(photo via Flickr/WhiteHouse) Acting in response to the dozens of coronavirus infections that have occurred in the Trump administration, Team Biden plans on a heavy-duty scrub-down of the White House before taking up residency. From Politico:
The team only plans to have a skeleton staff working on campus at first, with most continuing to work remotely from home. They also plan to have the building — which has seen numerous virus outbreaks among staffers and top officials this year — meticulously sanitized.
That includes plans to “thoroughly clean and disinfect” all furniture, doorknobs, handrails and light switches, before Biden and his team move in. Additionally, a private contractor will provide “disinfectant misting services” to clear the air of lingering droplets.
Conservative radio host/columnist Erick Erickson Conservative pundit Erick Erickson has had enough of the faux fawning by fearful Republicans over Donald Trump’s seemingly endless attempts to further embarrass himself and his loss in the 2020 presidential election. The latest development to irritate Mr. Erickson is the laughable lawsuit Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas, has filed which asks the Supreme Court to interfere in the handling of elections in four other states – states Trump lost. From the New York Times:
The state of Texas filed an audacious lawsuit in the Supreme Court on Tuesday against four other states, asking the justices to extend the Dec. 14 deadline for certification of presidential electors.
The suit, filed by the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, said Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin had engaged in election irregularities that require investigation, and it asked the court to “enjoin the use of unlawful election results without review and ratification by the defendant states’ legislatures.”
Of course, Texas has no standing to insist on how those four states determine their own elections. You might have heard of “state’s rights?” Erickson calls out the bs:
Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, is under a federal investigation and would love a presidential pardon. His lawsuit is just more performative leg humping by someone desperate to curry favor with President Trump.
The various attorneys general who have joined his lawsuit all want to either get re-elected or seek higher office. Joining the lawsuit gives them some measure of ring kissing or protection from any rabid Trump supporters who wanted a “just fight” moment.
I personally think my company should pay me workers compensation for brain damage for having to read that lawsuit and related filings. It really is one of the stupidest bits of performative leg humping we have seen in the last five years. These attorneys general are willing to beclown themselves and their states all to get in good with the losing presidential candidate.
A new high – U.S. records more than 3,000 coronavirus-related deaths in a single day. From the Washington Post:
After weeks of surging infections and rising levels of virus hospitalizations, the United States recorded more than 3,000 covid-19 deaths in a single day, a pandemic record, according to a Washington Post analysis.
The harrowing milestone comes as two vaccine candidates appear to be on the verge of clearing the country’s final regulatory hurdles.
Yet the new death record, as well as a new high of more than 106,000 covid-19 patients in hospitals, are grim reminders of the pandemic’s devastating toll.
Donald Trump took a victory lap yesterday in advance of any American being vaccinated against the virus that has now killed more than 289,000 Americans. And while many have compared the coronavirus to the common flu – saying it’s the same or similar – less than half of Americans have even gotten a flu vaccination this year. By the way – In the 2019/2020 season, the CDC estimates there were 22,000 deaths related to the common flu – not 289,000 deaths. So much for ‘the same or similar.’
(Via Stephen Amell’s Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • KIT212: Kenneth wonders as to how much ‘seasonal sentiment’ is really attached to some InstaHunky posts like the above pic from Arrow star Stephen Amell? • Boy Culture: Matt Rettenmund’s list of his ‘Top 50 Sitcoms’ is pure gold – I especially agree with his Top 10. • The Tonight Show: Jimmy Fallon and Andrew Rannells recap the year 2020 through Broadway songs like “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, “Memory” from Cats, and “My Shot” from Hamilton.
• Orlando Sentinel: Florida man coughed, sneezed, spit throughout a Best Buy after refusing mask. He told the police he’s “been going through a lot this year and got carried away.” • World Of Wonder: Porn performer Reno Gold donated a week’s worth of his online earnings – over $27,000 – to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which is awesome. p.s. if you do the math, Reno makes over $1 million a year, so, wow… • Instagram: A 21-year-old fashion/lifestyle photographer in Mexico City shared the emotional moment he told his mother he was marrying his boyfriend and his religious mother denounced him for being gay. The video quickly went viral. “The day I die you are gonna be the one who kills me because I’m always thinking about all the stuff you’ve done wrong,” she told him. “You do wrong. You sin. Think really hard about what you’re doing. Think about it and don’t sin for Satan.”
A 21-year-old bisexual Trump supporter spent the majority of 2020 impersonating relatives of Donald Trump on Twitter and in doing so appears to have scammed thousands of dollars from LGBTQ Trumpers.
The New York Times spoke with Josh Hall, who lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, about his wild Twitter ride which included pretending to be Robert Trump, brother to the president; 14-year-old Barron Trump, the Donald’s son; and just last month Trump’s sister, Elizabeth Trump Grau.
Hall not only fooled hundreds of thousands of Trump fans – collectively accruing over 160,000 followers – but even tricked Trump himself, who just last month posted an article about his ‘sister’ who had announced she was joining Twitter to support her brother’s fight to overturn the 2020 presidential election.
“Thank you Elizabeth,” tweeted the Donald. “LOVE!”
(screen capture)
Except, “Elizabeth” was actually Mr. Hall cloaked behind the fake Twitter account. Trump’s tweet is still on his account at this writing.
In an interview with the New York Times, Hall admitted he was stunned to have fooled Trump. “I was like, ‘Oh, my goodness. He actually thinks it’s his sister.”
Hall shared with the Times that he became interested in politics and Donald Trump four years ago. “I kind of thought he was like a clown at first,” he said. “But the more I heard him talk, I realized: Yeah, he says kind of off-the-wall things, but I do agree with what he’s saying.”
Energized by Trump’s heated rhetoric, Hall began to dream of becoming a conservative talk-radio host. In an attempt to develop an online presence, he fought with liberals on Twitter and launched a “public figure” page on Facebook.
He also self-published a short e-book titled Hall Nation which shared his “38 essential rules” for living a happy life. As a Trump supporter, the first rule isn’t surprising: “Insults are a good thing.”
In real life, Hall apparently found it difficult to hold down a job moving from hotel clerk to sandwich maker, and eventually delivering food for Door Dash.
But online, he was learning to establish a small following. That journey was curtailed when he found himself banned from Twitter for creating multiple accounts as different people. “Once I got banned from Twitter, my attitude was kind of like, ‘What the hell, I’m just going to have fun now,’” he told the Times.
So, he began creating fake accounts posing as well-known people in the political sphere.
(screen capture via NY Times)
He started with a parody account of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich who had received a pardon from Trump. That account garnered upward of 26,000 followers before it was deleted by Twitter.
Hall returned with more accounts pretending to be Dr. Birx from the White House Coronavirus Task Force at one point, and then Trump’s brother, Robert.
Through all of this, Hall claims “There was no nefarious intention behind it. I was just trying to rally up MAGA supporters and have fun.”
It was during his fake “Robert Trump” phase that he used the account to promote his own new Twitter account, @TheBiTrumpGuy, and his fake group, “Gay Voices for Trump.”
He even encouraged Trumpers (as “Robert Trump”) to donate to a GoFundMe campaign organized by Hall that was purported to support “field organizing, events and merchandise.” The fundraiser brought in $7,384.
(screen capture via NY Times)
Hall says he “never got the funds” from the crowdfunding campaign, but GoFundMe tells the Times the money was withdrawn by an account named Josh H.
All in all, it’s a timely tale of how much disinformation there is on social media. And a serious reminder to not believe everything you see on social media.
Head over to the New York Times to read the full accounting.
L-R Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg Multiple sources are reporting former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg may be tapped to serve in the Biden administration as U.S. Ambassador to China. From Axios:
Why it matters: The 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, whom Biden has compared to his late son, Beau, played a key role in Biden’s nomination. Letting him deepen his foreign policy chops could boost Buttigieg’s future, since many inside the Democratic Party believe his return as a presidential candidate is a matter of when, not if.
Buttigieg electrified donors and rocketed to the top of the party, winning the most delegates in the Iowa caucuses earlier this year before dropping out to consolidate moderates’ support around Biden.
But finding a Cabinet position for him has been a challenge as the former VP focuses on nominating women and people of color to high-level posts.
China isn’t the only foreign post where Buttigieg, a polyglot, could end up — and his name remains under discussion for some domestic leadership positions as well.
Axios goes on to note that the China ambassadorship is general a post given to politicians in the mid-to-late point of their careers as an indication of respect to China. If confirmed for the spot, Buttigieg would only be 39-years-old. Mayor Pete is very smart, and has a broad perspective on foreign affairs. But, as a fan, my concern is that the China post would take him out of the public eye here in the U.S. According to Axios, Buttigieg apparently was hoping to be ambassador to the United Nations which sounds like the perfect spot for him. Others think it’s a good move for Mayor Pete.
A huge role that would give Mayor Pete the kind of standing that sets him up for a national role. A future Harris-Buttigieg ticket one day would not surprise me at all. https://t.co/d5CsvfOx0G
— Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid 😷) (@JoyAnnReid) December 9, 2020
Grand strategy aside, think about what Pete Buttigieg as U.S. ambassador could mean for LGBTQ+ people in China who still live in the shadows
Amy Coney Barrett being sworn in as Supreme Court Justice with Donald Trump & Justice Clarence Thomas (public domain) Some news items you might have missed: • The Gaily Grind: Guests at the Brussels “daddy orgy” where an anti-LGBT Hungarian politician was caught breaking lockdown rules thought the police who arrived to break up the party were part of the sex party, the organizer claims. • Fox19Now: Wyoming police are investigating after someone allegedly stole an LGBTQ Pride flag from a front porch and burned it. The Fitzpatric family says the vandal came right up to their front porch and even tripped on their Christmas decorations in order to snatch it up. • New York Times: The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused a long-shot request from Pennsylvania Republicans to overturn President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the state, delivering an unmistakable rebuke to President Trump in the forum on which he had pinned his hopes. The Supreme Court’s order was all of one sentence, and there were no noted dissents.
The Supreme Court has rejected a Pennsylvania Republican congressman’s request to prevent Pennsylvania from certifying its presidential election results in favor of Joe Biden. This case is different from the lawsuit filed by the state of Texas this morning. https://t.co/ReS0eU0JsYpic.twitter.com/ybt6Dvlom4
• Pink News: Donald Trump spends dying days of presidency legalizing discrimination dressed up as ‘religious freedom.’ • Edge Media: An 18-year-old suspect accused of murdering a 15-year-old boy lured him into the woods in Cheshire, England, with a promise of sex before clubbing him to death a year ago, the prosecution in the case charged in court. • AZ Central: The Arizona Supreme Court on Tuesday affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in Arizona, upholding a lower court’s finding that there was no misconduct, fraud or illegal voting in the general election.
#BREAKING: Arizona Supreme Court rejects GOP effort to overturn election results, affirms Biden win in statehttps://t.co/g6lLovd2Gl
• Change.org: Trevor Wilkinson, a student at Clyde High School in Texas, was suspended after he wore nail polish to school. Now, over 125K people have signed a petition in support of his freedom of expression. • Instinct Magazine: Despite lowering before 2019, HIV infections are on the rise again. • Christmas Music: From Annie Lennox’s holiday release, A Christmas Cornucopia. As Slant Magazine wrote in 2010: “’God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ marries the traditional with the modern in a daring and ultimately very successful way. Lennox’s commitment to the material is palpable.”
Dolly Parton chats with RuPaul in a new Marie Claire interview In a new interview with the iconic Dolly Parton for Marie Claire, RuPaul asked the diva about some of the more mundane aspects of her day like how many hours of sleep she gets and cooking some biscuits and gravy for breakfast. The Emmy Award-winning Drag Race host inquired if the country superstar cooks in high heels to which Dolly replied, “I always wear my high heels. Don’t you?” RuPaul answered, “No. That’s the thing: There are similarities in what we do, but I take all that stuff off.” But Dolly had a different view:
“I have to always stay ready – street ready, I always say. I have to keep my makeup on and keep my hair done. Like, when I’m in LA – I’ve told you about it – if it’s going to earthquake, if we get an earthquake, I’m not running out in the street looking like you look now.”
Like. You. Look. Now. LOL…Of course, Dolly wasn’t being ugly. That’s just not in her character. It’s a fun interview as Dolly is promoting her new holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, and her new Netflix Christmas movie, Christmas on the Square. Read the full chat over at Marie Claire.
First, there was the wave of coronavirus infections among White House staffers and aides. Then, Donald Trump tweeted that his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has been diagnosed as COVID-19 positive. Today, we hear another Team Trump lawyer, Jenna Ellis, has also tested positive for the virus. From Axios:
President Trump’s lawyer Jenna Ellis has informed associates she tested positive for the coronavirus, multiple sources tell Axios, stirring West Wing fears after she attended a senior staff Christmas party on Friday.
Driving the news: There are concerns about the potential for another White House superspreader event, though it was unclear whether Ellis posed a risk when she attended. Ellis declined to confirm the diagnosis to Axios.
Ellis showed up to the White House senior staff party in the East Wing on Friday as the guest of Trump trade adviser Peter Navarro and was not seen wearing a mask, according to sources who attended the indoor event.
So many folks in Trump’s camp getting diagnosed – it’s almost as though they are doing something wrong…?
Breaking Axios: Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis has informed associates she has coronavirus, multiple sources tell Axios. https://t.co/2J5R1tdNGp
Gen. Lloyd Austin (image – public domain) President-elect Joe Biden plans to tap retired four-star Army General Lloyd Austin to be Secretary of Defense. He would be the first African-American to lead the Pentagon. From the New York Times:
General Austin, 67, was for years a formidable figure at the Pentagon, and is the only African-American to have headed U.S. Central Command, the military’s marquee combat command, with responsibility for Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria — most of the places where the United States is at war.
He was selected over another front-runner, Michèle A. Flournoy, who had served in senior Pentagon policy jobs and mentored a generation of women in national security who had pushed for her appointment as the first female defense secretary.
Mr. Biden, who is meeting with N.A.A.C.P. leaders Tuesday, was facing pressure from the Congressional Black Caucus and other Black officials to name an African-American to run the Defense Department or Justice Department.
According to Reuters: “Austin will need a waiver from Congress since it has been less than the required seven years since he served.” He will be the second Pentagon chief in just four years to require such a waiver, after Jim Mattis.
