Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg (screen capture)
News Round-Up: March 23, 2020
Who Wants To Work Out With The Chippendales At Home?
Ryan Worley of the world-famous Chippendales
As Worley mentions in the videos, there’s no down-time for the Chippendales because the (fingers-crossed) plan in Las Vegas is to hopefully have casinos, hotels, and shows back up and running sooner than later. The governor in Nevada ordered all non-essential businesses to close for a 30-day period which expires on April 16. And a Chipps-approved body doesn’t happen on its own. The Chippendales are hoping to be back in full-swing when Vinny Guadagnino of Jersey Shore fame returns to handle celebrity hosting duties again. The ‘Keto Guido’ is currently scheduled to rejoin the men of Chipps from April 24 to June 7. You might recall when the Jersey Shores star flashed his ‘mini-Vinny’ onstage and the cell phone video of the moment went viral? #goodtimes Not one to sit idle, Worley recently launched a new “fantasy dates” website – BodyKink. “This is a platform that connects models with fans,” says Worley. “It’s a strictly legal website and we do fantasy dates and companionship. He adds, “BodyKink is a safe place where people can express their kinky desires and they don’t have to be ashamed for it or anything like that.” The hunky former Mormon shares that a portion of the proceeds will be donated each month to Golden Rainbow, a local charity founded by the entertainment industry that provides housing and financial assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS in Southern Nevada. Check out a few shots from Worley’s thirst-tastic Instagram:
IOC: 2020 Olympic Games Will Be Postponed
In a move not done since World War II, USA Today reports the 2020 Olympic Games scheduled to take place in Tokyo will be postponed.
Veteran International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound told USA TODAY Sports Monday afternoon that the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games are going to be postponed, likely to 2021, with the details to be worked out in the next four weeks.
“On the basis of the information the IOC has, postponement has been decided,” Pound said in a phone interview. “The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”
Pound, a Canadian who has been one of the most influential members of the IOC for decades, said he believes the IOC will announce its next steps soon. “It will come in stages,” he said. “We will postpone this and begin to deal with all the ramifications of moving this, which are immense.”
Surgeon General: Everyone Needs To Act As If They Have The Virus Now
Surgeon General Jerome M. AdamsU.S. surgeon general Jerome M. Adams is not playing. He’s not doling out “hopes and wishes.” He really, really wants people to stay home in order to help mitigate the worsening coronavirus threat.
During an appearance on the TODAY show Monday morning, he lamented that people choosing to visit beaches or spend time crowding around Washington’s cherry blossoms is how the virus is going to keep spreading.
From the Washington Post:
Adams reminded the public that the numbers of coronavirus cases they see reported reflects what happened two weeks ago and stressed that mitigation measures, such as practicing social distancing and postponing elective surgeries, are designed to ignite a sense of urgency in Americans.
He noted, however, that they are only effective as early preventive tactics. Positive cases of coronavirus have ballooned to more than 35,000 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine, though experts agree that the actual number of U.S. cases is much higher.
“Everyone needs to act as if they have the virus right now,” Adams said, echoing words from the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Anthony S. Fauci. “You could be spreading it to someone else or you could be getting it from someone else. Stay at home.”
“I want America to understand this week, it’s going to get bad and we really need to come together as a nation,” said Adams to Savannah Guthrie. “So test or no test, we need you to understand you could be spreading it to someone else, or you could be getting it from someone else.”
“This week, it’s going to get bad. … We really, really need everyone to stay at home.” Watch @Surgeon_General‘s full interview with @savannahguthrie. pic.twitter.com/azmKJ6hfSY
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) March 23, 2020
Podcast: Coronavirus & LGBTQ Community; Being Gay And Older Brothers; ‘Idol’ Alum Gary Beals
In this week’s podcast: • A new study shows having an older brother could increase the odds of being gay • Canadian Idol alum Gary Beals comes out and a drops new single, “Me for Me” • Virtual dance parties online help to alleviate stress during the ongoing health crisis. LInk – www.instagram.com/mkik808/ • Talking about the coronavirus pandemic, certain risk factors for LGBTQ people in particular, and where dating apps fall in all this. GLMA provides a directory for welcoming providers here: www.glma.org/index.cfm?fuseacti…iewPage&PageID=939 The Human Rights Campaign has a list of LGBTQ-friendly medical centers and hospitals here: www.hrc.org/hei/search All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Trumper Buys All Paper Towels & Toilet Paper From Dollar Store, Promises To Sell It For Double
A Trump supporter was caught on video loading up her truck after clearing out all the toilet paper, paper towels and paper napkins from a Dollar Tree store in Pompano Beach, Florida. The short video, shot by another customer at the store, shows the woman loading several huge boxes onto the back of a truck. In the clip, you can hear the woman recording the scene ask, “I hope you’re not like going to go sell it to other people. Don’t worry you’ll see her on the street corner selling it for double in a minute.” “That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” replies the woman who purchased the products. “I bet you she likes Donald Trump too,” says the woman recording the video to which the purchaser begins yelling, “Donald Trump! Go, Donald Trump!” Is anyone surprised? Show of hands – anyone? Yeah, I didn’t think so. The video in Brian Tyler Cohen’s tweet has been viewed 3.4 million times. Needless to say, the Twitterverse wasn’t exactly thrilled with Toilet Paper Tammy.
So this woman not only buys out a local Dollar Tree of every single box of paper towels, napkins, and toilet paper so that no one else can buy any, but caps it off with this:
"Donald Trump! Go Donald Trump!" pic.twitter.com/45u2yIjVdQ
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) March 21, 2020
Asymptomatic Sen. Rand Paul Tests Positive For COVID-19
Sen. Rand Paul (photo: Gage Skidmore)
“Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19,” Paul’s account tweeted. “He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.”
“He expects to be back in the Senate after his quarantine period ends and will continue to work for the people of Kentucky at this difficult time,” the thread continued. “Ten days ago, our D.C. office began operating remotely, hence virtually no staff has had contact with Senator Rand Paul.”
Paul is the third member of Congress to announce a positive test for coronavirus, following Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and Ben McAdams, D-Utah. Several Republican lawmakers also self-quarantined earlier this month after learned they had interacted with someone who tested positive for the virus at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Some might note the irony that Paul was the only senator to vote against a bipartisan $8 billion deal to provide emergency coronavirus funding earlier this month. Earlier this week, I reported that Walking Dead actor Daniel Newman developed symptoms, knew he’d been exposed to the coronavirus, went to the ER and was told (after ringing up a bill for $9,000+) that his test couldn’t be “processed” because he wasn’t a senior citizen or traveled recently in China or Italy. How did an asymptomatic U.S. senator get tested if Newman and others couldn’t? Of course, we know the answer to that question.
Senator Rand Paul has tested positive for COVID-19. He is feeling fine and is in quarantine. He is asymptomatic and was tested out of an abundance of caution due to his extensive travel and events. He was not aware of any direct contact with any infected person.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) March 22, 2020
big concerns in Senate gop ranks about @RandPaul’s positive test for coronavirus and what it means for everyone else. Rand was in lunches w his colleagues. Jerry Moran said at lunch today that Paul was at the gym this AM swimming. Paul got the results late this am and left.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) March 22, 2020
Sen. Rand Paul has been sitting with GOP senators at lunches and meetings every day. And per CNN, he was at the Senate gym this morning! I think a lot of GOP senators are going to have to isolate right now.
— Michelangelo Signorile (@MSignorile) March 22, 2020
So Rand Paul can get a test without symptoms, but the rest of us peasants cant? #RandPaulPositiveCovid19.
— Professional Student, JD, LLM ⚖️🍷📚🎼 (@somebodystop_me) March 22, 2020
Why did he get tested if he is asymptotic but the common Americans can not get a test even if they are showing symptoms!
— Maureen Vaughn (@MaureenDeniseV) March 22, 2020
Economy Roiled By Health Threat, But Some Companies Looking To Hire
From the New York Times:
The volume of food and paper products passing through a warehouse just outside Los Angeles is up 30 percent from the same time a year ago.
Pizza deliveries are surging as people around the country hunker down. Medical product manufacturers are racing to help hospitals lacking critical equipment needed to diagnose and treat Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Millions of people lost jobs or saw their wages severely curtailed last week as many companies shut down or cut back on operations. But the pandemic has also created a spike in demand for critical products and services, causing some of America’s biggest employers to scramble to try to hire workers.
On Thursday, Walmart, the nation’s largest employer, said it was looking to hire 150,000 additional employees through the end of May.
The grocery chain Kroger is hiring 10,000 people across its stores and distribution centers. Amazon is also planning to hire 100,000 additional people to keep up with the crush of online orders.
While the casinos here in Las Vegas are closed, I did see several of the large grocery stores have “Hiring” signs up. I know these may not be some people’s “chosen careers,” but if a family needs an income, at least there are a few opportunities to earn a living.
FDA Approves ‘Quick Result’ Coronavirus Test
The Washington Post reports the FDA has approved a new “rapid result” coronavirus test that can deliver results in 45 minutes.
The FDA granted “emergency use authorization” to Cepheid, a California company that makes a rapid molecular test for the coronavirus. Getting results in 45 minutes would be far quicker than the current situation in which tests typically are sent to central reference labs that can take days to deliver results.
The FDA authorization covers “patient care settings,” including doctors’ offices, but initially will be used primarily by hospitals and emergency departments, the company said.
The specimen can be collected either by a nasal swab or by a saline wash using a small catheter. Neither is particularly comfortable, but the advantage of the wash is that it doesn’t require swabs, which are in short supply.
Full Ground Stop At All NYC Area Airports Due To Staffing Shortages
(image via Erik Odiin/Unsplash)
The halt was lifted after about 30 minutes. Initially, air traffic controllers were warned it could last several hours.
Apparently someone in the regional New York center for air traffic control tested positive, so the FAA shut it down. Inbound flights are being diverted and take-offs have been canceled. From CBNC:
Air traffic into major New York City-area airports was halted on Saturday, the Federal Aviation Administration said, as coronavirus continues to cause staffing issues at FAA facilities around the country.
Here’s the full advisory. There’s a temporary ground stop while the FAA figures out what to do with staffing at the New York TRACON. pic.twitter.com/5Zb0ZLB2QB
— Marcus J. DiPaola (@marcusdipaola) March 21, 2020