Category: News

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High School Football Season Canceled After Allegations Of Locker Room Assault

A California high school has canceled the remainder of its football season amid allegations of sexual battery between players in a locker room altercation after a practice last week. Gilroy High School officials say a majority of players have chosen not to finish the season as a result of the alleged assault and subsequent investigation. Mercury News reports that the incident “involved four students that assaulted a fellow student after school.” The student who was allegedly attacked went to school officials on September 26, and after an investigation, juvenile citations for sexual battery were issued to four students. “We investigated the allegations and determined there was evidence to support a criminal complaint.,” said Gilroy police Capt. Joseph Deras. “The aggravating circumstance was the number of suspects involved, and the use of force or fear played a role in our arresting decision.” Deras added that the investigator’s reports have been forwarded to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for review to determine if the students will face prosecution.

Because all of the individuals involved are minors, few details – including the names of the students – have been revealed. Police say there is currently no evidence that the alleged assault was a “hate-motivated crime.” The local CBS News affiliate KPIX reports that some students say they’d heard “several players were ‘roughhousing’ with one teammate and may have taken it too far.” KPIX adds that the remaining football season was forfeited because “only nine players remain on the team after others quit in protest.” Watching these and other news reports, the Gilroy High School students are apparently divided over the issue. In some interviews, there are students that seem to blame the alleged victim for the scandal…? Here’s an earlier report from KBCW:

(lead photo via Depositphotos)

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Trump Tries To Discredit Whistleblower For Approaching Congress

After the New York Times reported that the head of the House Intelligence Committee, Representative Adam B. Schiff of California, had been contacted regarding the outlines of the whistleblower’s concerns that Donald Trump had abused his power before it became public knowledge, Trump and his cohorts tried to spin this into a new conspiracy theory against him. Team Trump even tried to assert that Schiff helped write the whistleblower’s complaint. Nope. The thing is – this is the process when someone in government believes they’ve witnessed something gone awry. Via PBS:

The whistleblower who raised concerns about President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine spoke to staffers on the House Intelligence Committee before filing a formal complaint, giving Democrats advance warning of the accusations of wrongdoing that triggered their impeachment inquiry.

The whistleblower, a member of the intelligence community, contacted the committee for guidance on how to report “possible wrongdoing,” according to Patrick Boland, a spokesman for the Intelligence Committee’s chairman, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif. Boland said that “at no point did the committee review or receive the complaint in advance” and that it is a regular occurrence for whistleblowers to seek guidance from the committee.

“Consistent with the committee’s longstanding procedures, committee staff appropriately advised the whistleblower to contact an inspector general and to seek legal counsel,” Boland said. Other congressional committees follow a similar process.

In a news conference in the East Room of the White House after the article was published, Trump ranted, “He knew long before and helped write it, too. It’s a scam.” The NY Times states plainly: There is no evidence that Mr. Schiff did, and his spokesman said he saw no part of the complaint before it was filed.

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News Round-Up: October 2, 2019

Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Color me jealous of hottie Max Emerson (above) – after years of snuggling with my bestie Bruno, my two dogs now do not do the snuggle. And I miss it. • Playbill: Actor Joshua Henry, currently starring in the off-Broadway play The Wrong Man, was singing while an audience member in the front row was using a phone. Mid-performance and without halting, the actor, last on Broadway in the revival of Carousel, took the phone and threw it under the risers. The audience applauded his action. • LGBTQ Nation: Three YouTubers tested over 15,000 video titles and say LGBTQ keywords can trigger YouTube’s algorithm to demonetize and hide those videos. • Right Wing Watch: Pro-Trump activist and right-wing commentator Karyn Turk pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for stealing more than $17,000 from her mother’s Social Security, reportedly to pay for her own lavish lifestyle. • KIT212: Kenneth recaps the Q&A by Debbie Harry in New York City on Monday night for her new memoir, Face It. • DC Universe: Deaf, transgender model Chella Man shares the first look at his new role as ‘Jericho Wilson,’ a deaf, bisexual super-hero making his premiere on TITANS.

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Stable Genius Has Meltdown At White House Press Conference

During a press conference with Donald Trump and Finland’s President Niinisto, Jeff Mason from Reuters asked Trump what he wanted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to do when Trump brought up the business ties to Ukraine of Hunter Biden, son of Joe Biden? Trump began: “What I want is the following — Why are we the only ones that give the big money to the Ukraine?” And he never actually answered the question, which spurred Mason to followup on the question. Serious props to Jeff Mason for trying to get an answer to his question. The Donald is a bit cray-cray here. And poor President Niinisto for having to be exposed to the Trumpster’s madness.

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Police Officer Sentenced To 10 Years For Shooting Death Of Neighbor

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, who was found guilty of murder yesterday in the shooting death of her neighbor, Botham Jean, was sentenced to 10 years in prison today. She was facing between 5-99 years in prison. From NBC News:

Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer convicted of murder for fatally shooting her unarmed neighbor in his apartment, was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years in prison.

Guyger, 31, learned her fate after a sentencing hearing that included emotional testimony from the family of the victim, Botham Jean, and revelations that she shared racist and offensive texts and social media posts.

Prosecutors had asked jurors to sentence Guyger to at least 28 years — symbolic because Jean would have turned 28 last Sunday.

Guyger did not testify during her sentencing, but she has the opportunity to appeal the conviction in the unique case, which has gripped the city of Dallas and shattered the idea that law-abiding residents can be safe in their own homes.

The jury was allowed to consider whether Jean’s death was the result of “sudden passion,” which meant Guyger acted in the heat of the moment. It carried a lesser sentence of two to 20 years behind bars.

Guyger shot Jean after walking into his apartment thinking it was hers at the end of a shift. Believing he was a burglar in her home, she shot him while he was armed with just a bowl of ice cream. This stunning moment, between Jean’s brother and Guyger, happened at the sentencing today.

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Anti-Gay Todd Starnes Fired From Fox News

From The Wrap:

Todd Starnes’ contract at Fox News is not being renewed. The host will no longer be working at the network, its website, or its premium subscription service, Fox Nation.

He made headlines as recently as Monday for comments during his radio program that Democrats do not believe in the Christian God and instead may worship Moloch, a pagan god often associated with child sacrifice. When asked for comment, Fox News confirmed the news that Starnes is no longer working at the network but did not elaborate on the reasons behind Starnes’ departure.

And this from The Daily Beast:

The conservative talking head is best-known for his incendiary anti-LGBT, xenophobic, and racist remarks both on-air, across Fox News programming and on his Fox Nation and Fox News Radio shows, and in his FoxNews.com columns. Perhaps most famously, Starnes compared migrants to Nazis and declared that America is being “invaded by a horde.” 

Starnes also has a long history of erroneous reporting, having once been fired from Baptist Press over “factual and contextual errors” and “misrepresentations.”

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Man Sues Apple Claiming His iPhone Made Him Gay

A Russian man claims an app he downloaded to his iPhone coerced him into being gay. A Russian man is suing Apple for more than $15,000 because an app he downloaded to his iPhone ‘manipulatively’ coerced him into being gay, according to the Moscow Times. The man, identified in the lawsuit as D. Razumilov, claims in his lawsuit that he became “mired in same-sex relationships” after someone sent him 69 GayCoins (a form of cryptocurrency) via an app he downloaded to his iPhone in 2017. No, it wasn’t Grindr. And it wasn’t Scruff, either. Whatever those are… Included with the cryptocurrency, which would be worth about $1.40, was a message which Razumilov says read, “Don’t judge without trying.” “I thought, indeed, how can I judge something without trying?” wrote in his complaint. So, Razmuliov says he “decided to try same-sex relationships.” Next thing you know, he says he’s hooked on the gay. “I can say after the passage of two months that I’m mired in intimacy with a member of my own sex and can’t get out,” reads Razumiolov’s complaint. “I have a steady boyfriend and I don’t know how to explain it to my parents.” “After receiving the aforementioned message, my life has changed for the worse and will never be normal again,” he adds. The lawsuit, registered in Moscow’s Presnensky District Court last Wednesday, blames Apple for “manipulatively pushing me toward homosexuality.” The result of his same-sex relationship is “moral suffering and harm to mental health” for which he is asking 1 million rubles (approximately $15,331 with today’s exchange rate). Razumilov is scheduled to appear in court on October 17. (source: Moscow Times – image via Depositphotos)

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Trump Twitter Rant: ‘Not An Impeachment, It Is A Coup!’

Donald Trump is now calling the current impeachment inquiry a “coup.” It’s not. Via Reuters:

President Donald Trump is escalating his rhetoric against the impeachment investigation being led by House Democrats. In a tweet, Trump says he has come to the conclusion that the inquiry is not really an impeachment, “it is a COUP, intended to take away the Power of the People.”

In fact, a coup is usually defined as a sudden, violent and illegal seizure of government power. The impeachment process is laid out in the U.S. Constitution.

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Bernie Sanders Hospitalized For Artery Blockage

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ campaign announced his campaign appearances have been canceled due to ‘chest discomfort’ experienced Tuesday night: “During a campaign event yesterday evening, Sen. Sanders experienced some chest discomfort. Following medical evaluation and testing, he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted. Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days. We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”

(image via ABC News)

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Podcast: Suicide In Tennessee, Swimmer Booted For Being Gay, Music Video Highlights Domestic Violence

In this week’s headlines: • A Tennessee teen commits suicide after being outed by fellow students (If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255) • The Trump administration tried to wipe out Pride crosswalks • A suspect has been arrested in brutal crime where a gay man was tied to a minivan and dragged through the streets of Jacksonville • Collegiate swimmer says he was kicked off Stanford’s swim team for being openly gay • Tom Goss’s new music video ‘La Bufadora,’ dives into domestic violence among LGBTQ couples All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report. Reminder – if you enjoy catching up on LGBTQ news in a quick podcast, I’d appreciate if you would share The Randy Report with your friends 🙂