News Round-Up: June 8, 2017

Nick Sandell - Photo credit: Frank Marando

Some news items you may have missed:

• Fitness model (and Randy Report favorite) Nick Sandell shares the news he's been signed by the legendary Wilhelmina Agency. Gee, can't imagine why... ;)

• Education Secretary Betsy DeVos won't commit to banning LGBTQ discrimination in private schools. Is anyone surprised? Show of hands? No? No? Me neither.

• As lawmakers in the Lone Star state continue to consider an anti-trans "bathroom bill," Texas-based Southwest Airlines gives some push-back by highlighting a transgender employee in new Pride Month video.

• Debra Messing & Sean Hayes together with GLAAD urge folks to join in the upcoming June 11th Pride Marches:

• Speaking of this weekend's Pride Marches, the organizers of D.C.’s annual Capital Pride parade and festival, plus the Equality March for Unity and Pride on Sunday, say the total number of people participating in D.C. could exceed several hundred thousand.

• Capturing the rebelliousness, the high camp, and the joy of the annual Invasion of the Pines, renowned photographer Susan Kravitz is releasing Mascara, Mirth & Mayhem, a collection of photos and interviews from over 30 years of the annual Fire Island event.

Debra Messing Explains How The WILL & GRACE Reboot Happened

On Late Night with Seth Meyers, Debra Messing explained exactly how the reboot of Will & Grace came about 11 years after the groundbreaking sitcom left the air.

Referencing the election scene back in September 2016 that brought the fab four back together, Messing says it was hard for NBC to ignore.

“Because that little skit got 7 million views – NBC, they were like, ‘wait a second.'”

Debra Messing Accepts GLAAD's "Excellence In Media" Award Will A Call To Action

Debra Messing accepts GLAAD's Excellence in Media Award

Accepting GLAAD’s Excellence in Media Award in New York City this past Saturday, honoree Debra Messing declared, "It's time to make America gay again!"

The Excellence in Media Award is presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting LGTBQ acceptance.

During her remarks, Messing said, "Right now there is a very bad and very orange man in the White House. At least a few days a month."

But it wasn't just the president Messing had a message for. She also spoke directly to Ivanka Trump:

"It’s not enough to simply say that women’s issues are important to you. It’s time to do something. You can change the lives of millions of women and children just by telling your dad stories about real people who are suffering.

"Don’t let him separate immigrant mothers from their American-born children. Don’t let him take health care away from women who need it. Don’t allow him to make trans kids like Gavin [Grimm] fight in court for their basic human dignity."

This fall, Messing and her original Will & Grace costars will return to NBC for a 12 episode reboot of the iconic sitcom.

News Round-Up: January 3, 2017

Fitness model Nick Sandell

Some news items you may have missed:

• Nick Sandell wishes you a shirtless Happy Happy New Year!

• Debra Messing says new Will & Grace episodes are not a done deal.

• Only 46% of Americans believe Donald Trump can handle an international crisis versus an average of 71% of his predecessors.

• Janet Jackson gives birth to her first child at 50.

• The Alabama NAACP is holding a sit-in at Sen. Jeff Sessions office until he withdraws his nomination for U.S. Attorney General.

• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has proposed to offer free tuition at state colleges to hundreds of thousands of middle- and low-income New Yorkers.

• On New Year's Eve, a federal judge issued an injunction blocking enforcement of federal protections that would have barred those in healthcare services to deny reproductive health services as well as services to transgender people based on "religious beliefs."

• It's been 159 days since Donald Trump held a press conference. Back in the summer days of the campaign, he excoriated Hillary Clinton for going 179 days with answering questions from the press. Hypocrisy?

WILL & GRACE Stars Tease Possible Reunion Show

Debra Messing tweeted this video teaser this morning that seems to indicate there's a Will & Grace reunion happening soon.

The title cards for the video read, "“A band of heroes WILL assemble to protect the world from aliens & destruction. Only an act of GRACE can save them in their battle for what is right. Only they can bring America back from the brink.”

See what they did there?

We shall see if the reunion ends up being a special or more. The fans of the show recently celebrated the series' 18th anniversary of it's launch.

pic.twitter.com/L24cLigaTH

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 26, 2016

I used to be able to do this without glasses... pic.twitter.com/l9ctYCZqH6

— Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack) September 26, 2016

I feel like something BIG is going to happen tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/oIy0nCxirb

— Debra Messing (@DebraMessing) September 26, 2016

As seannie said...We're BACK!!!!!" @seanhayes @meganomullally @ericmccormack

A photo posted by Debra Messing (@therealdebramessing) on Sep 26, 2016 at 12:11pm PDT

Debra Messing cast in new CBS pilot for fall

More indication that SMASH is pretty much done.

As if the move to Saturday nights wasn't enough, EW is reporting Ms. Messing already has a new gig with CBS.