so just keep your mouth shut. So I felt the weight of that since I was a child.” • The Hill: Nineteen people who either voted in-person or worked at a polling location during Wisconsin’s state elections have tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, the state’s health department told The Hill. • SiriusXM: From Blythe Danner to Demi Lovato, the “Will & Grace” cast shares stories on guest stars during a virtual town hall with Jess Cagle.

• The Daily Beast: A company Trump personally championed — even as it’s under investigation by the Defense Department inspector general – has been awarded a $7.6 million contract to build “800 linear feet” bollard barrier—that slatted design Trump favors—for the wall in Yuma, Arizona. • Washington Post: Former vice president Joe Biden said he intends to name a panel of advisers by May 1 to help him select a running mate. He says that he wants the public to be able to see his pick as “capable of being president of the United States tomorrow.” • Texas Tribune: El Paso Mayor Dee Margo on Tuesday said city officials should probably consider suing President Trump’s campaign to recoup more than $500,000 in expenses incurred during a rally last year. The city spent about $470,000 on security and other costs for a Trump rally in South El Paso in February 2019. Thirteen other cities are also waiting on repayment from the Trump campaign. • Out Music: Randy Report favorite Tom Goss drops this fun, light-hearted new music video, “Dancing In My Room,” with Natalie Jane, Sam Renascent, and Max Emerson. “This infectious, feel-good video features people of all ages and backgrounds across 10 different countries and 5 continents — and reminds those struggling and in need of community that they are not alone,” says Goss. “The single is available in English, Spanish, and French with rap features in different languages from artists on different continents. All proceeds from “Danser dans ma chambre Dancing in My Room” will go to United Way Worldwide.

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United Auto Workers Endorse Biden For President

Former Vice President Joe Biden (image via campaign)
The nearly 400,000 strong United Auto Workers union announced its endorsement of former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday saying the U.S. needs stable leadership with less acrimony “and more balance to the rights and protections of working Americans.” From the AP:

The union says Biden has committed to reining in corporate power over workers, encouraging collective bargaining, and making sure workers get the pay, benefits and protections they deserve. Biden also has committed to expand access to affordable health care, the union said.

Union negotiators are currently in talks with Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler about restarting U.S. factories that have been closed for the past month due to fears of spreading the coronavirus.

“This issue demonstrates the need for presidential leadership to follow the guidance of science and give workers a seat in discussions over their safety and well-being,” the union’s statement said.

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Anderson Cooper’s Interview With Las Vegas Mayor Was A Wild Ride

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman speaks to CNN’s Anderson Cooper (screen capture)
News watchers were glued to their screens this afternoon as Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman spoke with CNN’s Anderson Cooper regarding opening up the city’s businesses in spite of the ongoing coronavirus threat. From CNN:

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman on Wednesday repeatedly called for the city’s businesses to reopen while refusing to provide any social distancing guidelines on how to do so safely.

“I am not a private owner. That’s the competition in this country. The free enterprise and to be able to make sure that what you offer the public meets the needs of the public,” Goodman, an independent, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

“Right now, we’re in a crisis health-wise, and so for a restaurant to be open or a small boutique to be open, they better figure it out. That’s their job. That’s not the mayor’s job.”

On Tuesday, during an interview with MSNBC’s Katy Tur, Goodman said, “What I assume is that everybody is a coronavirus carrier — that 100% of our population is asymptomatic, but a carrier. My whole opinion is: get our people back to work.” Goodman added, ”Assume everybody is a carrier. And then you start from an even slate. And tell the people what to do. And let the businesses open and competition will destroy that business if, in fact, they become evident that they have disease, they’re closed down. It’s that simple.”

The problem with that approach is, of course, it can take weeks for it to become evident a restaurant or casino has become an epicenter for the disease. Cooper and Goodman spoke for a lengthy 15 minutes that seemed to ricochet from angle to angle. Nearly halfway through the segment, Cooper attempted to explain how businesses in China are rearranging seating to try and tamp down infections, but as he brought up a graphic of a seating arrangement, Goodman replied, “This isn’t China, this is Las Vegas.” Cooper could only offer up, “Wow, that’s really ignorant.”