Category: News

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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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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.”

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Earth Day 2020: Uniting The World For Climate Action

(image via TheOUTfront.com)
Guest post by Lawrence Pfeil, Jr. While a picture is worth a thousand words, some images tell stories which change the course of humanity and whose values are immeasurable by any standard known to mankind. Such is the case of the photograph taken in 1968 by the crew of Apollo 8 and became globally known as “Earthrise.” Neil DeGrasse Tyson explains:

Today the Blue Planet marks not only the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, but even during a global pandemic and social distancing, the world is coming together in one common goal, Climate Action. The vision is straightforward and simple. From the website:

“Our world needs transformational change… As an individual, you yield real power and influence as a consumer, a voter, and a member of a community that can unite for change… When your voice and your actions are united with thousands or millions of others around the world, we create a movement that is inclusive, impactful, and impossible to ignore… The time is long overdue for a global outpouring of energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to create a new plan of action for our planet. Earth Day 2020 can be the catalyst that galvanizes an unparalleled global collaboration.”

How can you help S.A.V.E. our planet? For 24 hours “Earth Day Network” will be inspiring change with streaming content bringing viewers together for performances, teach-ins, calls to action, and global conversations meant to empower people to make a better environmental future for our planet.

Earth Day Network LIVE

“We must build the largest, most diverse online mobilization in history in defense of the environment. Our world needs a united response for bold action. On Earth Day 2020, we say enough is enough. We say we believe in science. We say that everyone can make a difference. We say that the protection of our planet and the wellbeing of the people who live upon it are the top priorities. On Earth Day 2020, we say that we’re committing to vote, we’re registering to vote and we’re showing up to vote. Human health and planetary health are inextricably linked. Learn more about Earth Day activities, Climate Change information, and joining forces with others around the world making a difference in their future at EarthDay.org

Our Planet Our Home credit: Ernesto Yerena Montejano)

Lawrence Pfeil, Jr., is a freelance writer/playwright who has reviewed film and theatre, both on and off-Broadway, for media outlets including The Randy Report, the New York Blade, and Edge Publications. You can follow him at TheOUTfront.com.

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News Round-Up: April 21, 2020

(via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Steve_in_LA (above) chilled with his bestie today. What a handsome dog…the canine is a looker, too. Follow Steve on Instagram here. • Instinct Magazine: World of Wonder Productions, in partnership with The Stonewall Inn, will present a live-stream concert on Thursday, April 23rd at 8PM ET/ 5 PT, hosted by Michelle Visage and Tyler Oakley with proceeds from the event to benefit LGBTQ+ nightlife industry professionals affected by COVID-19. Among those scheduled to appear are Alan Cumming, Betty Who, Greyson Chance, John Cameron Mitchell, Kim Petras, Lorna Luft, Peppermint, Rufus Wainwright, Shoshana Bean, Todrick Hall, Troye Sivan, VINCINT and a special performance by Cyndi Lauper. • NBC News: The crew for The Ellen DeGeneres Show is furious over lack of communication from the producers, a proposed pay cut during the coronavirus threat, and the hiring of a non-union tech company to help DeGeneres tape remotely from her home in California. • Advocate: According to a new independent poll from Levada Center almost one in five (18 percent) of Russians believe that LGBTQ people should be “eliminated,” while 32 percent of Russians believe that gays and lesbians should be “isolated from society.” And that’s actually an improvement from past surveys. • Pink News: A trans woman was stabbed 20 times and had her eye gouged out to ‘send a message’ to Colombia’s LGBT+ community, say local leaders. • Politico: The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered in the 2016 presidential election with the goal of putting Donald Trump in the Oval Office. Tuesday’s bipartisan report, from a panel chaired by North Carolina Republican Richard Burr, undercuts Trump’s years of efforts to portray allegations of Kremlin assistance to his campaign as a “hoax,” driven by Democrats and a “deep state” embedded within the government bureaucracy. • Out Music: LA-based indie artist Onsen releases the new song “Be There”, a track about the one that got away. Though the track is about lost love, it was written when the epiphany of desire occurred but before the letdown. As a result, it reflects on the relationship in a positive light.

Drew Straus, aka Onsen, gives his side of the story: “After playing it cool for too long, a person I liked had drifted away. ‘Be There’ is a confession, that I took them for granted and realized foolishly late that I’m on board and want to make it work.”

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Podcast: Leslie Jordan’s InstaStardom, Idaho Challenged On Anti-Trans Laws, All-Star Celebration Announced For Sondheim’s 90th

The Randy Report podcast

The Randy Report podcast delivers the week's top stories in a quick, convenient podcast - 'the 60 Minutes of gay news - only shorter' In this week’s podcast: • A Texas couple tragically dies within hours of each other due to COVID-19 • Idaho’s new anti-transgender laws are already being challenged in court • Actor Leslie Jordan has become an Instagram sensation surging from 80K to 3 million followers. Find him on Instagram here. • The new Netflix documentary Circus of Books chronicles the journey of a middle-class, straight Jewish couple from everyday entrepreneurs to accidental LGBTQ activists • A vintage photo of two men named ‘Tommy’ and ‘Buzz’ has captured the romantic imagination of gay internet • Huge stars will perform on the streaming event, Take Me To The World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration, on April 26 All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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News Round-Up: April 20, 2020

Joe Blizzard (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Joe Blizzard (above) proclaims he’s in “dad bod mode.” I think someone needs to explain the term “dad bod” to Joe cause that ain’t no “dad bod.” Follow him on the Gram of Insta here. #grrrr • Pink News: Piers Morgan apologized to Lady Gaga after her One World: Together At Home concert raised more than $127 million for the World Health Organization’s coronavirus relief efforts. The Good Morning Britain host was among those who dismissed Gaga’s involvement with the World Health Organization (WHO) when it was first announced in early April. • NY Times: From surgeon-quality personal protection to the home-stitched square and the bandit’s bandanna, New Yorkers pulled on a newly essential accessory and ventured into a landscape that changed yet again on Friday as masks became mandatory beginning last Friday. • LiarLiarPantsOnFire: I can’t watch the White House press briefings on the pandemic live anymore because Donald Trump’s lying and self-aggrandizement are too much for me to stomach. But this moment today with PBS Newshour’s Yamiche Alcindor takes the cake.

• The Gaily Grind: Anti-LGBT televangelist and former Republican presidential candidate Pat Robertson linked the deadly COVID-19 pandemic to same-sex marriage on Monday because, of course. • The Tennessean: Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday that his stay-at-home order will not be extended past April 30, and that some businesses around the state will begin reopening next week. A governor-appointed, 30-member economic recovery group is working towards some businesses reopening as early as Monday, April 27. Lee said this office has not yet determined what types of businesses will be targeted to reopen first next week. • The Advocate: Actor Leslie Jordan (Will & Grace) has become an Instagram sensation since adjourning to an Airbnb not far from his mother and sisters in Tennessee last month. The actor catapulted from about 80K Instagram followers to 3 million in the span of a month thanks to his homespun videos in which he exercises with a back scratcher, then uses it as a baton, does yoga (as only he could), and engages in “pillow talk” dishing about Hollywood luminaries.

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U.S. Oil Plummets Below $0 A Barrel

Amy Harder at Axios reports U.S. oil prices went negative Monday — meaning, companies paid to sell their oil.

How it works: Several other layers of costs, including refinement, transportation and various state taxes suggest negative gasoline prices are extremely unlikely, per Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy.

The big picture: The coronavirus-fueled lockdowns around the world are choking off oil demand, throwing the oil industry — which was already oversupplied before the pandemic — into historic chaos.

An equally historic production cut of the world’s biggest producers likely delayed the drop in oil prices we’re seeing today — and made it a tiny bit less worse.

Prices are likely to keep dropping, or at the very least remain very low, for the next few weeks at least given there is simply not enough places to store all of the extra oil sloshing around the world as many of us stay at home.

Under the terms of an arrangement brokered by Trump, Saudi Arabia, Russia and other countries will cut 9.7 million barrels a day beginning in May, reports the New York Times. Analysts forecast that oil consumption in April will fall by about three times that.

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Trump Blames Obama For Coronavirus Tests That Didn’t Exist Until This Year

Donald Trump during White House press briefing
Over the weekend, Donald Trump continued to push the idea that testing for the coronavirus was slowed because his administration “inherited a lot of garbage” from the Obama administration. On Saturday, Trump told reporters that the CDC “had obsolete tests, old tests, broken tests.” The statement makes no sense whatsoever since a test couldn’t have been developed before the virus was discovered, which first happened in China in late 2019. That was almost three years after Obama left the White House. Additionally, the World Health Organization offered to provide tests for the coronavirus, but the Centers for Disease Control insisted on developing its own. But the first round of tests didn’t work accurately, the resulting delay allowed the virus to promulgate across the country for weeks during February and early March. You can see Trump deflect responsibility in the video below. By the way, the softball question framed to blame Obama came from a reporter at the ultra Trump-loving One America News Network (OANN).

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Fox News: Pence Dodges Questions On Trump Inciting Protests

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday defended President Donald Trump for inciting protests in the middle of a pandemic. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, host Chris Wallace asked Pence about the demonstrations in certain states calling for the economy to reopen where people were seen violating social distancing guidelines. Instead of answering the question, Pence dodged and went on a lengthy praise of his boss. “We continue to see encouraging results, declining cases, declining hospitalizations because of what the American people have done, because of the president’s leadership,” the vice president said. “We are slowing the spread, we are hastening the day when we can put the coronavirus in the past and reopen the American economy.” As you can see – nothing about the question at hand. So, Wallace went back to his question about federal guidelines on social distancing. “But Mr. Vice President,” Wallace said. “In a number of these cases, these protesters – who are not social distancing – are saying they don’t want to wait. In many cases, they’re protesting your own guidelines to stop the spread.” Wallace also brought up Trump’s tweets on Friday that called for citizens to “Liberate Minnesota, liberate Michigan and liberate Virginia.”

“So what does the president mean because you’ve got guidelines that are calling for social distancing and staying at home?” asked the host. “Even your guidelines to reopen the country are very phased and gradual. What does the president mean when he says liberate these states?” “The American people know that no one in this country wants to reopen this country more than President Donald Trump,” said Pence again ignoring the question. “And on Thursday that president asked us to lay out guidelines for how the states can responsibly do that.” “And in the president’s tweets and public statements, I can assure you he’s going to continue to encourage governors to find ways to safely and responsibly let America go back to work,” added the vice president.