Category: News

Posted on

News Round-Up: June 12, 2019

• My family came from then-Czechoslovakia, but clearly I didn't swim in the same gene pool as Czech InstaHunk Petr Hollesch (above). #dang #eyes #body
(Petr Hollesch)

Some news items you might have missed:

• My family came from then-Czechoslovakia, but clearly I didn’t swim in the same gene pool as Czech InstaHunk Petr Hollesch (above). #dang #eyes #body

• Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin shares with The Guardian that being gay “liberated” him from “all sorts of shit,” and “sped up the process of wisdom.” He also reveals he is estranged from his Trump-supporting brother.

• Researchers at the University of New Mexico are testing a vaccine they believe could prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

• Ecuador’s high court has legalized same-sex marriage for the South American country.

• Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) slammed the Trump administration’s ban on transgender military service members at a Department of Defense Pride event today calling the policy “heartless as it is dangerous.”

• Christian hate preachers are planning an anti-LGBTQ conference in Orlando, Florida, during the city’s Pride celebration.

• Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris says she would pursue obstruction of justice charges against Donald Trump if she were elected.

• Sultry out singer/songwriter Gia Woods dropped her latest single, “Feel It,” recently and even as I type this I’m bouncing in my chair.

Sexy, seductive vocals slink over an irresistible electro-pop mid-tempo groove. “You can dance to it, but it’s not aggressive.,” says Woods. “It’s sensual and fun — just like the beginning of a heavy crush.”

Posted on

Where Else Would A Storm Chaser Pop The Question?

Joey Krastel pops the question to bf Chris Scott

We’ve seen marriage proposals at Disney World, at Pride events, even at home supply super-stores, but meteorologist Joey Krastel popped the question with an element of danger thrown in. On May 28, the 27-year-old posted a photo on Twittershowing the ‘storm chaser’ down on one knee in front of his boyfriend, Chris Scott, with a wild storm in the background. The caption read, “The 2 loves of my life.”

Krastel has been fascinated by storms and weather since the age of four when he saw his first tornado. “It was at that moment where I knew everything I wanted to do from then on out,” he told NBC News. “Every meteorologist has a weather story from when they were little that defined their path.” In fact, it was weather that brought the couple together. Scott has had an interest in storms since he first saw the tornado-themed film Twisterwhen he was a young boy. It was his enchantment of weather that led him to follow Krastel on Instagram where the meteorologist posts photos and video footage of wild weather. One comment led to another and another, and soon the pair got in touch and began dating. Dates included, of course, adventures in storm chasing. It was with that in mind that Krastel planned his big moment. “It was always in the back of my mind to get engaged during storm chasing,” he shared with NBC News. “I felt like it would be this perfect way to seal the deal.” And so it was that a road trip that began in Dallas and traveled across Oklahoma and New Mexico. But it wasn’t until the group was driving through Kansas that they came across “the right storm.” “It all just kind of came together and happened so quickly,” said Krastel. “I was like, ‘Ok, this is it.’” With a tornado whirling in the distance, Krastel dropped to his knee and popped the question as a friend snapped the pic. This photo posted to Krastel’s Instagram shows how close the couple were to the dangerous storm at the time of his proposal.

The couple now has a terrific marriage proposal story to share with friends, but it’s important to warn that storm chasing can be very dangerous for folks who do not understand weather patterns. National Geographic reports that tornadoes cause 80 deaths and more than 1,500 injuries in the U.S. There are many ways to reinforce a home against wind damage — some are simple enough to DIY while others may require professional assistance. Click here for a guide to preparing your home from damaging winds.
Posted on

News Round-Up: May 29, 2019

• Who’s ready for Pride Month? • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who famously did not allow a debate on the SCOTUS nomination of Merrick Garland for nearly a year, told a crowd in Kentucky on Tuesday that if a Supreme Court vacancy came up during the 2020 presidential campaign, “We’d fill it.” Totally different thing when the nomination is from your party, huh? • Even the legal pundits at Fox News think Robert Mueller’s statement that he didn’t charge Donald Trump with obstruction of justice “because he’s the president” was damning for Trump: https://twitter.com/kylegriffin1/status/1133840519640039425 • Louisiana lawmakers passed an abortion ban on a 79 – 23 vote Wednesday that would prohibit women from terminating a pregnancy once a fetal heartbeat has been detected. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards [photo] has indicated that he would break with his party and sign the ban if it crosses his desk. • The non-partisan Congressional Research Service reports the sweeping tax law Republicans enacted in late 2017 is definitely not paying for itself, and has not significantly boosted the economy or increased wages.

Posted on

News Round-Up: April 26, 2019

Former President of Brazil Jair Bolsonaro

Some news items you might have missed: • Anti-gay President Jair Bolsonaro told reporters this week regarding his country’s travel economy: “If you want to come here and have sex with a woman, go for your life. But we can’t let this place become known as a gay tourism paradise. Brazil can’t be a country of the gay world, of gay tourism. We have families.” Continue reading “News Round-Up: April 26, 2019”

Posted on

Dozens Indicted In College Admission Scandal Including Actresses Felicity Huffman & Lori Loughlin

Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin (images via Facebook)

This looks to be the story of the day, especially with the inclusion of actresses Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives) and Lori Loughlin (Full House). According to court filings, those indicted allegedly paid millions in bribes to get their children into elite colleges as well as cheating on entrance exams. Via the New York Times:

Federal prosecutors charged dozens of people on Tuesday in a major college admission scandal that involved wealthy parents, including Hollywood celebrities and prominent business leaders, paying bribes to get their children into elite American universities. Thirty-three parents were charged in the case. Also implicated were top college coaches, who were accused of accepting millions of dollars to help admit students to Wake Forest, Yale, Stanford, the University of Southern California and other schools, regardless of their academic or sports ability, officials said. Along with the Hollywood stars Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, those charged included prominent business leaders, a fashion designer and a top lawyer, as well as exam administrators accused of manufacturing students’ achievements and private admissions counselors accused of coordinating it all, officials said. Federal authorities say dozens of individuals were involved in a nationwide bribery and fraud scheme to help students gain admission to elite colleges and universities. Racketeering charges against 12 of the defendants are detailed in this indictment, one of a number of charging documents in the case.

William Rick Singer, the founder of the college preparatory business the Edge College & Career Network (aka The Key), is apparently at the center of the scandal. Singer has already pleaded guilty to charges and is reportedly cooperating with federal prosecutors. His organization allegedly helped students cheat on standardized tests, like the SAT, and facilitated bribes to prep coaches who helped students gain access into college with fake athletic credentials. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Huffman’s daughter took the test in December 2017, and received a 1420 on the test – a 400 point improvement from a previous attempt. Related: How to take precautions to avoid back-to-school scams

Posted on

Cesar Sayoc Jr. Charged For Bombing Campaign Against Trump Critics

Cesar Sayoc Jr. charged on 5 counts of attempted bombing targeting critics of Donald Trump
Cesar Sayoc, Jr. (via Facebook)

Cesar Sayoc Jr., of Aventura, Florida, has been arrested and charged in the bombing campaign that has targeted prominent Democratic figures. From The New York Times:

At a news conference in Washington on Friday afternoon, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that Mr. Sayoc had been charged with five federal crimes, including the interstate transportation of an explosive, the illegal mailing of explosives and making a threat against a former president and others. Mr. Sayoc is a registered Republican whose arrest record in Florida dates back to 1991 and includes felony theft, drug and fraud charges, as well as allegations that he threatened to use a bomb, public records show. According to a 2012 bankruptcy petition filed in Miami, Mr. Sayoc resided at the time at his mother’s home. “Lives w/mom,” a handwritten note on the petition said. “Has no furniture.”

The Times reports that DNA samples on two of the bombs matched a DNA sample from Sayoc from a previous arrest. Additionally, a finger print was found on one of the bombs that matched Sayoc. At a press conference today, Attorney General Jeff Sessions was asked why all of the targets were political opponents of Donald Trump. Sessions said he was not sure, but added that the suspect “appears to be a partisan.” Oh, really? Check out the picture at the top of this post. Yeah, I’d call that ‘partisan.’ The charges include interstate transportation of an explosive, illegal mailing of explosives, threats against former presidents and other persons, threatening interstate commerce and assaulting federal officers.’ If convicted, the 56-year-old faces up to 58 years in prison. Sayoc has reportedly denied any role in the bombing campaign. So far, bombs have been found to have been sent to these perceived political opponents of Donald Trump: President Obama; former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.; former Secretary of State Clinton; Rep. Maxine Waters fo California; former Attorney General Eric Holder; John O. Brennan, a former C.I.A. director, the actor Robert De Niro; Sen. Kamala Harris of California; Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey; James Clapper, former director of national intelligence; Tom Steyer, a prominent Democratic donor and George Soros, the billionaire Democratic donor. It appears driving around in his van plastered with Trump propaganda had become unfulfilling.

Because how nutty does this look???

Sayoc appears to have heard the clarion call of his leader who, with a wink and a nod, has been inciting violence for some time. Trump created the ‘alternate reality’ this guy lives in. Don’t for one second not believe that.

 

Posted on

Podcast: Cynthia Nixon’s Gubernatorial Race Comes To An End, Emmy Awards For LGBTs

In this week’s podcast: While ‘Sex and the City’ star Cynthia Nixon fell short in her bid to become the Democratic nominee for governor in New York state, she did change the election’s trajectory. Plus…

• A Pennsylvania university will not let a gay man take his last two classes for his degree.

• A new study shows same-sex couples are getting married at an older age than heterosexuals.

• RuPaul and the Fab Five celebrated at this year’s Creative Arts Emmy Awards.

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

Hit the play button below. AND – don’t forget to share 🙂

Continue reading “Podcast: Cynthia Nixon’s Gubernatorial Race Comes To An End, Emmy Awards For LGBTs”

Posted on

World Trade Center Subway Station Reopens In Time For 9/11 Anniversary

A 1 train pulls into the World Trade Center subway station for first time since terror attacks

As the world recognizes the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attack on the United States, a 1 train has pulled into the subway station located directly underneath the World Trade Center for the first time since the horrific day of terror.

Costing over $158 million, the reconstruction took so long because New York City primarily focused energies on rebuilding above ground where the twin towers had stood.

For years now, the Metropolitan Transit Authority has ferried commuters via bus shuttle to South Ferry instead of Cortlandt Street.

The new station features 1,200 feet of new track and tunnel as well as a white marble mosaic by artist Ann Hamilton that incorporates raised lettering utilizing the text from the Declaration of Independence and the 1948 United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Titled “CHORUS,” commuters can experience the artwork not only visually but through touch as well.

Additional improvements New Yorkers will appreciate – the subway station is air-conditioned and features digital, state of the art real-time train schedules.

MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota called the moment “a major milestone in the recovery and growth of downtown Manhattan,” telling the Gothamist, “WTC Cortlandt is more than a new subway station. It is symbolic of New Yorkers’ resolve in restoring and substantially improving the entire World Trade Center site.”

Watch the report below from the NYC ABC affiliate.