Michael Cimino in ‘Love, Victor’ (image via Hulu) Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: The show runners for the Hulu series Love, Victor starring Michael Cimino (above) say the second season (arriving June 11) will age up a bit in terms of content with an ‘edgier’ sense of humor. • New York Times: The iconic Village Voice is back on news stands for the first time since its shutdown in 2018.
• KVUE: Lake Travis ISD School Board candidate Kara Bell (photo) was given an assault citation last week after a confrontation with a store employee at Nordstrom Rack when Bell refused to put on a mask upon entry of the store. As you can see in the police body cam video, Bell refused to ID herself even though she was being detained announcing, “”I am a Christian woman of God.”
• Kenneth-in-the-212: In his new feature, Kenneth puts the focus on ‘man-spreaders’ and their ‘spread.’ • Washington Post: Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes a day after he confronted rioters at the Jan. 6 insurrection, the District’s chief medical examiner has ruled. The ruling, released Monday, likely will make it difficult for prosecutors to pursue homicide charges in the officer’s death.
Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick, who engaged rioters, suffered two strokes and died of natural causes, officials say https://t.co/jgJ3VdcmLY
• CBS News: The jury has begun deliberations following closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. • CNN: The Army is preparing to approve a request for DC National Guard forces to deploy as soon as Monday night if there is unrest in the wake of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. • MSN: A suspected poacher was trampled to death by a herd of elephants in South Africa’s Kruger National Park on Saturday. That’ll learn ’em.
Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard (screen cap via Instagram)
A Minnesota meteorologist has filed a lawsuit against his former TV station and its parent company saying he was fired last year for being gay.
Sven Sundgaard was dismissed from his position at TV station KARE 11 in Minneapolis last May after he reposted a comment on social media from a rabbi regarding ongoing protests in the city at the time.
Minneapolis Rabbi Michael Adam Latz had written on Facebook calling some gun-toting protestors “white nationalist Nazi sympathizer gun fetishist miscreants.”
Sundgaard deleted his repost later that evening after receiving homophobic comments and threats. He also expressed his regret to the station’s executives promising to stick to the weather.
But the next day, the station announced it had decided to ‘part ways’ with the weatherman “due to continued violations of KARE 11’s news ethics and other policies,” reports the Star Tribune.
In the new lawsuit filed on Thursday, attorneys for Sundgaard say the station’s human resources department ignored the meteorologist’s reports of harassment and discrimination during his time with KARE11.
Specific instances include Sundgaard claiming a station manager criticized him for appearing on the cover of the local LGBTQ publication Lavender; being reprimanded for making a ‘size really does matter’ remark on-air during a report on Minnesota’s many lakes; and attempting to stop him from speaking at a convention of LGBTQ journalists.
He also says he felt his religious beliefs came under scrutiny when a colleague asked probing questions like whether he believed Jesus was the Messiah after he converted to Judaism in 2010.
The lawsuit claims Sundgaard “suffered and continues to suffer emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, pain and suffering.” He is suing for back pay as well as punitive damages.
Following the filing of the lawsuit last week, Sundgaard issued a statement which read, “I’ve been overwhelmed and forever grateful for the outpouring of support I have received over the last year.”
“I hope to continue to receive your support as I embark upon this difficult journey that will highlight the unfair treatment to which I was subjected,” he continued. “While a lawsuit is not ideal for anyone, I believe it is important to take action to prevent what happened to me from happening to others. I do this also, for the countless young people who have thanked me for being an openly gay man, making it easier for them to be true to themselves.”
He closed his statement saying, “My late mom always taught me to stick up for myself.”
KARE 11, and its parent company TENGA, denied the allegations in a statement issued via email.
“One of our core values as a station is inclusion,” wrote a KARE spokesperson on Friday afternoon. “We are committed to maintaining a respectful workplace free from all forms of discrimination and harassment.”
Since his dismissal, Sundgaard has been reporting the weather at Bring Me The News.
(screen capture via Facebook) Disturbing video posted to social media appears to show a Louisville, Kentucky, police officer punching a protester as four other officers are involved in restraining the man. From WLKT:
A Louisville Metro police officer is facing an internal investigation after video surfaced on social media of him striking an individual several times in the face.
The video was posted to Facebook Sunday and shows five police officers involved in the attempted arrest of the man at Jefferson Square Park.
The video shows the officers force the man to the ground, and as that’s occurring, one of the LMPD officers begins striking the individual in the face. Once the man is mostly on the ground, the officer can be seen repeatedly striking the individual.
The four other officers continue to pin the man down as they try to arrest him.
The man, identified as Denorver Garrett, was booked on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Chief Erika Shields said in a statement, “This raises serious questions and is not consistent with LMPD training.” Read the full article here.
William Robert Norwood III (image via FBI) A U.S. Capitol insurrectionist who bragged about stealing body armor, lying to the FBI, breaking into Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office and stealing items has been released from custody prior to his trial. From The Daily Beast:
Despite the fact that Capitol insurrectionist William Robert Norwood III allegedly stole body armor, lied to the FBI, and “led a pack of rioters through the inner sanctum of Speaker Pelosi’s office space” where he lifted a paper coaster, he has been released pending his trial, according to Department of Justice documents seen by The Daily Beast.
He is charged with two felonies: obstruction of an official proceeding and theft of government property.
Norwood, who goes by Robbie, boasted to family members about assaulting a law enforcement officer, according to court documents. “It worked,” he wrote to family members. “I got away with things that others were shot or arrested for.”
He went on to brag of his bounty. “I got a nice helmet and body armor off a cop for God’s sake and i disarmed him,” he wrote in messages to friends and family. “Tell me how that works.”
Norwood is being released due to his lack of a criminal past. The Daily Beast had previously reported that Norwood had bragged to his brother that he “fought 4 cops” at the riot after dressing as “antifa” members. “I’ll look just like ANTIFA. I’ll get away with anything.” He also shared a selfie in a group chat in which he appeared to be wearing a Capitol Police vest. His brother responded: “What the actual fuck is wrong with you?”
South Carolina man charged in Capitol riot bragged he dressed as antifa & fought police. “I’ll look just like ANTIFA. I’ll get away with anything,” William Robert Norwood III is alleged to have boasted in a text message group chat before the riot: @NBCNewshttps://t.co/Xtbamr9H9z
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNfmUxXFpwO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Checking in on my favorite hunks of Instagram this fine Sunday. First up, fitness model Dan Tai (above) paused to pose with a pachyderm. Grey’s Anatomy star Alex Landi knows how to find his light: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNso6irhoYv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Fitness guru and doctor of dental medicine Curtis Fitzgerald paused in a pensive moment: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNyovtyAGSx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Cheyenne Jackson grew a beard for work reasons. His hubby likes but his kiddos say it’s scratchy. #wildandwooly https://www.instagram.com/p/CNikOegD-H7/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link SportsBubbleButt had soccer (and other things) on their mind: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNtAIauHQqf/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Olympic diver Tom Daley did a sassy photoshoot for Man About Town Magazine: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNk-WAKH3K0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Actor and singer Jim Newman has decided he’s going to nap with his boo until the end of the pandemic. “Hey Siri, set an alarm for…” https://www.instagram.com/p/CNz-qdgF6Vv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Joel Green ignored the sand and soaked up the sun in Spain: https://www.instagram.com/p/CNs7p4krg3w/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Marketing and communications specialist Raynald Rabindra Soeharto wants to “stay weird, be unique.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CNy1tWMrebN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Bremen Menelli ran up a hill in North Carolina and shared the “view.” https://www.instagram.com/p/CNzqorahgUH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Max Emerson is on Day 6 of his Canadian quarantine in Montreal: https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0JVhgF5tZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Gustavo Spolini captured the magic of a New York City sunset. #coolpic https://www.instagram.com/p/CNvfK24DVch/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In this week’s episode of The Randy Report podcast: • President Biden appoints an out police chief to head up Customs and Border Protections • A new vaccine shows enormous promise against HIV • Polling shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose anti-transgender legislation • Colton Underwood, star of ‘The Bachelor,’ comes out as gay and gets some backlash • The third and final season of the ground-breaking FX series POSE will premiere in May – click here for trailer • And LGBTQ entertainment critics will have their say on the best in cinema from the past year at the Dorians Film Toast 2021 All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
Getting my second Pfizer vaccine shot last month The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on Saturday that shows nearly half of U.S. adults (49.7%) have received at least one dose of the corona virus vaccine. That accounts for more than 128 million over the age of 18 having received at least one shot. More than 82 million, or 31.8% of adults, are fully vaccinated. See the full data here. The U.S. is averaging just over 3 million vaccine shots a day, which is good news considering a recent poll showed 49% of Republican men have no intention of getting the shot. A big part of overcoming the pandemic relies on folks getting vaccinated in order to stop the spread of the virus. That equation now includes a focus on about new, more potent variants which now make up about half of new infections in the U.S. With that in mind, the White House announced Friday that it will allocate $1.7 billion from the recent stimulus package to target the detection, surveillance and mitigation of the variants.
Producer Scott Rudin (screen capture via 60 Minutes) After reports of excessive bullying, Broadway producer Scott Rudin has issued a statement to the Washington Post apologizing for his “history of troubling interactions with colleagues.” He adds that he will step away from “active participation” in his current and upcoming Broadway productions.
“Much has been written about my history of troubling interactions with colleagues, and I am profoundly sorry for the pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly,” he wrote in a three-paragraph statement emailed to The Post.
“After a period of reflection, I’ve made the decision to step back from active participation on our Broadway productions, effective immediately. My roles will be filled by others from the Broadway community and in a number of cases, from the roster of participants already in place on those shows.”
“My passionate hope and expectation is that Broadway will reopen successfully very soon, and that the many talented artists associated with it will once again begin to thrive and share their artistry with the world. I do not want any controversy associated with me to interrupt Broadway’s well deserved return, or specifically, the return of the 1500 people working on these shows.”
In addition to blockbuster productions like the Bette Midler revival of Hello, Dolly!, Rudin had three productions running on Broadway (West Side Story, The Book of Mormon, To Kill a Mockingbird), as well as the upcoming The Music Man starring Hugh Jackman. Read the full article here.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA)UPDATE: CNN now reports that “Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is scrapping the planned launch of her ‘America First’ caucus after receiving blowback from leaders in her own party. Nick Dyer, Greene’s spokesperson, told CNN in an email on Saturday afternoon the Georgia Republican is not “launching anything.” Read more at CNN.
A group of ultra-conservative House Republicans, led by QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ.) are forming a new caucus that will focus on – wait for it – “uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions.” Calling itself the America First Caucus, the all-white group has determined “a certain intellectual boldness is needed” in order to “follow in President Trump’s footsteps, and potentially step on some toes and sacrifice sacred cows for the good of the American nation.” From the Washington Post:
In a section on immigration, the document describes the United States as a place with “uniquely Anglo-Saxon political traditions” and argues that “societal trust and political unity are threatened when foreign citizens are imported en-masse into a country, particularly without institutional support for assimilation and an expansive welfare state to bail them out should they fail to contribute positively to the country.”
In the group’s view, architecture should reflect the “aesthetic value that befits the progeny” of Europeans:
On infrastructure, the caucus calls for the construction of roads, bridges and buildings that reflect “the architectural, engineering and aesthetic value that befits the progeny of European architecture, whereby public infrastructure must be utilitarian as well as stunningly, classically beautiful, befitting a world power and source of freedom.”
That’s some serious Nazi fascism on display right there. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy attempted to push back, but it’s hard to hide something when it’s in plain sight. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) is, of course, happy to join up. According to NBC News, “Greene’s spokesman Nick Dyer confirmed that a platform is being written but complained about ‘dirty backstabbing swamp creatures’ who leaked the document.”
America is built on the idea that we are all created equal and success is earned through honest, hard work. It isn’t built on identity, race, or religion.
The Republican Party is the party of Lincoln & the party of more opportunity for all Americans—not nativist dog whistles. — Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) April 16, 2021
We will end wars, stop illegal immigration & promote trade that is fair to American workers. This is just a hit piece from the America Last crowd in Big Media, Big Tech & Big Government.https://t.co/hjGiuSLwBW — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 16, 2021
Some news items you might have missed: • Instagram: Not everyone is celebrating ‘Bachelor’ star Colton Underwood getting a Netflix series that will follow his new life as an openly gay man after coming out this week. When Attitude Magazine posted the news (above), pop star Adam Lambert chimed in, “No one is feeling this Netflix.” And out former rugby star Keegan Hirst wrote, “Monetising coming out. Oh dear. Not a good look.” • Kenneth-in-the-212: Check out Kenneth’s weekly round-up of the what’s what in LGBTQ publications like this week’s GRAB Magazine featuring singer/songwriter Dodie. (image via GRAB Magazine) • PBS: A new PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found two-thirds of Americans (66%) oppose laws that would limit transgender rights. That opposition includes majorities of every political ideology from liberal to conservative and every age group. • CBC: A gym in Quebec City has become one of the largest recorded COVID-19 super-spreading events in Canada as 224 cases have been traced directly to the gym as well as another 356 related cases. The gym owner, a pandemic denier, shared social media posts that questioned the effectiveness of masks and minimized the dangers of COVID-19.
• Instinct Magazine: A straight man began sharing pics of his enormous penis on Twitter during the pandemic, and now says he identifies as bisexual following all the attention he garnered from gay followers. “I think if I met the right one, and got to know and like and trust him, I might find the courage to… explore.” • NBC News: A new bill in the Texas Senate aims to redefine child abuse to include parents who consent to hormone therapy and puberty blockers for their transgender children. The legislation would make such acts a felony. • Pink News: A student was caught on video tearing down a Pride flag that hung along a stairwell at Ridgeline High School in Cache County, Utah, on Tuesday. It had been placed by officials to celebrate the school’s Gay Straight Alliance during diversity week, alongside flags from various countries.
This is disgusting and heartbreaking. The amount of kids cheering when the Pride flag gets cut down is sickening. Embarrassing moment for Utahns and Ridgeline High School. Be better. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ #ridgelinehighschoolpic.twitter.com/zD1zrr7ZuD
