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Gaetz Says He Allowed Adult ‘Son’ To Spring Break In Florida

REp. Matt Gaetz talks about 'allowing' his 'son' to spring break in Florida

Rep. Matt Gaetz talks about 'allowing' his 'son' to spring break in Florida Spring break madness is currently trending in the news cycle as thousands of students make a pilgrimage to Florida beach towns where there are little-to-no COVID restrictions. During an appearance on Fox News last night, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) told Sean Hannity he’d “allowed” his “son” Nestor to head to Panama Beach, Florida. “My son is a college freshman,” said Gaetz. “He had no real graduation, no prom, and I struggled with whether or not to allow him to enjoy spring break at Panama City beach. I allowed him to have an abbreviated one.” He added that he “did not have a good night’s rest the entire time he was there until I knew he was safe, okay, and back at school.”

Now, the remark drew attention primarily because Nestor Galban is not Gaetz’s son. Galban is the younger brother of an ex-girlfriend of Gaetz. The 19-year-old has apparently been living with the congressman on-and-off since he was 12. While Gaetz refers to Galban as his “son,” he’s never adopted him. The relationship came to light last year when after a clash during a hearing in Congress, Gaetz announced Nestor to the world as his son.

Gaetz had never mentioned to the public he has a “son,” and had only referred to Galban in the public as a “local student,” “helper,” and “House page.” Never as a “family” member. Look, if the 38-year-old Gaetz wants to have a younger boo, that’s fine as long as he’s of legal age. What isn’t cool, though, is voting against legislation like the Equality Act. Gaetz also told Hannity’s viewers that people should feel free to “come to Florida and enjoy freedom.” He added that folks could go out to eat, get in some beach time and “get a little weird, not too weird.” Asked to define “weird,” Gaetz explained, “Maybe a little body-paint here and there, maybe throw some beads, but don’t hurt anybody.” Body-paint and beads. Good times… At nearly 20-years-old, it seemed a bit odd to some that Galban would need permission from Gaetz to be “allowed” to spring break somewhere. Many in the Twitterverse thought it a bit odd as well.

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Nutjob Holds National Guardsmen At Gunpoint After Attempting To Run Them Off The Road

Larry Harris of Willcox, Arizona

Harris
Larry Harris (mug shot)
Larry Harris, of Willcox, Arizona, terrorized 11 National Guardsmen transporting COVID-19 vaccine to Matador, Texas, on Monday morning. According to WAFB, Harris followed 3 vans in Lubbock, Texas, attempting several times to run them off the road. Eventually, he swerved into their path and stopped the vans. Identifying himself as a “detective,” he ordered the unarmed Guardsmen out of the vans demanding to search the vehicles. He later told authorities he believed the vans were carrying a kidnapped woman and child. All of the guardsmen were in full uniform. Police say Harris was in possession of a loaded Colt 1911 pistol .45 Caliber along with an additional loaded magazines. Harris was taken into custody and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, unlawful restraint of 11 National Guard Soldiers, unlawful carrying of a weapon, impersonating a Public Servant, and interference with Texas Military Forces. Eric Williams, Idalou Police Chief, said in a statement that Harris “appeared to be mentally disturbed.”  

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News Round-Up: March 22, 2021

Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans got ripped during COVID lockdown

Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans got ripped during COVID lockdown
Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Beauty and the Beast star Luke Evans shared the above photo with his Instagram followers proving that everyone didn’t get out of shape during the pandemic. #bastard #morewine • Kenneth-in-the-212: If you’re a fan of classic TV sitcoms, don’t miss Kenneth’s 25 facts about the finale episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. Hubby Michael and I recently binge watched all 168 episodes and, yep, we still love it. • Pantene: The hair care giant recently shared this ad spot about a trans teen and her two moms – “Hair is a large part of our identity. And for LGBTQ+ youth like Sawyer, who choose to express themselves, their style, & their creativity through their hair style, it can help them feel seen. Catch up with Sawyer and her mom Ashley & see how this family is.” #BeautifulLGBTQ

• The Advocate: The Arkansas legislature has passed a bill allowing health care providers or insurers to deny care that conflicts with their religious beliefs. Civil rights groups say it opens the door to widespread discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and others. For instance, pharmacists could refuse to fill prescriptions for transgender patients’ hormone treatment. • NY Times: Normally one of the ratings stalwarts of daytime TV, The Ellen DeGeneres Show has seen a huge drop in ratings over the last six months. DeGeneres has lost over a million viewers since the beginning of 2020. • Gr8erDays: Believe it or not, William Shatner (Star Trek, TJ Hooker, Boston Legal) is 90 years old today. #LiveLongAndProsper https://www.instagram.com/p/CMsmMFJBKmS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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AstraZeneca Vaccine Found To Be 79% Effective Against COVID

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine

Vials of COVID-19 vaccine UPDATE: Federal health officials said early Tuesday that results from a U.S. trial of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine may have relied on “outdated information” that “may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data,” casting doubt on an announcement on Monday that had been seen as good news.

The results of a clinical trial of the two-shot coronavirus vaccine by AstraZeneca and Oxford University to be completely effective at protecting against severe cases of COVID-19. From the Washington Post:

The trials included 32,449 adult participants in all age groups, most of them in the United States. The volunteers received either two standard doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine or a placebo, at a four-week interval, the researchers said.

The scientists said the data show the vaccine is 79 percent effective against symptomatic covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, and 100 percent effective against severe illness.

There were five cases of severe illness in the trial, all of them in the group that received a placebo.

The independent monitoring board specifically looked for any evidence of possible blood clotting since that was raised as a possible issue in Europe. But the board found nothing in the data that suggested there was any increased risk of clotting. Read the full article here.

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NY Republican Congressman Apologizes For Sexual Misconduct

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)

Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)
Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY)
A congressman from New York, who believes businesses can refuse to serve LGBTQ people based on religious beliefs and has called for Gov. Andrew Cuomo to be impeached over sexual impropriety allegations, has apologized for his own sexual misconduct. Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), a six-term congressman who represents New York’s 23rd District, has addressed allegations that he unhooked a woman’s bra and then began to slide his hand up the woman’s thigh in 2017. From the Washington Post:

In the story that published Friday, Nicolette Davis, a former lobbyist for Aflac insurance, said that Reed rubbed her back and unhooked her bra during a gathering with other lobbyists at a Minneapolis pub in 2017. She was 25 years old at the time and on her first networking trip. He was 45.

Reed last week declined to answer detailed questions about the incident, saying only, “This account of my actions is not accurate.”

But on Sunday, Reed apologized profusely to Davis as well as to his family, constituents and other supporters.

“Even though I am only hearing of this matter as stated by Ms. Davis in the article now, I hear her voice and will not dismiss her,” he said in the statement. “In reflection, my personal depiction of this event is irrelevant. Simply put, my behavior caused her pain, showed her disrespect and was unprofessional. I was wrong, I am sorry, and I take full responsibility.”

Reed blamed the incident on his struggles with alcohol. Reed also announced that while he won’t resign, he will not be seeking reelection in 2022 which is a rather empty statement since he declared when he was first elected he wouldn’t serve more than six terms. Read more at the Washington Post.

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Just Because: You Want To See This Baby Squirrel Drink Water

I’m catching up on a lot of chores around the house and wanted to share this serene Sunday moment. Because you really want to see a man give water to a baby squirrel. The squirrel is so calm and trusting. Take a second and just breathe with this.

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New Music: John Duff’s Poised Pooch Premieres ‘100% Baby’

John Duff and Baby

Out recording artist John Duff with Baby
John Duff and Baby (photo: David Laffe)
DJ Baby Duff’s new single ‘100% Baby’ is fun, funny, and a total ear-worm. Out singer/songwriter John Duff constructed the track and music video as a tongue in cheek laugh about overly-deep lyrics. “Sometimes I feel like my lyrics are too smart and that nobody has an attention span to actually listen to them,” Duff explains. “So, with this one, I wanted to do something extremely stupid as stupid is always relatable.” There might also be some subtle shade here aimed at over-paid DJs who score beaucoup bucks without bringing all that to the table. “It’s not all DJ’s, but definitely some,” Duff clarifies.

Baby Duff steps up and steps out doing all of her own stunts (thanks to dog trainer Kirstin McMillan). Photographer Davide Laffe captured the poised pooch from all her best angles. And animator Sqott pulls the whole thing together with awesome video skills. “I didn’t want the video to be too sexy,” says Duff. “She’s so young.” Will Baby save Planet Earth? Hit the play button to find out. You can find my previous coverage of John Duff and his music here. https://www.instagram.com/p/CMlgxpVjBCi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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InstaHunk Round-Up: Weekend Edition

InstaHunk Pierre Vuala

InstaHunk Pierre Vuala
Pierre Vuala (image via Instagram)
Checking in on some of our favorite InstaHunks this week… First up, Wilhelmina model Pierre Vuala (above) shares a moment from a good day ‘where the sun resides.’ Follow him on Instagram here. Sean O’Donnell got creative framing his selfie using the California sunset for a backdrop:

Dental doc Curtis Fitzgerald urges us to up our kitchen game, and trust us – the hunger is real:

Marc Burgum admits he’s been short on his gym selfie game since the pandemic began but is trying to rectify the situation.

Designer Anthony Varrecchia showed of some country living in the Catskills:

Bremen Menelli has a sports ball and he’s not afraid to use it:

Dan Tai shared his favorite beach in Bali, Indonesia:

On the first day of spring, The Griffopotamus was already trying out new swim lewks in advance of warmer weather:

Chicago-based trainer Michael (the self-styled Blacktain America) had a moment with Spiderman at the Chicago Museum’s Marvel exhibit:

Fitness guru Nathan McCallum had fun in the sun with his favorite fur-ball. Check him navigating that sandy beach – those thighs aren’t just for looking at:

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Spring Breakers Swamp Miami Beach Despite Curfew

Curfew in Miami Beach didn't go so well and thousands still partied in the streets

Curfew in Miami Beach didn't go so well and thousands still partied in the streets
Hundreds still partied in the streets in spite of 8pm curfew
After a year of the coronavirus pandemic and low-to-no restrictions on safety measures in Florida, people flocked to Miami Beach for spring break overwhelming the city’s entertainment district. Noting the crowds were in the thousands, the city announced a curfew of 8 p.m. with the causeways to Miami Beach from the mainland closed to non-local traffic starting at 9 p.m. From the New York Times:

Miami Beach officials struggled to enforce a new 8 p.m. curfew on Saturday in the city’s South Beach entertainment district. Videos on social media from showed hundreds of people gathered outside after dark on Saturday and law enforcement dispersing crowds.

In trying to control crowds and taking a subject into custody, Miami Beach police said they used pepper balls. Two officers were also injured and taken to the hospital, according a departmental tweet. Police arrested at least a dozen people, according to CNN.

The city of Miami Beach, worried about the bigger than usual crowds filling the streets of South Beach and the threat of a resurgent coronavirus, declared a state of emergency and moved up its curfew on Saturday in an effort to shut down late-night spring break partying that it said had gotten out of control.

The emergency measures are in place for 72 hours but could be extended through the end of spring break on April 12. Here’s the report from the Miami Herald:

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Biden’s Approval Rating Continues To Rise As Vaccinations Increase

President Joe Biden in the Oval Office

President Joe Biden in the Oval Office
President Joe Biden (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain)
With the passage of the COVID relief package in Congress plus the increase in vaccinations for the coronavirus, a new Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Friday shows the number of Americans who approve of President Joe Biden continues to increase. From Reuters:

The March 17-18 national opinion poll found that 59% of adults in the United States approved of Biden’s overall job performance, while 35% disapproved and 6% said they were not sure.

The number of adults who approve of Biden is up by about 4 percentage points since a poll that ran in late January, and the increase is largely due to a rise in Biden’s popularity among independents.

About six in 10 independents said they approved of Biden in the latest poll, up from about five in 10 who felt the same way in January.

Read the full article here. As some right-wing pundits discussed with glee Biden tripping on the steps of Air Force One, this tweet pretty much summed up the situation for me: