Los Angeles, CA, 1998 Some news items you might have missed: • International Day of Dance: I’m a day late but I have to pay tribute to the gift, the discipline, and the artistry afforded me by my many (many) years of dance training. It all was a gift. The pic above was taken as I warmed up for a performance of CHICAGO the Musical in Los Angeles at the Shubert Theatre in 1998. • Agence France-Presse: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said the World Health Organization encourages homosexuality and masturbation among young children, his latest clash with an organization whose advice on social distancing and other anti-coronavirus measures he has repeatedly questioned. • Washington Blade: Rufus Gifford has been named deputy campaign manager for Joseph Biden, the campaign confirmed Wednesday. The former U.S. ambassador to Denmark from 2013 to 2017, Gifford was one of seven openly gay ambassadors who served under the Obama administration. Oh, and he’s a dog man and pretty easy on the eyes, which never hurts 🙂 Former US Ambassador Rufus Giffords (via Instagram) • Media Matters: National Rifle Association board member Anthony Colandro called the novel coronavirus pandemic “bullshit” and encouraged his followers to join him at an anti-social distancing protest in New Jersey insisting the state police “can’t arrest all of us.” • Pink News: A scientist has explained why Mike Pence refused to wear a mask while visiting patients recovering from coronavirus: toxic masculinity. Peter Glick Ph.D., a social sciences professor, says Pence refusing to abide by the hospital’s guidelines comes down to “one critical reason, which is that appearing to play it safe contradicts a core principle of masculinity: show no weakness.” p.s. Pence wore a mask at a GM plant after the backlash. • Fox News: After over one million confirmed cases and over 62,000 deaths of COVID-19 in the U.S., plus 30 million Americans have lost their jobs, Donald Trump’s campaign is set to launch a seven-figure ad blitz on his “spectacular success.” Priorities USA has its own take on Trump’s efforts.
Less than 24 hours after the US coronavirus death toll passed 60,000, Trump says, “I think we did a spectacular job” responding to the outbreak. pic.twitter.com/cAU2o3EZTu
— The American Independent (@AmerIndependent) April 30, 2020
Donald Trump has finally put “America first.” America has the most coronavirus cases. America has the most coronavirus deaths. 26 million Americans have lost their jobs. Donald Trump is failing America. pic.twitter.com/Me625uPqeQ
(stock image via Pixabay) A new investigation by The Guardian shows over 100,000 crew members of cruise ships are still stuck onboard as ports refuse to allow the vessels to dock. Additionally, air travel restrictions are keeping them from returning to their home countries. The Guardian reports:
Many of these crew are quarantined in tiny cabins, and some have had their pay cut off. They have in effect become a nation of floating castaways, marooned on boats from the Galapagos Islands to Dubai port.
Many of the crew have only minimal communication with the outside world, making their situations hard to scrutinise. But at least 17 cruise ship workers are confirmed to have died from suspected Covid-19, and dozens more have had to be evacuated from ships and taken to hospital, the Guardian found.
“We all have family, we all want to go home,” said one crew member who has been isolating in his cabin onboard the MSC Seaview off South America for nearly a month, but is no longer being paid.
One crew member, who spoke anonymously for fear of losing his job, said those on his ship were initially allowed to move about freely, but have since been told to remain in their cabins after a co-worker (who had already left the ship) tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Guardian’s reporting adds that at the beginning of April the U.S. Coast Guard estimated there were approximately 93,000 crew members still onboard ships in and around U.S. waters alone. In other parts of the world, its believed there are tens of thousands more crew members stuck on their ships. The article quotes John Hickey, a maritime lawyer, who said crew members “did not have access to the rights afforded by their nations of citizenship, yet they were often outside the jurisdiction of the countries where their ships were sailing.”
The New York Times reports the F.D.A. is expected to authorize as early as Wednesday Gilead Sciences’ experimental anti-viral drug remdesivir for emergency use in treating patients with Covid-19. Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the federal government’s leading infectious diseases scientist, told reporters a trial study overseen by the National Institutes of Health showed clear signs the drug could make a difference in speeding up the recovery of some patients.
Dr. Fauci said the federal trial indicated that the drug remdesivir could shorten the time to recovery by about a third. “Although a 31 percent improvement doesn’t seem like a knockout 100 percent, it is a very important proof of concept because what it has proven is that a drug can block this virus,” Dr. Fauci said. “This is very optimistic.”
In a statement, Gilead Sciences said it was “aware of positive data emerging from” the study by Dr. Fauci’s institute, known as NIAID. “We understand that the trial has met its primary endpoint and that NIAID will provide detailed information at an upcoming briefing.”
Remdesivir is not yet licensed or approved in the United States or anywhere in the world “and has not yet been demonstrated to be safe or effective for the treatment of Covid-19,” according to Gilead.
Remdesivir has never been approved as a treatment for any disease. It was developed to fight Ebola, but results from a clinical trial in Africa were disappointing.
Jared Kushner (screen capture) During an appearance on Fox & Friends this morning, Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner told viewers, “The federal government rose to the challenge and this is a great success story.” At this writing, there have been 1,023,304 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. with 58,965 deaths. “A great success story…?”
Jared on Trump COVID19 response: "The federal government rose to the challenge and this is a great success story." pic.twitter.com/9vTsQdXfM4
Michael Henry (screen captures) The latest from funnyman Michael Henry posits a truly relatable aspect of the current coronavirus/stay-at-home situation: Evolve or devolve? In “My Quarantine Routine,” our hero gives us both sides of his inner self here – jogging, self-improving Michael Henry versus cyber sexing, wine guzzling, bean eating Michael Henry. Michael Henry #1: “Oh, it’s been amazing. I’ve taken this time to really meditate, center myself, to take stock of my life.” Michael Henry #2: “I slept until 2pm and then I sat by the window thinking about something dumb I said in a conversation five years ago.” MH #1: “I’ve been pressing my own juice.” MH #2: “I threw my back out sleeping.” I won’t give too much away, but I totally feel both sides of this equation.
Gus Kenworthy and Birdie (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • New York Times: National Institutes of Health scientists in Montana last month inoculated six rhesus macaque monkeys (considered the closest equivalent to humans) with single doses of a vaccine developed by the Oxford University’s Jenner Institute. The animals were then exposed to heavy quantities of the virus that is causing the pandemic — exposure that had consistently sickened other monkeys in the lab. But more than 28 days later all six were healthy. • InstaHunks: I spent about a year studying the guitar when I was younger, and I was terrible. Woofy Gus Kenworthy (top) has really learned a lot in just two months. Color me impresssed. But it looks like his best fur pal Birdie isn’t feeling it. Watch below.
• Reuters: A study of more than 1400 LGBT+ women – one of the largest of its kind – found 37% of lesbian mothers in the UK suffered discrimination from other parents, while the same number’s children were victimized. • Bloomberg News: Donald Trump indicated today he’s considering withholding COVID-19 financial assistance from blue states unless they agree to do away with sanctuary cities. Note: states like California and New York, which have sanctuary cities, already send much more to the federal government than they receive.
Trump suggests any relief for states hit hard by COVID will require ending “sanctuary city” policies and turning residents over to ICE. pic.twitter.com/BSxqfPu0id
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Two people in Georgia drank liquid cleaning products over the weekend in misguided attempts to ward off COVID-19, according to the Georgia Poison Center. Both men had histories of psychiatric problems and are expected to recover. •The Gaily Grind: ABC News correspondent Will Reeve, the son of the late “Superman” actor Christopher Reeve, accidentally revealed to the nation that he wasn’t wearing any pants while doing a live report on “Good Morning America” from his home. The 27-year-old’s camera was angled down and revealed that the correspondent was not wearing any pants as he sat on a stool immediately generating reactions on social media after the moment on “Good Morning America” went viral.
Vice President Mike Pence is the one without a mask (photo via press pool video) The White House Coronavirus Task Force recommends wearing a face mask when out in public. And yet… From CNBC:
Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday toured the Mayo Clinic without wearing a mask, despite that renowned medical facility telling him that masks are required for visitors and everyone else there to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Video from a journalist pool camera at the Mayo Clinic at one point shows that 10 people in the area around Pence, including a patient, were wearing masks and personal protective equipment.
Pence leads President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force.
The Mayo Clinic, which is located in Rochester, Minn., is requiring all patients, visitors and staff to wear a face-covering or mask to slow the spread of Covid-19.
CNBC goes on to report that the Mayo Clinic tweeted that it had, indeed, informed Pence of its mask-wearing policy. A half-hour later, the tweet was deleted. Pence’s spokeswoman, Katie Miller, told the New York Times last week Pence didn’t need a mask because, “Vice President Pence is negative for Covid-19 and is therefore not asymptomatic.” Donald Trump has also said publicly that, despite medical experts recommendations, he doesn’t feel the need to wear one. Remember when leaders led by example?
Pence is literally the only one here ignoring the Mayo Clinic mask policy. Just staggering arrogance. https://t.co/aRBvt45c7q
deleting a tweet generally. brings more attention to it. now we need to know who demanded it from @vp office. I’m sure during a pandemic they really needed this fire drill at the Mayo Clinic. https://t.co/6G1ABGsZZf
On Sunday night, GLAAD’s livestream event, “Together in Pride: You Are Not Alone” brought together stars from film, TV, YouTube and more to help raise over $250,000 for LGBTQ community centers across the country. Barbra Streisand, Billy Porter, Adam Lambert, Rosie O’Donnell, Pete & Chasten Buttigieg, Wilson Cruz, Tyler Oakley, and more made appearances during the livestream digital event hosted by Billy Eichner and Lilly Singh. “During this truly unprecedented time, tonight’s event brought together some of the world’s biggest stars to send necessary messages of support, solidarity, and community to LGBTQ people across the world, as well as the heroes on the frontlines battling this pandemic,” GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement. “LGBTQ people are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and we have a responsibility to highlight the impact of this pandemic on our community, as well as to ensure that LGBTQ people are not left behind.” “LGBTQ community centers and GLAAD are cornerstones of the community and we are proud to help their important work to help LGBTQ people everywhere.” said Ariadne Getty, president and executive director of Ariadne Getty Foundation (AGF), which donated $150,000 for the cause, the event’s largest single donation. Donations went to CenterLink which connects nearly 250 LGBTQ community centers from 45 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, as well as Canada, China, Mexico, and Australia. These centers are often the only place providing critical services such as medical care, shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth, mental health counseling, filling prescriptions, providing hot meals, checking on the elderly, and more. Funds raised in the digital event will go to directly support LGBTQ community centers and the 2 million LGBTQ people who use the centers each year.
Brad Pitt as Dr. Anthony Fauci on SNL Earlier this month, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was asked who he’d like to see play him on Saturday Night Live and the good doctor said, “Brad Pitt, of course.” Well, it turns out dreams do come true as the Academy Award winner showed up via video last night as Fauci for the show’s second SNL-at-Home edition. Outfitted in a wig, glasses and Brooklyn accent, Pitt began, “First, I’d like to thank all the older women in America who have sent me supportive, inspiring, and sometimes graphic emails.” “Now, there’s been a lot of misinformation out there about the virus. And, yes, the president has taken some liberties with our guidelines. So tonight, I would like to explain what the president was trying to say. And, remember, let’s all keep an open mind.” From there, Pitt’s ‘Fauci’ attempted to fact-check of the erroneous things Donald Trump has said in recent weeks about the coronavirus. For example, Trump’s declaration that there would be a vaccine “relatively soon.” “Relatively soon is an interesting phrase. Relative to the entire history of Earth, sure, the vaccine’s going to come real fast. But if you were to tell a friend, ‘I’ll be over relatively soon’ and then showed up a year and a half later, well, your friend may be relatively pissed off.” Then there’s the Donald’s assertion that “like a miracle, [coronavirus] will disappear.” Pitt’s Fauci responds, “A miracle would be great. Who doesn’t love miracles? But miracles shouldn’t be plan A. Even Sully tried to land at the airport first.” Regarding Trump’s statement that “I’m not sure anybody knows what it [coronavirus] is.” (pause) “We know what it is,” says Pitt’s Fauci. Theorizing he may soon be fired from the White House Coronavirus Task Force for telling the truth and sharing the science behind the ongoing health threat, ‘Fauci’ added this: “Until then, I’m going to be there, putting out the facts for whoever’s listening. And when I hear things like ‘the virus can be cured if everyone takes the Tide pod challenge,’ I’ll be there to say, ‘Please don’t.’” Finally, Pitt removed his wig and glasses to address the public and frontline health workers as himself: “To the real Dr. Fauci, thank you for your calm and your clarity in this unnerving time. And thank you to the medical workers, first responders, and their families for being on the frontline.”
After Donald Trump suggested during a White House press briefing on Thursday that perhaps medical experts should look into some sort of “injections” of “disinfectant” might be a possible treatment for COVID-19, Trump walked those remarks back saying he was just being ‘sarcastic.’ “I was asking it sarcastically to reporters just like you to see what would happen,” Trump said in the Oval Office today. You can see the Trumpster pull the ‘sarcastic’ card in the first tweet below along with his video of his actual comments during yesterday’s press briefing where he clearly directed his questions about disinfectant to his medical experts.
Here's a mashup of Trump claiming today he was just asking "a very sarcastic question to the reporters in the room" when he mused about disinfectant injections as a possible coronavirus miracle cure, followed by the original clip showing beyond a doubt that he was not doing that. pic.twitter.com/wby4ucd59Q
“I was asking a sarcastic, & a very sarcastic question, to the reporters in the room about disinfectant on the inside. But it does kill it.” — Trump tries to rewrite history, says he was speaking “sarcastically” when he mused about disinfectant injections being cure for Covid. pic.twitter.com/bWRU8EV6FZ
Fox host: Trump says he was being sarcastic when he talked about injecting disinfectants. Your thoughts? Bret Baier: “Well, that’s not how it looked in the briefing… it didn’t seem like it was coming off as sarcastic when he was talking and turning to Dr. Birx on the side” pic.twitter.com/XbdJXLg2WT
Asked about his comments about injecting disinfectant, Trump says, “I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you, just to see what would happen.” That’s just a lie. Here’s the transcript. pic.twitter.com/uLx0KnPTZ6
Not sure about you, but I definitely ran to the market and bought new smoothie ingredients, as suggested by the Asshat-In-Chief. 🤦🏽♂️ Adirondack Waterfall sounds good, right?? pic.twitter.com/PqT7pEcMEV
