#Butler Farm Show Grounds

[justinspoliticalcorner]

David Smith and Ramon Antonio Vargas at The Guardian:

Law enforcement agents were investigating what they suspected was an attempt to assassinate Donald Trump after a man with a rifle fired shots at him during a campaign rally on Saturday in Butler, Pennsylvania. Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Gugliemi said on X that “the former president [was] safe” after more than a dozen gunshots erupted, prompting agents protecting Trump to leap on him amid the ensuing panic.

In a pair of statements, Trump himself said he was “fine” after a bullet struck “the upper part of [his] right ear”. Secret Service agents shot the suspected attacker dead after he fired toward Trump “from an elevated position outside of the rally venue”, Gugliemi said. One spectator was killed and two others were critically wounded. The shooter was not immediately identified. Trump issued thanks to the Secret Service agents as well as other law enforcement officers for “their rapid response” in a post on X in the shooting’s aftermath. “Mostly importantly, I want to extend my condolences to the family of the person at the rally who was killed and also to the family of [those] badly injured,” Trump said.

“It is incredible that such an act can take place in our country.” Video from NBC News captured more than a dozen shots, with later ones apparently coming from agents protecting the president, who had been speaking on stage at the time. A voice could be heard saying: “Get down, get down, get down!” Agents arrived to throw themselves on top of Trump as the gunfire continued and screams were heard from the crowd. Audio from the network captured agent’s voices saying: “Shooter’s down. Shooter’s down. Are we good to move? We’re clear, we’re clear.” As agents tried to move Trump off the stage at the rally, he said: “Let me get my shoes. Let me get my shoes.” Agents can be heard telling the former president: “I got you. Hold on. Your head is bloody. We’ve got to move.” Trump replied: “Wait, wait.” He then pumped his fist, mouthed the words: “Fight, fight, fight.”

And the crowd at the rally responded with cries of: “USA! USA! USA!” Armed troops in uniform soon arrived as some spectators shouted abuse at the media. Agents then whisked Trump away from sight. Video showed blood on Trump’s ear. There were also snipers on a roof near the stage where Trump was standing, the Reuters news agency reported. NBC News, citing two senior law enforcement officials, reported there was growing concern among investigators that the shooting at the Trump rally “may have been a serious attempt on his life”. Local district attorney Richard Goldinger appeared on CNN and said he wasn’t sure how the suspected shooter “would’ve gotten to the location where he was”. “That’s something we’re going to have to figure out – how he got there.”

This evening, an attempted assassination against former “President” Donald Trump happened at the Butler Farm Show Grounds just outside Butler, Pennsylvania. The perpetrator, who is currently not identified, was found dead. At least one spectator was also dead.

I ABHOR Trump with my every fiber, but trying to assassinate him is detestable.

May we pray in God’s name for the safety of Trump and his family, all Presidential candidates and their families, the rallygoers and their families, and law enforcement tonight.

See Also:

HuffPost: Shooting At Trump Rally Draws Bipartisan Condemnation Of Political Violence

Vox: Trump injured at rally: Here’s what we know

The Guardian: What we know about the shooting at a Donald Trump rally

[starlit-crossing]

A Ghost of Yourself Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Meeting the Waynes

Slowly the skyscrapers of the city were replaced with the rolling hills as the car made its way to Crest Hill. They hadn’t told Danny much about his new foster home, leaving it vague. The only things he could get out of them was that the man ran his own business, and he had many successful adoptions in the past. At this point he thought he was going to a farm, being forced to do chores early in the morning. The further they went the less sure he was, as houses began to periodically appear he began wishing it was a farm.

The homes they passed were large, fashionable manors with acres of land in between. Gated fences and lavishly long driveways sat in front. Not a single other car appeared in the streets as they quietly made their way deeper in. It took about twenty minutes to get from the city to the last house in the neighborhood. Similar to the others a wrought iron fence blocked the driveway in, the car pulling up to a grey speaker just outside the gate. Mr. Densen, the man put in charge of Danny’s case, rolled down his window and buzzed the button on the speaker box. A voice answered but it was too quiet for him to hear.

“It’s Chris Densen with the Gotham CPS. I was informed you were expecting our arrival with a new foster placement?” Densen answered, the voice responding in time with a positive tone. The gates creaked as they opened wide enough for the car to pull through. The manor ahead of them was the largest of those they had passed, even larger than Vlad’s back in Wisconsin. It stood four stories tall with light colored brick making the walls. Large windows reflected the rare morning sun, smoke flowing out of the chimney among the dark tiled roofs. The driveway went in a circle around a large patch of grass with a fountain nestled in the center.

Standing on the patio atop of the stairs leading to the manor was two men and a kid. The oldest was dressed in a fitted suit with a small mustache and a balding head. Next to him was a man around his parents age with black hair and tired blue eyes. He wore pressed black pants and a light grey turtleneck. Finally, standing back towards the door was the kid, his skin was tan with black hair and green eyes. Dressed in shorts and a hoodie he stood with his arms crossed as he glared at the car. They all began walking down the steps as the car came to a stop.

“Hi Danny, I’m Bruce Wayne. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” Bruce smiled, offering his hand as Danny exited the car. Danny looked at the hand and back at him, first impressions were okay. He didn’t seem like Vlad, there was no smooth-talking flattery or blatant evil tone, but he was rich. If the house was anything to go from and though being rich didn’t make you evil, it didn’t help you in Danny’s book. The whole situation was just dredging old memories leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

“Hi.” Was all Danny could offer in return while shoving his hands into his hoodie. Bruce gave a small laugh and brought back his hand.

“Well, I hope you enjoy your time here at Wayne Manor. If you need anything feel free to ask myself or Alfred; he may be the butler, but he deserves the utmost respect. He’ll be able to show you your room later this evening. The one lingering behind us is my son Damian, he’ll be giving you a tour of the grounds while I speak with Mr. Densen here.” He watched as the butler took his backpack from the car and headed back inside. The kid finally approached; a look of disinterest glued to his face.

“Welcome Daniel, follow me. Let’s get this tour over with.” Damian drawled.

Isn’t he a peach, Danny thought to himself rolling his eyes. “It’s Danny. Just Danny.” He repeated.

This kid ignored him as they made way for the front doors. Inside was the entrance hall, it was fairly large with white tile bordered by wooden flooring along the walls and staircase. The staircase itself was two separate stairways that connected at the top of the second floor. The walls were covered with red wallpaper, paintings, and portraits. Most notable was a large frame with a velvet background. It held six ovals each with its own silhouette and name. The first was Bruce’s name and portrait, followed by three more underneath that said Richard Grayson, Jason Todd, and Timothy Drake. Below them were two more that said Cassandra Cain and Damian Wayne.

“Is this painting your family?” he asked.

“Some, yes. It needs to be updated but it has the elder children of my father. All adopted except for myself, I am my father’s only biological son.” Damian explained proudly, not before his eyes went wide and adding, “Don’t get any ideas about being adopted. I have enough brothers as it is!”

“Trust me, I don’t plan on it.” Danny answered, as proud as the kid was, he’s still just a kid.

“Good. Let’s continue,” He led them through a door to a large kitchen, it was as nice as a five-star restaurant with expensive stoves and appliances. “This is the kitchen, it’s Pennyworth’s domain. If you cause any trouble here, you will be banned. My father is an unfortunate example.”

“Understood.” Danny continued, following Damian further into the building. It had been nice being able to eat food that didn’t fight back. It was good to know that it would continue. The tour went on through the manor with small comments here and there. Apparently, Bruce was a well-known figure in Gotham with him hosting parties on occasion in the manor. They did in fact have a barn on the grounds though Damain mainly spent the time there introducing Danny to all the animals. The Bat-Cow being the most interesting, named for the city’s protector and the bat marking on its face. They ended the tour in the garden just behind the mansion. “That’s the entirety of the grounds. It’s quiet for now but Duke will be home later this evening for dinner and the others will surely visit once they know of your stay.” He went on, Danny had been mostly quiet during the tour, only offering responses and questions that would help him later. Danny hadn’t seen much that would’ve stood in his way of leaving. In fact, with little to know security around outside of cameras it should be as simple as any other home they put him in.

“By the way, I know why they asked my father to take you in. I thought I’d save you the trouble and let you know there is no way off the grounds without getting caught or falling into a booby-trap. I should know, I’ve tried.” With that Damian headed inside the building, leaving Danny outside the manor. How did he know I was thinking about leaving? Also booby-traps? Danny wondered, making his way inside. They’d expect a runaway to go at the first chance he got, best for him to wait till later that week.

---

Danny was eventually shown to his room on the second floor, which happened to be across the hall from the other resident Duke. Apparently, everyone who lived here at some point still had a room for themselves and could come back to it whenever they visited. He had double-checked his backpack which had been placed on top of the desk next to a computer. Everything seemed in place, next he checked the room for any cameras and recorders. He didn’t really expect to find anything, but it was better to be safe than sorry. This took up much of the afternoon leaving him to read on the bed when he was done. Around 6pm there was someone knocking on the door to his room.

“Danny? It’s time for dinner,” The door opened to reveal another teen around Danny’s age, his skin was dark, and he was wearing jeans with a red t-shirt, a lightning bolt on the front. “Better hurry Alfred made some cookies for your stay. Trust me, you don’t want to miss them. I’m Duke by the way, nice to meet you!”

Danny gave him a nod and followed the guy down the hall and stairs to the dining room. Already sat around was Bruce at the head of the table and Damian in the seat to his right. Duke took a seat across from him and gestured for Danny to seat beside him. As soon as he took a seat Alfred placed a serving of pasta and salad in front of him, a glass of water already on the table.

“Thanks.” Danny said, grabbing a fork and digging in. As the food hit his mouth Danny had to keep himself from scarfing the whole thing down. The pasta had a creamy sauce of cheese and marinara with well-seasoned chicken shredded and mixed in. It was delicious, he could only imagine the cookies Duke had mentioned.

“So, Danny how was the tour Damian gave you?” Bruce asked from across the table.

“Good.” Danny answered in between bites. Duke gave a look to Damian almost surprised at the kid.

“If it was anything like mine, I’m sure he threw some odd comments in.” Duke chimed in.

“Excuse you, Duke. Both of my tours for you and Danny were quite excellent. We even gave a visit to the animals.” Damian smiled pointing his fork at the teen.

“I’m sure, did he tell you about the booby-traps on the grounds? Loves to mention them but not which ones are real or not.” Duke said elbowing him. Bruce smiled at the antics between the two.

“He is right though, most only get armed at night though so there is nothing to worry about.” Bruce went on. “Most are there due to large amount of villain attacks in the city, though we’re far from most of the dangers you can’t be too safe.”

“Yes, very safe with the laser grid that got installed over a month ago.” Duke tagged on sarcastically, Bruce giving him a quick look. I thought I was done with lasers, Danny thought sinking into his seat. Things continued like this for most of the meal and he was starting to get some sense of what everyone was like. Damian, being the youngest, tended to boast about his skills and achievements. Duke was like Danny in being new to the manor but was more familiar with everyone than he was. Bruce was still a bit of a mystery; he was trying to be a positive influence in the conversation but seemed to be holding back. They all were in some way, dancing around a topic none of them were willing to bring up. It was probably due to him just showing up, the people at the CPS had told him the home he was going to didn’t normally foster random kids.

Alfred was just bringing out the cookies when he stopped by Bruce and whispered something in his ear. Danny watched as Bruce’s face shifted from the smile he had been wearing all night to something more serious. He almost looked like he was brooding as he listened to what Alfred said, Damian and Duke looking at him waiting.

“Sorry Danny, but something has come up at Wayne Enterprises. It’s nothing to terrible but as CEO of the company I need to look into it.” He rose from his seat; Damian was following suit.

“Do you need any help, Father? I will one day work at the company so it would benefit for me to accompany you.” Damian was practically already out the door when Bruce responded.

“No Damian, I need you here. It’s a school night anyway so you’ll need to get some rest.” Bruce reasoned, meanwhile Duke held back a laugh. Damian scowled at the two before returning to his seat and grabbing a cookie from Alfred’s tray.

“I’ll see you all tomorrow.” He said before continuing out the door. Danny didn’t give it too much thought, he had never owned a multibillion-dollar company so who knows what stuff that entailed. So, he grabbed a cookie or three and made his way back to his room. As he went, he thought for a moment that the grandfather clock at the top of the stairs was off. Its face read 10:48, taking a look at his burner in his pocket it read 8:06. It must be broken, Danny thought and returned to his new room for the rest of the night.

Master post - Chapter 4 Prev. <<< Next >>>

[dertaglichedan]

Gunman Identified as 20-Year-Old Thomas Matthew Crooks in Trump Rally Shooting in Butler

Donald Trump shot in the ear. One spectator were killed. Two other spectators critically injured.

The gunman who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump Saturday was identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks.

Crooks, of Bethel Park, Pa., squeezed off shots — one of which grazed Trump in the ear — at an outdoor rally in Butler, just outside Pittsburgh.

Sources said Crooks was was planted on a roof of a manufacturing plant more than 130 yards away from the stage at Butler Farm Show grounds.

Moments before the suspected shooter opened fire at a Donald Trump rally, crowd members can be heard yelling, “He’s got a gun.”

The gunman believed to be behind the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump has been identified as 20-Year-Old Male who was in a sniper position when the shots were fired at the rally.

The alleged gunman, who has since been killed was in a sniper position far from the crowd, Trump campaign sources told the outlet.

“He came within inches of having his face shot open,” a senior law enforcement officer told the outlet. One witness reported seeing the gunman “bear-crawling” on the roof.

The suspected shooter fired an AR-style rifle from an elevated position outside the rally venue.

Here’s what we know about the incident

During Former President Trump’s campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on the evening of July 13 at approximately 6:15 p.m., a suspected shooter fired multiple shots toward the stage from an elevated position outside of the rally venue.

U.S. Secret Service personnel neutralized the shooter, who is now deceased.

U.S. Secret Service quickly responded with protective measures and Former President Trump is safe.

Trump said a bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear, causing heavy bleeding during an apparent assassination attempt.

One spectator was killed, and two spectators were critically injured.

This incident is currently under investigation. and the Secret Service has notified the FBI.

[beardedmrbean]

Trump gunman Thomas Crooks searched for details about Lee Harvey Oswald’s assassination of President John F. Kennedy before he opened fire on the former president at a rally in Pennsylvania earlier this month, the FBI director revealed Wednesday. 

“We’ve just in the last couple of days found that from our review… analysis of a laptop that the investigation ties to the shooter reveals that on July 6, he did a Google search for “How far away was Oswald from Kennedy?” Christopher Wray told a congressional hearing.

The chilling detail is the latest hint at why Crooks tried to kill Trump during his appearance on stage in Butler, Pennsylvania. So far, investigators have not been able to find conclusive clues about his motive.

“That’s a search that obviously is significant in terms of his state of mind,” Wray said. “That is the same day that it appears that he registered for the Butler rally.”

Oswald’s fatal shots on Kennedy’s motorcade on Nov. 22, 1963 were made from about 88 yards. Crooks was even farther, about 130 yards — though still a distance that most practiced marksmen could make. 

Earlier, Wray told members of the House Judiciary Committee that Crooks operated the drone roughly 200 yards from the main stage between 3:50 and 4 p.m. on July 13, roughly two hours before Trump began his speech to supporters at the Butler Farm Show grounds.

“He was live-streaming the footage,” the FBI director confirmed during a line of questioning from Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), adding that the drone was up in the air for an “about 11 minute” window.

Wray also revealed that three two “relatively crude” explosive devices, two of which were later seized from Crooks’ car and another from his residence that were capable of had remote detonation capabilities via a transmitter found on his body after he was shot dead by Secret Service counter-snipers.

However, the “on/off” switch on the receiver held by Crooks did not appear to be working.

“If he had tried to detonate those devices from the roof, it would not have worked,” Wray noted. “But that doesn’t mean the explosives weren’t dangerous.”

Eight bullet cartridges were also recovered from the roof where Crooks opened fire, Wray said, and the 20-year-old shooter had further been using encrypted messaging applications. 

“We did not have any information about the shooter,” the FBI director also disclosed. “He was not in our holdings before the shooting.” 

The Judiciary panel hearing comes one day after the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, whose disastrous testimony before the House Oversight Committee on Monday led to bipartisan calls for her to step down.

Cheatle told lawmakers that the near-assassination of Trump, 78, was the “most significant operational failure” in decades — but still gave Secret Service agents an “A” grade for their response on the ground.

The FBI, Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General are all investigating the shooting, which killed a volunteer firefighter and father of one, Corey Comperatore, and seriously wounded two others, David Dutch and James Copenhaver.

[queermediastudies]

God's Own Country: A Happy Ending for Gay Film

In Yorkshire, northern England, 24-year-old Johnny Saxby lives with his father, Martin, and grandmother, Deirdre, and runs a family farm together. Johnny has to do endless farm work day in and day out, so in his free time, he often numbs himself with alcohol and sex. One day, a Romanian migrant worker, Gheorghe Ionescu, was hired by Martin to help with the busy lambing season. Johnny does not get along well with this quiet and handsome 27-year-old young man until one day he tackles Johnny to the ground and warns Johnny not to call him "gypsy" again. On the next day, they have a rough and passionate sex in the dirt and later gradually become closer. When Martin suffers a second stroke, Johnny realizes the responsibility of running the farm falls entirely on his shoulders. He asks Gheorghe if he can stay with him and maintain the farm together, but Gheorghe believes if they cannot redefine their relationship, this plan will not survive. Johnny then gets upset and drinks to excess and has a random sex with another man, which is found out later by Gheorghe, so Gheorghe leaves the farm with sorrow and anger. But in the end, Johnny brings Gheorghe back and Gheorghe moves into the house from the original caravan.

The above description is about the British film God's Own Country, written and directed by Francis Lee in 2017, which won the world cinema directing award at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival as the only UK-based production. This film is partly based on Lee's own experience, who is a gay people used to live in Yorkshire. As an uncommon gay film with a happy ending, God's Own Country expands queer media territory into the countryside and migrants. While God's Own Country presents a new perspective to view gay people, it also reinforces problematic narratives through its depiction of traditional masculinity, representation of migrant, and "normalization" of gay identity. With three main themes presented, this review post also discusses the connection between masculinity and gender performativity, migrant and intersectionality, and gay identity and homonormativity.

From the character setting, and storyline, to the environment, God's Own Country is permeated with a traditional and binary "masculinity". The protagonist, Johnny, is a young sheep farmer living in the Yorkshire countryside who often engages in binge drinking and furtive casual sex. When he finds the one he wants to stay with (Gheorghe), he messes up since he does not know how to deal with this romantic relationship. And when he tries to bring Gheorghe back, it seems very difficult for him to express his apology. The depiction of such character is easily connected to a kind of traditional "masculinity" that is unemotional, violent, strong, high self-esteem, etc. Or, to put it in another way, an aggressive young man lives in a wild farm who does now know how to start an emotional communication.

Judith Butler (2006) argues that "there is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; that identity is performatively constituted by the very 'expressions' that are said to be its results" (p. 34). In other words, "our gender is our expressions and behaviours (rather than those expressions and behaviours being the result of some underlying gender identity)" (Barker & Scheele 2016, p.79). People's gender then is more like an expression that is believed to be appropriate and correct within their cultural environment rather than a fixed nature within their bodies. In this sense, the masculinity of Johnny is more like an "intelligible" way to perform within his condition - a young sheep farmer in the countryside. The "good" thing may be Johnny, as a gay man, is not depicted in a stigmatized or stereotypical way that happens in many shows, but its depiction seems to reinforce the binary understanding of gender.

God's Own Country was released in 2017, which coincides UK's attempt of withdrawing from the European Union. Gheorghe, as a Romanian migrant worker in the film echoes the issue of migrants in Britain. Both as gay men, the nation, race, and class of Gheorghe is quite different from that of Johnny. Such demographic factors are greatly influencing the way Gheorghe interacts with Johnny who is a white, work-class, native British. When they first met, Johnny called Gheorghe a "gypsy". Later when they are in the bar, a white racist there also deliberately teases Gheorghe because of his identity.

Intersectionality refers to the overlapping of social categorization and how it is linked to the interconnected oppression. Doty (1993) also argues that cultural factors such as "class, ethnicity, gender, occupation, education, and religious, national, and regional allegiances influence our identity construction" and "can exert influences difficult to separate from the development of our identities queers" (p. 5). Although Gheorghe's identity of being gay does not bring him too much direct discrimination in the film, his race and class affect how he interact with Johnny and other people (such as the white racist in the bar mentioned above). And Gheorghe's conflict with Johnny is raised due to his identity, i.e. how Gheorghe as a Romanian migrant worker has a romantic gay relationship with a white, British farmer.

Moreover, how the film represents Gheorghe and his relationship with Johnny is also problematic. "The formal axe around which the film functions is the act of looking and being looked at, in particular the suspicious staring of the foreign 'outsider' by the white 'insider'" (Williams 2020, p.77). That is to say, the presentation of a Romanian migrant is from the viewpoint of a white British man. Although Gheorghe as a migrant seems to be depicted as the "savior" of British white man Johnny, Gheorghe's intersectional identity is actually not fully represented but more portrayed as the support or supplement of the main white character. For example, it is Gheorghe who saves Johnny from the heavy workload and mental loneliness, and teaches him how to "love" someone instead of just having brutal sex.

Unlike Brokeback Mountain (2005) or Boys Don't Cry (1999), queer characters do not struggle too much with their identity and social discrimination in God's Own Country. The gay identity of Johnny and Gheorghe seems to be very "natural" and "ordinary". Even when Deirdre, Johnny's Grandmother, finds a used condom in Johnny's room and realizes that her grandson may have sex with another man Gheorghe, she only emphasizes to Johnny that "he is only here to work". Johnny's family seems to accept their gay identity and relationship very well, or in another way, their gay identity and relationship are somehow "normalized" in the film. Furthermore, within their own relationship, Gheorghe is depicted as a gentle lover who is trying to tame his aggressive partner. And their relationship from the hostile beginning to the happy ending is very similar to traditional Hollywood romantic heterosexual films.

Homonormativity "is a politics that does not contest dominant heteronormative assumptions and institutions, but upholds and sustains them, while promising the possibility of a demobilized gay constituency and a privatized, depoliticized gay culture anchored in domesticity and consumption" (Duggan 2002, p. 50). In other words, although gay people may seem to be accepted and included in the mainstream or heteronormativity dominated system, they are actually framed and hidden under the heteronormativity and thus lose their identity. Although it may be good that the gay identity and relationship of Johnny and Gheorghe are treated as nothing special, the essence behind that may be the gay culture is depoliticized and thus loses its nature of being gay. Even gay couples may no longer be depicted as gay couples but heterosexual couples.

As an Asian, heterosexual college student, I may not be able to resonate with the film too much. Probably the scene where Gheorghe is discriminated against by a white racist can trigger some of the experiences around me. And although this film tells a story of a gay couple, the way this film puts their relationship yet is quite "familiar" to me, because of the last point I discussed above (homonormativity).

Originally, the explicit sex scene in this film makes me feel a little bit "awkward" and I feel like such scene is not very necessary. However, my knowledge in queer media studies makes me reconsider the role of sex in this film and I find that it is actually very "meaningful". Johnny used to be very aggressive in sex, but after the "tameness" of Gheorghe, Johnny gradually enjoys the touch and understands that there can be "love" (or emotion) in sex instead of just fulfilling the sexual needs. That is to say, the sex scene in this film actually sees the growth of a young man, the understanding of love, and the finding of oneself.

--- Miles

References

Barker, M. & Scheele, J. (2016). Section on Butler. In Queer a graphic history (pp. 73-83). Icon Books.

Butler, J. (2006). Identity, sex and the metaphysics of substance. In Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity (pp. 22-34). Routledge.

Doty, A. (1993). There's something queer here. In Making things perfectly queer (pp. 1-16). University of Minnesota Press.

Duggan, L. (2003). Equality, Inc. In The twilight of equality: Neoliberalism, cultural politics, and the attack on democracy (pp. 43-66). Beacon Press.

Williams J. (2020). Queering the cinematic field: Migrant love and rural beauty in God's Own Country (2017) and A Moment in the Reeds (2017). In Queering the migrant in contemporary European cinema (pp. 72-86). Routledge.

[smalltownfae]

Favourite Opening Lines:

“He came one late, wet spring, and brought the wide world back to my doorstep.” - Fool’s Errand by Robin Hobb

“In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three.” - Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

“I lost an arm on my last trip home.” - Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

“No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.” - The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

“Let’s start with the end of the world, why don’t we?” - The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin

“The  unicorn lived in a lilac wood, and she lived all alone.” - The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” - The Hobbit by J.R. R. Tolkien

“I’ll make my report as if I told a story, for I was taught as a child on my homeworld that Truth is a matter of the imagination.” - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

“Marley was dead, to begin with.” - A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.” - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Favourite Ending Lines:

Careful with spoilers.

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” - Animal Farm by George Orwell (Name a more iconic ending. You can’t.)

“If Hundreds Hall is haunted, however, it’s ghost doesn’t show itself to me. For I’ll turn, and am disappointed –  realising that what I am looking at is only a cracked window-pane, and that the face gazing distortedly from it, baffled and longing, is my own.” - The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Killer reveal)

“Oh,Constance,” I said, “we are so happy.” - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (this has the same effect on me as the ending of the movie Midsommer)

“I When they entered, they found hanging upon the wall a splendid portrait of their master as they had last seen him, in all the wonder of his exquisite youth and beauty. Lying on the floor was a dead man, in evening dress, with a knife in his heart. He was withered, wrinkled, and loathsome of visage. It was not till they had examined the rings that they recognized who it was.” - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

“In the darkness, two shadows, reaching through the hopeless, heavy dusk. Their hands meet, and light spills in a flood, like a hundred golden urns pouring out the sun.” - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

“Wolves have no Kings.” - Royal Assassin / “We dream of carving our dragon.” - Assassin’s Quest / “She settled into it and continued towards her destiny.” - The Mad Ship / “The past is no further away than the last breath you took.” - Fool’s Errand / “Perhaps having the courage to find a better path is having the courage to risk making new mistakes.” - The Golden Fool (all by Robin Hobb)

“Hoping that this time it will remain a lullaby. That this time the wind will not hear. That this time – please just this once – it will leave without us.” - Chocolat by Joanne Harris

“And Cat, though he was still a little lonely and tearful, managed to laugh too.” - Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones

[sassy-ahsoka-tano]

Snowed In

Character/Fandom: Scotty Moore - Elvis (2022)

Requested: yes! by @austin-butlers-gf my love 💕

Prompt: As one of the Colonel's circus performers, you're used to sharing a motel room whilst traveling. But when you find yourself snowed in with the BMB's charming guitarist, Scotty Moore, you have to find some way to pass the time.

TW: Fem!Reader, mentions of sexual themes + alcohol

Rating: Pg-13 || Word Count: 3.0k

A/N: can we hear it in the back for mr. winnie pls?? this man would have broken my heart fr 🥴

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🦋 mila

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“Scotty! Scotty, we gotta get going! If we don’t leave in the next,” you glance down at your wristwatch and sigh, “five minutes, we’re gonna be late for your gig. Hurry up!”

You turn away, prepared to rush back into the living room and gather your belongings, but the door suddenly clicks open behind you. Glancing over your shoulder, you gulp hard when your eyes land on Scotty, naked from the waist up. He’s leaning against the door, his muscles pulled taut. You squeeze your lips together and quickly avert your eyes before he can detect your embarrassment.

“I don’t think we’re goin,” he says with a deep chuckle.

You glance back at him with furrowed eyebrows.

“What are you talking about?”

“Uh…cause of this?”

He pushes the door open with his back and gestures toward the window behind him. Unable to see from your position in the hallway, you step forward, trying desperately to peer through the window. Your eyebrows shoot up as you come closer and closer to the vast whiteness outside. The ground is fully covered in snow; in fact, it looks like there’s at least three feet of it, stacking up all the way over the top of the sill on the outside of the building.

“Snow? Are you joking? It never snows like this in the south…what is this?”

“I ain’t never seen snow that much, but I’m pretty sure I know what we’re lookin at, sweetheart.”

You can feel your heart starting to beat faster in your chest and your palms are growing clammier by the second. You can’t deny the way your heart skipped a few beats when he called you by such a sweet name.

“Oh my god, no. No, no, no. I can’t be stuck in here all day with you. I can NOT.”

“Damn, girl, you done hurt my feelins talkin like that.”

“I should call the Colonel,” you say, ignoring him. “He probably knows more than us. He’ll know what to do.”

You ramble on as you reach for the phone in his room to dial the number for the Colonel’s motel room.

You’ve worked for the circus for as long as you can remember, just starting out as a young girl who needed cash. Moving away from the farm was the most difficult thing you ever had to do, but you had dreams of being a performer. Your lasso work was unmatched in your little town and the Colonel saw enough potential in you to bring you into the troupe.

Although your act gives you all the joy in the world, unfortunately you’re not popular or important enough to warrant your own room on the road. While you’re usually paired up with another one of the ladies in the group, this time around you found yourself awkwardly grouped with Mr. Winfield Scott Moore III, the lead guitarist of Elvis Presley and the Blue Moon Boys, a new act the Colonel picked up in Louisiana.

It wouldn’t do for two young people such as yourselves to share one bed. So, the Colonel was nice enough to get you a suite with two separate bedrooms, but last night was still uncomfortable. Not to mention the awkwardness that ensued as you both tried to navigate showering without showing each other any shred of flesh, something Scotty apparently no longer cares about.

“Colonel Parker? It’s Y/N and I was jus-...oh, okay…no, yes that makes sense. Thanks for letting me know,” you say before hanging up and turning to Scotty. “Canceled. The whole show, canceled.”

“Nice of Colonel fatsy pants to let us know so far in advance,” Scotty replies and you just shrug.

You don’t like the Colonel any more than the next person, but he is your boss at the end of the day. You kind of have to watch what you say about him behind his back.

“Well, I guess I’ll leave you alone to…do whatever it is you do in your free time. We don’t have anywhere to be, so…I’ll be in my half of the room,” you say awkwardly, turning on your heel.

You’d never admit it to anyone, especially not him, but you almost sort of have a tiny crush on Scotty. You’ve watched over the past few months as girls of all ages and appearances have flocked to Elvis Presley like chickens to feed. But you never did understand all that. Your eyes always find their way to Scotty. His elegantly handsome features draw you in and you never tire of the way he plays. He’s an extremely talented guitarist. You don’t know anyone who’s capable of playing the strings like that. The way his fingers move…

“You don’t gotta go runnin off like that, honey,” the sound of Scotty’s voice snaps you back to reality. “I mean we’re stuck in ‘ere together all day, anyways, so we can at least be friendly.”

You pause with your hand resting on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, you turn around and cross your arms over your chest. You press them back, trying to get ahold of your tingling nerves.

“I suppose…but what would we even do? It’s not like we’re trapped in a house with activities to do. We’re literally in the cheapest, blandest motel room there ever was. What do you suggest we do to pass the time?”

“I got cards?” he suggests with a shrug.

“Cards?” you raise an unimpressed eyebrow. “Ugh, I guess. But before we play could you…put a shirt on, please? You’re making me-”

“Hot?”

“No!” you shout, maybe a little too suspiciously fast. “No, you’re making me uncomfortable.”

He holds his hands up defensively before turning toward his closet to reach for a shirt. You take a seat on one of the chairs in the corner of the room, shifting your eyes away from his figure. You can only stare at the faded lampshade for a few minutes, however, before your curiosity gets the better of you. You sneak a glance back over at him and bite your lip. You trace down his back, the muscles flexing as he pulls a plain white t-shirt over his bare skin. You gulp and quickly look away just as he turns back around.

“So what game?” he asks. “Rummy, Canasta, Poker?

“Poker,” you reply without missing a beat. “You deal.”

As you and Scotty settle into playing, you find yourself relaxing with each witty exchange. His voice is strangely comforting, the southern drawl unimaginably charming. It colors each word with a smoothness that you don’t always find in a man’s voice. You also discover that he’s actually rather kind and pretty damn funny. His sense of humor is witty and quick. But despite all the nice conversation, you’re actually quite bored.

“I’m bored,” you voice your thoughts. “Can we find some way to make this more interesting?”

A few moments of silence follow as you both glance around the room, trying to find something that you could use to spice up the game.

“Ah!” Scotty suddenly yells, snapping his fingers.

You watch in confusion as he pops up and rummages through his luggage, pulling out a half empty bottle of gin. You laugh in spite of yourself and shake your head.

“Forgot I had this. How bout it?”

“Bring it on.”

Whenever one of you loses a hand, instead of cashing in for chips like you’d do at a casino, you have to take a shot. Several hours later, you find yourselves nicely tipsy and all out of gin. Considering the bottle was only half full to begin with, you’ve done pretty well. But that was still enough alcohol to make you both relaxed enough to open up and get comfortable with each other.

“Well damn, we’re out,” you say after Scotty takes his last swig. “What now? I think we passed a whole three hours.”

“Hmmm,” Scotty says, his eyebrows furrowed as he nods lazily.

You notice how glazed over his eyes are and smirk to yourself. You quickly do the mental math of how many drinks you each had and come up with Scotty having drunk a lot more than you. You had beaten him almost every round. His head snaps up with a cheesy grin pasted on his lips.

“We could play strip poker.”

“What? Are you insane?” you ask, crossing your arms over your chest. “How dare you even suggest that. That is so typical of a man! You’re just jealous that I beat you.”

“Jealous?” He laughs loudly, clutching his stomach. “Nah, honey, I’m just sayin. Now we’re out of alcohol and since that’s the only way I’ve seen you relax round me, I don’t know what else to do.”

You feel the sting of his words, wincing momentarily as his eyes flash with concern. You haven’t meant to be rude to him, you haven’t meant to be cold or aloof or any of that. You just don’t know him well enough. You’ve had your fair share of terrible relationships and, with the way girls act around the band, you’ve always assumed you knew exactly the type of man he was: no good. You’re guilty as charged when it comes to having your defenses up around boys, but as you gaze into Scotty’s soft blue eyes, you realize how rude and judgemental you’ve been.

You also gulp down the truth of why you’re so adamantly against strip poker: you want to play. It’s wildly inappropriate and sleazy to play such a naughty game with a man you barely know. But the truth is that you want to. Desperately. You shouldn’t. You can’t…right?

“Fine. Let's play.”

You clamp your lips together, hoping to hide the heat creeping up through your skin. A goofy grin spreads across Scotty’s face and he nods in victory as he shuffles the cards.

Somehow, quite suspiciously if you might add, Scotty manages to win the first three rounds, leaving you with no socks and your fingers hesitatingly stuck underneath the hem of your top.

“You know, I’m starting to think you were holding out on me,” you say with a quirked eyebrow. “How come you keep winning all of a sudden?”

“What’re you talkin bout, sweetheart?”

“You only won like twice while we were playing before but now, suddenly, when the price is me undressing myself, you’re kicking my ass. Seems sort of suspicious, doesn’t it?”

“Not at all. I don’t know what ya mean,” he says, leaning forward and tilting his head.

You gulp as a smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. You squint and take him in, his adam’s apple bobbing teasingly. You’re suddenly overcome with the need to touch his skin, to kiss him desperately, to bite his neck, to—

You shake yourself back to reality.

“Well, anyway I feel like it’s only fair that you remove something,” you say. “We’re totally uneven here.”

“That’s not how the game works, sweet thing.”

“I know that, obviously. But it should still be fair. My feet are cold and I can’t focus as well as you can with your warm toes.”

Scotty laughs, his beautiful white teeth glinting in the light. His eyes flick down to your body quickly and he bites his lip. You take a deep breath through the loud sound of your heart slamming in your ears. Scotty nods.

“If ya wanted me to take it off, you coulda just asked, darlin.”

Without hesitating, he starts to pull his shirt back off. Your breath hitches in your throat and your eyes hungrily devour the sight of his bare skin. Once done, he gestures toward you.

“Your turn,” he says and your eyes widen. You make a noise halfway between a scoff and a laugh.

“Are you kidding? No, we just discussed this. Now we’re even.”

He glances down at your feet and then quickly slides his own socks off.

“And now we’re not. And you're still losin so you should be wearin less than me anyways. I’m technically lettin ya win right now. So, it’s your turn.”

“But-”

He just shakes his head firmly. You shut your mouth, knowing he’s technically right. With a frustrated sigh, you pull your shirt over your head, your heart thumping. As soon as it lifts from your frame, you blink up to his eyes. His expression is teasing, a soft smile playing at his lips, his drunken eyes dragging up and down your figure. You clear your throat and turn back to the game.

“Shall we?”

“Sure thing, angel.”

You continue to play a couple more rounds, Scotty losing one and you losing the other. He removes his belt and you remove the clip in your hair, after a lot of protesting from Scotty. In order to keep the game fair, you’ve swapped clothes as prisoners. In other words, Scotty now has total possession of your clip, your socks, and your shirt. Sitting across from each other half naked, you both probably look quite the picture out of context. 

Where it comes from you have no idea, but a freezing breeze blows through, making your body shiver violently. You feel goosebumps immediately rising on your skin and shudder, your teeth chattering.

“You shiverin?” he asks, quirking an eyebrow.

“Yes, I’m shivering, dummy. We are snowed in, after all. God, it’s freezing. This is your fault. Just give me back my shirt.”

“Oh, this lil thing?” he holds up your t-shirt with a shrug. With furrowed eyebrows, he turns it toward the light and stares down at it. “Uh….”

He winces and shakes his head.

“What? What did you do to it?”

“Looks like we do got a lil bit of that gin left. Well, we did.”

He points toward a section of the shirt that’s soaking wet with alcohol. You snatch the top from his grasp and sniff it, immediately recoiling at the strong alcoholic tinge.

“Ugh! I’ll wear yours, then,” you say as another shudder racks through your body. You rummage beside you but can't find his shirt among your pile.

“Uh…” his voice interrupts you again.

Your head pops up to see him grinning sheepishly at you. He holds up his shirt to show you that the stain has leaked all the way through his, as well. You glare at him with squinted eyes.

“Forgot to hand it over, I guess. But hey, no problem, no problem. Just come ‘ere,”  he says, gesturing toward his body.

“What? Into your lap?” Your heart flutters but you silently scold it to be quiet. “Absolutely not. I don’t think so.”

“Hey, if you’d rather freeze to death, it’s nunna my business. I’m just offerin warmth, that’s all,” he replies, gesturing again to the open space between his legs.

You pout and scoff, shaking your head. No, of course you don’t want to freeze to death but…wait, what are you complaining about? He’s willingly inviting you into his lap. A handsome and talented man like Scotty wants you, very single you, to cozy up to his bare body?

“Okay,” your voice escapes before you even have time to think about it.

You crawl toward him and awkwardly settle into his lap. His legs stretch out on either side of your body. You tense as he wraps his arms around you to pull you further back. When his warm chest makes contact with your back, you resist the urge to sigh in relief. He’s warm and his touch is soft, gentle on your skin. You can feel your heart pounding in your ears and butterflies flitting around in your stomach. You release a shaky sigh as you notice the feeling of his hot breath on your shoulder.

“Now this is better, ain’t it?” he asks in a low voice and you nod without thinking.

“Much better.” 

You turn to look at his face but find yourself only inches away from his lips.

His eyes drop down to your mouth, hovering on it for just a moment before flicking back up to your eyes. His lips are parted and they look absolutely delicious. You gulp as you waver in the space between. Your head bobs forward just slightly and you widen your eyes to keep them from blinking closed. Scotty’s head tilts to the side and he starts to lean forward. You know you should stop him, or something in your brain tells you to. But your heart is leading the dance and nothing can bring your hands to push him away. Your eyes flutter closed when his breath ghosts over your lips. You anticipate the feeling of his touch. His lips are warm and soft as they capture yours.

Your hand moves onto his chest, touching his soft skin as you spread your fingertips out across him. His lips move perfectly against yours and when he pulls back, you lean forward, desperate for him to continue. After a moment of tense silence, he does, pressing against you harder this time. His hands drop down to your waist, one strung across your stomach. He pushes down onto your lips, his thumb gently stroking your skin as he starts to maneuver you down onto the carpeted floor beneath you. You allow him to guide you, spinning in his grasp to rest on your back. He collapses onto an elbow next to you. His hand rests flat on your stomach, warm and heavy.

His lips separate from yours with a loud pop and he lifts his head up just enough to meet your eyes when they flutter open. He smirks down at you and then glances at your body, biting his lip after doing so.

“So I guess strip poker wadn’t such a bad idea after all, huh?”

“Listen, Winfield— yes, I know that’s your real name. I saw it on the employment documents — don’t get too cocky.”

He raises an eyebrow and then glances back down at your body.

“Try my best not to. But with you lookin like that? Can’t guarantee nothin.”

He presses himself closer your thigh. Your eyes widen and you gasp when you feel him against your leg.

“Scotty!” you shout, playfully slapping his shoulder.

He laughs and leans down to kiss your lips again.

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[getjoys]

Cory Compertore’s Unseen Commitment at the Trump Rally

What does it mean to be a hero truly? The audience witnessed the exact definition from Cory Compertore at the Trump rally. His courageous actions helped many people and changed the lives of everyone present. This story is about his incredible courage and his sacrifice for his loved ones.

Who was Cory Comperatore? 

Cory Compertore was a 50-year-old retired Fire Chief from Sarver, Pennsylvania, retired. He was at the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and Former President Donald Trump was campaigning on the Butler Farm Show Grounds, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024.

His family – including children – were seated in the stands behind Trump. During the rally, a gunman named Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from a nearby rooftop with a semi-automatic rifle. Corey did not think twice and braved the bullets to protect his wife and daughter.

Tragically, he was fatally shot while protecting them. Unfortunately, he met the same fate when he tried to cover them. The assailant discharged several rounds before being subdued by Secret Service with a semi-automatic assault rifle.....Read More

Source: Getjoys

[alaturkanews]

Assassination Task Force Visits Butler as Right Wing Promises a ‘Parallel’ Inquiry

Members of the newly formed House task force on the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump took one of their first investigative steps on Monday, traveling to the site of the shooting in Butler, Pa., to scrutinize the scene. Lawmakers who walked the grounds of the Butler Farm Show, including climbing onto the roof where Thomas Crooks, 20, opened fire at a campaign rally, said…

[companyknowledgenews]

The biggest of stories came to the small city of Butler. Here’s how its newspaper met the moment - Information Today Online https://www.merchant-business.com/the-biggest-of-stories-came-to-the-small-city-of-butler-heres-how-its-newspaper-met-the-moment/?feed_id=138318&_unique_id=669cc5e3820f5 #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BLOGGER BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — When gunshots echoed at the Trump rally where she was working, Butler Eagle reporter Irina Bucur dropped to the ground just like everyone else. She was terrified.She hardly froze, though.Bucur tried to text her assignment editor, through spotty cell service, to tell him what was going on. She took mental notes of what the people in front and behind her were saying. She used her phone to take video of the scene. All before she felt safe standing up again. Kurt Slater, pressman at the Butler Eagle newspaper, pulls papers as they come off the press, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)When the world’s biggest story came to the small western Pennsylvania hamlet of Butler a week ago, it didn’t just draw media from everywhere else. Journalists at the Eagle, the community’s resource since 1870 and one that struggles to survive just like thousands of local newspapers across the country, had to make sense of chaos in their backyard — and the global scrutiny that followed.Photographer Morgan Phillips, who stood on a riser in the middle of a field with Trump’s audience that Saturday evening, kept on her feet and kept working, documenting history. After Secret Service officers hustled the former president into a waiting car, the people around her turned to shout vitriol at the journalists.A few days later, Phillips’ eyes welled with tears recounting the day.“I just felt really hated,” said Phillips, who like Bucur is 25. “And I never expected that.”Mobilizing in the most harrowing of situations“I’m very proud of my newsroom,” said Donna Sybert, the Eagle’s managing editor.Having put a coverage plan in place, she had escaped for a fishing trip nearby with her family. A colleague, Jamie Kelly, called to tell her something had gone terribly wrong and Sybert rushed back to the newsroom, helping to update the Eagle’s website until 2 a.m. Sunday.Bucur’s assignment had been to talk to community members attending the rally, along with those who set up a lemonade stand on the hot day and people who parked cars. She’d done her reporting and settled in to text updates of what Trump was saying for the website.The shooting changed everything. Bucur tried to interview as many people as she could. Slightly dazed after authorities cleared the grounds, she forgot where she had parked. That gave her more time for reporting.“Going into reporter mode allowed me to distract myself from the situation a little bit,” Bucur said. “Once I got up, I wasn’t thinking at all. I was just thinking I needed to interview people and get the story out because I was on deadline.”She and colleagues Steve Ferris and Paula Grubbs were asked to collect their reporting and impressions for a story in the Eagle’s special, eight-page wraparound printed edition on Monday.“The first few gunshots rang out like fireworks,” they wrote. “But when they continued, people in the crowd at the Butler Farm Show venue dropped to the ground: a mother and father told their children to crouch down. A young man hunched over in the grass. Behind him, a woman started to pray.”The special edition clearly resonated in Butler and beyond. Extra copies are being offered for sale for $5 in the Eagle’s lobby. That’s already a bargain. On eBay, Sybert said, she’s seen them going for up to $125.A small newspaper struggling to endureBeyond its status as a local newspaper, the Eagle is an endangered species.It has resisted ownership by a large chain, which have often stripped news outlets bare. The Eagle has been owned by the same family since 1903; its patriarch, Vernon Wise, is now 95. Fifth-generation family member Jamie Wise Lanier drove up from Cincinnati

this week to congratulate the staff on a job well done, general manager Tammy Schuey said.Six editions are printed each week, and a digital site has a paywall that was lowered for some of the shooting stories. The Eagle’s circulation is 18,000, Schuey said, with about 3,000 of that digital.The United States has lost one-third of its newspapers since 2005 as the Internet chews away at once-robust advertising revenue. An average of 2.5 newspapers closed each week in 2023, according to a study by Northwestern University. The majority were in small communities like Butler.The Eagle abandoned a newsroom across town in 2019, consolidating space in the building where its printing press is housed. It has diversified, starting a billboard company and taking on extra printing jobs. It even stores the remnants of a long-shuttered local circus and allows residents to visit.The Eagle has about 30 employees, although it’s now short two reporters and a photographer. Cabinets housing old photographs lie among the clutter of desks in the newsroom, with a whiteboard that lists which staff members will be on weekend call.Its staff is a mix of young people like Bucur and Phillips, who tend to move on to larger institutions, and those who put down roots in Butler. Sybert has worked at the Eagle since 1982. Schuey was initially hired in 1991 to teach composing room employees how to use Macs.“This is a challenging business,” Schuey said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”Local understanding makes a huge differenceWhen a big story comes to town, with the national and international journalists that follow it, local news outlets are still a precious and valued resource.The Eagle knows the terrain. It knows the local officials. Smart national reporters who “parachute” into a small community that suddenly makes news know to seek out local journalists. Several have reached out to the Eagle, Schuey said.Familiarity helps in other ways. Bucur found people at the rally who were suspicious of national reporters but answered questions from her, and the same is true for some authorities. She has tapped her network of Facebook friends for reporting help.Such foundational trust is common. Many people in small towns have more faith in their community newspapers, said Rick Edmonds, the media business analyst at the Poynter Institute.“It’s just nice to support the locals,” said Jeff Ruhaak, a trucking company supervisor who paused during a meal at the Monroe Hotel to discuss the Eagle’s coverage. “I think they did a pretty good job covering it for their size.”The Eagle has another advantage as well: It isn’t going anywhere when the national reporters leave. The story won’t end. Hurt people need to recover and investigations will determine who is responsible for a would-be assassin being able to get a shot at Trump.In short: responsible journalism as civic leadership in harrowing moments.“Our community went through a traumatic experience,” Schuey said. “I was there. We have some healing to do, and I think the newspaper is a critical piece in helping guide the community through this.”So, too, must people at the Eagle heal, as Phillips’ raw emotions attest. Management is trying to give staff members some days off, perhaps with the help of journalists in surrounding communities.Bucur said she would hate to see Butler turned into a political prop, with the assassination being used as some sort of rallying cry. The divisiveness of national politics had already seeped into local meetings and staff members have felt the tension.Sybert and Schuey look at each other to try and remember what was the biggest story that Butler Eagle journalists have worked on. Was it a tornado that killed nine back in the 1980s? Some particularly bad traffic accident? Trump paid an uneventful campaign visit in 2020. But there’s no question what tops the list now.Despite the stress of the assassination attempt, covering it has been a personal revelation for the soft-spoken Bucur, who grew up 30 miles (48.

2 kilometers) south in Pittsburgh and studied psychology in college. Her plans changed when she took a communications course and loved it.“This,” she said, “was a moment I told myself that I think I’m cut out for journalism.”___David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.“BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — When gunshots echoed at the Trump rally where she was working, Butler Eagle reporter Irina Bucur dropped to the ground just like everyone else. She was…”Source Link: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/celebrities/2024/07/21/the-biggest-of-stories-came-to-the-small-city-of-butler-heres-how-its-newspaper-met-the-moment http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2023-12-27-121440-767x633.jpg BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — When gunshots echoed at the Trump rally where she was working, Butler Eagle reporter Irina Bucur dropped to the ground just like everyone else. She was terrified. She hardly froze, though. Bucur tried to text her assignment editor, through spotty cell service, to tell him what was going on. She took … Read More

[boldcompanynews]

The biggest of stories came to the small city of Butler. Here’s how its newspaper met the moment - Information Today Online - BLOGGER https://www.merchant-business.com/the-biggest-of-stories-came-to-the-small-city-of-butler-heres-how-its-newspaper-met-the-moment/?feed_id=138316&_unique_id=669cc5e0660f8 BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — When gunshots echoed at the Trump rally where she was working, Butler Eagle reporter Irina Bucur dropped to the ground just like everyone else. She was terrified.She hardly froze, though.Bucur tried to text her assignment editor, through spotty cell service, to tell him what was going on. She took mental notes of what the people in front and behind her were saying. She used her phone to take video of the scene. All before she felt safe standing up again. Kurt Slater, pressman at the Butler Eagle newspaper, pulls papers as they come off the press, Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)When the world’s biggest story came to the small western Pennsylvania hamlet of Butler a week ago, it didn’t just draw media from everywhere else. Journalists at the Eagle, the community’s resource since 1870 and one that struggles to survive just like thousands of local newspapers across the country, had to make sense of chaos in their backyard — and the global scrutiny that followed.Photographer Morgan Phillips, who stood on a riser in the middle of a field with Trump’s audience that Saturday evening, kept on her feet and kept working, documenting history. After Secret Service officers hustled the former president into a waiting car, the people around her turned to shout vitriol at the journalists.A few days later, Phillips’ eyes welled with tears recounting the day.“I just felt really hated,” said Phillips, who like Bucur is 25. “And I never expected that.”Mobilizing in the most harrowing of situations“I’m very proud of my newsroom,” said Donna Sybert, the Eagle’s managing editor.Having put a coverage plan in place, she had escaped for a fishing trip nearby with her family. A colleague, Jamie Kelly, called to tell her something had gone terribly wrong and Sybert rushed back to the newsroom, helping to update the Eagle’s website until 2 a.m. Sunday.Bucur’s assignment had been to talk to community members attending the rally, along with those who set up a lemonade stand on the hot day and people who parked cars. She’d done her reporting and settled in to text updates of what Trump was saying for the website.The shooting changed everything. Bucur tried to interview as many people as she could. Slightly dazed after authorities cleared the grounds, she forgot where she had parked. That gave her more time for reporting.“Going into reporter mode allowed me to distract myself from the situation a little bit,” Bucur said. “Once I got up, I wasn’t thinking at all. I was just thinking I needed to interview people and get the story out because I was on deadline.”She and colleagues Steve Ferris and Paula Grubbs were asked to collect their reporting and impressions for a story in the Eagle’s special, eight-page wraparound printed edition on Monday.“The first few gunshots rang out like fireworks,” they wrote. “But when they continued, people in the crowd at the Butler Farm Show venue dropped to the ground: a mother and father told their children to crouch down. A young man hunched over in the grass. Behind him, a woman started to pray.”The special edition clearly resonated in Butler and beyond. Extra copies are being offered for sale for $5 in the Eagle’s lobby. That’s already a bargain. On eBay, Sybert said, she’s seen them going for up to $125.A small newspaper struggling to endureBeyond its status as a local newspaper, the Eagle is an endangered species.It has resisted ownership by a large chain, which have often stripped news outlets bare. The Eagle has been owned by the same family since 1903; its patriarch, Vernon Wise, is now 95. Fifth-generation family member Jamie Wise Lanier drove up from Cincinnati this week to congratulate the staff on a job well done, general manager Tammy Schuey said.

Six editions are printed each week, and a digital site has a paywall that was lowered for some of the shooting stories. The Eagle’s circulation is 18,000, Schuey said, with about 3,000 of that digital.The United States has lost one-third of its newspapers since 2005 as the Internet chews away at once-robust advertising revenue. An average of 2.5 newspapers closed each week in 2023, according to a study by Northwestern University. The majority were in small communities like Butler.The Eagle abandoned a newsroom across town in 2019, consolidating space in the building where its printing press is housed. It has diversified, starting a billboard company and taking on extra printing jobs. It even stores the remnants of a long-shuttered local circus and allows residents to visit.The Eagle has about 30 employees, although it’s now short two reporters and a photographer. Cabinets housing old photographs lie among the clutter of desks in the newsroom, with a whiteboard that lists which staff members will be on weekend call.Its staff is a mix of young people like Bucur and Phillips, who tend to move on to larger institutions, and those who put down roots in Butler. Sybert has worked at the Eagle since 1982. Schuey was initially hired in 1991 to teach composing room employees how to use Macs.“This is a challenging business,” Schuey said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”Local understanding makes a huge differenceWhen a big story comes to town, with the national and international journalists that follow it, local news outlets are still a precious and valued resource.The Eagle knows the terrain. It knows the local officials. Smart national reporters who “parachute” into a small community that suddenly makes news know to seek out local journalists. Several have reached out to the Eagle, Schuey said.Familiarity helps in other ways. Bucur found people at the rally who were suspicious of national reporters but answered questions from her, and the same is true for some authorities. She has tapped her network of Facebook friends for reporting help.Such foundational trust is common. Many people in small towns have more faith in their community newspapers, said Rick Edmonds, the media business analyst at the Poynter Institute.“It’s just nice to support the locals,” said Jeff Ruhaak, a trucking company supervisor who paused during a meal at the Monroe Hotel to discuss the Eagle’s coverage. “I think they did a pretty good job covering it for their size.”The Eagle has another advantage as well: It isn’t going anywhere when the national reporters leave. The story won’t end. Hurt people need to recover and investigations will determine who is responsible for a would-be assassin being able to get a shot at Trump.In short: responsible journalism as civic leadership in harrowing moments.“Our community went through a traumatic experience,” Schuey said. “I was there. We have some healing to do, and I think the newspaper is a critical piece in helping guide the community through this.”So, too, must people at the Eagle heal, as Phillips’ raw emotions attest. Management is trying to give staff members some days off, perhaps with the help of journalists in surrounding communities.Bucur said she would hate to see Butler turned into a political prop, with the assassination being used as some sort of rallying cry. The divisiveness of national politics had already seeped into local meetings and staff members have felt the tension.Sybert and Schuey look at each other to try and remember what was the biggest story that Butler Eagle journalists have worked on. Was it a tornado that killed nine back in the 1980s? Some particularly bad traffic accident? Trump paid an uneventful campaign visit in 2020. But there’s no question what tops the list now.Despite the stress of the assassination attempt, covering it has been a personal revelation for the soft-spoken Bucur, who grew up 30 miles (48.2 kilometers) south in Pittsburgh and studied psychology in college. Her plans changed when she took a communications course and loved it.

“This,” she said, “was a moment I told myself that I think I’m cut out for journalism.”___David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder.“BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — When gunshots echoed at the Trump rally where she was working, Butler Eagle reporter Irina Bucur dropped to the ground just like everyone else. She was…”Source Link: https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/celebrities/2024/07/21/the-biggest-of-stories-came-to-the-small-city-of-butler-heres-how-its-newspaper-met-the-moment http://109.70.148.72/~merchant29/6network/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Screenshot-2023-12-27-121440-767x633.jpg #GLOBAL - BLOGGER BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — ... BLOGGER - #GLOBAL

[bllsbailey]

There's *ANOTHER* Disturbing Update on the Trump Assassination Attempt

It keeps getting worse: Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, who attempted to assassinate former President Donald Trump on July 13 in Butler, Pennsylvania, reportedly flew a drone over the rally area shortly before he executed his attack. Crooks scaled a rooftop unmolested, despite scores of attendees watching him army crawl on the roof, which was left unprotected by the Secret Service, as he lined up to take shots at Trump.

The roof was less than 200 yards from the stage. Donald Trump Jr. responded to this update tweeting, "Just to underscore how crazy this all is, I was once prevented flying my own drone off of the beach at Mar-a-Lago by USSS because my father was inside the house" (via WSJ):

WSJ, breaking: “The gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring…— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) July 19, 2024

A gunman who tried to kill Donald Trump was able to fly a drone and get aerial footage of the western Pennsylvania fairgrounds shortly before the former president was set to speak there, law-enforcement officials briefed on the matter said, further underscoring the stunning security lapses ahead of Trump’s near assassination.  Thomas Matthew Crooks flew the drone on a programmed flight path earlier in the day on July 13 to scour the Butler Farm Show grounds ahead of Trump’s ill-fated rally, the officials said. The predetermined path, the officials added, suggests Crooks flew the drone more than once as he researched and scoped out the event site.  The 20-year-old would-be assassin fired at least six rounds from the roof of the American Glass Research building roughly 400 feet away from where Trump spoke, killing one spectator, critically injuring two others and leaving Trump with a graze wound to the ear. A Secret Service sniper team shot back, killing Crooks, whose motive remains a mystery.  Multiple investigations are under way into how a gunman was able to climb onto a rooftop with a clear line of sight to Trump and open fire with an AR-15 rifle. Police had become suspicious of Crooks more than an hour earlier, when officers saw him milling about the edges of the rally with a range finder and a backpack.

Why the Secret Service left the rooftop unprotected remains the predominant issue, especially since it was flagged as a security vulnerability. There were snipers in the adjacent building at the time of the attack, with another Secret Service sniper team having their sights on Crooks two minutes before he fired the first shot. Yet, even before the rally, the Secret Service was informed that there was a credible threat against Trump’s life 10 minutes before he took the stage but allowed him to proceed anyway.

Trump was the target of an Iranian assassination plot, so he was given increased security, and this shooting still occurred. Trump missed a fatal headshot by millimeters. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) revealed today that most of Trump’s security detail weren’t even Secret Service agents. There is a mountain of questions that need answers. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle should be prepared to be grilled when he testified before the House Oversight Committee on Monday.

Authorities spotted crooks over an hour before he scaled the roof, being caught scouting the location with a rangefinder. It's a security failure worthy of Cheatle's resignation, but she has the protection of Jill Biden, who reportedly pushed for her to get the job. 

UPDATE:  What a mess via Bill Melugin:

Per federal law enforcement source  w/ knowledge of the security planning for Trump’s Butler, PA rally, the event was staffed by 22 Secret Service agents, including advance, assault, and sniper teams, 16 HSI agents, and it is believed there was no SS drone in the air. Per source, Secret Service did not request any tactical support from HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) beforehand, including the HSI elite Special Response team. HSI agents were assigned to “post standing” security duties at the street entrance and the media area, and were not responsible for the close proximity around Trump, or the buildings on the exterior of the area where the shooter was.  The entire operational security plan was created and carried out by Secret Service, which told HSI and local law enforcement where they needed bodies, and was responsible for the advance planning.

Trending on Townhall Videos

[newstfionline]

Saturday, July 20, 2024

Digital Disruption (Foreign Policy/Washington Post) International air travel, financial services, medical systems, personal computers, and television broadcasts briefly ground to a halt on Friday after CrowdStrike, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, pushed through a flawed software update that sparked a global technology outage. CrowdStrike may not have been a household name before Friday, but the firm plays an outsized role in operating many of the world’s digital services, as demonstrated by this incident. More than half of all Fortune 500 companies rely on CrowdStrike’s cybersecurity software. Friday’s disruption occurred after the firm deployed a software update that appeared to clash with Microsoft Windows, thereby wreaking havoc on computers that had been running that system. Marie Vasek, an assistant professor at University College London’s computer science department, said the widespread computer meltdowns showed how reliant global technology systems are on a small number of companies’ software. It’s being called the most spectacular IT failure the world has ever seen.

‘Our Nation Is Not Well’: Voters Fear What Could Happen Next (NYT) Before Saturday, when Butler, Pa., became the latest stunned backdrop for the nation’s political fury, Mayor Bob Dandoy thought of his town as a place that had learned to work around party lines. A Democrat in a Republican stronghold, he had campaigned on consensus. He was at dinner with his family on Saturday when he heard a spectator was dead at Donald J. Trump’s campaign rally on the farm show grounds, two more were critically injured. The former president’s right ear had been grazed by a bullet. The gunman, an isolated 20-year-old with an AR-15-style rifle, was fatally shot by the Secret Service. All this, in the town of about 13,000 where Mr. Dandoy has lived “all my life.” Since then, national discord has descended on Butler with such force that this week it crashed the town’s website. E-mailers charged that the city failed to protect Mr. Trump, maybe even wanted him to be a target. Callers demanded that the city admit that Mr. Trump’s supporters staged the shooting. The mayor has tried to remind everyone that Butler is a community that accomplishes good things, that has worked through disagreements together. And yet, he said, the trauma has been overwhelming. “People are in a state of shock,” he said. As the 2024 presidential election approaches, that unease is not limited to Butler. In interviews from the West Coast to the Deep South, Americans across party lines say they are deeply apprehensive, and not just because of last weekend’s attempt on a presidential candidate’s life.

Immigrants and crime (NYT) Throughout the first three days of the Republican National Convention, officials have highlighted a surge in what they call “migrant crime.” President Biden “has welcomed into our country rapists, murderers, even terrorists, and the price that we have paid has been deadly,” Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas claimed last night. The day before, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas said, “Every day, Americans are dying” in crimes committed by migrants. Donald Trump has made similar remarks on the campaign trail. But there is no migrant crime surge. In fact, U.S. rates of crime and immigration have moved in opposite directions in recent years. After illegal immigration plummeted in 2020, the murder rate rose. And after illegal immigration spiked in 2021 and 2022, murders plateaued and then fell. Over a longer period, there is no relationship between immigration and crime trends.

Losing Hope, Venezuelans Vow to Leave Their Country if Maduro Wins (NYT) A young opposition activist planning to trek through seven countries and a perilous jungle to reach the United States. A journalist ready to abandon everything to build a new life abroad. A lawyer in her 60s, fearful that her last daughter is about to leave. For thousands of Venezuelans, the decision to remain or flee their homeland depends on a single date: July 28. On that day, the country will vote in a high-stakes presidential election. If the country’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, declares victory, they say they will go. If the opposition candidate wins, they will stay. Roughly a quarter of Venezuela’s population has already left, with almost eight million people living in other countries, according to the United Nations, forming one of the largest migration crises in the world. So far, Mr. Maduro has shown little interest in relinquishing power, no matter what the vote shows. This week at a campaign event, he warned that Venezuela would fall “into a blood bath, into a fratricidal civil war” if he didn’t win.

New U.K. prime minister seeks a reset with Europe (Washington Post) The setting was a super-posh country estate, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, just outside Oxford. Forty-six leaders from Europe showed up. The word of the day was “reset”—as in Britain seeks to reset its relationship with the continent. New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted this, the fourth meeting of the European Political Community, which includes the 27 members of the European Union and an outer-circle of like-minded democracies—like the United Kingdom. Starmer, who was against Brexit, has emphatically stated that Britain won’t be rejoining the E.U. in his lifetime. But he used Thursday’s prescheduled summit to begin patching things up after years of squabbling over the terms of the U.K. exit. European leaders offered warm words about rapprochement. French President Emmanuel Macron told broadcasters, “This is a great opportunity for a reset.”

Russian court convicts journalist Evan Gershkovich, imposes 16-year sentence (Washington Post) In a closed trial with secret evidence, a Russian court on Friday convicted American journalist Evan Gershkovich of espionage—charges that the U.S. government said were wholly fabricated—and sentenced him to 16 years in prison, according to Russian state media. Gershkovich was the first American journalist arrested in Russia since the Cold War and his case has grave implications for press freedoms. The trial proceeded with unusual swiftness—suggesting potential developments in negotiations for a prisoner exchange. Trials for espionage in Russia typically take months. In Russia’s highly-politicized legal system, where the courts routinely are used to jail journalists, democracy advocates, human rights activists and political opponents of the government, Gershkovich’s conviction had appeared inevitable since his arrest. Gershkovich’s arrest in March 2023 seemed to mark a brazen new chapter in hostage diplomacy, by which the Kremlin details foreigners on baseless charges only to use them to negotiate exchanges for Russians convicted of serious crimes in the West.

Bangladesh security forces fire bullets and sound grenades as protests escalate (AP) Police and security officials fired bullets and tear gas at protesters in Bangladesh on Friday, as internet and mobile services were cut off after days of deadly clashes over the allocation of government jobs. The protests, which began weeks ago but escalated sharply on Monday, represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina since she was won a fourth consecutive term in a January election that was boycotted by the main opposition parties. The fresh clashes follow the bloodiest day of the protests to date, with local media reporting 22 people killed as protesting students attempted to impose a “complete shutdown” on the country. The chaos has highlighted cracks in Bangladesh’s governance and economy and the frustration of young graduates who face a lack of good jobs.

Israel should evacuate settlements, pay reparations, ICJ says (Washington Post) The International Court of Justice, the top judicial arm of the United Nations, said Friday that Israel should bring an end to its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, cease new settlement activity, evacuate existing settlements and pay reparations to Palestinians who have lost land and property. The court, based in The Hague, said Israel is responsible for “systematic discrimination” against Palestinians based on race or ethnicity and has breached the right of Palestinians to self-determination. “Israel has an obligation to bring an end to its presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible,” said Nawaf Salam, the president of the court. The searing advisory opinion issued by judges is not legally binding, but the decision could have wide consequences in the international arena, including in trade and diplomacy. Israel declined to take part in the hearings and described the proceedings as biased and an “abuse of international law and the judicial process.”

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim drone strike that kills 1 person, injures at least 10 in Tel Aviv (AP) Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone strike early Friday that hit part of central Tel Aviv near the U.S. Embassy, killing one person and injuring 10. The aerial strike rumbled through the streets causing shards of shrapnel to rain down and spreading shards of glass over a large radius. The Houthis have launched drones and missiles toward Israel throughout the Israel-Hamas war, in solidarity with the Palestinian people and against Israel. But until Friday, all were intercepted by either Israel or Western allies with forces stationed in the region. It blew out windows of a number of buildings and damaged cars in the neighborhood near the coastline. People thronged to the area as police helicopters hovered overhead.

‘I Divorce You’: Dubai princess’s Instagram declaration defies custom (Washington Post) One of the daughters of Dubai’s ruler announced her intent to seek a divorce in an Instagram post Wednesday, making Sheikha Mahra bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the latest princess of the emirate to publicly counter the norms of her country—and of her father, the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai. “I hereby declare our divorce,” wrote Mahra, the daughter of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. “I divorce you, I divorce you, and I Divorce You. Take care. Your ex-wife.” In repeating the phrase “I divorce you” three times, the princess appeared to be referencing the controversial practice of triple talaq. Customarily, under Sunni Islamic law, triple talaq allows a Muslim man to divorce his wife by saying talaq—the Arabic word for divorce—three times. The man does not need to offer a reason or obtain his wife’s agreement. The princess suggested in her Wednesday post that her husband had been unfaithful to her, saying that he was “occupied with other companions.” Her apparent invocation of triple talaq broke from the practice’s typical implementation, as it is men who invoke talaq under Islamic law.

Ethiopia’s kidnapping epidemic (The Week) More than 100 people, mostly students, are being held for ransom by kidnappers in Ethiopia, the latest in an epidemic of abductions in the troubled country. The kidnappings are centred on the restive Oromia region. Buses travelling from a university in the area to the capital Addis Ababa in early July were attacked and passengers taken. Such incidents are nothing new. It is now “very rare” to find a family “who has not been affected by kidnapping,” one local told The Guardian in January. “The government has no control” over the problem. The gunmen are thought to have transported their captives to a remote rural area. Families of the victims have received ransom demands. The brother of one of the abductees was phoned and told that if he ever wanted to see his sister again, he needed to pay 700,000 Ethiopian birr (£9,400). On Friday, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council said that some students have apparently been released after their families paid ransoms, according to the Toronto-based Ethiopian news site Borkena.

Religion books (Publishers Weekly) The most vibrant genre in books right now is religion, with sales up 12.1 percent in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023. The original interconnected franchise, the Bible, has sold gangbusters, with the top five bestselling Bibles moving 365,000 copies in the first six months of the year.

[alaturkanews]

Dozens of Local Police Officers Were at Trump’s Rally. Very Few Were Watching a Critical Area.

A key question after an assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump a week ago is why the Secret Service excluded from its secured zone a nearby warehouse the gunman used for his assault. But another possible flaw in the Secret Service’s plans for the campaign rally at the farm show grounds in Butler, Pa., is emerging. The protection agency expected the sizable contingent of…

[foxonly]

A 1953 CIA Assassination Manual and the Attempt on Trump’s Life

BY DUKE SMALLHOUSE  A whirlwind of conjecture continues to swirl around the circumstances of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a July 13 campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Grounds near Butler, Pennsylvania. Official reports indicate that twenty year old Thomas Matthew Crooks, killed by a Secret Service sniper immediately after firing the shots, was the sole…

[liberty1776]

As I have observed in previous columns, our era in the United States is frequently beset with incidents characterized by a catastrophic loss of competence. Decades of procedural knowledge seem to vanish from one day to the next, leaving sensible people wondering how it could possibly happen. The attempted assassination of Donald Trump this evening at the the Butler Farm Show Grounds is a perfect example of this bizarre phenomenon. The shooter climbed onto the roof—purportedly with an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle —120 meters from Trump on the stage. From this vantage point, he had a clear line of sight … Continue reading →