Benedict Cumberbatch in “The Power of the Dog”
Florida Governor Signals Support For Anti-LGBTQ School Bill
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled his support for a bill that would prohibit the mention of sexual orientation and gender identity in the state’s primary schools, while the White House make clear its opposition to the anti-LGBTQ legislation. Continue reading “Florida Governor Signals Support For Anti-LGBTQ School Bill”
News Round-Up: September 6, 2021
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: 5-time Emmy Award nominee Michael Kenneth Williams (above) passed away at the age of 54. Williams’s character Omar on The Wire was a highly intelligent homosexual who instilled fear in the streets of Baltimore – all while living his authentic life, unapologetically. Continue reading “News Round-Up: September 6, 2021”
News Round-Up: September 2, 2021
Some news items you might have missed: • Instinct Magazine: Johnny Sibilly (Pose, Hacks), Candace Grace (Acts of Crime), Devin Way (Grey’s Anatomy), Ryan O’Connell (Special), and Fin Argus (Clouds) will join the cast of the upcoming reboot of Queer As Folk as series regulars. Continue reading “News Round-Up: September 2, 2021”
News Round-Up: June 2, 2021
Anthony Varrecchia (image via Instagram)
Trump's blog appears to be gone pic.twitter.com/yI9hAR3Ozs
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 2, 2021
Florida: Governor Lifts All Coronavirus Restrictions
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
Gov. Ron DeSantis lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses in Florida on Friday, and banned local fines against people who refuse to wear masks as he seeks to reopen the state’s economy despite the spread of the coronavirus.
The Republican governor’s order unleashed fresh debate in the politically divided state, where pandemic responses have become intertwined with the upcoming presidential election.
DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, acknowledged that the pandemic is far from over, but he said the threat has eased and the time has come to reopen for business.
Florida added 2,847 confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, pushing the statewide total since March 1 to 695,887. The state also announced 120 new virus deaths, pushing its total to 14,038. Hospitalizations declined by 34 to 2,137 people.
While local jurisdictions can still impose some restrictions they are not allowed to limit restaurants to reopen at less than 50% capacity. Local regulators will also have to justify limiting any restaurants to less than 100 percent. Today’s order from DeSantis also blocks cities and counties from collecting fines on people who don’t wear face masks, basically nullifying local mask ordinances. Broward County Mayor Dale Holness announced today that restaurants in his county are now allowed to reopen bar counters. BUT alcohol may not be allowed to be served in those areas, customers need to social distance 6-feet apart and plexiglass barriers would need to installed.
Trump Breaks With FL Governor As Polling Shows Biden Leading 13+
Donald Trump (image via Flickr/WhiteHouse – public domain)
Trump identified Florida, which is now his home state and where he plans to accept the Republican nomination next month, as a state that is in a “big tough position” when it comes to coronavirus.
Despite essentially all evidence suggesting otherwise, DeSantis has continually downplayed the severity of the coronavirus outbreak in the state during press briefings.
There are now 53 ICUs in Florida that are reporting 0% capacity, according to the state, which set a record for new hospitalizations Tuesday with 517.
Deaths have also spiked in the state, which reached a new daily high of 156 last Thursday.
Florida is clearly the U.S. coronavirus epicenter and has been for weeks, averaging over 10,000 new cases a day through much of July, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, including a national record high of 15,300 new cases on July 12.
According to Florida Public Radio, Florida reported its largest number of deaths in a single day (173) from the coronavirus today. Trump’s remark might have something to do with his polling in the vital swing state tanking as the latest Quinnipiac University poll shows him trailing former Vice President Joe Biden among registered voters by 13 points – 51 percent to 38 percent. That same poll showed 79% of Floridians support mandating the wearing of face masks when in public which DeSantis has refused to do.
We continue to monitor hospital bed availability & Florida is in good shape – statewide nearly 24% of hospital beds and just under 20% of ICU beds are available.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) July 21, 2020
Florida presidential poll (via Quinnipiac)
July 2020 Biden 51% Trump 38% July 2016 Clinton 39% Trump 42% This is not a parallel path to 2016. Even if it’s half of the real margin, @realDonaldTrump is going to get humiliated electorally and kill the @GOP down ballot. — Anthony Scaramucci (@Scaramucci) July 23, 2020
Quinnipiac poll:
Trump coronavirus response: Florida Approve 37% Disapprove 59% Trump on reopening schools: Florida Approve 36% Disapprove 59% — Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) July 23, 2020
2016 exit polls had Trump +17 among Florida voters over 65 years old. New Quinnipiac poll has Biden +3 for 2020.
— Ryan Struyk (@ryanstruyk) July 23, 2020
News Round-Up: June 13, 2019
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| Opening night of ‘Potted Potter’ in Las Vegas |
Some news items you might have missed:
• I attended the opening night of the hit two-man play Potted Potter at Ballys Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last night. The show, which parodies all 7 books of the Harry Potter series in 70 minutes, has been running for years in the UK. The original stars opened the show here and I was thrilled to take my uber-handsome god son, Josh, to the performance.
• During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, John Cena talked about getting ‘accidental boners’ during wrestling matches.
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) somehow ‘straight-washed’ his proclamation observing the 3rd anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. DeSantis blamed the missing mention of the LGBTQ community on staffers. It was later added to the proclamation.
• A mother in South Carolina was arrested after walking into an elementary school and confronting her son’s bullies.
• The Australian man accused of killing 51 worshippers at two mosques in New Zealand in March pleaded not guilty to all charges in a court on Friday.
• The 20 Democratic presidential candidates who qualified for the first Dem debates have been announced:
BREAKING: DNC announces the names of the candidates who will appear in the first Democratic Debates on June 26 & 27 from Miami. @chucktodd: “After months of campaigning and polling, the stage is now set.” pic.twitter.com/fQbafzHr26— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) June 13, 2019
Florida’s New Governor Excludes LGBTs From New Non-Discrimination Directive
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| Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (photo: Gage Skidmore/Flickr – CC license) |
As new governors take office across the nation, many begin their tenures by issuing executive orders banning discrimination in terms of state government.
Both Michigan and Wisconsin saw their respective new governors, both Democrats, issue anti-discrimination orders quickly after being sworn in.
Those orders prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, age, race, color, national origin, religion disability, marital status, sexual orientation and gender identity in regard to state employment and state contracting.
But in Florida, it’s a very different situation.
Newly-seated Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis did sign a non-discrimination executive order this week, but the omission of LGBT protections in his directive is glaring.
Equality Florida’s senior political director, Joe Saunders, was quick to call out DeSantis for excluding LGBT Floridian’s in his executive order.
“Equality Florida is deeply disappointed to see that LGBTQ employees and contractors have been left out of the governor’s executive order,” Saunders said.
The lack of LGBT-inclusive protections is a sad continuation of Florida’s previous governor, Republican Rick Scott, who refused to issue an anti-LGBT discrimination executive order, even following the devastating mass-shooting at Pulse Nightclub on June 12, 2016, that left 49 LGBTQ people dead.
“As governors across the country establish these critical protections for LGBTQ families, this order draws a stark contrast,” said Saunders.
“We look forward to a dialogue with Gov. DeSantis about why LGBTQ employees have been omitted from this critical policy and how he plans to make sure that all Floridians, regardless of who they are or who they love, can be protected from discrimination,” he added.
Florida: GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Says Voters Shouldn’t “Monkey This Up” Voting For HIs Black Opponent
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| Ron DeSantis (L), Andrew Gillum (R) |
Check out the dog whistle from Florida’s newly-crowned Republican candidate for governor, Ron DeSantis, who says Floridians shouldn’t “monkey this up” by electing his “articulate” Democratic opponent, Tallehasse Mayor Andrew Gillum, a black man.
Florida GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis used the term ‘monkey around’ about his Black opponent Andrew Gillum pic.twitter.com/i2veCn8XzS— NowThis (@nowthisnews) August 29, 2018
Now, racists have used the term “monkey” for decades to refer to black people.
DeSantis’ campaign claims “monkey this up” is a phrase he uses all the time and it has nothing to do with race.
I’ve personally never heard the phrase in my life, and I tend to get around.
And what’s with acknowledging Gillum as “articulate?”
#dogwhistle
Fox News apologized for DeSantis’ comments a short time later.
The mayor of Tallehasse would be the first African-American to lead the state.
Gillum clapped back with dignity:
Andrew Gillum’s response to the remarks made by Ron DeSantis. pic.twitter.com/7Q4kMx52aO— Red T Raccoon (@RedTRaccoon) August 29, 2018
No one really uses the expression “monkey this up,” even when they’re not running against a black man for governor It isn’t whether he intended that to be racist. It was racist. No walkback changes that. Nothing to add. https://t.co/Tr0GsJXUOx— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) August 29, 2018