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gumjrop · 11 days

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The Weather

Similar to this time last year, COVID wastewater levels in many states have decreased and now remain at low levels except for the states of Tennessee and Missouri, which are at high levels. Arkansas, Alabama, Delaware, Minnesota, and Virginia have moderate viral levels detected by wastewater surveillance. This reminds us that it is important to continue the practice of precautions, especially among those most vulnerable to a COVID infection.

When considering trends in wastewater levels across all four regions, they have stopped decreasing as seen in the provisional data (gray shaded area). The national wastewater levels are indicated as “Low.” While lower wastewater levels indicate decreased spread, the risk for infection remains moderate especially as current wastewater levels remain slightly higher than previous low periods.

Wins

During the past few weeks, we have taken several actions against removing vital public health measures, especially the change in COVID isolation guidelines. This included the People’s CDC press conference from March 13, a recording and our press release are available. We also have a pre-proof of the People’s CDC External Review in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine Focus that additionally highlights the shortcomings of the CDC’s approach to public health and recommends a more equitable pandemic response. This week, we have assembled an expert letter asking the CDC to correct their COVID isolation guidelines.

Community groups continue to show us that it is possible to push back against corporate efforts to further privatize healthcare – and win. In Massachusetts, the Boston Center for Independent Living and SEIU 1199 led a successful drive to prevent cuts to publicly funded personal care attendants (PCAs) for disabled people. When we fight, we win.

Variants

Currently, JN.1 remains the dominant variant in the US, and is 83.7% of circulating variants as of 4/13/2024, down from 88.5% on 2/3/2024. JN.1.13 has increased to 9.1%, up from 0.7% on 2/3/2024. Other variants comprise 7.2% of the remaining total. A recent study, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, provided additional information on recent COVID variants that shed higher levels of wastewater; however, this cannot discount that COVID transmission remains at higher risk during rises in wastewater levels.

Hospitalizations

Total new hospital admissions caused by COVID have decreased to 7,318 during the week of April 6, 2024. Although the number of new hospital admissions are lower than the past, many counties in the US continue to experience increases in new hospital admissions. Over 25% of all counties are experiencing an increase in new COVID hospital admissions between the last week of March 2024 and the first week of April 2024. Most concerning, we still do not know the total number of hospital-acquired infections, since reporting over these numbers halted in May 2023. Despite this decrease in new hospital admissions and wastewater levels are currently at low levels nationwide, total hospitalizations do not completely reflect the current amount of circulating virus.

Prevention and Precautions

The CDC recently released guidelines to improve ventilation and implementation of air purification to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, specifically airborne pathogens. A group of scientists have also jointly published a policy statement in the academic journal Science supporting the establishment of higher standards for ventilation and the importance of air purification in indoor settings. Two studies published in the last month have validated the significance and value of both ventilation and air purification in schools and childcare centers to prevent the spread of COVID.

Vaccine uptake remains limited. Only 22.8% of adults and 14.1% of children have received the updated COVID vaccine as of 4/11/2024 - a slight increase from 21.1% of adults and 12.8% of children on 3/10/2024. The Bridge Program remains available for those underinsured or without insurance for no-cost access to these vaccines, but may end December 31, 2024.

Long COVID

Senator Bernie Sanders, as chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee, proposed draft legislation to address Long COVID. This proposal aims to allocate $1 billion annually for a decade to the NIH for Long COVID research, establish a centralized research entity and advisory board, create a rapid grant process for clinical trials, develop a patient data database, and enhance public education on Long COVID. We ask that you share your thoughts to their official contact by email specifically on allocating funding for effective treatments and specific measures in the prevention of Long COVID by April 23, 2024. Currently, Long COVID Alliance has compiled a list of active opportunities in studies and clinical trials that people with Long COVID may participate in, which may help the clinical community contribute knowledge of Long COVID and potentially support the development of effective treatments.

Take Action

An invaluable home-based program that supports testing, evaluation, and treatment for COVID, Test to Treat program, is ending on April 16, 2024. Send a letter to your local representatives to ask them to help save the program that helps so many at-risk people!

It’s been over a month since the CDC released new, irresponsible guidelines on COVID isolation which are not substantiated by scientific evidence. Our fight to take public health out of the hands of corporate interests and protect our collective well-being continues. As part of our strategy to push back, we’ve put together an expert letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen telling her to reinstate science-based COVID isolation guidelines. We urge the CDC to consider the highly variable length of infectiousness in their recommendations and to adopt a test-based approach for ending isolation. This letter is for public health professionals, scientists, healthcare workers, disability advocates, and others who consider themselves experts in public health. Sign this letter asking the CDC to correct their updated COVID isolation guidelines.

Avian Flu (Awareness Update)

The People’s CDC is monitoring Avian Influenza (AKA “Bird Flu”) as it has been spreading in many avian and mammalian species around the world at alarming rates. The current strain of concern is subtype H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b and is highly pathogenic in poultry, causing systemic infections and rapid onset of illness and death among avian species (1). As such, this is called a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). This specific clade emerged in 2020 and has now been detected on every continent (2,3,4, 5). Over 500 species of birds and 360 species of other animals have been infected worldwide. Hundreds of thousands of wild animals have died from avian influenza since its emergence in 2020 (1, 6). Here in the U.S., at least 28 outbreaks have occurred in cattle farms (6, 7).

While human cases remain low, case fatality in humans has historically been around 50% (6). The outbreak among many non-bird animals is alarming and allows for opportunities for viral mutations that may lead to further infections among humans (1,6). The ecological consequences of such mass death around the world are currently unknown but guaranteed to be devastating as food webs are severely disrupted and conservation efforts suffer (1, 5). Humans are already feeling the direct impact of this as farmers are forced to cull entire flocks of poultry to control the spread, which may result in increased prices in the food supply (6). Humans will probably continue to feel the impacts of this historic spread, regardless of the number of human cases. We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates as the situation develops.

UC Davis

CDC

Viruses

Nature

Vox

BNO News

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happybird16 · 1 year

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Hewo Tay ❤️💖 hope you're having a great day

*taps into mic*

If you had to headcanon the aot charas from states, where would they be from and why [are you basing it off their vibe/ or canon personalities?]

Okay some of them actually stumped me for a bit, but here we go!! I mostly went with ~vibe~ from staring at a Map of the US!!

Levi: He strikes me as a northern city boy, braving tough streets and dreary weather. I’d say he’d be a New Yorker or maybe from Illinois! Could even be New Jersey! Somewhere with rough streets and gangs! Imagine him with a cute accent!!

Erwin: A sun-kissed country boy! Not too far from a bigger city, but he definitely grew up around farms! I don’t think he’d be too far south, but definitely spent most of his youth bailing hay at one of the farms for some extra cash! That’s how he’s so beefy!! I’d say he’s either from Missouri or one of the Virginias!!

Hange: This one’s difficult, but I picture them as a country bumpkin from the Deep South, maybe Florida, but they move to California as soon as they’re old enough to be independent!! Basically running away from home!! They want a new experience!! And people are so much more accepting there!!

Eren, Armin, Mikasa: These three grew up together, so I have to do them as a group!! I picture them growing up in a city, but not somewhere nearly as rough as Levi. Somewhere with nice suburbs, a good school district and a community library!! But also somewhere with forests and hills to adventure in!! I’d say somewhere in Pennsylvania!! (Also so Armin can not have seen the ocean, but desperately want to)

Connie: FLORIDA!! Some of the most hilarious people I’ve ever met have been from Florida!! He definitely grew up near the coast taunting those weird little lizards that are everywhere!

Sasha: You know she’s a country girl!! Grew up on a farm, no where near a big city! I’d say Nebraska!! She strikes me as a farm girl, but also the type to have dealt with hard winters!

Jean: He pretends to be a big city boy, but he actually grew up in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t really farm lands, just emptiness and his tiny little home town. I’d say Michigan!!

Reiner: For some reason I’m picturing him somewhere far north, where it gets really cold during the winter. He’s so sturdy he’s completely resilient to the cold weather!! I’d say Maine or Vermont!

Zeke: He grew up in a big city for sure, but somewhere not far from the coast!! I picture him as some-what of a warm weather boy, so maybe one of the Carolinas?

Miche: Same as Erwin!! The farm he worked on was owned by Miche’s family so they became friends!!

Onyonkapon: I want to hear him with a cute Mississippi accent so bad, so I’m saying there for only that reason!!

Moblit: California!!! They meet Hange there!! He’s socially anxious so he spends a lot of time at the beach, casually drawing people as they pass and the shifting environment!! He can surf!!

Gabi and Falco (and Colt): These two grew up together too!! Somewhere with nicer suburbs and near a relatively large city, but they live more on the outskirts!! Somewhere relatively close to Reiner too! I’d say Massachusetts!!

Floch: Ohio.

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thatstormygeek · 1 month

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Today is the Democratic presidential primary in Missouri.

A couple of years ago, MO canceled the state-run primaries, leaving it up to the parties. Which explains why we were suddenly being asked our political party at the polling station. At the time, the election workers were as in the dark as the rest of us. They'd just been told they needed to ask us.

The GOP had a caucus a few weeks ago.

Today, Dems and independent voters can cast a ballot for Biden or Jason Palmer or Marianne Williamson or uncommitted or three other names. But only if you happen to live in an area where the Dems managed to secure a location to vote or are willing to drive however far to get there. Oh, and the polls are only open today from 8 am to noon.

Dems were unable to secure voting locations in every county. We can vote at whatever location we want, so if you happen to be visiting friends or shopping or whatever near a polling location, you can vote there. But again, there's not even on in every county. Let alone every city.

I keep thinking back to that SCOTUS decision. Colorado is not allowed to keep Trump off their primary ballots despite provisions in the 14th amendment making his eligibility to even run questionable. But Missouri can just say fuck you completely and that's fine.

Can we finally call it? The US is a failed experiment. The idea of a single country made up of a loose confederation of independently run states is a fucking recipe for disaster. The nation itself is entirely too big and, unless there's a sea change in the way representation is handled, things are only going to get worse. Yes, even if Democrats keep winning.

The party duopoly was never enough to adequately represent our hundreds of millions of residents. With the GOP collapsing into open authoritarian fascism, we will basically be down to a single party after this election. And hopefully it's the blue team.

This is not okay. And even die-hard Dems should recognize the need for multiple new parties, if they hold the principles they claim. First past the post and the party monopoly/duopoly have to go (among other major changes) if this country is even going to have a chance moving forward.

I will hold out hope. But I won't hold my breath.

#us politics #this is my brain on life #representative government my ass

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perfectlyyoungtimetravel · 2 months

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Film Fridays

So I drew Maria Priscilla Thurston Williams. She was born in 1866. In Versaille, Missouri. She served as editor-in-chief from 1891. To 1894. of the Kansas City weekly New Era. This caused her to seek greater independence by founding, writing and editing her own newspaper called 'the Women's Voice' sponsored by the 'colored women's auxiliary' of the Republican party, the paper was described as having 'many pleasant things to say on a choice of timely topics.' In 1916, Maria went on to publish her memoir 'My work and public sentiment' in which she identified herself as a national organizer and speaker with the Good Citizens League.She stated that 10% of the proceeds would go to supressing crime among African Americans.In 1916, She also married entrepreneur Jesse L. Williams, who owned a movie theater among several other businesses in Kansas City.The pair co-managed the movie theater, which gave the couple experience in the distribution and release of films for African-American audiences. With Maria serving both as the company's secretary and treasurer, the couple went on to co-found Western Film Producing Co. and Booking Exchange,and Williams went on to write the script for Flames of Wrath, produce a film from the script and play the role of prosecuting attorney in the five-reel film.That same year unfortunately, her husband died, and she soon married another man.She died in 1932. in Kansas City Missouri She was shot to death.The plot for 'Flames of Wrath' which was the silent crime drama in 1923.concerns the investigation of a murder after a robbery. Aimee Dixon Anthony stated that Maria could also reasonably be considered the film's director, given how undifferentiated the two roles were at that time. That distinction is typically granted to Tressie Souders, however, who served as director of 1922's A Woman's Error. Now before she became an editor she was a teacher.She was interested in activism, independence and liberal arts, which led her first to newspapers then into the film production, script writing and acting. She was the first black woman producer

#Blm #Black History #film friday #black history month

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theworstfoundingfathers · 1 year

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Who is the worst founding father? Round 2: Roger Sherman vs James Monroe

Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an American statesman, lawyer, and a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to sign four of the great state papers of the United States related to the founding: the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and U.S. Constitution. He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King.

Sherman opposed appointment of fellow signer Gouverneur Morris as minister to France because he considered that high-living Patriot to be of an "irreligious nature".

Sherman is one of the most influential members of the Constitutional Convention. He is not well known for his actions at the Convention because he was a "terse, ineloquent speaker" who never kept a personal record of his experience, unlike other prominent figures. At 66 years of age, Sherman was the second eldest member at the convention following Benjamin Franklin (who was 81 years old at the time). Yet he was a critical opponent of James Madison and the more populous states. Sherman was also one of the most active members of the Convention, making motions or seconds 160 times (compared with Madison's 177 times).

James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, and diplomat who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father as well as the last president of the Virginia dynasty. He is perhaps best known for issuing the Monroe Doctrine, a policy of opposing European colonialism in the Americas while effectively asserting U.S. dominance, empire, and hegemony in the hemisphere. He also served as governor of Virginia, a member of the United States Senate, U.S. ambassador to France and Britain, the seventh Secretary of State, and the eighth Secretary of War.

After his service in the war, Monroe resumed studying law under Jefferson and continued until 1783. He was not particularly interested in legal theory or practice, but chose to take it up because he thought it offered "the most immediate rewards" and could ease his path to wealth, social standing, and political influence.

As president, Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise, which admitted Missouri as a slave state and banned slavery from territories north of the 36°30′ parallel.

Monroe sold his small Virginia plantation in 1783 to enter law and politics. Although he owned multiple properties over the course of his lifetime, his plantations were never profitable. Although he owned much more land and many more slaves, and speculated in property, he was rarely on site to oversee the operations. Overseers treated the slaves harshly to force production, but the plantations barely broke even. Monroe incurred debts by his lavish and expensive lifestyle and often sold property (including slaves) to pay them off. The labor of Monroe's many slaves were also used to support his daughter and son-in-law, along with a ne'er-do-well brother and his son.

Two years into his presidency, Monroe faced an economic crisis known as the Panic of 1819, the first major depression to hit the country since the ratification of the Constitution. The severity of the economic downturn in the U.S. was compounded by excessive speculation in public lands, fueled by the unrestrained issue of paper money from banks and business concerns.

Before the onset of the Panic of 1819, business leaders had called on Congress to increase tariff rates to address the negative balance of trade and help struggling industries. As the panic spread, Monroe declined to call a special session of Congress to address the economy. When Congress finally reconvened in December 1819, Monroe requested an increase in the tariff but declined to recommend specific rates. Congress would not raise tariff rates until the passage of the Tariff of 1824. The panic resulted in high unemployment and an increase in bankruptcies and foreclosures, and provoked popular resentment against banking and business enterprises.

The collapse of the Federalists left Monroe with no organized opposition at the end of his first term, and he ran for reelection unopposed. A single elector from New Hampshire, William Plumer, cast a vote for John Quincy Adams, preventing a unanimous vote in the Electoral College. He did so because he thought Monroe was incompetent.

#founding father bracket #worst founding father #founding fathers #brackets #polls #amrev #roger sherman #james monroe

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thehorrortree · 3 months

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Deadline: July 1st, 2024 Payment: Contributor's Copy Theme: Speculative poems and micro-prose (300 words max.) engaging with themes of environmentalism, climate change, technology, and more through a lens of Midwestern experience. Middle West Press LLC, an independent micro-publisher based in Central Iowa, has issued a call for human-generated poems and micro-prose (300 words max.) engaging with themes of environmentalism, climate change, technology, and more through a lens of Midwestern experience. The working title of this project is Midwest Futures: Poems from Tomorrow's Heartland. Deadline for submissions is Jul. 1, 2024. Publication is projected for Spring/Summer 2025. Submit via Submittable here at this link. This is explicitly a speculative poetry (and related micro-flash-prose) market. We are interested not only in the gritty and grounded, but also near-future science-fiction-infused visions of the possible. For inspirations and vibes, see also movements such “Solarpunk,” “Eco-modernism” and “Climate Fiction” (“Cli-Fi”), as well as these potential exemplars of eco-poetry and other writing: Field Guide to Invasive Species of Minnesota: Poems by Amelia Gorman “Botanical Fanaticism” and “Interpretation of a Poem by Frost” by Thylias Moss “8 Black Eco-Poets Who Inspire Us” - Sierra magazine “Five Indigenous Poets Explore Loss and Love of their Native Lands” - Natural Resource Defense Council Forever War by Kate Gaskin “Imagining the Future of Phoenix” - Arizona State University climate-writing exercise Special “Cli-Fi” issue of Guernica magazine Flyway: Journal of Writing and the Environment While we envision the Middle West as a renewing, evolving, and complicated place, but we are also not blind to the social and environmental challenges we face. We want to illuminate real-world problems specific to the region, including but not limited to climate change, racism, water quality, aging populations, rural/urban divide, and healthcare deserts. We want to imaginatively celebrate new possibilities, solutions, and futures. As with previous Middle West Projects, we hope to publish work that intersects in some way with the people, places, nature, and history of the terrains and cultures we inhabit, especially works stemming from the lived experiences of women, youth, poets of color, poets who identify as LGBTQ+, military veterans, and other marginalized voices. Our informal rule-of-thumb is that the modern U.S. states carved from the Louisiana Purchase, and/or states located west of the Ohio River and east of the Missouri River, safely define our intellectual playground. The Middle West is a moveable feast, however. We recognize that the “Middle West” includes themes, characters, and geographies that cannot be contained by mere borders. In fact, the Middle West may be most apparent in places where it is not—or when viewed and experienced by geographic “outsiders.” Editors of the project write: Our intent with this project is to have fun, but also to illuminate, interrogate, and challenge (via the still-human domain of poetry!!!) the ways people think about place, people, and culture. We are looking for terrain-shifting, mind's-eye-bending, firmament-rending expressions of new and future realities. Be provocative. Be poignant. Be human. Even if you write like a Giant Robot Tractor. Ideally, many of the works submitted will engage questions such as: How could we change the ways we build, grow, live, work, and travel on the land? What would be the results? How could we change the ways we interact with and honor the land (and our predecessors, ancestors, and neighbors), toward visions of a "new" Midwest? In creating and crafting their own original concepts and works, contributors might consider various modes of commenting, observing, or even inhabiting technologies, histories, mythologies, or Midwestern stories depicted in popular culture. Consider, for example: Starship captain James T. Kirk will be born in Riverside, Iowa.

Paul Bunyan’s companion blue ox Babe is likely the result of genetic engineering. The first binary electronic digital calculating device was constructed at Iowa State University. It was not powered by corn. George Washington Carver both attended and later taught at Iowa State University. What futures did he imagine? There are 15 nuclear power plants & unknown number of kaiju located in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Giant. Robot. Tractors. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: Deadline for submissions is Jul. 1, 2024. Notifications will be sent not later than Nov. 4, 2024. Target publication date for this project is Spring/Summer 2025. Submit from 1 to 3 poems in the same file (.DOC or .DOCX). Work generated using ChatGPT and similar computer-assisted word "AI" will NOT be accepted. Human-generated poems only, please. New and original work is preferred. Please note in cover letter whether specific works have previously been published elsewhere. Simultaneous submissions are accepted. Please notify the editors via Submittable if one of more poems becomes unavailable during the consideration period. Publisher requests non-exclusive, worldwide, English-language print and e-book anthology rights. Contributors will receive one complimentary print or digital (where postal delivery is not available) contributor's copy. Via: Middle West Press.

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ssaalexmiller · 2 years

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I Was in Love with My Tutor Pt. 1

Y/N recounts memories of her high school crush with the team while on the plane back to Quantico.

tw// small mention of rape, kidnapping, and hatecrimes (very small... literally two sentences)“Come on, Y/N. You didn’t date anyone in high school?”

The team was flying back to Virginia after a case in Phoenix, where the unsub had kidnapped and raped three women who looked like his high school sweetheart. The case had been solved in three days, being quite easy considering the unsub failed to cover his tracks very well after the second victim. It wasn’t a particularly hard case—the only reason they were called in was because of the time between victims, which was too short for comfort--so light-hearted conversation was not excluded from the options of what to do on the flight back.

First, it started with Dave teasing Hotch about his upcoming date with Beth during their weekend off. Then, it slowly escalated into JJ, Spencer, and Y/N joining into the pestering—before being dragged in to talk about their love lives.

JJ, obviously, didn’t have much to say because she had just come fresh off of her honeymoon with Will, and Spencer didn’t have much to say about his little old fling with Austin, the bartender from four years prior.

“We decided we would be better as friends,” Spencer explained, shrugging before looking over to Y/N. “Didn’t you have a thing with Jordan Todd?”

Y/N blushed after being pushed into the spotlight, before stammering, “Uh… no?”

Hotch and Dave laughed at Y/N’s blatant lie, the latter commenting, “So the fact that you guys arrived to the office at the exact same time on multiple occasions was just a very weird coincidence?”

JJ, who had been on maternity leave during Jordan’s time at the BAU, asked curiously, “You and Jordan dated?”

Y/N sighed, before finally coming clean and confessing, “Yeah. It wasn’t anything serious, though. It was hard to find time together after she went back to counterterrorism. Plus, she’s not my usual type.”

Slowly, the conversation got into past relationships, landing on the topic of high school sweethearts. Hotch elected not to speak about his experiences with Haley, which the team understood was still incredibly difficult for him to talk about, so he just ended up listening to the rest of the team’s stories.

“Let’s just say that there’s a reason I was voted ‘Most likely to be late to graduation’,” Dave jested, earning a laugh from the team.

“They had superlatives in the 50’s?”

“I’m not that old, L/N.”

“Whatever you say, pasta man.”

That’s when Dave decided to exact revenge by bringing Y/N’s high school love life into light. It took a bit of coaxing from JJ and Hotch, but eventually Y/N brought up her high school math tutor.

“Alright, alright. I didn’t date anyone in high school out of fear of being hate-crimed, but I did do some incredibly stupid things to get the attention of my high school tutor,” Y/N said, taking a sip of her water as she leaned back against the airplane sofa. “Her name was Alex; she was a year ahead of me, but we were in the same math class in my junior year because I skipped ahead a class in order to take AP Physics.

“Basically, I took a page from Mean Girls and pulled a Catie Heron,” Y/N sighed, before seeing the confused look on Reid’s face and deciding to elaborate on what she meant. “I pretended to be terrible at math so she would tutor me.”

1987 in Kansas City, Missouri

Y/N looked at the graded test in front of her and smiled proudly at the A+ that was written in red marker on the front page. Math was never her favourite subject, but this year it had been incredibly easy thanks to her independent summer studying. In fact, she could’ve moved out of the class at the beginning of the year, but she needed the easy class if she wanted any time to deal with APUSH and AP Physics.

She put her test sheet in her binder, before closing it up and packing her bag as she waited for the last five minutes of the class to tick away on the clock. As she shoved her binder in her backpack, a voice next to her asked, “How’d you do on the test?”

Y/N turned to see the cute senior girl moving her chair closer to make it easier to talk the nerdy junior. The senior, whose name was Alex, was arguably the smartest out of her graduating class—high scores on many a math test, accepted into UC Berkeley, as well as a perfect score in her AP Literature class. Not to mention the way she breezed through assignments in the rest of her classes and practically left most of her peers in the dust. If there was anything that Y/N thought was more beautiful than Alex’s smile, it was definitely Alex’s mind.

“I did okay… what about you?” Y/N asked, manipulating the conversation so that Alex would talk more. “I’m assuming a perfect score, like always.”

Alex grinned, which made Y/N’s stomach start jumping onto her intestines out of pure affection, and answered, “I got one wrong, but it’s enough to keep my credibility as a math tutor.”

Y/N knew that Alex was a tutor, why wouldn’t she be? She’s so smart and thoughtful… and beautiful…and smart—

“Y/N?”

Y/N snapped back into reality and apologized, “Sorry. I was thinking about my physics quiz.”

Alex nodded, before Y/N thought of a purely stupid idea.

“Hey, um… do you think you could tutor me for this class?”

Alex, seemingly suspecting nothing, politely agreed, “Of course! Um, where do you want to meet up?”

Y/N and Alex hashed out the details right before the bell rang, signalling for them to head to their next class. Y/N walked away, in absolute disbelief about how she just lied about being bad at math so Alex would tutor her.

2014 in Quantico, Virginia

“Long story short, she came over, we had a nice session, and then she left and a few classes later she saw my perfect score on the exam, said I didn’t need tutoring. She graduated and I never saw her again,” Y/N explained vaguely, ignoring the memory that popped up in her head. “Honestly the dumbest thing I’ve ever done for someone I liked, but I guess I should’ve known it wouldn’t have lasted.”

The flight continued with JJ’s crush horror story, before the plane touched down onto the government hanger. It was nine in the morning when the team arrived at the office, and they almost immediately walked up to the round-table room, until Anderson stopped Hotch from walking too far in.

“Sorry, Agent Hotchner. Um, Dr. Miller is here today if you’d like to talk to her,” Anderson informed, before gesturing over to the desk next to Y/N’s.

JJ, Dave, and Y/N were all excited to meet the new agent, but Spencer just followed them to say hi to his old acquaintance. Hotch politely greeted the new agent, and she stood up from her desk. Y/N’s heart started beating faster all of a sudden, and she froze slightly.

“Dr. Miller, welcome to the team,” Hotch greeted, offering a small, professional smile. “You know Dr. Reid—these are agents Jennifer Jareau, David Rossi, and Y/N L/N.”

Nearly the whole team noticed Alex’s slight reaction to the last agent’s name, but she made a point to shake hands with JJ, Hotch, and Rossi, before turning her attention to Y/N.

“Nice to see you again, Y/N,” Alex said, offering a small grin to Y/N, whose heart fluttered. “Nice to meet the rest of you, as well.”

“You two know each other?” JJ asked, though she knew the answer already.

“Uh, yeah. She was in my calculus class in high school. I tutored her for a brief moment, as well.”

Hotch, JJ, and Dave exchanged a small smirk, watching Y/N shake Alex’s hand.

“Yeah, um, nice to see you again as well, Alex…”

The team, with the exception of Alex and Y/N, knew that this was going to be fun to play around with.

1987 in Kansas City, Missouri

“Oh, hi! Come in.”

Alex smiled and walked into Y/N’s house, before following the junior to their living room.

“Sorry I’m early. My brother had somewhere to be,” Alex apologized, setting her things down on the floor. “Are you ready to start or do you need some time to prepare?”

“No, I’m fine. We can start now.”

For the next hour, Alex and Y/N reviewed partial derivatives, ending with a little assignment that Y/N completed in less than ten minutes. Alex complimented Y/N’s skill on picking things up very quickly, to which Y/N brushed off while she focused on doing the math problems. Once she had finished, however, Alex’s ride hadn’t arrived.

“Would you like some water? Food? Anything?” Y/N asked politely.

The time was six-thirty in the evening, and Alex’s brother was due to pick her up at seven. Y/N wasn’t entirely sure how to handle the situation, especially now that she didn’t have math to distract her from the beautiful girl sitting next to her on her couch.

“No, I’m alright,” Alex answered. “I’m sorry for overstaying my time.”

Y/N gave her an innocent little smile, and emphasized, “You’re fine. Don’t worry about it. You’re good company.”

“And you are too… plus you’re a quick learner,” Alex hummed. “Or, I should say, a very bad liar.”

Y/N just looked back at Alex, who had a little smirk ghosting her thin and pink lips.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come on, Y/N. We’ve been sitting next to each other for the entire year. Did you think I wouldn’t notice the steady stream of perfect scores on your assignments?” Alex teased, leaning back onto the couch. “If you wanted to hang out with me, then you could’ve just asked.”

Y/N blushed, shoving her face into her hands briefly, before asking, “If you knew, then why’d you play along for the first hour?”

“I wanted to see how far you would take the act.”

Alex and Y/N then spent the rest of their time together talking and joking around with each other—they had a positive energy that bounced nicely off of each other. If their interactions would have taken place in public and it wasn’t 1987, people might have speculated that they were a couple. Maybe, just maybe, their chemistry would have escalated past the deep conversation, and taken a more physical aspect which would be considered quite scandalous for the time. Unfortunately, it didn’t, as when the clock struck seven, Alex’s brother had arrived to pick her up.

Y/N walked Alex out and the latter said, “If you ever want to just hang out, let me know. Or, ask me for tutoring again.”

Y/N chuckled at the small tease, before saying goodbye to Alex, who entered her car with a smile on her face.

#alex blake x reader #alex blake x f!reader #criminal minds #iwilwmt

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offender42085 · 1 year

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Post 797

“I reverted to my basic Army training – reacting to contact – as I responded to the thrown cup by reaching for my gun and shooting.”

Christopher P Taylor, Missouri inmate 1329669, born 1977, incarceration intake in 2018 at age 41, sentenced to 17 years, scheduled release date not available

Involuntary Manslaughter, Armed Criminal Action

A Jackson County judge Friday sentenced Christopher Taylor to 17 years in state prison for fatally shooting Whitney Gray, a 22-year-old mother of two, in a fit of road rage one Sunday evening in October 2016.

Taylor, 41, of Independence, had been charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action for responding to a cup of clear liquid that Gray’s passenger threw at his SUV by reaching for his gun and shooting through the windshield of Gray's minivan. A jury convicted him of involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years, and armed criminal action, which carries at least a three-year sentence.

Circuit Judge Marco Roldan sentenced Taylor to seven years for involuntary manslaughter and 17 years for armed criminal action. The sentences run concurrently, and he gets credit for time served.

“I cannot, in good conscience, base the sentence solely on involuntary manslaughter when there is armed criminal action involved,” Roldan said just before announcing his verdict, which elicited some sudden gasps from members of Gray's family.

Earlier, Roldan said the decision had weighed heavily on him this week, and he had read all nine victim-impact statements and 12 letters in support of Taylor.

“There are so many important factors I have to look at. I have to weigh them and balance them,” Roldan said, talking about the jury's verdict, the circumstances of Gray's death and the impact on her family, plus Taylor's life and background.

“This never would've occurred had you not taken aggressive actions while driving,” Roldan. “They were in no way showing any harm or threat to you. You never surrendered yourself – in fact, quite the opposite.”

Witnesses had testified to Taylor driving closely behind Gray while going north on Sterling near 23rd Street. Stopped at the intersection of Winner Road, Gray, Taylor and Gray's front-seat passenger, her niece, had a shouting exchange, including that Gray's two sons were in the backseat. The niece threw the cup of liquid that hit Taylor's SUV.

In a taped confession to police in South Dakota after he was captured a couple days later, Taylor said he had reverted to his basic Army training – “reacting to contact” – after he responded to the thrown cup by reaching for his gun and shooting.

“I don't know why, but it was a negligent discharge,” Taylor said. “I didn't want it to happen, I couldn't believe it had happened, I panicked, I just hit the gas. I didn't know what the hell to do; I was scared.”

In his victim-impact testimony, Gray's father, Sean, debunked Taylor's claim about Army training, based on his own and his son's military experience, and he said Taylor was “very careless with his weapon.”

“I don't believe he's safe for society,” he said.

After Taylor shot Gray, sped home and then heard on radio that the shooting had been fatal, grabbed a bunch of possessions, ignored his phone and left town. He threw the murder weapon in the Missouri River in South Dakota, he said, and later stopped at a hotel just east of Rapid City, intending to drive back the next day and turn himself in. Officers had used the tracking device on Taylor's recently purchased SUV and notified local authorities, who captured him at the hotel after ramming his vehicle to draw him out of the room.

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indigo-a-creeping · 1 year

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All that personal stuff!

Anxiety is gnawing away at me again, but generally I can recognize that it’s coming from me, and not outside sources, so... that’s something. I also feel like I’m not as sharp as I used to be. Is it aging? Is it mental illness? Some sneaky undiagnosed COVID brain fog? Who knows?

Sent an email and made a call (after extensive research), and I’m taking steps towards investigating the possibility of top surgery. I’ve been thinking about it for a couple years now, and it’s sounding more and more appealing (and then the other day I randomly thought, I’d actually make a really hot guy if I could grow the right kind of facial hair! Even on T family genetics would not be on my side, but something to think about anyway). I’m looking into mental health professionals because 1. I will need a letter to be approved by both insurance and the surgeon, and 2. anxiety. After my last experience, I will perhaps know better what to look for.

My main concern with surgery is recovery. I generally heal fast and am very independent, but I’m going to need help. I’m not going to ask my mom to come take care of me like she did after my hysterectomy (she couldn’t anyway because she’s taking care of my dad). It’s not her business at all. I have some friends in town who I can probably ask to come and help me out, especially with the animals, but it’s going to be a lot to ask. We’ll see, though. One step at a time.

Got a new bed! The frame is a leaf and vine design that’s really pretty, and I got a really nice mattress really cheap because it was used (just for a week). I love it.

Work is going well, but I feel like I peaked early and perhaps now I’m a disappointment. But that’s the anxiety too.

I came up with a last-minute plan (three weeks out, which is last-minute for me) that I should take Peri on a short trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to revisit some old places we loved there, and then a couple days to visit friends in Missouri while we’re up that way. I’m waiting to hear back from my best childhood friend to see about her plans, then I’ll request time off and find places to stay along the way. NOT ready to be spending time with my mom, but I figure if I’m just there for two days and I have most of that time filled with my own plans, it won’t be too bad. Peri will like it. Maybe we’ll stop at Rock City on the way back. It’s such a cool place, and they allow dogs! Planning trips is almost as fun as going on them.

I’ve been leading my DnD group every other week, with 5e rules but my own quests and design. So far it’s been mostly monster/challenge-of-the-week, but there are things building up in the background too. I have a fun mix of characters, including Aggressively Angry, Chaotic Chaos, Crying Child, and Stray Accountant. There’s a fifth who hasn’t felt up to joining yet, but as long as three of them are there it works out fine. I hope they’re enjoying themselves!!! I am! Haven’t really planned for our next session, but I have over a week to do so.

I’m trying to write a bit too, because the DBH fandom hasn’t quite released me yet. I’ve barely written anything since the summer, and that might be contributing to my problems (and it’s almost definitely a result of them).

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haggishlyhagging · 10 months

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Hazel Hunkins was born in Aspen, Colorado, USA on 6th June 1890. Her mother, Ann Whittingham, had been born in England and emigrated to America as a young child. Her father, a Civil War veteran, Lewis Hunkins, was from Massachusetts, and was a jeweller and watchmaker: he died when she was thirteen, but this did not prevent her from attending Vassar College, although in order to qualify she had to go to Mt Ida school to remedy some of the defects of her local education system. But early this century Hazel Hunkins demonstrated a determination that is not all that common among women today despite the twentieth century ‘achievements’: she wanted to be a scientist.

Her childhood, she says, in Billings, Montana, was as happy as any child could wish and was crowned with four glorious years at Vassar and then a wonderful job when she graduated in 1913. For three years she taught at the University of Missouri and began working on a Master's Degree in chemistry (on the possible differences between atomic weight of a lead extract and radio active rock), immensely enjoying her work - and her independence. But then her mother became ill and she was called home: 'Although my brother was at home it was the girl who was the one who had to come home and take care of parents.' she said. She gave up her job, and her research (which was never completed) and returned to her home town.

'I was just stuck there,' she said; and there was nothing she could do. There was temporary relief when she got a job in the local high school and thought she would be teaching science - but her hopes were quickly dashed when she found that was not to be.

'I had spent years being trained as a chemist. I had taken every chemistry course there was at Vassar and I thought I'd be able to teach chemistry. Then I discovered, "Oh no, we only have men teaching chemistry and physics - you will have to teach geography and botany." I knew nothing about botany. I knew nothing about geography. But that's what I had to teach. Only men had chemistry and physics - and so that was one of my first real blows about the limitations that were placed on women. It wasn't very tragic, but to a young girl it was tragic.' (Hunkins Hallinan, 1977)

Then came the summer, the summer of 1916: 'It was a summer of despair and unhappiness,' Hazel Hunkins Hallinan said, 'I was just waiting for time to pass.' At twenty-six, highly trained, wanting to work and do something worthwhile, wanting a purpose, and independence, she was forced into this passive and unpalatable existence. She had systematically written to every chemistry laboratory from one side of the United States to the other trying to obtain a job as an industrial chemist: her applications and correspondence were feet high. And she had for her efforts received over two hundred letters of rejection which simply stated 'We do not employ women as chemists.'

In her opinion many women come to understand the nature and extent of their oppression through their experiences in the workforce. Childhood, school, and even college can provide a relatively protected space where it is possible to rationalise that women are free to make their own choices and to stand or fall by their own efforts. But when confronted with blatant discrimination in employment this rationalisation can quickly disappear and women are obliged to face the fact that they are women and that their choices and opportunities are circumscribed - in the interest of men. It was the acknowledgment that she could not by her own efforts shape her own life and that this was the case for women in general that made a fervid feminist of Hazel Hunkins Hallinan.

-Dale Spender, There’s Always Been a Women’s Movement This Century

#dale spender #hazel hunkins hallinan #feminist history #womens history #sexism #women scientists

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knellennui · 1 year

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Hey, I'm going on the California Trail, y'all want anything? A Lansford Hastings patented lies handbook by the guy with no experience? A made-up shortcut? Some dehydrated oxen? Some...veal?

May 12th, the day the Donner-Reed parties left Independence Missouri horrifically late in the season.

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survivesqz · 1 year

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[ varada sethu ] – have you heard about [ ria kahn ]? [ she/her] lives at the qz. i think they’ve lived there for [ three years ]. they’re [ twenty-nine ] yrs old and seem very [ independent ]. i’ve also heard they can be a [ perfectionist ] as well. they’ve been assigned as an [ engineer ]. they often daydream about [ a fresh chai latte ]. i’m curious to know more.

BASICS -

name: ria kahn age: twenty-nine birthday: september 15th zodiac sign: virgo (sun) birthplace: chicago, illinois age at outbreak: six years old qz job: engineer parents: priya & amir kahn (both deceased) siblings: three younger siblings positive: independent, intelligent, logical, observant negative: workaholic, perfectionist, headstrong, analytical children: none( yet ?? )

BIO - tw- death, murder, the usual apocalyptic pain and suffering

ria was born first generation american-indian to her immigrant parents in 1994. her parents had immigrated to chicago, illinois in search for 'the american dream', her mother attended college for english literature and her father opened his own restaurant as his way of supporting her mother and three younger siblings

at an early age ria developed a deep interest in science, she was fascinated by space and chemistry specifically and as a young child her parents heavily encouraged this interest of hers.

bonus hc: ria is spiritual and it's incredibly important to ria that her culture is kept alive. this is her main way she has to feel close to her family that she's since lost. though she was young when the outbreak happened her, her best memories are those shared with her family practicing her culture.

outbreak day: it started like any other, but ended in terror and pain. like most people, ria's family weren't prepared for this kind of cataclysmic, world ending event and she'd been too young to have any real control in what happened to her or her family. the city of chicago went down quick, and the surrounding appartments in the city were being evacuated before the bombs went off.

in the commotion of the evac and the implementation of martial law, fedra agents were cruel and ruthless, ria's father had intervened on an altercation between a fedra officer and another family from their apartment building. ria watched the fedra officer execute her father, along with the other family.

fedra's evacuation to st louis qz in missouri had been otherwise successful. her mother and three younger siblings made it to the qz with her.

ria watched from a safe distance in the truck as the city of chicago was destroyed.

ria spent most of her life in the st louis qz, she took on the role of caregiver, it became her responsibility to keep everyone in her family safe.

throughout 'high school' she studied science and engineering

she was always unsatisfied that there was no real way to build skills in combat or gunmanship in the qz and that fedra disempowered people by keeping them reliant on them for safety.

ria started sneaking out of the qz with a few of her friends, they trained together but this also gave ria the chance to work on crafting bombs and putting her science skills to good use. it was dangerous, but worth it. she knew how to protect herself.

st louis qz went down sixteen years after the outbreak. a resistance group took fedra down.

by this time her mother was sick, an unidentified illness which kept her malnourished and weak meant that there was nothing ria could do when the fighting started. she had to leave her mother behind and two of her siblings were missing.

in the years following the disabandonment of the st louis qz, she was travelling and surviving with her sibling and a few friends in a small group. (she was separated from her group before ending up in pittsburgh)

ria has since been at the pittsburgh qz now for three years, where given her experience in the field of science she's been assigned as an engineer.

she's incredibly cautious and suspicious of fedra, but for now living in a qz is safer than the 'outside' world right now.

ria's favourite weapon are her own bombs that she crafts from supplies, she uses her vast knowledge of chemistry to work on creating deadly and efficient bombs to work on both infected (and people). if she had to pick any other kind of weapon, she prefers a revolver.

ria spends a lot of time in the alley, trading the smugglers for chemicals and explosives

wanted connections:

past group members any of her siblings gimme anything preestablished!!

#ooc.#pitts;intro #ahhh this got a lot longer than i anticipated but #also this wasn't proof read so i apologise for typos

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muckrock · 1 year

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We want to hear from parents and child care providers.

Missouri has been particularly hard-hit by the national trend of unaffordable and inaccessible child care. This legislative session, the issue has captured the bipartisan attention of lawmakers and the governor.

The Missouri Independent and MuckRock are partnering to take a deeper look at the roots of the crisis and possible solutions. We want to know what you think. If you’re a parent or child care provider, you can help us by filling out a quick survey.

The form includes several questions about your experiences with child care in Missouri. Some of these questions are optional, some required, but none are for publication.

You can also email us directly at [email protected] or call us and leave a voicemail at (401) 830-2344.

#missouri #childcare #child care #daycare #why is it so hard to find preschools?#Instagram

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umedicalbank12 · 4 days

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Sparkling Spectacle: Exploring Kansas City's Fireworks Extravaganza

As the sun sets and the night sky becomes a canvas, there's a special magic that ignites the hearts of onlookers. Fireworks, with their brilliant bursts of color and thunderous applause, have an uncanny ability to unite communities in awe and celebration. And in the heartland of America, Kansas City stands out as a beacon of vibrant festivities, especially when it comes to fireworks displays. Join us as we delve into the world of Kansas City's fireworks scene, where every explosion is a testament to the city's spirit of joy and camaraderie.

A Rich Tradition: Kansas City boasts a rich tradition of hosting spectacular fireworks displays that light up the sky with breathtaking beauty. From annual events commemorating national holidays like Independence Day and New Year's Eve to local festivals and celebrations, there's always an opportunity to experience the magic of fireworks in KC fireworks. Families gather on blankets, friends share laughter, and strangers become friends as they all marvel at the kaleidoscope of colors dancing above.

KC Fireworks: A Symphony of Light and Sound: When it comes to fireworks in Kansas City, there's no shortage of options to choose from. Whether you're looking for a grand, city-wide display or a more intimate setting, KC has something for everyone. One of the most iconic showcases is the annual Riverfest celebration, where fireworks explode over the Missouri River in a dazzling display of patriotism and pride. Families flock to parks like Loose Park and Berkley Riverfront Park to stake out the perfect viewing spot and witness the magic unfold.

For those seeking a more exclusive experience, private venues and rooftop bars offer VIP seats to the spectacle. Imagine sipping a cocktail under the stars as Fireworks kanas city paint the sky with vivid hues, creating memories that last a lifetime. And let's not forget the beloved tradition of backyard barbecues, where friends and neighbors come together to grill, share stories, and cap off the evening with a backyard fireworks show of their own.

Safety First: While fireworks bring joy and excitement, it's essential to prioritize safety at all times. Whether you're attending a professional display or lighting fireworks at home, following safety guidelines ensures that everyone can enjoy the festivities without risk of harm. Always supervise children around fireworks, use designated lighting areas, and have a bucket of water or a hose nearby in case of emergencies. By taking precautions, we can ensure that the magic of fireworks remains a source of joy for generations to come.

In the heart of the Midwest, Kansas City shines as a beacon of fireworks brilliance, where every burst of light symbolizes the city's spirit of unity and celebration. From grand public displays to intimate gatherings among friends, Fireworks city in KC bring people together in a shared moment of awe and wonder. So whether you're a lifelong resident or a visitor passing through, don't miss the chance to experience the magic of Kansas City's fireworks extravaganza. After all, in a city where the sky's the limit, every explosion is a reminder that the best is yet to come.

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bllsbailey · 27 days

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Poll: Trump Better Than Biden in Nuke Crisis

In a recent poll conducted by J.L. Partners and reported by the Daily Mail, former President Donald Trump was favored over President Joe Biden in several key areas, including remembering the names of key staff, making it through a one-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and handling a nuclear crisis.

This poll, which surveyed 1,005 likely voters, found that 56% expressed confidence in Trump's ability to make critical decisions during a nuclear emergency, compared to 45% for Biden. Additionally, Trump was preferred by 65%, over Biden's 43%, when it came to the hypothetical scenario of a meeting with Putin.

Trump also appeared to have an edge in more personal competencies, such as remembering the names of key staff and world leaders, as well as absorbing the details of national security briefings. Notably, the poll revealed a significant divide in perceptions among independent voters, with only 37% believing Biden could effectively manage a one-hour meeting with Putin.

Commenting on voter perceptions, J.L. Partners co-founder James Johnson suggested that although Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, are close in age, that is not a factor so much as perceived vitality.

"Though Trump is only three years Biden's junior, they think he is up to the job and will be able to manage the pressures of the office," he stated.

"A lot of this is due to Trump's presentation, frenetic activity, and regular stump speeches. He is also resting on his political reputation for strength: Voters say strength is Trump's biggest asset, and that he is more physically strong and able to get things done than Biden. That is all coming together and crystalizing in voters' minds as a relative positive about Trump."

These perceptions come amid warnings from U.S. intelligence agencies about the increasing fragility of the global order.

"The likelihood that we could find ourselves embroiled in a major conflict is greater now, arguably, than at any point since the Berlin Wall fell, and the scenarios in which a commander in chief is going to be called upon to make split-second decisions is greater now than at at any point in the last several decades," Global Situation Room president and former U.S. diplomat Brett Bruen said.

Nick Koutsobinas ✉

Nick Koutsobinas, a Newsmax writer, has years of news reporting experience. A graduate from Missouri State University’s philosophy program, he focuses on exposing corruption and censorship.

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