CNN’s Jake Tapper addressed Donald Trump directly today on-air asking questions many Americans – like myself – would like answered.
“If I can take a moment, I would like to speak directly to one person known to watch this show, or at least clips of this show, President Trump.
“Mr. President, I know you, like millions of Americans, are eager to have the nation go back to some semblance of normal. One of the questions the American people need answered for that to happen responsibly: What’s the plan?
“Is there a plan for widespread testing of every American so as to isolate the virus — the way other countries have done? When will there be enough tests for that to happen? How will they be administered? Who will pay for the tests and the results? Who will notify us as to whether we’ve tested positive or not and what to do then?
[snip]
“This isn’t about winning a news cycle on Fox, please. The American people right now need someone to explain what is going to be done to get us out of this. It’s a moment that requires leadership. It requires honest information. It requires empathy. And it requires a plan. Do you have one?”
Sadly, I think we know the answers to those questions.
Captain Brett E. Crozier (image via U.S. Navy) Two classmates close to Capt. Brett E. Crozier, who was removed from his command of the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt this week, say he has tested positive for the coronavirus. Crozier was relieved of his command for sending an email underscoring the dangerous health risks his crew faced regarding COVID-19 as dozens were testing positive for the virus. “We are not at war,” wrote the captain in his March 30 letter. “Sailors do not need to die.” From the New York Times:
The commander began exhibiting symptoms before he was removed from the warship on Thursday, two of his classmates said.
Crozier was fired following a leak to The San Francisco Chronicle of a letter he had emailed to Navy leaders that detailed the failures on the service’s part to provide the necessary resources to swiftly move sailors off the carrier and disinfect areas on board as the virus spread through the ship.
Thomas B. Modly, the acting secretary of the Navy, said he had lost confidence in Crozier’s ability to command the ship effectively as it dealt with the evolving crisis after Crozier sent the letter on an unclassified email system to 20 to 30 people. Sending such a letter, Modly said, caused unnecessary alarm about the operational readiness of the ship and undermined the chain of command. “In sending it out pretty broadly, he did not take care to ensure that it couldn’t be leaked,” Modly said. “And that’s part of his responsibility.”
In a briefing Saturday, President Trump offered support for Modly’s decision. “He shouldn’t be talking that way in a letter,” the president said of Crozier. “I thought it was terrible what he did.”
During an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper said there were 155 confirmed cases of coronavirus among sailors aboard the aircraft carrier, and that more than half of the ship had been tested.
For folks hinging on the social distancing piece of this Crozier Send-off video, this is where the crew sleeps. The whole point of the letter was that the environment they live and work in is impossible to enforce CDC guidelines in. pic.twitter.com/oNOwpHM9QB
Being a navy enlisted veteran I found this action unfathomable. His entire crew must be dumbfounded. Having served aboard a carrier myself, the very idea of any kind of isolation for those infected is a complete joke. Thank you captain for looking out for your crew. THANK YOU!!
L-R Effie Passero, Spencer Day (screen capture)Guest post by Lawrence Pfeil, Jr. Ever been minding your own business, just gigging in Mexico with an American Idol finalist, and the next thing you know you’re both quarantined because of a global pandemic? Well, that’s exactly what happened a few weeks ago to out singer/songwriter and #1 Billboard chart-topper, Spencer Day. Now we’ve all had our lives upended by the coronavirus crisis, but not many of us are stuck in a foreign country like Spencer and Effie Passero. If we were, suffice it to say we’d probably be handling it with anxiety and panic, rather than humor and music from a rooftop. But their new collaboration, “State of Emergency” proves even in the worst of times, it can be the best times if you’re there for each other. “Like many of you, we are trying to make the best of the worst and keep looking on the bright side of life,” the duo commented. “Earlier this month we came down to Mexico for some concerts, and then a week later it felt like the world was falling apart.” “This is a brand-new song we wrote after finding ourselves with the need for ‘social distancing’ down here in Mexico,” continued the artists. “We hope everyone is safe, healthy, and finding moments to smile.”
“STATE OF EMERGENCY” Written by: Spencer Day & Effie Passero Performed by: Spencer Day, Effie Passero, Zoe Wood, Eduardo Leon Videographer: Daniel Marquez Ortega (The Groove House Studio) SPENCER DAY is one of the most acclaimed young artists creating witty and sophisticated pop songs in the tradition of the classic American writers. He has been called “compelling” by Time Out New York, “prodigiously talented” by the Village Voice, and “brilliant” by the San Francisco Chronicle. The Washington Post praised his “cool jazz sensibilities” and “cleverly crafted tales.” Day has wandered amid the expansive and diverse landscape of American music, developing an artistic sensibility that borrows from numerous sources: jazz, musical theater, cabaret, soul, folk, traditional and contemporary pop. He uses intuition and improvisation as his primary tools to craft a sound that is familiar, yet fresh and innovative at the same time. Day’s album Vagabond peaked at #11 on the Billboard Album Chart and stayed on the chart for 47 weeks. The lead single, “Til You Come To Me,” peaked at #3. His recent album, Daybreak, debuted at #1 on the iTunes Jazz Chart. Spencer’s first collaboration with Postmodern Jukebox just surpassed 1.5 million views on YouTube. Broadway By Day, his upcoming album of reimagined theater songs with surprising and inventive genre-blurring arrangements, will feature special guests Jane Monheit and Dave Koz. Follow Spencer Day on Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram here. EFFIE PASSERO is a classically trained performer turned singer-songwriter. After 12 years in Opera Theatre, she discovered her passion truly lies in storytelling and sharing her own life through music. In early 2018, she was seen on ABC”s first season of “American Idol,” placing in the top 20 contestants. In late 2018, she won the Hollywood Media in Music Award for her original song, “Sarsaparilla.” Effie has been brought into session singing, working on both Leonard Cohen and Barbra Streisand’s latest albums. She is currently finishing her first EP to be will be released in the fall. Follow Effie Passero on Facebook here, Twitter here, and Instagram here.
Lawrence Pfeil, Jr., is a freelance writer/playwright who has reviewed film and theatre, both on and off-Broadway, for media outlets including The Randy Report, the New York Blade, and Edge Publications. You can follow him at TheOUTfront.com.
(image via Instagram/Rick and the Griffopotamus) Checking in with the Hunks of Insta… First up, Rick and the Griffopotamus (above) prove there are benefits to working out at home. More working out – Joe Blizzard rode his bike this morning:
Donald Trump announced Friday that the CDC is recommending that the public wear a “basic cloth or fabric mask” in public to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In making the announcement, the White House underscored the recommendation was not for the use of “medical-grade or surgical-grade masks.” However, at the Coronavirus Task Force briefing, Trump told the press, “I don’t think I’m going to be doing it.” Surgeon General Jerome Adams explained that there are a significant portion of people infected by the virus who are asymptomatic or presymptomatic, but who can nonetheless transmit the virus. The recommendation to wear masks in public is intended to prevent these individuals from unknowingly infecting others.
On Thursday, Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner (you know, the one solving the Middle East conflict) made a perplexing remark about the stockpile of medical equipment housed by the federal government. “The notion of the federal stockpile was it’s supposed to be our stockpile,” Kushner said. “It’s not supposed to be state stockpiles that they then use.” Folks were confused as to what differentiates the federal “our” stockpile from what would/should be used by states. It almost sounded like Kushner was saying the stockpile was for the Trump clan or the Trump administration to do with it as they wished. The federal government IS the United States of America. It exists primarily to keep the citizens of all states and U.S. territories safe. If the stockpile isn’t meant for states to use, then who would be using it? And why is anyone at this point in time even using the word “OUR” in regard to anything? Then on Friday (via CBS News):
When CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang pressed the president on what Kushner meant by “our,” he dismissed the question as a “gotcha.”
“‘Our, our’ — it means the United States of America,” the president said.
Mr. Trump said the stockpile is needed for the “federal government,” to keep for the country “because the federal government needs it, too, not just the states.”
The president accused Jiang of using a “nasty” tone in her question.
Governors have implored the president to provide them more ventilators and other much-needed equipment, but the president has repeatedly put the blame on the states for not stocking up on the equipment themselves.
Basically, Kushner misspoke. And in the Trump administration handbook, rather than say, “He misspoke,” everyone has to act like the response was “perfect” and they are stuck defending a stupid comment.
Walmart and Target have both announced new measures to encourage social distancing among its customers. According to Reuters, Walmart will:
• Limit the number of customers in a store to no more than 5 customers per 1,000 square feet. Employees will be at the doors admitting patrons one-by-one.
• The store is also providing masks and gloves for store associates, doing staff temperature checks and expanding paid leave policies.
• Next week, some stores will be implementing one-way movement through aisles.
On Thursday, Target announced it would begin “metering” the number of customers inside all of its nearly 1,900 stores starting Saturday. “To promote social distancing with its team and guests, Target will monitor store traffic, and meter, or limit, the number of guests inside stores, when needed,” reads a press release from the company. “Occupancy limits will vary by location and be determined by the store’s specific square footage to enhance the average space per person and reduce the possibility of congestion,” continued the statement. “If metering is required, a Target team member will provide a designated waiting area outside with social distancing markers.”
Remember when COVID-19 was declared a “Democratic hoax” by Donald Trump? Remember when all of Fox News fell over itself to announce we had practically “nothing to fear” from the virus? Pete Hegseth on Fox & Friends: “The more I learn about coronavirus, the less concerned I am.” Man, how I’d love to hear what they think about their dumb AF comments today. But, come to think of it, they probably still believe them. From The Daily Show with Trevor Noah:
(image via Tom Viola/Facebook) The photo above was shared on Facebook by my friend Tom Viola, who heads up the world’s leading HIV support organization, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Tom writes that an intrepid staff member made the trip into the BC/EFA offices slathered in hand sanitizer to pick up mail and donation checks for their COVID-19 Emergency Fund. The staffer looked out the office windows and amid abandoned Times Square saw a secret message of strength and spirit. I’ll let Tom explain the photo, but for reference know that you’re looking down into the heart of Times Square at the TKTS booth.
Times Square may be abandoned but our hearts are not bereft. Earlier today, a member of the BC/EFA staff made the solo trip to the office – in a mask and gloves, slick with Purell and taking every precaution – in order to retrieve mail and deposit the large donations that are coming in as checks for our COVID-19 Emergency Fund.
In looking out my office window, this is what was seen below. Fashioned out of now-empty tables and chairs. Done not knowing if anyone would see. A message of hope, renewal, and assurance that Broadway and NYC will be back. Thank you! I LOVE NEW YORK! We will be back one day soon to fill that very plaza in celebration.
As most folks know, New York City has become the epicenter of the coronavirus threat. On Friday, New York state reached a grim milestone as the coronavirus has now killed more New Yorkers (2,935) than the terrorists who flew airplanes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 (about 2,700). And the death toll is only expected to grow. But New Yorkers are a tough bunch. Count on that.
CNN’s Jake Tapper addressed Donald Trump directly today on-air asking questions many Americans – like myself – would like answered. 
“Like many of you, we are trying to make the best of the worst and keep looking on the bright side of life,” the duo commented. “Earlier this month we came down to Mexico for some concerts, and then a week later it felt like the world was falling apart.” “This is a brand-new song we wrote after finding ourselves with the need for ‘social distancing’ down here in Mexico,” continued the artists. “We hope everyone is safe, healthy, and finding moments to smile.” 
