Category: News

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News Round-Up: April 27, 2020

Jwan Yosef (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Ricky Martin’s hubby, artist Jwan Yosef (above), says he’s taking the ‘clothing optional’ approach to sheltering-at-home. #ThankGod Follow him on Instagram here. • NewNowNext: HIV hero Michael Cavnaugh was able to obtain 500 medical-grade masks and donated them to the volunteers at God’s Love We Deliver. The NYC-based organization and its network of volunteers provide thousands of free, freshly cooked, medically tailored meals every day to New Yorkers who are too sick to cook or grocery shop for themselves. • TV Insider: Check out this sneak peek from the upcoming series  Love, Victor – the TV spinoff of the coming-of-age, coming-out feature film Love, Simon. You may never look at a latte the same way again. The series debuts June 19 on Hulu.

• The Advocate: Christiaan Otto, who has spent years spewing anti-LGBTQ vitriol and claimed the current health crisis is a punishment from God, appears to have been cruising for sex on Grindr. The group Expose Christiaan Otto posted screenshots of what it said was Otto’s Grindr account including a reported shirtless selfie. One message translates as “I thought I could trust you, dude. You say you deleted the Grindr chats. What are you trying to do? Delete and block me!” • The Daily Beast: Trump supporters Diamond & Silk (aka Lynnette Hardaway and Rochelle Richardson) have been dismissed from their streaming gig on FOX Nation streaming service after promoting lies about the coronavirus health threat like the COVID-19 death toll is false, that the disease was made in a lab, caused by 5G networks, and was a product of the “deep state. #ByeGurls • Out Music: Pop/R&B vocalist Malia Civetz recently released her new single and video, “Heart Broke,” chronicling the relatable feeling of early, exciting, whirlwind romance – regardless of potential heartbreak. Malia’s passionate voice booms over the punchy production like a clarion call asking, “What’s a girl gotta do to get her heart broke?” Back in March, I shared Civetz’s “Broke Boy” music video here.

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Trump Wanted To Disperse Unemployment Benefits Via Imaginary Federal System

Donald Trump
Donald Trump took to Twitter today to lay the blame on Democrats for any delays Americans see in receiving additional unemployment funds provided under coronavirus relief legislation. “Blame the Democrats for any ‘lateness’ in your Enhanced Unemployment Insurance,” Trump tweeted. “I wanted the money to be paid directly, they insisted it be paid by states for distribution,” Trump added. “I told them this would happen, especially with many states which have old computers.”

As I’m sure you know, there is no federal system by which unemployment benefits can be paid. All unemployment is paid via each individual state. The $2.2 trillion emergency relief package overwhelmingly passed in Congress last month expanded the size and scope of unemployment benefits, kicking in an additional $600 to weekly unemployment checks. The legislation also expanded benefits to include freelance workers, self-employed and participants in the gig economy. One of the issues delaying these benefits is the fact that states have never paid benefits to those workers, so the sign-up process has required adapting systems in every state. But many people report encounters of crashing systems and busy phone lines as states struggle with unprecedented unemployment levels. CNN reports payments will be applied retroactively for claims starting March 29 in most, if not all, states.

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Liar In Chief: ‘People Say I’m The Hardest Working President In History’

Donald Trump

Someone at the White House missed their shift in the presidential nursery again. Donald Trump rage tweeted today claiming to be “the hardest working President in history” and not getting credit for it.

Trump really wants to be viewed as ‘hard-working’ and hates that the press notes his many, many golf outings, etc. While he claims to have not left the White House “in many months,” USA Today notes, “During this time, Trump played golf on Jan. 18 and 19, Feb. 1 and 15, and March 7 and 8, according to the Trump Golf Count website. He hosted rallies on Jan. 9 (Toledo, Ohio); 14 (Milwaukee), 28 (Wildwood, N.J.) and 30 (Des Moines, Iowa), as well as Feb. 10 (Manchester, N.H.), 19 (Phoenix), 20 (Colorado Springs), 21 (Las Vegas) and 28 (Charleston, S.C.).” Trump then turned on those reporters who “have received ‘Noble Prizes'” (Nobel Prizes?) for their reporting on Russia’s confirmed interference in the 2016 presidential election. Note – There is no Noble Prize or Noble Committee. There is a Nobel Prize and a Nobel Committee, but there is no Nobel Prize for reporting. There are Pulitzer Prizes for journalism, but at this point, do real facts or details matter when it comes to President Baby Hands?

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Report: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un In ‘Vegetative State’

L-R Kim Jong Un of North Korea, Donald Trump
Via MarketWatch:

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is in a “vegetative state” after he underwent heart surgery earlier this month, a Japanese magazine says.

The weekly Shukan Gendai reported Friday that a Chinese medic sent to North Korea as part of a team to treat Kim believed a delay in a simple procedure left the leader severely ill, Reuters reported.

North Korean media hasn’t mentioned Kim’s health or whereabouts, even though reports by other media have sparked international speculation about his well-being.

The Chinese expert told the magazine that Kim clutched his chest and fell to the ground on a visit to the countryside earlier this month. A doctor accompanying Kim performed CPR and took him to a nearby hospital.

Kim, believed to be 36, needed a stent procedure, which calls for placing a tube into a congested blood vessel to allow blood to keep flowing to the heart, according to Shukan Gendai.

Earlier this week, Seoul-based website Daily NK reported that Kim was recovering after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure on April 12.

Twitter responds:

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Navy Recommends Reinstating Captain Crozier, Waiting On Defense Sec Approval

Captain Crozier (image via U.S. Navy)
While the chief of Naval Operations has recommended Captain Brett Crozier be reinstated as commander of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, Navy officials are surprised Defense Secretary Mark Esper hasn’t signed off on the reinstatement. Crozier was removed from his command after he emailed superiors with concerns for his crew regarding the coronavirus. Crozier was dismissed by then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly after the letter leaked. At the time, Crozier was characterized as having sent the email to 20-30 people. It was later revealed he only sent his concerns to 3 admirals and copied 7 captains. Modly resigned after he traveled to Guam to give a speech about the Roosevelt that berated Crozier as “stupid” or “naive.” From the NY Times:

Capt. Brett E. Crozier should be restored to command of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, the Navy’s top officials recommended on Friday.

But Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, who was briefed on the recommendations, has asked for more time to consider whether he will sign off on the reinstatement of the captain of the nuclear-powered carrier.

Mr. Esper received the recommendation that Captain Crozier be reinstated from the chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael M. Gilday, and the acting Navy Secretary, James McPherson, on Friday. Defense Department officials said earlier that they expected to announce the results of the Navy’s investigation into the matter on Friday afternoon.

Mr. Esper’s decision to hold up the investigation has surprised Navy officials, who believed that the defense secretary would leave the process in the hands of the military chain of command.

As of today, the Navy reports 856 positive cases of coronavirus have been found among the USS Roosevelt crew, with 112 recovered and four in the hospital. One sailor died last week. CNN offers this recap of the backstory and updates:

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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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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.