#Citizen travel should be permitted.

[falseandrealultravival]

Citizen travel should be permitted.

Recently, Asian women, who were impressed by Korean movies, flocked to a Swiss lakeside village as a ``sacred place,'' and said that environmental pollution is serious. Tourists 1000 times more than villagers rush in and leave a large amount of garbage.

An idiot has no right to travel. Travel should only be allowed to those authorized by the authorities. In old Japan, only those who could carry the country on their backs were allowed to travel and study abroad. that's fine.

Babylman

一般市民の旅行は、許可制で行われるべし。

最近、韓国の映画に感銘を受けたアジア系の、おもに女性が、「聖地」として、スイスの湖畔の村に押しかけ、環境汚染が深刻だと���う。村人の１０００倍の旅行者が押しかけ、ゴミを大量に置いていく。

バカに旅行する権利はない。旅行は、当局に認められた者だけに許されるべきだ。昔の日本では、国家を背負って立てる人材しか、海外旅行・留学は出来なかった。それで良い。

[mariacallous]

People often say to me that I wouldn’t personally be affected by a second Donald Trump presidency. After all, I live in a blue city in a blue state, and I’m a married, heterosexual woman who isn’t looking to have any more children. I won’t need medication like mifepristone for a miscarriage (though I do have girls in my family who I assume will someday want to have children), and I don’t personally rely on the federal government for education, because my kids don’t go to public school.

So, again, how would any of this affect me? The most likely answer is that, as a public-facing person, I will continue to be subjected to threats, as many in the mainstream media already are. But attacks on the media could escalate if Trump returns to power, given that he doesn’t hesitate to demonize journalists and call them out before his millions of followers. And given what Trump says on television, he may target American citizens for unfavorable speech.

“I think the bigger problem is the enemy from within,” he told Maria Bartiromo on Fox News on Sunday. “Sick people, radical-left lunatics. And it should be very easily handled by, if necessary, by the National Guard, or, if really necessary, by the military.” The “lunatics” in question could be anyone from protesters to opinion columnists—or even mainstream reporters—he doesn’t agree with. Trump has referred to CBS as a “A FAKE NEWS SCAM” whose operations are “totally illegal,” and has similarly suggested that ABC should lose its broadcast license. 

What would it mean to have a president who, in this fashion, targets what little is left of the free press? It’s hard to fathom, but there’s a world where Trump imitates his strongman friends like Vladimir Putin or Viktor Orbán or Kim Jong Un—all of whom participate in jailing or killing journalists in countries with state-regulated media. He’s already taking a page from Joe McCarthy this election cycle in targeting the “enemies within,” something my family is all too familiar with.

Few aspects of Trump’s second-terms plans are more openly authoritarian than his immigration platform. On Friday, Trump traveled to Aurora, a suburb of Denver, Colorado, where he is shopping “Operation Aurora,” a policy he said would target “every illegal migrant criminal network operating on American soil” by use of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. According to the Brennan Center, the law is “a wartime authority that allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation. The law permits the president to target these immigrants without a hearing and based only on their country of birth or citizenship.” The last time the United States used the Alien Enemies Act, it was to put Japanese and Japanese Americans into internment camps during WWII.

What would internment camps actually entail in the modern day? Well, Trump has talked about deporting up to 20 million undocumented immigrants—an operation of staggering scale that he freely admits will be “bloody.” (The Department of Homeland Security, in 2018, estimated there were 11.4 million undocumented immigrants; Pew put the number at roughly 11 million in 2022.) It’s impossible to imagine what deporting that many people would really look like; maybe blue-state governors would be strong enough to prevent deportation camps from being built in states like California and New York. Maybe the camps would only be in red states, or maybe they’d be erected on federal land, like national parks. Then there’s the question of who would run these camps. Trump, for his part, has mused about using the National Guard. Who would stop any of this, you might ask? Would a Republican Congress stop it? Who would be the grown-ups in the room.

At least during the first Trump administration, the courts prevented Trump from doing some of the things he wanted to do, like ending DACA. But this time, Trump would be starting out with a 6-3 conservative-majority Supreme Court, featuring three justices he appointed. Last year, we saw the Trump-friendly high court issue two rulings that will pretty much serve as a blank check to an emboldened Trump: The first ended the Chevron deference, which will curb the power of federal agencies and expedite the death of regulatory expertise. The other decision, which is perhaps more worrying, Trump would have a blank check to do whatever he wants if he says it’s in the service of the presidency, essentially granting him blanket immunity against any crimes he commits in office. As Ninth Circuit judge and Ronald Reagan appointee Stephen S. Trott wrote, it means that Richard Nixon could have “legally ordered his plumbers to burgle the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist.”

Trump is telling us all about his potential plans: internment camps, going after his enemies foreign and domestic, including, presumably, journalists. Will I be one of them? Will he clamp down on the free press? Will he take away the licenses from networks he deems insufficiently supportive of his presidency?

On the campaign trail, Trump has recently posed a question of his own when it comes to voting for him, asking the crowd, “What the hell do you have to lose?” Actually, a lot. While we don’t know precisely what a second Trump term will look like, it’ll surely be chaotic and bleak, and could mark the end of something we certainly don’t want to lose: democracy as we know it.

[y-rhywbeth2]

Gods & Clergy: Bhaal #2

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Religion | Gods | Shar | Selûne | Bhaal #1 | Bhaal #2 | Mystra | Jergal | Bane #1 | Bane #2 | Bane #3 | Myrkul | Lathander | Kelemvor | Tyr | Helm | Ilmater | Mielikki | Oghma | Gond | Tempus | Silvanus | Talos | Umberlee | Corellon | Moradin | Yondalla | Garl Glittergold | Eilistraee | Lolth | Laduguer | Gruumsh | Bahamut | Tiamat | Amodeus | The rest of the Faerûnian Pantheon --WIP

Because I found some extra stuff on Bhaalists.

Briefly featuring; secret identities, how to consecrate an altar, acceptable targets for sacrifice, red rooms, mummification, do not steal a Bhaalist's knife, and maybe some other stuff.

-

"Murder is natural. Slaying is what all creatures in Faerûn do, daily if they can. At least daily, slay something living—and the Lord of Murder is most pleased if the victim is one of your own kind and as formidable as, or more powerful than, you. Kill with swift skill, not by torture, forced suicide, falls, or collisions. Do it personally, with ever-greater deftness and elegance, and teach others the skills and the delights of slaying. "Deathbringers are to slay with enough skill that witnesses are impressed. They are always to challenge those more powerful than themselves, the clergy of other deities being prize targets. Slay with pleasure, but never with anger. Be in exquisite control of yourself. Utter the name of Bhaal so the victim can hear it. Ideally, it should be the last word a victim hears." - more Bhaalist dogma

Deathbringer appears to be a generic term for a Bhaalist who is part of the church. Or it's an alternative term for Deathstalker, it's hard to tell. Going on context, I assume it means the former.

In the time between his death and his resurrection, Bhaal no longer spoke directly to his followers even though he seemed to be answering prayers. He contacted them only rarely, and only in the form of nightmares.

Worshipping Bhaal is legal and persecuting his followers is considered... risky. Nobody wants to offend the gods. Murder, on the other hand, is very much illegal. Due to the fact that Bhaal is worshipped by committing very illegal murders, this gets complicated.

As with all evil and disruptive faiths, Bhaalists are permitted to worship so long as they don't disrupt functioning society and follow various stipulations: keeping their religious practices out of public view; not getting caught red handed doing murder; not rocking the boat and causing the public to panic; and performing agreed upon services for the government for example. If they keep their end of the agreement, the law politely turns to look away.

Bhaalists protect their ability to worship the Lord of Murder by courting the halls of power, making themselves indispensable to the local government and nobility, and infiltrating law enforcement to cover their tracks. Many of them cut out the middleman and take positions of power themselves.

To make life easier for themselves, most Bhaalists have a "daytime identity" as a regular citizen, and keep their personal shrines out of sight (part of the restriction violent and evil faiths must follow in order to be permitted to operate in the Realms). The public should not be able to identify random Bhaalists walking amongst them.

Incidentally, Bhaalist shrines are kept holy by being anointed with the followers' own blood.

Bhaalists use their daily life to observe the city and consider their target. Preferred targets include:

Adventurers and travellers nobody knows. -

Criminals and troublemakers people will be glad to be rid of. -

People who are rising in power who might cause trouble for Bhaalists with that power -

The clergy of Bhaal's enemies: (Chauntea, goddess of agriculture; Helm, god of guards and law; Lathander, god of birth and renewal; Torm, protector of the common folk; Ilmater, god of martyrs; and Lliira, goddess of joy)

Favourite hunting grounds for Bhaalists tend to be either the main streets and markets (if they're looking to draw attention to the sacrifice, perhaps to make a statement) or the slums and poorer areas.

A daily murder is preferred by Bhaal, but only once a tenday is the murder of a person mandated. When the time comes, the Bhaalist will don their religious clothing and head out on their hunt.

Once the target is dead, they will take some trophy from them (and likely strip them of their wealth and possibly ransack their house, if possible). This trophy could be a personal possession, or a body part (for example; a finger, or their heart). The "trophy" is offered up to Bhaal on the altar, with a prayer, and Bhaal permits his followers to keep whatever wealth they acquire to fund their daily life and "continue their holy work." Many Bhaalists aim for a wealthy life, both for the comfort and for the fact that power and money are great ways to avoid anybody arresting you if you fuck up.

If in a city with a larger temple, then the worshipper is to tithe 50% of all coins taken this way to the temple.

If there is no temple in the area, then every member will be assigned a higher ranking priest as a handler of sorts, and they will give that 50% to them instead.

The church couldn't care less about non-monetary gains and land deeds, you can keep those.

Temples are not open to the public and may not be placed in view of the public, hence why they are built beneath the streets. There are also remote monasteries and monastic orders beyond the reach of the cities, which presumably hunt travellers on the roads at night and put the fear of their god into the hearts of nearby villages and farmers.

Bhaalists recruit by essentially running red rooms and snuff shows in secret locations at night; often cellars, basements and also private rooms in the upper floors of more well-to-do buildings. Guests wear masks to protect their privacy (the Bhaalists will presumably be wearing their full religious veils instead of masks).

The targets chosen for the spectacle will typically be those public opinion deems deserving of death. Violent criminals, for example. These slayings will not be considered a crime by viewers, and with a reputation for vigilantism, the cult may even come to be viewed favourably by some. Joining the cult means you get to "volunteer" the next guest star.

-

While I don't know how widely practiced this is, Bhaalists do mummify their dead. Invading a Bhaalist tomb may backfire when the long-dead priests take issue with their visitors.

Bhaalists blades may be cursed, in case they're stolen (particularly those they bury with their dead). Once unsheathed, the blades can't be returned to their scabbard until they've been used to take a life. Attempts to remove the curse with counter-magic will cause them to explode violently in a burst of metal shrapnel and fatal poison (which will be absorbed into the body on skin contact).

[trekbait]

Must see things on DS9 while on shore leave!

Deep Space 9, simultaneously the most important military outpost in the Alpha Quadrant and the most popular shopping mall this side of Freecloud, has rapidly become a Shore Leave destination to rival Risa. This is your guide to making the most of your leave!

The Promenade

The hub of the station is the Promenade where you can view the station’s many stores. You’ve got gift shops, a tailors to dress up for a night out, the Jumja stick stand, Bat'leth’s R Us and the bowling alley. As far as food or drinks, you’ve travelled around the quadrant in seconds! Choose from Bajoran, Bolian, Klingon, Vulcan, the replimat, and of course Quark’s which we will come back to soon. 

Can’t I just replicate all of this, you ask? Sure but cosplaying ancient capitalism is a hobby so many Federation citizens enjoy these days. Just remember to bring some currency and brush up on the terms you need to “haggle” and “gamble” before you go so you don’t look like an “easy mark” (Have you got advice on how to spend currency? Leave a comment!). If you’re looking for handmade “unreplicated” items, however, get your purchase externally verified before parting with your chosen medium of exchange.

If you’re not someone into aesthetic scarcity, there’s more to do! Opposite Quark’s is the Bajoran temple where you can take in a slice of Bajoran culture. After all, they’ll soon be a Federation member! If your captain has been savvy in scheduling your visit, you may even get a chance to see the Gratitude Festival. Finally, fans of the first Ferengi in Starfleet may want to find a spot opposite Quark’s and dangle their feet over the edge. Enjoy the ambience of Commander Nog’s favourite spot before security moves you along.

Watching the Wormhole

You may be wondering why we didn’t point out the best spot to see the wormhole on the promenade. Well, that’s because the best spot isn’t on the promenade. Every insider knows to head to a vacant upper pylon (our favourite is number 2). Up there you’ll get a beautiful view of what the Bajorans call the “Celestial Temple”. Maybe you’ll have a religious awakening? 

Don’t forget, they say that if you see the wormhole open, you get to make a wish. I guess the dockmaster at DS9 must be a very lucky person by now.

Ops

The nerve centre of DS9 is off duty to casual visitors (such as young ensigns on shore leave) but since the war ended tours have been scheduled twice a day. Visitors will be shown around Ops by a member of the crew and told stories about the events that happened there. You will also get to see inside the station commander’s office including Sisko’s famous baseball. If you’re lucky you’ll catch a glimpse of Colonel Kira! The wait list is very long so book ahead.

Note that holo imagers are not permitted in Ops and the tour may be cancelled at short notice in the event of an emergency situation. For a more in-depth experience, see the “Ops: Battle Stations!” holosuite programme in Quark’s which recreates various dramatic battles from the station’s history.

Quark’s

This isn’t just any Quark’s, it’s the original Quark’s! A bar so good it’s spread across the quadrant like Caitan nip. It’s got drinks, live music, auctions, a Dabo wheel (with some very good-looking Dabo girls and guys to help you part with your currency) and some amazing holosuites (with none of the content filters recently applied to Starfleet Holodecks). This is also the spot where Captain Sisko punched Q!

Those looking for something special should ask after Quark’s private stock. It comes at a premium, but who can turn down some Aldebaran whiskey? Share a glass with Morn who is renowned for regaling fellow patrons with war tales. Meanwhile, Ensigns who have studied under Professor O’Brien at Starfleet Academy might also be looking out for his famous dart board. It’s located just to the left of the bar and you can try it out yourself! See if you can beat O’Brien and Doctor Bashir’s high scores!

Speaking of O’Biren and Bashir, check out Vic’s Lounge in the holosuites. This recreation of an old Earth club was so popular among the crew of DS9 that Bashir kept it running 26 hours a day. The eponymous Vic himself, the proprietor, is a sentient hologram much like Voyager’s EMH. So speak freely and enjoy the vibe of old Earth.

Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop on your way out! 

The Tribble Experience

Something away from the promenade is a Tribble cafe, opened in a cargo bay after the crew of the Defiant brought back the one-extinct Tribble from the 23rd century. Realising they could stop its spread by ensuring they were away from any food supply they managed to relocate the tribbles away from the promenade to a cargo bay. 

Lacking a better idea, they opened an “experience” where you get to pet, play with and roll around a cargo bay with several hundred tribbles. Their cute purrs will calm even the most nervous disposition!

Please note they have a strict no-food policy for all visitors. Anyone inadvertently bringing food into the Tribble Experience will be held legally liable for all the Tribble offspring that result as well as any containment or cleanup costs the station incurs.

Dukat’s Ghost

Several years back, the crew on DS9 triggered a Cardassian self-defense mechanism built into the main computer designed to suppress a Bajoran uprising. While the station locked down and attempted to kill its now Cardassian-free inhabitants messages of the old prefect, Gul Dukat (yes, that Dukat), played on monitors across the station. 

After the program was purged, a bug remained in the system. Head down to level 32, section H. Stand outside the cargo bay there and turn right. Walk to the next junction then left, right then straight on for 12 meters. On your left you’ll see a flickering display screen. At 12 minutes past the hour, every hour, an automated message from Dukat to his Bajoran workers will play. However, the audio generation gets spliced with the general communication system of the station so you’ll get a unique presentation from Dukat. We stayed for 3 hours and heard these;

“Bajoran Workers, I will learn to live with it. Because I can live with it. I can live with it.”

“Bajoran Workers, it is said that in the right hands the Mercury Stone has the power to cleanse the land of evil and bring prosperity to all.”

“Bajoran Workers, come to Quark’s, Quark’s is fun, come right now, don’t walk, run!”

Enjoy your stay on DS9 and remember to leave a review on FourQuad.

[starqueensthings]

Extra large, black, no sweetener!

Summary: the most random little ficlet that’s ever come from my brain. I likely should have saved this for a coffee shop AU, but the threat of it disappearing amidst my 2767634 other google docs is too high. So, please enjoy a soft lil, gender neutral, all ages welcome Cody ficlet about caf and muffins.  

WC/Warnings: 2356 words, 2nd POV (you/you’re) | brief mentions of pregnancy and labour (readers relative)

A/N: not proof read. If you happen across a passive verb or run on sentence, no you did not. 

ao3 here

Others may have found the cacophony inside the caf house somewhat obtrusive. Those accustomed to the traditionally calm ambience of a secluded bistro where they could simply lose themselves in the pages of an old book or sip their favorite elaborately prepared caf, would have been utterly aghast at the throng of patrons lined up outside of Renee’s, most  laughing loudly with their adjacent neighbour, or chatting uninhibitedly in languages you’d never heard before. 

Perhaps it was the welcome emergence of radiant sunshine this morning that had such an array of Coruscanti citizens seeking the comfort of a fresh scone and blue milk latte. Or, sadly, maybe it was the promise of cold and desolate weather tomorrow that had many seeking out the succor of a treat before that uncomfortable emergence of a fall drizzle. Or, perhaps, it was simply always this busy; with the Grand Republic Medical Facility in such close proximity, it was perfectly logical that such a diverse clientele, and a vast number of them, would visit the nearby caf house. Regardless of why, the sheer din of voices inside those four austere walls was a welcome change to the rhythmic beeps! that had relentlessly assaulted your awareness for nearly two full rotations. 

41 hours to be exact since the shrill chime of your holopad had roused you from your slumber, though it was the sheer panic immediately apparent in your sister’s voice that had sent you leaping earnestly from your bed and pulling on the nearest disjointed pieces of clothing. 

“My water broke!” she’d cried, her voice wavering beneath the surging anxiety of her imminent labour. “Can you meet me at the hospital?” 

41 hours since you’d pulled your speeder hurriedly into a parking space and sprinted through those hospital doors. 41 hours of sporadically having your hand squeezed to the point of simply wishing it would fall off. 41 hours of trying to doze in that creaky hospital chair, while the luminous barrage of Coruscant’s skyline kept you from truly finding the reprieve of sleep. 41 hours of the nurse droids rolling into the room at infuriatingly regular intervals, blinding her with an infrared beam of light as they scanned her vitals before disappearing again. 41 hours of listening to your sister, who’s anxiety was already exacerbated by the imminent reality of raising a child alone, whimpered amidst endless rounds of contractions, those excruciating cramps wracking her entire body with no relief. 41 hours… and still no sign of that baby. 

The hospital caf had been largely digestible for the first rotation, yet as sleep deprivation sunk further into your bones and apprehension continued to fester in those quiet minutes between contractions, just the thought of attempting to force that sludge down your throat saw your stomach churning anew.  

So at daybreak this morning, as the FX-9 medical droid finally conceded to numbing the lower half of her body and permitted your sister the solace of some much needed rest, you departed that stuffy hospital room in search of some real sustenance. 

Renee’s was the first door you’d found on your limited travels, its myriad of somewhat rickety bistro tables scattered both inside that congested space and across the front patio seemed a perfect place to mentally decompress before the need to rush back into the whirlwind of labour reemerged. More so, the thought of a nice baked good had you nearly drooling as you pulled the door ajar and filed into the line behind two bickering Ugnaughts. 

“‘Scuse me.” A voice broke into your wandering thoughts moments later, shortly followed by a thick purple arm reaching daringly across your chest. 

“No worries,” you offered that Devaronian man as he apologized for invading your personal space atop the need to deposit his used fork into the trash beside you, though even attempting a small step to the left neath an effort to grant him more space was a task near impossible thanks to the expanding crowd around the Pick-Up counter. 

“EXTRA LARGE, BLACK, NO SWEETENER!” 

How such a tiny body could have emitted such an assertive sound had you stifling a chuckle as you made your way through the throng toward the petite Pantoran woman placing a large kraft paper cup on the counter, yanking her askew apron back into place before disappearing again. You eyed that waiting caf near-possessively as you stumbled forward, stammering apologies to those you accidentally trod on in your efforts to reach it through the crowd. The promise of that hot, freshly brewed, steaming caf now felt like a talisman against the stress and anxiety awaiting you back on the 8th floor of that medical building, and you’d be damned if you didn’t savour every single sip—

“Oops, sorry…” 

An armoured hand knocked gently against yours as you reached to retrieve your blessed order, those gloved fingers instantly retracting as they collided with yours.

“No no, I’m sorry,” you asserted, looking upward at the person whose caf order perfectly matched yours.  

Even more shocking than the boisterous voice of the tiny blue woman, was the notion that you hadn’t initially noticed this man’s presence upon entering that cramped and crowded space. He stood out like a sore thumb amid that crowd in his dominating suit of white and orange plastoid, the deep scar wrapping from brow to cheek rendering him instantly imposing despite the softness behind those golden eyes.“I, uh… I assumed that was mine,” you continued somewhat breathlessly as his gaze found yours and momentarily froze the air in your lungs. “You’re a ‘black, no sweetener’ too?” 

He nodded, lips tensing under the first signs of smile. “The only way to drink a caf, if you ask me.”

“Agreed,” you grinned, trying to determine if the relentless hammering of your heart against the walls of your chest was the result of that unexpected confrontation, or the tingly feeling left in the wave of his eyes dancing across your features. “I can’t get behind this new trend of weird vegetable-spiced creams and chemically altered sugars. My molars hurt just thinking about it.” 

“You should hear my brother when he orders his,” the man answered with a laugh, those soft creases atop his forehead deepening as his amusement tugged his eyebrows upward slightly. “It’s some ‘non-fat, flip-it-back, no fuzz, extra cold’ …thing. Doesn’t even look like caf by the time they’re done making it.” 

You could only offer a small snicker in response, too distracted by how the small roll of those gorgeous eyes entirely lacked the contempt you’d expect to see when complaining about a sibling’s needless opulence, instead twinkling with something near a suppressed affection. 

“Well,” you started, feeling your face begin to flush under his soft gaze. “Feel free to take this one. I’m not in any sort of hurry.” 

“No no,” he argued, instantly protesting your offer by taking a small step away from the counter. “You go ahead. I’ll wait for the next.” 

“No, honestly,” you argued, retrieving the cup and giving him an encouraging nod as you pushed it against his worn and abraded chest plate. “I was going to wait around a little and see if they put out more muffins anyways. I was eying the last meiloorun one, but someone nabbed it before I could order.” 

“Ah,” he uttered, suddenly lifting a tiny wax paper bag to eye level and looking at you apologetically. “Guilty. Apparently we’re stealing each other's caf and breakfast.” 

“Apparently…” you teased amidst a feigned disapproval, heading shaking slowly while that persistent smile crept further across your lips. “You’re lucky you have a blaster at your hip or I’d be giving you a lot more attitude.” 

“Tell you what,” he proposed after a snort, “Since neither of us are in much of a hurry, I’ll take this caf and go grab us a table outside. Once you get yours, come find me and we’ll split the muffin. How’s that sound?” 

“Sounds like a plan,” you agreed with a nod. “As long as I get the bottom.” 

“The– the bottom?” His brows furrowed instantly, eyes widening while the tips of his ears reddenned. 

“Of the muffin,” you clarified instantly, feeling your own cheeks flush. “The bottom part of the muffin.” 

“Oh– right,” he answered, an apologetic smile peeling across those supple lips before a small snort shook his shoulders. “Okay, I’ll head outside.” 

It was only barely that you suppressed the embarrassing grin doming your cheeks in earnest as that unknown soldier disappeared through the front door and into that glowing sunshine, hands drumming anxiously against the outer parts of your thighs as you attempted to refocus your attention on the serving staff bustling around behind the counter. Seconds felt like hours, minutes like days. Would he actually wait for you? Save you a seat? Split his breakfast? Or had he already taken his wares and left, too polite to grant you a true rejection whilst surrounded on all sides by others?

With something near-impatience welling in your chest, you chewed on your lip and stared intently at every staff member that approached the counter with a kraft paper cup in their hands, heart lurching anew with every order called loudly atop the din of that growing crowd until finally… 

“EXTRA LARGE, BLACK, NO SWEETENER.”

Muscles seizing briefly as the shriek of that tiny Pantoran server took you by surprise, your feet took you hurriedly toward the counter, hands scooping up that steaming cup and wreathing it near-protectively as you thanked the woman and turned on your heel. 

That orange paint was immediately apparent some half a dozen tables from the door, gaze downward at the cup wreathed by his left hand, while his right drummed somewhat thoughtlessly against the tabletop next to an equally worn and distressed looking helmet. 

“Made it.” 

You’d hardly reached to place that cup down on the table and shove your wallet back into place before he rose from his seat to greet you, the legs of that aged and wobbly iron seat scraping loudly atop the stone below atop his sudden motion. 

That unexpected chivalry nearly froze you in your tracks as you nudged your own chair away from the table enough to lower your aching body down, offering him an appreciative smile as he waited until you’d situated yourself before mirroring your action.  

“Just sat down when I realized, I didn’t even ask your name,” he spoke amidst a dazzling smile, wasting no time passing that wax paper bag across the table for you to claim your part of that baked good first. 

“To be fair, I didn’t ask yours either,” you chuckled, extracting that glorious looking fruit pastry from its slightly crumpled container and quickly separating the top section from the bottom. 

He repeated your name under his breath as he took his half from your grasp and placed it on a napkin he’d spread across the table top in front of him. “I’m Cody,” he advised, glancing upward to gift you another near-dismantling smile. 

“Thank you for sharing your breakfast, Cody,” you spoke, tearing off a small piece of that fragrant pastry and plopping it in your mouth. “I really appreciate it. Don’t have any proof, but I’d bet any amount of credits the hospital food is slowly poisioning me.” 

“Uh oh,” he answered gravely. “Hospital? You okay?” 

“Oh yeah, I’m fine,” you answered, dismissing his concern with a casual wave. “My sister’s having a baby. She’s been in labour for nearly two days and both of us are going a little nuts. I had to escape for a while.” 

“A baby,” he repeated. “That’s gotta be exciting. Worth the wait, I’d think?” 

“It is…” you agreed slowly, unable to hide the apprehension neath your tone. “She’s on her own though, so she’s a little more anxious than excited right now. What about you? Usually the clones we see walking around here are Reds. Are you posted here, or just between missions?” 

“Neither really,” he answered, brushing crumbs from his fingers and pausing to swallow a mouthful. “My corps and I are technically assigned to the warship my General commands, but he’s a member of the Jedi council so we’re planetside pretty often, though it usually only lasts a few hours.” 

“That sounds kriffing exhausting,” you exclaimed with a frown. “To never get a break from battle?”

“It definitely can be,” he admitted with a shrug. “But sometimes having a break makes it tougher to get back into the action. It's almost better to stay on the combat base where you’re still immersed in the thick of it, though I have a feeling the food in the hospital might be the same as the food in the mess hall, so it’s nice to get out for a real caf every once in a while.” 

“Hmm,” you hummed, lips compressing into a disconcerted grimace as your gaze danced warmly across that battle worn, plastoid kit hugging his body like a rigid second skin. “Well now I’m even more sorry I almost stole your caf.”  

“Don’t be,” Cody protested instantly, leaning back in his chair and shifting to rest his arm casually across the backrest. “I’m not. Not at all. In fact, I was going to ask yo—” 

A sudden chirp erupted from your holopad, it’s cry ringing loudly from the depths of your bag. You gasped, fingers releasing the last of those muffin remnants atop their haste to collect that singing device. 

“Maker!” you cried, eyes quickly scanning that interrupting message. “It’s baby time! I have to go. Um… thank you. This was really lovely, and… I wish I could stay, but… I… it’s time… she’ll kill me…” 

“Well let’s go then,” Cody answered atop a genuine chuckle, instantly returning to his feet and collecting their discarded napkins and wrappers from the table. “I’ll walk you back. And maybe we can talk about… I don't know… splitting another muffin next time I’m planetside?” 

“Sounds like a plan, as long as I get—” 

“Bottom. I’ll remember.” 

Tag list: @anxiouspineapple99 @sinfulsalutations @starrylothcat @nobody-expects-the-inquisitorius @secondaryrealm @dystopicjumpsuit @freesia-writes @sev-on-kamino @littlemissmanga @523rdrebel @wings-and-beskar @wolffegirlsunite @drafthorsemath @jediknightjana @starstofillmydream @mooncommlink @wizardofrozz @trixie2023 @clonethirstingisreal @lune-de-miel-au-paradis @mythical-illustrator @arctrooper69 @somewhere-on-kamino

Other written works here

[coochiequeens]

Even advocates of surrogacy should agree that regulations are needed

BY Samuel Burke August 16, 2024

In Europe, commercial surrogacy is largely banned and seen as a form of body commodification, similar to organ trafficking. Only a few countries permit highly regulated altruistic surrogacy, which limits reimbursement to just expenses and no additional compensation—resulting in limited participation. Demand for surrogacy, however, is soaring due to delayed childbearing, increasing medical challenges, and the growth of LGBTQ+ family-building. The surrogacy market, valued at $14 billion in 2022, is projected to skyrocket to $129 billion by 2032, according to Global Market Insights.

Currently, only a few European countries, such as Ukraine and Greece, permit commercial surrogacy. These nations operate in a legal gray area with minimal oversight, leading to a largely unregulated industry fraught with issues like trafficking women, falsified documents and sham embryo transfers.

Before the 2022 invasion, Ukraine was a global surrogacy hub estimated to have 2,000-2,500 surrogacy contracts annually. Despite the ongoing conflict, the industry continues, with some women still carrying pregnancies in war-torn Ukraine. Controversially, Ukrainian surrogates now leave their families behind and travel to places like Greece and Northern Cyprus (recognized only by Turkey) to complete pregnancies. The women often live with multiple surrogates in the same dwellings while they wait to give birth.

Advocates for reform argue that current practices neglect the welfare of surrogates. Wes Johnson-Ellis, co-founder of the U.K. non-profit My Surrogacy Journey (MSJ), asserts that surrogates should not have to leave their families to move to another country for the pregnancy to help others build theirs.

Pregnancy and birth are vulnerable times for surrogates. They need their support network and family close by to ensure they are fully supported,” Johnson-Ellis says.

MSJ frequently assists families who’ve faced trying circumstances with other agencies. One couple pursuing surrogacy in Cyprus believed their surrogate was Cypriot. However, she was actually from Eastern Europe and returned to her native country, where she gave birth prematurely according to Johnson-Ellis. Tragically, the baby did not survive.

“They are still fighting to have the baby’s body exhumed and sent back to their home country for a proper burial,” says Johnson-Ellis.

Last August, Greek authorities raided the Mediterranean Fertility Institute in Crete and arrested staff amid allegations of trafficking nearly 100 women from Eastern Europe to act as surrogates. Officials also accused the company of falsifying adoption papers for clients from countries where surrogacy is illegal. The institute is now closed and has not responded to inquiries about these allegations. Advocates for affected families, many from Australia, claim they paid for a surrogacy program that was never fulfilled.

The Republic of Georgia had also emerged as a popular surrogacy destination in Europe, but last year, the Georgian prime minister announced that commercial surrogacy would be restricted to Georgian citizens only. This has left the legality of programs in Georgia in limbo, affecting intended parents from around the world who had turned to the country for surrogacy.

Scandals and swiftly shifting surrogacy laws have sent intended parents in Europe scrambling to relocate their embryos to countries with more stable or established surrogacy frameworks, primarily in the Americas. 

The United States is the top destination for commercial surrogacy due to its well-established legal framework and advanced medical care. However, it is also the most expensive, with total costs for IVF and surrogacy—including medical, legal, and agency fees—averaging $190,000 to $230,000.

Those high costs have traditionally made Canada a more affordable surrogacy option, with costs for IVF and surrogacy averaging $60,000 to $100,000. Although commercial surrogacy is banned, Canadian law permits altruistic surrogacy, similar to the U.K., Denmark, and the Netherlands. This lower cost has dramatically increased demand, leading to average wait times of 10 to 18 months and driving hopeful parents to seek commercial surrogates in Latin America.

Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico are attracting intended parents as alternatives to Europe, with costs typically under $80,000. Mexico City, in particular, has become a popular choice due to its low costs and progressive surrogacy laws.

“Confidence in Mexico is shifting,” says Johnson-Ellis of My Surrogacy Journey, which has launched a service guiding families there. “Mexico actually has more guardrails and regulations in place than the U.S. and has even had the support of the Mexican Supreme Court since 2021.” He points to Mexico City’s practice of issuing pre-birth orders that recognize the intended parents as the legal parents and even list the surrogate as the gestational carrier, not the biological mother when she’s used donor eggs. 

The surrogacy boom in the Americas is coming at Europe’s expense. Advocates argue that Europe’s ban on commercial surrogacy limits access to services and, ironically, increases the exploitation and coercion of women.

“With a commercial model, everyone knows where they stand,” Johnson-Ellis says. “There’s no gray. It’s very black and white. And I think with surrogacy, you need black and white.”

[yourgamemasterthewhiterabbit]

I'd like to illustrate a problem here for a second about documentation and having ID expire every 5 years or whenever you move, while disabled in Canada, or at least Ontario.

To renew ID you need 3 pieces of documentation, one for proof of citizenship/status/immigration etc, like your birth certificate or registration etc, one for proof of residence like personally addressed mail, a bank statement or bill...

And the third, which must be separate, which is "proof of identity" for which the following is accepted:

credit card

valid Ontario driver’s licence or temporary driver’s licence

valid Ontario Photo Card

Canadian Immigration Identification Card

Certificate of Canadian Citizenship (plastic card)

Certificate of Indian Status (paper or plastic card)

Confirmation of Permanent Residence (Imm 5292)

only if signature is shown

current employee ID card

current professional association licence

Old Age Security Card

Ontario motor vehicle permit (plate portion only)

passport (Canadian or foreign)

Permanent Resident Card

only if signature is shown

Record of Landing (Imm 1000)

student ID card

union card

I have crossed out the ones I can't get as a disabled single adult with no dependents who was born here, is not elderly, cannot drive etc... Your average single young disabled adult born and raised here.

The certificate of citizenship I could [have, previously] technically get, but as a natural born citizen other sources will insist my birth certificate should be enough and I should never need this... And they STOPPED ISSUING THE PLASTIC CARDS LISTED HERE AS VALID ID!

I can't get a credit card approved because of my income.

The passport I only ever got because when I was younger I could travel, and it wouldn't get money taken off my pension etc... But most people in my position won't have or maintain this, and indeed mine is still with someone I took a trip with in my 20's and is lost to me, and I have had no real reason to renew it or report it lost. I can't renew it without getting the info off the old one and I can't apply for a new one without already having valid id AND BEING ABLE TO FIND 2 PEOPLE TO VOUCH FOR ME... Which I don't have, frankly, and I am going to go out on a limb and say that when you are more or less house bound and an inconvenient disabled who people are prone to abusing it is quite common enough to not be able to find 2 people to vouch for you. You also need a guarantor and someone to take photos! And sign them! And why would you? Why would you maintain a passport when you can't even travel??? It isn't accessible to me anyway.

So most people in my position, which is a lot, will ONLY have the photo ID card as "proof of id" which you NEED to 1. renew your health card, 2. renew the photo card itself.

My problem with this is that technically you need a photo ID card that's still valid, to make your photo id card valid again. They technically are not allowed to use your health card as this kind of ID.

I am disabled and therefor often things are LONG expired by the time I have the ability to get them renewed, so in addition to all this, my health card and photo id expire at the same time every time now.

They wanted to have a photo id alternative to the driver's license to help with issues like this to begin with, but they haven't made it much better.

The next issue is it's the only government Id that's of any use to me and that I am encouraged to get but it costs 35$ because it's treated as optional, instead of it being free like your health card is... So actually your health card does cost 35$ to maintain... Because you need your photo id card to stay valid... So actually our "free" healthcare has an out of pocket cost of 7$ per year minimum. That's not a lot, but that's not free if that 35 every 5 years stops you from being able to have health coverage.

I want a form of government ID, that counts as proof of identity, for the purpose of renewing my very important health insurance card, that doesn't bloody expire all the fucking time.

Because you're actually supposed to renew your health card every time your address changes... And when you are poor and disabled you tend to either be stuck with your parents, or stuck moving constantly to escape abuse.

And just... Do you know, how many times, for how many months I have been effectively between health coverage, in a country with free healthcare, and thus unable to seek medical attention, because my id has expired and I did not have the physical energy to go get it renewed? And that shouldn't happen!

Technically, by their own laws/policy they should have turned me away to renew my id, which would have left me 100% fucked with no existing valid ID to use to get other ID. That shouldn't be able to happen to you every 5 years or every time you move, especially when you are disabled.

And they shouldn't charge 35$ for it, considering you need it to get your health card renewed at all, technically speaking. It should be FREE! Especially if you are disabled!

If I still physically had my last passport I might be able to keep renewing it without this bullshit headache, but I can't without my old one.

They should have never switched to health cards that expire, I don't care if they wanted photo id, it was fine before, this is bullshit. This makes healthcare potentially inaccessible to the disabled because they have put it behind these stupid hoops you have to jump every 5 years and when you move.

And do you know how many disabled people have memory and mobility issues???

This is stupid.

And the kick in the teeth is that once they have my photo taken they will randomly chose to use older photos they have on file, because clearly my appearance hasn't changed enough through my adult life for them to even care how old the photo is! Why does the photo id have to expire if the photo can be over 10 years old according to their own records!? Their whole excuse for them expiring is that your appearance and address need to be up to date!

For those of you who don't know because it might have been before your time... health cards used to be white with a red stripe and no photo or address and they never expired. You only needed a new one if it was lost or stolen and that was fine. You could memorize the number on it and not even carry your card like you do with your SIN.

And then they switched us to the new photo ones to make sure everyone would have photo ID

And then they decided health cards couldn't be photo id because they didn't want to manage who got health care and who could buy alcohol with the same system for whatever reasons, so they came out with the "photo id" that you are expected to have as an alternative to a drivers license if you don't drive...

But they wanted money, so they charge 35$ every five years and make you pray to their monument of bureaucracy to get it.

Anyway fuck this my ability to make medical appointments shouldn't expire in a country with free healthcare. If they had a problem with people using each other's health cards before and messing up records, they should have made it easier to get your own health card, and not harder. And yes they should have made it so anyone even an illegal immigrant or someone who lost all their ID in a fire could walk into a clinic and still get basic care.

Not this bullshit song and dance.

So gee, if I fail to renew online just before these card expire you will hear me rant about this bullshit again in 5 years.

They could at LEAST give you a disability id card that never expires that you can use for shit like accessing the food bank or for proof of identity etc... Maybe even then it would be easy to have discount programs for anyone on a disability pension, maybe any groceries that are deemed basic necessities enough could be partially or fully subsidized without extra applications and headaches?

But no it's like they want to make healthcare inaccessible for the people who need it the most.

[theoldtherebeforehq]

Panem - June, Year 25

A quarter century after the failed rebellion and the nation's darkest days, change is in the air. Developments and progress. But not all is as it seems.

THE HUNGER GAMES face their biggest milestone yet. Twenty-five years since their founding, life without this Capitol made invention is but a faint memory in people's minds. With newly appointed Head Gamemaker Coriolanus Snow pulling all strings at his disposal with unequivocal mastery, Capitolites await the first Quarter Quell with eagerness. District citizens are left to wonder if there is yet another new way they'll learn to fear their government.

THE CAPITOL celebrates twenty-five years of uninterrupted peace. The victors that emerged from those long days of war have all reason to be joyful, but satisfaction was never something taught to Capitol children growing up. And there is always a price for greed, though when it comes to the truly wealthy, there's always someone less fortunate who will have to pay. For the likes of the Cosmas family, who lord over Panem's transportation business, and the Ploutos family, who have a number of prominent factories in many Districts to their name, anything is a small sacrifice for their goal of coming out on top.

THE DISTRICTS feel the noose around their necks loosen for the first time in many, many years. Travel routes are broadened and District citizens are now permitted to travel outside their District's borders - provided they can afford it. President Ravinstill looks towards these changes with optimism, but there is a clear warning in his announcement speech. This generous opportunity should not be misused to cause discord. Surveillance is stricter than ever before, the Capitol's watchful eye on all its citizens. Anyone who dances out of line will be punished—strictly, swiftly, mercilessly.

Welcome to Panem!

THEOLDTHEREBEFOREHQ is a new, semi-appless AU Hunger Games / TBOSAS RP.

We strive to build a robust world in this universe with Capitol characters and District citizens alike. With the 25th Hunger Games right around the corner, we have many exciting things in store for tribute characters as well as more permanent muses.

We're beyond excited to be opening for Apps today! Interactions will begin on Friday the 12th of April with our very first Panem-wide Plot Drop.

If we've piqued your interest, click here to find out more about the RP.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to shoot us an ask or a message. We look forward to having you here with us!

[democraticelectorateoflivonia]

Children's Rights Declaration

There have been recent efforts aimed at establishing an age of maturity, and defining the parameters that it would influence. Over time, however, it has become clear that, for the benefit of a society, the age of maturity is not a threshold, it's a step, and clarifying the start and end of it is necessary, because, in many ways, many examples about self-rule and autonomy, important factors of political organisation, break down when looking at children, therefore their starting point should be defined.

Children need to receive the grounding necessary to embrace and carry out their roles as future citizens, in order to ensure the continuity and progression of a social model, and, therefore, require certain prerequisites be respected for their own benefit and development.

The first among them is their judicial autonomy. Children are social entities independent of their parents, with their own distinctive set of necessities to be fulfilled. The rights parents have with regards to their children only extend in so far as they are necessary to fulfill the rights of their children. Failure to do so on behalf of the parents will lead to them losing the rights towards their children.

The second among them is their right to well-being. Children are entitled, to the same extent as adults, to fulfilling living conditions, as well as medical, mental, and physical safety.

The third among them is their right to free action. Children are permitted, to the same extent as adults, to travel and speak and seek out stimulating activities. Limits towards the exercise of these rights may only be put in place to the extent they are provably necessary in order to safeguard their right to well-being.

This list is non-exclusive and subject to expansion.

[aquadestinyswriting]

The Edict

Note: This is being written about two years after the end of the campaign, you can decide whether this was written by a student or an early journalist

Taglist: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff, @ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch

The Edict was a legal document that was drafted during the rebuilding of Toreguarde and finally ratified into law upon the very first Council Session. The intention of The Edict was to prevent Adventurers from bringing calamity back to the newly built city by dint of their own misdeeds. The people of Old Toreguarde were weary of the continuous calamities that befell them whenever the enemies of the Heroes of Toreguarde grew strong enough to retaliate against them. The Demon War and the fall of Old Toreguarde into the Pit was the final straw to break the proverbial camel’s back, and so it was decided that an Edict against Adventuring would be drafted to prevent such disaster from ever striking the city again. 

In order to prevent Adventurers from creating any further strife or chaos, a definition of what constituted an ‘Adventurer’ was required. This took many, many months and quite a few arguments between the various groups involved in the Edict’s conception. Eventually the following definition was agreed upon:

Adventurers are individuals who travel the continent/world seeking opportunities to seek some sort of treasure, to gain notoriety and fame, for the thrill of seeking out dangerous encounters, or in order to attempt to rid the world of some sort of ‘Evil’ outwith the typical societal structures imposed by the local governing body/bodies.

Those Heroes of Toreguarde who elected to remain in the city when the idea of the Edict was initially announced asked to assist in writing the initial drafts of the Edict once a definition of ‘Adventurer’ was agreed upon. They were eventually permitted to make suggestions to amend or veto certain clauses or subsections that they felt might prove detrimental to the continued safety of Toreguarde. The initial drafts of the Edict were set to apply to any and all Adventurers who happened to stay in Toreguarde for any length of time, however Grand Magus Frigidwake and Abouna Shiverstaff successfully petitioned for an amendment that stated that the restrictions of the Edict should apply only to the citizens of Toreguarde. After all, both ex-adventurers argued, those adventurers who came to Toreguarde from elsewhere, would surely end up taking whatever trouble dogged their heels back to their own lands of origin.

While the initial conception of the Edict and its restrictions were noble in intent, the reality was that those Heroes who yet remained in Toreguarde still had many enemies that wished them and their burgeoning city harm. In an attempt to mitigate any backlash against the three should those enemies make an attempt to retaliate against them in the future, several contingencies were put in place to allow those remaining Heroes to participate in any defensive actions against said enemies. These contingencies, however, did not include any pre-emptive actions to be taken by said Heroes to prevent their enemies from attacking Toreguarde in the first place. It has been argued in the years following the Ragnarok Event that this ‘oversight’ was an active detriment to Toreguarde’s safety, especially as the Seal over the Hellmouth beneath the Wizard’s Tower proved to be an impermanent solution a mere decade after the Demon War’s conclusion.

While the Edict did apply to any and all citizens of Toreguarde, its primary purpose ended up being used as a tool to control the motivations and actions of the three Heroes who remained within Toreguarde’s walls, with the Grand Magus being particularly restricted given her prominent position as a member of the Triumverate. All three Heroes were required to obtain permission from the Council, or the Emissary, before departing Toreguarde for any reason, even if said departure was as part of their duties. This restriction, intended as a brake against the Heroes setting off to deal with their enemies pre-emptively without the Council’s knowledge or consent, also ended up preventing the Heroes from gaining any intelligence about the movements of said enemies. One can only imagine the devastation that might have been prevented over the last three years had the Grand Magus or the Abouna been able to at least keep tabs on the Cabal and other such organisations that sought to do harm to Toreguarde and her citizens. 

It should be noted that while the Edict did restrict Toreguarde’s citizens as a whole from Adventuring, there was one prominent exception written into the document from the outset; citizens could be hired by either the Council, the Triumverate by consensus, or by Drakemar’s Emissary(on behalf of lord Drakemar himself) to travel and deal with threats to Toreguarde’s safety directly. Despite this exception being made explicit in the final draft, attempts were still made by the Council to restrict any and all Adventuring by the citizens of Toreguarde. The Council also commonly disregarded the fact that the Edict was meant to apply only to citizens of Toreguarde, which led to the attempted arrest and imprisonment of several non-citizens over the decade in which the Edict was in full effect. The most egregious example of this flouting of the intent of the Edict was the attempted Exile of Lady O’Toreguarde and her companions following their success at permanently closing the Hellmouth beneath the Wizard’s Tower. While the official documents of the Council Session state that Lady O’Toreguarde and her companions were wanted criminals due to an incident involving the murder of several people, eye witness statements from several Council members and an official statement made by both the Grand Magus and the General confirm that Lord Chancellor Schreiber and many other members of the Council made an attempt to have the group arrested for Adventuring without the Council’s permission. This was despite the fact that Lady O’Toreguarde and at least two other members of her party were hired by the Emissary –and later, Lord Drakemar himself – explicitly to deal with the ongoing crises that afflicted Toreguarde at the time. It is unknown why Lord Schreiber was permitted to keep his position following this session, as such an egregious disregard for the rule of Law – in a member of the Triumverate, no less – is a matter of great public concern. One hopes that Lord Schreiber’s replacement following his untimely demise, Lord Thatcher, will prove to be less corrupt. 

Regardless of the initial intent of the Edict, it is clear, with hindsight, that it was an incredibly flawed document. While it is still currently written into Toreguarde law, it is currently not being enforced while the Council and Triumverate debate whether to re-write the document to be less restrictive or to scrap it altogether. Again, while the intent behind the Edict is a noble one, this author wonders whether such restrictions are warranted given the recent Ragnarok Event. It is clear that, while there is no longer a leyline nexus directly under the city to draw extra unwanted attention, Toreguarde remains a target merely by dint of the existence of those who strove, and still strive, to protect her people and those that would oppose them.

[beardedmrbean]

VILNIUS - Hungary's decision to ease the entry procedure for Russian and Belarusian citizens is splitting the European Union's unity, Speaker of the Lithuanian Semas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen says.

"Hungary's recent actions are certainly a cause of great concern for other EU countries and are dividing unity, and unity in the EU is very important, especially at this time of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine," she told reporters at the Seimas on Wednesday.

"It is really worrying that there seems to be such a separate policy, especially given that Hungary is also currently holding the presidency," she added.

EU countries should react unanimously to Budapest's behavior, the Seimas speaker said.

In July, Hungary announced a new facilitated visa scheme under which citizens of eight countries, including Russia and Belarus, can enter Hungary without security checks or other restrictions.

Budapest claims that many of those entering under this scheme will be building a nuclear power plant.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry told BNS on Tuesday that Lithuania would turn to the European Commission Hungary's decision.

Under EU rules, national governments have the right to decide on legal migration and work permits. Non-EU nationals with EU visas can generally move freely within the Schengen area, which covers 29 countries, including Norway and Switzerland.

In 2022, the EU imposed sanctions on Russia and Belarus after Russia launched a full-scale war in Ukraine. While they do not ban Russians from traveling to the EU, Russian-based airlines are no longer allowed to fly into the bloc and hundreds of individuals with links to the Kremlin have been blacklisted.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also visited Russia and China soon after Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"The jail, like the reformatory, is a stepping stone to the penitentiary. The American people are too prone to see their fellow citizens locked up in jail. The thought uppermost in the minds of most law enforcement officers, justices and policemen, seems to be to get the largest possible number of people behind prison walls. Their efficiency seems to depend only on the number of arrests made and convictions secured. An officer should be promoted for the number of people he succeeded in keeping out of jail instead of the number he puts in, by the number he has kept from crime instead of the number caught in crime. The thing to do is to prevent people from becoming criminals. The chief duty of the policeman, and all law officers, should be to prevent crime. When once the stigma of the prison is upon a man or a woman, self-respect begins to wane and it becomes easier for them to travel the broad highway to crime and to the penitentiary. The first time in jail is the real turning point to many a life of crime. Every possible effort should be made to keep people out of jail instead of putting them in. You can never get rid of the flies by swatting them. To exterminate them it is necessary to get rid of the breeding places.

Everything that could possibly be said about the disreputable conditions of penitentiaries and their mismanagement can also be truthfully said about the average city and county jail. The crooks on the inside are not any worse than the grafters on the outside. Why the ancient practice of allowing a jailor sixty cents a day for feeding prisoners, and then permitting him to supply them with twenty cents worth of grub, and pocket the difference, is tolerated, is hard to explain. This species of graft is a worse offense than the crime committed by the average prisoner.

The laying of traps, and the placing of temptations in order to entice susceptible or potential law-breakers, should be absolutely abolished. The unlawful enforcement of law is never justified. The shop-keeper who displays a tempting bait to induce a youngster to snitch it, and then have him arrested and thrown in jail, is not any better than the speedcop or the public officers who set speed-traps on the public highway, tempt the unsuspecting motorist to “step on it,” and then pinch him for speeding.

...

There has been a great deal of criticism on account of lax discipline in prisons. I have no sympathy with the practice of babying or coddling prisoners. A convict, in a normal physical and mental state, resents mushing and petting. It does him no good. He should be treated like a grown-up human being, provided with a decent, sanitary place to live, plenty of wholesome food, useful work that he is capable of doing, or can learn to do, paid a small wage to support dependents, and taught to be a self-reliant, useful citizen, and then restored to his family and to society. Long imprisonment is useless. The worst punishment, the greatest suffering, the deepest humiliation, comes right in the beginning. In some cases a few months imprisonment would serve the same purpose as a few years.

The primary object of imprisonment should be the reformation of the wrong-doer. The duration of the imprisonment should depend more on the prisoner than on the offense. Punishment should be for the offender rather than for the offense. No judge or jury is capable of determining in advance the length of the sentence that is necessary and proper in all cases. Neither is a judge thoroughly fitted to understand the men whom he sentences to the penitentiary or to the gallows unless he leaves the bench and goes down into the laboratory and studies physchology and biology like Chief Justice Olson of Chicago did. The microscope, the chemical test tube, the x-ray, and the psychoanalytical chart will reveal much that the prosecutor and the law books will not disclose. The proper training and experience of the officials is very important. No judge should be permitted to sit on the bench of a criminal court, and pass judgment on his fellow citizens, without having spent a term in the penitentiary himself, or so familiarized himself with penal institutions and convicts as to grasp the point of view of the prisoner. This applies also to the prosecuting attorneys. There should be a public defender as well as a public prosecutor in order to protect and safeguard the poor, the innocent, and the victim of circumstances. It should not be forgotten that there are two classes of people, those who sin, and those who are sinned against. If either class is to be envied it is the first rather than the second. Ought not society to be as much concerned about protecting the innocent and keeping them out of jail, as about punishing the guilty and placing them behind prison walls? Competent prison authorities and parole boards should make a careful personal study of each individual accused of crime or sentenced. After a prisoner has served a minimum term, not to exceed one year, he should be eligible for parole. As a rule no imprisonment for more than two years serves any good purpose. When the parole board is satisfied from his previous life and record, his character, his chemical, physical and mental make-up, and his prison record, that a parole is justified, it should be granted, regardless of the length of the sentence. These matters should be in the hands of technologists who have wisdom, and not in the hands of politicians who have power and pull. The good of the public deserves first consideration, the welfare of the individual second. If the prisoner is a menace to society, a danger to the community or to himself, unable to control himself, and beyond a cure, his imprisonment should be continued indefinitely. There are cases, of course, where the heinousness of the offense, or the viciousness of the individual, might justify life imprisonment. It all depends on the individual case. No rule of thumb can be adopted or followed.

In a number of the larger cities, and in the better penitentiaries, psychopathic laboratories have been established for the scientific mental examination of the subjects. This is absolutely essential. A psychopathic laboratory, and also a chemical laboratory, should be established in every prison of the country. The effective cooperation of the psychiatrist, the chemist, and the physician should determine the physical and mental state of the prisoner. The abnormal prisoners should be treated accordingly, whether the abnormality be mental or physical. A thorough examination will reveal the fact that many convicts committed offenses because they were afflicted by physical or mental diseases. Many are cured by proper chemical and mental readjustments. When cured a long step will have been taken in restoring them not only to normalcy, but to good citizenship. The legal concept of punishment will give way to the medical conception of treatment. Many will be found with arrested mentality. They may have the body of an adult, but the mind of a six or eight-year-old child. We tolerate and pamper the innocent idiot in the community, but we are quick to condemn those on the border-line of mental deficiency the moment they become law-breakers. Many mental defectives are experts in crime. By correcting the chemistry of their blood, and their inhibitions and complexes, many of them can be rescued from a life of crime. If this is not possible their place is in the asylum and not in the penitentiary. There is no criminal class except in so far as criminal misconduct has become habitual with certain individuals. Most criminals are selected by force of circumstances from the community at large. If the reader believes in the Lombroso “criminal type,” and has in his mind the features of some “Jack-the-Ripper,” with a shifty, sinister look, a scowl on his face, a cruel glint in his eyes, with a low brow, and a heavy, resolute jaw, or any other description of the supposed criminal, let him carefully observe his neighbor, or the crowd in the court room, or look in the mirror; then perhaps he will change his mind.

If the inmates of a prison could be turned loose in a court room full of curious people, gathered to listen to the sordid details of a murder trial, and all intermingle with the spectators, the court officials, the lawyers, and the expert witnesses, I would defy anyone to pick out the convicts from the rest of the gang. They are unfortunate human beings the same as you and I—not much better, not much worse—and deserve humane treatment and a chance to make good if they have the will and the capacity to do so.

After a prisoner is released, whether by parole or by having served his time, there should be a careful and rational follow-up system; not for the purpose of hounding him, but to help him to earn an honest living. In this the police department should give active and friendly cooperation. We find that at least 92 out of every hundred paroled men make good. With proper assistance the percentage could be made higher. I have seen, as other men have seen, so much of the haphazard system that has been practiced of arresting people, throwing them in jail, humiliating, punishing, and then releasing them, and then arresting them, and repeating this same process, without any good results, that it seems to me the time has come when we should try the noble experiment as outlined by the Wickersham commission, and as herein suggested.

While lack of proper home training and surroundings is the greatest cause of the increase in crime committed by the younger generation, it is by no means the only one. Ignorance, poverty and disease are responsible for much of it"

- Earl Ellicott Dudding, The Trail of the Dead Years. Edited by William Winfred Smith. Huntington, West Virginia: Prisoners Relief Society, 1932. p. 264-270.

[aero-sense]

We reach a familiar location this time, Omashu! And in this level, we get a closer look at their society, how they've been affected by the war, and more!

This is not meant to be a critical review or a detailed walkthrough. All I will do is point out little details I notice or like. I'm doing this for fun, not for accuracy.

Omashu:

I like how Aang was able to figure out the riddle from the last level, as absurd as it is, the game's working off how he's good at riddles and mystic metaphors from old men... or you could take it as Aang making up a reason to see Bumi again.

Haru says in the prelude that he can't wait to go to Omashu again? Very odd continuity, knowing he never once visited it in show. Either the game writers forgot or deliberately lied, to build a stronger connection between him and the city??

Once again, this game is only working off information from the first season of avatar, so in the game Omashu is the biggest city and the heart of the Earth Kingdom. On the map, Omashu is located the same area Ba Sing Se is. This is really interesting to build off of regardless. For instance, perhaps Omashu is debated to be the heart of the Earth kingdom, since earth bending originated from it.

Omashu is designed like a massive bazaar maze. The city is a huge trade export, with several different markets around the map.

The items Momo finds this time are pumpkins that are all in the market, so is he stealing…?

The merchants seem more greedy and bitter compared to previous merchants, but they're hardly getting any business these days due to the war.

The war is taking a toll on the citizens. They talk about how long the days are and that no one has been trading with Omashu lately. Their friends from other local villages say it's too dangerous to travel anymore.

The citizens are also growing more secretive and wary of the government, similar to Ba Sing Se. They can't trust the guards with certain requests. We recovered a village's artifacts for a traveler that was too afraid to ask permission from the Royal Library.

People are worried about Omashu's weakened defenses because they sent too many men out to training. Once young benders are old enough, they are sent out of the city to train at places like the forest camp from the last level.

Cool world-building fact, it's considered dangerous to train earth bending in the city because it's too crowded. Even outside of training, maybe bending is strictly forbidden in certain areas unless you're permitted by the government.

Earth benders also train at camps because of spiritual connection to nature. They need to go to places that preserve their attachment to nature to better attune their senses.

Cool new tidbit about earth bending! So an important aspect is the replication of earth, replacing the earth that the bender moves. An unskilled bender won't be able to perfectly replicate the earth's appearance they bend, so you can tell by little marks.

Another common complaint about Omashu is the king allowing ruffians inside the walls and you'll fight these bandits in certain parts of the city. It's the intended effect from the Consul by removing guards, but some of these complaints seem targeted at the refugees? Interesting to consider.

The other enemy is stray cats. Straight up stray cats. You have to hear Sokka say "you're going down" as he clubs stray cats, like I know it isn't appropriate but it's just so wild and funny out of context. Starving stray cats may I add? They look like they're playing with you too, since they hardly do any damage. You also fight them in the wild?? Their homes??? Didn't know Omashu is Australia...

The funniest thing in Omashu is a guard you run by saying maybe he should stop talking out loud to himself.

This level has the most impressive design so far in the game. In fact, I think because of the mix-up of Omashu being the capital instead of Ba Sing Se, the designers made Omashu seem as huge as possible within what limits they had. There are a lot of vantage points to look down and see the mountainous city. As you run up to the royal library, you get to see the sprawling scenery of Omashu and how expansive it is.

(Seriously, just look.)

There's also neat little details like how the roads are lit by crystals or a mail cart zipping by on a slide. The city also has a system of lifts when the ground is too steep. You can stand on a platform that an earth bender will shoot up and down, like a elevator.

I would assume a lot of the atmospheric sounds in Omashu are mail carts shooting by and echos from it's mountainous architecture.

The downside to having such a large map is that the travel sucksss. It would be so much easier if you could use the carts to travel but oh well...＼(;´□｀)/

Using mail carts is normal for kids of Omashu to do. It's sweet that the regular civilians recommend it, wanting the kids to have fun, while most of the guards are a bunch of fusspots.

Omashu must be in high demand of earth benders to regulate the mail and join the guards. Though non-benders probably have a wider range of career choices.

There's a scene where the gang ride a mail cart after Momo jumps on one and we end up crashing into the Cabbage Man again. Afterwards, the guard for the lift says King Bumi want to see us immediately, probably because we just crashed the cart and he realized Aang must be in town.

Bumi always seem to know immediately what's going on in the kingdom at all times, even with some of the most insignificant things, proving he's the most involved ruler in the show yet.

Although there's many other reasons for Bumi to dislike the Consul by his side, I think Bumi genuinely dislike all the regulations and rules he enforces. Bumi's a very active ruler and perhaps he finds bureaucracy in the way.

There's a huge statue of Bumi in front of his palace, and it's one of those times I feel the game is really off with its characterization. I think Bumi would be more willing to make a statue of his pets over himself (and that's ignoring how the show portrays making large statures of yourself is associated with the imperialists).

Bumi lets Aang use his expensive jewellery and put things on his tab, the dream of having a century old king as you best friend.

I like how some guards are stern and the others friendly enough to talk to children. The show didn't really expand of the EK military's personality besides being stern and jaded, so it's nice seeing them portrayed in a more positive manner for once. There's a much larger range of their personalities, but the ones in the city are generally caring and involved in helping the citizens, if a bit stiff about it.

We get a Momo spy mission to sneak into library's vents :D

The cutscene in the library is interesting. Aang is able to recognize and read marital arts training manuals easily. Being classical trained by monks must have made scrolls easier to decipher (or that they were all made during his time). Katara makes a dig at Sokka for bragging he could understand them, cause he's not a master bender, which is revisited later in the game.

The FN attack the city and Haru insists on holding them back while the gang head back to the palace. This is why we can't have Haru on the team. He would be doing noble sacrifices all the time, he couldn't last more than an episode.

We play as Haru as he helps the guards fight off the FN. It's nice seeing Haru accepted as a bender among the Omashu Guards.

I do like how Bumi was prepared for the attack. He sent the gang on a pointless quest to pick up something from the market right as the FN attacks, so the gang ends in helping at the front lines. After they gang make it to the palace, they wait on Bumi to come in, who was already dealing with the invasion outside.

In the main plot, King Bumi has a Consul running things in the background, which caused for many of the problems in the city. He's weakened defenses by changing the guards, and under his command, the guards are becoming more authoritarian and xenophobic. You can see a difference between the guards under him and the ones loyal to Bumi. The Consul's guards are disliked for being lazy and domineering, while Bumi's are hardworking and kind to citizens and children. It's interesting seeing the divide of opinions on the guards, the King and the Consul from the people.

Aang looked somber when the Consul said "there's bigger things than the Fire Nation and your precious little Avatar". Something about how Aang is constantly put on a pedestal for being the avatar and then knocking him off.

I like how the Haru is just able to bend the secret exit slightly open, compared to the Consul shutting it easily before.

Zuko also comes in running last second just to slam on the door, making me laugh.

If there's anything cool the Consul did, was give a big f-u smirk to Zuko before passing out.

[DS]

I like Bumi's sprite in this version, he just looks slightly off.

In this version and the PSP, Bumi seems more aware of what the Consul's been doing, so it's better to read his actions that he's always in the know. Keeps friends close, enemies closer, so forth.

I do like how considerate Aang is about not breaking EK traditions for his friend's sake. Good thing Bumi could care less.

Some citizens do like the Consul's strictness with rules unlike the King's lack of transparency, but they credit things the King does to the Consul. Some guards defend the King, that he is actually a very busy man and people slander him to draw out the war. It's also questionable how strict the Consul actually is, considering all the guards under him laze around all day.

Pretty sad seeing the growing fears of the machines. The citizens associate it with the FN, which isn't wrong seeing how the FN continues to make advancements in their war weapons, that eventually topple down the EK later in the show.

Hey a cat! And this time, we don't have to beat it up! :D

Funny how all the boys shrug when talking to others except Katara. The only one with social skills in the group.

Haru's sprite looks angry when he's bending and talking all the time, so if that's something else the games got right is Haru's bitter rage he hides.

We get a nice side quest where Haru gets training from a guard and is approved as a gifted bender. Its nice to see Haru get all this positive reinforcement, after learning earth bending in secret.

Apparently there is another bender missing from the city, but I don't think that's in the other versions.

We have to climb through the vents to get out of the library, so the gang end up in soot like this. The sprites cough and Aang blows the soot off, it's cute (also where's Toph when you need her....)

So unlike the PS2 version, we don't play as Haru when the group splits off after the attack. It could have been interesting, but nothing is really done with it and it comes off as inconsistent since this level has been about Haru's improvement as a bender.

However, the DS makes up for it as we fight the chancellor in a duel as Haru. Haru is so much more heated this time, as he feels insulted that the Consul disrespected everything Haru believes in. He insists on his pride as a member of the EK.

The Consul has similar moves to Haru but on a much larger scale, showing how advanced he is.

[PSP]

You can only play as Aang and Haru at the start of the level which shows how narratively significant this level is to their arc.

This version confirms Omashu is taking in refugees, the population grows by the day. They are also losing supplies and unable to leave the city.

The people are worried when summer comes and the FN will become stronger, so it's canon that the seasons influence bending. It's something explored in other atla canon, but it's nice seeing it confirmed so early.

It's funny how Sokka and Katara switch roles about who wants food and who wants to shop. Truly siblings in how they sync up their common interests at the worst times.

There's a similar quest to recover an artifact, except this time it's from a merchant who stole it and is trying to up-sell it in the market. We get it back (by scamming him) but I wonder if it's common for looted art to circulate in Omashu. There's poachers and black markets, let alone a controlling government that hold borrowed artifacts in their library.

A man proclaims the EK are the only ones doing anything about the FN, and yeah... the other two are barely alive? Interesting to note there may be growing discrimination in the EK towards other nations as they focus on their national pride against the FN.

I love how Bumi looks in this version, like a intimidating, sullen, old man. He was like this in his first appearance too. Maybe he's acts his age more when he's not around Aang...

Also cute how Aang runs up to Bumi with a little bounce, while Haru is taken aback and bows.

The palace from the DS and PSP versions make a whole lot more sense. Large wide stairways and doors for people to enter than another huge statue knockoff. It fits canon that Bumi keeps the palace welcoming to deal with his people's issues directly.

Actually adorable how one of the guards was worried about play materials. Sweet to think these stiff guards do enjoy being with Bumi. Make sense. A lot were probably sent out as young boys and experienced the horrors of war before coming back to their posts. Many of the citizens talk about how war made their life bleak and a guard admits he never thought there would be an end to the war, growing up in it.

We can use the carts to fast travel in this version! (ﾉ≧∀≦)ﾉ.ﾟ☆

There's also a worried man nearby about kids riding the carts and warns us not too... and we do it right in front of him, aha...

There's a high position in being the royal supplier, the top merchant. They work directly for the King and own a mansion. The secret passageway out of Omashu is also located by their mansion.

Horse ostriches are actually a sign of status In Omashu. And the guy taking care of them is one of my favorite minor characters so far.

We have a kiss kiss fall in love moment with a merchant and break his "priceless" urn. We repair it with clay and such, and he accepts it, even though its technically worthless. Bumi apparently accepted it and it's kept on a table in the corner, how nice!

After accomplishing a timed quest, Aang jumps in excitement, Katara twists back and forth happy, Haru sheepishly rubs his head, and Sokka waves his club in the air.

Haru can help some guards find their missing items with his bending and secure a job for him to work as a sentry for the palace in a few years. It's an amazing opportunity for him to grow and learn and give himself self assurance that he's a great bender.

When sneaking into the library, it has the same stealth sections as the DS, but you are also questioned by guards if you are a master bender by answering questions about Omashu.

The PSP also clarifies the Consul's plan more than the other versions. He's been trying to sneak in machines without the King's knowledge and use them to replace the guards.

Katara wants to tell the King immediately, but Aang knows Bumi sent them to the library on purpose.

Ok, so this time when the FN attack, Katara and Sokka run off to fend off the FN while Aang and Haru go to palace. I prefer this over than Haru sacrificing himself, because we get Haru swearing to protect Aang. Haru's already getting practice in being a bodyguard!

(Momo also gets a moment where he doesn't know who to go with, until he runs after Aang, how sweet that it's hard to decide).

Mad funny that you can still buy from the merchants during the attack. Gotta get that bag, I guess.

Cute how Haru always stays bowing while Aang is chilling standing in front of Bumi. If anything, he's consistent.

Haru is concerned about whether more people will think like the Consul, which is a valid concern. The Consul's beliefs are quite dangerous and already some people in Omashu already showed signs of following his way of thinking. The Consul says how he'll ensure safety of the EK while also saying he'll make their [Aang and Haru's] kind obsolete, which is almost word-for-word the Fire Nation's mindset.

They skipped the scene with Zuko, but eh not much is missed.

[hwselect]

Navigating the IT Jobs Market Within London

While new opportunities and prospects may seem exciting and enticing, charting a path for vacant IT jobs in London and the surrounding territory, while trying to find both work and living demands a strategic and planned approach and partnering with perhaps a specialist IT recruitment agency.

The city is amassed with major tech giants and conglomerates, including social media favourites like Google and Facebook, along with new budding, smart technology startups spanning sectors in finance, media, education, insurance healthcare, and governance bodies. Opting for available vacancies within London means finding, and embracing this vibrant city alive with diverse culture, leisure, and amenities. For many budding IT jobs in London seekers within the local surrounding areas, this work-life change can serve as the ideal career path and living opportunity, providing a wealth of available opportunities.

IT individuals seeking fresh horizons, and a more than lively social life, then the capital city stands as a brilliant and realistic, give-us-a-try vibe, to progress your chosen career path. Exploring and matching your preferred IT role and embarking on a successful job search for IT jobs in London, the hunt can sometimes entail the services of an IT recruitment agency and their team of consultants, by ideally aligning your professional interests, experience, and skills with available and suitable roles.

Try to diversify your search resources –using relevant social and digital platforms and contacting multiple IT recruiters can offer a big opportunity boost. Do not commit to the first interested agency you come across, engage proactively with several and gauge their responses both in time and clarity, along with your related search aspirations, and test their responsiveness to your skill sets and experience.

Not a British or dual nationality citizen!  You do and will need to acquire a UK Work Visa: If you are an international jobseeker, then possessing a valid UK work visa or permit is paramount. A significant portion of London businesses and companies, as well as other UK major cities, employ IT workers that hail from overseas.

Your recruitment agency should be able to discuss, advise, and offer guidance on work application requirements. Check, and bear in mind any potential fees and other various requirements that need to be attended to, such as tax and health insurance, etc., based on your country of work and also your home country's tax or, earnings-related implications.

Accommodation: While an IT recruitment agency might be able to offer assistance and advice, the onus of finding accommodation lies with you. Several search platforms and agents can assist in this quest. Additionally, weigh the different pros and cons of transportation, living costs, and entertainment. Driving in the city may prove difficult and very challenging both in cost and time, but in general public transportation offers a reliable and viable alternative, at a cost.

Selecting accommodation that fits your budget, might mean a certain amount of travel time is involved, so be aware and prudent in any financial decision you make. Working in London not only provides a chance to work with smart and new cutting-edge technology but also offers a cosmopolitan lifestyle, brimming with cultural, entertainment, and social experiences.

Identifying job roles: Begin by pinpointing an IT recruitment agency that is aware and aligns with your understanding of the type of work requirements you seek. Check their expertise, and what they can offer and bring to your professional career trajectory. Though social media platforms can be of assistance, when looking for IT jobs in London, it's prudent to diversify your search. Remember, every agency promises to provide a unique job search experience and proactive perspective; finding the one that ideally resonates with your requirements is important and paramount.

Read More:

How an IT Agency Sources and Shortlists Global Talent A Recruitment Agency Checks & Interviews Candidates Before Placement

[reasoningdaily]

Yahoo News: Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals.”

The NAACP, long an advocate for Black Americans, joined the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), a Latino civil rights organization, and Equality Florida, a gay rights advocacy group, in issuing travel advisories for the Sunshine State, where tourism is one of the state's largest job sectors.

The warning approved Saturday by the NAACP's board of directors tells tourists that, before traveling to Florida, they should understand the state of Florida "devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”

An email was sent Sunday morning to DeSantis' office seeking comment. The Republican governor is expected to announce a run for the GOP presidential nomination this week.

Florida is one of the most popular states in the U.S. for tourists, and tourism is one of its biggest industries. More than 137.5 million tourists visited Florida last year, marking a return to pre-pandemic levels, according to Visit Florida, the state's tourism promotion agency. Tourism supports 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs, and visitors spent $98.8 billion in Florida in 2019, the last year figures are available.

Several of Florida's Democratic mayors were quick to say Sunday that their cities welcomed diversity and inclusion.

“EVERYONE is always welcome and will be treated with dignity and respect,” tweeted Mayor Ken Welch of St. Petersburg in a message echoed by the mayor across the bay in Tampa.

“That will never change, regardless of what happens in Tallahassee,” tweeted Mayor Jane Castor of Tampa.

The NAACP's decision comes after the DeSantis' administration in January rejected the College Board’s Advanced Placement African American Studies course. DeSantis and Republican lawmakers also have pressed forward with measures that ban state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, and also passed the Stop WOKE Act that restricts certain race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses.

In its warning for Hispanic travelers considering a visit to Florida, LULAC cited a new law that prohibits local governments from providing money to organizations that issue identification cards to people illegally in the country and invalidates out-of-state driver’s licenses held by undocumented immigrants, among other things. The law also requires hospitals that accept Medicaid to include a citizenship question on intake forms, which critics have said is intended to dissuade immigrants living in the U.S. illegally from seeking medical care.

“The actions taken by Governor DeSantis have created a shadow of fear within communities across the state,” said Lydia Medrano, a LULAC vice president for the Southeast region.

Recent efforts to limit discussion on LGBTQ topics in schools, the removal of books with gay characters from school libraries, a recent ban on gender-affirming care for minors, new restrictions on abortion access and a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns without a permit contributed to Equality Florida's warning.

“Taken in their totality, Florida’s slate of laws and policies targeting basic freedoms and rights pose a serious risk to the health and safety of those traveling to the state,” Equality Florida's advisory said.

[hidden-but]

FYI, these are the US rules for importing firearms:

(general)

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearmsand Explosives (ATF) regulates the permanent importation of defense articles, including firearmsand ammunition. Firearmsand +ammunition must be imported by a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL)—generally an importer licensed by ATF to routinely engage in that business. The FFL must obtain an import permit from ATF to import or bring into the United States any firearm. To be imported lawfully, the firearm also must be generally recognized as particularly suitable for, or readily adaptable to, sporting purposes. Surplus military firearms are generally prohibited from importation into the United States except for certain curio or relic surplus military firearms imported by licensed importers only. Provided the firearm is lawfully importable, the person seeking to import the firearm will need to make arrangements with an FFL in his or her State of residence to import the firearm, prior to bringing the firearm to the United States. The FFL must submit an ATF Form 6, Application and Permit for Importation of Firearms, Ammunition, and Defense Articles (ATF Form 5330.3A) to ATF to obtain authorization to import the firearm. Note: It generally takes at least 4-6 weeks for the Firearms and Explosives Imports Branch personnel to process to a properly completed ATF Form 6 import permit application. An unlicensed person may obtain a permit to import sporting ammunition (excluding armor piercing, tracer, or incendiary ammunition) or firearmparts (other than frames, receivers, firearm barrels, or barreled actions) without engaging the services of an FFL, provided the items are for personal use and not for resale. Generally, ATF cannot issue a permit authorizing the importation of firearmbarrels for non-sporting or surplus military firearms. If you have not made arrangements with an FFL to import a firearmor ammunition on your behalf before you purchase one, (i.e., you buy it on impulse while traveling abroad and return to the United States with it in your possession). U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will detain the firearm/ammunition for 30 days, during which time you should try to make arrangements with an FFL to facilitate the importation and obtain an ATF Form 6 import permit. If you are unable to obtain the permit and your firearm is not claimed within 30 days, it could be transferred to a general order warehouse and you will have to pay the storage fees. After 60 days after transfer to the warehouse, it will be sold at auction or be destroyed.

(for non-citizens)

A migrant admitted to the United States under a non-immigrant visa is prohibited from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing a firearm or ammunition unless the migrant falls within one of the exceptions provided in 18 U.S.C. § 922(y)(2). These exceptions include possession of a valid hunting license or permit, admission for lawful hunting or sporting purposes, and foreign law enforcement officers of a friendly foreign government who enter the United States on official law enforcement business.  All non-immigrants (NIA), including persons who are admitted to the United States without a visa (e.g., from a Visa Waiver Program country) must apply for an Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) permit by completing and submitting to ATF the ATF Form 6NIA Application/Permit for Temporary Importation of Firearms and Ammunition by Non-immigrants, ATF Form 5330.3D.  The ATF Form 6NIA may be faxed to ATF at (304) 616-4554.

(idk what happens if you are a non-citizen and try to bring in a gun without a permit, but yeah, everyone's supposed to fill in a form a month or two in advance)