LGBTQ news and entertainment
Model Yuri Rangel seen through winter shadows seems like good way to kick off this edition of Hump Day InstaHunk Round-Up.
#eyecandy
A post shared by David Lopez (@davidlopezzz) on Jan 31, 2018 at 8:58am PST
A post shared by Ramses Principe (@mia_fitness) on Jan 31, 2018 at 7:31am PST
It doesn't matter what life throws at us, we are equipped to handle all situations. You just have to dig within to find the 🗝 @natezoellerA post shared by Quin Bruce (@quin_bruce) on Jan 30, 2018 at 4:37pm PST
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| Congressman Trey Gowdy |
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) has announced he will join the stampede of fellow GOPers heading for the exits rather than face tough reelection terrain.
From The Washington Post:
A former prosecutor, Gowdy rose to prominence as chairman of a special House panel investigating the deadly 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s role in the State Department’s response.
“I will not be filing for reelection to Congress nor seeking any other political or elected office; instead I will be returning to the justice system,” Gowdy said in a statement.
“Whatever skills I may have are better utilized in a courtroom than in Congress, and I enjoy our justice system more than our political system,” he said. “As I look back on my career, it is the jobs that both seek and reward fairness that are most rewarding.”
There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system. Full statement here → pic.twitter.com/7I8AApqvs1— Trey Gowdy (@TGowdySC) January 31, 2018
Trey significant! The legion of Republican retirements—Gowdy being the latest—speaks volumes about the party’s prospects in the midterms this fall.https://t.co/nYexSqKzlO— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) January 31, 2018
Wow. Several Committee Chairmen resigning. Tells you one thing, they’re concerned about becoming the minority, and having to endure handing over the gavel. https://t.co/j0K5rUTxNM— Ana Navarro (@ananavarro) January 31, 2018
Trey Gowdy is not running again. pic.twitter.com/ft87kvBHSe— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) January 31, 2018
Last night, President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address to a joint sessions of Congress.
Random thoughts:
• For the most part, Trump stayed on script which is about the best thing that can be said.
• No new policies were introduced during the speech.
• Teleprompter Trump is better than unfiltered Trump.
• It’s notable that as he stepped up to the mic, Trump’s approval rating – 37% – is the lowest of any modern president as he enters his second year.
• Lots of inaccuracies throughout the address. Non-partisan, Pulitzer Prize-winning site Politifact did fact checking along the way.
Just some of what they found.
“Just as I promised the American people from this podium 11 months ago, we enacted the biggest tax cuts and reforms in American history.”
It is False that the tax-cut package passed in December is the largest cut ever, as Trump has repeatedly claimed.
In inflation-adjusted dollars, the recent tax bill is the fourth-largest since 1940. And as a percentage of GDP, it ranks seventh.
“The third pillar ends the visa lottery — a program that randomly hands out green cards without any regard for skill, merit, or the safety of American people.”
We rated Trump’s claim False. While lottery applicants are randomly selected, they must meet education and work experience requirements. They must also be vetted by the United States government before being allowed to come to the United States.
“African-American unemployment stands at the lowest rate ever recorded, and Hispanic American unemployment has also reached the lowest levels in history.”
The black unemployment rate is indeed at record lows, and the Hispanic unemployment rate reached the lowest levels in history during Trump’s tenure.
That’s a continuation of an earlier trend. Under former President Barack Obama, the unemployment rate for both groups fell by more than half.
Much more over at Politifact.
For more in-depth coverage of the speech, head over to The New York Times‘ recap here.
According to several sources, a train carrying GOP lawmakers to a retreat collided with a dump truck.
One fatality has been reported as well as two injuries.
#BREAKING: Train carrying GOP lawmakers to retreat collides with dump truck https://t.co/pa4iagp6pQ pic.twitter.com/7HzXFPqlbr— The Hill (@thehill) January 31, 2018
Sen @JeffFlake tells the Washington Post that three passengers were aboard the hit truck and there was one fatality.Flake said he helped carry an injured passenger to a nearby ambulance. pic.twitter.com/fgUUKDwtO8
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 31, 2018
Jimmy Fallon’s “Donald Trump” gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the Trumpster’s prep before his first State of the Union address.
Along the way, he gets advice and support from “Kellyanne Conway” and “Barack Obama.”
Jimmy’s really mastered the way Donald takes a sip of water LOL.
Watch below.
Donald Trump’s first “State of the Union” speech will begin about 9PM ET (6PM PT) on all news networks.
The White House has just released these excerpts from his speech.
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Some news items you might have missed:
• Nick Jonas covers Clash Magazine (in sexy leather pants) for a piece that chronicles his creative evolution from boy bander to A-list pop music artist/actor. #ThirstTrap
• San Francisco’s oldest gay bar closed its doors this past Sunday after 108 years. #OurHistory
• Party drug GHB is making a comeback (witness the death of reality star Joel Taylor last week). Click over to The Gaily Grind for lots of good info on the dangers of the drug.
• A new study shows a “vote by mail” program across the U.S. would increase voter participation in elections.
• Following Donald Trump’s “State of the Union” address, the Human Rights Campaign’s Sarah McBride will join other equality activists for “The People’s State of the Union response over at NowThisNews.
• I recently featured out singer/songwriter Calum Scott’s new music video for his soaring romantic anthem, “You Are The Reason” here on The Randy Report.
But sometimes you want a little more pep in your giddy-up. So, check out the newly-released bouncy John Gibbons remix of “You Are The Reason” below.
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| U.S. Olympian Gus Kenworthy |
Terrific profile of out U.S. Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy by ABC News’ Nightline.
Props to Larry at TheOUTFront for the heads up 🙂
In the interview (below) Gus discusses the coming out process, why he waited until after the Sochi Games to come out, his fears of losing sponsorships, the impact he hoped to make on young LGBTs, and how all that affected his skiing.
I’ve only heard great things about Gus and definitely looking forward to cheering for him at the games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
You’ll be able to watch the events for all of Team USA at the Winter Olympics beginning February 9. You can watch on the Games on NBC and its affiliated networks like NBCSN, MSNBC, NBC Universo, Telemundo, and CNBC.
And, in case you’re wondering, Gus is currently off the market as he’s been dating actor Matt Wilkas for some time now.
In addition to being a world-class skier, he’s got terrific taste in boyfriends.
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| Gus’ boyfriend is hottie Matt Wilkas #Woof |
Tourism to the United States has noticeably declined since Donald Trump became president according to an analysis by the U.S. Travel Association.
Studying data from the Commerce Department (3.3% drop in travel spending; 4% decline in inbound travel), the USTA says the slump amounts to a cost of $4.6 billion in lost revenue and 40,000 jobs.
The “Trump slump,” as it’s come to be known, began soon after the Donald took office.
The losses also bump the U.S. down on the list of popular destinations from the number two spot (now held by Spain) to number three. France is reportedly the number one destination in international travel.
Travel experts point to Trump’s proposed travel bans, anti-immigration language, and heightened security measures to have put a damper on attracting foreign visitors to the U.S.
Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt has a new Michelob Ultra commercial set to air during the Super Bowl and Pratt is super-stoked about it.
In the spot, the action hero is shown doing bicep curls with a beer bottle while thinking up a character name (“Michelob Picklestein? Michelob. My name is Tommy Ultra. Tommy Ultra?”).
But it’s not quite the role Pratt imagined when he arrives on set.
In any case, it’s a good excuse to see the hunky hero shirtless 🙂
Watch below.