Category: News

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News Round-Up: January 18, 2021

Today's Monday Mancrush is fitness guru Joel Green
InstaHunk Joel Green (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Monday Mancrush: Ok, so, Joel Green (above) definitely had a more relaxed Monday than I did 🙂 Follow him on Instagram here. • CBS: Queen Latifah’s new drama, The Equalizer, is set to premiere at a date and time with no equal – immediately following the Super Bowl! In the reboot of the classic series, Latifah stars as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills to help those with nowhere else to turn.

• Out: A new study showed a rise in familiarity and favorable opinion of PrEP, medicine that can prevent contracting HIV, among men at risk in the LGBTQ+ community. But – the study also shows less than one-in-ten eligible men are taking the drug. • Axios: “No one gives me any fucking support,” Trump yelled. He got up and stormed out of the Oval Office…leaving Attorney General Bill Barr and the others behind. Barr glanced over at a red-faced White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and joked, “Well that went well.” • kenneth-in-the-212: Heck of a job, Orangie – Trump leaves office in disgrace, nation divided; ends presidency under criminal probe from numerous jurisdictions awaiting second impeachment trial with lowest approval rating yet and almost 400K dead from Covid-19.

(image via kenneth-in-the-212)
• AL.com: Newly-minted U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama suggested in a TV interview that President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration should be delayed. Umm, the January 20 date is set in the U.S. Constitution. • HuffPost: Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett has not recused herself from a climate case against Big Oil even though her father has worked for one of the defendants for 29 years. Justice Samuel Alito, who owns stock in several oil and gas companies, has already recused himself. • Twitter: Not only does California have the honor of providing the country’s first Black Vice President (Kamala Harris), AND the state’s first Latino U.S. Senator (Alex Padillo), but the opportunity also gives Gov. Gavin Newsom the chance to appoint California’s first African American Secretary of State (Shirley Weber). #ThreeFer

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Gallup: Trump’s Approval Rating Craters At 34%

Fifty-four percent of Americans believe Donald Trump should be impeached

The last Gallup poll to report on Donald Trump’s approval rating shows the 45th president will leave the Oval Office with a dismal 34 percent approval. The number of Americans who disapprove of the job Trump has done has skyrocketed to 62 percent. Those are Trump’s worst numbers in the weekly tracking poll. His average job approval over 4 years is 41 percent.

Donald Trump's approval rating has plummeted to 34 percent
(screen capture via Gallup)
It won’t be good news to Trump to learn that he lags far behind other recent presidents at this point in their time in office. At this point in their first terms in office, the three most recent presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton – all fared much better in terms of approval rating. Obama was at 54 percent, Bush was at 52 percent, and Clinton enjoyed 62 percent approval from the nation. Of course, it goes without saying that all three of those men served two terms in the Oval Office. See the graphic below. Donald Trump's approval rating is much lower than his recent predessessors As I recently reported, Trump’s approval rating hit another all-time low over at Pew Research which showed a sad 29% approval.

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#BeBest? Melania Trump Breaks Tradition, Snubs Jill Biden

First Lady Melania Trump

First Lady Melania Trump
Melania Trump (image via Flickr/White House – public domain)
Melania #BeBest Trump will be the first modern First Lady to not invite her successor to walk through the White House residence. Show of hands – anyone surprised? Anyone? No? Me neither… From CNN:

From Bess Truman and Mamie Eisenhower’s meeting, to the visit Laura Bush hosted where Jenna and Barbara Bush showed Sasha and Malia Obama how to slide down the banister in the Residence, to the visit where Michelle Obama invited Melania Trump even after Donald Trump had questioned her husband’s citizenship, this tradition has long been one of the first lady’s many unwritten obligations. And Melania Trump has discarded it.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that Melania Trump has flouted a social norm of her position. Every one-term president — and his wife — have felt the sting of defeat, but unlike her husband, none of them have refused to accept the election results.

In related news, a new CNN/ORC poll shows Melania departs the White House with a much lower approval rating than other recent First Ladies. Melania’s tenure garners a thumbs-up from only 47% of those polled. Compare that with the 69% approval of Michelle Obama upon her departure and 67% by Laura Bush. Hillary Clinton had a 56% approval rating after her 8 years in the White House. Of course, Melania was only there for 4 years. Perhaps she just needed time to improve…

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Biden, Harris Spend MLK Day Volunteering At Food Banks

Joe Biden spends MLK Day volunteering at a Philadelphia food bank

Joe Biden spends MLK Day volunteering at a Philadelphia food bank
President-elect Joe Biden (screen capture via The Hill)
FOX29 in Philadelphia reports President-Elect Joe Biden spent the morning of Martin Luther King Day, Jr. volunteering at food banks to help the homeless and those less fortunate.

Biden was volunteering as part of MLK Day of Service at Philabundance, assembling boxes of food for those in need.

The President-Elect and Dr. Jill Biden were among the many volunteers at the South Philadelphia location, working together to fill boxes of food. Joining them were daughter Ashley, granddaughter Finnegan Biden and a boyfriend of another Biden granddaughter, Peter Neal.

Philabundance is a member of Feeding America, a network of food banks across the United States. For more information on Philabundance and what they do, click on their website, here.

Similarly, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and soon-to-be Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff spent the holiday volunteering at Martha’s Table in Washington DC. The efforts are part of the Biden campaign’s national day of service ahead of the inauguration.

No word as to Donald Trump’s MLK activities today. The only known item on his schedule is his departure from the White House on Biden’s inauguration day.

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Adult Performer Matthew Camp Woke Up To Arson Attack

The home of adult performer Matthew Camp was destroyed in an arson attack he believes was a hate crime

The home of adult performer Matthew Camp was destroyed in an arson attack he believes was a hate crime
The home of Matthew Camp destroyed in an arson attack (images via Instagram)
Adult performer Matthew Camp woke up in the early morning hours of January 14 to find his home in Poughkeepsie, New York had been set ablaze in an apparent hate crime. “An arsonist poured gasoline on the front porch of my home and set it on fire in an apparent hate crime,” writes Camp in an Instagram post. “I was asleep inside. I am alive to face this person one day but everything I have ever owned is gone.” “Share this story because queer people are still under attack all over the world,” added Camp. “Our voices will not be silenced.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Matthew Camp (@matthewcamp)

The former go-go boy turned sex-positive advocate and OnlyFans star went on to share that since the attack “I’m just living day to day trying to piece together what’s left.” He closed his post thanking friends and fans for their support and “continued fight to keep our queer families safe.” Despite the vast damage to the home, Camp and his friend Six Carter were able to escape the fire unharmed.
(images via Instagram)
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up by friends to help rebuild his life and replace some of his belongings. A home security camera captured the arsonist coming up the steps of Camp’s home just seconds before the blaze and splashing a liquid (presumably gasoline) all over the front porch. The time stamp on the video shows it was 5:09 am. The city’s police and fire departments received 911 calls reporting the fire at 5:12 am.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that once the fire was out, “an investigation quickly determined that it was a case of arson.” The identity of the arsonist is still unknown but authorities are continuing to investigate. The home was previously owned by a “Satanist,” Joe ‘Netherworld’ Mendillo who died in January of last year. Camp purchased the residence in October. The home is apparently well-known in the area as the “Halloween House.” The nickname is apparently derived from decorations both outside and inside the residence and a hearse reportedly used to sit in the driveway. I interviewed Camp a couple of years ago as he was launching a new video series project. I found him to be not only polite and well-spoken, but sharp as a tack regarding business and how he views life. You can listen to our chat below.

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Trump Pardoning Himself Is Very Unpopular With Americans

Donald Trump (screen capture)

A large majority of Americans oppose Donald Trump pardoning himself before leaving office
Donald Trump (screen capture)
A new ABC News/Washington Post poll shows two-thirds of Americans approve of how President-elect Joe Biden is handling the weeks leading up to his inauguration. According to the survey, 67% of those polled approve of Biden’s handling of the presidential transition while only 25% disapprove. Additionally, 49% are confident Biden will make the right decisions. Four years ago, only 35% believed  Trump would make good decisions. And speaking of the Donald… A large majority – 68% – oppose Trump pardoning himself versus 28% who support the move. Also – 54% of those polled feel Trump should be charged with a crime for inciting the riot that took place at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. By an almost 2-1 margin, Americans believe Biden won the presidential election. While 32% are naysayers, 62% believe Biden had a clean win. A clear majority of Americans – 58% – support Twitter’s decision to permanently suspend Trump’s account. Forty-one percent oppose the idea. Almost half, 48%, strongly support the decision, while 36% strongly oppose it. My thoughts: count on Trump pardoning himself before he boards Marine One on the 20th. You can find the full results of the survey here.  

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Happy 99th Birthday Betty White!

Happy birthday Betty White! Chippendales dancer Jace Crispin surprised White on The Ellen Show

Happy birthday Betty White! Chippendales dancer Jace Crispin surprised White on The Ellen Show
L-R Chippendales dancer Jace Crispin, Betty White (screen capture)
Celebrating the 99th birthday of the awesome, gifted Betty White. My one brush with the winning Ms. White happened a few years ago at The Ellen DeGeneres Show. My hubby Michael had to be in New York City with one of his clients when The Ellen Show decided it would be fun to surprise White with a Chippendales dancer. Since Michael was on the other other side of the country, I offered to accompany Chippendale Jace Crispin on a quick in-and-out of Los Angeles for the shoot. Jace was, as you’ll see, perfection in balancing the sexy without going out of bounds of afternoon TV. I was just barely out of sight backstage while this happened. Click the image of Jace and White below to play the video clip.

Betty White swoons for Chippendales dancer Jace Crispin
(photo courtesy of The Ellen DeGeneres Show)
Plus, Michael and I have been binge watching the 1970s sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show which starred White as the ‘happy homemaker Sue Ann Nivens. Check out some highlights of her MTM days below.

Check out my previous celebrations of the wondrous White here. White’s TV co-stars Ed Asner (Mary Tyler Moore Show) and Valerie Bertinelli (Hot in Cleveland) tweeted their birthday greetings to White.

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Graham: Pardons For Rioters Would ‘Destroy’ Trump

Sen. Lindsey Graham says rioters should not be pardoned

Sen. Lindsey Graham says rioters should not be pardoned
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
As news outlets begin reporting arrested insurrectionists are planning on asking Donald Trump to pardon them for invading the U.S. Capitol, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) sends a message to Trump: No pardons for rioters. Graham fears Trump handing out pardons to the folks who violently attacked the Capitol would “destroy” the Donald. Speaking to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, Graham said:

“There are a lot of people urging the president to pardon folks who participated in defiling the Capitol, the rioters.

“I don’t care if you went there and spread flowers on the floor, you breached the security of the Capitol, you interrupted a joint session of Congress. You tried to intimidate, assault, you should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, and to seek a pardon of these people would be wrong.

“I think it would destroy President Trump and I hope we don’t go down that road. They chose to go into that Capitol, defile the Capitol. President Trump never said, ‘Go into the Capitol and try to interrupt a joint session of Congress.’”

I completely agree that if Trump were to issue presidential pardons for rioters it would just make him look that much more guilty. Graham also flipped the script and attempted to place the blame for the assault on the Capitol building on Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

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Mike Pence Calls Kamala Harris (Finally)

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence

Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence (images via campaigns)
Months after the election was called, Vice President Mike Pence (finally) called Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to congratulate her on her history-making election. From the New York Times:

Vice President Mike Pence telephoned Vice President-elect Kamala Harris Thursday to congratulate her and offer his belated assistance — filling a leadership role all but abdicated by President Trump, who is planning to fly out of the capital shortly before Joseph R. Biden Jr. is sworn in next week.

The Pence-Harris conversation, relayed by two officials briefed on the call, was described as gracious and pleasant. The discussion is the first time Mr. Pence and Ms. Harris have spoken since they debated each other last fall.

It also represents the only one-on-one interaction between the dueling 2020 presidential tickets: Mr. Trump has refused to call President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and has not even fully conceded defeat.

The Times goes on to report that Pence may invite Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, to the vice-presidential residence prior to the inauguration ceremony next week. But the visit may not work out due to heightened security measures put in place since the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building last week. Donald Trump has previously shared he will not attend the inauguration becoming the first president in 152 years to ghost on his successor. Neither will he meet with the Bidens at the White House before the inauguration as is presidential tradition. Trump will depart the White House in the hours before Biden’s swearing-in ceremony. According to the Times, he “hopes to depart to the blare of a military band, with a red carpet and military honors, those briefed on the planning said.”

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Misinformation Dropped Dramatically After Trump Banned From Twitter

Misinformation dropped dramatically after Twitter suspended Donald Trump's account

Misinformation dropped dramatically after Twitter suspended Donald Trump's account Color me shocked, but a new report shows misinformation on social media dropped dramatically after Donald Trump was banned from Twitter. From the Washington Post:

Online misinformation about election fraud plunged 73 percent after several social media sites suspended President Trump and key allies last week, research firm Zignal Labs has found, underscoring the power of tech companies to limit the falsehoods poisoning public debate when they act aggressively.

The new research by the San Francisco-based analytics firm reported that conversations about election fraud dropped from 2.5 million mentions to 688,000 mentions across several social media sites in the week after Trump was banned from Twitter.

Election disinformation had for months been a major subject of online misinformation, beginning even before the Nov. 3 election and pushed heavily by Trump and his allies.

The drop in misinformation was seen across numerous platforms after Trump was kicked off social media including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify and more. And it wasn’t just removing Trump that made the difference. Twitter also removed more than 70,000 accounts affiliated with the conspiracy movement known as QAnon, which played a large role in raising temperatures that led to the Capitol invasion on January 6. Read the full article at The Washington Post.