Tom Hanks (image via Flickr/Duetsche Bank) Some news items you might have missed: • Australia: Academy Award winner Tom Hanks announced he and his wife, Rita Wilson, have been diagnosed with coronavirus while shooting a movie in Australia.
• Washington Post: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday declared coronavirus a pandemic, reflecting alarm that countries aren’t working quickly and aggressively enough to fight the disease it causes, covid-19. • NY Times: Donald Trump told the U.S. tonight he would be suspending all travel from Europe for the next 30 days starting Friday. The restrictions will not apply to Britain.
Breaking News: President Trump announced he was suspending travel from Europe for 30 days in the fight to contain the coronavirus, starting on Friday https://t.co/rZCBYoMmr3
• Instinct: Riley Knoxx, known to be the most prolific Beyonce impersonator in the game today, became the first openly transgender woman to perform at an NBA halftime show. She performed a three-song medley of Beyonce’s classic hits and was joined by the Washington Wizards dancers at the Washington Wizards annual Pride Night. • Associated Press: Authorities in Italy have announced that all stores except pharmacies and food outlets will close in response to the country’s coronavirus outbreak. So far, 827 people have died from Covid-19 inside Italy, whereas 12,462 have been infected with the virus in the country. • The Advocate: Netflix has renewed the Emmy Award-winning ‘make better’ reality show Queer Eye for a sixth season scheduled to be filmed in and around Austin, Texas. While season 6 does not yet have a release date, season 5, based in Philadelphia, will debut this summer on Netflix.
Grab a Texas-sized box of tissues y’all because the Fab 5 just arrived in the Lone Star State to film Queer Eye Season 6! 🤠🌵(oh and P.S. Queer Eye Season 5 is coming real soon✨) pic.twitter.com/ROH1eCXzPZ
• Manchester Evening News: David Bailey, 18, and Ashley Roberts, 19, have both been sentenced to 32 months in a young offender institution after attacking a gay couple for holding hands. During the incident, the victims were punched and kicked while being told they would “burn in hell.” Bailey blamed his behavior on being drunk. • Out Music: Nonbinary singer/songwriter Claud teams up with buddy Del Water Gap for the collaborative single, “My Body.” The track has a chill, easy feel that fall’s comfortably on the ear. The duo calls the loping, retro-styled pop bop “a light-hearted jaunt and a funny take on our friendship.” With DIY graphics and moments of singing into hairbrushes in the music video, you get that the two aren’t really singing about “my body.” #wink
Axios is reporting Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician for Congress, held a closed-door meeting with Senate chiefs of staff, chief clerks, and staff directors for both parties informing them that they “should prepare for the worst” regarding the ongoing coronavirus threat. According to reports, Monahan said he “expects 70-150 million people in the U.S.” to become infected with the virus. That would constitute roughly a third of the country. That prediction would align with other health experts even though Donald Trump and the White House have repeatedly told the public there’s little need to worry. Monahan did share that roughly 80% of those who contract coronavirus eventually recover, according to Axios.
Donald Trump (image via White House/Public Domain)Politico reports that Donald Trump is wary of announcing an all-out emergency regarding the coronavirus threat because he’s afraid of escalating fears ramping up even further.
Trump’s concern at this point is that going further could hamper his narrative that the coronavirus is similar to the seasonal flu, said the three people familiar with the discussions. The administration is also negotiating with Congress over a stimulus package designed to cushion the coronavirus-hampered economy. But that calculation could change in the coming weeks.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is pushing for the designation but Vice President Mike Pence, who Trump tapped to lead the administration’s coronavirus response, doesn’t want Trump to act until Congress passes a stimulus package, according to two of the people.
There’s no deadline for a decision, but one of the people familiar with the talks said the task force will not give Trump its final verdict until Jared Kushner, the president’s senior adviser and son-in-law, finishes his research and comes to a conclusion himself.
So, Jared is now an expert on the coronavirus…? Or is he doing a cost-benefit analysis trying to figure out an acceptable number of Americans who can die in the pandemic? The White House cancelled the coronavirus task force briefing today, as well as Trump’s scheduled dinner with the Pences at the Naval Observatory. The White House has announced Trump will address the nation tonight at 9 pm ET regarding economic and health steps to mitigate the ongoing crisis.
(photo: Phil Roeder/Flickr – CC License) The NCAA has announced that the 2020 March Madness basketball tournaments will restrict attendance to only “essential staff and limited family” due to the ongoing coronavirus threat. Alumni are certain to be angry as fans will be barred from attending. In a statement, NCAA President Mark Emmert said that the organization “will continue to monitor and make adjustments as needed.” “While I understand how disappointing this is for all fans of our sports, my decision is based on the current understanding of how COVID-19 is progressing in the United States,” Emmert added. Emmert said the NCAA has been consulting with public health officials and its own advisory panel.
The 11-year Dow Jones bull market that began on March 9, 2009, under President Obama has ended under Donald Trump as the stock market has now declined 20% from recent record highs. We’re now officially in bear market territory. From NBC News:
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down more than 1,400 points on Wednesday, crossing firmly into bear market territory, or a 20 percent decline from a 52-week high. The losses came as the World Health Organization labeled the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.
The S&P 500 and the Dow are currently down more than 14 percent from the record highs they hit just last month, making this the fastest drawdown from peak to decline.
Wednesday’s massive sell-off is a response to the lack of concerted policy action from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has been criticized for its mixed messaging about the best ways to address and contain the virus.
— (((Michelle Blechman))) (@TheBlechster) March 11, 2020
In related news, the World Health Organization on Wednesday characterized the coronavirus as a pandemic for the first time. Currently, there are more than 1,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Experts say that number that is expected to rise as testing becomes more widely available.
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.
Click on the link to sign-up for my Telephone Townhall TODAY, Wed, March 11, @ 6 pm ET OR call 1-877-353-4701 at 6 pm for an update on the Coronavirus. I will be joined by representatives from the @GaDPH and a local EMS.https://t.co/yx5PC6mTxspic.twitter.com/ZWYx7dF9rN
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.
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.
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.
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 Experiencecontinues 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.
(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.
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.
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.
RIP Mart Crowley, who wrote Boys In The Band. He was justly acclaimed, ignorantly attacked and finally given his due. He dissected and celebrated gay lives, and as a person, he was funny, generous and brave. He got there first, and the theater is in his debt pic.twitter.com/eQoJyjGPp2
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