LGBTQ news and entertainment
In this week’s podcast: • For the first time, HIV appears to be eradicated using only medications • Poland’s anti-LGBTQ president squeaks out reelection • White House press secretary raises eye-brows claiming Donald Trump’s “pro-LGBTQ” agenda • Chicago’s Boystown may get a new name All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report
(photo: Daniel Shular/Twitter)
The couple, Mark and Patricia McCloskey, are under review for criminal charges, St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said Tuesday, adding that the police had filed for warrants in the case.
Pictures of the couple waving weapons at protesters on June 28 were shared widely and were seen by many as a symbol of tensions in the US following the death of George Floyd.
On Tuesday, Missouri’s Republican governor, Mike Parson, said Trump “doesn’t like what he sees and the way these people are being treated.”
Parson, as quoted by The Washington Post, said he thought the president and Attorney General William Barr “are going to take a look” at the McCloskey case.
“The president said that he would do everything he could within his powers to help with this situation and he would be taking action to do that,” Parson said.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner in a statement accused the president and the governor of playing politics with the case.
2/ As I always do. I am reviewing all the available facts and the law and will apply them equally, regardless of the people involved.
— Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) July 14, 2020
4/ It is also incredible that at a time when our nation is dealing with a rapidly spreading deadly virus and our State reported a record number of new infections, they are launching these dog-whistle attacks against me. They should be focused on their jobs, & I’ll focus on mine.
— Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) July 14, 2020
Donald Trump during a White House press briefing (public domain)
For historical reference, the approval rating for other presidents in June of their fourth year: • Barack Obama – 46 percent approval • George W. Bush – 49 percent approval • Bill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
L-R Washington Blade reporter Chris Johnson, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany
L-R Chuck Woolery, Donald Trump
It’s not clear what “lies” Woolery was accusing the CDC of making. But it’s disconcerting that the president of the United States would further dangerous remarks like these leading his followers into deeper disbelief about the ravaging effects of the coronavirus. It’s worth noting that other countries are re-opening schools because they took far more stringent steps against the pandemic as it began.
Hi Chuck, ER doc here, We’re not lying. It’s actually really horrible to see people die from COVID19. And it’s not about the election. It’s actually still about the dying thing. And it’s preventable. ps the economy only comes back when we manage COVID. pss I’m also sick of it https://t.co/vg38luygBR
— Craig Spencer MD MPH (@Craig_A_Spencer) July 13, 2020
Greetings from Nova Scotia where we shut everything down, the feds gave people who lost their jobs 2,000 a month, and people pretty much wore masks and social distanced. We now have NO new cases and a couple active ones from a American travellers. Our cinemas are open even.
— French Canadian (@yankeecannuck) July 13, 2020
Hi Chuck, my dad and I used to watch your shows together. My dad was a lifelong Republican. He died of COVID-19 a few months ago and I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with the election. I’m heartsick about it, too.
— Katie Jacobs Stanton (@KatieS) July 13, 2020
135,000 dead Americans strongly, but silently, disagree with you. #Covidiot
— Total Authority to Stay At Homebody (@StarveThuhBeast) July 13, 2020
Roger Stone (screen capture)
Trump has faced immense pressure from some of his political allies to pardon Stone after he was sentenced to more than three years in prison, in part for lying to Congress about his effort to set up a backchannel between the Trump campaign and WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone was also convicted of witness tampering and obstruction related to Congress’ inquiry into Russian meddling.
Stone, 67, was indicted in January 2019 when armed FBI agents arrested him at his Florida home. He had covered up records that would have revealed he sought to reach WikiLeaks in 2016 to help Trump, lied about the effort when he testified to a Republican-led congressional committee, then threatened another congressional witness, according to the charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller and the DC US Attorney’s Office.
Trump and Stone have tried to cast his prosecution and conviction as a politically motivated witch hunt. But prosecutors argued to a jury that Stone threatened a witness and lied in part to protect the President. The jury agreed, finding Stone guilty of all seven counts he faced.
Trump’s act of commuting Stone’s sentence leaves his criminal conviction in place but reduces the punishment by shortening a sentence of incarceration. The Washington Post notes, “According to Justice Department standards for considering clemency petitions, it does not imply forgiveness of the underlying offense or even reflect on the fairness of the original sentence, and usually the department does not consider requests until a person begins serving his or her sentence.”
Paul Manafort–convicted, not in jail. Roger Stone-convicted, term commuted. Mike Flynn-confessed, not in prison. Donald Trump-serial felon, traitor, not even tried.
Attorney General Barr-actively obstructing justice on the President's behalf. We have no justice system in the US.— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) July 11, 2020
Chairman @RepAdamSchiff statement on Roger Stone Commutation:
"With Trump there are now two systems of justice in America: One for Trump's criminal friends and one for everyone else."https://t.co/sHMLuTOe2D
— House Intelligence Committee (@HouseIntel) July 11, 2020
BREAKING WH Press Sec: "Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Grant of Clemency commuting the unjust sentence of Roger Stone, Jr." pic.twitter.com/UCTMG5spKd
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 10, 2020
The current U.S. Supreme Court (image: public domain)
Vance is investigating whether the Trump Organization falsified business records to conceal hush payments to two women, including pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels, who alleged they had affairs with Trump years ago. Trump has denied those claims.
Vance is seeking Trump’s tax returns, among other records. The president has refused to make them public, unlike previous modern presidents. Because the records are for a grand jury investigation, they would not likely be disclosed before the election.
Separately, three House committees have sought bypass the president to obtain his financial records from his longtime accounting firm, Mazars USA, and financial institutions. The committees, all controlled by Democrats, say they are needed to check Trump’s financial disclosures and inform whether conflict-of-interest laws are tough enough.
In both cases, the justices ruled 7 to 2, with Trump nominees Neil M. Gorsuch and Brett M. Kavanaugh joining the majorities. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented.”
Predictably, Trump went on an epic Twitter rant claiming ‘Prosecutorial Misconduct!’
The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court, arguments to continue. This is all a political prosecution. I won the Mueller Witch Hunt, and others, and now I have to keep fighting in a politically corrupt New York. Not fair to this Presidency or Administration!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
Courts in the past have given “broad deference”. BUT NOT ME!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
….No Republican Senate Judiciary response, NO “JUSTICE”, NO FBI, NO NOTHING. Major horror show REPORTS on Comey & McCabe, guilty as hell, nothing happens. Catch Obama & Biden cold, nothing. A 3 year, $45,000,000 Mueller HOAX, failed – investigated everything….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
….for another President. This is about PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT. We catch the other side SPYING on my campaign, the biggest political crime and scandal in U.S. history, and NOTHING HAPPENS. But despite this, I have done more than any President in history in first 3 1/2 years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 9, 2020
(screen capture)
Donald Trump (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain)
Trump’s advisers, by contrast, are seeking ways to reframe his response to the coronavirus — even as the president himself largely seeks to avoid the topic because he views it as a political loser. They are sending health officials to swing states, putting doctors on TV in regional markets where the virus is surging, crafting messages on an economic recovery and writing talking points for allies to deliver to potential voters.
The goal is to convince Americans that they can live with the virus — that schools should reopen, professional sports should return, a vaccine is likely to arrive by the end of the year and the economy will continue to improve.
White House officials also hope Americans will grow numb to the escalating death toll and learn to accept tens of thousands of new cases a day, according to three people familiar with the White House’s thinking, who requested anonymity to reveal internal deliberations. Americans will “live with the virus being a threat,” in the words of one of those people, a senior administration official.
Donald Trump
He cannot pass the test I “aced”. He should give it a try!!! https://t.co/4U6pny2D6y
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 3, 2020
Is Fox News catching on to what we’ve known for years? pic.twitter.com/lptGT18umh
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) July 1, 2020
Joe and Mika pointing out – with the help of 'The Daily Show' – that it's not a smart move for Donald Trump to attack Joe Biden on his "cognitive capacity". (2/2) #MorningJoe #MSNBC pic.twitter.com/xTW0jI2xSd#TrumpCognitiveDecline
— SE Borrelli – 🗽🌸🌼😷 (@BorrelliGerlach) July 3, 2020