Today marks one year to the day that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Axios looks at where we were then:
A year ago today, the U.S. had confirmed 1,000 coronavirus infections. Now, we’re approaching 30 million.
In those early days, Americans were terrified by White House projections — informed by well-respected modeling — that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die from the virus.
Many models thought the virus would peak last May — nowhere close. The deadliest month of the pandemic was January.
We now have 530,606 American deaths from COVID, but we do have vaccines. Vaccines that by all analysis are working. (p.s. yes, I’ve gotten my first shot of the Pfizer vaccine) President Biden will announce tonight that he will order all states to offer vaccinations against COVID to all adults by May 1. Currently, the U.S. is getting an average of 2 million shots in arms each day. Estimates says 25% of adults in the U.S. have gotten at least one shot. And – the federal government has now ordered an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine adding to the 300 million from Pfizer, 300 million from Moderna and previously ordered 100 million from J&J. #Forward
Liza Minnelli in ‘Don’t Drop Bombs’ For a little #ThrowBackThursday action, I was reminded of this music video from EGOT legend Liza Minnelli. Jumping into some new wave pop synth vibes with the oh-so-awesome Pet Shop Boys in 1989, Liza totally landed the new sound. ‘Don’t Drop Bombs’ was the second single from her album, Results. Plus, Liza pulled off the new stylish look, which shocked some longtime Liza fans. The musical collaborations with PSB hit the bulls-eye with unerring ease. I love this. p.s. the legendary Liza turns 75 tomorrow. HB, Miss Minnelli.
Dancer/performance artist Gunnar Montana (image via Instagram)
To celebrate National Barbie Day on March 9, performance artist and dancer Gunnar Montana decided he wanted to bring his own particular flair to the world of Barbie.
When we say ‘flair,’ we mean ‘g-g-g-gay flair.’
Working with his collaborator Colin Burke, Montana turned himself into the very picture of what can only be described as ‘Super Gay Barbie.’
Along the way, he encourages us all to ‘make your own rules, build your own box, and always remember to accessorize!’
Montana describes his artistry as “a whole is an array of visual art installations, prop-based choreography, set design, costume design, transformation of atmosphere, and innovative movement, concepts, and ideas.”
For the live art installation, Montana and Burke built a huge, life-sized ‘Barbie’ box in retro blue hues. The creatives then assembled a collection of all the accessories a ‘Super Gay Barbie’ would need including dumbbells, backpack, dildo, cell phone (complete with Grindr), wig, sunglasses, fan, bling, jungle jumper, and more.
And what ‘Super Gay’ would be complete without some subtle shade? So Montana threw in a passport and airline ticket so ‘Johnny Powerbottom’ can jet off to – where else? – Puerto Vallarta!
The woofy Philadelphia-based artist then posed inside the box clad in a ‘Super Gay’ thong and pink high heels.
In a Facebook post, Montana included a short video showing the construction of the art piece. All in all, we were pretty impressed.
Click image to view Facebook video
But this project is just a single facet of Montana’s multiverse of talent.
Perusing his Instagram, the gifted fur ball shows off several projects (and lewks) for his social media followers.
Here’s just a sample of the marvelous Montana. Definitely click that ‘Follow’ button below.
Former President George W. Bush Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and former First Ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton and Rosalynn Carter discuss the important role of COVID-19 vaccination in getting back to the moments we miss and love. Let me see, something seems to be missing… Nope. I’m wrong. To get the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccines, visit GetVaccineAnswers.org.
Immersive Van Gogh (photo: Michael Brosilow)Immersive Van Gogh, the mesmerizing digital art exhibition, is coming to the heart of Las Vegas for the first time ever. The visually-striking exhibition encourages guests to experience the awe-inspiring works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh through 500,000 cubic feet of immersive projections, 60,600 frames of video and 90,000,000 pixels. Immersive Van Gogh will be making its Las Vegas debut at a secret location, soon to be announced. The spectacular digital art exhibition invites audiences to “step inside” the legendary works of post-Impressionist artist Vincent van Gogh, evoking his highly emotional and chaotic inner consciousness through art, light, music, movement, and imagination. Immersive Van Gogh (photo: Michael Brosilow) Featuring stunning towering projections that illuminate the mind of the artistic genius, the exhibition will feature a curated selection of images from Van Gogh’s 2,000+ lifetime catalog of masterpieces, including Mangeurs de Pommes de Terre (The Potato Eaters, 1885), Nuit étoilée (Starry Night, 1889), Les Tournesols (Sunflowers, 1888), and La Chambre à coucher (The Bedroom, 1889). Paintings will be presented as to how the artist first saw the scenes, based on an active life and moving landscapes turned into sharp yet sweeping brush strokes. The hour-long, timed-entry, walk-through experience is designed with health and safety as a priority. Capacity will be limited in accordance with the City of Las Vegas’ safety protocols. Additional safety precautions include touchless ticket-taking, temperature checks upon arrival, hand sanitizer stations, social distancing markers throughout the venue, and digitally projected social distancing circles on the gallery floors to ensure appropriate spacing. All guests must wear a face covering at all times during their visit. Immersive Van Gogh (photo: Michael Brosilow)Immersive Van Gogh is accompanied by original, evocative musical score by Italian multimedia composer Luca Longobardi and Vittorio Guidotti as the Art Director. Pre-sale tickets for Las Vegas will be available for purchase Thursday, March 11, 2021 at https://immersivevangogh.com for the exhibition’s opening on Thursday, July 1, 2021. Public sale starts on March 13 at 10:00 a.m. PST with prices ranging from $59.99 and above. Immersive Van Gogh has already entertained more than 200,000 guests since its North American debut last July, receiving rave reviews from critics worldwide. The Toronto Sun declared it “intense and emotional, cathartic and liberating.” Debra Yeo of the Toronto Star stated, “I wondered: could projections of paintings on walls and floors be thrilling? The answer is ‘yes.’” Immersive Van Gogh (photo: Michael Brosilow)(via press release)
Some news items you might have missed: • AP News: The European Parliament is scheduled to debate a resolution on Wednesday that would declare the entire 27-member European Union a “freedom zone” for LGBT people. The move is seen as a reaction to actions in Poland, where many local communities have adopted symbolic homophobic resolutions declaring themselves free of “LGBT ideology.” • Pink News: There was widespread shock when LGBT+ Rights Ghana, an advocacy organisation, had its offices raided and shut down by national security forces in February. On Monday, parliamentarian Samuel Nartey George announced that he and seven other MPs will bring forward legislation in an effort to criminalize the promotion of LGBTQ rights. • NowThis News: An Uber driver (above image) in San Francisco, CA, was assaulted by passengers after one of them allegedly refused to wear a mask (warning: distressing). The San Francisco police are now investigating the women for possible charges. A GoFundMe was launched to help the driver here.
• Washington Post: President Biden confirmed Wednesday that his administration plans to secure an additional 100 million doses of the single-shot vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. The additional doses will reinforce the supply needed to offer all American adults a vaccine by the end of May. • Twitter: Donald Trump issued a pathetically lame statement tonight “reminding” people HE should get credit for the COVID vaccines. He notably doesn’t take responsibility for the 529,000+ American deaths that occurred thanks in part to his admitted ‘downplaying’ of the virus.
Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe (image via Instagram)
Two separate lawsuits alleging anti-LGBTQ discrimination and harassment have been filed against Dessert Gallery Bakery in Houston, Texas.
According to the filings in federal court, Gilbert Johnson, a gay man, and Katherine Phillips, a lesbian woman, say they were terminated based on their sexual orientation.
But last summer, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employment discrimination against LGBTQ people.
Attorney and LGBTQ activist Fran Watson, representing both Johnson and Phillips, cited the Bostock decision in her lawsuits.
Johnson, who had worked at the bakery as a general manager, says he began to be treated differently by his supervisor after being on the receiving end of ‘sexualized commentary’ from his supervisor’s husband.
Among his responsibilities was hiring new employees. But according to OutSmart Magazine, Johnson alleges that when his supervisor discovered he had hired a transgender woman, he was no longer allowed to hire employees.
Johnson added that he was “bombarded” with questions regarding the trans employee accessing the restroom.
Phillips, who was fired just a day after Johnson, says that she was harassed about her sexuality by co-workers about her sexuality and that eventually had a negative impact on upward mobility within the company.
At one point, Johnson promoted Phillips to shift leader, but just one month later she was demoted. A month after that, she was fired. The next day, Johnson was fired.
But wait – there’s more!
The court filing also says the trans woman was fired shortly after Johnson and Phillips.
“Even the best companies make mistakes, and the bias has to be minimized because you’re impacting and interacting with a diverse workforce,” Watson told OutSmart. “Seeing that three LGBTQ people were fired in a month—and two within a day of each other—shows that inherent bias was present. We want the law to remedy that mistake.”
Dessert Gallery has issued a statement about the dual lawsuits saying they have “always been committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace and our community.”
“We have a long history of celebrating Pride and partnering with, as well as supporting, Houston’s LGBTQIA+ community,” continued the statement. “We take seriously any allegations like those outlined in these complaints but stand firm that these allegations are simply not true.”
The bakery closed by saying, “We believe the proper place to disclose the facts of this case is in the courtroom and look forward to that opportunity.”
Judge Merrick Garland (photo: public domain) Five years after he was denied a hearing for his nomination for the Supreme Court, Judge Merrick Garland has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as President Biden’s Attorney General. The New York Times reports:
The Senate voted to confirm Merrick B. Garland on Wednesday to serve as attorney general, giving the former prosecutor and widely respected federal judge the task of leading the Justice Department at a time when the nation faces domestic extremist threats and a reckoning over civil rights.
Mr. Garland was confirmed 70-30 by senators, with 20 Republicans joining all 50 Democrats in supporting him. He is expected to be sworn in at the Justice Department on Thursday.
Five years after Senate Republicans refused to grant him a Supreme Court confirmation hearing, Merrick Garland has just been confirmed as President Biden’s attorney general.
NBC’s Pete Williams notes that Merrick Garland’s 70-30 confirmation is one of the largest votes in favor of an attorney general nominee in recent history, with the exceptions of Holder and Reno. @MSNBC
QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) The day after QAnon Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was stripped of her committee assignments due to spreading conspiracy theories and racist dogma, Greene began offering random motions to adjourn the legislative sessions of the House of Representatives just to obstruct the work of the day. She did it again today.
Her repeated motions to adjourn legislative debate over the past several weeks have forced members to scramble to the House floor and vote to remain in session, a move that is infuriating Democrats and, increasingly, members of her own party.
On Wednesday, she moved to adjourn as the House was preparing to debate the coronavirus relief package. The motion was defeated, with 40 Republicans joining Democrats in opposing it.
That marked the fourth time in recent weeks that Greene moved to adjourn. Each time, the number of Republicans voting against her increased, including some of the chamber’s most conservative members on Wednesday.
Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) told reporters he may propose a rule that only members of committees (which Greene is not) can make a motion to adjourn.
House Dem David Cicilline says now that he will propose a rule that only committee members can make a motion to adjourn after Marjorie Taylor Green’s antics. Greene has been stripped of her committee posts.
Rep. David Cicilline says he will propose a rule that only members of committees (i.e. not Marjorie Taylor Greene) can motion to adjourn, per Hill pool. "I'm dead serious."
And the COVID stimulus package was just now approved in the House (again) by a vote of 220-211. No Republicans voted for the legislation. From the Washington Post:
Congress approved a sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package on Wednesday, authorizing a flurry of new federal spending and a temporary yet dramatic increase in anti-poverty programs to help millions of families still struggling amid the pandemic.
The 220-211 vote in the House of Representatives almost entirely along party lines now sends to Biden’s desk one of the largest economic rescue packages in U.S. history, which Democrats had promised to pass as one of their first acts of governance after securing narrow but potent majorities in Washington after the 2020 presidential election.
The bill, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, authorizes another round of stimulus payments up to $1,400 for most Americans, extends additional, enhanced unemployment aid to millions still out of a job, and makes major changes to the tax code to benefit families with children.
The Post adds that President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law on Friday. Read the full article here.
Today marks one year to the day that the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Axios looks at where we were then: 
