#Brandon Florida Attractions

[carpetcleaningecopower]

Discover the Peaceful Charm of Lithia Springs Park in Brandon, Florida

Lithia Springs Park in Brandon, Florida, offers a serene escape for nature lovers and those looking to unwind from the hustle of city life. Nestled within Brandon, this park combines natural beauty, recreational activities, and historical value, creating a harmonious retreat.

A Natural Haven in Brandon

Lithia Springs Park is famous for its natural spring, the highlight of this scenic location. With its crystal-clear waters, the spring provides a refreshing spot perfect for swimming on a warm day. The park's pristine environment, along with the calming sounds of flowing water, offers a unique peacefulness that's rare in Brandon.

The park's diverse flora showcases Florida's rich biodiversity. Majestic oaks, delicate ferns, and vibrant wildflowers create a vivid display of the region's natural beauty. Walking along the well-maintained trails immerses visitors in the tranquil atmosphere that defines Lithia Springs Park. The varied ecosystem supports wildlife such as squirrels and colorful birds, making each visit distinct.

Activities for Everyone

Lithia Springs Park offers numerous recreational activities for all ages. The picnic areas, equipped with tables and grills, are ideal for family gatherings and relaxing afternoons. Expansive lawns provide space for games and leisure, making it a perfect spot for a day out.

For adventure seekers, the park’s hiking trails are a must-see. These trails wind through different terrains, offering a chance to explore the park’s diverse landscapes and find hidden tranquil spots. Fishing enthusiasts can enjoy the well-stocked waters, promising a peaceful and rewarding experience.

Historical Importance and Community Involvement

Lithia Springs Park holds historical significance for the Brandon community. Dating back to the early 20th century, the spring was a crucial water source for the area. Today, it stands as a reminder of the region's heritage, seamlessly blending the past with the present.

The park also hosts community events and educational programs. Seasonal events, nature walks, and wildlife observation activities enhance the park's appeal, fostering a deeper connection between visitors and nature. Participating in these events highlights the importance of preserving such sanctuaries for future generations.

Lithia Springs Park in Brandon, Florida, is more than just a park; it is a refuge where nature's calmness and community spirit unite. Each visit deepens the appreciation for this serene haven in Brandon's heart. Whether for leisure, adventure, or historical exploration, Lithia Springs Park offers an experience that captivates and rejuvenates the spirit.

[cellythefloshie]

;; I Wanna Be Yours 500 Follower Celebration

Summary: You can't handle being just friends with your childhood friend, Brandon Hagel, anymore. Word Count: 1k+

Secrets I have held in my heart are harder to hide than I thought.

Growing up in Morinville, Alberta, where the population was less than 10,000, there was one thing for certain: you knew everyone and everyone knew you. The kids you met on the first day of Kindergarten were the same you graduated with at eighteen. Some would stay and work in Morinville, maybe even marry their high school sweetheart, while others would move to Calgary or Edmonton to go to school. But in Morinville, there was one exception, your best friend: Brandon Hagel. 

You had met him in grade school, his family having moved from Saskatoon. You had been too young to remember why or even ask, but the moment he walked into the classroom, and your teacher seated him at the desk beside you, the two of you were best friends. You swapped lunches, and played together at recess. Play dates were often scheduled by your parents, and you even played on the same Timbits hockey team until his skills surpassed your own and you were left to watch him play from the stands. 

You were his biggest fan, even as he moved through different leagues, and it became more difficult for you to attend. The WHL, AHL and finally the NHL you had been there for it all one way or another. Watching the game streams on sketchy websites, late night phone calls, traveling to watch him play when he was close enough to home. You did it all, and it didn't go unrecognized. By those who didn't know you, and didn't know your story, you were often mistaken as his girlfriend. 

It was something you just shrugged off, and assured those who were embarrassed for making such a statement that it was an honest mistake. 

What they didn't know was how desperately you wanted that to be true. 

You wanted to be his. 

But after what felt like a lifetime together, you were convinced that would never be a reality. Not even as you sat on a beach in Tampa, Florida with Brandon sitting at a table with his teammates behind you. 

You had flown down to watch their Stanley Cup Final match against the Colorado Avalanche. You had booked enough time off to be able to enjoy the parade, but it was an event that never came. The Bolts had lost, but you never passed up on the opportunity to enjoy a vacation. 

You could hear the guys laughing behind you as you sat in the warmth of the sun. Cirelli had been trying to do some sort of party trick with a Corona and had ultimately failed, sending the table into laughter. Brandon's was the most prominent among them, the sound filling your belly with warmth. You loved his laugh, and the smile that you were sure was spread so fully over his lips. Just the thought of it had you smiling too, but it quickly faded when you heard a soft feminine voice speaking to Brandon. 

It wasn't one you recognized, so you perked up in your seat and pretended to stretch as you glanced back at the table. The girl was pretty, and wasn't one of the wives or girlfriends that you had met during your trip. Your smile faded, and your stomach sank in an instant. 

You had no right to be jealous. You weren't his girlfriend, he wasn't your boyfriend. He was allowed to flirt with whoever he pleased, and you envied the woman for the courage she had to walk up to an attractive stranger at the beach. It was the courage you wished you had yourself but knew it would never come. 

Your shoulders slouched as you sunk back into your seat, a single hand reached up to pull the brim of your sun hat low in an attempt to hide the disappointed look you were sure had overtaken your features. But it was too late, someone had already noticed. 

“Hey, is everything okay?” It was the voice of Cirelli's girlfriend that drew your eyes up. She sat in the chair next to you, her body sprawled out and a book in hand. She must have looked up from the pages just long enough to see that something was wrong. 

You wished she hadn't. 

“Yeah, it's just-” you cut yourself off with an uneven breath, “I'm not feeling well I think I'm going to go back to the hotel.”

“Oh, okay-” was all you could hear leaving her lips. A disappointed sigh as you reached down for your beach bag, pulled on your cover up and left your seat on the beach. 

You wasted no time with goodbyes. Brandon wouldn't miss you. Hell, he probably wouldn't even notice you were gone. And if he did, Cirelli's girl could tell him where you went. 

Your strides were quick as you moved through the sand and up to the boardwalk where you stopped just long enough to throw your shoes down on the ground. You stepped into them and quickly fell into stride again. You moved through the busy boardwalk with your head down, tears burning at your eyes but you didn't let them spill. Each steady breath you took fought them back, but only fueled the turmoil of frustration in your mind. 

You hated that you felt this way. He was your best friend, your longest friend. You should have been happy with how things were. Yet, you wanted more. You would always want more-

There was a thunder of footsteps on the boardwalk behind you. Distant at first. So far you barely heard them but they grew louder, instructing your thoughts and clouding your mind. Your first instinct was to step to the side, out of the way of any jogger or playful child that may have been in your wake. But then you heard your name, a desperate call to get your attention, and you froze. 

You would recognize the voice anywhere. 

“Brandon?”

He stilled in front of you, his hand reaching up to slick back his shaggy hair that had fallen into his eyes. His breathing was uneven as he recovered from his sprint, and his dark eyes were fixated on you. His stare was magnetic, holding you in place without having to touch you. And you hated it. The hold he had on you, and it left tears to build in your eyes. 

And he noticed. 

“Hey,” he spoke softly, “ what's wrong?”

“I'm sorry,” your croaked, your weak voice betraying you so quickly, “I just can't be here. I need to go home-”

“Go home?” Brabdon asked. 

His face contorted with confusion as he took a small step in and reached out to take hold of your arm. His hand was warm against your skin, sending a fluttering feeling through your body in an instant. 

“What are you talking about? You're supposed to be here for another week.” 

You wanted to shrug it off. To play it off as nothing, but there was too much you needed to get off your chest. There was no use in keeping secrets anymore. Not when they made you feel the way you did. 

“I want to be yours, Brandon,” your words felt like a pathetic plea as they left your lips, “and I can't keep pretending that I don't. You're my best friend, but it hurts too much to just sit back and-” 

Brandon didn't let you finish. He didn't have to. His hand  left your arm, his fingers grazing up slowly until you felt the warmth of his palm spread over your cheek. He cupped your face gently and used that hold to draw you in. And he kissed you, so deeply, so feverishly that it left you breathless. And in that moment you knew he felt the same way too. He, like you, had been too scared to ruin the friendship you both treasured so dearly.

[brandon-fl-life]

Prime Location Living

Looking for a blend of convenience, comfort, and luxury? Edge at Brandon offers just that with its spacious one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans. The community features two pools, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and even a lake for peaceful views. Whether you’re close to shopping at the nearby mall or just want quick access to I-75 and the Selmon Expressway, everything you need is within reach. Residents can also enjoy meeting space, an outdoor kitchen, and more. With so much to offer, it’s easy to see why these luxury apts with fitness center in Brandon FL stand out. It’s a perfect spot to relax, get active, or take care of everything in one place.

The Geography of Brandon, Florida

Brandon is located in the heart of Florida, just east of Tampa. You’re only a short drive from the Gulf Coast, so getting to the beach is a breeze. The city’s terrain is flat, making it easy to get around, whether you’re driving or biking. There’s a mix of suburban neighborhoods and a few commercial areas scattered throughout. With a good amount of green spaces and parks, you’ll have plenty of room to stretch your legs. The nearby Hillsborough River adds a nice touch, offering some scenic views and recreation spots. The city is well-positioned, so you’re never far from other attractions, whether it’s the city life in Tampa or nature in the surrounding areas.

Paul Sanders Park in Brandon, FL

Paul Sanders Park is a hidden gem in Brandon, perfect for a peaceful afternoon outdoors. The park is spacious with plenty of green space, making it ideal for picnics, games, or just relaxing. If you enjoy walking, there’s a nice trail to stretch your legs. The playground is great for kids, and the whole family can enjoy some time in the fresh air. Whether you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle or just need a place to recharge, the park offers a quiet retreat right in the heart of the city. It’s a simple, enjoyable spot to visit whenever you need a break.

Hurricane Milton Became Category 5 Hurricane For The Second Time Tuesday Afternoon

Hurricane Milton became a significant threat in October, reaching Category 5 status with winds up to 165 mph. As the storm moved through the Gulf of Mexico, it fluctuated in strength but remained a dangerous force. Milton made landfall on the west-central Florida coast, particularly affecting the Tampa Bay area on Wednesday night. Although it weakened slightly due to vertical wind shear, it still brought destructive winds, life-threatening storm surges, and heavy rainfall to the region. The wind field expanded as the storm approached Florida, increasing its impact. Residents were urged to follow local emergency management orders as Milton was considered one of the most destructive hurricanes to hit the area in recent history.

Link to Map Driving Direction

Paul Sanders Park 602 W Bloomingdale Ave, Brandon, FL 33511, United States

Head northwest toward S Kings Ave 0.1 mi

Turn right onto S Kings Ave 2.0 mi

Use the left 2 lanes to turn left onto W Lumsden Rd 1.5 mi

Continue onto Causeway Blvd 0.2 mi

Turn right onto Regency Lakes Dr 0.1 mi

Turn right onto Delaney Cir  Restricted usage road 69 ft

Turn left to stay on Delaney Cir  Restricted usage road  Destination will be on the right 85 ft

Edge at Brandon 902 Delaney Cir, Brandon, FL 33511, United States

[dankusner]

State laws may be hurting turnout

Policies strict on registration groups, mail-in ballots hamper voter participation, experts say

Of the 19.5 million Texans eligible to vote in the 2022 general election, 42% did so.

Only 10 states had worse voter participation rates.

“Texas is sadly at the bottom of lists for participation,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, political science professor at the University of Houston who has studied voter turnout and worked with groups on ways to boost it.

“Texas likes to think that it’s the best at everything, but one thing for sure it’s not good at is getting its residents to come out to vote.”

Some factors are beyond the control of state leaders, including the well-known rule of thumb that older people are more likely to vote.

Texas has a relatively young population compared to other states.

But Texas’ low voter participation rate is also influenced by policy choices, including a rejection of strategies that have helped other states attract voters.

Many conservatives have resisted such approaches, saying they are susceptible to fraud.

Supporters say there’s no evidence they lead to widespread cheating.

Advocates for trying different ways to improve turnout say voting is the cornerstone of representative democracy and having so many sitting out elections hurts a state’s civic health.

“If they’re not voting and expressing their opinions, then democracy is only working for the people that are participating,” Rottinghaus said.

The Dallas Morning News has launched “Back To The Ballot,” an effort to educate voters on the election process and explore the causes of voter apathy and potential solutions.

The Texas secretary of state’s office reports turnout percentages of the voting age population and registered voters.

University of Florida political science professor Michael McDonald has compiled turnout data for each state based on the percentage of eligible voters who participate, saying it offers a more accurate look at voter participation.

40th in nation

Using that measure, 42% of eligible Texans voted in 2022 — 40th in the nation, 4 points below the national average and 20 points behind No. 1 Oregon.

Even so, Texas improved its ranking from 45th in the 2020 presidential election and 41st in the 2018 midterms, according to McDonald’s data.

Looking at regional data, the Dallas and Houston areas ranked among the lowest in voter turnout among the 25 largest U.S. metros for 2016 and 2020, McDonald wrote in a recent report for the Houston Endowment, a philanthropic foundation.

That analysis was based on turnout among voting age citizens rather than eligible voters because of challenges in analyzing data at the level of metro areas.

Among factors that influence turnout, experts said, are state laws affecting the relative ease of casting a ballot.

Laws in other states

Some states such as Minnesota have voting laws that make it more convenient to vote, including the ability to register on election day.

Texas has a registration deadline of 30 days before an election, the longest permitted under federal law.

Research shows states with same-day registration have turnout rates 5 to 7 percentage points higher than states that don’t, McDonald said.

Texas also has restrictions that make it more difficult for third-party organizations to conduct registration drives.

State law requires those gathering applications to deliver applications they collect within five days or face criminal liability.

Those regulations can have a chilling effect when it comes to recruiting volunteers to conduct registration drives.

March to the Polls is a nonpartisan Dallas area voter education and engagement nonprofit group that works to boost electoral participation in underrepresented communities, primarily youth and people of color.

Jessica Lugo, director of the group’s Student Voter Empowerment Clubs, said state laws can make people wary of getting involved in helping voters register.

“Just ensuring that you’ve done everything correctly, by the book — if you don’t, there’s a concern that you get in trouble, like significant trouble, for messing up and everybody makes mistakes,” Lugo said.

Lugo said she received a strongly worded warning email from the local elections office when she returned a registration form one day late because she didn’t realize weekends counted toward the five-day rule.

Mail-in ballot rules

Texas allows in-person early voting, but mail-in ballots are permitted only for those in specific categories:

65 or older, sick or disabled, out of the county, expecting to give birth close to Election Day or confined in jail but otherwise eligible to vote.

The Texas Democratic Party and several Texas voters filed a lawsuit in 2020 pushing for expanded mail-in balloting given COVID health concerns, but were not successful.

The voters who were plaintiffs in that suit sought to revive the issue and press the argument that an age limit on mail-in ballots is unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court in April declined to take up the matter.

Oregon became the first state to conduct elections exclusively by mail more than 20 years ago and has since seen high rates of voter participation — 62% of eligible voters in the 2022 general election, best in the nation.

“If you look at the all-mail ballot states, they tend to have higher turnout than those that are non-all-mail ballot states and other states that just make it generally easy for people to request an absentee ballot,” McDonald said.

“Any one of these laws isolated by itself doesn’t seem to have a big effect on overall statewide turnout, but they start accumulating.”

Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson, the chief elections officer for Texas, has focused on providing voters with guidance on how to cast a ballot.

“I am committed to making sure all Texans have the information they need on how to participate in our elections — whether they are students, or seniors, or Texans of any age,” Nelson said in a statement.

“Our agency is engaged in a major voter education project to make sure every eligible Texan who wants to vote has all the information they need to register to vote and to cast a ballot.”

Role of high schools

Texas has a decades-old state law requiring high school principals to distribute voter registration applications and instructions to eligible students twice a year.

The law requires principals to serve as a deputy voter registrar. Researchers previously found low compliance rates but say the situation has improved in recent years, particularly in urban areas.

Shalon Bond, director of the Dallas ISD Social Studies department, said every high school in the district complies with the law.

She said she could not speak to whether compliance was lacking in the past but said the district has been continually bolstering its effort to get students engaged since she took over the role about five years ago.

It’s important for districts to have a champion focused on the effort, she said.

“Students definitely want to have a voice,” Bond said. “They just need to know how.”

Dallas ISD partners with March to the Polls, which delivers in-class presentations about the importance of voting to eligible students and helps them register.

Lugo said the work is important because communities with higher voter turnout tend to have better overall outcomes in areas such as public health.

She said how much a school district embraces their obligations can make a big difference — whether it really puts a spotlight on voter registration or simply leaves the forms in the library.

‘Culture of voting’

The organization works with 10 school districts in D-FW. “We’re trying to change the culture of voting in the districts that we work with,” Lugo said.

Distributing voter registration materials in school represents a key opportunity for young people, said Taylor Trevino, senior advocacy manager for the voting rights program The Texas Civil Rights Project.

“If a young voter votes in the first few elections that they’re able to, there’s a much higher chance that they will become life-long voters and civically engaged,” she said. “And the opposite of that is true as well.”

The law does not include an enforcement mechanism or requirement that the state track whether schools are complying.

The Texas Civil Rights Project has pushed for the state to do more to promote compliance. Trevino suggested the state could proactively send the forms to each school twice a year to help prompt them to follow the law. Bills to require that were introduced in the Legislature last year but went nowhere.

Robert Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, said steps government officials could take, such as extending early-voting periods, would have a limited impact.

More renters

Texas’ low voter turnout is the product of many factors, including a highly mobile population that has a higher proportion of renters.

People who rent are more likely to move, which makes registering more difficult, he said.

Making the actual experience of voting convenient, such as keeping lines down and wait times low, also is important, he said.

Officials should carefully consider where they place polling locations and how to physically lay out those facilities to make sure they function well, Stein said, adding that trained poll workers and reliable equipment are also important.

Stein pointed to major fast food chains that can accommodate large numbers of people, even in the middle of a heavy lunch rush.

“The administration of an election can make an enormous difference,” Stein said.

“We know that if a voter has a bad voting experience, if they wait in a long line, they won’t vote in the next election.”

Experts agree demographics play a significant role in turnout.

“Every survey that’s ever been done, every analysis of voter file data, finds that the older you are the more likely you are to vote,” McDonald said.

Minnesota has an older population — and one of the highest turnout rates in the country.

Median age

Texas has one of the nation’s lowest median ages.

One reason is its large Hispanic population, which is generally younger and less likely to vote.

Close elections can increase voter turnout, particularly in presidential battleground states.

Texas Democrats haven’t won statewide since 1994, and the state hasn’t gone for their presidential candidate since Jimmy Carter beat Gerald Ford in 1976.

Still, Democrats in 2020 produced their best Texas presidential showing since Carter’s win, McDonald said.

“As Texas has become more competitive, it still remains a very low turnout state, so it can’t be it’s just the level of competition,” McDonald said.

Are you ready to cast your ballot in the Nov. 5 general election? The Dallas Morning News is here to help you vote with confidence with Back to the Ballot — a personalized voter education newsletter.

[eartharoundsun]

Joe Biden continues using TikTok through the Election – The way TikTok becomes a new weapon for politicians to win Young Voters’ heart

Once shared on NBC News “A fragmented media landscape compels us to show up and engage voters where they are - even online. TikTok is one among the numerous areas where we make sure our content gets viewed by voters”, Joe Biden's re-election campaign plans on sticking with TikTok for at least a year afterward, despite the president signing legislation Wednesday that will prohibit the social media site statewide if its Chinese parent firm does not sell it within that time period (Monica 2024). Absorbing this news, it is interesting to realize how much this social media has “soaked” into our lives, way beyond entertainment purposes like dancing or lip-syncing, TikTok is now a powerful tool for political candidates to raise awareness among Youth voters. But have you ever considered its impact level on the election outcome? Well, I do! So let’s analyze Joe Biden’s TikTok campaign strategy to bring a new light on his victory in the 2020 US election and in a broader view, discuss the changing nature of politics in the digital century

Biden-Harris HQ – Professional identity is collapsed

Biden's official TikTok account – “@bidenhq” - premiered on Sunday amid Lunar New Year celebrations in China and Super Bowl 58 in the United States (Lora & Christina 2024) has successfully attracted nearly 354K followers and 4,6M likes. While “swiping” Biden’s TikTok content, I could not hold my admiration for his willingness to play and catch trends, especially considering that this incredible number's owner is an 81-year-old political man. If you do not believe me, just watch some of his videos! Biden-Harris HQ content strategy is just on another level!

Saving the polite and humane image for public speech, social media is all for fun! “Bashing, meme, funny, and a bit satirized” are everything you will find on Biden's TikTok account. Instead of posting humane content, the 46th President of the US focused more on the entertainment side by releasing dozens of posts that attacking past President Donald Trump, jokes about President Joe Biden's age, a Super Bowl ad including the Dark Brandon meme, and footage of campaign aides defending him from special counsel Robert Hur's remarks about his mental state. Too obviously, Gen Z freaking loves dramas, bashing, and mean stuff, so by giving us content that directly hit our interests, Biden has successfully created a trendy image that significantly helps him gain a positive attitude among the youth. And if you could not brainstorm how this jocose TikTok identity can affect the election outcome, please look at the 2020 US Election result: Biden won 60% of votes aged 18 to 29 and 52% of those aged 30 to 44 (Arit & Camila 2024)! Even if there is no clear evidence or focus research about social media's influence on election outcomes, without a doubt, I dare to assert that launching campaigns on Tiktok really gives Joe Biden an advantage in attracting support from young voters compared to Trump (oh well, Donald even wants to ban TikTok so just a guess, US teenagers hate him!). My statement is also strengthened when reading Seth Schuster – Biden’s campaign speaker shared about their social media strategy for the election on CNN: “The campaign is now on TikTok because frankly that’s where people are. Having a presence on TikTok gives us a chance to maximize the reach of the president’s vision”

And btw, Joe Biden is not the only politician who appears on TikTok, there are thousands!

Ken Russel – Florida candidate (411,8K TikTok followers), Jeff Jackson – North Carolina democrat (2.5M TikTok followers), and John Fetterman – Pennsylvania democrat (more than 240K TikTok followers) are some stand-out politician examples who actively use TikTok to engage with the young generation

Politics in the Social Media Century

Looking back, it is interesting to see how much the political world has changed to quickly adapt new requirements in digital time… Who could ever imagine professional people with humane speeches about how they will make society better we often see on TV end up appearing to be so funny and trendy on TikTok! Contrary to all my stereotypes about politicians that they are boring and theoretical individuals, these people know how to play different identities in specific scenarios to meet multiple generations’ interests. Just like Jack Lobel – Tomorrow's National Press Secretary for Voters used to say: “Young people have been excluded from the political process for decades. So we need to take every method available to get them into the process” (Arit & Camila 2024), Gen Z will become the future main voter source and if politic candidates want to engage with this group, social media is the key weapon. However, due to the entertaining nature of digital platforms (especially TikTok), candidates will need to play various identities to suit the Youth preference taste: from the professional image in public speeches to a clown on social media! After all, we could never know who will be the right choice based on some promises to decrease inflation or support minority groups, voters just rely on their instinct by voting for the person they have the most positive feelings for!

But please do not be fooled, social media can be both a source of interaction and an inviting environment for trolls. To yet, the Biden campaign's films have received responses supporting Trump, doubting Biden's mental competence, and advocating for a truce in Gaza (Arit & Camila 2024). Looking at the bad side, digital platforms also open new real spaces for criticism and negative feedback since “On TikTok, you have more personal contact with your supporters” – stated Kasey O'Brien, the Middle Seat director of texting and social (Arit & Camila 2024). Moreover, data privacy concerns will also be a huge problem for the digital political world

Conclusion – The Future of Politics

In my prediction, soon enough, every election campaign will be run on social media due to the growing reliance on digital platforms to get news, therefore, I would wish to see more meaningful content instead of mainly pure entertainment bashing videos at the moment. Furthermore, the more aspects of our lives depend on social media, the more concerns raised inside me. Humans always want to believe that we can control everything, but if anyone asks me the question “Social media and human, who is the controller?” Currently, I feel hesitate to answer…

Reference

Arit, J & Camila, D 2024, ‘TikTok offers opportunities, and risks, for Biden as his campaign reaches out to young voters’, CNN Politics, https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/14/politics/tiktok-biden-campaign/index.html

Lora, K & Christina, W 2024, ‘Biden campaign debuts official TikTok account, but app is still banned on most government devices’, CNBC, https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/12/biden-campaign-debuts-official-tiktok.html

Monica, A 2024, ‘Biden campaign plans to keep using TikTok through the election’, NBC News, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-campaign-keep-using-tiktok-signed-ban-law-rcna149158

[xtruss]

How US Changes To 'Noncompete Agreements’ And Overtime Pay Could Affect Workers

— By Cathy Bussewitz and Mae Anderson | Tuesday April 23, 2024 | Associated Press

The Federal Trade Commission Building is seen, Jan. 28, 2015, in Washington. U.S. companies would no longer be able to bar employees from taking jobs with competitors under a rule approved by the FTC on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, though the rule seems sure to be challenged in court. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File

New York (AP) — For millions of American workers, the federal government took two actions this week that could bestow potentially far-reaching benefits.

In one move, the Federal Trade Commission voted to ban noncompete agreements, which bar millions of workers from leaving their employers to join a competitor or start a rival business for a specific period of time. The FTC’s move, which is already being challenged in court, would mean that such employees could apply for jobs they weren’t previously eligible to seek.

In a second move, the Biden administration finalized a rule that will make millions more salaried workers eligible for overtime pay. The rule significantly raises the salary level that workers could earn and still qualify for overtime.

The new rules don’t take effect immediately. And they won’t benefit everyone. So what exactly would these rules mean for America’s workers?

WHAT IS A NONCOMPETE AGREEMENT?

Noncompete agreements, which employers have deployed with greater frequency in recent years, limit an employee’s ability to jump ship for a rival company or start a competing business for a stated period of time. The idea is to prevent employees from taking a company’s trade secrets, job leads or sales relationships to a direct competitor, who could immediately capitalize on them.

Many industries use noncompete agreements, often among their salespeople, said Paul Lopez, managing partner at Tripp Scott, a Florida law firm that has handled more than 100 cases involving noncompete clauses.

“They’re the ones out there generating leads and sales,” Lopez said. “The last thing you as a business will want is for that person to go over to your competition and do the same thing.”

WHO IS TYPICALLY SUBJECT TO THESE AGREEMENTS?

People may assume that noncompete agreements apply only to high-level executives in the technology or finance industries. But many lower-level workers are subject to the restrictions as well. The rules vary by state.

In Florida, one medical sales worker was barred by his employer from joining a competitor for 10 years — and once he left his job, was unemployed for more than five years, said Stefanie Camfield, assistant general counsel with Engage PEO, a Florida company that handles human resources for small and medium-sized businesses.

“He was able to find another sales position in a completely different industry,” Camfield said. “But the learning curve was there, so he wasn’t making the same amount of money.”

In another case, a company in the optical industry that had hired a sales associate was informed by his former employer that it intended to enforce a noncompete agreement. So the optical company terminated the employee, Camfield said.

“They thought they had a qualified sales associate hired and ready to get to work, and all of a sudden now they’re back to square one.”

WHY BAN NONCOMPETE AGREEMENTS?

Some view noncompete agreements as harmful and unfair to workers by limiting their mobility. Career opportunities are often more attractive outside an employee’s current workplace. And with restrictions on the type of work they can do for a competitor, it can be hard to shift into a more suitable or lucrative position.

Many hiring managers, after all, most value job candidates who already have a certain level of experience in the same industry.

“A noncompete would unilaterally ban someone from getting exactly the kind of job that it’s reasonable to want,” said Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, a professor of organizational behavior at Babson College in Massachusetts. “To cut people off from that is overly paternalistic. It’s using a really blunt instrument to limit people’s mobility, when in reality there are other legal mechanisms to prevent trade secrets being disclosed.”

A hiring sign is displayed in Riverwoods, III., Tuesday, April 16, 2024. The Biden administration has finalized a new rule set to make millions of more salaried workers eligible for overtime pay in the U.S. The move marks the largest expansion in federal overtime eligibility seen in decades. AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File

HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M SUBJECT TO A NONCOMPETE?

People are sometimes surprised to learn that they’re bound by such an agreement. They might not even find out until after they’ve left for a new job, and their former employer intervenes and causes them to be fired.

“When you join a company, you’re so focused on the opportunity in front of you, you might not be thinking about what’s that next jump,” Tosti-Kharas said.

Experts suggest that employees consult their human resources department about any noncompete agreements that might exist. If a workplace doesn’t have an HR department, an employee should ask a lawyer for the company.

ARE TRADE SECRETS NOW LIKELY TO BE SPILLED?

There are still laws on the books that protect companies’ trade secrets. The FTC decision doesn’t change that.

And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has already filed a lawsuit against the Federal Trade Commission, calling its decision a dangerous precedent for government micromanagement of business. Lawsuits could delay any implementation of the FTC’s new rule, potentially for years.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEW OVERTIME RULES?

Starting July 1, employers of all sizes will be required pay overtime — time and a half salary after 40 hours a week — to salaried workers who make less than $43,888 a year in certain executive, administrative and professional roles. That cap will then rise to $58,656 by the start of 2025. Previously, the cap was $35,568.

WHO QUALIFIES?

The Labor Department estimates that 4 million salaried workers who weren’t previously eligible will qualify. Some occupations, though, including teachers, doctors and lawyers are not eligible for overtime pay and thus are not affected by the change. And some states, like California and New York, already have salary thresholds that exceed the federal level.

WHAT’S THE REACTION SO FAR?

Predictably, groups that represent companies have lined up against the new rule. Conversely, worker groups are applauding it as a necessary and long-overdue change.

The National Retail Federation argued that the new rules “curtail retailers’ ability to offer the most flexible, generous and tailored benefits packages to lower-level exempt employees across the industry.”

It also asserted that the new rules don’t give employers adequate time to make the changes needed. And it complained that the inclusion of automatic increases “exceeds the Department’s legal authority and oversteps longstanding Fair Labor Standards Act and Administrative Procedure Act principles.”

On the social media site X, the AFL-CIO labor organization said the rules will “restore and extend overtime protections for hard-working Americans.”

WILL THE CHANGES BE CHALLENGED IN COURT?

Almost certainly so. A 2016 effort by the Obama administration was scuttled in court just days before it was set to take effect. Because the new overtime rules won’t take effect until July 1, groups have time to study the ruling before mounting a challenge.

“I would expect there will be some legal challenges,” said Ted Hollis, a partner at the law firm Quarles & Brady. “When the Obama administration published its proposed rule in 2016, that was almost immediately challenged in court.”

HOW SHOULD BUSINESSES PREPARE FOR THIS?

Companies of all sizes will have to reclassify workers who will now qualify for overtime pay — and make sure they track hours and pay them properly.

Another option is to raise employees’ salaries so they would remain exempt from overtime. But employers should keep in mind that two more increases are coming under the new timetable.

They’ll also have to determine how they will budget for the extra pay for overtime. Small businesses will have the toughest time.

“Some are going to have to cut workers,” Hollis said. “Others will have to cut hours from existing workers.

“Some are going to have to raise prices, and some probably won’t be able to figure out a way to make it economically work and wind up having to shut down, unfortunately.”

[mybookplacenet]

Featured Post: Do You Believe in Magic? by Jim Melvin

About Do You Believe in Magic?: From the author of The Death Wizard Chronicles comes a new adventure suitable for teens and adults. Do You Believe in Magic? is book 1 of Dark Circles, a fantasy trilogy for readers 13 and older. This is a great coming of age series for fans of J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, and Brandon Sanderson. Book 1: Do You Believe in Magic? (May 25, 2023) Book 2: Do You Believe in Monsters? (Oct. 30, 2023) Book 3: Do You Believe in Miracles? (February 2024) Book 1 synopsis: After discovering a magical waterfall deep in the forest, a boy and his dog embark on an epic adventure in a fantastical world filled with monsters and magic. In the real world, Charlie is a 13-year-old nerd picked on by bullies. But in the fantasy world, he becomes a wizard wielding formidable powers. Standing in his way is a vile monster bent on destruction. Only those with a hero’s heart will have the courage to stand at Charlie’s side when the war begins. Targeted Age Group: 13 and older Written by: Jim Melvin Buy the ebook: Buy the Book On Amazon Link to Series Buy the Print Book: Buy the Book On Amazon Author Bio: Jim grew up on the shores of western Florida, and he spent much of his childhood swimming in shark-infested waters long before the movie "Jaws" put a scare into everyone. At the time, he probably was too skinny to attract a bull shark's attention. About ten other boys Jim's age lived on his same street, and they hung out morning, noon and night playing the usual sports that young boys love — football, baseball, "kill the carrier," etc. — but as a group they also played fantastical games that contained magic, monsters and superheroes. It was in this setting that Jim's imagination was born and nurtured. Jim's latest work is book 1 of a teen fantasy adventure trilogy titled "Dark Circles," which is about a group of kids who are transported to a magical land where it can be deadly to sleep. Book 1 titled "Do You Believe in Magic?" is now available on Amazon and officially launched on May 25, 2023. Book 2 titled "Do You Believe in Monsters?" debuted on Oct. 30, 2023. Book 3 titled "Do You Believe in Miracles?" is set for February 2024. The "Dark Circles" series is appropriate for ages 13 and older. This is a great coming-of-age series for fans of J.K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, and Brandon Sanderson. Jim is the author of "The Death Wizard Chronicles," an action-packed, six-book epic fantasy for mature readers that was published by Bell Bridge Books. Book 1 is titled "Forged in Death." It is followed by "Chained by Fear," "Shadowed by Demons," "Torn by War," "Blinded by Power" and "Healed by Hope." Jim also has three short stories related to the series: "Torg's First Death," "The Black Fortress," and "Rise of the Sun God." "The Death Wizard Chronicles" is appropriate for ages 18 and older. Jim is also the lead writer and editor for the nonfiction book "Eclipse Over Clemson: The day Tigertown will never forget," which chronicled the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse that passed over Clemson University. The on-campus event which Jim coordinated was a once-in-a-lifetime experience attended by more than 50,000 people. Jim lives in a valley surrounded by mountains in the Southern Appalachians. He was previously an award-winning journalist at several large newspapers and a communications director at Clemson. Follow the author on social media: Learn more about the writer. Visit the Author's Website Facebook Fan Page Twitter Read the full article

[thxnews]

Record-Breaking Champions Shine at Monumental Marathon

  Monumental Races Rewrite History

New Course Records Set in Marathon and 5K In an extraordinary display of athleticism and determination, the 16th annual CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K took over downtown Indianapolis this morning, attracting a massive crowd of nearly 15,000 participants. The event left its mark on history with not one, but three new course records, while 19 remarkable athletes achieved the unofficial Olympic Team Trials - Marathon standard.  

New Marathon Champions Triumph

In the heart-pounding Men's Marathon, Lyle O'Brien from Boulder, Colorado, emerged as the victor, crossing the finish line in a stunning 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 41 seconds. Notably, O'Brien's performance bested the previous course record set in 2021 by almost a minute. On the women's side, Rachel Hannah, hailing from Post Elgin, Ontario, showcased her extraordinary prowess. She broke the women's course record, finishing with a time of 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 17 seconds, an achievement that left the 2019 record of 2 hours, 35 minutes, and 36 seconds in the dust.  

Monumental 5K Smashes Records

The Monumental 5K witnessed a smashing new record in the women's division. Mackenzie Callahan, a Boulder, Colorado native, clinched the 2023 title in 16 minutes and 3 seconds. Her performance outshone the previous record of 16 minutes and 18 seconds, which had remained untouched for seven years.  

Monumental Champions and Their Victories

- Men's Champion: Lyle O'Brien of Boulder, Colorado, seized the top position with a new course record, completing the race in 2:15:41. Mason Jones of Titusville, Florida, followed closely in second place at 2:15:59, and Brian Masterson from Seattle secured third place, with a time of 2:16:04. - Women's Champion: Rachel Hannah of Post Elgin, Ontario, made history with her new course record time of 2:35:17. Elizabeth Bigelow from Twin Falls, Idaho, finished second at 2:35:33, while Lucy Dobbs of Indianapolis claimed third place, clocking in at 2:36:39.  

Half Marathon Excellence

- Men's Champion: Thomas George of Lafayette, Colorado, led the pack, clinching the top spot in the Half Marathon with a winning time of 1:03:18. Brandon Garnica of Provo, Utah, and Charles Sweeney of Boulder, Colorado, closely followed with times of 1:03:24 and 1:03:33, respectively. - Women's Champion: Katie Izzo of San Diego, California, stole the show in the Women's Half Marathon, breaking the tape in 1:10:45. Jeralyn Poe from Flagstaff, Arizona, came in second, just two seconds behind, at 1:10:47, while Marybeth Chelanga from Colorado Springs, Colorado, took third place with a time of 1:10:59.  

Speed Records in 5K

- Men's Champion: Asher Propst of Noblesville, Indiana, secured the title with a swift 14:47 finish. - Women's Champion: Mackenzie Callahan of Boulder, Colorado, further solidified her reign by setting a new course record of 16:05.  

Beyond Monumental - A Monumental Success

Aside from the extraordinary racing feats, the 2023 event marked the 11th consecutive sellout of the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Participants from all 50 states and more than 25 countries, including Costa Rica, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia, flocked to Indianapolis to take part. A total of 19 athletes came tantalizingly close to securing Olympic Team Trials - Marathon qualifications: five in the Women's Half Marathon, nine in the Men's Marathon, and five in the Women's Marathon. Beyond Monumental's Run for a Cause program also made a significant impact, with over 150 participants running with charities like Team World Vision, Medals4Mettle, and the American Society of Suicide Prevention, raising funds and awareness as they prepared for the race.   Monumental Praise and Thanks Jed Cornforth, the Executive Director of Beyond Monumental, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "What a thrilling, record-setting day for the 16th annual CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. Today was all about celebrating participants and their monumental achievements. So much work goes into an event like this - from the miles and miles of training for each participant to the collaboration of hundreds of volunteers, community partners, and sponsors. We're grateful to have the city of Indianapolis that supports such an inspirational event."   Gary C. Bhojwani, Chief Executive Officer of CNO Financial Group, chimed in, "It was an inspiring day for the city of Indianapolis, the race participants, volunteers, and everyone associated with the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon. This sponsorship underscores our commitment to health, well-being, and the central Indiana community, and we're proud to be the title sponsor for our eighth consecutive year." "As a nationally recognized event, the Marathon celebrates the culmination of the hard work and dedication of so many people. We thank Mayor Joe Hogsett and his office for their efforts in helping make this day possible and look forward to another outstanding race in 2024."  

A Monumental Future

The event's title sponsor, CNO Financial Group, continues to be a driving force behind the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, reinforcing their commitment to health, wellness, and the central Indiana community. The sponsorship has provided significant growth opportunities for Indy's premier running event. Full race results will be available when released.   Save the Date for 2024 Plans are already in motion for next year's event, scheduled for Saturday, November 9, 2024. Registration opens on January 1, 2023, with special Monumental Resolution pricing for the first 1,000 participants.  

About Beyond Monumental and CNO Financial Group

Beyond Monumental is a pillar of the Indianapolis community, promoting healthy living and fitness for all ages. The organization also supports youth programming, with a particular focus on urban students and Indianapolis Public Schools. To date, Beyond Monumental has donated over $1.5 million to the community. The CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is recognized as one of the top 15 marathons in the United States. It is celebrated by Runners' World as one of the "Ten Great Marathons for First Timers." The 16th annual running is scheduled for October 28, 2023.   Sources: THX News & CNO Financial Group, Inc.. Read the full article

[nerdygaymormon]

Lunch with the Renlunds

I had the opportunity to meet Elder & Sister Renlund. We gathered in his office at the Church Administration building and they presented me a gift, a book written by both of them titled The Melchizedek Priesthood: Understanding the Doctrine, Living the Principles.

They were cute. Elder Renlund said something, then his wife didn’t exactly correct him, but pointed out his words could mean this or that. I commented it’s obvious she’s a talented lawyer. She looked amused and he said it’s true.

Sister Renlund apologized and said we were going to eat in a little cafeteria, and the food is fine but nothing to write home about. It’s a place we can go without being constantly interrupted. I’m thinking, “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Are we about to eat in the Church Administration cafeteria? The most exclusive spot in town?!!” What I said was, “It doesn’t matter so much where we eat as much as the company we’re with.”

As we walked into the cafeteria, Elder Gong was walking out. During the course of the meal, several other people sat down at other tables and ate, including Elder Ballard, I think Elder Rasband (I was seeing the back of him, so can’t be sure), and Elder Oaks.

When we sat down, I reminded them that when we met several years ago in Brandon, Florida, we took a picture together and the stake president called out, “Every General Authority who takes a picture with David offers to take him to lunch when he goes to Utah.” And here we are, having lunch! We laughed at that.

I noted that when I first met Elder Renlund and disclosed that I’m gay, his immediate response was “Same-sex attraction isn’t a sin, but bullying people over it is.” This reply was unexpected but meaningful to me because it indicated you understand that is part of the experience. People make comments and do things that convey very rejecting messages. They may or may not intend it that way, but it’s this one, and that one, and another one. It may seem like no big deal to them, but I’m the one receiving such messages over and over and over.

He responded that we are to love everyone. It’s not our place to judge.

Sister Renlund said it’s true for many people, including those who are single and those who are disabled, they deal with many judgmental comments. We need to love and not judge.

I brought up the panel I’m going to be on at the Affirmation conference. Parents of LGBTQ children can ask questions to those of us on the panel. I’m thinking that what I’d like to convey is these are your children, love them. The children are the ones who have to make difficult choices and to live with the consequences. Parents shouldn’t make their relationship & love another tough choice. The Renlunds agreed. 

Elder Renlund commented that too often parents think they have to choose between their LGBT child or their church. So often they think of their choices as a binary, either choice A or choice B. He added that limiting our vision to A or B presents a false dichotomy, we can do both. Sister Renlund stated there’s usually a choice C if they will look for it, and choice C is always the right choice.

Then Elder Renlund added, “If a parent has a gay child who is getting married, some church members think they can’t go to that wedding. No, that’s wrong. You go and support your children, be there for the important milestones in their life.”

I replied, “To me, it would be like if a friend invited me to the christening of their child. Even though Moroni teaches strongly against this, that’s my belief, not theirs. I can be there to show I love and support them in this important moment for this family. They are making the best choices for themselves, and I make different choices for my life, but that doesn’t mean we can’t love and support each other.”

Elder Renlund concurred. “That’s exactly right. We have many non-member friends and when they come to Salt Lake City, we take them to a little restaurant that serves wine so that our friends can choose to have some with dinner. Our choice is not to have wine. I don’t lecture them about their choice to drink wine. I accept it is their choice and I get to make my choice.

I can go to a gay marriage to show I love and support them. I’m not there to participate in that choice, I’m not marrying a man, he is. I am going to show up as my authentic self and I expect them to be their authentic self. I prefer to meet with people who are being authentic and not pretending to be someone they aren’t.”

Lunch went on and I asked Sister Renlund if she usually travels with her husband when he goes on an assignment. Indeed she does. Elder Renlund stated that he likes having her speak. If it’s a priesthood leadership meeting of only men, then she probably won’t, but otherwise he wants her to speak. They are aware of how it looks for it to be mostly men speaking at a meeting and they try to counter that. If the meeting is to mostly or only women, then he may choose not to speak and let’s her do the talking for both of them. On a more practical matter, a husband & wife traveling together helps custom officials believe he isn’t there for business activities, which they will likely suspect if he were showing up alone dressed in a suit despite what his visa indicates.

I honestly don’t remember what caused Elder Renlund to say this, we probably were talking about queer youth who reach out to me, but I will always remember him pausing, looking right at me, and proclaiming, “You’re a hero.” I’m sure I blushed at that comment, it feels over the top, I was surprised he would say that. I’m just an ordinary gay guy trying his best to make things work in this space.

As lunch was winding down, I asked if I could share about our meeting and discussion on my blog, it’s a place where I write & share about my feelings, experiences, thoughts, and frustrations as a gay member of this church. They said to please do. 

Sister Renlund suggested we should take a picture to put with the blog post.

They expressed that they really enjoyed their time with me and invited me to get together again when I come to Utah. 

I sent a thank you note to the secretary who set this up and she responded, “Elder and Sister Renlund each gave glowing positive reports of your lunch together. I think it is safe they are in your fan club.” 😊

I’ve been in their fan club since the first time I met them in 2018.

[moviehealthcommunity]

Happy Holidays to all of our readers! Admin Brandon here with something surprising to which I’d like to draw some attention.

I love theme parks, particularly the ones run by Disney and Universal. I was just watching a video of Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom in Florida, with its brand-new holiday lighting and soundtrack. Since Disney does not include warnings for their attractions, I’ll provide the warnings they should be giving.

The holiday overlay of Space Mountain is all non-stop, extreme strobe lights. Flashes between red and green, laser patterns in the same colors, and an absolute nightmare for anyone with health issues related to photosensitivity. While the strobe lights on Space Mountain are usually exclusive to the tunnel at the beginning and the on-ride photo at the end, they continue through the entire ride in the holiday version.

I don’t have any professional credentials to back this up, but I strongly recommend that even those suffering from mild health issues related to photosensitivity avoid Space Mountain in Florida until the holiday season is over.

Included in this post is a screengrab of the current accessibility and safety warnings about Space Mountain, directly from the Walt Disney World official website, specifically to note that there is no photosensitivity warning. No Disney Parks attractions include photosensitivity warnings. It is worth noting that all Universal Studios attractions do have these warnings wherever they are relevant.

EDITED TO ADD: The holiday overlay is only active during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the separately-ticketed special event happening during select evenings. With that in mind, this lighting also affects the Space Mountain section of the PeopleMover attraction. Special thanks to Tumblr user @mcsoylentgreen for pointing these facts out!

[sincerelyreidburke]

Useless but fun information about little-known members of Kiersey Men’s Hockey

Because nobody asked, but you need this in your life.

Older than the crickets

Alex “Teegs” Santiago is from Florida and loves to party, and I venture to say this is almost everything you need to know about him. He’ll be captain Nando and company’s sophomore year. He plays way too much Pitbull on the bus to road games, even though he isn’t from Miami.

Ville Järvinen is the teammate I literally always forget about, because he’s a quiet and relatively mundane young man who honestly just came here to play hockey. He’s from Finland. He’s a psych major. He doesn’t understand American college culture.

Brandon O’Malley, a senior when the boys are freshmen, is KMH’s resident low-key asshole. He’s that one headass who has a girlfriend who doesn’t go here, and is constantly off campus visiting her. They’re definitely getting married, like, a year after he graduates and gets some random finance job.

David Yang is an unproblematic king. He’s from Vancouver. Kiersey Hockey is a rich tradition for the brothers of the Yang family, as you will see below.....

Jordan “Jordy” Jefferson is one-half of a dangerous defensive pair, but in his spare time, he can either be found schooling people in debate team or Gaming With The Boys at three in the morning. He’s a very good speaker, and he’s passionate about a lot of social issues.

Sam “Winner” Nguyen is Jordy’s d-partner. They’re sophomores when the crickets are freshmen, by the way. Sam is from Denver and is a political science major, but, thank God, he isn’t one of Those Political Science Majors. You know the ones. (If you don’t, I promise I’m talking about one super specific type of white guy who begins every statement in class with “I’m gonna play devil’s advocate here.......”)

Younger than the crickets

Xander “X” Williams, along with his classmates Y and Z (see below), comes to Kiersey during the crickets’ second year. X is a bubbly, enthusiastic boy who I love with my whole heart. He looks kinda like High School Musical-era Corbin Bleu. Kinda. And also, his goal song is X Gonna Give It To You, so just jot that down.

Chris Yang is David’s brother. See, I told you the Yang brothers would return. He is “Y” in this little X/Y/Z trio, and I haven’t decided on much about what he’s studying or what his interests are yet, but that’s okay. He’s tall and beefy; I know this much.

Zain Dahir is, first of all, the most beautiful man to exist, and second, possibly one of the most tragic heterosexuals in that Ben would absolutely cause problems on purpose if Zain weren’t straight. But then again, this is probably for the best. Zain is very cool without at all trying to be cool. He’s from Toronto. He dresses in trendy clothes and attracts a lot of girls.

Side note: I like the X/Y/Z trio because X is a sunshine child, Chris is at best a himbo who adds humor to situations, and Zain is like shut the fuck up guys I’m trying to be cool I’m serious shut up c’mon be serious guys be cool.

Also, I’ve been going on for awhile now, but Carlos Alcazar is going to be a freshman when the crickets are seniors, and maybe I will tell you that he comes to Kiersey specifically because of Nando’s influence and example? Hm. An interesting concept. More on that soon? Who knows.

[krakenbait]

kraken bait: so long and thanks for all the fish!

so... that happened.

the spectacle of the expansion draft was pretty fun- loved the boats, especially the one with the inflatable kraken, and some of the pick videos were nice, like the fish-throwing one and the octopus. i did not appreciate the devils slander (you guys have probably seen my very new jerseyan reaction by now), nor the fact that the dude emcee-ing has probably watched maybe two hockey games in his life (called the canes the “carolina panthers,” called them the “anaheim mighty ducks”).

the draft itself was another thing entirely. i am still very emotional about the kraken separating the superbuddies. i do not know if i will ever get over this. simultaneously, i have no idea who several of the dudes the kraken drafted are.

but those are things for another day. right now, i’m here to go over my kraken bait lists and see what i got right and what i didn’t! this is mostly based off kraken bait 3.5, but i’ll include some references to previous lists if it’s relevant. the actual pick will be bolded and my prediction will be in parentheses, but i’ll bold and italicize it if i got it right. reflection under the cut! (and bonus points if you know the reference in my title)

Anaheim Ducks: Haydn Fleury

i got it right! (he looked very good in the kraken jersey. just sayin’!)

Arizona Coyotes: Tyler Pitlick (Christian Fischer)

i have no idea who the hell tyler pitlick is. at least i recognized christian fischer’s name!

Boston Bruins: Jeremy Lauzon

that’s two! sorry casey

Buffalo Sabres: Will Borgen

that’s three! thanks to The Athletic

Calgary Flames: Mark Giordano

score four for kraken bait! i will be very, very surprised if he’s not the first captain in franchise history

Carolina Hurricanes: Morgan Geekie (Nino Niederreiter)

i have been all over the place on canes predictions. it was haydn fleury, but then he got traded (and then ended up on the kraken anyway). and then it was brock mcginn when i couldn’t think of any one, and then brady skjei according to kinga, and then niederreiter according to corwin when skjei got protected. i do like geekie though, so looking forward to seeing him in seattle!

Chicago: John Quenneville (Nikita Zadorov)

i don’t know who this guy is, aside from that he was drafted by the devils, and that still doesn’t help me much. i still think zadorov might have a chance to end up in seattle if he signs with the kraken, though.

Colorado Avalanche: Joonas Donskoi (JT Compher)

i said it in 3.5, it was always between compher or donskoi after ryan graves got traded. i predicted compher because he was a little younger and a little cheaper, but seattle took donskoi, the more consistent performer. i wish him luck with the kraken and hope his dog enjoys the pacific northwest!

Columbus Blue Jackets: Gavin Bayreuther (Dean Kukan)

who in the world is this?

Dallas Stars: Jamie Oleksiak

that’s five! also, for those of you who need to hear it: tall does not equal attractive

Detroit Red Wings: Dennis Cholowski (Vladislav Namestnikov)

no idea who this is. but the octopus reveal was very fun!

Edmonton Oilers: Adam Larsson (Tyson Barrie)

so i was right that the kraken would end up with a ufa defenseman from the oilers. i just picked the wrong defenseman.

Florida Panthers: Chris Driedger

that’s six! never realized how lanky chris driedger is until i saw him onstage at the expansion draft

Los Angeles Kings: Kurtis MacDermid (Olli Maata)

i never knew what to do with the kings. i feel like the kraken might have felt the same, because i have no idea who the hell this is.

Minnesota Wild: Carson Soucy (Kaapo Kakhonen)

it’s a name i recognize at least? but i’m very surprised that the kraken didn’t take kakhonen. the name pun was right there (kaapo krak-honen!), and i feel like he would have been the better option for a young, cheap goalie (more on that in a bit).

Montreal Canadiens: Cale Fleury (Philip Danault)

i’m happy the fleury bros are on the same team!

Nashville Predators: Calle Jarnkrok

calle jarn-kraken. “my boy calle.” i’m gonna leave it at that.

New Jersey Devils: Nathan Bastian (Andreas Johnsson)

do not talk to me.

New York Islanders: Jordan Eberle

that’s eight!

New York Rangers: Colin Blackwell

that’s nine!

Ottawa Senators: Joey Daccord (Chris Tierney)

the young, cheap goalie the kraken actually took. i kind of understand it because the sens were pretty barren, but as the armchair gm, i’d have gone for kakhonen over daccord.

Philadelphia Flyers: Carsen Twarynski (James van Riemsdyk)

who in the world is this?

Pittsburgh Penguins: Brandon Tanev (Zach Aston-Reese)

should have trusted my gut in the last round and picked tanev instead of keeping aston-reese. oh well. enjoy ghost-spotting in seattle!

San Jose Sharks: Alexander True (Ryan Donato)

i still don’t really know who this is, but resident seattle expert cass has informed me that he played juniors in seattle and scored a big winning goal for them. so welcome back, i guess.

St Louis Blues: Vince Dunn

that’s ten!

Tampa Bay Lightning: Yanni Gourde (Blake Coleman)

should have listened to ana on the gourde suggestion. i picked his linemate, so i guess i was kinda close?

Toronto Maple Leafs: Jared McCann (Travis Dermott) 

the leafs really traded for him for nothing 😂

Vancouver Canucks: Kole Lind (Zack MacEwen)

who in the world is this? and why does he spell his name with a k instead of a c

Washington Capitals: Vitek Vanecek

that’s eleven! and i’m two for three on goalies

Winnipeg Jets: Mason Appleton

“apple pie in a mason jar on skates” makes twelve!

and there you have it! i got 12 right out of 30 picks... which is a lot better than i expected, to be honest. if you were making expansion draft predictions, how many did you get? let me know, come talk about the expansion draft, or just drop by to say hi!

[youthincare]

About 90 additional foreign students of a fake university in metro Detroit created by the Department of Homeland Security have been arrested in recent months.

A total of about 250 students have now been arrested since January on immigration violations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as part of a sting operation by federal agents who enticed foreign-born students, mostly from India, to attend the school that marketed itself as offering graduate programs in technology and computer studies, according to ICE officials.

Many of those arrested have been deported to India while others are contesting their removals. One has been allowed to stay after being granted lawful permanent resident status by an immigration judge.

This is the building at 30500 Northwestern Hwy. in Farmington Hills south of 13 Mile Rd. that was used as the fake University of Farmington campus created by the Department of Homeland Security as part of a sting operation targeting foreign students, seen on Thursday, February 7, 2019, in Farmington Hills. 

The students had arrived legally in the U.S. on student visas, but since the University of Farmington was later revealed to be a creation of federal agents, they lost their immigration status after it was shut down in January. The school was located on Northwestern Highway near 13 Mile Road in Farmington Hills and staffed with undercover agents posing as university officials.

Out of the approximately 250 students arrested on administrative charges, "nearly 80% were granted voluntary departure and departed the United States," the Detroit office of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) told the Free Press in a statement Tuesday.

Out of the remaining 20%, about half of them have received a final order of removal; some of them were ordered removed by an immigration judge, and others "were given an expedited removal by U.S. Customs and Border Protection," said HSI Detroit.

The remaining 10% "have either filed for some sort of relief or are contesting their removals with Executive Office for Immigration Review," said HSI Detroit.

ICE said in March that 161 students had been arrested, which has now increased to about 250.

Meanwhile, seven of the eight recruiters who were criminally charged for trying to recruit students have pleaded guilty and have been sentenced in Detroit, including Prem Rampeesa, 27, last week. The remaining one is to be sentenced in January.

Attorneys for the students arrested said they were unfairly trapped by the U.S. government since the Department of Homeland Security had said on its website that the university was legitimate. An accreditation agency that was working with the U.S. on its sting operation also listed the university as legitimate.

More: Emails show how fake university in metro Detroit lured students

More: ICE arrests more students at fake university, others being removed from US

More: Attorney: Fake Farmington university sting by ICE was entrapment

There were more than 600 students enrolled at the university, which was created a few years ago by federal law enforcement officials with ICE. Records filed with the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) show that the University of Farmington was incorporated in January 2016.

Many of the students had enrolled with the university through a program known as Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which allows students to work in the U.S through a F-1 visa program for foreign students. Some had transferred to the University of Farmington from other schools that had lost accreditation, which means they would no longer be in immigration status and allowed to remain in the U.S.

Emails obtained by the Free Press earlier this year showed how the fake university attracted students to the university, which cost about $12,000 on average in tuition and fees per year.

The U.S. "trapped the vulnerable people who just wanted to maintain (legal immigration) status," Rahul Reddy, a Texas attorney who represented or advised some of the students arrested, told the Free Press this week. "They preyed upon on them."

The fake university is believed to have collected millions of dollars from the unsuspecting students. An email from the university's president, named Ali Milani, told students that graduate programs' tuition is $2,500 per quarter and the average cost is $1,000 per month.

"They made a lot of money," Reddy said of the U.S. government.

University of Farmington office in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Photo taken in 2017. (Photo: Matt Friedman/Tanner Friedman Strategic Communications)

No one has filed a lawsuit or claim against the U.S. government for collecting the money or for allegedly entrapping the students.

Attorneys for ICE and the Department of Justice maintain that the students should have known it was not a legitimate university because it did not have classes in a physical location. Some CPT programs have classes combined with work programs at companies.  

"Their true intent could not be clearer," Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Helms wrote in a sentencing memo this month for Rampeesa, one of the eight recruiters, of the hundreds of students enrolled. "While 'enrolled' at the University, one hundred percent of the foreign citizen students never spent a single second in a classroom. If it were truly about obtaining an education, the University would not have been able to attract anyone, because it had no teachers, classes, or educational services."

In the memo, federal prosecutor Baker said the case raises questions about the U.S. "foreign-student visa program."

Baker wrote that "immigration and visa programs have been hot-button topics in the United States for years and national scrutiny has only been increasing. Fairly or unfairly, Rampeesa’s conduct casts a shadow on the foreign-student visa program in general, and it raises questions as to whether the potential for abuse threatens to outweigh the benefits."

Reddy said, though, that in some cases, students who transferred out from the University of Farmington after realizing they didn't have classes on-site, were still arrested.

Admissions section of the website of the University of Farmington, a fake university created by ICE and Dept. of Homeland Security. It reads: "We are very excited about welcoming you to the UF community and helping you" (Photo: Department of Homeland Security)

Rampeesa was sentenced Nov, 19 to one year in prison by Judge Gershwin Drain of U.S. District Court in Detroit. With time already served of 295 days, he should be out in about two to three months, and will then be deported to India, said his attorney Wanda Cal. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harbor aliens for profit.

Detroit ICE spokesman Khaalid Walls said the other recruiters sentenced so far are Barath Kakireddy, 29, of Lake Mary, Florida, 18 months; Suresh Kandala, 31, of Culpeper, Virginia, 18 months; Santosh Sama, 28, of Fremont, California, 24 months; Avinash Thakkallapally, 28, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 15 months; Aswanth Nune, 26, of Atlanta, Georgia, 12 months; Naveen Prathipati, 26, of Dallas, Texas, 12 months.

Phanideep Karnati, 35, of Louisville, Kentucky, is to be sentenced in January.

In court, Rampeesa's attorney, Cal, said his client had no criminal record and came from a rural background in India.

He was trying to "help his family back home," Cal said before Judge Drain. "My client is very remorseful. He is really a good person caught up in a bad situation."

Rampeesa arrived in the U.S. legally a few years ago on a student visa and earned in 2016 a master's degree in computer science at Northwestern Polytechnic University. But the university later lost its accreditation, which put his immigration status in jeopardy. He had spent $40,000 in tuition and fees for his studies at the university.

"He was desperate to find a way to stay in the United States," Rampeesa's attorney, Cal, wrote in his sentencing memo. He wanted to get a Ph.D. in computer science, she said.

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Rampeesa then met Sama, who recruited him to attend the University of Farmington and told him he could get tuition credits if he recruited other students, Cal said.

Sama and Rampeesa were working with people they thought were university officials, but were actually undercover agents for the Department of Homeland Security.

"My client has no other criminal history, not even a traffic ticket," Cal said in court last week.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Baker said in court that Rampeesa was "aware it was completely fake," that "it was just for maintaining status."

"He chose the University of Farmington for a reason," Baker said of Rampeesa.  

In calling for a sentence of 24 to 30 months, Baker said: "It's important to send a message ... this type of crime will not be tolerated."

Accompanying Baker in the court last week was Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Waterstreet, who helped prosecute the case.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has taken offline the website of the University of Farmington, which it had created for a sting operation. The website was taken down on Jan. 31, 2019 after a federal indictment was unsealed on Jan. 30. The website for the fake university now contains a logo for the investigative unit of ICE and reads: "The University of Farmington has been closed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement." (Photo: Dept. of Homeland Security)

Judge Drain sentenced him to 1 year, but he will be released in two to three months because of time served, and then deported.  

Drain said of Rampeesa: "You don't have any criminal history. ... I don't think you're a danger to the public."

Rampeesa received a shorter sentence than Sama because he was not recruiting other students for cash, but for tuition credits provided by the university, Judge Drain said.

Rampeesa wrote a letter to the court pleading for leniency that was read before the judge. A Telugu-speaking translator was at his side in court, translating the courtroom proceedings. Most of the students were from Telugu-speaking regions of India in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

He said he was trying in the U.S. after his previous university's loss of accreditation made his master's degree "worthless."

"I am ashamed," Rampeesa wrote. "I made a very bad decision" to recruit students that "bought shame to my family name."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or 313-2234792. Twitter @nwarikoo

[gaiapaia]

Kermit and Friends: A Work of Art

Elisa kicked this week’s show off with a lovely prayer in honor of Kermit that was inspired by a caller from last week. Fozzie started kissing Elisa like crazy when she began talking about Kermit... it’s not possible to have started the show in a sweeter manner.

Co-host Sugar then showed off her beautiful Kermitarian shirt, much to the delight of a lot men in the audience. If you would like to purchase any Kermit and Friends merchandise, you can do so here. 

You know what? I’m positive if Kermit was asked what would be the best way to end 2020, she would have answered to make a new awesome friend for her awesome show. Well, Kermit would have got her wish granted with Trumpster Bob!

Trumpster Bob is a gentleman Elisa met on the Drunken Peasants podcast (which you can watch here). They clicked well and Elisa invited him to KAF and voila - here he is!

If I were to describe what I know about Trumpster Bob thus far, it’s that he has the patriotism of Honest Frank, the drinking capacity of Corey, the sexual appetite of Claire, and the no-filter gift of gab of Kleenex. He contains pieces of all these classic Kermit and Friends stars, so of course he’s just perfect for Kermit and all her amazing friends. Bob was actually dubbed COO of KAF by Elisa, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what all he will bring to the show in the future.

Other than that, of course Trumpster Bob is a big Donald Trump fan. He’s also an Adonis in the bedroom with the way he describes his ability to pleasure women. And he gets a lot flirtation from men too, as multiple male callers called in to announce their attraction to Trumpster Bob. He’s just an all around stud I guess!

Speaking of studs, William Quigley made his triumph return to Kermit and Friends this week. If you remember Quig from previous episodes, he’s the guy who sold a Donald Trump painting to Trump himself, and he also likes to cam up in the shower. He’s very fun and very accomplished.

Elisa asked Quig a question, which led to Quig sharing a long story about how he missed out on a big investment opportunity with Red Bull and Grey Goose vodka. The main point of the story was how much of a mistake that was, but then he used the story as an excuse as to why he shouldn’t invest his time and energy into helping Kermit and Friends without being paid or having some sort of contract.

Honestly, I will never be looked at as a real contributor because I’m not an on-screen participant on the show. Nothing I do really matters, the on-screen talent is the bread and butter for KAF’s success. But as a huge fan of KAF, as someone who loves Elisa very much... I do put a lot of effort into helping in the ways that I can. I don’t ask to be paid for it. I’m a fan; it’s not much different from being a fan of a sports franchise. The Houston Astros don’t pay me to watch their games, give supportive tweets, wear their merchandise, etc. I do those things on my own because I love the Astros, just like I love Kermit and Friends.

If Quig truly cares about Elisa, if he truly enjoys Kermit and Friends... he should want to help out. I’m not in the position where I can snag big guests for the show, but if I was, I’d happily do it. So Quig, my respectful advice to you if you read this is to just contribute in the ways that you can. And if Kermit and Friends becomes a huge multi-million dollar success, you shouldn’t be upset if you don’t get a piece of the pie - you should be elated for contributing to Elisa’s dreams coming true. That’s how it will be for me. I pray it happens in 2021 or 2022, even if that means I lose direct contact to Elisa due to her fame. I will just be happy for her, no regrets.

Okay, I’m rambling on like my man Quigley did... sorry! Back to the review.

There was a funny gimmick on the old Kermit and Friends that featured a Zebra music video. Elisa has brought that cute little video back and she is on a never ending quest to try to find out who the real Little Zebra is. A mysterious woman called in... could it be her? There was a cartoon zebra on cam... could it be that person? There was another caller who claimed to be Little Zebra... could he be the real one? Maybe we’ll find out in the upcoming weeks, but the video was a joyous experience every time it was randomly played by Elisa.

Laurie was back on Kermit and Friends this week, looking nice in her colorful hijab with Marylin Monroe pictures in the background. William Quigley kindly painted a portrait of Laurie and presented it to her on the show. That was a sweet and also somewhat hilarious moment. Maybe Quig will paint Trumpster Bob next!

Kermit was lucky enough to make even more awesome new friends this week with M3 and Etan. Unfortunately neither guy could stay long but it was cool seeing them both and I hope we’ll get more time to get to know them further in the future.

Billy the Fridge also returned this week and had an interesting discussion with Elisa about certain enemies they’ve made over the years. Elisa shared her experience with an awful radio host in Florida (I remember that interview vividly, it was back in 2016 when Elisa was in the middle of trying to get her writing career going... I was infuriated with how that went). She also discussed her beef with Jimmy Kimmel, which I always find intriguing. I still hope Elisa finds it in her heart to forgive these people one day, but for now at least they could be used as fascinating topic points for the show.

So one complaint I do have about KAF right now is the phone calls. Everyone watching was at one time in their lives a Howard Stern fan, so they should know that you turn down your radio before you call in. If you want to call in to sing or flirt with Trumpster Bob or read definitions about Republicans, please turn down the volume on the device you’re watching the show on beforehand, PLEASE! Maybe as the show grows, Brandon the Neighbor can start screening calls for Elisa.

But back to the good stuff... all heck broke loose when Trumpster Bob met Laurie. Bob isn’t fond of Muslims and let his opinions be known. Laurie had none of it and fought fire with fire, and her father Johnny B even joined in on the action to stand up for his daughter. Then Corey comes out of nowhere to defend his mortal enemies Johnny and Laurie against Bob. It was absolute PANDEMONIUM on Kermit and Friends!

Once the chaos chilled out a bit, Elisa allowed Laurie to play some Islamic prayers that sounded like the Satanic orgy ritual scene from the movie Eyes Wide Shut. Sincerely though, that was very kindhearted of Elisa to do. 

Following the Muslim prayers, Elisa gave her beautiful Greek definition of church (ecclesia - to assemble a group of people), and then Johnny B ended things with a lovely performance of God Bless America.

Lastly, in typical Kermit and Friends fashion, we were treated with an awesome surprise after the outro video, where Elisa showed some home movies of her late precious dog Kermit. It was just like a post credit scene in a Marvel film, only 100000x better! Thank you for that Elisa, Kermit would be so so proud of you...

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, December 7

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: How Betty White is surviving the pandemic 

Page 2: 10 magical things about It’s a Wonderful Life 

Page 3: Karolyn Grimes who played George Bailey’s daughter Zuzu in It’s a Wonderful Life remembers Jimmy Stewart 

Page 4: Purple Reign -- stars wearing purple -- Penelope Cruz, Vanessa Hudgens, Sandra Oh, Cynthia Erivo 

Page 5: Katharine McPhee, Charlize Theron, Paula Abdul 

Page 6: Dolly Parton recently answered the personal questions fans ask about her the most on the internet 

* Most people know that Sammy Davis Jr. sported a glass eye but don’t know he got it when he was 28 years old and in a serious car accident 

Page 7: Winter Kills -- ice out seasonal health problems before it’s too late 

Page 10: Brandon Woolf has been sitting on a sidewalk in Brooklyn typing letters for strangers to send to their friends using a typewriter 

Page 11: Your Health -- health benefits of peppermint 

Page 12: A Godzilla-sized alligator stunned onlookers when it decided to check out the links at a Florida golf course 

Page 13: Winter warning for pet owners -- be sure your cats and dogs are protected from the harsh elements 

Page 14: Dear Tony -- lifetime lessons determine the next time around -- Tony predicts a movie will be made about legendary Hollywood actor Cary Grant and his interesting life when he reigned as a superstar; he was married five time and was loved by many 

Page 15: For Anna Hosey it was love at first sight not because of Adam Lawrence’s soulful eyes or winning smile but because he posed for a Facebook photo holding an enormous cat 

Page 16: They’re not all talk -- secrets of TV’s lady yakkers -- Ellen DeGeneres, Tamron Hall, Wendy Williams, Jenna Bush Hager 

Page 17: Kelly Ripa, Whoopi Goldberg, Sharon Osbourne, Drew Barrymore 

Page 18: Julie Andrews recently recalled one of her funniest secrets -- the time Lady Bird Johnson caught her kissing Carol Burnett 

Page 19: Some places don’t allow pets but the Dog Mountain resort in Vermont can’t get enough of its four-pawed guests -- the main attraction which draws visitors from all over the globe is a chapel whose walls are hung with pictures and poems celebrating furry companions who have gone to the great dog bed in the sky 

Page 20: Cover Story -- at 98 Betty White says she’s trying to make her life at home as peaceful as possible during the Coronavirus pandemic -- added to that the legendary Golden Girl is keeping the upbeat and optimistic attitude that’s carried her through all other trying times 

Page 22: Yuck Alert! 4 hot spots for germs at the grocery store 

Page 24: Dallas alum Patrick Duffy has a new woman in his life: Happy Days star Linda Purl 

Page 26: The Good Doctor 

Page 27: How long will we need to wear masks? 

Page 28: Photo awards capture the majesty of nature 

Page 32: 10 funny facts about Seinfeld 

Page 40: Actress Geena Davis says at 64 she’s just getting the hang of being herself 

* Danny Glover has been working in showbiz for five decades and he’s busier than ever 

Page 42: 20 fast facts about Dustin Hoffman and The Graduate 

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Diane Keaton and her dog Reggie (picture), Kate Winslet held her breath for seven minutes and 14 seconds while filming an underwater scene for the Avatar sequel and the stunt helped her top Tom Cruise’s six-minute record from 2011 while shooting Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation, Joan Collins auctioned off some jewelry to raise more than $290,000 for The Shooting Star Children’s Hospice in the U.K., Sean Connery is headed home to Scotland -- the James Bond legend died at his estate in the Bahamas but some of his ashes will be returned to his native country which was his final wish -- there is also going to be a memorial in Scotland but no word when this will happen, the massive mansion featured on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette has hit the rental market for $6000 a night, filmmaker Chris Columbus didn’t pull any punches when talking about the Disney+ reboot of Home Alone -- Columbus who directed the original 1990 comedy calls the project a waste of time creatively, Wolfgang Van Halen who is the son of Valerie Bertinelli and Eddie Van Halen is dedicating his first solo single Distance to his dad who died of cancer at age 65

Page 45: Rihanna in Santa Monica (picture), Rachel Hunter picks up flowers at a California market (picture), Queen Latifah on the set of The Equalizer in NYC (picture), Tom Jones on the set of The Voice UK (picture), Matthew Perry says the Friends reunion special will take place in March 2021, Eiza Gonzalez was spotted with brand new beau Dusty Lachowicz following her split with Timothee Chalamet 

Page 46: Here’s a trick to keep your garments free of pet fur: Throw a couple of wet wipes in with the laundry 

Page 47: Remembering Pearl Harbor -- what you didn’t know about the shocking attack that will live in infamy 

[jewish-privilege]

As she cleans up the counter where the teenagers at her church’s Vacation Bible School ate their cookies and yogurt, Luba Yanko complains about the state of the country. President Trump is trying to act on Christian values, she believes. But from what she reads online, it seems that a certain group keeps getting in the way.

Trump, she says, “is surrounded by a Zionist environment with completely different values from Christians. It’s kabbalist. It’s Talmudic values. Not the word of God.”

In other words: It’s the Jews’ fault.

“Why do we have pro-abortion, pro-LGBTQ values, and we do not have more freedom to protect our faith? We are persecuted now,” Yanko says about evangelical Christians like herself. “[Jews] say, ‘We’ve got America. We control America.’ That’s what I know.”

...In churches across America, evangelicals say they don’t believe they can get unbiased facts from any traditional news outlet that Trump has branded “fake news” (though many are fans of Fox News). They watch TV networks other than Fox and read major news websites but don’t trust them. Instead, they seek news from alternative websites and YouTube videos in which fiery pastors decry Jewish influence.

...“I’m not in government. It would be like me trying to understand the insurance business,” [pastor Mark English at the Christian Life Center ] said, when asked about Yanko’s allegation that Jews control the government. “The government is so complex — I don’t think that any one group controls everything.”

He felt no need to address his congregant’s anti-Semitic beliefs, either one on one or from the pulpit.

Historically, evangelicals have thought of themselves as very good friends of the Jews, not as anti-Semites [...] But Christian theology has also gone hand in hand with anti-Semitism for centuries, dating back long before Martin Luther. To this day, some Christians believe that the Jews killed Jesus and that modern Jews should bear the guilt.

...[Daniel Hummel, a historian at a Christian study center at the University of Wisconsin] described the deep-rooted anti-Semitic beliefs among some evangelicals as both cultural and theological, with the cultural beliefs coming from their conservative neighbors and the theological beliefs dating to early Christianity, when Christians first started casting themselves as the new chosen people replacing the Jews.

“Some associations in certain conservative areas, with Jews being liberal, cosmopolitan, international and that being a threat to American Christian identity: You’re going to find those views, weirdly, right alongside expressing support for Israel,” Hummel said. “Someone like that would be vaguely or even strongly anti-Semitic but also pro-Israel.”

And politically, evangelicals find themselves sharing common cause with right-wing anti-Semites. They might have little else in common, but both groups are enthusiastic supporters of Trump. [...]

Deborah Lipstadt, a historian who is one of the foremost researchers on anti-Semitism, said she has noticed that politically conservative talking points echo the language common to anti-Semites much more often. She pointed to Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) speech at the National Conservatism Conference, in which he used the word “cosmopolitan” 12 times.

“This class lives in the United States, but they identify as ‘citizens of the world.’ They run businesses or oversee universities here, but their primary loyalty is to the global community,” Hawley said, referring not to Jews but to liberal elites.

“I’m sure most of the people who appeared there would say, ‘I’m a good friend of Jews,’ and they probably are,” Lipstadt said. “But if you took out the word ‘cosmopolitan’ and put in the word ‘Jew’ — it sounds like a traditional anti-Semitic trope … It’s the kind of thing that will attract the anti-Semites.”

At its root, this trope relies on a mistrust of major institutions, and a suspicion that Jews are manipulating them. ...

“There’s a theory that’s out and about, about the manipulation of news, fake news. And how you can’t trust judges. And you can’t trust big pharma, that’s why we shouldn’t be vaccinated … These kind of conspiracy theories [about manipulating institutions], for centuries, are just so connected to anti-Semitism that it’s hard to just ignore,” Lipstadt said. “It’s hard to say this is just by chance.”

Evangelicals are not inherently anti-Semitic, she noted. But they tend to share these conservative suspicions of the news media and of elites, and to view themselves as the victims of the elites — a worldview that predisposes some to align themselves with anti-Semites.

...Aryeh Tuchman, the associate director of the Center on Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League, points to several YouTube channels where pastors promote a mix of Christian theology and anti-Jewish animus.

TruNews, a nightly newscast with more than 18 million views on YouTube, bills its purpose “to offer Christians a positive alternative to the anti-Christian bigotry of the mainstream media.” Jews and Israel are a constant target for Rick Wiles, the Florida pastor who runs the show.

In the past month alone, Wiles has posited that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein might not have died but instead been spirited away to a safe house in Israel; listed the names of “Hollywood Jews” who produced the pulled-from-theaters satirical movie “The Hunt” and suggested that they actually want to hunt and kill white Christians; called the non-Jewish billionaire “Rabbi Warren Buffett"; said the government could take away guns from anyone who criticizes Israel; referred to Ivanka Trump, who is Jewish, as “Yael Kushner"; and more.

...For Wanda and Doug Meyer, like many other evangelical Christians across the country, these YouTube channels are their primary source of news. They turn to YouTube to understand events that seem vitally important to them, like policy in Washington that will impact their religious freedom at home in Brandon, Fla.

...“It’s right there on YouTube. You don’t hear it on mainstream media. We know Kenneth Copeland. We know Paula White. We know David Barton,” Wanda said. “Different ministers, that’s where we get our news. People who know what’s really going on.”

As they ate lunch after the service at their large evangelical church, the Meyers said they would like to someday visit Israel, which is religiously important to them. But they also watch a lot of videos online when they’re watching those pastors’ sermons. They believe, with total certainty, in what they hear, even when the information is false: that humans have nothing to do with climate change. That Muslims are trying to implement laws in U.S. states that would allow them to kill Christians with impunity. That a shadowy group, including wealthy Jews as leaders, meant to use Hillary Clinton to bring about “one world government.”

Wanda says they try to “stay up to date” on the “spiritual battle … financed by the Illuminati and the Rothschilds.”

After all, she trusts the source has a higher authority: “These are ministers we know, we respect.”

[Read Julie Zauzmer’s full piece at The Washington Post.]