#press Secretary statement

[pressfreedomday]

Statement by António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, on World Press Freedom Day 2023; May 3rd.

"For three decades, on World Press Freedom Day, the international community has celebrated the work of journalists and media workers. This day highlights a basic truth: all our freedom depends on press freedom. Freedom of the press is the foundation of democracy and justice. It gives all of us the facts we need to shape opinions and speak truth to power. And as this year’s theme reminds us, press freedom represents the very lifeblood of human rights. But in every corner of the world, freedom of the press is under attack. Truth is threatened by disinformation and hate speech seeking to blur the lines between fact and fiction, between science and conspiracy. The increased concentration of the media industry into the hands of a few, the financial collapse of scores of independent news organizations, and an increase of national laws and regulations that stifle journalists are further expanding censorship and threatening freedom of expression. Meanwhile, journalists and media workers are directly targeted on and offline as they carry out their vital work. They are routinely harassed, intimidated, detained and imprisoned. At least 67 media workers were killed in 2022 — an unbelievable 50 per cent increase over the previous year. Nearly three quarters of women journalists have experienced violence online, and one in four have been threatened physically. Ten years ago, the United Nations established a Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists to protect media workers and end impunity for crimes committed against them. On this and every World Press Freedom Day, the world must speak with one voice. Stop the threats and attacks. Stop detaining and imprisoning journalists for doing their jobs. Stop the lies and disinformation. Stop targeting truth and truth-tellers. As journalists stand up for truth, the world stands with them".

António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations.

#united nations secretary general #statements #independent journalism #women journalists #media workers #3 may #World Press Freedom Day #Youtube

[probablyasocialecologist]

THE REGIONAL WAR in the Middle East now involves at least 16 different countries and includes the first strikes from Iranian territory on Israel, but the United States continues to insist that there is no broader war, hiding the extent of American military involvement. And yet in response to Iran’s drone and missile attacks Saturday, the U.S. flew aircraft and launched air defense missiles from at least eight countries, while Iran and its proxies fired weapons from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

[...]

While the world has been focused on — and the Pentagon has been stressing — the comings and goings of aircraft carriers and fighter jets to serve as a “deterrent” against Iran, the U.S. has quietly built a network of air defenses to fight its regional war. “At my direction, to support the defense of Israel, the U.S. military moved aircraft and ballistic missile defense destroyers to the region over the course of the past week,” President Joe Biden said in a statement Saturday. “Thanks to these deployments and the extraordinary skill of our servicemembers, we helped Israel take down nearly all of the incoming drones and missiles.” As part of that network, Army long-range Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense surface-to-air missile batteries have been deployed in Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and at the secretive Site 512 base in Israel. These assets — plus American aircraft based in Kuwait, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia — are knitted together in order to communicate and cooperate with each other to provide a dome over Israel (and its own regional bases). The United Kingdom is also intimately tied into the regional war network, while additional countries such as Bahrain have purchased Patriot missiles to be part of the network. Despite this unambiguous regional network, and even after Israel’s attack on Iran’s embassy in Syria earlier this month, the Biden administration has consistently denied that the Hamas war has spread beyond Gaza. It is a policy stance — and a deception — that has held since Hamas’s October 7 attack. “The Middle East region is quieter than it has been in two decades,” Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an ill-timed remark eight days before October 7. “We don’t see this conflict widening as it still remains contained to Gaza,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said the day after three U.S. troops were killed by a kamikaze drone launched by an Iran-backed militia at a U.S. base in Jordan. Since then (and even before this weekend), the fighting has spread to Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Yemen.

#israel #usa #palestine #middle east

[zvaigzdelasas]

The United States remained largely quiet after the first hearing at the International Court of Justice on South Africa's case accusing Israel of genocidal intent in Gaza, with officials opting not to comment while repeating the Biden administration's view that the case is "meritless".

When asked about the case by South Africa, filed last month at the ICJ and which urges the court to order Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza, US State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that Washington is not planning to comment on the day's hearing.

"We're going to refrain from any speculation about the outcome," Patel said during a press briefing.

"I also think that it is important that we not comment on specific points raised in the day's hearing as Israel will have an opportunity to respond directly to those allegations tomorrow."

The opening day at the ICJ also made little impact on the front pages of major US newspapers on Thursday morning, despite Israel's war in Gaza dominating the news agenda since it began in early October.

The State Department released a statement on Wednesday evening saying that while the US recognises that the ICJ "plays a vital role in the peaceful settlement of disputes", any allegations that "Israel is committing genocide are unfounded".

[U.S. Secretary of State] Blinken said as he stood alongside Israel’s president. “We believe the submission against Israel to the International Court of Justice distracts the world from all of these important efforts. And moreover, the charge of genocide is meritless.”

11 Jan 24

[steveyockey]

Measuring purely by confirmed kills, the worst mass murderer ever executed by the United States was the white supremacist terrorist Timothy McVeigh. On April 19, 1995, McVeigh detonated a massive bomb at the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people, including 19 children. The government killed McVeigh by lethal injection in June 2001. Whatever hesitation a state execution provokes, even over a man such as McVeigh — necessary questions about the legitimacy of killing even an unrepentant soldier of white supremacy — his death provided a measure of closure to the mother of one of his victims. “It’s a period at the end of a sentence,” said Kathleen Treanor, whose 4-year old McVeigh killed.

McVeigh, who in his own psychotic way thought he was saving America, never remotely killed on the scale of Kissinger, the most revered American grand strategist of the second half of the 20th century.

The Yale University historian Greg Grandin, author of the biography Kissinger’s Shadow, estimates that Kissinger’s actions from 1969 through 1976, a period of eight brief years when Kissinger made Richard Nixon’s and then Gerald Ford’s foreign policy as national security adviser and secretary of state, meant the end of between three and four million people. That includes “crimes of commission,” he explained, as in Cambodia and Chile, and omission, like greenlighting Indonesia’s bloodshed in East Timor; Pakistan’s bloodshed in Bangladesh; and the inauguration of an American tradition of using and then abandoning the Kurds.

No infamy will find Kissinger on a day like today. Instead, in a demonstration of why he was able to kill so many people and get away with it, the day of his passage will be a solemn one in Congress and — shamefully, since Kissinger had reporters like CBS’ Marvin Kalb and The New York Times’ Hendrick Smith wiretapped — newsrooms. Kissinger, a refugee from the Nazis who became a pedigreed member of the “Eastern Establishment” Nixon hated, was a practitioner of American greatness, and so the press lionized him as the cold-blooded genius who restored America’s prestige from the agony of Vietnam.

Not once in the half-century that followed Kissinger’s departure from power did the millions the United States killed matter for his reputation, except to confirm a ruthlessness that pundits occasionally find thrilling. America, like every empire, champions its state murderers. The only time I was ever in the same room as Henry Kissinger was at a 2015 national-security conference at West Point. He was surrounded by fawning Army officers and ex-officials basking in the presence of a statesman.

#THANK YOU ACKERMAN VERY COOL #worth reading the whole thing obviously

[lciesdepravity]

Sold Out Series

Sana Arc Chapter 1-1: Everything has a price

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"

"Karma is a bitch"

"Everything has a price..."

Such statements proved true ever since the beginning of time, and continues to remain true to this day.

We learn it every single moment of our miserable lives - hell, it's even taught to us in school.

And yet here she was.

Sana should've listened to her Science teacher more.

Shame.

When she was first offered the job, she thought it was just another fashion line ambassador deal.

Heck, she was even excited for it. The other members started to get requested to be ambassadors of other luxury brands too, so she figured it was only a matter of time before she got picked as well.

Never in her life could she have expected this.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It started after the press event.

"Ooof~ Yatta! Mmm~ Finally finished!" The young idol plopped unceremoniously in the backseat, melting into the plush cushions as she takes off her sleek black heels and massages her feet.

"Ugh, that took longer than it should. Can we go home now Oppa?"

"Mian, Sana-shi. The brand CEO is requesting your presence at their hotel's grand ballroom for the after-party, so your night's not over just yet. You know how uppity the higher-ups get about company relations and shit."

That prompted an annoyed scoff and a groan from the idol, but work is work. The manager at least had the decency to look at Sana with pity before driving off.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Last sched for the day. Sana Fighting! After one final check of her appearance and fixing her hair a bit, Sana steeled herself and put on her most practiced idol smile. She confidently strutted down the hallway and was ushered in.

The after-party was everything you'd expect from a luxury brand and more. The clinking of champagne glasses, the miniaturized posh slop they call food, the fake smiles and empty compliments as everyone 'socialized' with each other. More like leech off each other.

Boring.

The idol rolled her eyes (mentally of course - she was anything but professional after all), and smiled as everyone greeted her. Here we go.

Sana's whole night consisted of greeting sheep - *ahem* PR people, accepting their business cards, a few empty promises here and there, take a picture. Rinse and repeat. Maybe a snack and a drink in between. Basically, she was on autopilot for majority of the event, until a depressed looking woman approached her and bowed.

"Ms. Minatozaki, our CEO requests your presence at the suite. He personally wants to thank and welcome you as our new ambassador."

Not really given a choice, the idol was ushered up to an elevator that led to the suite.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Ding*

The sleek metal doors of the elevator slid closed as Sana bade the secretary goodbye. She looked around in awe, marveling at the sheer opulence of the suite. Marbled floors, chandeliers, pristine furniture and antique vases. Expensive. Ugh, I better not break anything. Even with our money, I don't think I can cover for anything in here!

She continued down the hallway until she reached the living room, where she sees an old man in his bathrobe looking out the glass door of the balcony, wine in his hand.

"*Ehem* E-excuse me sir. Y-you wanted to see me?"

"Ah! Sana. Welcome. Please sit. Would you like a drink?"

The old man offered her a glass as she sat down. Sana offered a smile, but politely shook her head.

"I'm sorry sir. I still have schedules for tomorrow, so I can't really drink much tonight. Thank you though."

"I see... Welp, more for me then."

The CEO took a sip as he sat beside the young woman. He stared at her for a bit, his eyes focusing on her necklace.

"Y'know, that necklace of ours really does fit you... Exquisite. I'm happy we got you as an ambassador for our brand. I look forward to working with you more in the future."

"M-me too sir. Thank you for the opportunity." He extends his hand and she shakes it.

Mistake.

His index finger rubs against her palms creepily as he scoots closer to her. She had to fight the urge not to withdraw her hand in disgust, she had to be professional after all. Lucky for her, the CEO let go of her hand. Euck, Gross... What's with this old man?

She tries to scoot away discreetly, but the old man just kept coming near. The young idol keeps shuffling until she felt the end of the couch. Shit... She was trapped.

Sana shivered in disgust as the old man placed his hands on her knees, slowly inching up her thighs as he goes in for a kiss.

*Slap*

The faint stinging in her hand persisted as the slap resonated all around the room. Her heart was pounding - her breaths heavy. Hastily, the young idol got up and gathered her things, leaving the old man to his misery.

*Click*

To her horror, the door was locked.

The old man let out a dry laugh as he moved to refill his empty glass.

"You didn't think our deal with your company was that simple did you?"

With a sip and a condescending smile he looked at the frozen idol.

"That diamond necklace around your neck, that costs hundreds of millions of dollars my dear. We're one of the richest brands in all the world, what makes you think I couldn't just buy you just like that?"

Sana's eyes widened. She felt so sick, her stomach was turning. "T-they didn't-"

"'Fraid so my dear. Your company sold you out to me for a whole damn week."

His grin spread across his face as he watches the young idol blanch at his words in shock.

"T-that's... N-no! I'm not just some whore for you to play around with. I didn't consent to this! Let me out this instant or I'll sue!"

Frantically, she reached for her phone, opening the camera app and taking a video. Ha! This is my evidence. Take that you old geezer.

Her heart dropped as the CEO's smile got even wider.

"Fiesty. Heh~ Go ahead and film... you do that. Meanwhile, I'll be using every single one of my connections to destroy you and your little group. One word from me, and all your sponsorships, all your brand deals - even that of your members... Poof~" To accentuate his point, he held out this phone, hovering his finger over the call button.

She froze. 

I-if it's only me, then I can take it. But the members... We worked so hard to get this far... Damnit! Why is this happening to me?

Minutes pass, and all Sana wants to do is cry. Her fists were clenched tight, lips bitten in frustration as her mind raced, thinking of what she should do.

She was interrupted when the old man spoke once again.

"If you're done thinking it over, get your dumb ass over here so I can use you. I'm not getting any younger here. Or should I just call my secretary and cancel everything now?"

She looked at him scathingly with fiery eyes as she walked over to him, her clenched fists shaking in anger. The old man didn't bat an eye. Instead he leaned back,  staring at her with those condescending eyes.

"Well? Take that fucking dress off." Sana bit her lips as she hesitated, but the old man just looked at her impatiently. Slowly she stripped, unzipping the back of her dress and letting it fall to the ground. She gave it a light kick as her hands moved to cover her intimate parts, but the sight of her creamy skin was more than enough.

Excited, the CEO got up and cupped her cheeks, tilting it to face him as he looked at her eyes. Rebellious... Defiant... Just the way I like it.

"I'm gonna enjoy breaking you, kpop bitch."

He pushed her on the couch and started his assault. Her eyes shut tight as his tongue snaked along her milky porcelain neck - up, down, over the collarbone and even up to her ears.

*Sniff* "Mmm~ you smell so good Sana. Hmmm~ your scent is driving me crazy." The old man gave her a long wanton sniff that sent chills up her spine.

Fuck... This is so disgusting.... Endure Sana. For the girls... For the fans... For yourself. You have to endure.

Seeing the idol's eyes shut tight, the old man got more brazen. He took both of Sana's wrists and pinned them above her head, exposing Sana's clean shaven armpits. He gave her pits a series of needy sniffs, his breath tickling her a bit.

*Sniff* *sniff* "Ahhhh... You smell so... mmm~ divine." Her sweaty scent was enough to drive the old man into a frenzy. Like a mad dog, he licked the sweat off her pits wantonly, relishing in feeling her shudder against his tongue.

Meanwhile, his free hand groped her ample breasts, kneading them like dough. When he sensed the clip in front, he hurriedly removed her bra and threw it away, revealing her jiggly soft supple mounds...

He gulped. "They're mesmerizing..." Without preamble, the old man dove in and while looking at Sana's face, feasted on her breasts like a newborn baby. He squished them together and teasingly gave her pink dusky nipples a lick, enjoying the way the buds roll off his tongue.

He watched as Sana's expression change with every lick... with every suckle... with every squeeze. He watched as her brows scrunch together, her lips bitten red as she resisted his ministrations. He didn't stop until each bud was fully erect and shiny, thoroughly coated with his spit.

"*Slurp* *pop* Mmm~ yummy... Now, sit up and let me sit behind you."

Not really giving her a chance to resist, he pulled her up and smoothly slid behind her, cradling her between his legs. Much to his dismay, the young woman's eyes were still closed, her face not betraying any emotion. Annoying.

Eager to break her stoic facade, the old man reached between her legs, slipping his hand inside her lacy black panties. Dry... Mmm~ not for long.

With a practiced ease, his hand nimbly removed the young star's panties, unhooking it from one of her legs where one of her heels came off.

"Shaved huh? Shame, I like it hairy."

*Smack!*

Out of nowhere, his hand came down, delivering a light slap to Sana's clit. The Japanese idol bit her lip, a small gasp escaping her as she fought hard to stifle her moans. She didn't want to give in to him, not now, not ever.

*Smack!*

Another slap. Dead center against her core. The old CEO's dominant side took control as he taunted, "Mmm, you like this, don't you, slut? You like this old man slapping your wet pulsing cunt?"

*Smack!*

His hand came down again, this time with more force, causing the young woman's pussy to squelch audibly. His old wrinkly fingers traced the sensitive skin, exploring every inch with a mix of roughness and precision.

All the while, the old fuck buried his nose deep in the poor idol's neck and sniffed her once again, licking and sucking on her pulse point as he humps her plump ass.

*Sniff* "Mmm~ fuck, I can't get enough of your scent. Uhh~ you're worth every fucking penny I paid." His lips brushed against Sana's ear as he whispered naughty things.

*Smack!*

"Ahn~ mmmppph-" A small moan escaped her lips, which she promptly covered with one of her hands. Her face was a flushed mess, and she was panting like a bitch in heat.

W-What is happening? Mmm~ How is he so good at this... No! Sana, fight it! You're not getting horny because of this old pervert. Fight it!

"Yes, hold those moans for me my dear," He whispered into the idol's ear, his warm breath sending tingles down her body. "I like the challenge. I will break that infamous composure of yours, Sana." With a gentle bite to the girl's earlobe, his words pushed her further to the edge.

Each whisper was accompanied by another firm slap to the Japanese pussy, causing her moans to grow louder. Her hips were bucking slightly, and her body was writhing beneath the old man's magic touch. With each passing moment, her pussy gets wetter and sloppier.

Seeing his effect on the poor girl, he smirked. Not long now... just a bit more and she's mine...

With his free hand, he reached up and cupped Sana's perky breasts, her fingers teasingly circling the hardened peaks of her taut, erect nipples.

"Mmm, look at these gorgeous nipples, baby... So pink and so tender for me." He whispered huskily. He pinches each nipple and pulls.

"Fuck, S-stop it," She whimpered, her hips now bucking wildly, thrusting against his hand. Her body trembled with anticipation, craving release.

"That's it. Give in to the pleasure my dear. Let go for me."

As the old man continued to slap her cunt, the wet, lewd sounds filled the air, mixing with Sana's increasingly uninhibited cries.

She couldn't help but respond, her voice trembling with need. "Oh, fuck, D-don't stop... Harder please..."

The old man smirked, his slapping growing more intense, each stroke driving Sana closer to the edge. "You want it harder, huh? You're such a dirty fucking slut. Beg for it. Beg for my hand to pound your wet cunt."

F-fuck! I can't hold it anymore... Uhhh!

Sana's breath hitched as she finally gave in, her voice pleading, begging him. "Please, sir! Pound me! Pound my slutty cunt! I need it so fucking bad!"

*Smack!*

With a victorious grin, the old man slapped her pussy once more. "Who do you belong to? Huh? Tell me who's bitch you are!"

*Smack!*

With her back arching, she screamed, "Yours! I-I'm daddy's little kpop bitch begging to cum. Please make me cum daddy! Daddy! Uhhhh~"

*Smack!* *Smack!* *Smack!*

The old man's hand moved with reckless abandon, the wet slapping sounds echoing across the entire room. Sana's moans filled the air as she surrendered completely to the overwhelming pleasure building within her. She couldn't hold back any longer, her voice reaching a crescendo of pleasure. "Yes, fuck! Gonna cum! Cumming for you, Daddy! Oh, fuck!"

Upon, hearing her say that, the old man unceremoniously plunged his middle and ring fingers deep into her sweltering cunt. "Yes fucking cum, you slut. Point those toes of yours while cumming. Cum for me, drench my hand while I finger fuck your uptight cunt into submission."

His fingers skillfully hit her g-spot repeatedly, his palms still slapping her clit with each pass.

S-shit! This old man's too good! He's gonna make me cum. This old man's gonna make me cum! Fuck cummingcummingcummingAaaaahhh~!

With a primal scream, Sana's back arched, her legs spreading even wider, her legs quivered uncontrollably, her toes curling and pointing as the immense pleasure surged through every inch of her body.

With a loud squelching sound, her pussy released a torrent of pleasure, drenching the floor below. Sana's eyes rolled back, her body convulsing with sheer ecstasy as he fingered her into oblivion.

Spurt after spurt. Stream after stream she squirted. It took awhile for her orgasm to finally die down. Even then, she was still twitching as the old pervert continued to tease and flick her cunt occasionally.

Not giving her the time to rest, the horny old man took Sana and inverted her on the couch - her legs resting on the backrest whilst her head dangles off the edge.

He hurriedly tossed his robe aside, freeing his throbbing cock and presenting it to a still recovering Sana.

"Open your mouth and stick your tongue out."

His voice was stern, commanding. He took his cock and slapped it against Sana's face and tongue several times, smearing her face with precum and spit.

That is, until he decided the foreplay was enough. In one fell swoop, he fed her throat his cock, not stopping until he bottomed out.

"Glurk! Mmmmpphh~!"

Sana gagged, but the old man just kept pushing. She slapped his thighs, asking for mercy but there's none to be found. Her eyes bulged, tears spilling from the sides as she took his cock fully.

"That's right bitch. Fucking take it! Ahhrgh!"

Not giving her time to adjust, he intensified his thrusts, grabbing her feet and using them as handles. He planted his feet on each side of her head, essentially squatting on her face for every thrust. The sounds of his balls hitting her nose echoed across the room.

The old fuck growled, his voice deep and guttural as he praised Sana's cock-sucking abilities.

"That's it *pound* fuck! fucking take it! *pound* put that kpop mouth of yours to good use! *pound*" he said, his thrusts becoming even more forceful as he spoke.

Holy fuck, he's fucking my face so hard. She thought, her eyes rolling back in pleasure. She loved the feeling of him taking control, of him using her for his pleasure. It made her feel so dirty and so desired all at once.

With each powerful thrust, a line of thick drool stretched from his cock to her mouth, his huge balls slapping her nose repeatedly. Sana's saliva mixed with the precum dripping from him, creating a slippery mess as he relentlessly skull fucked her.

"Mhmm, gawk, glurgh,"

Sana's moans grew louder and more desperate, her arousal and submission evident in every sound that escaped her lips. The forceful thrusts of his cock made her drool uncontrollably, strands of spit dripping down her chin, soaking her face, and coating her hair.

"Mmmm, glurk, gulck.. Daddy, pleashh... guck-ahh... harder... *slurp*"

The old fucker's eyes burned with raw desire as he took in the sight of Sana's saliva-slicked face, her eyes glazed with lust. He wanted to push her limits, to see just how far she would go to please him. With a growl, he reached behind and tightened his grip on her hair, pulling her head back even further, causing her mouth to stretch wider.

"You want it rough, bitch? You want me to fuck your face until you're a drooling mess?"

Sana's body trembled with anticipation, her voice filled with need. "Yes, Daddy," she gasped, her voice laced with desire. "I want it rough. Make me your obedient cum dump."

Who was he to deny her request? Not when she was looking at him with those hazy lust filled eyes. Nay, impossible to deny.

His thrusts became even more forceful, his cock slamming into her mouth, jackhammering her head into the couch so hard her head bounced off the couch with each thrust.

Her eyes watered from the overwhelming sensations, her mascara running in dark rivulets down her cheeks, her lipstick long gone. Her once pristine face and hair smeared with her frothy saliva - and yet she asked for more.

"*Gulck* *gluck* Ohh... *glock* Y-yes, Daddy... *gawk* Fuck me... *gawk* harder!

In no time at all, the old geezer neared his climax, his thrusts grew quicker and more desperate. He could feel the pressure building in his balls, the need to release his pent-up desire growing stronger with each passing second. With one final deep thrust, he erupted, his cum shooting down Sana's throat.

"Ahh... fuck... cumming! fill that slutty mouth... Take it all bitch!"

Sana's muffled cries of pleasure mixed with the sound of his cum splattering against her throat. Her tongue worked tirelessly, collecting every drop she could as she eagerly swallowed his load.

Oh fuck, he's cumming! God it's too much she thought, feeling the hot jets of his seed shooting down her throat. The taste was intense, a mixture of saltiness and musk that coated her senses. "Gleugh," she gagged, feeling the sheer volume of his cum filling her mouth.

For a whole minute, his hot seed flowed continuously, filling her mouth and dripping up her inverted face. The thick ropes of cum covered her eyes, blocking her vision, while the rest streamed down her face, leaving trails of sticky warmth in its wake. Her hair became a canvas for the pearly liquid, as it clung to the strands, marking her with its unmistakable essence. 

Coughing and gagging as the sheer volume overwhelmed her, Sana fought to swallow as much as she could. The old fuck came with such force that his cum still overflowed from her mouth, droplets cascading down her chin and onto her chest. She was a mess, a cum-drenched masterpiece, and yet, a smile played on her lips, a testament to her insatiable desire for pleasure.

As he finally finished, he pulled out of her mouth, and Sana gasped for air, her body still trembling with pleasure. She licked her lips, savoring the remnants of his cum, relishing in the mixture of their combined flavors. Her tongue swirled around, collecting every last trace of his cum.

But the old man wasn't done yet. With a firm grip on her hair, the old man guided her mouth towards his throbbing cock. He tilted her head back, exposing her open, willing mouth. A wicked glint danced in his eyes as he unleashed a torrent of warm piss, aiming it directly into her waiting mouth. The Japanese idol's lips parted, allowing the golden stream to enter, and she swallowed obediently, taking in his salty offering. The taste mingled with the remnants of his cum, creating a perverse cocktail that both excited and humiliated her.

Sana's eyes widened in shock and arousal as she gulped down his piss, feeling the degrading warmth slide down her throat. She obediently swallowed every drop, her body trembling with a mixture of humiliation and twisted pleasure. As the last drops of his piss trickled into her mouth, Sana swallowed it all, her body consumed by a mix of pleasure and humiliation.

She looked up at him, her face still glistening with his cum and her mouth tainted with his piss. A wicked smile played on her lips as she whispered, "Thank you, Daddy. I'm your filthy little cum dump."

The old fuck's eyes burn with a primal hunger as he watches Sana, still catching her breath from the mind-numbing skull fucking, her lips glistening with his essence. With a commanding presence, he grabs her by the waist and flips her over, positioning her on the couch in a prone position. 

"Not done yet bitch. I took a pill so we'll be here all night long. Now, ass up." *Spank!*

Next Chapter: 1-2 Sana Arc; Free Use (TBC)

#sana smut #twice smut

[eaterofman]

I <3 You!: Serial Killer Yandere x Detective Reader

This was your chance to shine, to finally rise up in the pecking order... but have you bitten off more than you could chew?

The answer is yes, yes you have.

CW: Murder, Stalking, Obsession, Violence NOT directed towards reader, Manipulation, Mild gore/grossness towards the end

A/N: I have learned how to make aesthetic moodboards like the cool blogs. I am unstoppable.

Of course you took the case, why wouldn't you?

You were sick of being at the bottom of the food chain, forced to run meaningless errands and getting stuck with the paperwork for the rest of the division.

This was your big break. Finally an opportunity to prove your worth.

How hard could it be?

He knew you were watching him.. or at least, watching the aftermath of him.

And what a beautiful aftermath it was, specially tailored, just for you.

He hadn't known who you were before all this. He'd even been insulted at first when he learned the detective on his case was some nobody that'd been tossed on his kills like a stray dog being offered a bone.

He really had been planning on making you his next target, spitting on the face of the department that decided that he was so unimportant that his work was only deserving of an amateur. He'd show them what happens when he's underestimated-

...but you'd thrown yourself onto his case with a diligence he wasn't quite prepared for. You were taking him seriously, treating the lowlifes he brutalized as important as the rich bastards the rest of your department was worried about.

It was cute.

Despite your efforts, you were nowhere near discovering who he was. He wouldn't let you, at least, not until the time was right.

No, he would make you great, just as you would make him known, and then and only then, would he reveal himself to you. The two of you were so intricately connected after all, both of you unknown to the world around you.

By hell or high water, the city would know the both of you. He'd make sure of it.

You wearily rested your head on your desk, pressing your face into the wood as your eyes blinked in and out of reality.

You were tired.

You wouldn't admit it to your colleagues, you refused to show weakness. You knew what happened when sharks smelled blood in the water. Showing them, that after all these years of being relegated to coffee running and borderline secretarial duties, that you couldn't handle the first case you'd been trusted with?

No, you wouldn't let yourself be thrown back to the bottom again. You were going to prove your worth to the team.

But the disappearances weren't disappearances anymore. They were clear murders at this point, and they were escalating.

What had started as simple disappearances with no confirmed body had evolved into... statements, for lack of a better word. Brutalized bodies proudly displayed in a clear mockery of your efforts.

The killer was getting bold.

It seemed at first as though they were getting sloppy as well, a few times you had stumbled across a victim that had obviously been alive just a few moments before you'd gotten to them, blood still fresh and their eyes still hauntingly gleaming at you.

No, the killer wasn't getting sloppy. You weren't any closer to finding them then you were a year ago.

This was intentional. They wanted you to see it. Despite their brutality, they were careful, never leaving any trace of themselves behind.

The case had escalated to the point where the rest of your division had to acknowledge it. At first, your colleagues simply hadn't cared about a few disappearances of the city's less respected residents. It was practically a joke when they assigned you the missing persons case, like a wild goose chase you couldn't possibly in.

Despite this, you'd put your all into the case. Even if your colleagues didn't care about the occasional missing prostitute or tourist, you did. They were still people, even if they didn't make headlines.

Your division still didn't actually care about the people when they assigned a more advanced detective to your case. No, they cared about their reputation. A serial killer on the loose did not bode well for their public appearance.

You were happy that attention was now being directed towards what you'd known to be a problem since the beginning... but it was too little too late in your opinion. It wouldn't change the fact that lives were lost because you lacked funds and access to necessary equipment and time.

As your eyes drifted shut, you figured that even if this new detective took over your case completely, it'd be okay as long as the killer was stopped.

You didn't need to known, after all, you just needed to protect your city.

That was enough for you.

White hot anger broiled in his chest, threatening to explode as he paced his hotel room.

There was another man with you, another detective.

No, not a detective, a piece of trash that didn't recognize how important the two of you were.

The piece of shit thought he was better than you, than him.

After all the effort and work he had put into gaining notoriety, the fucking pigs had stepped in, placed an intruder between the two of you. Worse yet, an intruder who would surely take all the credit from you.

He wouldn't allow it.

As he eyed the two of you investigating the display he'd arranged for you from his vantage point, watching you be forced into the role of a sidekick, he played with the knife in his hands.

This would be his best work yet.

Just as you had feared, you'd been relegated to side work once your more senior colleague stepped in.

At least you hadn't been completely removed from the case, you supposed, but it had still been a bitter pill to swallow. You'd worked so hard, only to be pushed aside and undermined once again.

You wouldn't have even minded as much, if he'd at the very least listen to what you had to say.

Instead, you'd gotten lectured like a small child, chastised for not solving such a simple case.

You chewed on the words as you walked, coffee in your hands from yet another chore you'd been forced into running.

The bastard had even made you pay for it.

"Forgot your wallet my fucking ass..." you mutter to yourself as you stomp up the stairs to the small office your superior had claimed for the investigation.

Or at least, his part of the investigation. You typically weren't allowed to "cramp up his space" while he "worked". You were used to getting kicked out into the general shared office space to work on the additional paperwork he deemed himself too important to touch.

You knock on the door, hoping to not have to struggle to open it with your hands full of hot coffee.

But there's no answer.

Of course there isn't, god forbid he actually gets up off his ass and helps you for once.

You roll your eyes and go to reach for the doorknob... only for the door to crack open on its own. Huh.

You shrug, turning to hip bump the door open the rest of the way. Easier for you, you supp-

You're snapped out of your thoughts when you step in something... wet. Back still turned, you jump in surprise at the unpleasant sound of wet carpet smooshing up against your shoe.

"Ew, what th-"

You stop mid sentence, now facing the inside of the room. You drop the cups your holding in your hand, barely registering as the brown liquid mixes with the now deep red carpet.

There's blood everywhere.

Soaked into the carpet, splattered onto the walls, dripping from the desk your colleague is sitting at.

Or what remains of your colleague, at least.

Most of what was once him is now covering the small office space, you feel bile rising in your throat.

Even in your shock, it's hard not to notice the oddly pristine, brightly colored paper in the space where your superior's face used to be.

You refuse to step into the room to get any closer to it, survival instincts howling at you to not getting any closer.

But you don't need to, you can clearly make out the almost childishly placed paper cutout letters on the paper.

You feel your stomach contents finally leave your body, mixing with the other fluids on the ground.

The message of "I <3 You" mocks you from the other side of the room as you scream, falling backwards as your mind tries to process what you're seeing.

The killer was just here, had to have been you were only gone for twenty minutes at most and-

-and he knows you, you realize with dread.

You scream.

#yandere x reader #yandere imagines #reader insert #killer yandere #yandere #male yandere

[bnyrbt]

The leader of the Choctaw Nation is joining an outpouring of support for the family of a 16-year-old student whose death is being investigated in Oklahoma.

Nex Benedict passed away on February 8, following a physical altercation at a high school the day prior. Chief Gary Batton confirmed that the young student’s mother is enrolled with the Choctaw Nation.

“The loss of a child is always difficult for a community and a family to accept,” Batton said in a statement on Wednesday.

“Although Nex does not appear to be affiliated with our tribe, their mother, Sue Benedict, is a registered member,” Batton continued. “Nex’s death weighs heavily on the hearts of the Choctaw people. We pray Nex’s family and their loved ones will find comfort,” Batton concluded.

Nex’s death has directed widespread attention to Oklahoma, where Republican officials have increasingly adopted policies hindering the rights and freedoms of Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ people. Sue Benedict has embraced her child’s gender identity and has vowed to donate funds to other youth experiencing some of the same struggles.

Two Spirit and LGBTQ+ advocates incorrectly identified Nex as being a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, whose reservation borders that of the Choctaw Nation. Cherokee Chief Hoskin Jr. expressed support for the Benedict family on Tuesday.

“As Chief, the health and welfare of all children within the Cherokee Nation Reservation is of concern,” Hoskin said in a statement.

Nex attended Owasso High School in Owasso, located on the Cherokee Reservation. Local authorities are investigating the death and have said they will forward the results of the investigation to prosecutors in Tulsa County for potential action.

Hoskin has offered the support of the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service as the investigation continues. The Owasso Police Department indicated in a statement on Tuesday that interviews would be taking place “over the course of the next two weeks.”

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R), a Republican who happens to be a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, has not spoken publicly about the death. He has repeatedly derided efforts to address diversity, equity and inclusion as discriminatory.

But a senior official with President Joe Biden, a Democrat, has weighed in. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered a message of support from the administration in a post on social media.

“Every young person deserves to feel safe and supported at school,” Jean-Pierre wrote on her official government account. “Our hearts are with Nex Benedict’s family, their friends, and their entire school community in the wake of this horrific tragedy.”

“For many LGBTQI+ students across the country, this may feel personal and deeply painful,” Jean-Pierre continued. “There is always someone you can talk to if you’re going through a hard time. Dial 988 and press 3 to reach a counselor dedicated to serving LGBTQI+ young people.

According to the 2023 LGBTQ+ Youth Report, a project of Human Rights Campaign and the University of Connecticut, more than half of transgender and gender-expansive youth feel unsafe at school. In particular, nearly a third said they feel unsafe in school restrooms.

“All students, including trans and gender-expansive students like Nex, have the right to feel safe and protected while attending school,” Tori Cooper, the campaign director of Community Engagement for the Transgender Justice Initiative at the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement on Wednesday. “That Nex was only 16 years old compounds this tragic injustice and they should have lived to see a fulfilling and authentic life.”

The 2023 study was based on a survey of nearly 3,000 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-18 nationwide, according to the organization. Some 0.6 percent of respondents identified themselves as American Indian or Alaska Native.

According to Owasso Public Schools, a “physical altercation” took place in a bathroom at the high school on February 7. The Owasso police responded to a local hospital on the same day of the incident.

Police then said they were informed that a “juvenile” was taken back to a hospital on February 8, the same day as Nex’s passing.

#op #links #trans #non-binary #choctaw #nex benedict #oklahoma #transphobia #hate crime #murder #child death #transphobic violence #uspol #news #bad news

[thegrimalldis]

Transcript under the script

RIP to Henry - he was always the best of the Grimalldis

[Helena]: Are you comfortable? Is there anything I can get you?

[Henry]: I'm as comfortable as I can be. Tell me, how are you?

[Helena]: So stubborn. Even on your deathbed your worried about everyone else but yourself. Let me fuss over you for once.

[Henry]: Old habit. How are you, truly?

[Helena]: Truly? I'm trying to be strong but...I'm terrified at the thought of losing you too.

[Helena]: You can't leave me alone with it all.

[Henry]: You're going to get through this, Helena. You've gone through so much more and survived.

[Helena]: Not without you, Henry. We have endured so much together. You have always been the constant presence in my life.

My greatest advocate.

The only person who has truly ever known me, understood me. I should have been more appreciative of you. I'm sorry I wasn't the sister you deserved.

[Henry]: You are my Queen first. Always. Now, dry your eyes. You are not alone. You have your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren to care for you. Let them.

[Helena]: Are you scared?

[Henry]: No, I'm ready to be reunited with my Charlotte. To see our parents once more.

[Henry]: I heard mother's laugh so clearly this morning. It was as though she was with me already.

[Helena]: They never left us, Henry.

-

Published 01 October 20XX

THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IS ISSUED BY THE PRESS SECRETARY TO THE QUEEN

The Queen, with greatest sadness, has asked for the following announcement to be made on behalf of the royal family.

Her beloved brother, Prince Henry of Monaca, died peacefully in his sleep this afternoon, at Grimalldi Palace with his family beside him.

#ts4 story #ts4 screenshots #ts4 bts #ts4 legacy #ts4 storytelling #the sims 4 story #the sims 4 screenshots #the sims 4 bts #the sims 4 legacy #the sims 4 storytelling #grimalldiroyalstory #grimalldipart3 #ts4 roleplay #ts4 edit #ts4 simblr #ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #ts4 screenies #sims 4 screenies #ts4 family

[thewales]

The Telegraph:

Rishi Sunak was on a visit to the East Midlands on Friday morning when he was informed about the impending statement on the Princess of Wales’s health, meaning that the shock that would ripple across the country descended on the Prime Minister hours earlier.

The moment put in train a meticulously planned sequence of events overseen by Ian Patrick, the Prince of Wales’s private secretary, to break the news to the nation that the Princess was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Mr Sunak was briefed after details of the Princess’s statement were conveyed to Elizabeth Perelman, his trusted principal private secretary – Mr Patrick’s opposite number in Downing Street. As is convention, the Cabinet Office went on to inform Sir Keir Starmer about the Princess’s video message that would be broadcast at 6pm that day.

The advance notice gave both men’s teams the opportunity to prepare their own statements expressing warm support for the Princess and her young family.

Such was the anger in Whitehall over wild and ghoulish claims about the Princess’s health and whereabouts that the Prime Minister had previously considered a public intervention to demand that the couple be left alone to deal with what was, by any account, a private medical matter.

That urge was at its strongest when it was reported on Tuesday that the hospital where the Princess underwent abdominal surgery in January was investigating claims staff tried to access her medical notes. But he was loath to risk adding fuel to the fire being created by online arsonists.

“The PM felt very strongly that Princess Catherine was entitled to absolute privacy on a personal health matter, and had been appalled by the wild speculation,” said a source close to Mr Sunak.

“He had been reluctant to intervene before to try and afford the royals some privacy as saying anything risked further fuelling the trolls.”

A hint of Mr Sunak’s concern did, however, emerge in a briefing with political journalists on Wednesday, when his press secretary said: “As a general point, everyone in public life has a right to privacy when it comes to their private health records. Obviously we don’t comment on royal matters but that point stands.”

Unbeknown to Mr Sunak, at this point the wheels were already in motion for the Princess to put an end to such speculation herself. On the same day a production crew from BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the corporation, was on location at Windsor to film the two-minute clip in which the Princess set out the “huge shock” that the diagnosis had caused, as well as her insistence that “I am going to be OK”.

She was said to have wanted to deliver a video message in order to make the announcement as personal as possible.

#brf #the prince of wales #the princess of wales #prince william #duchess of cambridge #rishi sunak

[ridenwithbiden]

ICYMI "Ohio Republicans are claiming a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, which was approved by voters in Tuesday’s election, doesn’t actually do that - and they’re promising to take steps to prevent the legal protection of reproductive freedom in the state.

“To prevent mischief by pro-abortion courts with Issue 1, Ohio legislators will consider removing jurisdiction from the judiciary over this ambiguous ballot initiative,” Ohio House Republicans wrote in a statement released Thursday. “The Ohio legislature alone will consider what, if any, modifications to make to existing laws based on public hearings and input from legal experts on both sides.”

Ohio banned abortion in the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, but legal challenges to state’s abortion laws left residents’ reproductive rights in limbo until Tuesday’s ballot measure. The strategy Republicans are now proposing would essentially strip Ohio’s courts of the authority to repeal existing abortion restrictions before the new amendment goes into effect on December 7.

“No amendment can overturn the God-given rights with which we were born,” state Rep. Beth Lear (R-Galena) added in the Republican’s statement. Another representative, Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester), claimed the referendum had only passed due to “foreign election interference.”

Rep. Bill Dean (R-Xenia) said the amendment “doesn’t repeal a single Ohio law,” and that its language is “dangerously vague and unconstrained, and can be weaponized to attack parental rights or defend rapists, pedophiles, and human traffickers.”

Ohio is not the only state where Republicans are attempting to undermine pro-choice ballot initiatives endorsed by constituents. In Michigan, two anti-choice activist groups are working with Republican lawmakers to sue the state and block the implementation of that state’s voter-approved constitutional amendment.

Stacey LaRouche, press secretary to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, told The Detroit News that “it shouldn’t be lost on people that these right-wing organizations and radical Republicans in the Michigan Legislature are cherry-picking courts to try to once again overturn a constitutionally guaranteed right because they can’t win with voters.”

Ballot measures supporting reproductive freedom have been approved in all seven states where they have been put to voters. Despite Republicans claiming that the end of Roe signified the return of the abortion issue to the will of individual states, they clearly remain determined to undermine reproductive rights no matter what any state’s voters have to say about them."

[blueiskewl]

Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II’s  Statues and Treasures now on Exhibition in Paris

Many of the more than 180 objects have never left Egypt before.

From whichever angle you approach Ramses II, the 13th century B.C.E pharaoh earns his epithet: the Great.

His 67-year reign stands as the second longest in Egyptian history. Bold in both war and peace, Ramses expanded Egyptian territory and signed the earliest-known peace treaty with the Hittites in 1271 B.C.E. This consolidation led to an unparalleled building of cities and monuments—often to himself. Ramses’s progeny was also vast, he’s estimated to have fathered more than 100 children.

There may have been 11 other pharaohs named Ramses, but “Ramses and the Gold of the Pharaohs,” a recently opened show in Paris demonstrates the pharaoh who acquired semi-godlike status in his own lifetime needs no identifiers.

The exhibition is on the third leg of a five-year, 10-city global tour with previous stops at Houston Museum of Natural Science and San Francisco’s de Young Museum. It was devised through a collaboration between the Supreme Council of Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt and World Heritage Exhibitions.

Across more than 180 objects, many of which have never before left Egypt, the show creates a vivid picture of the country’s ancient Golden Age. Though Ramses’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings was raided and plundered of its gold adornments, the show presents ample treasures directly connected to him including a colossal red granite statue of the pharaoh’s head, one of his many gold rings, and painted reliefs celebrating his military victories.

More broadly, the exhibition presents a view of the world Ramses inhabited, sculpted, and inspired. There is space dedicated to the grave of royal tomb builder Sennedjem, a collection of mummified animals found at the Saqqara necropolis, and treasures discovered in the royal tombs in Dahshur and Tanis.

The exhibition also leans on contemporary technology to bring both artifacts and historical events to life. Drone footage and computer animations have been used to recreate the ancient splendor of Ramses’s memorial temple, photo-murals are projected on walls, and there’s a multimedia recreation of the Battle of Kadesh, a 1274 B.C.E. chariot battle widely considered the pharaoh’s greatest military achievement. There is also a V.R. experience available to visitors.

“Ramses II is considered to be the greatest king ever to rule Egypt,” said Mostafa Waziri, Egypt’s Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in a press statement. “This exhibition will illuminate the pivotal moments that earned the great pharaoh his place in history, while bringing visitors face-to-face with absolutely stunning Egyptian artifacts”.

#Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II #Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses II’s Statues and Treasures now on Exhibition in Paris #ancient artifacts #egyptian artifacts #history #history news #ancient history #ancient culture #ancient civilizations #ancient egypt #egyptian history #egyptian art #egyptian pharaoh

[tomorrowusa]

There is a lot of emphasis in the news media on Biden's age while almost nothing about Trump's fitness. This needs to change and we should be more active about holding news organizations to account.

In a four day period in September, the cable news stations mentioned Biden’s age 193 times while Trump’s age was mentioned just 56 times. (MediaMatters.org on September 29, 2023.) After this one sided coverage, these same media outlets then polled the voters about Biden’s age and found (surprise!) that voters are more concerned about Biden’s age than Trump’s age. It’s garbage in and garbage out.

There's just a 3.5 year difference between Biden and Trump. But Trump is not the fitter of the two. Being an epic blowhard and blabbermouth is not a measure of fitness.

After Biden concluded his debt ceiling deal with McCarthy in June, the extremist so-called House “Freedom” Caucus members complained that Biden “outsmarted” McCarthy in the negotiations. The House GOP’s most extreme members hate Biden and have zero incentive to tell the truth about Biden’s good state of health.

So even the most extreme Republicans had to admit that they were outfoxed by Biden.

On October 2, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) took to the floor of the House to denounce the deal that funded the government for forty five days Gaetz said: “It is going to be difficult for my Republican friends to keep calling President Biden feeble while he continues to take Speaker McCarthy’s lunch money in every negotiation.”

As for Trump's health, mental health in particular, the evidence of his debility is on full display.

Meanwhile, the mainstream press has largely ignored and downplayed Trump’s declining mental condition and increasing tendency to threaten violence. Probably the only mainstream media piece that accurately described the respective health of Biden and Trump was in the New York Times on June 4, 2023. The pertinent excerpts are as follows: “While in office, Mr. Trump generated concerns about his mental acuity and physical condition. He did not exercise, his diet leaned heavily on cheeseburgers and steak and he officially tipped the scales at 244 pounds, a weight formally deemed obese for his height. After complaining that he was overscheduled with morning meetings, Mr. Trump stopped showing up at the Oval Office until 11 or 11:30 a.m. each day, staying in the residence to watch television, make phone calls or send out incendiary tweets. During an appearance at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he had trouble lifting a glass of water and seemed to have trouble making his way down a modest ramp. Most striking was Mr. Trump’s cognitive performance. He was erratic and tended to ramble; experts have found that he had grown less articulate and that his vocabulary had shrunk since his younger days. Aides said privately that Mr. Trump had trouble processing information and distinguishing fact from fiction. His second chief of staff, John F. Kelly, bought a book analyzing Mr. Trump’s psychological health to understand him better, and several cabinet secretaries concerned that he might be mentally unfit discussed invoking the 25th Amendment to remove him.”

He's gotten worse rather than better since leaving office.

These aren’t isolated statements. The highlights (or lowlights) of Trump’s deteriorating condition are as follows. Trump forgot who is currently president, and claimed “the Obama administration” recorded the length of his “border wall.” He even claimed **Jeb Bush** invaded Afghanistan and Iraq! Trump appeared confused when he said Jeb Bush was president during the Iraq War. “You know he was a mili — he got us into the, uh, he got us into the Middle East … Right?” In September, Trump mixed up Biden and Obama, and claimed Biden might start World War TWO. Trump even said you need a government photo ID to buy a loaf of bread. At the same time, Trump’s remarks have taken a dark turn and he has repeatedly threatened violence. Trump suggested that General Mark Milley should be executed. If anybody else had said that, they would be getting a visit from the FBI. The fact that this isn’t being treated as major front-page news is astonishing to me.

Trump makes threats to media moguls and they go easy on reporting his delirium.

The run away front runner for the GOP presidential nomination said Comcast, the owner of NBC and MSNBC, “should be investigated for its ‘Country Threatening Treason’” and promised to do so should he be re-elected president next year. Why does the press continue to cover up Trump’s poor health when he has promised to go after them? How can they be so stupid? It’s pretty wild that, of the two leading presidential candidates, the guy found liable for rape and who is facing ninety one criminal indictments isn’t the one who is facing calls to step aside for someone else to run. The mainstream media has lost all sense of scale and proportion. The media fixation with Biden as opposed to this clearly impaired guy is journalistic malpractice.

Psychologist Mary Trump, Donald's niece, called her uncle a "dangerous presence" on Australia's ABC earlier this year. She also said he was essentially "an insecure little boy who seeks attention".

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Ask your news providers why they are seldom mentioning Trump's mental health in their coverage. They should not be normalizing his threats against people and his bizarre erratic comments.

#donald trump #trump's deteriorating mental health #trump is unfit for office #mary trump #republicans #2024 gop presidential nomination #election 2024

[mariacallous]

Ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, a liberal Gen-Z-led group has purchased a handful of domain names related to the top Republican primary candidates in an effort to extinguish support from young voters.

“Republicans are not investing in outreach to young people, and we know why,” Jessica Siles, deputy press secretary for Voters of Tomorrow, said in a statement to WIRED on Friday. “Their regressive, radical stances on abortion rights, guns, climate change, and other top issues are overwhelmingly unpopular with Gen Z. Since Trump and Haley won’t accurately inform young people of their views, we will.”

Voters for Tomorrow has bought up new domain names—GenZforTrump.org and GenZforHaley.org—in an effort to sway young voters in battleground states from backing Republicans in the 2024 election. The websites will redirect to another site, GenZvsFarRight.org, which the group says will outline how “out-of-touch” the GOP’s platform is with the needs of young voters. On the redirected site, the group outlines Trump and Haley’s records on the environment, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun safety, among other issues, without explicitly encouraging people to vote for Biden.

To reach them, the group is launching a digital ad campaign across Instagram and Snapchat, hoping to reach at least half a million users in battleground states where they say the youth vote could make a difference for Democrats. “Gen Z will determine our next president,” the ads say, as they ask users to visit the websites for more information on Trump and Haley. Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Arizona, and Florida are some of the states where these ads will run, and the group plans to spend as much as it takes to reach at least half a million voters, Jack Lobel, Voters of Tomorrow's 19-year-old national press secretary, told WIRED on Friday.

For nearly a decade, domain trolling, or the act of buying up URLs related to an opposing candidate and redirecting them to unfavorable information, has become a popular digital media tactic for campaigns. In 2015, Senator Ted Cruz and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina had domains related to their GOP presidential campaigns swiped up by trolls before they were able to grab them. CarlyFiorina.org, at one point, displayed 30,000 sad-faced emojis to represent the workers she laid off at HP. In 2020, the Biden campaign bought KeepAmericaGreat.com, the Trump campaign’s reelection slogan, attacking Trump’s handling of the pandemic.

“P.S., If the GOP candidates had invested in young voter outreach efforts like we are, maybe we wouldn’t have acquired these website domains in the first place,” stated Voters of Tomorrow’s press release.

It’s impossible to know whether these domain trolls have the power to sway voter sentiment. But Voters of Tomorrow thinks they do. “Trump is the greatest threat to our generation, and we’re going to continue to expand that belief in our generation throughout this project because the stakes of the 2024 election are unprecedented,” Lobel said.

In 2020, young people came out to vote in record numbers and arguably helped turn the election in Biden’s favor. But a recent poll from the Harvard Kennedy School has shown that the same demographic appears less likely to vote in 2024 than in the prior presidential election, declining from 57 percent to 49 percent. The poll reported that a plurality of these voters distrust Biden and Trump to act on critical issues like climate change, gun violence, and health care, which could dampen their desire to vote in this year’s election. Those same voters said Trump was the better choice to address the current crisis in Gaza over Biden by 5 percentage points.

These numbers could spell trouble for Biden and the Democrats come November. Around 41 million Gen-Z voters will be eligible to vote for the first time in 2024, according to Tufts University. Of those voters, more than 8 million of them will be first-time voters, and could play an outsize role in electing the next president.

“Young voters have historically been left out of the political process, and that changed with the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Young voters realized their power. And since then, we’ve been showing up in droves to shape elections,” Lobel told WIRED. “Going into 2024, we have to build on that power.”

[runnning-outof-time]

K! Congratulations on 2K!!! 🎉🙌🏻 I hope you get a lot more 😊

Can I request something with this prompt? For Tommy

“Look me in the eyes and repeat what you just said.”

Thank you so much for sending this in, Mar!! 🥰 I hope you like that I did with the prompt.

Thank you for helping me celebrate hitting 2K followers! Want to read more blurbs from this celebration? Check out this post!

Some Good News

Tommy Shelby

Warnings: none

(Y/N) comes to Tommy with news that she’s been holding in for too long.

“Where is he?” (Y/N) asked as she rushed through the rooms of the Shelby Company Ltd.’s office.

“Tommy’s in his office,” Lou, one of the secretaries, answered, knowing exactly who the other woman was referring to.

“Thank you,” (Y/N) didn’t even stop, hurling her thanks out as she continued on to the door at the end of the lobby-like room. She didn’t even bother knocking, and instead opened the door and walked right in.

“(Y/N)?” Tommy asked, confusion in his voice. (Y/N) also noted that Michael was in the room, but that didn’t hinder her desire to go forward with what she’d had planned from the second she arrived back in Birmingham.

“Yes,” she blurted out as she walked across the room to where he was standing behind his desk.

“Yes what?” Tommy was even more confused by her single word declaration.

“Yes, I will marry you,” she elaborated, not breaking her stride until she stopped in front of him, “I shouldn’t have made you wait so long after you asked, but with everything going on at the derby and then when they took you, and then Polly told me what might have happened, and I thought I’d never see you again, so I felt guilty about not giving…”

“Woah, hold on, (Y/N)…” Tommy cut her off, stopping her rambling before she could even finish it, which was good for her because she had no clue where she was going with her babbling. “Look me in the eyes and repeat what you just said.”

“All of it?” she asked sheepishly, wondering if she’d need to repeat her previous statement in its entirety.

“No,” Tommy shook his head slightly, “just the first part of it.”

(Y/N) couldn’t help but smile as she hooked her eyes onto his. Tommy had a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he waited intently for her to speak again. She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly before doing so. “Yes, I will marry you,” she told him, her voice staying steady as she spoke.

“Yeah?” Tommy’s question was rhetorical in nature. He’d just heard her say that she would, multiple times actually.

“Yes,” (Y/N) confirmed it again anyway, her smile growing wider. “I should’ve said yes the second you asked me. It was dumb of me to stand there and not give you an answer…it all happened so fast though.”

“That doesn’t matter, you’ve answered me now,” he brushed her off, letting her know that she shouldn’t keep beating herself up for how she initially reacted.

“Are you happy?” she asked then, not realizing how stupid that question sounded until it left her lips.

“Of course I’m happy, love,” he answered with a slight chuckle, “it’s nice to get some good news like this after all that’s happened today.”

“I’m so happy that you’re ok,” she sighed as she moved forward to wrap her arms around his torso. She just couldn’t stop herself from doing so any longer.

“I’m always gonna be ok, (Y/N),” he mumbled into her hair as he held onto her tightly, “I’m gonna have you by me side for the rest of me life now,” he added after she pulled back slightly to look at him.

Unable to wait any longer, (Y/N) leaned in and pressed her lips to Tommy’s in a passionate kiss. She was able feel Tommy’s grin against her lips, and it only made her grip onto him tighter. She couldn’t believe that she was going to marry him.

“I guess Michael left,” she said, then exhaling a breath after they pulled away.

“Good,” he answered, his grin still present, “he didn’t need to see any of this anyway.”

(Y/N) couldn’t even respond because Tommy’s lips found hers as soon as he finished speaking.

———

Tagged: @mgcllovdrms @the-anxious-youth @cloudofdisney @look-at-the-soul @elenavampire21 @peaky-cillian @mrsalwayswrite @julkaamazing @evita-shelby @lilyrachelcassidy @notyour-valentine @shelbydelrey @december16-1991 @onlydeadcells @peakyswritings @just-a-blackhole @watercolorskyy @strayrockette @peakyduchesss @alexxavicry @captivatedbycillianmurphy @yummycastiel @dark-academia-slut @tommystargirl @stevie75 @lyarr24 @signorellisantichrist @zablife @anotherblinder @midnightmagpiemama @cillmequick @rangerelik @lovemissyhoneybee @dandelionprints @letal-y-poetica

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#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #tommy shelby x y/n #tommy shelby imagine #tommy shelby blurb #peaky blinders #peaky blinders x reader #peaky blinders x y/n #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders blurb #peaky blinders fanfic #peaky blinders fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #root2kfollowercelebration

[iidylllic]

Restraint 🖤

Dark!Pantalone x reader | 1.8k words

Summary: You hold one part of yourself close- the ability to restrain your desires.

Reader specifics: GN, doll analogy used

Character specifics: If you’re reading when he’s released in game, he’s probably OOC, no nationality specified

Tags: DARK, non consensual relationship, blurred lines and unstable relationship, “colleagues” lines blurred, eula voiceline lore used, no smut

Notes: I think this is a little abstract

I am 18+ have read the above, and consent to seeing this content [yes ⬇️] [no ↩️]

You never wanted to get involved with the Fatui.

Hardly anyone does. Growing up around them, you’ve seen a blurred slideshow of changing faces- the ones coming back from their duty to the Tsaritsa, swapped out with the ones embarking. The lack of continuity shaped your young mind with a dream of stability. You wished for a reality shaped by consistency, where nobody was desperate for money or improvement of their rank.

That’s how you ended up with Pantalone.

He doesn’t give you his real name. Not yet, so he says. The level of secrecy is surfeit for someone who has nobody to tell it to.

And you see him every day. You devote your full attention to him. You’re a secretary, turned personal assistant, turned…

You can’t bring yourself to address it.

Initially, you had believed that secretarial work would be the no-strings-attached experience you needed. Take the money, go to Liyue, carry all your records and papers to avoid accusations of being a spy (apparently nothing gets past the Tianquan anyway) and settle down for a stable life.

If you left now, you wouldn’t choose Liyue anymore. Too many connections to the market.

“Ah, darling-“

You snap out of your haze. He’s stretching himself backwards on his seat, looking up towards the ceiling. Quickly and lightly, you get on your feet and walk over to him, going to his back so you can massage your fingertips into his shoulders.

“Mm…”

You press a little harder. He lets out a long sigh through his nose. A mild wave of nausea rolls over your body.

“You looked lost in thought there.” He says plainly. Across your time with Pantalone, you’ve learned that most of his statements are demands, and many of his questions are rhetorical. In your responses, you know better than to be vague.

“I was thinking of places I would like to visit one day.”

Not exactly a lie.

“Is that so?”

You nod even though he can’t see it. He brings his hand up and gently motions to the side, indicating for you to move out of the way.

“Try not to stall so much during work. We’ll always have plenty of time for discussion once it’s over.”

You hadn’t planned on discussing it, but Pantalone automatically assumes himself to be privy to your thoughts. It’s amusing how intensely professional he remains, given that he had offered that you stop formally working for him the month before, and become something of a “companion”. You had refused, because who would possibly accept a role so vague and unsettling? He had only chuckled, leading you to believe he wasn’t all that serious, but ever since that day he’s been very… rigorous … on the clock. It could be read as a display of passive-aggressiveness.

He stands up. You dread the moment he’ll lay his eyes on you. The papers you were working on sit at your own desk in neat piles, nearing completion. He wouldn’t be angry. He never is- or at least, never shows it. There’s more work than normal recently. But there’s still a fear that sits in your gut, constricting around your organs, a fast beating heart and shallow lungs.

But having some extra work to do isn’t a bother, especially if you can complete it after dinner-

“Finish that up for me, dear. I don’t want you preoccupied when we come back home.”

“Of course.”

You don’t miss the way his eyes glance to the side in restrained disappointment. He hates being called “Lord Harbinger” by you. And he’s stopped you from calling him “sir”. You believe he expects you to return with an affectionate nickname of sorts, to meet his constant “darling”s and “dear”s but so far you’ve been unable to muster one up.

Pantalone leaves you to the rest of your work, returning a few minutes later with your coat and boots. After sorting the last of the papers, you start putting your boots on, becoming startled when you stand up to see Pantalone ready to help you into your coat. He hums as you put each arm through its respective sleeve, and your hands race to do up your buttons lest he intervene before you. There’s a moment after you retrieve your gloves from the pockets where you look up at him, and he sweeps a hand across your cheek under the guise of tucking back hair. In his eyes there’s a sickening sense of admiration, like a child lovingly gazing at a porcelain doll.

You are his doll, you suppose. His toy sounds depraved, but it would be equally true. Dressed up and taken everywhere, introduced to strangers like a show-and-tell, cradled in his arms as he sleeps, a fragile substitute for a love he never once received. You watch with glassy eyes as he touches you with reckless abandon, your eyelids shut dully when you lay down with him, and when the string is pulled on your back, you tell him how wonderful he is. You commend his success and offer him reassurance you doubt he needs. Despite this, you are defective. He has never once managed to hear you squeak out an “I love you” from your battered voice-box. He treats you with a certainty that it is there, that it will manifest into reality if he simply persists. In this respect, you and his monetary treasures are similar.

-❤️-

Another dinner passes with him across the table from you. He’s started taking you out at least once a week, and you’re unsure if these count as dates. You would rather just believe he’s attempting to show you his wealth with his choices of restaurants.

Returning home brings him to his favourite part of the day. Time for recreation is a luxury in Snezhnaya, and though Pantalone can certainly afford it, he restricts himself (and simultaneously you) from indulging in it too much.

You don’t think you can run off to your own room like you used to do when work was finished. What you would give to fall asleep on the unused bed, to stretch out on the fresh sheets. The room is dull and grey, but it’s your own space, a guarantee of privacy. It’s a place you hardly ever visit, swapped in favour of the red and gold of Pantalone’s bedroom. The extravagance of his tastes has always left you uneasy.

Trying to stall making contact with him for as long as possible, you sit yourself on one of the armchairs and idly fiddle with a book from the table beside it. This doesn’t last long.

“Don’t be like that,” He chuckles, playing off your antics as a joke. “What’s wrong with sitting beside me?”

You reposition yourself next to him on the sofa, trying not to look like you’re clinging to the edge of it.

He doesn’t slide along, but his body tilts towards you. Magnetic attraction. Drawing him in.

Your mouth is dry and your fingers are trembling along a tattered page. The wine from the restaurant, offered but never received, is a faraway dream. He’s all too eager to buy your affections, and probably would’ve gotten the entire bottle for you if you’d hinted at trying a glass. Maybe every single bottle in the restaurant. But when it comes to intoxication, you restrain. To loosen up could be a great relief… or a fatal error. He has another glass of it in his hands, white wine, almost golden, and you could just as easily ask- but you never want to put yourself in a position of debt to him. He sees you glancing at it, and catches your eye in a way that captivates you. His eyebrow raises slightly before he begins speaking.

“You should get more comfortable asking for things from me.” His voice slices through the thick air, as if reading your mind.

You don’t know what to say. Instead, you just look at him, with eyes glassed over and motionless. Frozen. Silent rabbit in the mouth of a wolf. Fearing the crush. If you linger long enough, he fills the silence himself. Whether he realises it or not, he has the initiative of a desperate man. Unable to rest without getting in his words, his say, his influence.

“I’m not forcing you to, but I think we’ve grown rather close-“

You’ve grown rather close to me.

“- and it’s a dreadful sight to see you restrain yourself with the world at your fingertips.”

You swallow. It’s in this moment that you realise he’s still too prideful to simply invite you into a relationship with him. Instead, he’s coerced- no, swindled- you into a kind of pseudo-domesticity. You realise that after this, you’ll go and sleep in the same bed as him, and he will guard you and guide you like one of his investments, not stopping until he’s guaranteed returns. This is a dead end.

“Maybe it’s just my tastes.” You say sedately. A masterful facade borne of a childhood where you could never show fear.

“Mm…”

His eyes are transfixed on his wine, which he swirls lazily.

“When I was… not as financially successful, I used to refuse to drink anything except water. You couldn’t have convinced me to steal leftover tea leaves because I refused to get accustomed to the taste.”

When he glances up at you, his gaze seems to melt you down like frigid ice to malleable water. You nod.

“When I grew wealthier, I still drank water and chose to forgo other drinks. I had my tea weak and tasteless in business meetings, I refused coffee- I claimed it gave me headaches- and I restrained from alcohol. It wasn’t until an associate of mine insisted I try some of Mondstadt’s dandelion wine that I ever indulged in a full glass. They held an entire ceremony for the wine- they pour it into silver goblets, did you know?”

You shook your head. Fascinating. Distracting. Your tongue feels like sandpaper on the roof of your mouth.

“I didn’t know either at the time. And I thought that it seemed uselessly extravagant. They pour it out into the goblets, they let it sit, and then serve it with ice. But the taste was… incredible, unlike anything I’ve ever tasted. I finally looked around me, and darling, I observed that I was in a position to ask for anything I wanted, and get it,”

He raises the wine glass a little, not to his own lips, but outwards. Then towards you, until it hovers beneath your face and the sweet smell is almost enough to taste.

“But know that even from when I was young, I understood that ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get.’ And perhaps others believe the opposite, that remaining distant and unobtrusive brings them the best in life,”

You grasp the wine glass gently in your hand, and his own retracts.

“Which frankly, I’ve never understood.”

You stare down into the glass. It feels like staring into an abyss. The golden hue shines like mora. Your breath hitches, and you finally squeeze out a high-strung, “May I?”

Pantalone nods, smiling gently with the eyes of a predator.

It’s bittersweet and reminiscent of a freedom you may never know.

#pantalone x reader #yandere pantalone #genshin impact x reader #fatui x reader #yandere pantalone x reader

[saywhat-politics]

Rep. Mark Green spearheaded the impeachment crusade against Alejandro Mayorkas. But instead of taking a victory lap, the Republican is retiring.

Last week, during the House Republicans’ first attempt at impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro, GOP Rep. Mark Green of Tennessee was seen screaming at GOP Rep. Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin. The former wanted the latter to toe the party line and support the resolution, and the latter wouldn’t budge.

Five days later, Gallagher surprised the political world by announcing he wouldn’t seek re-election to Congress. Five days after that, the lawmaker who screamed at Gallagher announced he no longer wants to serve on Capitol Hill, either. Roll Call reported:

“Tennessee Rep. Mark E. Green, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, will retire at the end of his term, becoming the fifth committee chair to not seek reelection this year. Green’s announcement comes the day after the House voted, 214-213, to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, culminating an effort that Green led over several months.

The Republican congressman’s press statement noted, “Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home.”

#tennessee #republican #congressman #mark green