Category: News

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Petition Asks Politicians To Spend Equal Time With Constituents As Lobbyists

Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA)
A new online petition calls for elected representatives or senators to meet with their constituents for the same amount of time they meet with paid, corporate lobbyists. Via Patreon:

Georgia Republican congressman Barry Loudermilk clearly does not like to face the music.  The last scripted telephone town hall he held for an hour back in June 2018 has not been repeated since.

Meanwhile, Loudermilk raked in over $200,000 in corporate contributions towards his re-election campaign from the likes of banks, audit firms, military contractors, and more.

A new petition seeks to lobby Congress to change this and pass a Constituent Equal Time Act.

Why is this important?

“Every day your elected senators and representatives meet with lobbyists, receive donations, and many times vote against the best interests of their constituents,” reads the petition at MoveOn.org. “This proposed Constituent Equal Time Act would require our elected officials to give us equal time to fight for what is important for us.”

After all, Congress is supposed to work for every citizen, not corporations, right?

And just to show petitions can work, Rep. Loudermilk scheduled a telephone townhall today regarding the coronavirus shortly after the petition went live.

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Grab The Coconut Oil, Pita Taufatofua Is Going Back To The Olympics

Pita Taufatofua, whose shirtless entrance at the opening ceremonies of the past two Olympic Games nearly broke the internet, will be oiling up again for his third Olympics. The 36-year-old athlete from Tonga recently qualified for the 2020 Games in Tokyo having clinched a spot in taekwondo at a qualifying event in Australia.

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I dreamt my whole life of becoming an Olympian. My Mother had put me into Taekwondo as a five year old kid. To make three Olympics in a row was something I had never imagined. This third qualification was even more special because it wasn’t in some far away country but close to home where my family could attend. The look on my Mothers face when I qualified I will always remember. She said she was proud of seeing me qualify but was overcome with relief that I had gotten through the competition without more injury. My family has seen all the struggle and pain, they have been there through the broken bones and torn ligaments. I’m glad they were able to also be there to share in this special moment… #ThreeTimeOlympian #family #tokyo2020 #olympian #ThisOnesForThePlanet

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USA Today reports Taufatofua originally set out to qualify in a new sport for him – sprint kayak – having set a goal of qualifying for three consecutive Olympics in three different sports. But a rib injury in early February hampered his kayak training and impacted his performance in the qualifying races.

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Camp update- As is the nature of sports and life things rarely go to plan. Last week I tore my serratus muscles which connects to my rib causing sharp pain along my side and on my lower ribs. With a week and a half till my Olympic qualifier for Kayak and three weeks for Taekwondo it’s made any form of training challenging and painful. I haven’t been able to bend or twist or hold my core. For close to 5 months in this camp I haven’t missed a day of training and am in the best condition of my life. Normally before a competition an athlete will taper off. I decided not to taper but to ramp up my training to hit a speed bench mark. I’ve been running on the fence between improving rapidly in a new sport and pushing a limit to see what my body could take and how fast I could improve. My balance had finally gotten better and so I decided to push for speed. In the last three weeks I went from 8km/hr in a race kayak to a PB of 19.2km/hr. I was targeting 21+ km/hr by race day to be competitive and so I pushed harder. During a sprint session my body decided to push back and I’ve ended up with a torn muscle and rib injury. Not the worst injury I’ve had but definitely one of the more painful and inconvenient in terms of timing. We have decided to hold off paddling and kicking to see if the pain can subside. All we can do is upright stationary cycle and walk. My coach is back from NZ after having a beautiful baby boy to add to his family. We have been strategising how best to proceed. Other than the injury I am in the best physical and mental condition of my life. I didn’t fall out of my kayak 1000 times into a bull shark river just to stop. In times like this I go to prayer for help beyond what I can do alone. My spirits is high and we are doing all we can to maintain my condition while I heal. Come competition day whatever happens with the injury or the pain I will be in the kayak on that starting line and will hold nothing back, rib or no rib..whatever I have left I will give. This is a time where we have to rise to the challenge presented. I cant thank all of you enough for your support of this oily coconut that floated a long way from home. Ofa Atu

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The handsome athlete has continued to train in taekwondo, the sport which first sent him to the Olympics. Just weeks after falling short for kayaking, he pushed through the pain in Oceania’s qualification event to score his return ticket to Tokyo. Having trained in Taekwondo since the age of five, he was the first Tongan to ever compete in the sport for his country in the 2016 Games. He became a media sensation during those Games after his coconut oiled entrance as the flag bearer for Tonga. He told The Guardian at the time, “No one had ever heard of Tonga! We were like, how is this even possible?” The island nation of nearly 100,000 people sits on a group of islands east of Australia.

In December 2016, he announced he would learn to ski in order to qualify for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in cross-country skiing. He had never been on snow skis in his life prior to training for the sport. After slow finishes in several races, he traveled through a harrowing blizzard in the Arctic Circle to the final qualifying event. He made it to the race in time and became the second-ever Tongan to compete in a Winter Olympic Games. He was again the flag bearer in his shirtless, coconut oil glory at the opening ceremonies. He competed in the 15km freestyle race coming in 114th out of 119 skiers.

Some might have been disappointed, but for Taufatofua it was the effort and the journey that mattered. And sports fans were inspired by his undaunted spirit. Even though he’s already got a ticket to Tokyo, Taufatofua still plans on attempting to qualify for kayaking in what he calls a last-ditch effort. Not just a pretty face, when he’s not training he is studying at college having earned a degree in engineering and is currently working towards his master’s degree. He’s also a UNICEF ambassador and spends time working with homeless youth charities as well as working to raise awareness of global warming. In his most recent Instagram post, he wrote, “I promised myself to always remember where I came from, to remain grounded. Unlike Icarus, I could never fly too close to the sun (coconut oil, like my eyebrows, is flammable) – I would approach life with the mindset of ‘it’s only just beginning.’” “I wanted to help as many people as possible reach their full potential, to show them what they too were capable of achieving,” he added. “I wanted to bring awareness to our beautiful planet, our oceans and the problems it faces.” “So now it’s time for us to bumble our way towards another Olympics,” he concluded. “So sit back with your seat in an upright position, stow your tray tables, put your flu mask on, disinfect your hands and join me on this ride towards Tokyo and beyond!” Happy Hump Day to Pita Taufatofua, a true inspiration.

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Its been a very busy week since the qualification. Ive been receiving messages, doing countless interviews and been sent news links from people in all different parts of the world. It’s more amusing then anything for me. I laugh and sometimes cringe at the ones I read. I remember long before my first Olympic qualification I made a promise to myself. I had noticed that many athletes, Olympians, movie stars, musicians who made it and then just stopped. Some drunk, snorted or self sabotaged themselves into a bad place. In some ways I felt for them and their struggles. I saw this long before I accidentally slipped into my first news article. I promised myself to always remember where I came from, to remain grounded. Unlike Icarus I could never fly too close to the sun ( coconut oil, like my eye brows is flammable) – I would approach life with the mind set of ‘ its only just beginning’. The wolf climbing the hill was always hungrier then the wolf on top of the hill, I would stay hungry. But most importantly I would need to remember to keep at the forefront a purpose much larger than self and ego. I wanted to help as many people as possible reach their full potential, to show them what they too were capable of achieving. I wanted to bring awareness to our beautiful planet, our oceans and the problems it faces. And the best way I know how to do this is to get my ass kicked time after time as I climb that hill that has no summit. So now it’s time for us to bumble our way towards another Olympics. So sit back with your seat in an upright position, stow your tray tables, put your flu mask on, disinfect your hands and join me on this ride towards Tokyo and beyond! #StayHungry #ThisOnesForThePlanet #Tonga #Olympian #Tokyo2020 @nbcsports @olympicchannel

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News Round-Up: Las Vegas Edition

Vinny Guadagnino and the Chippendales (photo: Denise Truscello)
There’s always lots going on in Las Vegas, so here’s an update on the latest that Sin City has to offer: • The world-famous Chippendales have announced that “Jersey Shore” & “Double Shot at Love” star Vinny Guadagnino is coming back to their Las Vegas stage for a third residency. The hunky reality star’s seven-week engagement will run Friday, April 24 through June 7, 2020, at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. After two acclaimed, sold-out engagements where Vinny G. broke the internet when he bared it all during the now-legendary steamy shower number, the “Jersey Shore Family Vacation” star will return in full force giving the audience another chance to view of all of his Italian stallion talents!
Shania Twain and dancers (photo: Denise Truscello)
•  Shania Twain, the top-selling female country artist of all-time, returns to Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino this Friday, March 13 for her residency show, Shania Twain “Let’s Go!” The Las Vegas Residency. The high-energy production is a compilation of Shania’s most celebrated hits including “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!,” “You’re Still The One,” and “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” and features a seven-piece band and eight male dancers. And, of course, throughout the evening Shania dazzles the audience with eight high-fashion costumes designed by Marc Bouwer. • Extravaganza – The Vegas Spectacular will make its North American premiere on March 14, 2020, on the iconic stage at the Jubilee Theater inside Bally’s Las Vegas. A veritable extravaganza of passion and thrills, the new production features sensual performances that showcase the talents of over 30 talented, sexy and breathtaking artists from around the world – including dancers, acrobats, aerialists, skaters, ventriloquists, comedians and, the return of the iconic showgirl to the legendary Jubilee Theatre. Be prepared for glamorous costumes and sizzling dance numbers that will take the audience on a visual whirlwind as they follow the show’s hero on his mysterious journey through the best of Las Vegas entertainment.
From ‘An Evening with Whitney Houston – The Whitney Houston Hologram Concert’
• On April 14, An Evening with Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Concert will launch an open-ended residency in the Flamingo Showroom at Flamingo Las Vegas on April 14. An Evening with Whitney is presented through state-of-the-art, proprietary holographic technology that creates a “breathtakingly convincing hologram of the late, great American superstar” (Telegraph UK). The production takes audiences on a musical journey through Houston’s storied career using theatrical stagecraft paired with a live five-piece band, backup singers and dancers all set to digitally-remastered arrangements of Whitney’s biggest hits and fan favorites, including “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “The Greatest Love of All” and an on-your-feet cover of Steve Winwood’s “Higher Love.”
(image via WalletHub)
•  March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day and WalletHub recently ranked Sin City as one of the Best Cities for St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations. The consumer site compared 200 of the largest cities across 17 key metrics to find the best places to wear green and save some, too. Click here to see where (and why) Las Vegas scored so high for folks who enjoy the holiday. • Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience continues to cast its spell on Las Vegas as the hit, family-friendly show celebrated its 350th performance at The Magic Attic showroom inside Bally’s Las Vegas.  The show has extended its run at Bally’s Las Vegas through January 2021.  Las Vegas Magazine raved about the show: “It’s a comedy feast of all seven [Harry Potter] books acted out by two hilarious performers in 70 minutes…an experience not to be missed!” In just six months on the Strip, the show has garnered two Best of Las Vegas awards – “Best New Production” (Gold) and “Best Value Show” (Bronze) and, legions of Potter fans making their way to Las Vegas. • And finally, it’s not all just fun and games in Las Vegas – there’s a LOT of business and entrepreneurship as well. On March 11, out digital marketing expert, Zak Krassin will host a free online webinar for Las Vegas-based MassMedia breaking down some of the newest advertising platforms. Krassin will offer his expert advice on how to leverage these in-demand media channels and achieve the best results from your advertising efforts. A Q&A will follow Krassin’s insightful discussion. Register for free here.

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RuPaul’s DragCon Canceled Due To Coronavirus Concerns

(image via Instagram/RuPaulsDragCon)
RuPaul’s DragCon has been canceled thanks mainly to safety concerns in light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). DragCon posted on their website:

DragCon’s first priority is always the health and safety of everyone involved and we’ve been actively tracking the situation around the coronavirus. The situation in California (and the world) is rapidly changing, with new information coming out everyday.

Unfortunately, there’s no way for anyone to know what the situation will be like in May. Due to that uncertainty, and out of an abundance of caution, we’ve decided that it’s in the best interest of the talent, staff, and attendees to cancel RuPaul’s DragCon LA 2020.

DragCon LA will return in 2021, better than ever.

We will be working with Eventbrite to issue refunds over the next 7 days.

Thank you for your support. If you have any questions email help@rupaulsdragcon.com.

Several major convention events have been canceled as well including the popular South by Southwest (SXSW) festival which has been held in Austin, TX since 1987. They plan to carry on and prepare for 2021, but they are seeing major financial difficulties and had to lay-off 175 year-round employees. And E! News reports that the 2020 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is likely to be postponed in light of ongoing concerns surrounding the coronavirus outbreak. No official announcement has been made yet, but several outlets have reported that the music festival is looking to push the dates until October.

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News Round-Up: March 9, 2020

L-R Michael Caprio, Barry Manilow, me
Some news items you might have missed: • Las Vegas: Hubby Michael and I were invited to an industry night at the Westgate Hotel here in Las Vegas where pop music legend Barry Manilow is still thrilling audiences. In a fast-paced 90 minute show, Barry belts out hit after hit, inspiring standing ovation after standing ovation. If you’re heading to Sin City, I highly recommend you check out this truly authentic star who continues to knock it out of the park. • NY Times: A year after the “London Patient” was introduced to the world as only the second person to be cured of H.I.V., he is stepping out of the shadows to reveal his identity: He is Adam Castillejo. “This is a unique position to be in, a unique and very humbling position,” he said. “I want to be an ambassador of hope.” • CTV News: Legislation has been introduced in Canada that would make it illegal to cause a minor to undergo conversion therapy; to remove a minor from Canada to undergo conversion therapy in another country; cause a person to undergo conversion therapy against their will; profit from providing conversion therapy; or advertise an offer to provide conversion therapy. • Spokesman-Review: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law a bill that prohibits defendants from using a “panic defense” in court to justify violence against a member of the LGBTQ community. Washington is now the 10th state to ban so-called “gay panic” or “trans panic” defenses. • The Hill: Former 2020 Democratic contender Michael Bloomberg gave $2 million to a nonprofit working to Collective Future, a nonprofit working to registering black voters ahead of November’s general election. The group is working to register 500,000 black voters in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. • Passing: Openly gay playwright Mart Crowley, author of the groundbreaking play The Boys in the Band, about a group of gay and bi friends in New York City, has died at age 84. The play, a hit off-Broadway in 1968, went on to become a feature film directed by William Friedkin in 1970. Crowley finally received a Tony Award for his opus when an all-star cast brought the play to Broadway in 2018. Hollywood super-producer Ryan Murphy is now bringing that production to Netflix in the foreseeable future. RIP Mart Crowley.

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Dow Drops 2,014 Points – Biggest Plunge Since 2008

(graphic via NY Times)
The Dow closed down more than 2,000 points today marking the worst point decline ever, and the worst percentage decline since December 2008. So. Much. Winning. From the Washington Post:

The stock markets suffered stunning declines Monday — with the Dow Jones industrial average losing 2014 points — as the threat of a coronavirus-fueled oil war and ongoing panic about the spreading disease grew and triggered a rare forced halt to trading early in the session.

The Dow Jones industrial average cratered 7.8 percent to close at 23,851. The S&P 500, a broader measure of stocks, shed 7.6 percent by the close and the tech-heavy Nasdaq tumbled 7.3 percent.

The New York Stock Exchange tripped the so-called “circuit breaker” at a time of relentless volatility for global markets, which have been battered for weeks as the coronavirus outbreak continues to unfold. The forced 15-minute break initially appeared to have a stabilizing effect, but selling resumed before the end of the regular trading.

The oil industry had a terrible day as ten oil producers were the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 thanks, in part, to the ongoing price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia. Oil prices fell 30 percent marking the biggest slide since 1991. By the way, remember: there’s a tweet for everything: Donald Trump, who has taken ALL the credit for the stock market’s performance for the past three years, was predictably defensive on Twitter. Live by the market, die by the market.

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Italy Expands Travel Restrictions To Entire Country Due To Coronavirus

St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City in Rome
ABC News reports:

Officials in Italy have expanded emergency anti-coronavirus restrictions to apply to the whole country. The Italian government is directing all residents to remain at home and not to travel unless required by their work.

All public gatherings in open air or public places are being banned. Schools in the entire country are to remain closed until April 3.

The decree, which affects all 60 million people living in Italy, will go into effect tomorrow, according to Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

As of Monday, Italy had 9,172 coronavirus cases and 463 deaths, according to health officials.

Also, from Reuters: “Pope Francis has canceled his regular appearances in public to stop crowds gathering to see him and will stream them on the internet from inside the Vatican because of the coronavirus outbreak in Italy.”

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Rugby’s Joe Marler Faces Punishment For Grabbing Player’s Junk

England’s Joe Marler grabs Alun Wyn Jones during tussle (screen capture)
A crotch-grabbing incident during England’s narrow 33-30 Six Nations win over Wales on Saturday could land England rugby player Joe Marler in some serious trouble. The Independent reports that Marler has been cited for grabbing Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones’ junk during a heated tussle during the match that involved several players. In the brief clip below, you can see Marler grab and hold Jones’ junk for several seconds before letting go and walking away with a smirk.

Video of the grab immediately went viral and seemed to polarize fans online. Some saw the moment as a light-hearted way for Marler to get in Jones’ head, while others saw it as pure and simple sexual misconduct. At a press conference after the match, Jones was calm but called on the powers that be to weigh in on the episode.

On Sunday, Marler responded to the backlash with a short tweet that read, “Bollocks. Complete bollocks.”

Coming across this Instagram post by Marler last spring (in support of a mental health campaign) seems rather ironic considering the past weekend’s shenanigans.

A statement from Six Nations on Monday confirmed the citing referencing an alleged infringement of Law 9.27 which prohibits “anything that is against the spirit of good sportsmanship.” The rule includes “grabbing, twisting or squeezing the genitals.” At a scheduled disciplinary hearing on March 12, Marler could face a suspension of between 12 weeks and four years for committing the offense. Related: Naked Soccer Players Get ‘Ballsy’ Welsh rugby legend and Gareth Thomas found himself swept up in the incident for making light of the moment, according to Metro. Thomas, who came out in 2009, said on-air during the ITV television network’s halftime review: “It would never have happened in my day and I’m really upset about that – because if it had I would have never retired!” The remark drew uneasy laughs from Thomas’s fellow analysts. Several people took Thomas to task on Twitter, including ex-England international Andy Goode who tweeted: “Imagine if someone touched another man or woman up in the workplace and then someone joked about it on TV.”

Thomas apologized via Twitter saying he “tried to find humour in a situation – that doesn’t mean I condone it, it means I wanted it to not be an issue. So don’t change the narrative to justify how you feel. Be kind.”

(source: The Independent)

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Pete Buttigieg To Guest Host ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’ This Week

Mayor Pete Buttigieg on The Today Show (screen capture)
In his first sit-down interview since ending his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Mayor Pete Buttigieg shared with The TODAY Show’s Craig Melvin what his immediate plans are now and responded to comments by Sen. Bernie Sanders that he was ‘forced out’ of the Democratic race. Speaking to George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s This Sunday, Sanders said, “One of the things I was kind of not surprised by was the power of the establishment to force Amy Klobuchar, who had worked so hard, Pete Buttigieg who had really worked extremely hard as well out of the race.” Melvin asked the former South Bend, Indiana mayor what kind of ‘pressure’ he might have felt from ‘the establishment?’
L-R Craig Melvin, Pete Buttigieg
“I felt the pressure of voters making a decision,” replied Buttigieg. “We ran four contests and I’m proud of the campaign we ran but by the time we ran our fourth race, it was clear that the numbers weren’t there.” “You know, getting into this race was never just about becoming president,” he continued. “For us, it was about working to unify the party and the country and it was about making sure we defeat Donald Trump and there came a point where I realized that the best thing I could do in the service of those goals was to step aside and support vice president Biden.” Putting a point on Buttigieg’s response, Melvin inquired one more time if he’d felt any pressures from ‘the powers that be’ about leaving the race? “The kind of people who run for president of the United States are the kind of people who make their own decisions,” said the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. “It was my decision.”

With the presidential race now in the rearview mirror, other than possibly campaigning for Joe Biden, Melvin asked what was next on the agenda for Buttigieg? “In the immediate term, we’re going to be traveling a little bit, thanking supporters and then Chasten and I are looking forward to some time away,” Mayor Pete told Melvin. “Then I’ll come back and make myself useful in new ways, but we’re going to have some fun now.” “On Thursday, I’m going to be guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live,” he continued, clearly excited about the hosting gig. “We’re lining up a great slate of guests; Sir Patrick Stewart is coming on, we’re very excited about that.” Asked if he’ll be doing a monologue at the top of the show, Mayor Pete replied, “Hopefully some funnier minds than mine will be doing some writing for that.” While in New York City over the weekend, Mayor Pete and husband Chasten took in the acclaimed gay-themed Broadway play “The Inheritance” where they received a standing ovation before the play began.

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Trump Junior On His Dad’s Hiring & Firing: ‘He’s Getting There’

In an interview for Axios on HBO, Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei asks Donald Trump Jr. about his father’s hiring and firing of high-level cabinet members and then making derogatory remarks about them later. Some of those comments include: Secretary of State Rex Tillerson: “Dumb as a rock.” Secretary of Defense James Mattis: “World’s most overrated general” Attorney General Jeff Sessions: “Weak… scared stiff… mixed up and confused.” Steve Bannon: “Sloppy man who cried like a little dog.” Junior says his dad is “getting there.” “You have a guy that functioned as a businessman for a long time. It’s an entirely new world. I think now he’s figuring that out.”