And we have arrived at the final Friday in July!

My cough is still lingering. It has become much less frequent, which leads me even more to suspect that it’s a weird hay fever side effect, but still, no fun. And on Monday we set a record for heat, and the temperatures remain much higher than I am comfortable with.

Which brings us to the Friday Five. This week I bring you:the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our alles, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about the alleged president of the republic, five stories about hate and injustice, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

In Lewis eulogy, Obama issues forceful call to action on voting rights, racial equality – Barack Obama was one of three former presidents to pay tribute to the civil rights icon and longtime Democratic congressman as he was laid to rest in Atlanta and bonus link: Barack Obama’s Eulogy for John Lewis: Full Text.

‘Now it is your turn’: John Lewis issues call to action in posthumous op-ed.

Believe It Or Not, Forests Migrate — But Not Fast Enough For Climate Change.

Don’t Plant the Mystery Seeds That Have Been Appearing in Local Mailboxes.

10 products you may not realise are threatened by the CO2 shortage. Did you know there was a CO2 shortage? I just found out this week!

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Stop at Rainbow Crosswalks Honors John Lewis’s LGBTQ+ Rights Legacy.

Puberty blockers linked to lower suicide risk for transgender people – The finding suggests that a major — and politically controversial — aspect of trans health care for minors could help reduce the community’s disproportionate suicide risk.

Media keep misidentifying trans murder victims, police are to blame .

Family of gay officer who died of COVID-19 denied insurance benefits.

Beyond ‘he’ and ‘she’: 1 in 4 LGBTQ youths use nonbinary pronouns, survey find – They/them is the most popular nonbinary option, but 4 percent of those surveyed report using “neopronouns,” like xe/xim and ze/zir.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Six U.S. states see record COVID-19 deaths, Latinos hit hard in California.

Expert: Major League Baseball Showing Us How Impossible It Will Be To Contain Virus In Schools – “I’m actually terrified that that’s about to happen to our school systems,” William Haseltine said.

Trader Joe’s workers attacked at New York store after asking customers to wear face masks, police say.

Pro-Trump youth group TPUSA deleted a tweet mocking protective masks after its cofounder died of the coronavirus.

The congressional underclass erupts in fury after Gohmert gets Covid-19 – The men and women who make Capitol Hill run are anxious and angry about the risks they’ve been forced to take amid the pandemic.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

Trump Admits He Didn’t Confront Putin On Bounties Russia Paid Taliban to Kill U.S. Soldiers.

In just one month, Trump commits a whole new set of potentially impeachable offenses.

Trump Rages About Demand By Reagan Foundation that He Stop Using Reagan’s Image and Name in Campaign Ads.

Trump Can’t Postpone the Election—But He’s Trying to Destroy Its Legitimacy – The president today suggested postponing the November balloting, a move he lacks the legal authority to carry ou.

Sen. Ben Sasse Slams Trump’s Germany Troop Withdrawal as ‘Weak’.

This Week in the Police Brutality, Bigotry, and Other Injustice:

Wall of Moms, Black Lives Matter sue Trump admin over Portland response.

Minneapolis Looting Was Spawned By White Supremacist Seeking To Incite Race War .

Plainclothes cops in an unmarked van abducted a trans teenager as she skateboarded down the street – The 18-year-old was participating in a Black Lives Matter march when the secret police swarmed in and NYPD officers began threatening everyone around her.

ISIS & militia members are raping gay men & transgender women because they’re “soft” – Militants “look at gestures. The way we sit and move our hands, body language. They target gay and trans people.”.

He held a BLM sign in what he called ‘America’s most racist town.’ The result? A viral video of abuse.

In Memoriam:

Gay Critical Care Doc Dies Of COVID In His Own ICU – “I keep thinking, ‘Now there is one less ICU doctor to care for pandemic patients in Baltimore,’” Dr. Joseph Costa’s husband said of his death.

John Saxon, ‘Enter the Dragon,’ ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ Actor, Dies at 83 – The Brooklyn tough guy also starred in ‘The Appaloosa,’ ‘The Unguarded Moment’ and ‘Black Christmas’.

Regis Philbin, Iconic TV Host, Dead at 88.

Olivia de Havilland Dies at 104.

Hawaiian Airlines Flight Attendant Dies Of COVID After In-Person Training Event Linked To At Least 17 Cases – “We’ve lost an angel,” said Jeff Kurtzman’s close friend.

Things I wrote:

Do not get lost in a sea of despair — why this white homo mourns John Lewis.

Tuesday Tidbits 7/27/2020: Tear-gassed moms.

Vote like you’ve never voted before.

Received wisdom is the mind-killer, or, is it time to end the Retro Hugos?.

Videos!

Trump Praises “Demon Sperm” Doctor Who Pushed Hydroxychloroquine: A Closer Look:

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Bezos’s Ex Spreads the Wealth & Trump Shrugs Off Bounty Hunters | The Daily Social Distancing Show:

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Karen, Please Just Wear A Mask:

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GESS – Digital Romance (Official Video):

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BILL & TED FACE THE MUSIC Official Trailer #2 (2020):

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