It is the final Friday in August!

Because I wrote a number of posts over the last couple of years about the son of an anti-gay, racist televangelist with whom I had a bit of a connection, when the scandal many of those posts had been about exploded this week, I suddenly had many hundreds of clicks on all those old posts. One of them has now crossed into the thousands, and it left me feeling weird (even though I made two more posts about it this week because, he’s been trying to take away my rights for years) because I’d really rather some other topics I’ve written about where getting all those click. One friend pointed out that even though it isn’t my favorite subject, it’s still my writing people are clicking on, and another pointed out that this is just the weirdness of blogging. Anyway…

It’s time for me to roll out this week’s Friday Five. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories about tropical storms/hurricanes, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about awful people, and five videos (plus a notable obituary and some things that I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

College Trombonist Brings His Instrument to Battle Against MAGA Cultist, Becomes Hero.

Do Some Damage: What Could Have Been and What Still Can Be – a former cop talks about what is needed for police reform.

Evangelical leaders denounce QAnon as ‘political cult,’ ‘satanic movement’ – Evangelical leaders denounce QAnon as ‘political cult,’ ‘satanic movement’.

‘God, this sucks’: Internet aghast at what Melania Trump has done to the Rose Garden.

Chris Wallace Shuts Down Fox News’ Support Of Vigilante Violence – Chris Wallace got into a heated argument with other Fox News pundits because they endorsed the idea that murderous vigilantes attacking protesters were justified because they were “filling a void” for the police.

This Week in Tropical Storms:

Tropical Storm Laura Moving Through the Mid-South With Gusty Winds, Flooding After Category 4 Landfall.

Hurricane Laura causes destruction across Louisiana.

Hurricane Laura damaged a Lake Charles Confederate monument, after parish officials voted to keep it. Heh

Hurricane Laura leaves at least six dead and a trail of destruction – “We have thousands and thousands of our fellow citizens whose lives are upside down,” Louisiana’s governor said.

Marco makes landfall, but it’s Tropical Storm Laura that has Gulf residents really nervous.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Federal appeals court rules that anti-trans school bathroom policies are unconstitutional – Gavin Grimm just won another court victory against the Gloucester County School Board of Virginia and its transphobic student bathroom policy.

State park renamed to honor legendary trans activist Marsha P. Johnson – The first state park in New York to honor an LGBTQ person will reflect “Marsha’s style and colors.”.

AOC endorses gay primary challenger Alex Morse over powerful incumbent Congressman – Out progressive candidate Alex Morse is within striking distance of knocking out the powerful chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Richard Neal.

Coronavirus lockdown has led to depression in LGBTQ people – “One gay man described how his social isolation had become ‘unbearable’ and was ‘destroying my mental health.'”.

Study: Pride Games Decrease Antigay Slurs Among Players by 40 Percent.

This Week in the Pandemic:

New coronavirus cases are down nationwide. But the US is still averaging more than 900 deaths a day – The number of deaths related to the coronavirus in the US topped 180,000 on Thursday.

Fauci Says He Was Under Anesthesia When CDC Changed COVID-19 Testing Guidelines.

Almost 50 North Texans Drank Bleach This Month, Poison Center Warns ‘Stop, It Won’t Cure COVID’.

Big 12, Conference USA join SEC in conducting three COVID-19 tests per week during 2020 season.

Hate Group’s Office Listed As “COVID Outbreak Site”.

This Week in Deplorables:

Prosecutors announce homicide charges against Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of shooting and killing 2 people at a Kenosha protest and Illinois teen arrested in connection to deadly shooting in Kenosha.

Jacob Wohl Accused of Starting a Voter Suppression Scheme – Michigan Attorney General Says Culprits In Robocall Voter Suppression Stunt Face Up To Five Years In Prison.

New Zealand mosque shooter sentenced to life without parole – Brenton Tarrant, who killed 51 Muslims as they prayed, is first in New Zealand to be sentenced to life without parole.

Trump Has Now Moved $2.3 Million Of Campaign-Donor Money Into His Private Business.

Daniel Dale On Convention Lies: ‘It’s Hard For Me To Know Where To Start’.

In Memoriam:

Darryl Macdonald, co-founder of Seattle International Film Festival, dies of cancer.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 8/22/2020: At least justice for some….

Oh you cuckolded devil—or, the Evangelical Power Couple and the Pool Boy.

Tuesday Tidbits 8/25/2020: Acceptable deaths continue while stock market soars.

Pharisee says being held to his own standards is unfai.

Every starship needs a navigator, or, how librarians enabled my love for sf/f.

Videos!

The RNC’s Appeal to Black Voters & Don Jr.’s “Imagine” Speech | The Daily Social Distancing Show:

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Why Did the Police Shoot Jacob Blake? | The Daily Social Distancing Show:

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Stephen Colbert: I Didn’t Watch The RNC Tonight, And I Feel Great About It:

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Chris Webber Holds Back Tears Speaking On NBA Players’ Strike after Police Shooting of Jacob Blake:

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Kylie Minogue – Say Something (Official Video):

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It is the third Friday in August!

The heatwave came back, and it felt as if all week I was trying to keep cool and figure out things to cook for dinner that didn’t heat the house up worse than it was. The work week, meanwhile, felt more like a month squeezed into a week. On the other hand, the prescription issue I was still dealing with last week has been taken care of for now, so that’s a yay. Also, I enjoyed streaming the DNC convention, which gave me a few moments of hope.

Which brings us to this week’s Friday Five. For a while now I’ve had basically the same five categories of stories week after week, and it’s seemed harder than ever to not let all the outrage-worthy news predominate. So I’ve tried to shake things up a little bit. This week I bring you: the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories that are about good or funny or interesting things, five stories about awful people, and five videos (plus a notable obituary and something I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Dolly Parton Steers Her Empire Through the Pandemic — and Keeps It Growing . This is an awesome interview! “As soon as you realize that [something] is a problem, you should fix it. Don’t be a dumbass. That’s where my heart is. I would never dream of hurting anybody on purpose.”

The Case of the Top Secret iPod.

Matriarch of Northwest apple industry passes away at age 194. Not a misprint.

Asteroid Makes the Closest Earth Flyby a Space Rock Has Ever Survived – The car-sized object zoomed by just 1,830 miles away.

Wolverines return to Mt Rainier for first time in more than 100 years.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Waiter Has Message for Trump Supporters After Receiving $5 Tip with ‘Get Out of America, Fag’ Written on It.

‘It Has A Chilling Effect’: Some In LGBTQ Community Say Scrutiny Of Alex Morse Is Harmful .

Judge stops Idaho from enacting ban on transgender athletes – The ruling means transgender athletes wanting to participate in sports that match their gender identity can do so this fall.

I’m A Nurse Who Cares For Gender Surgery Patients. Here’s Why I Love It So Much – “It’s terribly lonely to have people know you as an incomplete or incorrect version of yourself.”.

Record Number of LGBTQ+ Delegates Make Voices Heard at Dem Convention.

This Week in I Need a Break From Bad News:

Cutie Jack Kennedy Schlossberg appeared at the virtual DNC with his mom.

Evangelical Coalition Urges Christians To Get COVID Vax Because “All Scientific Truth Is Ultimately From God”.

Florida mosquitoes: 750 million genetically modified insects to be released.

Earliest art in the British Isles discovered on Jersey.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer Explained What Her “Shark Week, Motherfucker” Comment Meant And Made It Even Better – “It’s funny and it’s about women’s empowerment, and it makes me smile.”.

This Week in Deplorables:

New Senate Report Links Trump’s Business Partners To Russian Mob, Human Trafficking, And Putin.

Steve Bannon, Three Others Arrested In $25M Scheme To Defraud Donors To Private Border Wall.

Postal Service cuts imperil ladder to middle class for many Black Americans – Postal workers say DeJoy’s policies would make it nearly impossible to cope with sweeping changes that are affecting their jobs every day.

Thom Brennaman should be fired for his anti-gay slur – We know exactly who you are. Calling yourself a “man of faith” isn’t an excuse.

Squidbillies Star Stuart Baker Fired for ‘Extremely Offensive’ Facebook Posts. His long racist rant included calling Dolly Parton a freak and a slut for speaking out against racism, so, you know…

In Memoriam:

Chi Chi DeVayne dead: RuPaul’s Drag Race queen dies at age 34.

Things I wrote:

Sometimes we leap, sometimes we fall, sometimes we’re pushed….

Videos!

Watch Barack Obama’s Full Speech At The 2020 DNC | NBC News:

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Why You Shouldn’t Be Asking If Kamala Harris Is “Black Enough” | The Daily Social Distancing Show:

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Barack Obama’s Fiery, Emotional Speech Sets The Stage For Historic Kamala Harris VP Nomination:

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Billie Eilish debuts ‘My Future’ at the 2020 Democratic National Convention:

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Carly Rae Jepsen – Me And The Boys In The Band:

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It is the second Friday in August! Though tomorrow will be the third Saturday. Aren’t calendars funny?

We had much more moderate weather this week, but another small heat wave is in the forecast. I’ve also spent more than two weeks fighting with insurance company and mail-in pharmacy to get a prescription refilled that has never been a problem for nearly two decades, and I’m not exactly in a good state of mind as I have been without a very important medication for seven days now.

Which is something none of you can help with. So let’s move on 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 awful people, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about the alleged president of the republic, and five videos (plus a notable obituary and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

‘Ms. Jacobs! Is that you?!’ AOC’s Twitter reunion with her second-grade teacher is whole tear-fest.

At Last, Some Good News (For Fish).

One New York Couple Is Getting Creative With Their Romance Amid The Coronavirus.

New Carnivorous Dinosaur Unearthed on Isle of Wight.

Mysterious Bright Spots on Dwarf Planet Ceres Point to Secret Underground Ocean.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Members of Poland’s Parliament Staged a Protest of Anti-gay President With Their Clothes |.

Court rules for Fla. student on bathroom access in major win for transgender rights.

Federal judge shuts down a state’s anti-transgender law… again – “When you treat the federal court like a doormat, there are going to be consequences”.

Ricky Martin Says ‘Adoption Is an Option’ for More Kids: ‘There’s Moments When I Want 10 More’ – Father of four Ricky Martin opens up in his Out cover story about fatherhood and the challenges he has faced in being a gay man considering adoption.

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Is Queer, and It’s in Joe Biden’s ‘Agenda For Women’.

This Week in Haters and Other Deplorable People:

Anti-Lockdown Beach Party Ends In Brawl With Blood-Covered Men Wielding Chainsaws .

Birtherism Is Back: Newsweek Op-Ed Lies About Kamala Harris’s Citizenship – It was written by someone who ran against her. Seems relevant!

Antigay Dog Whistles Wrongly Insinuate Gay Mayor Engaged in Pedophilia.

Erick Erickson: Homosexuality Is “The Product Of Sin”.

LAPD Investigating Possible ‘Swatting’ of Black Lives Matter Leader.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Coronavirus: 97,000 American children test positive for COVID-19 in 2 weeks.

Coronavirus: How Trump killed tens of thousands of Americans.

Georgia student who posted photo of a crowded school hallway and called it ‘good and necessary trouble’ is no longer suspended, her mom says.

A 7-year-old boy in Georgia died of Covid-19, the youngest victim in the state.

News stories suggesting gaiters are worse than no mask at all are relying on a study that proves no such thing – That viral study suggesting gaiters are worse than no mask at all is flawed.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

Donald Trump Gives Away The Game: No Funds For USPS Means No Mail-In Voting.

Fuck You, I’m Voting. “…here we are, it’s 2020, the worst President of my lifetime is just blithely gibbering at a microphone about suppressing voting, and there’s no point trying to pretend that it’s not what’s happening, and that the president’s party isn’t complicit with it.”

Trump calls for ‘a certain freedom’ to wear masks or not – and lies that Joe Biden’s coronavirus policies are ‘anti-scientific’.

Five Ways Trump And GOP Officials Are Undermining The Election Process.

State Department did not consider civilian casualties when sending arms to the Middle East, report finds.

In Memoriam:

Ford, Bush presidential adviser Brent Scowcroft dies at 95 – Scowcroft was the only person to serve as national security adviser to two different administrations.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 8/9/2020: It’s not booze, it’s just black water(?).

Tuesday Tidbits 8/11/2020: It’s a death cult.

It shouldn’t require a keymaster to have fun, or, canon and other forms of gatekeeping in sf/f.

We have the ticket, now get out and vote!

Videos!

President Donald Trump Postmaster Downgrading Of Political Mail Draws Scorn | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC:

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Trump Signs Sham Executive Orders, Takes Credit for Obamacare: A Closer Look:

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Trump’s Terrifying Math: A “Tiny Fraction Of Deaths” Is Acceptable Among School Kids Upon Reopening:

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Kamala Faces Sexism and Dulce Breaks Down the WAP Double Standard | The Daily Social Distancing Show (NSFW, but funny as heck):

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LAUREL – Scream Drive Faster:

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It is the first Friday in August! And this week our state’s regular primary election (as opposed to the Presidential which was many moons ago).

This has been a weird week. Unpleasantly high temperatures for several days, then a small rain storm and the temperatures drop to something more like a day in February or March. And then various problems in other parts of my life that I don’t really want to go into with strangers, but are definitely making things difficult. Which in a general sense is happening to everyone, so, what else is new?

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 awful people, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about the alleged president of the republic, and five videos (plus some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

The Truth Is Paywalled But The Lies Are Free.

Immunology Is Where Intuition Goes to Die – Which is too bad because we really need to understand how the immune system reacts to the coronavirus.

New York attorney general seeks to dissolve NRA in suit accusing gun rights group of wide-ranging fraud and self-dealing.

Was young Mars warm and wet or cold and frozen?

Doctors diagnose advanced cancer—in a dinosaur.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Democratic Platform Promises Bold Action for Racial, LGBTQ+ Equality.

Activists Got A Chicago Children’s Hospital To End Intersex Surgeries. For Them, It’s Just The Beginning.

Out Candidates Advance in Washington, Kansas, and Michigan Primaries.

Mike Pompeo’s Plan for a Hierarchy of Human Rights Could Serve to Undermine Them All – Including LGBTQ and Religious Freedom.

Trans People Are Terrified About the Trump Administration’s New Housing Rule.

This Week in Haters and Other Deplorable People:

Another Day, Another Devin Nunes Defamation Suit Gets Ground Into Hamburger.

The FBI and SWAT teams raided the mansion of California YouTuber Jake Paul – reportedly in connection with “looting and rioting activity” at a Scottsdale.

Gay Trump supporter arrested defacing Black Lives Matter mural for second time – Footage from the scene shows Mark Hutt slithering around the pavement, spreading white paint over the words painted on the street.

Three people have been charged for Twitter’s huge hack, and a Florida teen is in jail.

Jerry Falwell Jr gives a slurred apology & a bizarre excuse for naughty pic – Claims that a bizarre picture of him with a woman who is not his wife – with both their pants undone – was “just in good fun.”.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Coronavirus testing dropping in US even as deaths rise by more than 1,000 a day.

A Vaccine Reality Check – So much hope is riding on a breakthrough, but a vaccine is only the beginning of the end.

CDC Reports Four Deaths From Swallowing Sanitizer.

Covid talks going nowhere as deadline nears – Negotiators met for more than three hours but remain far apart on an agreement.

Some Volunteers Want To Be Infected With Coronavirus To Help Find A Vaccine – But It Isn’t That Simple.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

‘Trump is scared’ and ‘literally does not appear to understand’ what is going on around him: White House reporter.

This May Be The Most Absurd, Trumpian Drama Ever – Fired Anti-LGBT Trump Appointee Now Claims Jacob Wohl Took Her Phone To Post Inflammatory Tweets.

Trump says Microsoft should pay ‘key money’ to Treasury for facilitating TikTok deal. In case you don’t know: “key money” is real estate slang for an illegal under the table bribe to secure a lease or other property agreement. He publicly demanded a bribe.

CNN Anchor Drags Trump Campaign Adviser: ‘You’re Just Saying a Bunch of Crap!’.

Neil Young Sues Trump for Unauthorized Use of His Music During ‘Un-American Campaign of Ignorance and Hate’.

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update 8/1/2020: Like a puff of smoke — and not the good kind.

And the rockets have been awarded — let’s celebrate the Hugo winners.

Recognizing Who Should Have Been Seen All Along, or, Why the Retro Hugos Are Worth Saving.

Dinosaur Bellows to Stave Off the Future, or, that’s not how you should run a Hugo Awards ceremony.

Shadows are gathering, or, a queer ex-evangelical talks about the guns & god crowd.

Videos!

Trump Mispronounces Thailand, Backs NRA | The Tonight Show:

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Kiana Lede “Dear Mr. President” – Late Show:

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Tom Goss Sneaks into the Secret Lair of a Nerdy Bear (Not entirely Work Safe):

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Troye Sivan – Rager teenager! (Official Video):

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Orville Peck – Smalltown Boy (Official Audio):

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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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Is it really the fourth Friday in July? Well, I guess it must be!

I’ve had a cough and sore throat since Saturday. The temperatures were scalding hot for a few days, and then we got a few days of overcast cooler days, though the forecast says that will soon pass. And, of course, the slow burn apocalypse of the real world drags on.

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 science fact and fiction, and five videos (plus notable obituaries).

Stories of the Week:

How Portland Could Undermine Trump’s Urban Crackdown – The arrests in Portland now give courts a chance to expose the unconstitutionality of the president’s June executive order. The fight is already underway.

Steve Wozniak sues YouTube over ongoing bitcoin scams.

David Shor’s Unified Theory of American Politics. “In the postwar era, college-educated professionals were maybe 4 percent of the electorate. Which meant that basically no voters had remotely cosmopolitan values. But the flip side of this is that this educated 4 percent still ran the world. Both parties at this point were run by this highly educated, cosmopolitan minority that held a bunch of values that undergirded the postwar consensus, around democracy and rule of law, and all these things.”

Murder map: Deadliest U.S. cities. And the cities most people expect to be at the top of the list don’t even crack the top ten…

WWE Star Dave Bautista Calls Senator Ted Cruz an Ass-Sucking Nazi.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

Four Myths About Trans Athletes, Debunked.

Dem AGs sue Trump admin. to stop reversal of transgender health protections.

Number of Out U.S. Elected Officials Grows by 21 Percent in Past Year.

Transgender man named Michigan Teacher of the Year – He knows as a transgender man that “everything else takes a back seat” when you don’t feel safe in school.

COVID-19 is quietly ravaging the LGBTQ community.

This Week in the Pandemic:

Ex-FDA Chief Says US Could Hit 300K Deaths In 2020.

Known Coronavirus cases surpassed four million in the United States. The White House and Senate Republicans neared agreement on a proposal for the next round of virus relief.

173 new coronavirus deaths reported Thursday in Florida’s largest daily increase; over 10K cases added.

Republicans Keep Flunking Microbe Economics – Getting other people sick isn’t an “individual choice.”.

Fox Sports To Add Virtual Fans To Baseball Stadiums.

This Week in the Deplorable Thug Occupying the White House:

When Trump Is Gone the US Can Finally Grieve For the Pandemic Dead.

‘They Realize the Bully Is Just Kind of an Empty Suit’ .

US Attorney Demands DHS Investigation Into Arrests Of Protesters By “Secret Police”.

White House portraits of Bill Clinton and George W. Bush moved from prominent space to rarely used room.

Stephen Miller’s Grandmother Died of COVID-19. Her Son Blames the Trump Administration.

This Week in Science Fiction and Science Fact:

My Science Fiction Rabbi – How the prolific writer Barry N. Malzberg showed me my passion was just Judaism in a spacesuit.

The best science fiction and fantasy of the year so far — plus what we’re looking forward to next.

Humans settled in the Americas much earlier than previously thought, according to new finds from Mexico.

This is the first picture of a sunlike star with multiple exoplanets.

Study: Staring at Deep Red Light Can Improve Naturally Declining Vision.

In Memoriam:

Civil Rights Icon, American Hero, and Committed LGBTQ Ally John Lewis Dead at 80.

Obama on his ‘hero’ Rep. John Lewis: ‘I was only there because of the sacrifices he made’.

Rep. John Lewis, civil rights icon, original Freedom Rider, has died.

John Robert Lewis, the son of sharecroppers who survived a brutal beating by police during a landmark 1965 march in Selma, Alabama, to become a towering figure of the civil rights movement and a longtime US congressman, has died after a six-month battle with cancer.

Flossie Wong-Staal, Who Unlocked Mystery of H.I.V., Dies at 73 – A molecular biologist, she helped establish the virus as the cause of AIDS, then cloned it and took it apart to understand how it evades the immune system.

Manzanar survivor Yuki Llewellyn dies at 81.

Naya Rivera Confirmed Dead at 33 in Drowning Accident at Calif. Lake.

Videos!

A Socially Distanced Conversation: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden:

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A Desperate Trump Promises New Covid Strategy, Sends Bizarre Well Wishes To Ghislaine Maxwell:

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Trump’s Insane Chris Wallace Interview; Secret Police in Portland: A Closer Look:

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‘Unbelievable!!!!!’ Produced By Snoop Dogg Stars 40 Former ‘Star Trek’ Cast Members And A Puppet:

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GEE, ANTHONY FAUCI! – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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And here we are at the second Friday in July!

As a long-time resident of Western Washington state (I came to live here as a teenager way back in 1976), I am well aware of the fact that summer weather doesn’t typically arrive here until July 11. Many locals joke that it is July 5, mostly because people remember how many 4ths of July were overcast and/or rainy, and that sunny weather arrived sometime after Independence Day, but statistically it isn’t the 5th, it’s the 11th. I mention this because all this week a lot of local news blogs and such have been hyping the fact this this year year has seen the coolest first week in July in Seattle since 2002. Since I’m a person who basically melts into a puddle of Unable-to-do-anything whenever the temperature gets about 80º Farenheit, I’m not exactly complaining, mind you.

Which means that this must be the Friday Five. This week I bring you:the top five stories of the week, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about deplorable people, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Froth, Feathers, Fluff: The History of the Boa.

Follow The River, No Matter Its Rapids, No Matter Its Turns .

The Study That Debunks Most Anti-Abortion Arguments – For five years, a team of researchers asked women about their experience after having—or not having—an abortion. What do their answers tell us?

Why LGBTQ Children’s Books Aren’t Just for LGBTQ Families.

Elton John says ‘racism and bigotry’ are hindering the fight against HIV/AIDS. “We can achieve an AIDS-free generation in America—but only if we design a system of care that embraces Black people and marginalized communities, and tackles structural racism head-on.”

This Week in the Pandemic:

US reaches 3m confirmed Covid-19 cases as Pence pushes for schools to reopen – as it happened.

California sets record for most coronavirus cases in a single day.

Health official: Trump rally ‘likely’ source of virus surge.

Large antibody study adds to evidence herd immunity to COVID-19 is ‘unachievable’.

Study: Lower COVID Risk for HIV-Positive People on Antiretrovirals.

This Week in Deplorables:

Ted Cruz mocked for tantrum about Gorsuch siding with Native American rights: ‘Way to channel Andrew Jackson’.

Billionaries, lobbyists reap PPP loan windfall.

Fox News regrets ‘mistakenly’ editing Donald Trump out of photo with Jeffrey Epstein.

Drivers target Black Lives Matter protesters in ‘horrifying’ spate of attacks.

Republican candidate brags about pulling her daughter out of college for supporting LGBTQ rights.

In Memoriam:

Nick Cordero, Broadway actor who battled COVID-19, has died at age 41, wife says.

Ennio Morricone, Oscar-Winning Composer of Film Scores, Dies at 91 – His vast output included atmospheric music for spaghetti westerns in his native Italy and scores for some 500 movies by a Who’s Who of directors.

Ennio Morricone, Prolific Italian Composer for the Movies, Dies at 91 – Renowned for scoring Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns, the Oscar winner also produced the sounds and music for ‘Days of Heaven,’ ‘The Mission,’ ‘Cinema Paradiso’ and ‘The Hateful Eight.’

Things I wrote:

Weekend Update on the Fifth of July.

That monument doesn’t belong here.

Speech without consequences isn’t free….

Gentlefolk, Start Your Rockets, er, Hugo Ballots!

Videos!

Cooper: Trump says US in a good place. His experts say otherwise:

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Bounty:

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Rep. Moulton on Russia bounties: ‘This is treasonous behavior’ from Trump:

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POOR DEPLORABLE TROLL – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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Wrabel – since i was young (with kesha) [official audio]:

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And suddenly, it’s July.

When did that happen? Well, okay, I know, Wednesday is when it happened, but it’s a rhetorical question. Sometimes rhetorical questions make great headlines. You’ll find at least one below.

Which means that this must be the Friday Five. This week I bring you:the top five stories of the week, five stories of interest to queers and our allies, five stories about the pandemic, five stories about deplorable people, five stories about science, and five videos (plus notable obituaries and some things I wrote).

Stories of the Week:

Working the Refs Worked: ‘How Facebook Wrote Its Rules to Accommodate Trump’.

Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate sues Netflix for giving Sherlock Holmes too many feelings.

Witness the rare, gay double-proposal that went viral.

Not the End Times I Prepared For.

Thousands of U.S. judges who broke laws or oaths remained on the bench.

This Week in News for Queers and Allies:

9 queer political figures creating a more perfect union this election year.

Godzilla’s daughter just came out as trans in the most adorable, uplifting short film and it deserves every single Oscar.

Tarzan Made Me Gay. I was a couple years younger than the author of this pieces when I saw hunky Mike Henry in Tarzan and the Valley of Gold, and he definitely made an impression.

Former Liberty U. Staffer Opens Up About Being Queer on an Anti-Gay Campus.

Indianapolis Catholic Schools’ New Policy Forces Gender Conformity on Trans Kids.

This Week in the Pandemic:

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Soar Above 50,000 In New Single-Day Record.

As coronavirus cases soar, Texas issues statewide order requiring face coverings.

Another Day, Another Coronavirus Record In Florida.

Arizona activates hospital plan with guidance for rationing health care.

‘Extreme inequality was the preexisting condition’: How COVID-19 widened America’s wealth gap.

This Week in Deplorables:

Is Trump Trying to Kill Us All?

The Coronavirus Spread In A Dallas Megachurch’s Choir And Orchestra. Then It Hosted Mike Pence.

Did Cards Against Humanity’s ironic humor mask a toxic culture all along?

Karens — racist people who weaponize white supremacy against Black people — have permeated every level of American life, all the way up to the Karen-in-Chief. They must be stopped.

Detroit man sentenced to life in prison for killing two gay men and a transgender woman.

This Week in Science and Technology:

Core of a gas planet seen for the first time.

A sparrow song remix took over North America with astonishing speed – A variation on the white-throated sparrow’s song spread 3,300 kilometers in just a few decades.

Flying Snakes Can Travel Remarkable Distances, Now Scientists Know How.

Mystery over monster star’s vanishing act.

How one teaspoon of Amazon soil teems with fungal life.

In Memoriam:

Carl Reiner, longtime comedy legend, dies at 98.

“Now This is Funny”: My Recent Afternoon at Carl Reiner’s House – When The Hollywood Reporter’s senior film editor Rebecca Keegan was invited to watch ‘The Jerk’ with its legendary director, she learned that his reputation for self-effacing generosity was no joke.

Hugh Downs, Longtime Host of ’20/20′ and the ‘Today’ Show, Dies at 99.

Milton Glaser, Master Designer of ‘I ♥ NY’ Logo, Is Dead at 91 – He was also a founder of New York magazine, created a memorable Bob Dylan poster and produced designs for everything from supermarkets to restaurants to “Mad Men.”.

Things I wrote:

It’s Pride Day, 2020 — Happy Pride!.

Confessions of a rainbow wearing queer geek in quarantine.

On the last day of Pride Month: Police Brutality and Religious Bigots.

Midweek Update 7/1/2020: Time for more words and images.

Videos!

The Logical Conclusion: Black Americans Must Be Declared National Monuments:

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Mrs. Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian – Evangelicals Unmasked:

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COVER YOUR FREAKIN’ FACE! – A Randy Rainbow Song Parody:

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Right Said Fred – ‘Good Times Everybody’ (Official Video):

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Jessie Ware – What’s Your Pleasure?:

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