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Texas Republicans Ask Judge To Throw Out 117K Legally Cast Ballots

'Welcome to Texas' sign

Four months ago, the Texas Secretary of State approved drive-thru voting, informing Harris County (we’re talking Houston) election officials that they could use it for the general election. Now, after over 117,000 voters in the heavily Democratic county have used the process, Texas Republicans have asked a federal judge to declare the practice ‘unconstitutional’ and throw out all of those ballots. From Mark Joseph Stern at Slate:

Because Texas strictly limits mail-in voting, Harris County—which has a population of over 4.7 million people—has sought to make in-person voting safer during the pandemic. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, who runs the county’s elections, established 10 drive-thru voting locations for the 2020 general election.

Drivers pull into a large tent, where election officials confirm their identity, then give them privacy to vote. The process has proved wildly popular.

Harris County raised the idea of drive-thru voting in June, and Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs promptly approved it. The county tested it in July and approved it in August. Yet Republicans did not contest drive-thru voting in court until Oct. 15, two days after the start of early voting.

On that day, the Harris County Republican Party, joined by several GOP operatives, asked the Texas Supreme Court to halt drive-thru voting. The court, which is entirely Republican, refused, over a single dissent.

So Republicans ran to federal court. On Wednesday, they asked U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen to declare drive-thru voting unconstitutional and void every ballot cast this way.

Judge Hanen has scheduled an emergency hearing on Monday. Over 117,000 Texans cast their votes via drive-thru venues because it was approved. Now, Texas Republicans want those votes thrown out a day before the election?

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Study: Trump Campaign Rallies Led To 30K Coronavirus Cases, 700+ Deaths

(screen capture)
According to a new Stanford University study, 30,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and more than 700 deaths can be traced to attendees of 18 recent Trump campaign rallies. From the Washington Post:

The study, released Friday by Stanford economics professor B. Douglas Bernheim and three doctoral students, examined rallies staged by Trump between June 20 and Sept. 30 and looked at the trajectory of cases in the counties in which they were held.

“Our analysis strongly supports the warnings and recommendations of public health officials concerning the risk of COVID-19 transmission at large group gatherings, particularly when the degree of compliance with guidelines concerning the use of masks and social distancing is low,” the authors said.

“The communities in which Trump rallies took place paid a high price in terms of disease and death.”

The Trump campaign told the Washington Post that the idea that social distancing practices at its rallies are low was ridiculous.

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Las Vegas Homophobe Threatens To Blow Up Business Over Pride Flag & Biden Sign

On Thursday, an anonymous man phoned MILK+T, an LGBTQ-owned boba tea shop in Las Vegas, and threatened to ‘blow up’ the business over a Pride flag and a Biden/Harris sign on display. Caroline Sadorra, the manager of the tea shop’s Las Vegas branch, answered the call. Sadorra told local NBC News affiliate KSNV that while the Pride flag was a regular fixture at the business, the Biden/Harris sign was left there after a recent campaign event by Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV).

(screen capture via KSNV)
In a recording of the two phone conversations shared on social media, the man asked Sadorra, “I’m wondering why a f**king company would have a f**king faggot sign outside your store? You have a candidate that’s running for the new world order. What’s wrong with you?” When the manager tried to bring the call to a close, he cursed at her, “Go f**k yourself, losers!” Five minutes later the man called again having decided that the tea shop had an “anti-American owner,” and promised to “blow up” the store before hanging up.

One of the owners, Beyah Delmundo, told KSNV she plans to file a police report with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on Monday morning. The business’s phone recorded the caller’s phone number. Delmundo says she considered removing the Biden/Harris sign after the call, but decided, “Right now is not the time to be silent and to be shy about what you stand for.” In sharing the recording on Facebook, MILK+T wrote, in part:

To attack us was simply unwarranted. It shocked us and made us realize how much hate there is in our country. More than ever, we have to come together. Choose kindness and love, not the route of tearing another apart and threatening violence because of our differences.

LGBTQ rights ARE human rights. At MILK+T, we believe that Black Lives Matter. Women’s rights are human rights. No human is illegal. Science is real. Love is love, and kindness is everything.

Even though this shook us to our core, we stand firmly on what we believe. It takes courage to stand for what you believe in, and despite everything, we have courage and hope in the good there is in the world.

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News Round-Up: October 30, 2020

Kyle Rittenhouse (image via Twitter)
Some news items you might have missed: • Journal-Sentinel: An Illinois judge on Friday denied Kyle Rittenhouse’s (above) request for release and ordered him extradited to Wisconsin, where he faces serious charges in Kenosha County for killing two people and wounding a third during unrest in Kenosha in August. • Reuters: The U.S. State Department has (finally) backed down from legal battles over the citizenship of gay couples’ children who were born to surrogates overseas. The cases involved a family whose daughter had been born to a surrogate in Canada and a family whose daughter was born to a surrogate in England. The gay couples had sued the State Department, claiming that their sexuality had led to the rejection of their children’s applications for passports. • Out Music: Ben Hazlewood’s “The Way You Do” is a loping, easy listen that reflects the deep emotional ties we share with those we love. Hazlewood wrote the song for his nan and expresses that “love isn’t limited to romance,” but also for those you care about deeply including family and friends. Raised on artists like Jim Morrison, David Bowie, Stevie Nicks, and Janis Joplin, Hazlewood delivers powerful, plaintive vocals amid an emotional guitar-driven soundscape. I like. Follow Hazlewood on Instagram here.

• Bloomberg News: Through Thursday, over 9 million Texans had cast ballots in early voting – that’s more than the 8.97 million votes cast in total in 2016, a record high at the time. Neither party knows who will benefit most from the surge, but it has put the reliably Republican state in play as a full-out battleground in the campaign’s final days. • Yahoo News: Joe Biden would hammer Donald Trump in the US presidential election if it were Europeans heading to the ballot box. Among 5 countries surveyed  — Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain — the Germans were the most enthusiastic Biden supporters, with 66% saying they would back the Democrat if allowed to vote. Only 8% of Germans said they would vote for Trump. Trump’s best score was in Italy, where 15% would make their mark for the GOP candidate. • Twitter: On the campaign trail in Wisconsin tonight, Donald Trump perpetuated the myth that we somehow lost the ability to say ‘Merry Christmas’ at some point – and HE brought it back!?! Trump also told his sheep followers that there will be ‘no electricity’ if Joe Biden wins the presidency…?

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Tweet Of The Day: CNN Shades Kirstie Alley

Kirstie Alley on Fox News (screen capture)
Big props to CNN’s Communications team for the take-no-prisoners shade thrown former actress Kirstie Alley’s way on the Twitterverse after she criticized the news network for covering a pandemic that’s responsible for nearly 230,000 American deaths.

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Out Music: Riotron ‘Dark Highway’

Riotron’s Jeff Fettes
Just in time for Halloween, out recording artist Riotron returns with “Dark Highway,” an evocative slice of retrowave pop, this time coupled with a fun, spooky and cinematically lush video directed by Gianennio Salucci. “’Dark Highway’ is a metaphor for all bad decisions we make,” says Riotron’s Jeff Fettes. “You’re going too fast, you’re out of control but you don’t stop. And then suddenly you can’t stop.” “For the video, I wanted to pay tribute to some of my favorite 80’s videos. There’s horror, sci-fi, and even some hand-drawn animation.”

The brainchild of singer/songwriter Jeff Fettes, Riotron is an electro-pop project from Winnipeg, Canada that combines elements of 80s synthwave, EDM and even some jazz into a unique sound. The name is derived from the hit song ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran and the 1982 fantasy sci-fi film Tron. The track totally has an ominous 1980s-era Phil Collins ‘In The Air Tonight’ vibe with heavy drum pads and an excellent guitar solo. And the video’s mix of darkness, animated alternate universes, and twists in the storytelling (a la ‘Thriller’) complete the throwback fun. Hit the play button and enjoy.

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Coronavirus Cases On The Rise In Every Battleground State

7-day rolling average of cases as of Oct. 28 (graphic via Washington Post)
Coronavirus cases are on the rise in every battleground state with just four days to the presidential election. From the Washington Post:

Coronavirus cases are surging in every competitive state before Election Day, offering irrefutable evidence against President Trump’s closing argument that the pandemic is nearly over and restrictions are no longer necessary.

In the 13 states deemed competitive by the Cook Political Report, the weekly average of new cases reported daily has jumped 45 percent over the past two weeks, from fewer than 21,000 on Oct. 14 to more than 30,000 on Oct. 28.

Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Pennsylvania have all hit new weekly average highs in recent days, and in Florida and Georgia, case counts are growing again after having fallen from summer highs.

According to the COVID Tracking Project, there are currently 46,905 Americans who are hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number since August 14, and up about 50% from a month ago. Meanwhile, Donald Trump continues to hold campaign rallies across the nation where he tells supporters the U.S. has “rounded the corner” regarding the coronavirus. More at the Washington Post.

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Out Ex-Football Star Jake Bain Issues Disturbing Allegations

Out former college football player Jake Bain (image via Instagram)
Jake Bain, the Missouri high school football star who made headlines in 2017 after coming out as gay, and later became one of the first openly gay Division I team athletes in history when he matriculated at Indiana State in 2018, issued some disturbing allegations in his Instagram Stories on Thursday. Bain, who retired from football after his freshman year, posted a statement alleging that his father – who has apparently worked as a high school basketball coach for years – had abused Bain and “many others.” Bain’s statement via Instagram:

“I have in my possession over 20 pages of court documents, detailing the abuse that me, and many others endured at the hands of my father. To protect the confidentiality of those who are mentioned in these documents, I won’t release them to the public.”

“However, I believe that [it] should be public knowledge that while working as a high school basketball coach at both Westminster Christian Academy, and MICDS, two well known private schools in Saint Louis, MO, my father was found to be showering with other students, emailing inappropriately with students about things a coach or teacher should never be talking to kids about, and would have students to his house for ‘sleepovers.’”

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that none of this behavior is appropriate for any adult to be displaying. To my knowledge, my father is still coaching basketball at the AAU level in Saint Louis, so I urge anyone who is either employing him to coach, or allowing him to use their facilities, to please stop, so this behavior does not continue.”

(screen capture via Instagram/Jake.Bain)
Last May, Bain shared that he is a survivor of sexual abuse, writing, “To those of you who are victims of sexual abuse, I’m with you. I know how you may be feeling. I want you to know that you are not alone.” “Waking up to a sweat-filled bed, left with the fleeting thoughts and feelings of what we had to endure and carry on with us,” he continued. “These scars of which I fear most, are also a constant reminder that I got through it. I persevered. We are warriors, and just when you think you can’t do it anymore… fight a little longer. Reach out to others for help. Don’t be afraid to feel vulnerable. Know that this was not your fault, and does not define who you are.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

To those of you who are victims of sexual abuse, I’m with you. I know how you may be feeling. I want you to know that you are not alone. I too fear falling asleep, drifting into the unknown depths of my own deepest thoughts and feelings as I toss and turn each night, fighting off the man who scarred me so deeply. Waking up to a sweat-filled bed, left with the fleeting thoughts and feelings of what we had to endure and carry on with us. These scars of which I fear most, are also a constant reminder that I got through it. I persevered. We are warriors, and just when you think you can’t do it anymore… fight a little longer. Reach out to others for help. Don’t be afraid to feel vulnerable. Know that this was not your fault, and does not define who you are. It’s just another hurdle in your path, and no matter how you get over, under, or around that hurdle, once you cross the finish line, you will be so much stronger because of it. Love you all♥️ #metoo

A post shared by Jake Bain (@jake.bain) on

After coming out in 2018, Bain went on to famously take his boyfriend to the prom and even appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show where the talk show host honored him for his courage in coming out. Bain’s post did not identify his father by name, but a report at Kenneth in the (212) said his father is Eric Bain. “Although the allegations are somewhat fuzzy — where are these court documents filed? are the police involved? is there an ongoing investigation of his father? — they are clearly disturbing,” wrote Kenneth. “According to Eric Bain’s LinkedIn, he currently works in training at the St. Louis Basketball Academy.” Jake Bain recently came out again, this time as pansexual. He’s currently pursuing a degree in sports psychology. Here’s the report from 2018 when Bain came out as gay.

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New Music: Icona Pop, Sofi Tukker, Tafari Anthony, Lauv, Conan Gray

Icona Pop and Sofi Tukker in ‘Spa’
The chart-topping duo Icona Pop are back with the official music video for “Spa,” their musical collaboration with electronic duo Sofi-Tukker. The quirky, retro-inspired video is the perfect pairing for the new wave-ish, techno-pop bop. Speaking about the collaboration, Icona Pop’s Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo explain, “This song is weird in the very best way and we hope that people can have a rave spa at home while listening to it.” Sofi Tukker adds, “We hope people can feel the joy and giddiness and ridiculousness that we all felt while making it. Even though we miss the club now more than ever, there’s also never been such an important time for self-care. Put some cuces on your eyes.”

Tafari Anthony
Queer pop artist Tafari Anthony releases his latest single, “No Good.” The soulful electro-pop track features soaring vocals by Anthony as he explores how some relationships are just no good for us, yet we somehow still end up pursuing them for whatever reason. “It is so much easier than you’d think to get trapped in this cycle of a bad relationship,” Anthony recently told American Songwriter. “I’ve heard too often from people that when a relationship is going well they feel like it’s missing something and that something is the drama.” https://youtu.be/R733A-aJ41g

Conan Gray and Lauv in ‘Fake’ (screen capture)
Lauv joins forces with Conan Gray for the breezy mid-tempo “Fake,” which skewers vapid, phony social media personalities that seem to prize the number of followers over actual connections. Amid a series of escalating fake photoshoots, the colorful music video features the duo engaging in staged pillow fights and dancing through super-saturated, bigger-than-life soundstage sets before being returned to reality.

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US Olympic Gymnast Danell Leyva Comes Out

3-time Olympic medalist Danell Leyva (screen capture)
Gymnast Danell Leyva, who represented Team USA at two Olympic Games, came out to his 52,000+ followers on Twitter earlier this month on National Coming Out Day. “For a long time I’ve known that I wasn’t straight,” began the 28-year-old Cuban-American. “But because of certain very personal reasons, I always rejected that side of me.” Leyva added, “Earlier this year I finally understood that I’m bi/pan (still trying to figure that one out) but I also realized that, as of now at least, I’m not attracted to cis men.”

Speaking to Olympic Channel, Leyva shared that stereotypes about men in his sport, plus his own determination to not give homophobes “the satisfaction of being right,” slowed his coming out process in some respects. “[The stereotypes were] such a big factor in it, just not giving those people the satisfaction of being right because it doesn’t come from a good place,” said Leyva. “It wasn’t somebody that was trying to help us understand [our sexuality]. It was just somebody pointing at us and that doesn’t feel good.”

The Olympic champion also noted that, as he was growing up, he would “always somewhat reject” his sexuality. “And especially coming from Hispanic family, it’s very much rejected,” he added. Leyva says he had been thinking about coming out for a while and almost shared the news this past June during Pride Month. But with Black Lives Matter protests happening across the nation in the aftermath of George Floyd’s homicide, he reconsidered. “I was like, ‘No, I’m not really that important,’” said Leyva. “And so I decided to just kind of forget about it, and I did forget about it.” Until, that is, until this year’s National Coming Out Day and those five empowering tweets. Since sharing his authentic self with the world, Leyva says the response he’s received has been overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Among the many who have sent messages of support were fellow Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, and out figure skater Adam Rippon.

Also comforting to the 2011 World parallel bars champion were messages giving him space to not worry about this label or that label. “In the post, I said that I’m still trying to figure out between whether I’m a bi or pan. It was nice to have people be like, ‘You don’t have to label it. You don’t have to just be ‘a thing’. It’s an ever-changing fluid thing, so you don’t have to worry about that,’” explained the world-class athlete. “That was nice because that was certainly reassuring.” “You know, it’s such a non-issue,” he continued. “It literally means nothing that if you’re just like, ‘Oh, you’re left-handed? That’s cool. Oh, you’re bi? That’s cool.’ Like, it’s really nothing.” “Everybody’s different, you know?” said Leyva before adding, “And at the same time, we’re not.” Leyva hopes that his coming out might offer some inspiration to those considering coming out themselves. “If I get help one person be brave enough to live in their truth, then I feel like that that was the entire point of that post.” And speaking of ‘inspiration,’ let’s flashback to Leyva’s exhibition performance on the parallel bars at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.