The Delta variant of the coronavirus now makes up 25% of all new cases in the U.S. Via NBC News:
The number of Covid-19 cases in the United States rose 10 percent this week as the highly contagious delta variant gained further ground, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
The country’s lagging vaccination rate coupled with the “hyper-transmissible delta variant” could account for the increase, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said during a White House briefing.
The variant, which was first detected in India, now accounts for a quarter of all new cases, and has been detected in all 50 states. Its rapid spread is sure to make it the dominant U.S. strain within the coming weeks, she said.
Read the full report here. According to the CDC, 57.4 percent of U.S. adults have been fully vaccinated as of today.
The Delta variant is now responsible for about one in every four coronavirus infections in the U.S., according to CDC estimates. Here’s what scientists know (and what you should, too). https://t.co/CyfJUN507cpic.twitter.com/5j68aEqOZ9
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Arizona’s new voting restrictions in a 6-3 ruling today. From the New York Times:
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld voting restrictions in Arizona and signaled that challenges to new state laws making it harder to vote would face a hostile reception from a majority of the justices.
The vote was 6 to 3, with the court’s three liberal members in dissent.
The new case, Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee, No. 19-1257, concerned two kinds of voting restrictions in Arizona. One required election officials to discard ballots cast at the wrong precinct. The other made it a crime for campaign workers, community activists and most other people to collect ballots for delivery to polling places, a practice critics call “ballot harvesting.” The law made exceptions for family members, caregivers and election officials.
BREAKING NEWS: In 6-3 ruling, SCOTUS upholds two Arizona voting provisions: a ban on so-called "ballot harvesting," and a policy that throws out an entire ballot if it was cast in the wrong precinct. Challengers argued that both provisions discriminate against minority voters.
Now: SCOTUS has ruled that two Arizona voting restrictions (tossing out-of-precinct ballots and banning third-party collection of ballots) don't violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, which broadly prohibits racial discrimination https://t.co/3d7Xk3mlfqpic.twitter.com/Mqlet6Dd4Q
Allen Weisselberg (image via Trump Organization) From the New York Times:
Donald J. Trump’s long-serving chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, surrendered on Thursday to the Manhattan district attorney’s office as he and the Trump Organization prepared to face charges in connection with a tax investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said.As part of that inquiry, the prosecutors in the office of the district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., had been examining whether Mr. Weisselberg failed to pay taxes on valuable benefits he and his family received from Mr. Trump, including private school tuition for at least one of his grandchildren, free apartments and leased cars.
The prosecutors, who are also working with lawyers from the office of the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, have also investigated whether the Trump Organization failed to pay payroll taxes on what should have been taxable income.
You can see Weisselberg self-surrender today in the video clip below.
Celine Dion then and now (images via Instagram/screen capture) For a little #ThrowbackThursday action, check out teenage Celine Dion singing “Memory” from the mega-musical CATS in 1987. Even though she was just 19-years-old at the time, the voice and vocal bravura were clearly already in bloom. Performed on the popular Canadian TV show, ‘L’autobus du Show Business,’ La Dion shows up in full Grizabella regalia and throws down a powerful rendition. Regular readers may recall my first big acting gig after moving to New York City in 1985 was in a new national touring company of CATS as the ‘Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.’ After doing my big number in Act Two, our Grizabella (a spectacular Leslie Ellis, who would go on to earn a Grammy singing on Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”) would come out and sing “Memory.” My part in that moment was to sit on the enormous tire upstage of Leslie and stare at the back of her head as she knocked it out of the park. #TheGlamourOfShowBiz Happy Thursday, everyone!
Some news items you might have missed: • CNN: Only 2 GOP members of the House – Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois – voted in favor of a select committee to investigate the January 6 invasion of the U.S. Capitol building where 5 Americans died and over 100 police officers were injured. Republicans said the investigation would just be a means to attack Donald Trump. But before the 2016 election, Republicans held 6 investigations into the 2012 Benghazi attack which left 4 Americans died. • Instinct Magazine: Lil Nas X released a teaser video for his upcoming album “Montero” that parodies the trailers of Marvel super hero films complete with symphonic music and “universe” of characters.
• Bloomberg: The European Union plans to announce legal actions against Hungary and Poland over discriminatory, anti-LGBTQ laws passed in the two conservative countries. • Out Music: Let’s dance our way out on the last day of Pride Month with the latest from Vincint, “Kill My Heart,” from his new album There Will Be Tears. The dance floor-filler is a defiant clap back to that ex that think they won something.
• OUT: Professional rugby player Jack Dunne came out as bisexual over the weekend. The 22-year-old, who’s been out to friends and family, said he was coming out publicly to be a role model for other questioning young athletes. • Queerty: After sharing photos from a recent shoot for CAP 74024 magazine with his husband, Jwan, Ricky Martin was surprised to see he’d lost a significant number of social media followers. He had something to say about it: “Fear no longer paralyzes me.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CQrjuFtt_gD/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Following Lil Nas X’s fierce performance at the BET Awards this past Sunday, which culminated in a steamy kiss with one of his male dancers, folks on social media were quick to point out it wasn’t the first same-sex kiss to stir the award show airwaves.
Notably, there was Adam Lambert’s male-male kiss at the 2009 American Music Awards, and Madonna’s smooch with Britney Spears at the 2003 MTV VMAs.
Both became pop culture controversies, and now both artists have responded to Lil Nas X’s live lip-lock.
Speaking to Billboard this week, Lambert gushed over the moment saying it was “hot.”
Adam Lambert chats with Billboard about Lil Nas X's performance at the BET Awards.https://t.co/WH4AgvU1KO
“I think he is definitely like the gay pop star that is 2021 — he’s bold, he’s controversial, he’s pushing boundaries,” Lambert told Billboard. “That’s what we want our pop stars to do. It’s just taken this long to have it be a gay one.”
That said, the 39-year-old singer acknowledged the public responses to his kiss versus Lil Nas X were quite different.
Lambert says he was flying to New York City the next day to perform on Good Morning America but was canceled due to the controversy.
But Lambert notes that not only are we in a different place in LGBTQ awareness today, but he was in a different place in his career in 2009 – just months after coming in second on American Idol.
Pointing to streams, sales and radio chart position today, Lambert admits, “One of the great things about Lil Nas is when you look at ‘Old Town Road,’ you see that this massive worldwide hit helped give him some freedom to make some statements and to make some real art. Timing is everything.”
“There is so much good will for someone like him,” Lambert adds. “And I’m just happy to be able to have the perspective to appreciate it.”
Madonna responded to comparisons in her own inimitable way by posting a pic of her VMAs kiss next to Lil Nas X’s BET smooch in her Instagram stories with the hashtag, “#diditfirst.”
When the screen capture was shared on Twitter, folks got a bit riled up.
Some thought the Queen of Pop’s remark took away from Lil Nas X’s moment:
Not mad at the mirrored images themselves, but I guess it'd never occur to her or her team to have some grace and go for a "love to see the next generations living out loud" or something, since he is a gay man kissing a man vs. her w/a younger pop star in a bid to stay relevant https://t.co/Wmc9hyaMum
For his part, Lil Nas X wasn’t buying into the turmoil. He tried to cool things down on by defending Madge’s comment as a joke and reminding folks the two are friends.
But you know – Twitter’s gotta twitter…
At the end of the day, if Madonna wanted to make a statement – and we know she’s not shy about that – I doubt she would have hidden the remark in a ‘blink and it’s gone’ Instagram Story.
Billy Porter in ‘Cinderella’ (screen capture) Check out this early teaser for the upcoming Amazon Prime Video reboot of “Cinderella,” set to premiere on September 3, 2021. The new take on the familiar fable stars Camila Cabello as the ‘cinder girl’ herself and Emmy/Tony Award winner Billy Porter as her fairy god-person, “the Fab G.”
When the casting of Porter was first announced, the POSE star told CBS News in March 2020, “Magic has no gender – we are presenting this character as genderless. At least that’s how I’m playing it. And it’s really powerful.”
This Cinderella is a classic fairytale for a new generation. To be able to play this genderless, fabulous fairy godmother – what a gift. Thank you @CBSNews for sitting down with me and catching up about the role❤️ https://t.co/PgVwnhdthIpic.twitter.com/DZNBmRS3CK
The Old Gays (image via TikTok) The Old Gays, a quartet of senior gay men who have developed a devoted following for their candid and often hilarious observations on queer life, have shared a video for Pride that is charming the TikTok world. Each of the men take turns holding up photos of themselves as young men, and contrast how they felt about being gay when they were young versus today. Bill: “When I was growing up, my father was always trying to out me. Well, here I am – free, proud and gay as can be.” Robert: “My father suddenly died while I was in college. I wasn’t sure about my future. But here I am today – 78, proud and still chugging along.” Jessay: “Growing up, I was terrified to come out to my mom. But I finally worked up the courage to do it, and she encouraged me to be myself. Well, here I am.” Michael: “This is me at 20, one year before attending my first pride. I was uncertain of who I was. Now 55 prides later, I know exactly who I am.” The four end the clip with a stop at Shake Shack to enjoy Pride Shakes at the fast food vendor. Proceeds from the shake go to support The Trevor Project. The clip has been ‘Liked’ over 850K times so far 🙂
Bill Cosby (image via Flickr/World Affairs Council – CC license) Comedian Bill Cosby will be released from prison within hours today as Pennsylvania’s high court has reportedly overturned his conviction for sex assault. According to the ruling, because a previous prosecutor chose not to charge Cosby, the actor felt he could speak freely about the incident. His remarks ultimately led to his being found guilty. Cosby was convicted of three aggravated indecent assault counts and sentenced in 2018 to 3-10 years in prison. From the New York Post:
Pennsylvania’s highest court overturned Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction Wednesday after finding an agreement with a previous prosecutor prevented him from being charged in the case.
Cosby has served more than two years of a three- to 10-year sentence at a state prison near Philadelphia. He had vowed to serve all 10 years rather than acknowledge any remorse over the 2004 encounter with accuser Andrea Constand.
The 83-year-old Cosby, who was once beloved as “America’s Dad,” was convicted of drugging and molesting the Temple University employee at his suburban estate.
The state Supreme Court said a previous prosecutor’s decision not to charge Cosby, 83, opened the door for him to speak freely in a civil lawsuit against him — and that testimony was key in the comic’s conviction in criminal court.
“When an unconditional charging decision is made publicly and with the intent to induce action and reliance by the defendant, and when the defendant does so to his detriment (and in some instances upon the advice of counsel), denying the defendant the benefit of that decision is an affront to fundamental fairness, particularly when it results in a criminal prosecution that was foregone for more than a decade,” according to the high court opinion.
Demi Lovato (photo: Angelo Kritkos) Today, GLAAD, in partnership with UMG, released a video from LGBTQ musicians, celebrities, activists, and allies on the importance of respecting pronouns not just during Pride month, but all year long. The video features Demi Lovato, Cynthia Erivo, Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons, VINCINT, FLETCHER, Wrabel, Busy Phillips, Dashaun Wesley, GLAAD’s Anthony Allen Ramos and Serena Sonoma, and many more. The new video aims to sheds light on the importance of pronouns for trans and cisgender people. Using someone’s correct pronouns and addressing them in a way that’s consistent and true to who they are is a form of respect. Using the correct pronouns for trans and nonbinary youth is a way to let them know that you see them, you affirm them, you accept them, and to let them know that they’re loved during a time when they’re being targeted by discriminatory anti-trans state laws.
What are your pronouns? We have partnered with @UMG and some friends to share the importance of respecting pronouns not just during Pride month, but all year long. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BwzJuvsolq
The Delta variant of the coronavirus now makes up 25% of all new cases in the U.S. Via NBC News: 
