Welcome to the second Friday of April!

The pollen count went down last weekend, and I had two whole days where I woke up with NO sinus headache first thin in the morning. Then Monday arrived. The pollen count has been hovering close to the highs of the previous week, but not always as bad all week. So it’s not quite as bad as last week.

Anyway, it’s time for the Friday Five in which I bring you: one really good video editorial, one scary story about bribed Secret Service agents, the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, and five stories about haters. Plus something a notable obituary.

This Week in Very Good Explainer of Why People Noticing that a Book is Racist is Not Cancel Culture:

SFF180 Editorial – The Implosion of Silver Shamrock Publishing

This Week in Bonkers:

2 men impersonated federal agents to get close to the Secret Service, FBI says Some details: they provided these Secret Service agents with very expensive gifts and allowed them to live rent free in luxury apartments valued at over $40,000 a year, and the agents are trying to claim they didn’t realize these were bribes. It’s a scary story.

Stories of the Week:

Protocluster has too many dead galaxies in it – What is killing all these galaxies?

Phil Lord, Chris Miller: Animation Is Not a Lower Art Form

Fox News’ viewers can change their attitudes with exposure to CNN

Covid: Record 4.9 million people have the virus in UK

West seeks to ramp up arms deliveries to Ukraine as war enters new phase – Allies are gearing up for long haul — but want to send heavy weaponry quickly

Stories of Interest to Queers and Our Allies:

Apple wields its lobbying might against anti-gay laws

Kentucky Gov. Vetoes Anti-Trans Sports Bill, But Override Possible

Businesses are speaking out against anti-LGBTQ laws

Supportive mom Amber Briggle releases emotional PSA defending her trans son from bully politicians – "Trans kids don’t have a political agenda. They are just kids. They just want to be left alone," Amber Briggle says in the video

Transphobic gays shocked to learn that their conservative allies are anti-gay – And the internet replied, "We told you so."

This Week in Haters and Abusers:

Border Patrol’s use of Amazon’s Wickr messaging app draws scrutiny – A letter from the National Archives and Records Administration hints at growing unease with government officials’ use of some encrypted messaging apps

Ginni Thomas Is Not A Liar – She’s just deeply, deeply deluded

Leaked audio: They defended televangelist Perry Stone in public. In private, they said he was living a ‘predatory lifestyle’ and ‘false reality’

Trey Gowdy Demands Madison Cawthorn Name Names

Trump’s Truth Social Is Doing Even Worse Than You Thought

In Memoriam:

Bobby Rydell Dead: 1960s Pop Idol and Star of ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ Was 79