Blue Cross of Western New York says they’ll offer spousal health care benefits to validly married gay and lesbian couples: “The news comes less than three weeks after the NYCLU filed a lawsuit against the company on behalf of a Buffalo lesbian couple that said it was denied such health benefits.”
Guess who’s on the short list to join Dancing with the Stars?
Asian HIV infection rate reaching epidemic proportions: “All over Asia there are now epidemics of HIV in men who have sex with men of the same magnitude that we saw in this country 25 years ago. That is something that has been detected fairly recently. There is not enough action yet but we are now starting programs.”
Arctic ice shelf sheds largest chunk in two years: “The 4-square-kilometer (1.5-square-mile) piece broke off last week, the newspaper said, citing Sami Soja, a surveyor working for Parks Canada who witnessed part of the event. It’s the biggest piece shed since the entire Ayles shelf, one of Canada’s six major ice shelves, broke off in 2005, creating a 66- square-kilometer frozen island, the newspaper said.”
The long list for the coveted Man Booker literary prize has been announced.
Tim Gunn was paid $2,500 an episode for season two of Project Runway.
Man in Sonoma County’s first same-sex marriage dies suddenly.
Check out the new trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
FBI dubs Seattle bank robber ‘The Brokeback Bandit’: “We don’t know his sexual orientation. The name was because of his cowboy hat. The guy’s got a cowboy hat. It’s a popular movie. Let’s not be too overly concerned about the bank robber’s feelings.” Wouldn’t the Brokebank bandit have been more appropriate?
Christopher Ciccone denies Madonna involvement in writing of tell-all: “If she did, then she’s doing the best acting job I’ve ever seen. No. Whoever is doing it (making up the stories) is doing me a great favor. I appreciate it.”
Landslide?: Three political scientists describe tight presidential race as a myth. “Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science at Emory University, Thomas Mann, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution, and Larry Sabato, professor of politics at University of Virginia, accused the media of flogging a dead horse in trying to portray the presidential race as a cliffhanger.”
John Mayer shaves most of his hair off.
Provincetown police department gets a Harley-Davidson: “The motorcycle, which will be leased for a year, will give the police nimbleness to drive through narrow, crowded streets and respond quickly to crosstown calls, Jaran said. It will also reduce the wear on cruisers and invigorate the younger, more energetic department members, he said.”
Parrish the thought: New season of Weeds gets buff and kinky.
Aaron Charney, the attorney who sued his firm Sullivan & Cromwell for anti-gay discrimination and retaliation, will join Clifford Chance next month: “Based on the experts it spoke to, the WSJ concluded that ‘it’ll be tough for Charney, though not impossible, to find work at another big firm.’ In the comments to the WSJ post, readers were less optimistic.”
Janice Dickinson stops Lizzie Grubman from running anyone else down in an SUV.
British lesbian couple receives £5,000 settlement after real estate agency posted the word “lesbians” on an advertisement for their home: “In a statement, they added: ‘Publicly linking our home address with our sexuality could have ruined our lives.’ The couple’s lawyers, Russell Jones & Walker, said the estate agent had settled the case before it reached court. Philip Gilbey, a partner in Jackson-Stops & Staff, said: ‘It was the regrettable action of an individual uploading the property details – it wasn’t the butt of an office joke. It resulted in a formal disciplinary hearing and that person has narrowly avoided instant dismissal.'”
New Alzheimer’s drug halts progression of disease: “The people on placebo lost an average of 7 percent of their brain function over six months whereas those on treatment didn’t decline at all.”
Residents of Salinas, California voice concerns over recently approved gay pride parade: “Vicky Norton said she isn’t opposed to free speech, but was concerned that gay pride events would lead to acts such as indecent exposure, public defecation and urination. ‘We have the right to assemble, but we also have the right to uphold the law,’ she said. Todd Williams, owner of the Cherry Bean Coffee House on Main Street, said the parade attracted lots of customers last year and is hoping the same will happen again. ‘I saw no pooping’ last year, he said.”
