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Gallup: Trump Approval Drops To 38 Percent

Donald Trump

Donald Trump during a White House press briefing (public domain)
Per Gallup’s Daily Tracking averages, Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 38 percent with his disapproval rating at 57 percent. In regard to Trump’s full term to date, his highest approval rating via Gallup has been 49 percent, and his low 35 percent. His average Gallup rating has been 40 percent approval. For historical reference, the approval rating for other presidents in June of their fourth year: • Barack Obama – 46 percent approval • George W. Bush – 49 percent approval • Bill Clinton – 55 percent approval • George H.W. Bush – 37 percent approval • Ronald Reagan – 54 percent approval • Jimmy Carter – 32 percent approval • Richard Nixon – 58 percent approval

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Discharged From Hospital “Doing Well”

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (via Flickr/CC license)
Whew! Thank you universe! Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital after being treated for a possible infection in her latest health scare. More from CNN:

“Justice Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital,” a Supreme Court spokeswoman said in a statement Wednesday. “She is home and doing well.” Ginsburg had been taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore early on Tuesday “after experiencing fever and chills,” spokeswoman Kathleen Arberg said.

“She underwent an endoscopic procedure at Johns Hopkins this afternoon to clean out a bile duct stent that was placed last August,” Arberg said on Tuesday, announcing Ginsburg’s hospitalization. “The Justice is resting comfortably and will stay in the hospital for a few days to receive intravenous antibiotic treatment.”

Ginsburg’s quick discharge is the latest apparent dodge of a health scare for the 87-year-old justice, who has proven adept at continuing her job without interruption despite her health issues.

We need to wrap the Notorious RBG in bubble wrap and keep her safe. Not only do we need her sanity come the fall court season, but you know if the unspeakable were to happen, the Donald would be thrilled to nominate another far-right, uber-conservative nominee to the court.

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Nyle DiMarco To Star In Comedy Series About ‘Smart Deaf Man In Modern Times’

Nyle DiMarco (photo: Denise Truscello)
Over the past few years, we’ve watched as the dashing and devastatingly handsome Nyle DiMarco has conquered just about everything he’s set his sights on. The latest in his long string of successes – DiMarco has sold a scripted comedy TV series to Spectrum. According to Deadline, DiMarco will star in the “irreverent  comedy centered around his experiences as a charismatic, smart deaf man in modern times.” “The episodes look to offer funny, character-based storytelling designed to provide a deeper perspective on the experiences of the deaf and hard of hearing communities in America,” Deadline adds. Dimarco will executive produce along with Hawaii Five-O’s Daniel Day Kim as well as John Cheng and Tara Bohn and Melrose Placed’s Sami Housman. DiMarco took to Twitter to celebrate the series news tweeting, “If I told my younger self that I would eventually have my own series about Deaf culture, I wouldn’t believe it. Deaf people leading in a series about deaf culture? Not possible! This is huge for me… thank you all!” https://twitter.com/NyleDiMarco/status/1283115014488899584 The ‘sexually fluid’ model and actor first came to the national spotlight when he won the 2015 season of America’s Next Top Model. He is the only deaf contestant in the show’s history, and the second male to win. From there, he snatched up the mirror ball trophy as the Season 22 winner of Dancing with the Stars. Check out his freestyle championship dance with Peta Murgatroyd to “The Sound of Silence.” As you watch, remember – Nyle can’t hear any of the music. This is waaaaay impressive. Although he’s best known for his victories in reality TV, the 31-year-old has also appeared in several scripted TV series like Station 19, Difficult People and Switched at Birth. And don’t forget his sold-out run on the Las Vegas Strip as the ‘Celebrity Host’ of the world-famous Chippendales in September 2016. https://www.instagram.com/p/BKbeANzh9hO/ In 2018, he was on the team of producers who brought the award-winning, Deaf-themed play, Children of a Lesser God, back to Broadway. So, yeah, this is a guy who does a LOT of things well. #NoSlackerHere DiMarco has also used his celebrity to advocate for more representation for deaf individuals in Hollywood and increased literacy in sign language for deaf children. He launched The Nyle DiMarco Foundation in 2016, which works to bring educational resources to deaf children and their families. I interviewed the very handsome Mr. DiMarco as he was about to open his run with Chippendales here in Las Vegas. Here’s my chat with him from my podcast:

And since we’re talking all things DiMarco, let’s peruse some of his woofy Instagram feed: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCcVaLalqpa/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BuUPAj8FbV3/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BsgS2CoANjr/ https://www.instagram.com/p/BqXpKTug0g7/

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Sensational Striptease Goes Virtual – ‘BroadwayBares: Zoom In’

Broadway Bares goes virtual in 2020
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is taking its signature sensational striptease online for the first time with Broadway Bares: Zoom In, a celebratory virtual edition streaming on Saturday, August 1, 2020. The free and frisky stream of Broadway Bares, produced by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, begins at 9:30 pm Eastern. Viewers can enjoy the virtual entertainment at broadwaycares.org/bares, on Broadway Cares’ YouTube channel, broadwaybares.com and on streaming media partners BroadwayWorld.com, iHeartRadioBroadway.com, Playbill.com, TheaterMania.com and the Pride Media family of sites including Advocate.com and Out.com. Although this year’s in-person 30th-anniversary celebration, originally set for June 21, was postponed until 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual evening will live on digitally through streamed sizzling striptease featuring NYC’s hottest dancers. The online event will celebrate Broadway Bares with new performances that make social distancing sexy, plus favorite numbers from years past and new appearances by special celebrity guests.

“We’re so excited to bring the heat of Broadway Bares to screens around the world for the first time with Broadway Bares: Zoom In,” Bares creator and Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell said. “This year’s performers have gone full-out in both their show-stopping dance moves and desire to make a difference. You’ve got to Zoom In because it’s sure to make your laptop tingle and your cell phone vibrate!” Though the stream is free, donations are welcome. Every dollar donated will help those across the country affected by HIV/AIDS, COVID-19 and other critical illnesses receive healthy meals, lifesaving medication, emergency financial assistance, housing, counseling and more. The donations also support and champion organizations focused on social justice and anti-racism. Sponsorship opportunities, which include pre- and post-show virtual cocktails parties with performers and recognition during the show, are available at broadwaycares.org/sponsorbares . Broadway Bares was created in 1992 by Mitchell, then a Broadway dancer, as a way to raise awareness and money for those living with HIV/AIDS. In Broadway Bares’ first year, Mitchell and six of his friends danced on a New York City bar and raised $8,000. Last year, Broadway Bares took stars and fans alike on a romp around the world at Broadway Bares: Take Off. The tantalizing twist on travel raised a record-breaking $2,006,192. The 29 editions of Broadway Bares have raised more than $21.2 million for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. (via BroadwayCares.org)

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Campaign Ad Uses Jr’s Own Attacks On Trump

Donald Trump Jr. (image via Twitter)
The folks at MeidasTouch.com discovered that many of Donald Trump Jr’s attacks on former Vice President Joe Biden actually reflect the reality of Trump’s dad. MeidasTouch is a next-generation political organization, reimagining progressive ideals for the rapidly changing digital age. Founded by three brothers with a passion for democracy and justice, their aim is to not only be in the conversation but to create the conversation.

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Trump Admin: Hospitals To Bypass CDC, Send Coronavirus Data To HHS

Donald Trump
In a move that surprised many health officials, the Trump administration has ordered all data regarding the treatment of coronavirus patients to be sent directly to the Department of Health and Human Services instead of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In light of Donald Trump’s claims the virus death count figures have been ‘inflated,‘ health experts worry the data could be distorted for political gain. From the New York Times:

The new instructions are contained in a little-noticed document posted this week on the Department of Health and Human Services’ website, Sheryl Gay Stolberg reports. From now on, H.H.S., and not the C.D.C., will collect daily reports about the patients that each hospital is treating, how many beds and ventilators are available, and other information vital to tracking the pandemic.

Officials say the change will streamline data gathering and assist the White House coronavirus task force in allocating scarce supplies like personal protective gear and the drug remdesivir. Some hospital officials welcome the move, saying it will relieve them of responding to requests from multiple federal agencies, though others said the C.D.C. should be collecting the data.

“The C.D.C. is the right agency to be at the forefront of collecting the data,” said Dr. Bala Hota, the chief analytics officer at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Public health experts have long expressed concerns that the administration is politicizing science and undermining the disease control centers; four former C.D.C. directors, spanning both Republican and Democratic administrations, said as much in an opinion piece published Tuesday in The Washington Post. The data collection shift reinforced those fears.

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WH Press Sec: Trump Has ‘Great Record’ On LGBTQ Issues (Oh, My Sides…)

L-R Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
During a recent press briefing at the White House, Donald Trump’s Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany dodged a question from Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson about Trump’s ban on transgender service members which was announced out of the blue via Twitter three years ago. The Trump policy requires the discharge of any current service member diagnosed with gender dysphoria, a characteristic of being transgender. Those service members are also not allowed any transition-related care. Additionally, anyone with a history of gender dysphoria is banned from enlisting unless they agree to serve as the sex assigned to them at birth. Johnson asked if Trump would reconsider the policy and mentioned that 116 members of Congress have urged the Donald to end the ban especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, which banned anti-LGBTQ+ workplace discrimination. The question led McEnany to abruptly pivot to the false claim that the president has a pro-LGBTQ+ record. “I haven’t talked to him about that specific policy, but this president is proud that in 2019 we launched a global initiative to end the criminalization of homosexuality throughout the world,” said McEnany reading from a prepared list of inaccurate claims. “He has a great record when it comes to the LGBT community. The Trump administration eased a ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men and he launched a plan to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.” Johnson tried to stay on topic by pointing out that while the ban is still in place, there are over 14K active military service members who identify as transgender, polls showing 70% of Americans support the rights of trans people to serve the country they love, and major medical associations saying there’s no problem with transgender people serving. But McEnany brushed those facts aside before moving on to another reporter. “I have no updates for you, but several of the events that you cited, like the Supreme Court ruling, I would refer you back to Justice Kavanaugh, who said, ‘We are judges, we’re not members of Congress. Instead of a hard-earned victory won through the Democratic process, today’s victory is brought about by judicial dictates.’ So we’ll always stand on the side of correct statutory interpretation.” https://twitter.com/WashBlade/status/1282754239324917761 Now, to anyone paying attention to Donald Trump and his administration here on Earth One, it’s clear that the Donald has a less-than-stellar record when it comes to the LGBTQ community. Here’s just a shortlist of topics where Trump has attempted to harm or diminish the LGBTQ community: First, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rolled back a provision in the Affordable Care Act that banned anti-LGBTQ discrimination in health care settings. Last November, HHS proposed removing regulatory provisions that explicitly prohibit organizations that receive HHS grant funding from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, and religion. In addition to transgender military service members, Trump has attempted to discharge HIV-positive military members. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has proposed allowing homeless shelters to discriminate against transgender people. Trump’s Justice Department has argued in favor of those seeking the right to discriminate against LGBTQ people in the workplace. (p.s. they lost…) Regarding the easing of restrictions on blood donations by gay men, when asked about the change in April Trump said he “didn’t know anything about that.” Additionally, Trump has publicly stated his opposition to The Equality Act that would make discrimination against LGBTQ people federal law. And then there are the slaps in the face like refusing to issue a Pride Month proclamation (which President Obama did all 8 years of his administration) as well as banning U.S. embassies from flying Pride flags during the month of June. And by the way, how is that ‘global initiative’ to end the criminalization of homosexuality going? We’ve heard no word about it since it was announced (source: Washington Blade)

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Zac Efron + Netflix’s ‘Down To Earth’ = Furry Goodness

Zac Efron (screen capture via Netflix)
Netflix has a hit on its hands with the new series Down to Earth with a bearded and buff Zac Efron. The travelogue follows Efron as he hip-hops around a pre-COVID-19 world exploring climate-friendly, sustainable living habits. “In this travel show, actor Zac Efron journeys around the world with wellness expert Darin Olien in search of healthy, sustainable ways to live,” Netflix writes of the new show. From eating bread baked in a volcano in Iceland, to experiencing the rarest water in the world, our host shares his furry goodness adventures from around the world and much more. Here’s the trailer. I think you’ll get my drift in just a minute.

Let’s just say the Twitterverse took note 🙂

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Lincoln Project: ‘Law And Order’

(image via The Lincoln Project)
Donald Trump says he’s the ‘Law and Order’ president. More from The Lincoln Project:

Trump’s campaign manager is a felon. His deputy campaign manager is a felon. His national security advisor is a felon. His foreign policy advisor is a felon. His personal lawyer is a felon. His long time advisor is a felon. It’s not a campaign, it’s a criminal enterprise.

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News Round-Up: July 13, 2020

Jwan Yosef (via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • ManCrush Monday: That time when Ricky Martin’s other half, Jwan Yosef (above), showed off his ‘baby lifting arms.’ #dang • Gold Derby: Openly gay former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been entered for Emmy consideration in the category of Best Comedy Guest Actor for his guest-hosting stint on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” • CNN: The body of former GLEE actress Naya Rivera, 33, who was missing since Wednesday, has been found floating in a Southern California lake. Rivera’s role on GLEE gave queer Puerto Rican representation to millions. She is the third original GLEE cast member to die. In 2013, Cory Monteith died of a drug overdose and Mark Stalling committed suicide in 2018 after being found guilty of possessing child porn. • TheaterMania: Hamilton has become the first cast recording to reach the top two on the Billboard 200 albums chart since 1969 thanks to the musical’s premiere on Disney+. In 1969, the original cast recording of Hair spent 13 weeks in the no. 1 slot. Hamilton had previously peaked in the no. 3 position back in 2016, tying with The Book of Mormon. • Miami Herald: Florida resident Joseph Fucheck is facing criminal charges for waving a pistol at a Black homeowner in North Miami-Dade while claiming to be a 35-year Navy SEAL veteran. Except – it was a decades-old lie perpetrated by Fucheck. The Navy SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, which maintains paperwork for all SEALs since World War II, has no record of him. • CBS17: An Arkansas police officer told a colleague he would ‘shoot any protesters’ who might come to his door. But Calvin Salyers, 33, has now been charged with manslaughter after shooting through his door on June 3 killing a fellow police officer who dropped by to pick up a patrol car. • Podcast of the Day: A podcast about gay TV,  Gayest Episode Ever, explores LGBT+ themed one-off episodes that classic sitcoms (like The Golden Girls, Frasier, and Cheers) would do back in the day when it was rare to see queer characters represented on broadcast television. The podcast – hosted by Drew Mackie, a journalist, and Glen Lakin, a screenwriter – offers insight into the evolution of queer visibility, gay rights, and how culture can both affect — and BE affected by — what we see on TV. The episode below dissects a 1977 episode of Maude when Bea Arthur’s title character argued with her neighbor Arthur over the opening of a gay bar in town.