Tag: New York City

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News Round-Up: April 19, 2021

Kara 'Karen' Bell refused to identify herself to officers after refusing to wear a face mask in a Nordstrom Rack

Michael Cimino in 'Love, Victor'
Michael Cimino in ‘Love, Victor’ (image via Hulu)
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: The show runners for the Hulu series Love, Victor starring Michael Cimino (above) say the second season (arriving June 11) will age up a bit in terms of content with an ‘edgier’ sense of humor. • New York Times: The iconic Village Voice is back on news stands for the first time since its shutdown in 2018.

• KVUE: Lake Travis ISD School Board candidate Kara Bell (photo) was given an assault citation last week after a confrontation with a store employee at Nordstrom Rack when Bell refused to put on a mask upon entry of the store. As you can see in the police body cam video, Bell refused to ID herself even though she was being detained announcing, “”I am a Christian woman of God.”

• Kenneth-in-the-212: In his new feature, Kenneth puts the focus on ‘man-spreaders’ and their ‘spread.’ • Washington Post: Capitol Police officer Brian D. Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes a day after he confronted rioters at the Jan. 6 insurrection, the District’s chief medical examiner has ruled. The ruling, released Monday, likely will make it difficult for prosecutors to pursue homicide charges in the officer’s death.

• CBS News: The jury has begun deliberations following closing arguments in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the fired Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. • CNN: The Army is preparing to approve a request for DC National Guard forces to deploy as soon as Monday night if there is unrest in the wake of the verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial. • MSN: A suspected poacher was trampled to death by a herd of elephants in South Africa’s Kruger National Park on Saturday. That’ll learn ’em.

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News Round-Up: September 9, 2020

(image via Instagram)
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Brogan (above) shares some #BigDogEnergy from Los Angeles with his bestie Astrid. • WeHo Times: Rage Nightclub, located in the heart of West Hollywood’s LGBT Rainbow District), has announced it will permanently close after 37 years. According to sources, the restaurant/bar and multi-level nightclub did not renew their lease which was up in November. Former employees also blame the COVID-19 pandemic and high rent as factors in its closure. • Gay Star News: Gay reality TV personality Joe Exotic (of Tiger King fame) has written to Donald Trump begging for a presidential pardon to get him out of jail. In January a court sentenced him to 22 years in prison over his plot to kill his rival Carol Baskin and for killing five tigers in his zoo.
Joe Exotic and friend (image via Netflix)
• Fox News: Former ‘pool boy’ Giancarlo Granda claims Jerry Falwell Jr. has been ‘relentlessly harassing’ him since the sex scandal broke that brought an end to Falwell’s tenure at Liberty University. Granda is now sharing text messages, emails and photos with that appear to back up his allegations and, at the very least, show the Falwells breaking Liberty’s code of conduct on multiple occasions. • NY Daily News: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today indoor dining will be allowed to resume in New York City restaurants beginning September 30. Capacity will be limited to 25%, tables must be six feet apart, patrons will be required to have temperature checks, there will be no walk-up bar service, and customers will be required to leave contact information. • Election 2020: Joe Biden called out Donald Trump for lying to the American people about knowing the true severity of the coronavirus health threat – “He knew how deadly it was,” said Biden. “It was much more deadly than the flu. He knew and purposely played it down. Worse, he lied to the American people. He knowingly and willingly lied about the threat it posed to the country for months. He had the information. He knew how dangerous it was. And while this deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job on purpose! It was a life and death betrayal on the American people.”

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Radio City Christmas Spectacular Cancelled For 1st Time Ever

Some of the world-famous Rockettes onstage at Radio City Music Hall (via Instagram)
For the first time since its debut in 1933, the Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the world-famous Radio City Rockettes, is being canceled. From the New York Post:

MSG Entertainment, which owns the glamorous Radio City Music Hall where the Rockettes perform, made the decision to close the curtain on the popular show amid ongoing uncertainty tied to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year’s performance, known for iconic dance numbers like “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and the “12 Days of Christmas,” had been slated to run from Nov. 6 to Jan. 3.

The events company, which also owns Madison Square Garden, also announced plans to lay off 350 people — about one-third of its corporate workforce — as the pandemic continues to squeeze venues that rely on live performances.

Its sister company, MSG Sports, which owns the New York Knicks and the New York Rangers, is cutting 50 jobs, or about 15 percent of its corporate staff.

Running for two months plus rehearsals, I can remember as a dancer in NYC the Christmas Spectacular was a job a LOT of theater artists folks prized each year. Paid well and you got to be home in NYC for the holidays. If you’ve never seen it, you should there’s a reason why it’s run for all these decades. Festive, fun and very family-friendly.

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NYC Party Boat Shut Down For Violating COVID-19 Safety Practices

The Liberty Belle (image via NY Sheriff’s Office)
Lord, these people just want the pandemic to last forever I guess. From the New York Times:

The Liberty Belle, a riverboat with four bars, three outdoor decks and space for 600 guests, has been touted by its operators as a “favorite venue” of New Yorkers who hold parties, fund-raisers and other trendy events on the water.

But now it has become yet another symbol of reckless socializing during the pandemic: The boat was used on Saturday to host a party with more than 170 guests, violating state and local social-distancing rules, according to the New York Sheriff’s Office.

It was unclear what kind of party was held on the Liberty Belle and how much organizers might have charged for admission. The authorities received a complaint about a party boat departing Pier 36 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side around 8:30 p.m., and deputies intercepted and boarded the boat when it returned around 11:30 p.m.

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Gay Racist Toad Shouts N-Word, Attacks Guy Recording His A**holery

Just grotesque… (screen capture via YouTube)
Here’s a sad example that there’s a jerk in just about every demographic. A video shared on social media shows a confrontation between a driver and a pedestrian escalate to violence after the driver realized he was captured on video calling a Black sanitation worker a “f*cking n****r.” The incident took place on New York City’s Upper East Side over the weekend. After shouting the racist slur, the driver noticed a pedestrian was recording the ugliness. “Are you recording me?” asked the driver. “Yeah,” says the pedestrian. “Why?” the driver asks. In a pretty spot-on assessment, the pedestrian replied, “Because you’re an asshole.” “I’m an asshole? Honey, look in the mirror, okay? The only person who is an asshole is you for recording,” says the racist driver. During the exchange, the motorist asked the pedestrian, “Are you gay, too?” “Too?” Oh god, he’s gay? Dang it… “No,” the pedestrian replies. “No, you’re not? Well, you look like it,” the driver snaps back. When the pedestrian shares he plans on uploading the video to the internet, the driver scoffs, “Okay, I’ll get fans, honey. That’s what I’ll do.” It’s at that point the driver exits his car and assaults the pedestrian. Along the way snatches the phone recording the incident and hurls it to the ground. The driver probably thought he’d solved his internet problem, except others nearby noticed the exchange and were recording as well.

The YouTube poster writes that prior to the beginning of the clip, the driver “was repeatedly shouting at a Black sanitation worker, yelling “you’re a n*****”. The noise was enough for several residents to come down to street level.” Folks in the Twitterverse were NOT having the hideous behavior.

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NYC Police Pepper Spray Peaceful LGBTQ Demonstrators

Pandemonium broke out at the Queer Liberation March Sunday afternoon in New York City as New York Police officers swarmed what was described as a peaceful demonstration on the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The incident occurred near New York’s Washington Square Park amid supporters for the Black Lives Matter and Black Trans Lives Matter movements. The Gothamist reports two demonstrators were being arrested for graffiti when protesters attempted to intervene. Police officers reportedly responded using pepper spray on several in the crowd. One witness told The Gothamist the mood was like an upbeat dance party prior to the arrival of the police. “We were dancing right in front of the arch on 5th ave and out of nowhere, cops started storming into the crowd,” Mike Perles, a 29-year-old city employee, told The Gothamist. “They pushed everyone in front of them out of the way and onto the ground. They pushed a reporter who was taking photos down and started randomly pepper-spraying people.” “I couldn’t see anyone instigating,” added Perles. “It seemed like they felt outnumbered after entering a huge group and panicked and started beating people up.” Pippa Bianco, a volunteer for NourishNYC, described the scene before the police arrived as “totally peaceful.” She was picking up food for a volunteer food station when the police rushed into the crowd. While helping demonstrators get water after they were pepper-sprayed, Bianco says she saw a police medic pouring water into the eyes of two other officers who were standing downwind of the pepper spray and accidentally got the irritant in their eyes. “The arrests that apparently incited the clash were reportedly over graffiti,” wrote Teen Vogue politics editor Lucy Diavolo, who attended the march. “In the midst of the blockade, I heard someone try to start a ‘graffiti is art’ chant.” Diavolo adds that she could identify herself in videos posted to Twitter. “I can see the cops going wild; in one video, an officer uses a nightstick to knock down someone already on their knees with their hands raised above their head.”

On Twitter, openly gay City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called for a full investigation into clashes between protesters and police. Johnson called the use of pepper spray on the peaceful protesters “incredibly disturbing.”

In spite of the use of force by police, the organizers of the event said the vast majority of the march was a peaceful celebration attended by over 50,000 supporters. “DO NOT let the NYPD ruin a gorgeous day like today, on the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion,” wrote the group on Instagram. “The sun, the rain and the rainbow came out for us today! And we made history. Let’s carry this spirit forward! Let’s continue supporting our Black Queer and Trans Communities!”

View this post on Instagram

WOW! THANK YOU! An estimated 50K of you joined us on the streets today, plus over 373k views here on Facebook!! So much love to all of us for building an IRL and virtual community, standing for Black Lives and against police brutality through the 2nd annual #QueerLiberationMarch. As of now, we understand that there has been one arrest, as well as many more who experience violence at the hands of the police. Again, if you witnessed or experienced police violence, send photo/video documentation to: media@reclaimpridenyc.org Jail support is already in place and trying to make sure everyone arrested is released safely. AND ONE FINAL MESSAGE: DO NOT let the NYPD ruin a gorgeous day like today, on the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion! THE SUN, THE RAIN AND THE RAINBOW came out for us today! AND WE MADE HISTORY! Let’s carry this spirit forward! Let’s continue supporting our Black Queer and Trans Communities! Let’s show up for each other, TOGETHER. Keep loving, keep chanting, keep dancing, keep living. HAPPY PRIDE! Videos/photos: @leandrojusten

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(source: The Gothamist, Teen Vogue, NY1)

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NYPD Vehicles Drive Through Crowd Of Protesters

From CBS News:

A large protest in Brooklyn on Saturday sent a shock through social media when video emerged of two New York Police Department vehicles driving through a group of protesters. The protest was one of dozens nationwide over the death of George Floyd.

The videos show dozens of protesters gathered in a street holding up a small barricade, appearing to stop an NYPD SUV from continuing to drive. A bag is seen to be thrown on the car as protesters throw objects at the vehicle.

Seconds later, a second NYPD vehicle approaches, and drives through part of the crowd, directly hitting at least half a dozen people. As it drove through, the initial vehicle hit the gas and rammed through the people who were standing in front of it, causing several people to collapse on the ground.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the incident at a late-night press conference saying that although it was “upsetting,” it’s also “inappropriate for protesters to surround a police vehicle and threaten police officers.” “That’s wrong on its face,” de Blasio said. “I’m not going to blame officers who are trying to deal with absolutely impossible situation … If a police officer is in that situation, they have to get out of that situation. The video was upsetting, and I wish the officers hadn’t done that, but I also understood that they didn’t start the situation.”

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Anti-LGBTQ Group Asked To Pack Up Central Park Field Hospital

Franklin Graham (screen capture)
Virulently anti-LGBTQ evangelist Franklin Graham and his Samaritan’s Purse organization have been asked to shut down their Central Park tent hospital after attempting to spread their homophobic agenda. New York City officials asked Graham’s group to pack up and leave after it was revealed volunteers were forced to sign “statements of faith” denouncing same-sex relationships, comparing LGBTQ people to drug addicts and more. Volunteers who refused to sign the document were reportedly turned away. Originally, Mayor Bill de Blasio said he had received assurances the controversial group wouldn’t discriminate before granting permission to Samaritan’s Purse to set up the temporary facility in March. Those promises were apparently discarded soon after setting up the field hospital. In addition to requiring the “faith statements” to be signed, Pink News reported that a camera crew was brought in to shoot a highly publicized Easter service from the Central Park location.
Field hospital in Central Park (screen capture)
And videos released by Samaritan’s Purse have shown Bible verses displayed on health care workers’ face masks and equipment. News outlets including the New York Times have reported on Samaritan’s Purse using medical emergencies in the past to bring aid victims of disasters while seeking to convert those same people. New York City council speaker Corey Johnson, who is gay, issued an official statement from the City Council saying, “It is time for Samaritan’s Purse to leave New York City.” “This group, which is led by the notoriously bigoted, hate-spewing Franklin Graham, came at a time when our city couldn’t in good conscience turn away any offer of help,” wrote Johnson. “That time has passed. Their continued presence here is an affront to our values of inclusion, and is painful for all New Yorkers who care deeply about the LGBTQ community.” “At the City Council, we are committed to supporting those workers and protecting our city’s public health,” he added. “But as a city that values diversity and compassion for all, we cannot continue to allow a group with the track record of Samaritan’s Purse to remain here when we are past the point they are needed.” Noting that Graham has called the LGBTQ community “detestable,” “immoral,” and “an affront to God,” Johnson called for Mount Sinai the end its relationship with the organization The Speaker ended his statement saying, “Hate has no place in our beautiful city.” CBSN New York reports Mount Sinai Hospital and Samaritan’s Purse issued a joint statement saying the tent hospital was packing up. “Now that the surge in COVID hospital admissions is reaching manageable levels, we will stop admitting new patients to the Central Park field hospital as of May 4,” said a Mount Sinai spokesperson on Saturday. ….and stay out!

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New York City’s Nightly 7PM Cheer In Tribute To Healthcare Workers, Essential Workers

(photo via Twitter user @forrest1175)
Since March 27, New Yorkers have taken part in a ritual of banging pots, applauding, screaming and making all kinds of noise in tribute to the healthcare workers, first responders and essential workers who put their lives on the line to save lives during the coronavirus health threat. Each night the “7PM Cheer” gets louder and more creative. God, I love NYers.

This past Sunday night, as the 7PM Cheer began to die down, a rainbow appeared over the city. At the same time, a man who apparently goes by the handle ‘John the Baptist’ ripped a tribute to Jimi Hendrix’s national anthem.

Via Gothamist (filmed by Rainer Turim and shared with Gothamist):

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Times Square: Empty Chairs & Empty Tables Send Secret Message Of Strength

(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.