News Round-Up: July 3, 2019

InstaHunk Jeff Ferreira

Some news items you might have missed:

• InstaHunk Jeff Ferreira calls the setting for this photo (above) "perfectly perfect." No wonder he looks so natural there ;)

• ABC News: According to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, nearly 5 million people took part in this past weekend's World Pride festivities.

• New York Times: It was 38 years ago today that a mysterious disease was reported to be targeting gay men in San Francisco and New York City. And so began a pandemic that the Reagan and Bush administrations would choose, in large part, to ignore.

• Washington Post: Tennessee has quietly enacted a new law that bars ministers ordained online from solemnizing weddings in the state. As of July 1, only priests, rabbis, ministers, people designated through a temple or church, and public officials can perform weddings. Many LGBT folks have their weddings officiated by family members or friends since many religious or elected officials won't perform the ceremony, especially in deep red states.

• Page Six: Anderson Cooper (youngest child of now-deceased Gloria Vanderbilt) will inherit almost all of his mother's estate. In 2014, Cooper told Howard Stern he didn't expect to inherit anything.

• Tweet of the Day: White contractor shows up to the job of black homeowner with a racist Confederate flag on the back of his truck. Hit play to see what happened next.

A white contractor shows up to the job of a black homowner with a racist confederate flag on the back of his truck. The homeowner turns him away. pic.twitter.com/P6lsS7UG89

— Brother Tyrone X (@tyrone345345) July 2, 2019

Fashion Designer Gloria Vanderbilt Dies At 95

(Anderson Cooper and mother, Gloria Vanderbilt - image via Instagram)

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced the passing of his own mother, fashion designer/socialite Gloria Vanderbilt, in a moving eulogy this morning.

The artist, dubbed "the poor little rich girl" when she was a child, was 95 years old.

In her teens, she began her career as a model but eventually became a fashion designer. In 2002, she sold her company for $138 million.

From CNN:

"Gloria Vanderbilt was an extraordinary woman, who loved life, and lived it on her own terms," Cooper said in a statement. "She was a painter, a writer and designer but also a remarkable mother, wife, and friend.

"She was 95 years old, but ask anyone close to her, and they'd tell you: She was the youngest person they knew -- the coolest and most modern."

Vanderbilt was diagnosed with an advanced form of stomach cancer earlier this month, Cooper said.

She joined Instagram at the age of 93, and Anderson says she was amazed anyone was interested in her on social media even as she accrued over 200k followers. Click over to peruse a fascinating collection of personal photos and art by the designer.

Cooper posted these photos of his mother on her 95th birthday:

View this post on Instagram

Happy 95th Birthday to my mom, @gloriavanderbilt. Still painting everyday @gloriavanderbiltstudio. Still dreaming and creating, still believing the next great love is right around the corner. Who knows? Maybe she is right? I love you, Mom.

A post shared by andersoncooper (@andersoncooper) on Feb 20, 2019 at 6:40am PST

News Round-Up: January 2, 2018

Some news items you might have missed:

• Fitness trainer Terron Beckham (above) was giving you all kinds of super-hero vibes on New Years Day. #woof

• Two men have been arrested in connection with a Christmas holiday murder that left a lesbian couple and their two of their three children dead in upstate New York.

• Watching CNN's coverage of New Year's Eve, I felt like Anderson Cooper and new co-host Andy Cohen lacked the right chemistry for what is normally an upbeat broadcast. It looks like a lot of the Twitterverse agreed with my assessment. But CNN's Don Lemon kissing his bf on the air was fun :)

Don Lemon kissing his boyfriend - whom he met last year in same bar - live on #CNNNYE 💜 Love is real in 2018! pic.twitter.com/cUDe4nbhVk

— Jillian Sederholm (@JillianSed) January 1, 2018

• The Advocate has an excellent article on flexing the power of the LGBT community's trillion dollar economic clout. First step, support LGBT-owned companies. Second, read the article.

• After filling in for over a month for the departed Matt Lauer (fired for alleged sexual misconduct), Hoda Kotb was named co-anchor of "Today" on this morning. She will headline the 7-9AM segment of the morning show with Savannah Guthrie, as well as continue to host the 10AM hour with Kathie Lee Gifford.

• Platinum-selling recording artist BØRNS releases his latest track, “God Save Our Young Blood feat. Lana Del Rey,” ahead of his sophomore album Blue Madonna which is set for release on January 12, 2018.

If you were to suppose BØRNS and Lana Del Rey seems like a totally logical teaming, you'd be right. Listen below.

News Round-Up: August 24, 2017

Steve Raider via Instagram

Some news items you may have missed:

• Model Steve Raider's prescription for a happy life, "A smile a day," accomplishes his goal; at least on my end :)

• Powerball announced that a single ticket sold at a convenience store in Chicopee, Mass., was the winner of Wednesday night’s $758.7 million jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. Can you imagine? I can :)

• India's Supreme Court has ruled that privacy is a "Personal Liberty guaranteed in Article 21 of the Constitution." The ruling has implications for several other issues, including sexual rights and freedoms for LGBTs.

• The city of Athens, Ohio joined Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, and Dayton in banning the dangerous and discredited practice of "conversion therapy" on minors.

• For 12 hours, MTV Australia is replacing its regular lineup with an automated message urging Aussies to make sure and sign up for upcoming marriage equality mail-in vote.

• Anderson Cooper calmly and methodically offers this epic takedown of Donald Trump's lies and attempts to rewrite history at his rally in Phoenix earlier this week.

"Last night, what we saw was all about him." @andersoncooper is #KeepingThemHonest https://t.co/qrJwn4DIKF https://t.co/mxW27jiBEb

— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) August 24, 2017

CNN host Don Lemon also offered his take on the Trumpster's speech: “a total eclipse of the facts” and “without reason.”

Anderson Cooper's Fiery Interview With Trump Advisor Kellyanne Conway

Don't let the length of the clip fool you. This was quite riveting to watch.

Good on Anderson that he doesn't back down. Make sure you watch to the end when he CONFIRMS that CNN never linked to the document dump or to Buzzfeed.

Conway is wrong, spinning for the Trumpers, and never acknowledges she's wrong.

What's clear is Team Trump has a huge chip on it's shoulder that folks didn't think he would win.

Near the end Conway asks why 8 years ago at this time CNN was reporting that President Obama was headed to Oslo to pick up a Nobel Peace Prize, but no one's reporting that about Trump today.

Umm, maybe because Trump hasn't won a Nobel Peace Prize???

From CNN:

In a fiery exchange, Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway and Anderson Cooper clash over CNN's reporting of the classified documents presented to President Obama and President-elect Donald J. Trump http://cnn.it/2jG0Mom

"I haven't talked to Sean Hannity today. I'm sure you guys have a couple times." Anderson Cooper 2 Kellyanne Conway. https://t.co/Pz3Jg0dOt7

— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) January 12, 2017

Anderson Cooper Doesn't Let Trump Campaign Manager Get Away With Hypocrisy

CNN's Anderson Cooper asked Donald Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway about her candidate's decision to speculate on the recent "Comey Incident" regarding possible new emails found on an aide's laptop.

(p.s. nothing new was found, greatly disappointing the Trumpsters)

Here's the text of the interchange:

Anderson: Is it irresponsible if a man who might be president of the United States to speculate about something about which he has no facts?

Conway: Everybody speculated for nine days.

Anderson: If everybody jumped off a bridge it doesn’t mean you should jump off a bridge too.

Conway: I’ll take note of that.

Anderson: Don’t you think it’s irresponsible? Apparently you don’t.

The conversation moved on to recent comments by the Nevada Republican chair who asserted that rules were broken during early voting (don't worry - they weren't) for "certain groups." Of course, what the GOP Chair was talking about was the huge Hispanic turnout on Friday night at a Latino supermarket.

Cooper asked if Conway had any proof that "special favors" were being given to these "certain groups." Conway admitted she had no proof.

Anderson replied, “Don’t facts matter? If the chairman of the Nevada Republican Party is making this inaccurate claim, that polling places are kept open so a certain group could vote, it was people in line in time to vote. Why imply that it is this certain group?”

Watch the full exchange below:

Anderson Cooper Slaps Back At Pam Bondi's Complaints Of "Edited" Interview

After Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi called into a friend's radio to complain about being "ambushed" in a CNN interview with Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper took to the airwaves to set the record straight.

I love that Anderson presents the pre-interview notes on the air.

Truth be told, it doesn't take an Anderson Cooper to make Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi look bad. She's been doing that all on her own for a long time.

For years Bondi worked fervently to keep equal rights, like marriage equality, from "the gays." So, when she spends her time on national TV these past few days (in an effort to bolster her political career) pretending she's some great ally of the LGBT community, this is exactly what happens.

Here's how Anderson responded to Bondi's claims that her interview was unfair, and that it was "edited."

“She’s either mistaken or she’s not telling the truth,” the CNN host said on his show, Anderson Cooper 360. “Let’s be real here. Ms. Bondi’s big complaint seems to be that I asked in the wake of a massacre of gay and lesbian citizens about her new statements about the gay community and about her old ones.”

“For the record, my interview was not filled with any anger. I was respectful before the interview, I was respectful during the interview and I was respectful after the interview. I don’t know Pam Bondi personally, she seems like a nice person actually. I don’t think she has hate in her heart. But what I think doesn’t matter, its my job to hold people accountable. If on Sunday a politician was talking love and embracing quote ‘our LGBT community’ I don’t think it’s unfair to look at their record and see if they have actually ever spoken that way publicly before which I never heard her say.

"The fact is, Attorney General Bondi signed off on a 2014 federal court brief that claimed married gay people would pose ‘significant public harm’. Harm. She spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxpayer money. Gay and straight taxpayers money, trying to keep gays and lesbians from getting the right to marry. Now look, good people can and do disagree on that issue. everyone has a right to their own opinion thank goodness. But Ms. Bondi is championing right now her efforts to help survivors but the very right which allows gay spouses to bury their dead loved ones – that’s a right that would not exist if Ms Bondi had had her way. I think it’s fair to ask her about that. There is an irony in that."

And for the record, here is the entire interview segment that began this whole debate:

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi Says CNN Interview Was "Unfair"

Yesterday, I posted the absolutely EPIC take-down by CNN's Anderson Cooper of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi over her past rocky relationship with her state's LGBT community.

To recap,  Bondi has spent years - and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars - fighting against LGBT rights. But in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting that left 49 dead and 53 hospitalized, she has suddenly (in front of national news cameras) become our "fervent" ally.

Sarcasm intended.

So, during an interview yesterday, Anderson Cooper shared with the AG that many of her LGBT constituents don't think she supports them, and in fact, opposes them.

It was terrific, and long overdue.

Today, during an interview with NY's WOR 710 radio, she complained that she was treated "unfairly."

Via Politico:

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said her interview Tuesday with CNN’s Anderson Cooper was unfairly edited after it was posted online and served only to “encourage anger and hate.”

In an interview with New York’s WOR 710 radio Wednesday morning, Bondi said her understanding was that her interview with Cooper would focus on donation scams surrounding the mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub early Sunday morning. Instead, after one question about scams targeting people seeking to help victims, the CNN anchor grilled the Florida attorney general on her history of opposing marriage equality and other LGBT issues.

Bondi said it was inappropriate for Cooper to press her on her relationship with the LGBT community, especially in front of a hospital where shooting victims were continuing to recover.

“There’s a time and place for everything,” she said. “But yesterday wasn’t the time nor the place in front of a hospital when we could have been helping victims.”

As a reminder, I posted the ENTIRE segment yesterday. Here it is again, in all it's glory.

Anderson Cooper To Florida AG Pam Bondi: "Do You Really Think You're A Champion Of The Gay Community?"

In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Florida's Attorney General Pam Bondi found herself explaining how she suddenly became an ally of the LGBT community in the wake of the deadly Orlando shooting when she's spent years fighting to deny LGBTs rights.

“Do you really think you’re a champion of the gay community? You used language accusing gay people of seeking to do harm to the people of Florida. You argued that in court.

"The hotline that you’ve been talking about on television, which allows family members and spouses of the dead to get information had there been no gay marriage, you do realize that there would be no spouses.

"Isn’t there a sick irony in that? Isn’t there a sick irony that you, for years, were fighting that very idea?”

“Is it hypocritical to portray yourself as a champion of the gay community when - I’m just reflecting what gay people told me - they don’t see you as this?”

“It’s just that, I will say I have never really seen you talk about gays and lesbians and transgender people in a positive way until now.”

Anderson does NOT let go. Good for him. We've all wanted to ask her these questions.

Bondi's statements in support of LGBTs of late can only be described as political opportunism at best.

Bondi spent nearly $500,000 of taxpayer dollars fighting marriage equality in her state.

Bondi was in recent headlines when it came to light that she dropped a pending lawsuit against Trump University just days after a $25K donation to her reelection fund from Donald Trump.

Anderson Cooper's Emotional Tribute To 49 Killed In Orlando Shooting

CNN's Anderson Cooper gets emotional as he reads the names, ages and background info of the victims of the shooting massacre that took place at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.

HBO Documentary NOTHING LEFT UNSAID

I will be watching this. Not for the tabloid, "watching the wealthy" aspect but for the introspective look into what the lives of those we "think" have everything might really be like.

From HBO:

Born into one of the wealthiest and best-known families in American history, Gloria Vanderbilt has lived in the public eye for more than 90 years, unapologetically pursuing love, family and career, while experiencing extreme tragedy and tremendous success side by side. Directed by Liz Garbus, the poignant and revealing feature-length documentary Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt & Anderson Cooper features a series of candid conversations as Vanderbilt and her youngest son, Anderson Cooper, look back at her remarkable life.

Intertwining archival footage and previously unseen home videos spanning eight decades with present-day scenes, the film paints an intimate portrait of one of America’s most fascinating families. Cooper and Vanderbilt tell the story of their past and present, losses and loves, and show how, in life, patterns repeat themselves in the most unexpected ways.

Drawing on Gloria Vanderbilt’s private archive of letters, home movies, photos and artwork created by her over the years, as well as vintage news footage and newspaper clippings, Nothing Left Unsaid is a journey through a life like no other. Son Anderson Cooper explains, “She’s got this public face, but the reality of her life is so different.”

Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper premieres Saturday, April 9, only on HBO.

Anderson Cooper To Trump: "That's The Argument Of A Five-Year-Old"

At last night's CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall, Donald Trump attempted to explain the feud between himself and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas which has included photos and tweets of their wives.

Cooper brought up Trump's decision to share an image comparing the appearance of his wife to Cruz's. The tweet used an unflattering photo of Heidi Cruz.

After trying to obfuscate the issue by talking about GQ Magazine covers and great photographers, Trump resorted to "I didn't start it."

This is how the conversation went.

Cooper: You're running for president of the United States.

Trump: Excuse me, I didn't start It. I didn't start it.

Cooper: But, sir, with all due respect, that the argument of a 5 year old.

Trump: No, it's not.

Cooper: The argument of a 5 year old is "he started it."

Trump: You would say that. That's the problem with our country.

Cooper: Every parent knows a kid who says "he started it."

Trump: Excuse me. No, no. That's the problem. Exactly that thinking is the problem this country has.

Here's the whole exchange:

Anderson Cooper Has Awkward Misstep With President Obama During Town Hall

Arguably the stupidest question of many in @andersoncooper's career, properly hit by Obama #GunsInAmerica pic.twitter.com/Cim9NCEB0m

— Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) January 8, 2016

While hosting last night's Town Hall with President Obama last night on CNN, Anderson Cooper had what is easily one of his worst moments on television - and that includes anything that's happened on New Year's Eve with Kathy Griffin.

With a straight face, Cooper asked the President if it would fair to call ridiculous claims that Obama wants to take guns away from law-abiding Americans guns and impose martial law a "conspiracy" since "a lot of people really believe this deeply."

Even the president registered a moment of amazement before swatting the question away.

(h/t Boy Culture)

CNN's Don Lemon To Kathy Griffin On The Air: "Nice Rack"

During a stroll through Times Square with Anderson Cooper during the CNN coverage of New Year's Eve, comedian Kathy Griffin dropped her coast to walk sans blouse.

CNN's Don Lemon remarked from New Orleans to Griffin, "nice rack - didn't know you had all that going on up there."

Lemon, who is openly gay, was also sipping from a cup during the evening which his co-host Brooke Baldwin took from him after the comment.

Anderson Cooper (also openly gay) responded to Griffin dropping her coat with "you've got a rocking bod, I have to say."

Thoughts? Was this a bad thing? Was it just New Year's Eve antics? Does it matter that Lemon or Cooper are gay? If a straight male news anchor told a guest they had a "nice rack" would that fly?

Or are folks just bored and making a mountain out of two nicely "racked" mole hills?

Thoughts On The First Democratic Debate

(photo: Alex Wong)

Just off the top of my head...

• It's notable that Hillary Clinton was the only candidate to bring up LGBT issues at all last night (partly because the topic wasn't introduced by the moderator) and she did so in the first few minutes of the event in her opening statement.

"This is about bringing our country together again. And I will do everything I can to heal the divides -- the divides economically, because there's too much inequality; the racial divides; the continuing discrimination against the LGBT community..."

• Hillary knew when to not interject and possibly become a target of the discussion, and when to use body language to nod her head in agreement when others were talking - it kept her visually present in the moment.

• Hillary was ready with a strong answer when asked about her vote for the Iraq war: "Well, I recall very well being on a debate stage, I think, about 25 times with then-Sen. Obama debating this very issue. After the election he asked me to become Secretary of State. He valued my judgment and I spent a lot of time with him in the Situation Room going over some very difficult issues."

• Anderson Cooper was a highlight worth mentioning, also. Strong, prepared, not afraid of clear follow-up questions, he held the candidates to the questions and when needed would circle back after a non-answer: "Senator, you didn't answer the question," he said more than once.

• One quibble I had was the tone set at the beginning as he chose to start with questions that, basically, called each candidate out on their weak spots. No problem with those questions, but I thought it began the event with everyone on defense. As a viewer I'd have preferred that line of questions had come later.

• CNN made little use of the secondary moderators leaving little input from the female (Dana Bash), the African-American (Don Lemon) and the Latino (Juan Carlos Lopez) and there didn't seem to be a good reason. Cooper delivered a strong performance, but perhaps he forgot his colleagues sitting on stage?

• While I realize neither former Sen. Jim Webb nor Gov. Lincoln Chaffee will not be the next Democratic nominee for president, the amount of time afforded them (which Webb openly groused about the entire evening) was unfair. I understand everyone can't have EXACTLY the same time, but the difference in talk time and questions was vast. Check the table below.

• Sanders can lay claim to the most memorable moment of the evening when he chimed in on the subject of Clinton's email server woes. “Let me say something that may not be politically smart, but the secretary is right: the American people are sick and tired of hearing about your damn e-mails,” Sanders stated. “Thank you, Bernie, thank you,” Clinton said.

Watch below:

WATCH: Bernie & Hillary Destroy The Republicans' Email "Scanda...
The ending is AMAZING.Video by Occupy Democrats, LIKE our page for more!
Posted by Occupy Democrats on Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Anderson Cooper Puts Larry Tomczak On "The Ridiculist"

Last night, Anderson Cooper added anti-gay Larry Tomczak to the Ridiculist for his recent attacks on the "gay agenda" and "gay lifestyle."

Here's just a bit of Anderson's on-air commentary:

"I’ve never actually been to the secret meeting where the gays plot their agenda, though I imagine the catering is quite amazing.

"But thanks to someone named Larry Tomczak, my eyes have been opened.

"I don't know what a gay lifestyle is, like I don't know what a straight lifestyle is. Seems like all the gay people I know, just like all the straight people I know, live all different kinds of lives. I know gay police officers and doctors, gay marines and ministers, even a couple of gay TV news anchors believe it or not.

"And all the ones I know just want to live their lives with the same kinds of rights and responsibilities as everyone else."

Anderson's use of subtle humor is to be applauded. See if you catch all of his "gay lifestyle" references throughout.

Bravo, Anderson!

Kathy Griffin Dishes On Dinner With Anderson Cooper & Ryan Seacrest

In a hilarious rant, Kathy Griffin regales David Letterman about the time she went to a New Year's Eve dinner with Anderson Cooper and Ryan Seacrest.

Apparently, Seacrest is indeed a robot, and Anderson Cooper turns blue when announced at a restaurant.

It's all very, very Kathy. Some funny lines in this.

Anderson Cooper Punked On The Air By His Own Staff

Anderson Cooper got punked by his own staff last night as he began to read "The Ridiculist" segment.

It seems Anderson is unaware that his coworkers find his expensive, boutique "Basil" scented candle rather foul smelling. The candle is an attempt to freshen the air in spite of his jeans which he apparently never washes.

As Anderson began to read from the teleprompter, he realized he was the subject of his own segment: "Really, this is what the 'Ridiculist' is about tonight? I should've read it ahead of time."

The staff goes on to describe the candle scent as being like "Grandma's House" and "Woodstock vomit."

And then, of course, Anderson finds himself in one of his famous giggling episodes. Watch below:

(h/t Advocate)

Anderson Cooper Shuts Down "Selfie" Request From Journalist At Site Of Ottawa Shooting

CNN's Anderson Cooper does not suffer fools lightly.

Reporting from Ottawa last night on the tragic shootings at Canada's National War Memorial and Parliament, a "journalist" named Vandon Gene who was a contributor to the Sun News approached Cooper about taking a "selfie" with him near the location of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo's fatal shooting.

Cooper made clear he thought it highly inappropriate and that he was there to report on the incident, not smile for the guy's camera near the site of the soldier's death.

Gene apparently thought this made Cooper a jerk, so he pulled out his phone and recorded another request for a pic wherein Cooper repeats how inappropriate the idea was.

Then, Gene posted the video and tweets complaining about Cooper denying him a "selfie."

Cooper took a deep breath and issued this very public series of tweets to the idiot:

Gene eventually tweeted an apology, but it was waaaaaay too late. According to the Sun News, Gene no longer works for them.

You can watch the very brief interchange via Mediaite below:

Anderson Cooper Takes Down Pat Robertson Over "You Can Get AIDS From Towels" Comments

I recently wrote about the incredibly stupid warning Pat Robertson made about traveling "overseas" because you might get AIDS from towels.

Pause for a moment because - like ice cream "brain freeze" - the stupid just plain hurts.)

Well, I wasn't the only one to think Pat's idiocy stood out.

Well, Anderson Cooper took Robertson to task for the comments as he included the sad episode on last night's "Ridiculist."