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Hobby Lobby Closes All Stores Furloughing Employees Without Pay

Business Insider reports that Hobby Lobby will now close all stores nationwide after defying state lockdown orders relating to the ongoing coronavirus threat. Most employees will be furloughed without pay. The owner of Hobby Lobby, David Green, is worth an estimated $6.2 billion. So, you can see how he couldn’t possibly afford to pay his employees, right?

In a statement posted on the company website on Friday afternoon, Hobby Lobby announced it will furlough “nearly all store employees” without pay and “is ending emergency leave pay and suspending use of company provided paid time off benefits and vacation.”

“As the country continues efforts to manage and mitigate the devastating health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 virus, Hobby Lobby will, after careful consideration, close the remainder of its stores, and furlough nearly all store employees and a large portion of corporate and distribution employees, effective Friday, April 3rd, at 8:00 p.m,” Hobby Lobby posted on its website. “The stores will remain closed until further notice.”

According to three employees, each speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, managers at their stores called teams into a meeting to deliver the news on Friday afternoon.

“The line our manager gave us was, ‘The employees got what the employees wanted, the stores were closed,'” a Hobby Lobby employee in Indiana said. “My question was did God tell them they needed to closed the stores and not pay us?” ‘

On March 19, Green sent his employees a letter citing God as his justification for keeping his stores open. He wrote that his wife Barbara received a message directly from God about coping with the health crisis. God didn’t mention anything about paid sick leave, I guess…

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Trump’s Approval Rating Sinks Amid Coronavirus Debacle

Trump walks past reporters with no comment

Trump walks past reporters with no comment
Donald Trump (image via public domain/White House)
The latest polls show the mixed messaging of the Trump administration is taking a toll on Donald Trump’s job approval rating. Via Mediaite:

An ABC News/Ipsos poll released Friday, 47 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s coronavirus response, while 52 percent of Americans disapprove — a steep drop from the same poll taken just two weeks ago when a whopping 55 percent approved of Trump’s response.

And in Trump’s favorite survey, the Trump-skewing Rasmussen daily tracking poll, his approval rating has dropped four points in a matter of days. The last time Trump was above water in that poll was Feb. 27, when his approval was at 52 percent. But he began this week with a -5 point net unfavorability, and finishes it nine points underwater with 44 percent approving and 53 percent disapproving.

 

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Scam Artist “Blows Wind” At COVID-19

Kenneth Copeland (screen captures)
Scamvangelist Kenneth Copeland sermonizes against COVID-19. Make sure you get to the 1:40 mark where he literally spits into the air declaring, “COVID-19, I blow the wind of God on you.” Nope, he doesn’t look crazy at all. Not. At. All. p.s. I think the video is quite the visual metaphor as Copeland speaks to an empty audience and his minions simply repeat him verbatim.

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Dr. Fauci: “I Don’t Understand” Why The Entire Country Isn’t Under ‘Stay At Home’ Orders

(image via CNN)
During an interview with CNN Thursday night, Dr. Anthony Fauci said all Americans should be under a ‘stay at home’ order and the entire country should be operating via the same guidelines in terms of self-isolating in order to best bring the coronavirus to heel. “I don’t understand why that’s not happening,” said Fauci, a member of the White House COVID-19 Task Force. “As you said, the tension between federally mandated versus states’ rights to do what they want is something I don’t want to get into. But if you look at what is going on in this country, I do not understand why we are not doing that. We really should be.” As of today, there has not been a federally mandated order for the entire country regarding the ongoing coronavirus threat. Currently, 39 states and Washington, D.C., are under stay-at-home orders. Eleven states – all red states –  have not issued statewide orders. Six states have regions with local lockdowns – Alabama, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Wyoming. But it’s a total free for all in Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

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News Round-Up: April 2, 2020

L-R Pete and Chasten Buttigieg (screen capture)
Some news items you might have missed: • Furball of the Day: Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (above) brought #BeardEdgeEdge to reality in a recent Instagram Live broadcast about the coronavirus pandemic sporting a newly-buzzed head and a woofy, scruff-tastic beard. • CNBC: Initial jobless claims for last week surged to more 6.6 million, the Labor Department said Thursday. That brings the two-week total to about 10 million due to the coronavirus-induced economic shutdown. Prior to the COVID-19 catastrophe, the highest week for claims was 695,000 in 1982. #SoMuchWinning • Boy Culture: The Adonis Lounge in NYC is usually very hands-on but the legendary strip joint, featuring the world’s best lap dances, is going hands-off during the COVID-19 crisis by hosting a virtual party on Friday, April 3, at 11 p.m. EST.
(GIF via Giphy)
• NY Post: The MTA and its largest union want bus riders to “cover their noses and mouths with bandanas or scarfs… if they do not have masks.” Listening to medical experts on TV today, my takeaway was that the main point of masks is to keep infected people from spreading the virus to others, not so much protect the wearer of the mask from getting infected. But we’re also now hearing that the virus can be transmitted through not just coughing or sneezing but talking or even just breathing. • Reuters: The U.S. Navy on Thursday relieved the commander of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, who wrote a scathing letter that leaked to the public asking for stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard his warship. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Captain Brett Crozier was being relieved not because he wrote the letter and sent it up through the chain of command but because the Navy believes he leaked it to the media. • Cocktail Hour: Food Network star Ina Garten has gone viral with her recipe for the “perfect Cosmopolitan.” This Instagram video has gotten over 2.4 million views in a day. #MyFavoriteThingToday

 

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It’s always cocktail hour in a crisis! Recipe on barefootcontessa.com #staysafe

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DNC Moves Democratic National Convention To August

The organizers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention have pushed the nominating event to August 17 from its originally scheduled dates of July 13-17 in an effort to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 threat. From the New York Times:

The Democratic National Committee on Thursday postponed the party’s national convention because of the coronavirus, moving it from mid-July to mid-August. It is the largest political event to be moved so far because of the pandemic, which has already led to the cancellation of hundreds of state and local conventions from both parties.

The convention will still be held in Milwaukee, as planned, the week of Aug. 17, officials said, a week before Republicans plan to gather in Charlotte, N.C., to re-nominate Mr. Trump.

The delay comes just hours after the party’s likely nominee, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., called for rescheduling the convention during an appearance on “The Tonight Show.”

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FDA Updates Blood Donation Guidelines For Gay/Bisexual Men

UPDATE: On April 2, the FDA posted new guidelines reducing the deferral period for men who have sex with men from donating blood and plasma from 12 months to 3 months. In a statement, GLAAD President and CEO, Sarah Kate Ellis said, “LGBTQ Americans can hold their heads up today and know that our voices will always triumph over discrimination.” “This is a victory for all of us who raised our collective voices against the discriminatory ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood,” she continued. “The FDA’s decision to lower the deferral period on men who have sex with men from 12 months to 3 months is a step towards being more in line with science, but remains imperfect. We will keep fighting until the deferral period is lifted and gay and bi men, and all LGBTQ people, are treated equal to others.“

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave permission last week for doctors to use plasma from coronavirus survivors as an experimental treatment for patients who become moderately ill from the virus. According to the New York Times, blood from people who have recovered may be teeming with antibodies, proteins created by the immune system to attack the virus. The approach has been used for decades in treating many infectious diseases like influenza and Ebola.

Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told the Times, “Four to six or eight weeks after infection, their blood should be full of antibodies that will neutralize the virus and that will theoretically limit the infection.”

Although there aren’t any controlled studies to quantify the treatment, there have been reports from China regarding the approach being used on a small number of patients there. U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams and other health officials are asking for increased blood donations due to the ongoing COVID-19 threat, but most gay and bisexual men will not be able to donate plasma to help other patients. Even though we’re in the middle of a health crisis, the FDA still maintains gay and bisexual men who have had sex with men in the last 12 months are barred from donating blood of any type. The ban also applies to women who have had sex with bisexual men in the past year. Those requirements were established years ago due to fears of HIV infection through blood transfusions even though such thinking is now out-of-date with modern methods. The Red Cross has said that “blood donation eligibility should not be determined by methods that are based upon sexual orientation.” And a group of 17 U.S. senators have issued a public letter asking the FDA to review its current policy. The letter, signed by Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, and Cory Booker, encourages the FDA to “shift away from antiquated and stigmatizing donation policies to ones that are scientifically based.” Additionally, GLAAD and several LGBTQ organizations have launched a petition calling for the ban on gay and bisexual men to be lifted. The petition currently has over 17,000 signatures.

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2020 Provincetown Bear Week Canceled Thanks To Coronavirus

Even though the event is over three months away, Provincetown Bears have announced this year’s Bear Week in the Massachusetts getaway has been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 threat. Bear Week Provincetown is traditionally one of the busiest weeks in the Provincetown summer season. The event draws in gay bears and big boys from all over the world. Originally scheduled for July 11, 2020 – July 19, 2020, the weeklong program of pool parties, dance parties, comedy shows, and leather events didn’t look feasible with the social distancing guidelines that have been announced for the foreseeable future.

(image via Provincetown Bears)
In a statement, the organizers say “Members of our board have watched the rampant developments of the coronavirus pandemic and we believe that it is not advisable for us to host the crowded parties this summer that are the hallmark of Bear Week.” “Provincetown Bears cares deeply about the health and safety of our Bear community,” write the organizers. “We hope to see you again in Provincetown for Bear Week next year. Dates for Bear Week Provincetown 2021 are July 10 to 18, 2021.” Those who had already registered for 2020 events will get a refund. Provincetown Bears mentions it may take a couple of weeks to process the refunds. Additionally, some P-town hotels and guest houses have offered to roll deposits over to the 2021 events. While Provincetown Bears aren’t involved in those private businesses, they do encourage folks to allow funds to roll over in an effort to help the small businesses through this difficult year. It’s important to note, however, that Provincetown will be open for business at some point this summer season once health officials give the go-ahead. The P-Town Bears want you to know “local business owners, entertainers, lodging keepers, and the managers, chefs, and staff at your favorite restaurants and bars look forward to offering all that Provincetown is famous for when they open for the season.” Check out some pics from last year’s Bear Week in Provincetown via Instagram.

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#daddyAF #bearweek #bearweek2019

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Solid Good Tea was nuts! #ptown #bearweek

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X-Treme Brothers Offer Sneak Peek Into ‘Extravaganza – The Vegas Spectacular’

The oh-so-easy on the eyes X-Treme Brothers
The newest production to arrive on the world-famous Las Vegas Strip is Extravaganza—The Vegas Spectacular at Bally’s Las Vegas, which features the captivating talents of some of the most talented, sexy and breathtaking artists from around the world – including dancers, acrobats, aerialists, skaters, ventriloquists, comedians and, the return of the iconic showgirl to the legendary Jubilee Theatre. The gorgeous production had only given its first preview performance before Nevada’s governor called for all non-essential businesses to shutter for the time being due to the COVID-19 threat. In this installment of Vegas at Home, the X-Treme Brothers, a hand-balancing act featured in Extravaganza, serves up a sneak peek of what to expect when the coronavirus pandemic crisis is over and the show can officially open. Las Vegas Magazine recently launched the Vegas at Home series to showcase the many talented performers who call the Las Vegas Strip home.