#8 June 2024 Washington DC

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #21

May 31-June 7 2024

As part of President Biden's goal to bring the number of traffic deaths to zero, the Department of Transportation has sent $480 million in safety grants to all 50 states, DC, and all the US territories. The grants will focus on trucks, buses and other large vehicles. Thanks to DoT safety actions deaths involving heavy vehicles dropped by 8% from 2022 to 2023 and the department wants to keep pushing till the number is 0.

The Departments of Interior and Agriculture announced $2.8 billion plan to protect public land and support local government Conservation Efforts. $1.9 billion will be used to repair and restore national parks and public land, restoring historic sites, as well as Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools. $900 million will go to conservation funding, allowing the government to buy land to protect it. Half the funds will go to the federal government half to state and local governments and for the first time ever a tribal Conservation Land Acquisition program has been set up to allow tribal governments to buy land to protect nature.

The Department of Transportation announced that it had managed to get customers nearly $1 Billion dollars worth of flight reimbursements. The DoT reached an agreement with 3 airlines, Lufthansa, KLM, and South African Airways to pay between them $900 million to passengers effected by Covid related cancellations and delays. This adds to the $4 billion dollars of refunds and reimbursements to airline passengers under the Biden Administration.

The Department of Interior announced $725 million to clean up legacy coal pollution. This is the 3rd pay out from the $11.3 billion dollars President Biden signed into law in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to clean up coal pollution and invest in communities that used to rely on the coal industry. The money will be spent across 22 states and the Navajo Nation. Closing dangerous mine shafts, reclaim unstable slopes, improve water quality by treating acid mine drainage, and restore water supplies damaged by mining.

HUD launches the first of its kind investment program in manufactured homes. Manufactured homes represent a major market for affordable housing and the Biden Administration is the first to offer support to people trying to buy. HUD hopes the program will help 5,000 families and individuals buy their own home over the next 5 years.

The Department of the Interior announced $700 million for long-term water conservation projects across the Lower Colorado River Basin. The Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million people, electric power to 7 US States and is a critical crucial resource for 30 Tribal nations and two Mexican states. The project hopes to save more than 700,000 acre-feet of water in Lake Mead. In the face of climate change causing a historic 23-year drought, there is record low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Biden Administration has moved aggressively to try to protect the Colorado River and make sure there's enough water in the West.

HUD makes $123 million for fighting Youth Homelessness available. This represents the 8th round of investment in Youth Homelessness since 2021 for a total of $440 million so far. The Biden Administration is focusing on innovative answers, like host homes, and kinship care models, with emphasis on creating equitable strategies to assist youth who are most vulnerable, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and youth with disabilities. This is part of the Biden Administration goal of cutting homelessness by 25% by the end of 2025

The Department of Agriculture announced a series of actions to strength Tribal food sovereignty. The USDA will grant tribes in Maine, Alaska, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon and Washington $42 million through the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grants to support native animal harvesting. $18 million for projects under the Tribal Forest Protection Act. As well as $2.3 million to support the service of Indigenous foods in school meal programs. The USDA also plans its first ever class of interns specifically focused on Tribal agriculture and food sovereignty. The USDA also plans to host a first ever international trade mission focused on Tribal Nation and Native Hawaiian Community businesses.

Bonus: President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and Secretaries of Defense Lloyd Austin and State Antony Blinken traveled to Normandy France to mark the 80th Anniversary of D-Day. They were joined by a handful of surviving veterans of the landings many over 100 years old.

[hettolandija]

2024 convention schedule (multifandom and SPN cons):

January 19-21 - Albuquerque Comic Con - Jared February 9-11 - ATL Comic Convention - Jared & Genevieve March 2-3 - Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle - Misha March 9-10 - All Hell Breaks Loose 12 in Melbourne - Jensen and Jared March 15-17 - Creation Entertainment BURBANK, CA - Jensen and Misha April 19-21 - Jus In Bello 14, Italy - Jared and Jensen April 26- 28 - Cross Rroads 8, Birmingham - Misha

May 4-5 - Comic Con Stockholm - Misha May 4-5 - Comic Con Liverpool - Jared May 11-12 - Infinity Con, Düsseldorf - Jared & Genevieve -appearance canceled May 12 - Comic Con Finland - Misha

May 17-19 - Creation Entertainment NEW JERSEY - Jensen, Jared and Misha May 25-26 - Purgatory 8, Düsseldorf - Jensen and Misha + Jared June 1-6 - DarkLight Convention 6, Paris - Jared & Genevieve + Jensen

June 7-9 - Creation Entertainment COLUMBUS, OH - Jensen and Misha

June 22-23 - Dutch Comic Con - Misha June 28-30 - Creation Entertainment SEATTLE - Jensen and Misha + Jared

July 4-5 - Fan Expo Denver - Jared July 12-14 - Creation Entertainment SAN FRANCISCO - Jensen and Misha

July 26 - San Diego Comic Con - Jensen

August 9-11 - Steel City Con - Jared

August 10-11 - Comic Con Wales - Jensen + Danneel August 16-18 - Creation Entertainment AUSTIN, TX - Jensen, Jared and Misha August 23-25 - Creation Entertainment INDIANAPOLIS - Jensen and Misha + Jared August 29-September 2 - Dragon Con 2024 - Jared + Gen (she had to cancel)

September 20-22 - Creation Entertainment WASHINGTON, DC - Jensen and Misha + Jared

October 5-6 - Comic Con Scotland - Misha + Jensen (he had to cancel) October 11-13 - Creation Entertainment CHARLOTTE, NC - Jensen and Misha + Jared (he had to cancel)

October 19-20 - Comic Con Belgium - Misha October 26-27 - Comic Con Brussels - Jared

November 1-3 - Creation Entertainment CHICAGO - Jensen, Jared and Misha

November 9-10 - Comic Con Liverpool 2 - Jensen (he had to cancel) November 22-24 - Creation Entertainment ORLANDO - Jensen and Misha + Jared December 5-6 - CCXP, Brasil - Misha

December 6-8 - Creation Entertainment NASHVILLE - Jensen, Jared and Misha

[awesomecooperlove]

The Storm Is Here: Hidden Bunkers Raided, Children Rescued, and the Deep State Exposed

The deep state’s grip on our nation is weakening as their secrets come to light. The truth, long concealed, is now emerging, and the powerful are scrambling to maintain control. Brave actions are peeling back the layers of deception, revealing the sinister operations that have kept the American people in the dark for too long.

February 18, 2024: The Georgetown Raid

Tension filled the air in Georgetown, Washington, DC, as Unit X, a group of elite military personnel with trained Belgian Malinois, stormed a hidden bunker beneath the city’s streets. Inside, they uncovered horrors orchestrated by the deep state—47 children were rescued, and high-profile arrests followed, including a sitting congressman. The mainstream media remained silent, complicit in covering up this monumental event.

Operation Eclipse Exposed

March 15, 2024, marked another victory against the deep state. Leaked documents from a private intelligence firm in Langley, Virginia, exposed “Operation Eclipse,” a plan to fracture the nation through media manipulation and engineered social unrest. The deep state aimed to bring America to its knees, paving the way for martial law. However, Trump’s executive orders from 2020 thwarted this sinister plot just in time.

FEMA Camps Revealed

On June 22, 2024, a whistleblower from the Department of Homeland Security risked everything to reveal that FEMA camps, supposedly for natural disasters, were being used as holding facilities for political dissidents and trafficked children. Satellite imagery and intercepted communications confirmed these camps’ existence in remote areas of Nevada and Montana, exposing the deep state’s depravity.

The Silicon Valley “Suicide”

August 8, 2024, saw the mysterious death of a tech billionaire in his Silicon Valley mansion. The official story—suicide—was a lie. This billionaire, a key financial architect of the deep state, had been funding operations to undermine Trump’s efforts to drain the swamp. Unit X had been monitoring him, and when they struck, they ensured he could no longer threaten the nation. This was not a suicide but an execution in the war against those who seek to destroy America.

The Deep State’s Final Struggle

The deep state is in full retreat, but the battle is far from over. Every day, new revelations expose the extent of their crimes and influence. The fight for the soul of America is entering its most critical phase. The deep state’s reach extends into every facet of society—government, media, corporations, and institutions once trusted to protect us. They have manipulated and controlled us through fear and division for years, but 2024 marks the turning point.

The Mainstream Media’s Role

The mainstream media continues to distract and deceive, burying stories that matter and pushing narratives designed to keep the public docile and divided. They want us to believe everything is normal, but we know better. We see through their lies and understand their complicity in the deep state’s crimes.

The Tide Is Turning

The storm is here, and the deep state is running scared. They are not invincible, and the tide is turning. The hunters have become the hunted. Every action they take is monitored, every plot countered, and every secret exposed. The deep state’s time is running out, and the final, decisive blow is coming.

Conclusion: The Dawn of a New America

The American people are waking up, and the deep state’s days are numbered. The storm is here, bringing with it the dawn of a new America. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and together, we will reclaim our country from those who would see it destroyed. The light of truth is breaking through, and with it comes the end of the deep state’s reign. Their time is almost up, and a new era is on the horizon.

Join now, while it's not too late:

⏩️⏩️https://t.me/JFK_Q17⏪️⏪️⏪️⏪️⏪️

[cameoamalthea]

Dumb Post about Senator Mark Kelly

Usually I make Dumb Posts about animals, BUT Election 2024 is important and Harris is going to pick her VP soon so I want you to know about Mark Kelly.

The coolest, most meme-worthy politician ever, through shear awesomeness

Mark Kelly is the result of a cloning project to create the coolest VP candidate ever

Ok - that's not true, he's just an identical twin whose brother is also an astronaut (and yes, he's an astronaut, but that's not all)

SCIENTIST, PILOT, WAR HERO

He received a Bachelor of Science in marine engineering and nautical science from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, graduating with highest honors in 1986. In 1994, he received a Master of Science in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

As a Navy Aviator he flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm.

Kelly has received two Defense Superior Service Medals; one Legion of Merit; two Distinguished Flying Crosses; four Air Medals (two individual/two strike flight) with Combat "V"; two Navy Commendation Medals, (one with combat "V"); one Navy Achievement Medal; two Southwest Asia Service Medals; one Navy Expeditionary Medal; two Sea Service Deployment Ribbons; a NASA Distinguished Service Medal; and an Overseas Service Ribbon.

Distinguished Flying Crosses are a BIG DEAL. You pretty much only get those for doing something's that’s worth making into a movie scene and he has TWO!

ASTRONAUT

Mark Kelly has logged over 54 days in space.

His Twin brother spent a YEAR IN SPACE (that's his brother on the cover - probably - but you get the idea that he also looked cool as an astronaut - and if you're wondering why he wasn't in space for a year, I'll get to that but the cool thing is cause he was retired while his brother was in space for a year he was the control in a twin study on the effects of being in space for a year)

That's probably also his brother, it's hard to google pictures when you have two identical twin brothers in space.

That's also Mark's twin brother Scott, because Mark smuggled a whole ass Gorilla Costume onto the International Space Station so his brother could go on a Gorilla rampage as a prank.

OK here he is

That's Mark Kelly!

My point is he's an astronaut, he's been to space, and the reason he left all that behind will bring you to tears and make you love him.

He's Mr. Gabby Giffords

Gabby Giffords served as a Congresswoman from Tucson, Arizona. When Giffords was sworn in on January 3, 2007, she was the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to serve in the U.S. Congress and was a Democrat elected in a very Republican district.

When I met her she was very Mom Shaped. She took care of the community and cared about her constituents. To the point that she would fly to Arizona from Washington DC to do events where she would just be out on a street corner where you could go talk to her.

On January 8, 2011, at a “Congress On Your Corner” constituent event in Tucson, Gabby was shot in the head by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. 

At the time Mark Kelly was Cammander of the STS-134 he penultimate mission of NASA's Space Shuttle program and the 25th and last spaceflight of Space Shuttle Endeavour.

He stayed by his Wife's side for a month, when it was clear she was making progress in her recovery he announced on February 4, 2011, that he would remain commander of the mission. This would be his final mission.

He sent a love song to his wife from the International Space Station in the form of dedicating a song:

On June 21, 2011, Kelly announced that he would leave NASA's astronaut corps and the U.S. Navy effective October 1, to be with his wife and support her through her recovery:

Kelly became an outspoken advocate for gun control following the attempted assassination of his wife.

Still he dreamed of returning to space and worked out to keep his body mission ready.

"Kelly eventually compares everything to his time with NASA. As commander, he managed a small team of astronauts and worked within a sprawling bureaucracy. Every day pointed toward the same goal. There were checkpoints and to-do lists. The mission offered a clear dividing line between success and failure.

“It’s a very well-defined criteria of success,” Kelly said"

In 2020 he began a new mission serving as Senator for Arizona. A Moderate, he won twice in a swing state and would like draw some Republican voters who don't love Donald Trump over to the Harris ticket, should she choose him as VP.

[gorbigorbi]

Tiler Peck and Román Mejía, "Rubies", choreography by George Balanchine, music by Igor Stravinsky (Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra), costume by Barbara Karinska (Varvara Jmoudsky). From "Jewels" ("Rubies", "Emeralds" and "Diamonds"), Opera House, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington DC, USA (June 8, 2024).

Photographer Erin Baiano

[tomorrowxtogether]

Tomorrow X Together Announce 2024 U.S. Tour

Act: Promise will span 11 shows across eight cities including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, and Washington

K-pop band Tomorrow X Together announced on Tuesday that they’ll be embarking on the U.S. leg of their Act: Promise tour this spring. 

The trek, which launches in South Korea’s capital, Seoul, on May 3, promises to be “grander” than its 2023 predecessor Act: Sweet Mirage. The U.S. portion of their world tour kicks off May 14 in Tacoma, Washington, and features 11 total shows across eight cities including Oakland, Los Angeles, Houston, and New York.

According to a press release, Act: Promise “embodies the commitment to move forward together towards a hopeful future.” The concert is billed as an example of a “cohesive narrative, seamlessly weaving together captivating music, performances, VCRs, and set designs.” 

Tickets for the tour will go on sale to the general public on March 24 via Ticketmaster.

Earlier this month, the quintet —  Yeonjun, Soobin, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and HueningKai — announced their upcoming sixth mini album, Minisode 3: Tomorrow, due April 1, while also unveiling a new logo and color scheme for their upcoming era. The group previously dropped Minisode 1, featuring their massive hit “Blue Hour,” in 2020. Minisode 2, which included “Good Boy Gone Bad,” released in 2022.

Last summer, Tomorrow X Together performed at Lollapalooza in Chicago, stacking their set list with tracks like “Farewell, Neverland,” “Lonely Boy,” and “Anti-Romantic.” The group invited Coi Leray onstage for a surprise cameo during “Happy Fools,” sealing their set as one of the most memorable of the fest.

Tomorrow X Together 2024 U.S. Tour Dates

May 14 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome May, 18 – Oakland, CA @ Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum May, 21 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena May, 22 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena May, 26 – Houston, TX @ Minute Maid Park May, 29 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena June, 1 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June, 2 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden June, 5 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena June, 6 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena June, 8 – Washington, DC @ Capitol One Arena

[andymakesgames]

Andy's 2024 Year in Review

I tend to work on a lot of small projects with a smattering of larger ones mixed in. Often I end the year thinking I didn't do all that much, but then I start going through my posts and realize that I did more than I thought! Hard to believe that stuff I did last January was this year!

I've fallen out of the habit of doing these year-in-review posts, which is a shame, but I'm turning that around right now! Here's a quick look at all the things I made last year.

EMMA

Probably the biggest thing for me is another successful year of the coop I'm a part of, EMMA Technology Cooperative. After a somewhat tough 2023, we bounced back this year. Seeing us survive a lean time and watching the coffers refill in the past year really drove home the value of organizing around cooperation as opposed to infinite growth. And if you're reading this and in need of a creative technologist, please drop us a line!

Taper - January

A the start of this year I was on the editorial board of Taper, online literary journal for computational poetry. I only assisted with one issue (which I also contributed to!) but it was a very new experience for me and I'm happy I could be a part of it!

A few years ago I kind of stumbled into the occasional piece of digital poetry without ever realizing. I was doing a literal poetry reading when I realized that I write poems from time to time. It's very fun that my practice occasionally pulls me in unexpected directions.

MAGFest - January

Every year, we bring all of the games in the Arcade Commons collection to the Music and Games Festival just outside of Washington DC. It is our biggest show of the year by a mile and I love it every time. There is a DIY spirit to MAGFest that really sets it apart from any other con I've been to. We're well underway for 2025 as I write this. As I frequently do, I emceed a bunch of our tournaments.

The Algorithm - February

What a fun project this was! Alia ElKattan and Lujain Ibrahim contacted me about their Mozilla Foundation-funded project to explain how algorithmic feeds work. I created modular P5JS animations to serve as the "content" for their app.

They found me via the P5 tweetcarts I had been posting during the pandemic. I got to explore some of those same ideas without the super tight character restrictions.

Check it out here.

EMMA Skillshare - March

I did a small workshop on getting PICO-8 to communicate with Javascript. This was the basis for my project Pico Pond which I wrote about on the EMMA Blog.

This skillshare took those ideas and presented them in a livestream, which you can watch here.

Our Generation - May

I was contacted by Nick Montfort to submit a piece of computer generated poetry for a small-run book called Our Generation: Programs + Computer-Generated Texts. I channeled my inner Jenny Holzer for this and really enjoyed it. The full src appears at the top of the page and it was interesting to factor that in to make sure the output exactly filled the page. I keep thinking it would be fun to do a series using this size restriction but I haven't done it yet.

You can see my full page here.

Tastebud Tapdancer - May

You've been swallowed by a giant serpent but you're trying to make the best of it.

A little video game with a source code of just 500 characters! Made for TweetTweetJam 9 You can play it here.

The Indomitable Rocket Dog - June

Around this point in the year is where I started working on my current project, The Indomitable Rocket Dog. I'm enjoying this game so much. I haven't made a real twitchy arcade game since PARTICLE MACE, which just celebrated its 10th birthday. It is still very early but I feel really good about this one!

After MAGFest 2024 I was percolating on physics-y arcade games mostly because I am so deeply in love with Hoverburger by Nick Santaniello. Before I knew it my love of N++ was mixed in there as well.

I'm writing all of my own physics in C++ because I had a vague sense of how I want it to feel and it's a hobby project so I can do what I want.

I've been documenting my development on it in a mastodon thread.

Isabelle Poppy And Bling - August

OK, this one isn't new at all! This is a flash game I made in 2009 for musician Justin Braun. But this year I got it playable on the web again!

Like so many game developers my age, I got my start with Macromedia Flash. This game felt like the culmination of my style at the time, which was heavily influenced by Animutation. I was starting to be more deliberate with my collage style as opposed to aiming for totally random elements. I think I got paid $600 for it, which felt huge at the time.

1K Pac-Man - September

Another size coded game. This time it's as faithful a recreation of Pac-Man as I could muster in 1024 bytes of source code. All of the ghost logic is accurate to the original!

You can play it here. I'm very pleased with the mouth animation.

I made it for PICK-1K Jam 2024. I do wish I had read the page a little more carefully though. The jam required compressed source to be 1024 bytes and I did raw source. The game is only 723 compressed bytes so I had a lot of room to expand, but by the time I realized that I had painstakingly trimmed and optimized my code and I couldn't imagine untangling it. Oops.

Cloud Gobblers - November

Arcade Commons received a grant from the Brooklyn Arts Council to create an arcade machine showing a collection of games that incorporate weather data into the gameplay. EMMA was commissioned to make one of the games. Cloud Gobblers is a snake-style game where the playfield is a video satellite field of global cloud coverage over a period of 48 hours.

This was the first time all of the members of EMMA worked together on one project!

Three Tapestries - October

I didn't make many pen plotter drawings this year, but I really liked this one. You can see the full thing here.

It's currently still available in my shop! Until somebody buys it it will be hanging on the wall in my office.

Lever Up Jam - December

Back in 2021, I worked with Matt Lepage on an alt-control game jam called Jam Jam Revolution. We prepped a parts list so all participants could build the same controller and make games for it. This year we decided to dust off that idea with the Lever Up Jam. This time there will be a full-sized cabinet at MAGFest that the games can be played on!

My favorite TweetCarts / Postcarts This Year

I no longer use Twitter, but I have been making the occasional tweetcart (a PICO-8 sketch with source code 280 bytes or less) and posting them on tumblr and mastodon. But there was an exciting development towards the end of the year! Lexaloffle, the creator of Pico-8 created a section on the BBS for 300 char or less "Postcarts", so we now have a centralized home for these little byte-sized demos.

Here are three of my favorite postcarts that I made this year:

Spinning Cube v3 - April

p=pset::_::cls()for i=0,99do u=0s=i/4+t()/5x=64+sin(s)*39a=64+sin(s+.25)*39y=39+cos(s)*9b=39+cos(s+.25)*9line(x,y,a,b,6)for k=0,99do if x>a and i<4and k<50then line(x,y+k,a,b+k,k>48and 7or 9+i)p(x,y+k,7)p(a,b+k)end v=pget(i,k)u+=v if(v>6)break if(u>0)p(i,k,8)end end flip()goto _

Big year for making things spin. You can check out my tumblr post to see all my attempts at perfecting this spinning cube. The outlines were the real cherry on top for me.

Balatro Spinning Card - May

a=abs::_::cls()e=t()for r=0,46do for p=0,1,.025do j=sin(e)*20k=cos(e)*5f=1-p h=a(17-p*34)v=a(23-r)c=1+min(23-v,17-h)%5/3\1*6u=(r-1)/80z=a(p-.2)if(e%1<.5)c=a(r-5)<5and z<u+.03and(r==5or z>u)and 8or 8-sgn(h+v-9)/2 g=r+39pset((64+j)*p+(64-j)*f,(g+k)*p+(g-k)*f,c)end end flip()goto _

This was so hard to make! I can't believe I did it. I wrote a giant writeup breaking down the 279 byte source code on the EMMA blog.

Fuji - October

pal({7,12,140,13,129,1,5,8,8,14,142,143,7},1)r=rnd::_::x=r(128)y=r(128)c=9+y/26-2+r(1.5) if(y<((x+40)/6)^1.6and y<((178-x)/6)^1.6and y<79+r(2))c=2.5-sgn(y-45-sin(x/21)*r(4))*1.5+r(2.5-sgn(x-69-r(8)-y/3+25)*.7) pset(x,128-y,c)a=r(1)d=r(25)pset(28+sin(a)*d,30+cos(a)*d,9)goto _

I made this during some downtime on a vacation to Japan. I was hoping to see Fuji the next day and the clouds wound up being kind to us, giving an amazing view.

I almost never make representational art and I was really happy with how this turned out.

That's it! I hope you all have a great 2025!

[solarishashernoseinabook]

Transcript copied from below the cut for accessibility

The first event I went to with GENDER QUEER was in NYC in 2019 at the Javits Center.

So many of the people who came to my signing were librarians, and so many of them said the same thing: "I know exactly who I want to give this to!"

Maia: "Thank you for helping readers find my book!"

While working on the book, I was genuinely unsure if anyone outside of my family and close friends would read it. But the early support of librarians and two American Library Association awards helped sell two print runs in first year.

Since then, GENDER QUEER been published in 8 languages, with more on the way: Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portugese and Dutch.

It has also been the most banned book in the United States for the past two years.

The American Library Association has tracked an astronomical increase in book challenges over the past few years. Most of these challenges are to books with diverse characters and LGBTQ themes. These challenges are coming unevenly across the US, in a pattern that mirrors the legislative attacks on LGBTQ people.

The Brooklyn Public Library offered free eCards to anyone in the US aged 13-21, in an effort to make banned books more available to young readers. A teacher in Norman, Oklahoma gave her students the QR code for the free eCard and lost her job. Summer Boismeir is now working for the Brooklyn Public Library.

Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive, apps used to access digital library books, are now banned in Mississippi to anyone under 18. Some libraries won’t allow anyone under 18 to get any kind of library card without parental permission.

When librarians in Jamestown, Michigan refused to remove GENDER QUEER and several other books, the citizens of the town voted down the library’s funding in the fall 2022 election. Without funding, the library is due to close in mid-2024.

My first event since covid hit was the American Library Association conference in June 2022 in Washington, DC. Once again, the librarians in my signing line all had similar stories for me: “Your book was challenged in our district"

"It was returned to the shelf!"

"It was removed from the shelf..."

"It was moved to the adult section."

Over and over I said: "Thank you. Thank you for working so hard to keep my book in your library. I’m sorry you had to defend it, but thank you for trying, even if it didn't work."

We are at a crossroads of freedom of speech and censorship. The future of libraries, both publicly funded and in schools, are at stake. This is massively impacting the daily lives of librarians, teachers, students, booksellers, and authors around the country. In May 2023, I read an article from the Washington Post analyzing nearly 1000 of the book challenges from the 2021-2022 school year. I was literally on route to a festival to talk about book bans when I read a startling statistic.

60% of the 1000 book challenges were submitted by just 11 people. One man alone was responsible for 92 challenges. These 11 people seem to have made submitting copy-cat book challenges their full-time hobby and their opinions are having an outsized ripple effect across the nation.

WE NEED TO MAKE THE VOICES SUPPORTING DIVERSE BOOKS AND OPPOSING BOOK BANS EVEN LOUDER.

If you are able too, show up for your library and school board meetings when book challenges are debated. Send supportive comments and emails about the Pride book display and Drag Queen story hours. If you see a display you like– for Banned Book Week, AAPI Month, Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Jewish holidays, Trans Day of Remembrance– compliment a librarian! Make sure they feel the love stronger than the hate <3

Maia Kobabe, 2023

My very last comic for The Nib! End of an era! Transcription below the cut. instagram / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my book / redbubble

The first event I went to with GENDER QUEER was in NYC in 2019 at the Javits Center.

So many of the people who came to my signing were librarians, and so many of them said the same thing: "I know exactly who I want to give this to!" Maia: "Thank you for helping readers find my book!" While working on the book, I was genuinely unsure if anyone outside of my family and close friends would read it. But the early support of librarians and two American Library Association awards helped sell two print runs in first year.

Since then, GENDER QUEER been published in 8 languages, with more on the way: Spanish, Czech, Polish, French, Italian, Norwegian, Portugese and Dutch.

It has also been the most banned book in the United States for the past two years. The American Library Association has tracked an astronomical increase in book challenges over the past few years. Most of these challenges are to books with diverse characters and LGBTQ themes. These challenges are coming unevenly across the US, in a pattern that mirrors the legislative attacks on LGBTQ people. The Brooklyn Public Library offered free eCards to anyone in the US aged 13-21, in an effort to make banned books more available to young readers. A teacher in Norman, Oklahoma gave her students the QR code for the free eCard and lost her job. Summer Boismeir is now working for the Brooklyn Public Library. Hoopla and Libby/Overdrive, apps used to access digital library books, are now banned in Mississippi to anyone under 18. Some libraries won’t allow anyone under 18 to get any kind of library card without parental permission. When librarians in Jamestown, Michigan refused to remove GENDER QUEER and several other books, the citizens of the town voted down the library’s funding in the fall 2022 election. Without funding, the library is due to close in mid-2024. My first event since covid hit was the American Library Association conference in June 2022 in Washington, DC. Once again, the librarians in my signing line all had similar stories for me: “Your book was challenged in our district" "It was returned to the shelf!" "It was removed from the shelf..." "It was moved to the adult section."

Over and over I said: "Thank you. Thank you for working so hard to keep my book in your library. I’m sorry you had to defend it, but thank you for trying, even if it didn't work." We are at a crossroads of freedom of speech and censorship. The future of libraries, both publicly funded and in schools, are at stake. This is massively impacting the daily lives of librarians, teachers, students, booksellers, and authors around the country. In May 2023, I read an article from the Washington Post analyzing nearly 1000 of the book challenges from the 2021-2022 school year. I was literally on route to a festival to talk about book bans when I read a startling statistic. 60% of the 1000 book challenges were submitted by just 11 people. One man alone was responsible for 92 challenges. These 11 people seem to have made submitting copy-cat book challenges their full-time hobby and their opinions are having an outsized ripple effect across the nation. WE NEED TO MAKE THE VOICES SUPPORTING DIVERSE BOOKS AND OPPOSING BOOK BANS EVEN LOUDER. If you are able too, show up for your library and school board meetings when book challenges are debated. Send supportive comments and emails about the Pride book display and Drag Queen story hours. If you see a display you like– for Banned Book Week, AAPI Month, Black History Month, Disability Awareness Month, Jewish holidays, Trans Day of Remembrance– compliment a librarian! Make sure they feel the love stronger than the hate <3

Maia Kobabe, 2023

The Nib

[qnewsau]

The worldwide pride events not to miss in 2025

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/the-worldwide-pride-events-not-to-miss-in-2025/

The worldwide pride events not to miss in 2025

Our hand-picked list of some of the world’s biggest and most unique pride events in 2025 

January is the perfect time to plan out your travels for the year ahead.

We’ve put together just some of the LGBTQIA+ global prides and festivals of 2025.

Cape Town Pride – South Africa

February 6 to 2 March

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Held at the height of the South African summer, you can expect pride parties, marches, drag events and the crowing of Mr and Ms Cape Town.

Although not quite as big as its cousin Johannesburg Pride in October, it is still one of the largest events and is growing year-on-year. The city will also host World Pride in 2028.

Arctic Pride – Rovaniemi, Finland

March 17-23

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Many pride events see attendees wear very little but you’d be brave to be doing that at Arctic Pride 2025!

The event is held at the official home of Santa Claus – Rovaniemi in northern Finland. The week includes skiing, family and culture events before culminating in a pride parade and party. 

World Pride – Washington, USA

May 17 to June 18 

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World Pride heads to the United States with events around art and culture, celebration, human rights and sport.

There will be human rights conferences next to global dance parties and sports festivals. It’ll all conclude with a huge closing ceremony with some well-known performers expected.

Tokyo Pride – Japan

June 7 – 8

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Traditionally held in April, Tokyo Pride is changing this year to become a bigger and more inclusive celebration.

It has grown from 4,500 participants to almost 300,000 in 2024. Expect many social events, seminars,  late-night parties and an epic pride parade.  

Euro Pride Lisbon – Portugal

June 14-22

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Europe’s biggest pride event heads to the Portuguese capital in 2025.

The coastal city will be throwing a huge party with a village, grand parade and after-party. And if you want to head to the water there are a large number of gay beaches nearby. 

São Paulo Pride – Brazil

22 June 

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São Paulo Pride is not only South America’s largest pride event, it’s also considered the world’s largest!

The extravaganza features a pride parade plus countless parties. Unofficial events begin in the weeks leading up so you can samba your way through a long and epic Brazilian adventure.

International Eressos Women’s Festival – Lesbos, Greece

September 7-20

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The Greek island of Lesbos is the unofficial mecca of lesbian women.

Since 2000, this international festival has seen travellers from all over the world descend on the village of Skala Eressos for a range of activities including shows, concerts, talks, trips and much more. 

Taiwan Pride – Taipei, Taiwan

October 24-26

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Taiwan Pride is the largest event of its type in Asia with tens of thousands of visitors descending on the city for the festivities.

The four-day event includes a pride parade, a pride village, a drag fest and many, many parties.

More queer events:

Sydney Mardi Gras releases 2025 lineup

How Madrid’s MADO became one of the world’s biggest prides

Perth among final three cities in race to host Gay Games 2030

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[news365timesindia]

[ad_1] Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stuck in space for the last five months, shared Diwali wishes for those celebrating the festival across the United States and around the world from the International Space Station. In a video message shared from the International Space Station (ISS), the Indian-origin astronaut said that this year she had the unique opportunity to observe Diwali from 260 miles above Earth and reminisced about her father’s efforts to keep their cultural roots alive by teaching her and her family about Diwali and other Indian festivals. “Greetings from the ISS,” Williams said. “I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating today at the White House and around the world.” “This year I have the unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali from 260 miles above the earth on the ISS…My father kept and shared his cultural roots by teaching us about Diwali and other Indian festivals,” she further said. #WATCH | Washington DC | White House Diwali Celebrations | NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams shares a video message on Diwali from the International Space Station. She says, “Greetings from the ISS. I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating… pic.twitter.com/YEv3wNAxW9 — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024 She emphasised the festival’s message of hope and renewal, saying that Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails. Williams also expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their participation in the Diwali festivities and for recognising the contributions of the community. “Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails…Thank you to the President and the Vice President for celebrating Diwali with our community today and for recognising the many contributions of our community,” she said. The message was particularly poignant as it came during a special Diwali celebration held at the White House. Notably, Sunita Williams along with her fellow astronaut Butch Willmore have been at the ISS since June. The pair had launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. A decision was made to return Starliner to Earth without its crew, and the spacecraft successfully returned on September 6 after NASA in August said that it was “too risky” to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. Wilmore and Williams continued their work formally as part of the expedition and will return in February next year. This means what would have been a week-long test flight, extended to around 8 months. (With ANI inputs) [ad_2] Source link

[news365times]

[ad_1] Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stuck in space for the last five months, shared Diwali wishes for those celebrating the festival across the United States and around the world from the International Space Station. In a video message shared from the International Space Station (ISS), the Indian-origin astronaut said that this year she had the unique opportunity to observe Diwali from 260 miles above Earth and reminisced about her father’s efforts to keep their cultural roots alive by teaching her and her family about Diwali and other Indian festivals. “Greetings from the ISS,” Williams said. “I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating today at the White House and around the world.” “This year I have the unique opportunity to celebrate Diwali from 260 miles above the earth on the ISS…My father kept and shared his cultural roots by teaching us about Diwali and other Indian festivals,” she further said. #WATCH | Washington DC | White House Diwali Celebrations | NASA Astronaut Sunita Williams shares a video message on Diwali from the International Space Station. She says, “Greetings from the ISS. I want to extend my warmest wishes for a Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating… pic.twitter.com/YEv3wNAxW9 — ANI (@ANI) October 28, 2024 She emphasised the festival’s message of hope and renewal, saying that Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails. Williams also expressed gratitude to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for their participation in the Diwali festivities and for recognising the contributions of the community. “Diwali is a time of joy as goodness in the world prevails…Thank you to the President and the Vice President for celebrating Diwali with our community today and for recognising the many contributions of our community,” she said. The message was particularly poignant as it came during a special Diwali celebration held at the White House. Notably, Sunita Williams along with her fellow astronaut Butch Willmore have been at the ISS since June. The pair had launched aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft on June 5 for its first crewed flight, arriving at the space station on June 6. A decision was made to return Starliner to Earth without its crew, and the spacecraft successfully returned on September 6 after NASA in August said that it was “too risky” to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth. Wilmore and Williams continued their work formally as part of the expedition and will return in February next year. This means what would have been a week-long test flight, extended to around 8 months. (With ANI inputs) [ad_2] Source link

[iowamedia]

Congressional Dems urge a more robust Biden on the campaign trail, but few openly revolt

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 8: U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) departs the Capitol on July 8, 2024 in Washington, DC. Several Democratic members of Congress have urged President Joe Biden to withdraw from the presidential race after his June 27 debate against presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump. Concerns about Biden’s age and perceived slowing down have intensified, with critics fearing these issues…

[readwithmiaa]

Q/A SESSION WITH AUTHOR ERIC SCOTT GRAND

Today, I am delighted to host a Poetry writer Eric Scott Grand. Thank you for allowing me to ask you some questions.

1. Tell us about yourself.

I’m from Evanston Illinois. I been writing since I was nineteen attended the International society of Poets in Washington DC. I also recorded a poem to music by columbine records. Been published in several poetry Anthologies done open mic readings attended writing workshops.

2. Tell us about your latest work.

It's about Love the what’s gone through to see signs of indicators of Finding someone to Love

3. What inspires you to write and publish?

I been inspired By other poets like Jim Morrison and Edgar Allen Poe. Believe that words matter to understand more what goes on in the world

4. Tell me about your poetry book. How many books did you write?

It’s about what may be experienced in daily life I’ve written 5 total which 3 are published already in the series Of Paradise on Earth with Words Collections and also written a book Aspirational Goals for people that like to take an academic approach toward success

5. What inspires you to write the book?

To understand More about living

6. What are you working on now?

Another collection of poems that deal what is like living during evening hours

7. What do you like to do when you aren’t writing?

Watch movies Read play video games

8. Please feel free to choose a couple of lines from your poems here to discuss or to add an excerpt or your favourite poem.

the surf the sand the palm trees not far from my Reach is the beach - some lines from a poem titled "Beach from paradise on earth with Words Collection 1: Oceanic"

About Eric:

Eric Scott Grand is a poetry writer and originally from Evanston, Illinois and now in California. He got his Vocational degree, specialized in General Office in 2008 from Mira Costa College, California. He’s working as a Steward at a Hotel. He’s not only avid worker but also a Super Human who manages to publish several poetry books and attended open mic events. He has been writing poems for about 32 years now. He is well known for his poetry work especially for his poetry collection Paradise on Earth with 3 book series, 1. Oceanic Paradise on Earth with Words collection (April 13, 2022) 2. Social Society and Paradise on Earth with Words collection (April 13, 2022) 3. Love to Live published by Tell Tell poetry (March 11, 2024). He also published poetries under the title Aspirational Goals (February 2, 2023). His poems have been published in Anthologies - Noise of Untold Words published by Manda Publishers, Timeless Voices at Millennium Published by International Library of Poetry (January 1, 2006), A Treasury of Great Poems Published by Famous Poet society (June 1, 2000), Locked Hearts an anthology published by Manda Publishers (July 6, 2023), Ink and Embers Anthology Published by Manda Publishers (1 January 2023), Quills Symphony Anthology Published by Manda Publishers (1 January 2023), A World of word Published by Manda Publishers (1 January 2023) and America at the Millennium : The Best Poems and Poets of the 20th Century Published by Poetry.com (1 September 2000). He also recorded audio poetry CD by the International library of Poets.

For more details check out his page, http://ericscottgrand.wixsite.com/website

[ear-worthy]

iHeart Radio Celebrates Pride Month

The article below is written by iHeart, and normally I don't publish P.R. releases, but in this case, iHeart has a positive story to tell. Kudos to the organization. Pride Month, after all, is not a stunt or a festival or a parade. Pride Month honors the 1969 Stonewall riots, and works to achieve equal justice and equal opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) Americans. It's not just a celebration by the LGBTQ+ community. It is also, and should be, a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community.

Take it away, iHeart:

It’s officially Pride Month, and iHeart has no shortage of ways to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community this month and beyond. 

 Find the perfect soundtrack to your festivities with iHeart’s Pride-themed programming all month long: from Can’t Cancel Pride 2024 and the best in music on PRIDE Radio to iHeartPodcasts from your favorite LGBTQ+ creators and Pride parties hosted by local radio stations across the country. 

 Don’t miss our fifth annual “Can’t Cancel Pride'' event tomorrow, June 12 with performances from some of the most influential voices in the community and its allies, including Elton John Impact Award Recipient and host Billy Porter, Allison Russell, Ben Platt, David Archuleta, Meghan Trainor, Melissa Etheridge, Orville Peck, RAYE, Victoria Monét and more. The event provides much-needed visibility and funding for six LGBTQ+ organizations – CenterLink, GLAAD, National Black Justice Coalition, Outright International, The Trevor Project and SAGE –  to continue the transformative work they are accomplishing in support of the LGBTQ+ community.  Fans can tune in to the one-hour benefit special, produced by iHeartMedia and P&G, on iHeartRadio’s YouTube and Facebook pages, Hulu and Revry tomorrow, June 12 at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT and the special will also be available to stream throughout Pride Month.

 Plus, celebrate anywhere you are with iHeart’s Outspoken Podcast Network, featuring a lineup of shows that aim to amplify, elevate and reflect the diversity, richness and humanity of the voices throughout the LGBTQ+ community. 

 Go deep on the issues with intimate, truth-only conversations from “The Laverne Cox Show”; learn more about the untold stories of queer history on “But We Loved” through elders of the community; find out why “Because the Boss Belongs to Us” makes the case for Bruce Springsteen being recognized as a queer icon; and explore the world of queer sex, cruising, relationships, culture and more on “Sniffies' Cruising Confessions.” Plus so much more, find a full list of Outspoken shows here. 

 There also is fun happening in your community! iHeart’s hit radio stations across the country are participating in local Pride celebrations with on-air contests, fundraising efforts, street festivals, parades and much more. 

 Find a full list of iHeart’s Pride Month events here, and keep reading for some highlights and upcoming events from around the country:

May 31 to June 2: PRIDE Radio Houston kicked off Pride Month by broadcasting live from Walt Disney World’s “One Magical Weekend” in Orlando, Florida. This multi-day event has been happening since the first Red Shirt Pride Day in 1991, with thousands of LGBTQ+ travelers making this weekend the start of their festivities every year. 

May 31-June 2: iHeartMedia Washington, DC’s HOT 99.5 and PRIDE Radio presented the free Capital Pride Concert with Ava Max, Billy Porter and special guest Keke Palmer.

June 8: PRIDE Radio supported the 5th annual FLoatarama Flotilla in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Pride-On-Water event featuring over 30 private and commercial boats raises funds for the FLoatarama LGBTQ Youth Fund.

June 8-9: Ricky Martin headlined L.A. Pride in the Park where iHeartMedia served as the official radio and media partner. PRIDE Radio and iHeart Los Angeles stations were also part of the L.A. Pride Parade.

June 29-June 30: Billy Porter will serve as Celebrity Grand Marshall in the San Francisco Pride Parade and will perform at the City Hall Party supported by iHeartMedia San Francisco stations 106.1 KMEL, Wild 94.9, Star 101.3 and 103.7 80s+.

June 30: iHeart is a presenting media sponsor of NYC Pride, the Pride March stepping off from 25th Street and 5th Avenue and PrideFest, the annual NYC LGBTQIA+ street fair with exhibitors, food and activities.

June 30: iHeartRadio Seattle stations HITS 106.1 and 95.7 JET serve as media partners of Seattle Pride as they celebrate their 50th Pride Celebration this year. 

 Stay tuned to iHeartRadio all of June for even more Pride-themed content still to come. Happy Pride!

[awesomegoodmusic]

TheWhiteHouseSpin.Com / SPIN PUBLISHING: LIVE 7:00 PM ET - President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. Host a Juneteenth Concert Reported by Karen Ann Carr WASHINGTON DC - At 7:00 PM ET, President Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr. host a Juneteenth Concert at The White House in Washington DC U.S.A. on Monday, June 10 2024. At 8:00 PM, President Biden presents remarks at the Juneteenth Concert on The White House South Lawn. https://thewhitehousespin.blogspot.com/2024/06/live-700-pm-president-joseph-robinette_10.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSYHYr2xnAg #NEWS #Noticias #CNN #CSPAN #PBS #ABC #CBS #NBC #MSNBC #FoxNews #NewsMax #TheWhiteHouse #WhiteHouseSpin #SpinPublishing #Guerra #Paz #Peace #Violencia #Matrimonio