Gay Men To That!!

41 years old with no underlying conditions.  From The New Orleans Times Picayune: Congressman-elect Luke Letlow died Tuesday evening from complications with COVID-19, shaking the Louisiana political world weeks after his election to represent Louisiana's 5th District in Congress as the state's youngest U.S. representative.  Letlow, 41, died at Ochsner-LSU Health Shreveport from “complications from COVID-19,” his spokesman, Andrew Bautsch, said in a statement. Letlow was admitted to a Monroe hospital with COVID-19 symptoms on Dec. 19th before being transferred to the Shreveport hospital and moving to the intensive care unit on Dec. 23rd. Letlow is survived by his wife, Julie Barnhill Letlow, and two young children, Bautsch said. Read the full article here.

Photo via The Verge This is what Zuckerberg was trying to avoid when he favored conservative posters.  Via New York Times: WASHINGTON — The Federal Trade Commission and more than 40 states accused Facebook on Wednesday of becoming a social media monopoly by buying up its rivals to illegally squash competition, and said the deals that turned the social network into a behemoth should be unwound. Federal and state regulators, who have been investigating the company for over 18 months, said in separate lawsuits that Facebook’s purchases, especially Instagram for $1 billion in 2012 and WhatsApp for $19 billion two years later, eliminated competition that could have one day challenged the company’s dominance. Since those deals, Instagram and WhatsApp have skyrocketed in popularity, giving Facebook control over three of the world’s most popular social media and messaging apps. The applications have helped catapult Facebook from a company started in a college dorm room 16 years ago to an i...

  If you ever needed a reason to mask up and make sure you don't get COVID, here it is, guys!!  Via Cleveland Clinic: The study found a correlation between COVID-19 survivors and erectile dysfunction (ED). The research points to three factors that can lead to the potential onset of ED in men who have had the virus: Vascular effects. Erectile function is a predictor of heart disease, so we know that the vascular system and reproductive system are connected. We also know that COVID-19 can cause hyperinflammation throughout the body, especially in the heart and surrounding muscles. Blood supply to the penis can become blocked or narrowed as a result of a new or worsened vascular condition caused by the virus. Psychological impact. Sexual activity is closely associated with mental health. The stress, anxiety and depression caused by the virus and pandemic can be linked to sexual dysfunction and poor mood. Overall health deterioration. ED is typically a symptom of an underlying pro...

It's like they are hard wired to make all the wrong decisions with this pandemic, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans!!  Via New York Times: Trump administration officials passed when Pfizer offered in late summer to sell the U.S. government additional doses of its Covid-19 vaccine, according to people familiar with the matter. Now Pfizer may not be able provide more of its vaccine to the United States until next June because of its commitments to other countries, they said. As the administration scrambles to try to purchase more doses of the vaccine, President Trump plans on Tuesday to sign an executive order “to ensure that United States government prioritizes getting the vaccine to American citizens before sending it to other nations,” according to a draft statement and a White House official, though it was not immediately clear what force the president’s executive order would carry. Read the full story here.  

  Via CBS News: Washington — The Supreme Court on Monday turned away a challenge brought by Oregon parents to a school district's policy allowing transgender students to use bathroom facilities that match their gender identity. The dispute was brought by a group of parents who argued the policy enacted by Dallas School District No. 2 in Dallas, Oregon, and left in place by lower courts violated other students' privacy rights. The policy was created after a transgender boy sought to use the boy's bathroom and locker room at his high school until he graduated. The school district allowed the student to do so over the objections of some parents. Read the full story here. 

From top, clockwise: Aaron Schock, József Szájer, Roy Cohn, Richard Grenell Michelangelo makes some great points as to why some gay men are drawn to anti-gay leaders who are, in fact, working against their own interests. This is true for some closeted gays as well as out gays.  Via The Signorile Report: Ultimately, what’s the difference if they’re out or not, if they don’t stand up against the assault? Trump has been the most anti-LGBTQ president in history. I’d argue the situation is actually worse with people like Grenell than with closeted aides because by being out they help create an illusion of gay acceptance, giving the authoritarian cover even as he takes rights from LGBTQ people to placate enemies of equality. Religious conservatives, to whom Trump bows, have learned to accept allowing an openly gay person in the administration to put on an appearance of tolerance (especially as long as the person is down with the rest of the far-right agenda). It’s a more efficient way to...

  Via CBS17.com: A California sheriff who made headlines after refusing to enforce the governor’s curfew and stay-at-home orders has tested positive for COVID-19, the sheriff’s office said Wednesday. According to the sheriff’s office, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones developed symptoms last week “after a workplace exposure to an employee (who) later tested positive.” On Friday, Jones started experiencing a fever, congestion, light-headedness and a headache, according to the sheriff’s office. Jones’ symptoms were said to be mild, and had mostly gone away by Wednesday, officials said. The sheriff and his immediate family are quarantining as his family members await test results. On Nov. 24, Jones said he wouldn’t enforce a curfew or stay-at-home order amid surging COVID-19 cases in the state, citing Sacramento County’s previous successes following health guidelines. Read the full story here.  

Hopefully, this will help to counter the "anti-vax" emotions that run deeply for some Americans!  Via Today: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are out to show that if a coronavirus vaccine is good enough for a president, it's good enough for all Americans. The three former presidents from both sides of the aisle have all pledged to take a COVID-19 vaccine on camera when it's available to them, hoping to assuage fears at a time when recent polls have shown that just under half of Americans said they would not take a vaccine. Obama spoke on "The Joe Madison Show" on SiriusXM Wednesday about his commitment to taking a vaccine. "I promise you that when it's then made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it, and I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don't trust is getting COVID," he said. Read the full story here. 

It always seems to be the self-loathing closet cases that inflict the most harm to the LGBTQ community! Via Vice News: A politician from Hungary’s ruling party has apologised for breaking COVID lockdown restrictions in Belgium to attend what local media reported was a full-blown orgy. József Szájer, a longtime representative of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, unexpectedly quit as a member of the European Parliament (MEP) on Sunday. On Tuesday, it was reported in Belgium that police had broken up a sex party involving 25 people above a bar in the centre of Brussels, only several hundred metres from the Belgian capital’s main police station. The media reports about the Brussels orgy on Friday said that most of the participants were men. Fidesz has waged an assault on LGBTQ rights in Hungary since coming to power in a so-called defence of what it terms “Christian values”. Now that it’s confirmed: József Szájer, the MEP busted during a gay gangbang, is not only a clo...

Via Huff Post: President-elect Joe Biden said Sunday that a woman will fill every senior communications role in his new administration, the first time that female officials will hold all such roles. “Communicating directly and truthfully to the American people is one of the most important duties of a president, and this team will be entrusted with the tremendous responsibility of connecting the American people to the White House,” Biden said in a statement in an apparent dig at President Donald Trump’s own communications staff. “I am proud to announce today the first senior White House communications team comprised entirely of women,” he added. “These qualified, experienced communicators bring diverse perspectives to their work and a shared commitment to building this country back better.” The group of seven women will include a longtime aides and Democratic stalwarts who have deep experience in Washington, led by Kate Bedingfield as White House communications director and Jen Psaki as...

Trump couldn't win the election so now he's trying to steal it!!!  Via The New York Times: After failing repeatedly in court to overturn election results, President Trump is taking the extraordinary step of reaching out directly to Republican state legislators as he tries to subvert the Electoral College process, inviting Michigan lawmakers to meet with him at the White House on Friday. A source with knowledge of the trip said that Mr. Trump would meet with Michigan’s Senate majority leader, Mike Shirkey, and speaker of the House, Lee Chatfield, late Friday afternoon. Both lawmakers are Republicans who have said that whoever has the most votes in Michigan after the results are certified will get the state’s 16 electoral votes. The White House invitation to Republican lawmakers in a battleground state is the latest — and the most brazen — salvo in a scattershot campaign-after-the-campaign waged by Mr. Trump and his allies to cast doubt on President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s de...

Republican Mayor Michael Taylor (via facebook) The GOP is complicit with Trump attempting to damage the integrity of our Democracy! It's good to see when the rare few call him out on this destruction!!  Via Raw Story: The Republican mayor of Sterling Heights, Michigan, slammed President Trump on Facebook this Wednesday, saying he is “deliberately lying to Americans and the world about the Michigan election results in order to create uncertainty, fear and distrust in our democracy.” “His temper tantrums on Twitter and baseless lies about the election should be universally condemned by all patriotic Americans, regardless of who you voted for,” Michael Taylor wrote. “The President knows he lost and understands completely that on January 20, 2021 at 12:00 pm he will no longer be president; but his pride is more important to him than our nation and our democracy,” he continued. “This charade continues at a severe cost to our nation; we deserve better. It is time for all Americans to dem...

Carolyn Kaster/AP,Carolyn Kaster  Via Right Wing Watch: From the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, right-wing pastor and radio host E.W. Jackson dismissed concerns about the virus and vowed to defy government orders to close churches in an effort to prevent its spread. In March, Jackson boldly proclaimed that God was protecting both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence from contracting the virus and repeatedly declared that he would never contract it because he was also being protected by God. “I will not get the coronavirus,” Jackson guarantee. “Who do you think you are? How can you say that? Because I asked God to protect me from it. I confessed Psalm 91 over my life and over the life of my congregation and over the life of our families and we’re not getting it.” In March, right-wing pastor and radio host E.W. Jackson boldly declared that he'd never get COVID-19 because he was protected by God. Take one guess what happened? https://t.co/Fjeqeouiln — Right W...

  Well, this is not encouraging! Another reason to wear a mask and not get infected!!!  Via Reuters: LONDON (Reuters) - Many COVID-19 survivors are likely to be at greater risk of developing mental illness, psychiatrists said on Monday, after a large study found 20% of those infected with the coronavirus are diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder within 90 days. Anxiety, depression and insomnia were most common among recovered COVID-19 patients in the study who developed mental health problems. The researchers from Britain’s Oxford University also found significantly higher risks of dementia, a brain impairment condition. “People have been worried that COVID-19 survivors will be at greater risk of mental health problems, and our findings ... show this to be likely,” said Paul Harrison, a professor of psychiatry at Oxford. Doctors and scientists around the world urgently need to investigate the causes and identify new treatments for mental illness after COVID-19, Harrison said. ...

We wish him a speedy recovery! Via The Friendly Atheist: Back in March, right-wing pastor Rick Joyner, the head of MorningStar Ministries, claimed that the United States and South Korea had the lowest COVID-19 death rates in the world because those two countries “are the two strongest nations in prayer.” That wasn’t true… but that’s what he said. Since that time, South Korea has seen a grand total of 468 COVID deaths while the U.S. (“We’re #1”) has topped 236,000 deaths. Prayer obviously isn’t the problem. (Give at least some credit to people who pray who tipped the 2016 election in favor of an ignorant buffoon and his Republican supporters.) But Joyner’s basic premise was that prayer was a way to defeat the virus. That’s going to be shocking to (*checks notes*) Rick Joyner, who just tested positive for COVID. Read the full story here.

Trump's super spreader events are deadly!! Science proves it. This is criminal behavior.  Via The Washington Post:  A new study from Stanford University estimates that 18 of Trump’s recent large-scale campaign rallies ultimately resulted in 30,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and probably led to more than 700 deaths among attendees and others infected by them. The study, released Friday by Stanford economics professor B. Douglas Bernheim and three doctoral students, examined rallies staged by Trump between June 20 and Sept. 30 and looked at the trajectory of cases in the counties in which they were held. Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the study’s findings. During the closing weeks of the campaign, Trump has touted his ability to draw large crowds and mocked Biden for holding “drive-in” events with far fewer attendees. Read the full story here. 

  Via 2ser.com Via CNN: History will likely remember us mostly for opposing each other in Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark 2015 US Supreme Court case that ultimately granted marriage equality to all Americans. Then, we were on opposite sides in a case that made national news. One of us is a lifelong Democrat, the other a lifelong Republican. Jim Obergefell and Richard Hodges   But in the more than five years since our case, we have found each other in the middle and have become friends -- something that politicians in Washington DC used to do. Our political differences do not change our friendship because we both believe that the other deserves dignity and respect.  Like many SCOTUS decisions pertaining to marginalized groups, our case recognized that same-sex couples were entitled to the freedom and equal dignity of marriage and "would pose no risk of harm to themselves or third parties." And, according to a new survey, 70% of Americans think doing so was a good i...

                                             Former Trump campaign official Jessica Denson (Screen cap) Via Raw Story: On CNN Wednesday, Jessica Denson, the former coordinator of the Trump 2016 campaign’s Hispanic outreach who starred in a recent ad for Joe Biden, opened up about how she was taken in by the Trump campaign — and why he must be defeated. “My motive to go and help that campaign and be of service to the American people was sabotaged, and I’ve seen my experience repeated in the experience of one public servant after another over the past four years,” said Denson, who spearheaded a lawsuit to free former Trump campaign officials from nondisclosure agreements. “I have seen that this campaign continues to go out brandishing a Bible and an American flag and claiming that they have anything to do with freedom, but I’ve lived first-hand that they have nothing to do wi...

Yes, this happened. The White House released a statement of accomplishments for Trump's first (and only, hopefully) term. Included is the statement that Trump has ended the Covid Pandemic.  Via The Hill: The White House science office listed "ending the COVID-19 pandemic" as the top accomplishment of President Trump's first term, even as the U.S. has set records for new daily infections and numerous hospitals across the country are stretched to their breaking points. According to a press release intended to highlight the administration's science accomplishments, the Trump administration said it "has taken decisive actions to engage scientists and health professionals in academia, industry, and government to understand, treat, and defeat the disease." The rosy outlook flies in the face of reality and underscores Trump's efforts to continuously downplay the severity of the pandemic that continues to rage nearly uncontrolled across the country.  As of T...

President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, White House Coronavirus Task Force held a press conference March 16, 2020. (WDIV) It didn't have to be this bad! The failure of the White House to act properly during the pandemic led to so much death and economic destruction. It should be criminal!! Via  Daily Beast: A new report from Columbia University on COVID-19 deaths estimates that hundreds of thousands of Americans died because the United States’ response to the pandemic was an “abject failure,” particularly the actions of President Donald Trump. With an adequate response, the United States could have avoided tens of thousands of deaths and an incalculable amount of suffering, the researchers said. Dr. Irwin Redlener, the lead author on the study and the founding director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness, laid the blame at the feet of the White House in an interview with The Daily Beast: “We believe that this was a monumental, lethal screwup by an administra...

Pope Francis waves to faithful. Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia) This is a huge deal! And, right after the Amy Coney Barrett hearings.  Via AP News: ROME (AP) — Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday at the Rome Film Festival. The papal thumbs-up came midway through the film that delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment, poverty, migration, racial and income inequality, and the people most affected by discrimination. “Homosexual people have the right to be in a family. They are children of God,” Francis said in one of his sit-down interviews for the film. “What we have to have is a civil union law; that way they are legally covered.” While serving as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis endorsed civil unions for gay couples as an alternative to same-sex marriages. However, he had never come out publicly in...

Texas Governor Greg Abbott This is what happens when the GOP is in power. Their cruelty is on full display!!  Via Yahoo News: Texas social workers can now turn away LGBTQ clients and those with a disability. The state Board of Social Work Examiners voted unanimously to change a section of its code of conduct last week following a recommendation from Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, to remove protections for sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. Abbott’s office said the change was suggested because the board’s nondiscrimination clause went beyond the state’s policy on social work, according to The Associated Press. “It’s not surprising that a board would align its rules with statutes passed by the Legislature,” Renae Eze, a spokeswoman for Abbott’s office, said. Officials and the state Board of Social Work Examiners is now facing backlash for the decision, with some advocacy and professional organizations saying it could put already vulnerable disabled and LGBTQ people ...

  Kenneth Felts and his daughter, Rebecca Mayes via Facebook Via Queerty: Bio: Born in Missouri, Kenneth Felts grew up moving all over America courtesy of his father’s railroad job. When he reached adulthood, Felts settled in Colorado where he took a counseling job with the Colorado Division of Rehabilitation. Along the way, he married, had a daughter named Rebecca, and divorced. Now long since retired, Felts enjoys tending his garden and hanging out with his family, especially his grandchildren. Earlier this year, the COVID-19 pandemic stymied Felts’ social life, so he began writing his memoirs. It was then that he had to face a lifelong secret. ...Felts kept the secret hidden from everyone, including his own daughter, who came out as a lesbian herself. Then this June, Felts happened to mention his love affair with a man named Phillip to Rebecca. He confessed that he regretted ever leaving Phillip, as the two had fallen madly in love. At the time, however, Felts thought it wiser ...

Gina Ortiz Jones, Mondaire Jones, and Sarah McBride. AP; Mondaire For Congress This is amazing! More and more LGBT candidates are running for office. So important that we get more and more representation!!!  Via NBC News: More lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer candidates will appear on ballots across the country this November than ever before, according to a new report from the LGBTQ Victory Fund, a group that trains, supports and advocates for queer candidates. These candidates are also more racially diverse than in past election cycles, according to the findings. “A historic number of openly LGBTQ people are running for office this year and we have the opportunity to elect an unprecedented number on Election Day,” former Houston Mayor Annise Parker, president and CEO of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, said in a statement. “While LGBTQ candidates are significantly more diverse than U.S. candidates overall, we must continue to break down the barriers LGBTQ people of color, wome...

Demetrius Freeman / Pool via AP This is another reason why the Supreme Court Nominee should be disqualified for the appointment.  Via CNN: Judge Amy Coney Barrett failed to disclose two talks she gave in 2013 hosted by two anti-abortion student groups on paperwork provided to the Senate ahead of her confirmation hearing to become the next Supreme Court justice. Barrett, President Donald Trump's nominee to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, gave the talks -- a lecture and a seminar -- in 2013 in her capacity as a law professor at the University of Notre Dame. The seminar was co-sponsored by the school's Right to Life club and constitutional studies minor, and the lecture was held by the law school's Jus Vitae club. CNN's KFile found advertisements for two lectures on social media and in a weekly Notre Dame faculty newsletter. It is not known what was said in the two events, though both centered on abortion court cases. In a separate instance, CNN's KFile found a pu...

  Photos: Pussy Riot/Facebook Russia has become a very dangerous place for the LGBTQ community.  Via Queerty: Rock band Pussy Riot marked President Vladimir Putin’s 68th birthday by placing rainbow flags on five Government buildings in Moscow yesterday. The Russian President has spoken out against LGBTQ rights, saying he doesn’t believe they align with traditional Russian values. He also oversaw the introduction of an anti-gay propaganda law in 2013. This bans the promotion of “non-traditional” sexual relations to minors. It has been used to ban Pride marches and any positive gay representation in the media. Yesterday, to mark his birthday, Pussy Riot placed the pride flags on five government buildings, including the Russian Supreme Court and the Ministry of Culture.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer If you remember, on April 17th, Trump tweeted a message about liberating Michigan after the Governor issued a Covid lockdown order.  LIBERATE MICHIGAN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020 Via The Detroit News: The FBI says it thwarted what it described as a plot to violently overthrow the government and kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and federal prosecutors are expected to discuss the alleged conspiracy later Thursday. The alleged plot involved reaching out to members of a Michigan militia, according to a federal affidavit filed Thursday.  The court filing also alleges the conspirators twice conducted surveillance at Whitmer's vacation home and discussed kidnapping her to a remote location in Wisconsin to stand "trial" for treason prior to the Nov. 3 election. "Several members talked about murdering 'tyrants' or 'taking' a sitting governor," an FBI agent wrote in the affidavit. "The...

 And, it's everything we need right now!! One of his best, by far!! I dreamed a dream they let me moderate the presidential debate. And you were there, @PattiLuPone … #IfDonaldGotFired 🎶 pic.twitter.com/B9C7tMEnKN — Randy Rainbow (@RandyRainbow) October 7, 2020

Wow! This is a HUGE move by Facebook!! Now that QAnon is basically being mainstreamed by the GOP!! Via NBC News: Facebook said Tuesday that it is banning all QAnon accounts from its platforms, a significant escalation over its previous actions and one of the broadest rules the social media giant has put in place in its history. Facebook said the change is an update on the policy it created in August that initially only removed accounts related to the QAnon conspiracy theory that discussed violence, which resulted in the termination of 1,500 pages, groups and profiles. A company spokesperson said the enforcement, which started Tuesday, will “bring to parity what we’ve been doing on other pieces of policy with regard to militarized social movements,” such as militia and terror groups that repeatedly call for violence. “Starting today, we will remove Facebook Pages, Groups and Instagram accounts for representing QAnon. We’re starting to enforce this updated policy today and are removing c...

CNN file photo: Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf  No. Not Antifa. Not Black Lives Matter. It is white supremacists who are the greatest terror threat in the U.S. So says a Department of Homeland Security report.  Via CNN: White supremacist extremists will remain the deadliest domestic terror threat to the United States, according to the Department of Homeland Security's first annual homeland threat assessment, which details a range of threats from election interference to unprecedented storms. Since 2018, White supremacists have conducted more lethal attacks in the US than any other domestic extremist movement, demonstrating a "longstanding intent" to target racial and religious minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, politicians and those they believe promote multi-culturalism and globalization, according to the report. "As Secretary, I am concerned about any form of violent extremism," wrote acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf. "...

Watching Trump's release from Walter Reed Hospital and his photo op moment on his balcony, you can clearly see him gasping for air and, at points, wincing in pain. I am not of the believe that he is faking this disease. You can see it having a huge affect on his breathing.  Via Towle Road : In videos shot after Donald Trump returned to the White House from Walter Reed Medical Center but before he shot (the helicopter is still there) last night’s propaganda video, the president appears out of breath and in some pain, suggesting his “domination” of the virus isn’t all he cracked it up to be. Shortly after these clips were posted, #GaspingForAir trended on Twitter. Trump appears to be wincing in pain while he breathes pic.twitter.com/YKhGhu0VN0 — Brennan Murphy (@brenonade) October 5, 2020

(AFP / Olivier DOULIERY) Due to the incompetence of top White House staff in protecting themselves and their coworkers, the White House press room is closed. Via Raw Story: The “lights are off” and no one’s staffing the White House press office after multiple officials have tested positive for the coronavirus. Press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and two of her deputies, Chad Gilmartin and Karoline Leavitt, have tested positive for COVID-19 since President Donald Trump announced his own infection, and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins said that had cut into operations. “My colleague Jim Acosta just went by the area that reporters like us have access to in the White House,” Collins said. “Very few staffers are there, lights are off and it goes to show you how prevalent it is inside the West Wing. We should note it came 24 hours after staffers got an email yesterday telling them if they had symptoms or anything like that to stay home, and said if they develop symptoms, they should not contact the White ...

  Pastor John Hagee (Photos courtesy Cornerstone Church) The 80 year old Mega-Church Pastor has been a foe of gay rights for decades.  Via CBS Austin: John Hagee, 80, founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church has reportedly been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Hagee’s son, Matt made the announcement Sunday morning during a livestreamed service on Facebook, saying doctors informed them Friday of the diagnosis. “Pastor Hagee has been diligent throughout this entire COVID pandemic to monitor his health. And this past Friday, he was informed by his doctors that he did test positive for COVID,” Matt Hagee said. “It was one, discovered very early and two, his medical team has him under watchful care and three, he’s feeling well enough to be frustrated by anyone in a white coat with a stethoscope.” This via JoeMyGod:  In 2005 Hagee called Hurricane Katrina “the judgment of God” over New Orleans’ Southern Decadence festival. He last appeared on JMG when he declared that “at...

  Chris Wallace and others working for Fox News were potentially exposed on the night of the Cleveland debate.Credit...Pool photo by Olivier Douliery Via The New York Times : A son of Rupert Murdoch and some of the biggest stars at Fox News were potentially exposed to the coronavirus after attending Tuesday’s presidential debate in Cleveland, and the network is planning for its anchors, reporters and staff to be tested out of an abundance of caution, according to a person familiar with its plans. Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman of the Fox Corporation, led a toast to Chris Wallace, the “Fox News Sunday” anchor who moderated the debate, at a Cleveland airport after the event. The gathering included two of the channel’s news anchors, Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, along with the chief executive of Fox News Media, Suzanne Scott, and its president, Jay Wallace.

photo credit: REUTERS Trump knew that his Aid Hope Hicks had tested positive for Covid and that he was exposed to the virus. He still decided to attend a fundraiser and took no precautions.  Via CNBC: Republican donors who attended President Donald Trump’s fundraiser at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club are panicking after being around the commander in chief hours before he announced that he was infected with the coronavirus. GOP donors have been reaching out to Trump campaign and GOP officials for any guidance following the event, according to a person briefed on the matter. “The donors have been texting and calling. Freaking out,” the person with direct knowledge said. This person declined to be named as the conversations were deemed private.  Trump’s campaign, as of Friday morning, has not sent out any official guidance to many of the donors involved with the event. After publication of this article, donors who attended the gathering were sent an email with an 11:18 a.m...

President Trump returned to Washington from a fund-raiser at his golf club in New Jersey on Thursday.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times  In a way, Trump has always been "Patient Zero" Via New York Times: President Trump is showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus, but mild ones, according to two people familiar with his condition. The president, who said on Thursday night that he had tested positive for the virus, has had what one person described as coldlike symptoms. At a fund-raiser he attended at his golf club at Bedminster, N.J., on Thursday, where one attendee said the president came in contact with about 100 people, he seemed lethargic. A person briefed on the matter said that Mr. Trump fell asleep at one point on Air Force One on the way back from a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday night. A White House official said that as of Thursday night, the president’s treatment plan was still being discussed. So was a possible national address or a videotaped statement fro...

Gov. Greg Abbott  Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune During a Pandemic, Texas Gov. Abbott is making it more difficult for voters to drop off completed ballots. This is a desperate attempt to suppress votes in a State that is quickly becoming "purple". Via The Austin American Statesman : Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order Thursday requiring counties to close multiple locations where voters can drop off completed mail-in ballots. As an election security measure, counties will be limited to one dropoff site where poll watchers — designated by political parties and candidates — must be allowed to observe ballot deliveries by voters, Abbott said. The new order takes effect Friday and modifies Abbott’s July 27 order that acknowledged the pandemic’s danger by adding six days of early voting and waiving a state law that limits mail-in ballot dropoff to Election Day only. Democrats blasted the move as a thinly veiled effort to suppress votes in a tight election. “Republicans...

Bishop John Barres of the Diocese of Rockville Centre (AP Photo/Frank Eltman, File) I grew up in this Diocese. I hope all the victims find peace and the justice/compensation they deserve!! Via AP: ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (AP) — A Roman Catholic diocese in New York City’s suburbs has become the largest in the U.S. to declare bankruptcy to protect itself from a wave of lawsuits filed over past sexual abuse by clergy members. The Diocese of Rockville Centre filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Thursday. It is the eighth largest diocese or archdiocese in the U.S., serving more than 1.4 million Catholics on Long Island. “The financial burden of the litigation has been severe and only compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Bishop John Barres said in a video posted on the diocese’s website. “Our goal is to make sure that all clergy sexual abuse survivors and not just a few who were first to file lawsuits are afforded just and equitable compensation.” More than 200 lawsuits alleging se...

President Trump greeting supporters during a trip to Minneapolis on Wednesday.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times The President has the biggest bully pulpit. This means that Trump is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans. He has discouraged all the measures that would help to mitigate the virus. This is truly criminal behavior.  Via The New York Times: WASHINGTON — Of the flood of misinformation, conspiracy theories and falsehoods seeding the internet on the coronavirus, one common thread stands out: President Trump. That is the conclusion of researchers at Cornell University who analyzed 38 million articles about the pandemic in English-language media around the world. Mentions of Mr. Trump made up nearly 38 percent of the overall “misinformation conversation,” making the president the largest driver of the “infodemic” — falsehoods involving the pandemic. The study, to be released Thursday, is the first comprehensive examination of coronavirus misinf...

Screen cap of Republican pollster Frank Luntz' debate focus group Now, that is one hell of a takeaway from last night's Presidential debate between President Trump and Vice President Biden!! This was one of many scathing remarks about Trump's performance! Most instant polling showed Americans thought Biden won the debate, by a large margin! Via The Week:  The first presidential debate left undecided American voters in agreement about at least one thing: President Trump's negativity. Republican consultant and pollster Frank Luntz asked his focus group to use one word to describe the president and basically "every single word was negative," observed Politico's Tim Alberta. One respondent from Wisconsin called Trump obnoxious and un-presidential, while a Pennsylvania voter said he behaved like a "crackhead." Others described the president as being "un-American" and "arrogant."

California's Governor Gavin Newsom A great move by the State of California!! Other States need to follow this example! Via The Advocate : California will house transgender, nonbinary, and intersex prisoners according to their gender identity — and where they feel most safe — under a bill signed into law Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom, along with several other pro-LGBTQ+ bills. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Scott Wiener, requires officials with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to ask inmates confidentially, during intake, if they identify in one of those categories, the Associated Press reports. The inmates then can request to be placed in either a men’s or a women’s facility. The Department of Corrections can deny a request based on “management or security concerns,” the law states, but not simply because of a prisoner’s anatomy. And if the request is denied, the state must put its reasons in writing and give the inmate an opportunity to challenge the dec...