Grindr Founder Joel Simkhai Buys $13 Million Hollywood Hills Mansion

James McClain

January 22, 2020, 11:32 PM UTC

Gay hookup app Grindr recently celebrated its milestone 10-year anniversary, simultaneously commemorating its 4 million daily users from 200 countries around the globe. And although founder Joel Simkhai is no longer with the company that made him wealthy, he’s still got plenty of reasons to celebrate. Simkhai sold his app to a Chinese gaming outfit for $245 million in two deals between 2016 and 2018, and now he’s rung in the new decade by forking out $13 million for a never-lived-in mansion overlooking West Hollywood and L.A.’s iconic Sunset Strip.

Simkhai is also becoming a bit of a Hollywood Hills land baron. Back in 2014, he paid $3.6 million for a house above the Sunset Strip — he’s since razed that structure, and the property is now vacant. And almost exactly two years ago, he paid a neighborhood record $10.5 million for a mansion in L.A.’s star-studded Outpost Estates enclave that remains his main residence, at least for now.

More from Variety

Tax records reveal the newest house, a nearly 8,800 sq. ft. boxy contemporary structure, was spec-built by a development group and completed in 2017, when it was first listed with a $22.5 million pricetag. Unfortunately for the sellers, it took more than two years and at least two changes of realtors before they finally snagged Simkhai’s lowball $13 million offer — a figure that represents barely 57% of the original asking price.

Perched atop a promontory surrounded by a nearly sheer hillside, the walled and gated compound includes a substantial motorcourt plus a three-car garage. A courtyard area leads to the front door and double-height entryway, and the interior spaces feature walls of glass and retractable doors that highlight the sensational views. There a marble-slathered eat-in kitchen with designer Gaggenau appliances, a dining room, family room and wet bar on the main level.

Upstairs are four guest/family bedroom suites, including a sumptuous owner’s retreat that offers dual bathrooms and dual showroom closets, plus an outdoor lounge area. An elevator will whisk Simkhai down to the home’s lower level, which is party-ready with another wet bar, a home theater, gym and a sauna.

An L-shaped, negative-edge swimming pool takes center stage in the backyard, and includes an inset spa plus a Baja shelf. There’s also a firepit, an outdoor BBQ and dining area, and a couple wee patches of faux grass for aesthetic purposes, presumably.

James Harris and David Parnes of the Agency held the listing; Jory Burton of Sotheby’s International Realty repped Simkhai.

Launch Gallery: Joel Simkhai's $13 Million Hollywood Hills Estate

The Daily Beast
Meghan McCain: This Image Will ‘Haunt the Trump Campaign’
Meghan McCain, The View’s resident conservative co-host, said Monday that the now-infamous footage of a sullen President Donald Trump shuffling off Marine One after his lightly attended Tulsa rally will “haunt” his campaign and could be the “writing on the wall.”Following days of hype from his campaign that hundreds of thousands of supporters reserved tickets and an overflow crowd was expected for his rally in Tulsa, only 6,200 people attended the event—less than one-third of the capacity at the arena where it was held. The president, who was reportedly “furious” over the embarrassing crowd size, was seen later that night walking off Marine One with his tie undone and a crumpled MAGA hat in his hand.After View colleague Joy Behar jokingly said she’d seen a bigger crowd “at a Carrot Top performance in SoHo,” McCain declared that she had “so much to say” about the disastrous rally, noting that she had spent Saturday evening texting Behar and fellow co-host Sunny Hostin about it.“She loved it so much,” Hostin confirmed.“I was, like, inject this into my veins,” McCain exclaimed. “The Trump campaign has been braggadocios, saying a million people were going to show up, and have 6,200 people show up, whatever the reasoning is... to say it was far below expectations is putting it very mildly.”Referencing other notorious moments that have tormented other politicians’ careers, such Howard Dean’s scream, McCain claimed that the image of a downtrodden Trump after the rally “is going to stick with the American public.”“Does he look confident in getting re-elected?” McCain continued. “No. He looks like a depressed person that realized maybe, just maybe the writing is on the wall right now, and this is the image that’s going to haunt the Trump campaign. They can spin this any way they want. Kayleigh McEnany was trying to spin it. Fox & Friends was not having it.”She went on to say that she couldn’t believe that Trump’s handlers let him get off the helicopter looking like that before reiterating that this could be the moment where the “reality-show presidency” came to an end.“Was it this weekend where the audience is over it?” McCain continued. “Where you want a new show? And I think maybe the American public with how serious COVID and the economy are, and how serious social unrest is, doesn’t want a reality-show anymore. And I was texting you this. This is the first time I think the writing could be on the wall for this. I don’t count him out, but this is bad news optically all the way around.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Yahoo News
Tulsa rally failure may spark Trump campaign team shakeup
Poor attendance at his rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday night has President Trump increasingly frustrated with his campaign manager, Brad Parscale, and considering shaking up his reelection team, according to sources familiar with the issue.
The Telegraph
Mexican drug cartel leader issues tearful threats to government after arrest of his mother
One of the most wanted Mexican cartel leaders threatened the government and his arch-foes in highly unusual video messages, including one where he can be seen fighting back tears after his mother was detained over the weekend. Jose "El Marro" Yepez, leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima Cartel, has been a thorn in the side of the President Andres Lopez Obrador's government due to his gang's industrial-scale siphoning of petroleum from state-run oil company Pemex. In one of the videos widely shared on social media, Yepez can be seen lashing out against the government after his mother was allegedly arrested in a major security operation in the city of Celeya in Mexico's bloodiest state, Guanajuato. "I'm going to be a stone in your shoe. I'm going to blow up, you will see," Yepez, wearing jeans with a rifle slung over his shoulder, said in the video. Reuters was not able to independently verify the videos. Mexican security forces on Sunday said they arrested members of an organised crime group in a raid in Celeya, where they found a about one kilogramme of a something resembling methamphetamine and 2 million pesos ($88,000). "Among the detainees are Maria "N", Juana "N" and Rosalba "N", alleged financial operators of the criminal organization," Mexico's security agencies said in a joint statement, without naming the Santa Rosa cartel or its leader. El Universal newspaper said Yepez' mother, sister and girlfriend were all arrested. Yepez said he feared the authorities would frame his mother as one of the leaders of the cartel. "In my mother's and my people's name...I don't fear you," he said. Yepez also said he could form a coalition with the Sinaloa cartel or other crime groups in the north to fight Santa Rosa's arch-foe Jalisco New Generation cartel, which has been on a bloody expansion drive to take over rivals' territories across the country.
KCRA - Sacramento Videos
Turlock police respond to Walmart after customer objects to mask policy
Law enforcement agencies across California are figuring out how to best enforce the new statewide mask mandate. In Turlock, cellphone video shows police officers responding to the Walmart on Saturday. In the video, you can see officers escorting a man and two children out of the store.
The Daily Beast
Even ‘Fox & Friends’ Isn’t Buying Kayleigh McEnany’s Spin on Tulsa Rally Crowd
One of the president’s most reliable media defenders wasn’t buying the spin from Team Trump on Monday morning, pushing back when White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tried to claim President Donald Trump wasn’t mad about his sparsely attended rally.Interviewing McEnany on the president’s favorite morning program Fox & Friends, co-host Steve Doocy brought up the underwhelming attendance at Saturday’s campaign rally in Tulsa, noting the estimated crowd size was only 6,200—roughly one-third the arena’s capacity. “How angry was the president that there was just a sea of blue, empty chairs?” Doocy wondered aloud, adding that Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale blames the media and protesters for the poor showing.‘Fox & Friends’ Forces Kayleigh McEnany to Defend Trump’s Buffalo Protester Conspiracy“The president was not angry at all,” McEnany said. “The president was quite energized. I was with him after the rally. It was a huge success. His speech got rave reviews.”Despite the infamous image of a downtrodden Trump shuffling off Marine One on Saturday night, McEnany insisted the president was in “good spirits” and a “great mood” on the trip back to Washington after the rally. Doocy, meanwhile, didn’t believe for a moment that the president wasn’t extremely upset.“Kayleigh, you’re saying he was not furious?” Doocy deadpanned. “Because we’ve known Donald Trump. He was on this show every Monday for years. That guy, who used to be on our show, would have been furious that something went haywire.”McEnany, sticking by her talking points, reiterated that Trump was in ”very good spirits” after the rally while once again claiming his speech—which included him saying he wanted coronavirus testing slowed down because it made him look bad—received “rave reviews.”Multiple outlets reported the president was shocked and fuming that attendance was much smaller than expected, especially as his campaign had confidently predicted an overflow crowd for his first live rally in three-plus months. According to The New York Times, several White House officials called the rally a “disaster” and an “unforced error.” Parscale, meanwhile, is reportedly facing Trump’s “fury” over the embarrassing crowd size.Even ‘Fox & Friends’ Is Worried About Trump’s Tulsa RallyRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
ABC News Videos
What's behind Trump's low rally turnout?
"The View" co-hosts weigh in on the crowd size at President Trump's rally in Tulsa Saturday.
Associated Press
3 Pakistan cricketers have virus before 'risky' England tour
Three Pakistan cricketers selected for the tour of England have tested positive for the coronavirus. Uncapped middle-order batsman Haider Ali, fast bowler Haris Rauf, and legspinner Shadab Khan will go into self-isolation, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Monday. Allrounder Imad Wasim and fast bowler Usman Shinwari tested negative and will travel on Wednesday to Lahore, where Pakistan will assemble before travelling to the Britain on Sunday.
The Daily Beast
Kayleigh McEnany Grilled on Trump’s ‘Kung Flu’ Rally Slur
Three months ago, at the very beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang revealed that a White House official had called COVID-19 the “Kung Flu” to her face. “Makes me wonder what they’re calling it behind my back,” she tweeted at the time. So after President Donald Trump himself used that openly racist term during his campaign rally speech in Tulsa over the weekend, Jiang asked White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany about it on Monday.Noting that Trump has deemed himself “the least racist person there is anywhere in the world,” Jiang asked, “Why does he use racist phrases like the Kung Flu?”Even ‘Fox & Friends’ Isn’t Buying Kayleigh McEnany’s Spin on Tulsa Rally Crowd“The president doesn’t,” McEnany lied. “What the president does do is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China.” As the press secretary continued to defend Trump’s words, Jiang pushed back, expressing the concerns of Asian-Americans around the country who worry that those words will further inflame racist attacks against them. “To be clear, are you saying the White House does not believe it’s racist?” Jiang asked.“To be clear, I think the media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus when the focus should be on the fact that China let this out of their country,” McEnany shot back. Later in the briefing, PBS NewsHour’s Yamiche Alcindor brought up the fact that White House counselor Kellyanne Conway called the term “Kung Flu” “highly offensive” back in March. “Does the president agree with Kellyanne Conway or is he now saying that term is not ‘highly offensive’ and wrong?’” When McEnany responded by saying that “the president does not believe it’s offensive to note that this virus came from China,” Alcindor pressed her to actually answer the question about Conway and “Kung Flu.” Instead, McEnany quickly pivoted to a softball question about John Bolton from her invited guest, OAN reporter Chanel Rion. Kellyanne Conway Spars With Reporters Over ‘Kung-Flu’ Coronavirus SlurRead more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
ABC News Videos
Trump reacts after low turnout at Tulsa rally
Teens on TikTok and K-pop fans allegedly put in thousands of fake ticket requests for President Trump’s much-hyped rally.
ABC News Videos
Bolton worried about leaving Trump alone with Putin
The former national security adviser discusses what he saw as the confidence and control exerted by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the 2018 NATO summit.
The Daily Beast
J.K. Rowling’s Lit Agency Wouldn’t Affirm Trans Rights, So Four Authors Quit
After J.K. Rowling published a transphobic screed earlier this month, multiple trans authors represented by the same literary agency, The Blair Partnership, asked the company to reaffirm its support for the trans community, and its commitment to trans equality. The company apparently refused—so they’re walking.In a joint statement, writers Fox Fisher, Drew Davies, and Ugla Stefanía Kristjönudóttir Jónsdóttir said that after private discussions, “We felt that they were unable to commit to any action that we thought was appropriate and meaningful.” Per The Guardian, an additional author, who wishes to remain anonymous, has also vowed to leave The Blair Partnership as a client.“This decision is not made lightly, and we are saddened and disappointed it has come to this,” the statement reads in part, adding later, “Freedom of speech can only be upheld if the structural inequalities that hinder equal opportunities for underrepresented groups are challenged and changed.”“We stand in solidarity with LGBTQIA—and allied—staff in all areas of publishing who are working incredibly hard to champion diverse voices and experiences to challenge the homogeneity of the industry,” the statement continues. “But the issues of inequality and oppression are far reaching, from racism to ableism and sexism. Agencies and publishers need to create platforms for underrepresented groups from the ground up and make meaningful change within their culture. Representation must extend into real and authentic representation of diverse voices.”According to the statement, the authors have also donated to Shakti Women’s Aid, a Scottish charity that supports women of color who have experienced domestic abuse.Earlier this month Rowling fired off several transphobic tweets that landed her in hot water on social media. She followed that tweetstorm with a lengthy blog post, in which she revealed that she is a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor but used that background to peddle debunked myths alleging that trans people are dangers to women in private spaces like bathrooms. Jónsdóttir told The Guardian that after Rowling’s blog post they had asked The Blair Partnership to issue a public statement in support of trans equality, and that they had also suggested staff training with the group All About Trans—a company they work with—as an adviser. But these requests, Jónsdóttir told the publication, “weren’t met positively by the management.”The Blair Partnership has responded to the departures with a statement of its own: “We support the rights of all of our clients to express their thoughts and beliefs, and we believe in freedom of speech,” the company said. “Publishing and the creative arts are dependent on these things. It is our duty, as an agency to support all of our clients in this fundamental freedom and we do not comment on their individual views.“We are disappointed by the decision that four clients have taken to part ways with the agency. To reiterate, we believe in freedom of speech for all; these clients have decided to leave because we did not meet their demands to be re-educated to their point of view. We respect their right to pursue what they feel is the correct course of action.“We value all our authors’ voices and, as an agency, champion equality and inclusivity. We remain committed to making the agency the most welcoming environment it can be for everyone. The diversity of our clients’ voices is our strength and we take enormous pride from each and every one.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Business Insider
Everything we know about Mary Trump, the president's niece who is a life coach, apparent Hillary Clinton fan, and is publishing a scathing tell-all about her uncle
Mary L. Trump is set to publish "Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man" on July 28.
Associated Press
Italy mulls new WHO guidelines on virus patient isolation
Italy’s Health Ministry is asking government advisers to evaluate new World Health Organization recommendations saying that people with COVID-19 can come out of isolation before they test negative for the coronavirus. The WHO last week said patients who spent 10 consecutive days in isolation with symptoms can be released if they are then symptom-free for at least three days. Previously, WHO recommended ending the isolation of infected people only after they twice tested negative on samples taken 24 hours apart.
The Daily Beast
Bolton Says Jared Kushner Was the Most Important Person in the White House
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton said in an interview with ABC News that aired Sunday night that the most important person in the White House was President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.“It varied from time to time,” Bolton said. “The sustained answer to that question… is Jared Kushner.”Bolton went on to say that Trump was generally uninformed and did not do his homework.“There was an unwillingness… to do systematic learning so he could make the most informed decisions,” Bolton said, adding that the president’s day didn’t “start until almost lunchtime.”“I don’t think he is fit for office,” Bolton said.What the Hell Is John Bolton?Bolton’s interview with ABC comes just two days before the release of his book, titled The Room Where It Happened. The Department of Justice last week attempted to put an injunction on the book and block its release. But a judge in Washington struck down that effort Saturday.Most of Bolton’s comments about the president seemed to focus on the president’s inability to study and understand foreign policy.“Trump was not following any international grand strategy,” Bolton said.Trump said he ousted Bolton from his position at the NSC in September in the midst of the Ukraine scandal and in the lead-up to the House impeachment inquiry. (Bolton now claims that he resigned.)Over the past week the White House has scrambled to contain the fallout from Bolton’s book and has tried to paint the former national security adviser as a disgruntled former official attempting to profit off of lies.In his interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz, Bolton laid out a series of foreign policy events where he says Trump “did not understand” U.S. policy and instead thought that forging personal relationships with leaders would bring friendlier relations between two nations.“I think many of these foreign leaders mastered at ringing his bells,” Bolton said. Bolton said Trump tried to become close with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un in an attempt to smooth relations between the two countries and come to an agreement on nuclear weapons.“I think Kim Jong Un gets a huge kick out of this,” Bolton said. “Nobody should misunderstand that a personal relationship is somehow equivalent to better relations between two nations.” Bolton said that during the Singapore summit in 2018 Trump gave concessions to Kim in private talks.Perhaps no other foreign policy relationship was more concerning to Bolton than the one between Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. Bolton said it was clear Putin had a hold over Trump“I think Putin thinks he can play him like a fiddle. I don’t think he is worried about Donald Trump,” Bolton said. “I can just see the smirk when he knows he’s got him following his line.”The former national security adviser said Trump’s callous indifference to establishing streamlined foreign policy eventually led to the breakdown of relations between the U.S. and Ukraine.“He directly linked the provision of [Ukraine’s] assistance with that provision,” Bolton said of Trump holding up the country’s military aid in exchange for President Volodymyr Zelensky pushing officials in Kyiv to open an investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden.Bolton was called to testify in the House impeachment probe but declined Democrats’ outreach, saying “it wouldn’t have made a difference” if he had answered their questions. “Minds were already made up on Capitol Hill,” he said.Bolton said Democrats carried out “impeachment malpractice” and that the House Democrats should have taken more time to carry out the investigation. Instead, he said, they chose to “keep it narrow and move it fast.”If there was one incident that pushed him over the edge, Bolton said, it was Trump’s decision to invite the Taliban to Camp David on the week of 9/11. That’s when he decided to resign, Bolton said. But the president fired him first.“I should have striked preemptively,” Bolton said. “He and I had a one-on-one conversation in the afternoon and I said, ‘If you want me to resign I’ll do it.’ And we decided to talk about it later in the afternoon.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Associated Press
France's Macron denounces Turkey's attitude in Libya
French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday that Turkey's attitude in Libya is “unacceptable" as France sees Ankara as an obstacle to securing a cease-fire in the conflict-torn country. Macron spoke at an evening news conference with Tunisian President Kais Saied in Paris. Macron urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to end his country’s actions in Libya.
geobeats
NASA Captures 'Portal To Hell' On Mars
NASA captured a striking image of Mars.
NBC News
Trump's deflating Tulsa turnout reveals a deeper problem for him
Analysis: Rather than a silent majority, the president demonstrated the limits of his base's support.
FOX News Videos
Should parents feel comfortable sending their kids back to school at the end of summer?
Insight from our 'Fox & Friends First' parents panel: Kim Alfano, Elizabeth Savetsky and Karin Ruhkala.
Reuters
Canada's biggest city, Toronto, to reopen businesses, ending three-month lockdown
Toronto, Canada's most-populous city and financial capital, will allow businesses to reopen starting on Wednesday, joining other regions in the province of Ontario in ending a three-month pandemic lockdown, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said on Monday. Malls and restaurants in Toronto, along with Peel Region, which includes some of the city's densely populated suburbs, will be able to open their patios, according to the government's plan. Ontario, Canada's largest province by population, started gradually reopening its economy this month, but Toronto was left off the initial list.
The Independent
Trump claims his niece Mary 'is not allowed' to write her forthcoming book about him because of NDA
Donald Trump has claimed his niece is “not allowed” to publish her upcoming new book about the president, citing a reported nondisclosure agreement she signed over 20 years ago after suing him and his siblings.The president spoke out about Mary Trump’s forthcoming book, titled Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, in an interview with Axios published on Sunday.
Reuters
White House: Trump did not direct virus testing slowdown, does not regret 'kung flu' remark
President Donald Trump has not directed any slowdown in coronavirus testing and does not regret using the term "kung flu," which many consider to be offensive, to describe the virus, the White House said on Monday. The Republican president said at a political rally in Oklahoma on Saturday that he had directed his people to slow down testing for the virus because the process had led to an increased number of known COVID-19 cases. The White House said at the time that he was kidding and made clear on Monday that no such request was made.
The Independent
'Do you feel any remorse?': Officer charged in killing of George Floyd confronted while buying groceries in Minnesota
One of the four officers charged in the killing of George Floyd was confronted by a shopper while buying groceries on Saturday in Minnesota.J. Alexander Keung, 26, was released from Hennepin County Jail on Friday night on a $750,000 bond. He was approached by a woman while shopping at a Cub Foods grocery store the next day.
The Independent
Trump 'furious' and Ivanka 'p***ed' after only 6,000 people show up to campaign rally billed as one-million strong
Donald Trump was reportedly “furious” after his campaign manager promised nearly a million people would show up to the president's first major rally since the coronavirus outbreak, to then see just 6,200 people in attendance at the Saturday event.The president was upset before the rally even began, according to NBC News, as reports circulated early on Saturday that said six of his campaign staffers who were organising the event tested positive for Covid-19.
Business Insider
An Indian businessman just became the first Asian member of the world's 10 richest people. Meet the Ambanis, who live in a $1 billion skyscraper and mingle with royals and Bollywood stars.
Mukesh Ambani is worth $44.6 billion. His family made headlines in 2018 for throwing one of the most lavish wedding celebrations in recent memory.
FOX News Videos
Hundreds of thousands return to work as New York City kicks off phase two of reopening
Barbershops, salons, restaurants and retail welcome back customers; Aishah Hasnie reports from Manhattan.
The Daily Beast
CNN Anchor Corners Trump Campaign Spox: Are Dead Americans ‘Funny to You?’
CNN anchor Brianna Keilar took Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh to task on Monday, repeatedly pressing him to defend Team Trump’s claim that the president was just “kidding” when he claimed over the weekend that he asked his administration to slow down coronavirus testing.During his sparsely attended Tulsa rally on Saturday night, President Donald Trump told his supporters that he called on officials to slow COVID-19 testing in order to decrease the number of confirmed cases in the country. A White House official later told The Daily Beast that Trump was “obviously kidding” and Trump aide Peter Navarro claimed on Sunday that the remarks were “tongue-in-cheek.”In a contentious Monday interview that also featured the CNN anchor grilling Murtaugh on Trump’s recent use of the racist phrase “Kung Flu,” Keilar brought up Trump’s testing comments, asking whether it was true that Trump wanted to slow it down as America passes 120,000 COVID-19 deaths.Even ‘Fox & Friends’ Isn’t Buying Kayleigh McEnany’s Spin on Tulsa Rally Crowd“No, it’s not. As a matter of fact, the United States leads the world in testing,” Murtaugh replied, prompting Keilar to immediately wonder why Trump was saying that.“I understand there’s not much of a sense of humor at CNN center,” Murtaugh sneered. ”But the president was joking. He tried to illustrate the point that when you expand testing, you will naturally expand the number of positive cases that you detect.”“That was the very point he was making,” he continued. “I’m not surprised that you’re either unable or unwilling to understand the president had a tongue-in-cheek remark there. But that’s the point he’s making.”Keilar, meanwhile, pointed out that there are now “120,000 Americans dead,” adding: “I do not think that is funny. Do you think that is funny?”After Murtaugh reiterated the president was just trying to “illustrate the point” about expanded testing, the CNN anchor pointed out that he just said “it’s a joke.”Stammering, the Trump spokesperson said that one can “use ironic humor” in these situations, prompting Keilar to again interject.“Is dead Americans, is unemployed Americans, is that funny to you?” Keilar dryly noted.“You can ask it 100 different ways,” Murtaugh retorted, causing the CNN host to fire back: “And you won’t answer it.”The Trump flack would go on to repeat his talking points about the president making a factual point about increased testing resulting in more confirmed cases, leaving Keilar with the final word.“You are aware that hospitalization numbers disprove what you are saying,” she proclaimed. “That testing does not solely account for the numbers we’re seeing, including in Florida, a state you just held up as a model when it certainly is not.”“It is not funny that Americans are dying, she concluded as a stone-faced Murtaugh stood silent. “It’s not funny that they’re unemployed. Tim Murtaugh, thank you for coming on.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Business Insider
No-lockdown Sweden is compelling parents to send their children to school. Some fear their kids could ultimately be taken away if they refuse.
Parents say schools or local government have said they may contact social services if the children continue to stay home from school.
Business Insider
Apple just unveiled the next version of its iPhone software, iOS 14. Here are the biggest changes coming to your iPhone this fall.
Apple unveiled the latest version of its iPhone software, called iOS 14, at its virtual WWDC on Monday.
The Daily Beast
Team Trump Says It Was a COVID Testing ‘Joke.’ His Own Health Officials Aren’t Laughing.
White House officials and President Donald Trump loyalists tried on Sunday to walk back remarks he made over the weekend in which he told rally-goers that he had asked officials to slow COVID-19 testing so as to decrease the number of confirmed cases in the U.S.“He was obviously kidding,” one White House official told The Daily Beast. Peter Navarro, senior adviser to Trump, told CNN on Sunday that the president’s words were “tongue-in-cheek” and not meant to be taken seriously.But two officials working on the coronavirus response within the Trump administration, as well as state officials and experts in emergency response, told The Daily Beast that they did not take the president’s remarks lightly. Whether facetious or not, they argued, the casual indifference Trump displayed towards testing at his Tulsa rally only reaffirmed that his administration was not prepared when the pandemic response hit—and may still not be. “I always feared this was what was happening,” said one state health official who coordinates with the federal government on testing. “But his speech last night really made it seem like maybe this is the reason why they were slow to get us the resources we needed to do the testing.”And two administration officials, both of whom have worked alongside the president’s task force, said Trump’s speech Saturday reignited longstanding fears among some working on his coronavirus response that the administration may have attempted to find ways to deflate the U.S. case count.How Many Undetected COVID-19 Cases Are Out There?For more than a month, state and local officials called on the federal government to help with testing resources so they could better understand the scale of the virus outbreak in their communities. The testing plan put in place by Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner had fallen short of expectations and governors called out the administration for failing to quickly create a system whereby states could procure test kits and administer them to residents with symptoms. Some municipalities were left waiting so long for help that local officials were forced to settle for contracts with local labs with limited testing capacity. While testing numbers have ramped up in recent weeks and months, some officials say it’s too late.And while Trump’s remarks raise questions about whether the administration held off—deliberately or through negligence—on implementing testing plans, they also underscore the degree to which the president is comfortable making light of a virus that has killed more than 120,000 people in the U.S. Current and former officials say the White House’s insistence that the president was just joking is difficult to believe in part because Trump has made similar comments in the past.“The quote last night was the natural progression of what he’s been saying publicly for a while: If you don’t test then there’s not a problem,” said Juliette Kayyem, a former assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “You don’t have to search very hard to know Trump has been a testing skeptic and last night he just said the quiet part out loud.”Trump’s COVID Data Crunchers See Coronavirus Racing Down America’s Major HighwaysA senior Trump administration health official told The Daily Beast that while Trump’s statements don’t necessarily reflect reality inside the administration, the president’s thinking on testing—that more tests would mean bring more scrutiny— is well-known among those working on the government’s COVID-19 response.“Since the start of the coronavirus crisis in our country the President has ignored experts, denied facts, and put his self-interest ahead of Americans’ lives—and here he is saying so,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), referring to the President’s Tulsa speech. Murray is the ranking member of the Senate’s Committee on Health, Labor and Pensions.Since the beginning of the outbreak in the U.S., Trump has sought to deflect the blame for the increasing coronavirus cases and related deaths. When the first cruise ship with coronavirus patients docked in California after traveling to Japan, the president told reporters he was not responsible for the increase in case numbers because the individuals had contracted the virus elsewhere. For weeks, the administration tried to tally case numbers based on those that originated in the U.S. and those that originated overseas. And as the pandemic continued to worsen, Trump said the numbers in the U.S. were increasing because the country had scaled UP testing initiatives, even as health officials say an uptick in cases doesn’t necessarily result from an uptick in testing. The Daily Beast previously reported that Trump and members of his coronavirus task force have pushed officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change how the agency works with states to count COVID-related deaths. The president in May privately raised suspicion about the number of fatalities in the United States and in talks with top officials, he suggested that those numbers could have been incorrectly tallied or even inflated by current methodology.CDC officials have previously said that state health departments are still catching up on calculating the total number of cases and related deaths in the country, particularly in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.And the Trump administration seems to continue to try and shrug off the fact that several states across the south and southwestern parts of the country are experiencing significant spikes in case numbers where increased testing is not a contributing factor. “The joke is on us,” Kayyem said. “We stayed inside weeks on weeks with the unstated social contract that it was going to give the nation time to have alternatives to social distancing. And they didn’t do it. The nationwide testing plan never panned out like they said it would.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
Associated Press
Trump administration extends visa ban to non-immigrants
The Trump administration said Monday that it was extending a ban on green cards issued outside the United States until the end of the year and adding many temporary work visas to the freeze, including those used heavily by technology companies and multinational corporations. The administration cast the effort as a way to free up jobs in an economy reeling from the coronavirus. The ban, while temporary, would amount to major restructuring of legal immigration if made permanent, a goal that had eluded the administration before the pandemic.
The National Interest
Why Is North Korea’s Kim Yo-jong Attacking South Korea (and Not Kim Jong-un)?
It is all a part of the plan.
BBC
Who could be Joe Biden's running mate?
There are a lot of talented female politicians in the running - and they each have a special power.
Military.com
Air Force Probing Use of RC-26 Spy Plane in US Cities
The investigation was prompted by lawmakers' concern over use of military equipment during protests across the country.
Business Insider
Sweden's 'herd immunity' hopes are fading as only a small fraction of the population has coronavirus antibodies
Sweden did not impose a strict lockdown unlike most European countries and relied on citizens to enact voluntary social distancing measures.
Reuters Videos
NZ tightens rules to contain virus at border
New Zealand has been forced to reimpose stricter quarantine measures after reporting more cases of coronavirus linked to overseas travel. It's also extending a ban on cruise ships arriving into the country as of Monday (June 22). New Zealand was among the first countries in the world to end all restrictions after declaring it was virus-free -- it's aggressive and early response to the contagion has been praised internationally. But there has been a small number of cases in recent days. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the cruise ship ban will now extend beyond June 30th - when it was originally due to end. Ardern also said that people in quarantine may need to do multiple virus tests, and they must test negative before leaving isolation facilities. New Zealand reported two new cases of the virus on Monday. Both were in managed isolation facilities. It brings the number of active cases up to nine. The government was criticised earlier this month when two infected women from the UK were allowed to travel around the country.
INSIDER
Will Smith says his daughter Willow 'introduced me to feelings' and 'destroyed' all his ideas about parenting
In a recent episode of Jada Pinkett Smith's "Red Table Talk" on Facebook Watch, the two actors spoke about how they approached raising their kids.
CBS LA - KCBS
Caught On Camera: Driver Speeds Down 91 Freeway In Corona With Motorcycle Wrapped Around Bumper
According to California Highway Patrol, the hit-and-run happened on the eastbound lanes of the 91 freeway.
KABC – Los Angeles
CHP officer struck by vehicle on 10 Freeway in San Gabriel
A CHP officer was struck by a vehicle while making a traffic stop Sunday on the 10 Freeway in San Gabriel.
NBC News
'Stay away': Black Tulsans urge Pence not to visit historic Greenwood neighborhood
“They’re using this to promote a message that they just don’t believe,” said one Greenwood resident.
ABC News Videos
‘Threat from North Korea today is absolutely greater’: Bolton
John Bolton describes the optics of Trump’s meetings with Kim Jung Un and says there has not been progress on denuclearization.

Variety
Microsoft Is Shutting Down Mixer and Migrating Streamers to Facebook Gaming; Ninja’s Plans Are TBD
Microsoft has given up trying to compete with Amazon's Twitch. On Monday, Microsoft announced that it is shutting down Mixer, its livestreaming gaming service, effective next month. The company struck a deal with Facebook to migrate current livestreamers from Mixer to Facebook Gaming. "Ultimately, the success of Partners and streamers on Mixer is dependent on […]
Variety
Boots Riley Developing New Series ‘I’m A Virgo’ With Jharrel Jerome in the Lead Role
Boots Riley is looking to follow up his darkly comic, satirical "Sorry to Bother You" with another Bay Area-set project. The directors teased via Twitter that he is developing a new series titled "I'm A Virgo," which will star "When They See Us" and "Moonlight" alum Jharrel Jerome in the lead role. Riley says the […]
Variety
Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman and More Remember Joel Schumacher
Kiefer Sutherland, Corey Feldman and more celebrities are mourning the death of one of director Joel Schumacher, director of films including “St. Elmo’s Fire,” “The Lost Boys” and “Falling Down,” who died on Monday from a year-long battle with cancer. He was 80. Schumacher, a costume designer-turned-director, famously took over the Batman franchise when director […]
Variety
Ryan Saul Joins Cartel, Bradford Bricken Promoted to Partner
U.S. production, finance and management firm The Cartel has appointed APA’s former head of motion picture literary Ryan Saul as manager/producer and has promoted Bradford Bricken to partner. The Cartel's co-CEO Stan Spry said Saul had a “penchant for discovering young talent,” and added “his ability to nurture that talent is something we pride ourselves […]

Related Stories

More From