#Cuban legal system

[transit-fag]

wait why ARE you exempt from the US legal system? or was that a bit and i am simply to tired to realize

Gave Kennedy incredible Head during the Cuban Missile Crisis

[fierceawakening]

Here’s the thing I don’t understand, in the sleepless middle of the night went it’s looking like disaster:

Everything I read says that Trump has made huge gains with Latinos. What is that about? Are pundits just looking for someone to blame?

Like. As much as it completely baffles me I’ve gotten uneasily used to the idea that Florida Cubans will pretty much always see the right wing as their salvation, that they still see politics as a clash of titans between The Evil Communists and The Noble Capitalists.

But everybody else? That I can’t wrap my head around. He insults them constantly. Legal status here in the US is very difficult to get and a very lengthy, difficult process for those who do. Maybe not everyone has relatives who are stuck in the system, but I’d imagine many do.

Given that… what’s the appeal?

All I can think of is patriarchy, is that some fearful people are finding solace in the worst parts of machismo and the idea that a return to it will grant them some kind of strength they feel they’re missing.

I dunno man. I’m baffled.

[chesnat]

Did Che kill gays?

There is this popular notion of Che killing people who were part of LGBTQ+ community. So to debunk Che executed LGBTQ+ people we need to talk about the source of this misconception fabricated by western medias.

Was Che Guevara homophobic? We have no evidence to confirm or deny, since the only thing of significance Che Guevara ever said about gay people, from The Motorcycle Diaries at age 24:

He was an introvert and was probably gay, too. The poor man was drunk and desperate because they hadn’t invited him to the party. He began to yell and insult people until some of them beat him up and gave him a black eye. This episode bothered us, because apart from him being a sexual pervert and a bore, we liked him.

Some edition of The Motorcycle Diaries might even just translated the description of the man as "sexual pervert." I can't speak Spanish and I have no copy of the book in the original language but what I have is an example of the other translation:

From Isaac Wess on Quora:

Che Guevara was probably homophobic to same extent that heterosexual men of his time were. He never wrote or spoke extensively about homosexuality or homosexual people and nothing exists to say he was an exceptional homophobe. He certainly did not call for the killing of homosexuals. Anyone telling you otherwise is simply misinformed or dishonest.

People often talk about how Guevara murdered gays and put them in camps and everything. Time for a history lesson.

The camps people are referring to are called UMAPs — Military Units to Aid Production. These were labor camps run by the Cuban government between November 1965 and July 1968 for people who did not want to or could not serve in the military. Openly homosexual people were barred from military service at this time and so were conscripted into camps where they suffered frequent abuse. Other people deemed a “counterrevolutionary” to the new Cuban regime were also present in the UMAP camps, such as religious folk, political enemies, and conscientious objectors. It is generally understood that the Cuban government was unaware of the injustices taking place, closing the UMAP system as soon as they were aware. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Cuba by 1979. The Cuban government continues to present the UMAP system as a mistake.

During the years of the UMAP system, Che Guevara held no public office in the Cuban government. His farewell letter to Fidel Castro months before the opening of any UMAP camps, in April 1965:

formally reject my positions in the leadership of the party, my post as minister, my rank of commander, and my Cuban citizenship. Nothing legal binds me to Cuba. The only ties are of another nature — those that cannot be broken as can appointments to posts.

Before the UMAP system even existed, Che had resigned from Cuban affairs, even leaving the nation for a stretch of time. He would ultimately make several appearances throughout the globe before his summary execution in Bolivia in 1967. No evidence exists to say Che Guevara was aware of the existence of the UMAP camps, meaning he could not be aware of its practices. He did not execute gays, or really anyone unjustifiably.

In conclusion:

Che Guevara was probably a homophobic since at the time he was alive (1928-1967) people who identified themselves as homosexuals were constantly prejudiced and abused.

It's a fact that gays were sent to camps (UMAPs) but before UMAPs even existed Che had already resigned from Cuban affairs.

The misleading informations were proven to be fabricated to diminish Che Guevara's image by the western media who were threatened by Che Guevara's presence.

Source:

[communistkenobi]

what are some of your favorite nonfiction podcasts?

the big one I recommend is just king things - two marxist academics go through the books of Stephen King in publication order. extremely funny and insightful podcast, very accessible (like this is not a theory podcast or anything, it’s very laid back and casual), and I really appreciate their approach to literary criticism.

game studies study buddies is by the same hosts as just king things but this is a theory podcast. Each episode they go over and discuss a book from the field of game studies (ie the academic study of games). I very much recommend you listen to this if you want to like passively absorb critical/leftist theory. The hosts are academics, one of which teaches about games regularly as a professor, so it kind of feels like someone is teaching you about a text. I find it fairly accessible, I learn a lot about games, and as I said they very frequently structure their discussions with left wing theory. I find them very insightful!

blowback is very good, it’s about the imperial history of the United States. a history/journalist type podcast. this can get extremely heavy and difficult to listen to given the subject matter so I would not binge this (I usually listen to it when I’m doing a physical activity) but it’s a really good source of historical information and has helped me develop my political understanding of modern western imperial history. each season covers a different event: S1 is the invasion of Iraq, S2 is the Cuban Revolution, S3 is the Korean War, S4 is the invasion of Afghanistan

ALAB (all lawyers are bad) is good with some caveats. It’s a podcast by a bunch of lawyers who spend a lot of time on twitter discussing how horrible lawyers are, usually either focusing on specific high-profile lawyers (Kavanaugh, Dershowitz), specific american legal regimes (anti-BDS legislation, sanction law, etc), or specific trends in the legal system that causes structural problems (eg lifetime judgeship appointments with no mandatory retirement age). They also sometimes do random funny lawsuits or cover legal responses to events like Jan 6th. A mixed bag in terms of focus but mostly it’s hating on American law and the legal system. This is a critical recommendation because it’s a bunch of lawyers dudes riffing and some of their analysis can be stupid/bad, they say stupid shit that comes off as “anti identity politics” at times, etc. I’m pulling from memory because it’s been a while since I listened to them so I’m sorry if this is overly vague/general. The best way to describe it is chapo-adjacent if that means anything to you lol

and finally the podcast knowledge fight. this is a podcast dedicated to covering and debunking Alex Jones. in all honesty I don’t find this podcast super valuable in terms of analysis, like they are only really focused on debunking the claims Jones makes and explaining why they’re factually wrong. Which like that’s a good thing to do, I’m not saying its bad, but I don’t really need to be convinced Jones is lying about everything lol so I don’t personally find it super useful/insightful. If you have to interact with Alex Jones fans regularly (like family members) then maybe that will be more valuable for you! Totally depends. however the reason I bring them up is because I DO recommend the series of episodes they have titled formulaic objections - in this series they go through all the deposition material from the sandy hook lawsuit against Alex Jones (the one that cost him a billion dollars in damages and court sanctions lol). They play clips of the depositions throughout these episodes, which are so fucking insane to listen to. Like listening to a bunch of employees of an insane fringe right wing media organisation being questioned by lawyers for hours on end is so entertaining lmao. This lawsuit is about the sandy hook school shooting so a warning about the subject matter, it can get dark at times, but on the whole it’s extremely fucking funny to listen to. And the hosts provide a lot of context for what’s going on in the lawsuit, talk about it, and also they debunk the shit Jones lies about in court that you may not know about, so I find that part of it really good.

[darkeagleruins]

Did you know that under the Office of Refugee Resettlement's "Preferred Communities" program, a "refugee" can get a YEAR of comprehensive assistance if they say they're gay?

Haitians and Cubans are eligible AS SOON AS THEY ENTER

Preferred Community refugee assistance includes:

-Housing

- Mental Health services

- Food

- Finances (Income and employment)

- Financial Management advising

- Navigation of US Healthcare Systems

- Transportation

- Enrollment in social security/welfare benefits

- "Social Adjustment & Interaction/Integration" classes

- Immigration Status legal services

- "Family Wellness" programs, substance abuse resources

[dailyanarchistposts]

Whether aware of it or not, your boss is stealing from you every paycheck. Employers profit off of the “excess” wealth that you, as an employee, produce. There are two ways to get paid in America: make money off the work you do, or make money off the work that other people do. Employees generate wealth, employers collect it.

We live in a capitalist society. We all know that. Most people are okay with it, too. After all, the competition (state communism like the USSR) doesn’t have such a good reputation.

But what exactly does capitalism mean? Our good friend the dictionary says capitalism is “an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.” This definition is a bit deceptive, but let’s run with it for now.

The word I care about in that definition is “profit.” Profit is the extra money at the top after all your expenses are paid out. You buy ten apples from the farmer for ten cents each and sell them in town for twenty cents each, leaving you with an extra dollar. Hurrah! You make enough of those dollars, and you can pay your rent and afford to eat. Both things you might need.

But you can only carry so many apples, and you can only sell them so fast. You could make more money if you hire other people to sell the apples for you. You pay them an hourly wage, or take a cut off of every apple they sell. Multiply this by enough people, and suddenly you’re quite wealthy. The people you hire only have enough to pay rent and eat, but you get to drive a hummer-limo and smoke Cuban cigars or whatever. Why? Because you stole from your employees. You aren’t working harder than them—in fact, you’re probably working less—and derive your income from the excess wealth generated by their labor.

And that is capitalism. When rich people steal from poor people through the legal process of wage labor. Capitalism is based on “capital.” Capital is wealth that can be used to generate more wealth. If capitalism was about getting rewarded for working, we’d be all about it. But it’s not. it’s about getting rewarded for other people working, it’s about letting money (and people) make your money for you.

If you, as a wage laborer, didn’t create more wealth for your boss than your hourly wage, you wouldn’t have a job. What we’re calling workplace theft is actually a bit of a misnomer. Workplace theft is the norm: your bosses are stealing from you every day. They’re living off your sweat. When you take money out of the register and put it into your pocket, that’s not workplace theft. That’s workplace justice.

[foreverlogical]

The legal briefs are piling up in Florida. 

In the coming weeks, prosecutors in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case against former President Donald Trump must provide more information to Judge Aileen Cannon in compliance with her latest orders. The judge has questioned the “legal propriety” of bringing charges into her courtroom using an out-of-state grand jury. 

In a separate setback for special counsel Jack Smith, Cannon struck two filings by prosecutors from the record. These unusual moves generated a torrent of criticism from legal scholars. 

Aside from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Judge Cannon — who of Cuban American descent — is the most prominent Latina judge in the country. She is overseeing a historic case yet is on track to harm the judiciary system, democracy and her own reputation. Her partisan conduct is an embarrassment. 

To understand why Cannon is unfit to hear Trump’s case, start with her ruling last week. In it, Cannon asked about the legality of using a Washington, D.C., grand jury in a Florida-based case. But this is normal procedure, as grand juries can be convened anywhere crimes may have occurred. As a federal judge, Cannon should know this. 

It’s no wonder that her orders have earned widespread scorn from legal experts. Former Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe called her approach “dopey and constitutionally dubious.” On X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, a former assistant U.S. Attorney wrote that Cannon “clearly shows her ignorance (bias? both?).”  And these were some of the kinder reactions. 

This is not the first time Cannon has appeared to favor Trump. After the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago last year, the former president filed a civil lawsuit to stop the Department of Justice investigation. Cannon sided with him, in a decision that was overturned by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. In a scathing rebuke, the appellate court found multiple serious errors in Cannon’s initial ruling and decided that she didn’t even have jurisdiction in the first place. 

These controversies matter to the Latino legal community because it is rare for a Latino judge to be in the national spotlight. In fact, Latino judges are rare. Though Latinos account for about 19 percent of the U.S. population, only 8 percent of federal judges are Latino. Of these, roughly one third are Latinas.  

Cannon is part of a long tradition of Latino jurists, from Alonso Perales, who founded the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 1929, to civil rights pioneer Gus Garcia, who argued before the Supreme Court in 1954 to Justice Sotomayor. Cannon’s role in a hugely consequential legal matter could have been a source of pride for Latinos. Instead, calls are mounting for her recusal.  

As she tanks her own credibility, Cannon is likewise letting the Latino community down. According to a June Quinnipiac poll, 60 percent of Latinos are following the documents case closely, and 66 percent believe that Trump handled the classified papers in an inappropriate manner. Like other Americans, Latinos want to see the rule of law applied with impartiality. That hasn’t been the case so far, due to Cannon’s emerging pattern of bias.  

Cannon’s apparent fealty to the former president is as troubling as it is unfortunate. Look how that worked out for Alberto Gonzales, whose misplaced loyalty to George W. Bush led the nation's first Latino attorney general to resign. 

Yes, Cannon is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School who previously worked in a D.C. law firm and as a federal prosecutor in Florida. But in her current role, she is a legal time bomb who could blow up a case with immense implications for national security and democracy. 

Consider that she had no judicial experience before her lifetime appointment to the federal bench by Trump in 2020. Or that as a prosecutor, she worked on only four criminal cases that resulted in trials, for a total of 14 trial days. 

Reuters reports that Cannon made rookie mistakes in a trial in June, such as forgetting to swear in the jury, while the New York Times describes her as a judge “who will be essentially learning on the job.”   

To borrow a catchphrase associated with Justice Sotomayor, Judge Cannon is no “Wise Latina.” She must recuse herself from the documents case, or prosecutors should seek to have her replaced. She is too problematic and inexperienced to preside over a criminal trial of Donald Trump.  

Raul A. Reyes is an attorney and contributor to NBC Latino and CNN Opinion. Follow him on Twitter @RaulAReyes, Instagram @raulareyes1.

[newstfionline]

Monday, October 21, 2024

Billions in election bets raise the stakes of the presidential race (Washington Post) Scott Owens, an amateur watchmaker in Madison, Wis., waited years for a chance to legally bet money on U.S. politics. Earlier this month a federal court opened the way, by ruling that federal financial regulators could not block New York start-up Kalshi from accepting such wagers. A few days later, Owens put down about $100 on several potential outcomes in the popular vote and electoral college from the presidential ballot on Election Day. Tarek Mansour, CEO of Kalshi, said in an interview this week that the site’s user base has been “doubling day over day” since the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia early this month ruled against a Commodity Futures Trading Commission order banning bets on politics. Around $2 billion in cryptocurrency has been wagered on predicting the next president on Polymarket as of Friday. As of Friday, pricing on Polymarket suggested former president Donald Trump had a 60 percent chance of winning the presidency and Kamala Harris had a 40 percent chance. On Kalshi, Trump was trading at 56 percent and Harris at 44 percent.

Halloween: Retail Monstrosity (NYT) On Nov. 1, 1876, The New York Times declared Halloween “departed,” destined for the grave. In 2024, consumers are expected to spend $11.6 billion celebrating the holiday, up from $3.3 billion in 2005. Halloween has transformed from a pagan feast to a celebration with lovingly homemade costumes and treats to one of the largest consumer spending holidays in the United States. Every October—or even earlier—millions of Americans are spending on costumes, decorating their homes and lawns with garish skeletons and spiders and doling out candy bars to little superheroes and witches. Halloween is a marketer’s dream, said Tom Arnold, a finance professor and retail expert at the University of Richmond. It falls on the same day every year, Halloween items are largely consumable (candy needs to be replenished every year and kids outgrow costumes), and pop culture trends can help predict which costumes will be the must-haves each season.

Cuba Suffers Second Power Outage in 24 Hours, Realizing Years of Warnings (NYT) The experts had warned for years: Cuba’s power grid was on the verge of collapse, relying on plants nearly a half-century old and importing fuel that the strapped Communist government could barely afford. On Friday morning their dire predictions came true, as the entire island plunged into the most prolonged blackout it has suffered in the three decades since its former benefactor and steady fuel supplier, the Soviet Union, collapsed. Cuban energy officials managed to get power back up briefly to some parts of the island on Friday night. But early Saturday the state’s utility company reported another “total disconnection” of the system, the second in less than 24 hours.

Historic Droughts in South America (NYT) Electricity cuts across an entire nation. A capital rationing water. A mayor encouraging people to shower together to save precious drops. The world’s largest river system, the Amazon, which sustains some 30 million people across eight countries, is drying up. A record-breaking drought that is well into its second year is punishing much of South America, including the Amazon rainforest, upending lives and local economies and providing an alarming glimpse into the future as the effects of climate change become more apparent. In Brazil, wildfires fueled by searing heat and prolonged dry conditions have consumed vast swaths of forest, wetlands and pastures, with smoke spreading to 80 percent of the country. It has led to canceled classes, hospitalizations and a black dust coating the inside of homes. To the south, in Paraguay, the Paraguay River has hit new lows. Ships are stranded and fishermen say their most valuable quarry—including the enormous surubí catfish—have all but disappeared, forcing many people to look for work elsewhere to feed their families. With much of South America dependent on hydropower, electricity production has plunged. In Ecuador, people are enduring energy cuts of up to 14 hours per day, knocking out the internet and sapping the country’s economy.

Kyiv launches more than 100 drones over Russia as a missile strike on Ukraine injures 17 (AP) Russian air defenses shot down more than 100 Ukrainian drones Sunday over Russia’s western regions, Moscow officials said, while 17 people were injured in the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih in a ballistic missile attack. The Russian Defense Ministry said 110 drones were destroyed in the overnight barrage against seven Russian regions. Many targeted Russia’s border region of Kursk, where 43 drones were reportedly shot down. Social media footage appeared to show air defenses at work over the city of Dzerzhinsk in the Nizhny Novgorod region, close to a factory producing explosives.

Moldova votes in election, EU referendum in shadow of alleged Russian meddling (Reuters) Moldovans cast their ballots on Sunday in a presidential election and EU referendum at a pivotal moment that could bolster the small agricultural economy’s drive to join the European Union, after allegations of Russian election meddling. As the war in Ukraine rages to the east and turns the political and diplomatic spotlight on the former Soviet republic, it has accelerated its push to escape Moscow’s orbit and embarked on the long process of EU accession talks. Polls show pro-Western incumbent Maia Sandu has a comfortable lead over her 10 rivals on the ballot, though the race will go to a Nov. 3 run-off if she fails to reach the 50% threshold to win outright. The campaign has been overshadowed by election-meddling allegations. The police have accused Ilan Shor, a fugitive tycoon who lives in Russia, of trying to pay off a network of at least 130,000 voters to vote “No”. And law-enforcement agencies said they had uncovered a programme in which hundreds of people were taken to Russia to undergo training to stage riots and civil unrest.

Japan’s beloved former Empress Michiko marks her 90th birthday as she recovers from a broken leg (AP) Japan’s beloved former Empress Michiko received greetings from her relatives and palace officials to celebrate her 90th birthday Sunday as she steadily recovers from a broken leg, officials said. Michiko is the first commoner to become empress in modern Japanese history. Catholic-educated Michiko Shoda and then-Crown Prince Akihito married on April 10, 1959. The couple retired after Akihito abdicated in 2019 as their son, Emperor Naruhito, ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne and his wife, Masako, became empress. Since then, Akihito and Michiko have largely withdrawn from public appearance to enjoy their quiet life together, taking daily walks inside the palace gardens or occasionally taking private trips, hosting small gatherings for book reading and music. The couple broke with traditions and brought many changes to the monarchy: They chose to raise their three children themselves, spoke more often to the public, and made amends for war victims in and outside Japan. Their close interactions have won them deep affection among Japanese.

Indonesia swears in Prabowo Subianto as the country’s eighth president (AP) Prabowo Subianto was inaugurated Sunday as the eighth president of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, completing his journey from an ex-general accused of rights abuses during the dark days of Indonesia’s military dictatorship to the presidential palace. The former defense minister, who turned 73 on Thursday, was cheered through the streets by thousands of waving supporters after taking his oath on the Quran, the Muslim holy book, in front of lawmakers and foreign dignitaries. Banners and billboards to welcome the new president filled the streets of the capital, Jakarta, where tens of thousands gathered for festivities including speeches and musical performances along the city’s major throughfare.

Lebanese Christians caught in crossfire (Washington Post) While much of southern Lebanon falls under the de facto control of Hezbollah, the ancient valleys here hold a scattering of towns and villages that are predominantly Christian, Druze or Sunni Muslim. None of them have rallied to support Hezbollah. Their neutrality largely protected them during the first 11 months of the conflict, but now the war is creeping quickly toward them. While most residents have evacuated, people in some Christian towns—and their priests—are refusing to leave their homes again. Their reasons are a kaleidoscope of defiance, resolve and generational trauma. Some say they can’t afford to relocate. Some believe their presence deters attacks on their lands. Some fear they won’t be able to return. For many across the country, this war in particular has brought feelings of complete helplessness: Lebanon’s five-year-long economic crisis has left them unable to escape the danger zone of a war they do not even support.

Fighting Rages in Gaza and Lebanon, Despite Killing of Hamas Leader (NYT) Israeli forces pounded targets in the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya on Saturday, killing at least 33 people and injuring dozens of others in the bombardment, a Palestinian emergency services group said. Israel has surrounded Jabaliya for a week as it seeks to root out Hamas fighters who it says have reorganized in the area. Since Friday, approximately 20,000 Palestinians have fled the neighborhood, according to UNRWA, the main United Nations agency aiding Palestinians in Gaza, amid Israel’s bombardment. Fighting also escalated in Lebanon on Saturday, as the Israeli military targeted several areas outside of Beirut in airstrikes that covered the area in clouds of dust. The resurgence in attacks, after several days of relative calm, came after Hezbollah warned of “a new and escalating phase” in the conflict with Israel. In Gaza, the Gazan Health Ministry reported that Israeli forces had targeted the entrance of the laboratory at Kamal Adwan Hospital, a major facility near Jabaliya, killing one person and injuring several others. The ministry has warned of a crisis in Gaza’s hospitals, citing fuel shortages and a lack of essential medicines and medical supplies.

Dog spotted atop ancient Egyptian pyramid delights paragliders (Washington Post) An Egyptian dog found viral fame after it was filmed frolicking atop one of the pyramids at Giza, spotted by a group of paragliders. Marshall Mosher, one of the paragliders, said he had flown over the pyramids several times but it was his first sighting of a dog at the summit, hundreds of feet from the ground. “We really didn’t know what it was at first—this thing running back and forth along the top,” he told The Post. “So, that was hilarious and unexpected.” Social media users fell in love with the adventurous animal, as videos taken by the event participants accumulated more than a million views.

[andivmg]

recommendations for “local” spots in PR? im going over springbreak and im so excited!!! (anything fun do/ explore besides el yunque and san juan?)

omg i love this questionnnn!!!!

so if you get the chance: RENT. A. CAR. There are so many amazing spots in PR but because the public transportation system here might as well be nonexistent, you need a car to get to most of them. so here is the list of my personal fave spots that you need a car for: (dw i will include another list of things that are more local to san juan and also one more thing)

- Playa Sucia, Cabo Rojo: gorgeous beach, i spent a lot of time there in college. you have to walk a bit to get to the actual beach but it’s so worth it. you can also hike up the cliffs surrounding the beach which is so fun and beautiful. and you can go up to the lighthouse which has the most amazing view.

- Crash Boat beach, Aguadilla: another beach, another college me spot. it’s just really cool, people are always playing music, there’s a big ol pier. just very awesome.

- Toro Verde Adventure Park: ZIPLINE. VERY BIG ZIPLINE THAT TAKES YOU 95 MPH. I believe it’s the longest in the US and the third longest in the entire world. the view while you’re on it is unlike anything i have ever seen before 10/10, taking my bf there this weekend.

- Surfing: my fave surf spots are Domes Beach in Rincon. Jobos Beach in Isabela. and La Punta in San Juan. You can search up surf lessons in these beaches and you’ll get a bunch of instructors.

-La Parguera: Bioluminescent bay. It’s so gorgeous and so worth it

- Piñones: Long strip of road with different spots you can get out in and go to the beach in. It’s littered with a bunch of typical puertorican food stands like fried shit that we love. if you want the real PR experience, go on a weekend

Now for some more local San Juan area things to do:

- Again, Surfing: literally just google surf lessons in san juan and a bunch will pop up

- Distrito T-Mobile: Has a bunch of restaurants and live music, definitely a good spot to just kinda hang out in. There’s a huge arcade there as well as one of my fav restaurants: La Central by Mario Pagan (get the truffle butter on the steak)

-La Placita: Drinks. Legal age is 18 here so if you want to PARTY, go here.

-Calle Loiza: same as la placita but more locals go here methinks

-The Place: my fav burger place ever, it’s in Condado. Build your own burger w really good ingredients 10/10

-Pirilo: amazing pizza place. it’s in old san juan so this might be a bit of a cop out but it’s really good regardless.

-Casa Bacardi: Rum factory, you can take a tour and it’s pretty cool

-Paddle Boarding: you can go paddle boarding in Condado Lagoon, if you’re lucky you might even get to see manatees or turtles!!!

- Metropol: my favorite restaurant. they have a bunch of locations but you can’t go wrong with any of them. typical puertorican and cuban food. fucking delicious i can never get enough. (get the sorullitos you won’t regret it.)

Now for the something extra:

-Culebra and Vieques: You can either take a plane or a ferry to either of these islands. They are the most beautiful islands i have ever seen. Very remote so little to no cell service but genuinely so so so worth it because the stars look so amazing at night it’s like nothing i have ever seen before. also Vieques has a bioluminescent beach as well :)

ik some of these are kind of touristy things and not necessarily local but they are genuinely some of my favorite things to do and i will always always always recommend to do at least one of them.

If you google Discover Puerto Rico, that website is amazing and gives you like a million things to do 10/10

here’s a link to my fav youtuber’s vlog where she went to PR and imo she did an amazing job of immersing herself in the culture i adore her: https://youtu.be/KPzqRP0T3ew?si=_sFNg_5kg6N5SGQg

[stalkedbytrains]

Untouched Horizons Timeline 6/-

The Second Civil Wars

-855

The opposition finally fed up with the Senate after several NE consols elected without fail, and withdraw from the Senate

This is deemed illegal by the Senate

But the South has been preparing for this for a while

Once they withdraw and recall all their people out of the capital, roads are destroyed and barricaded, waterways are blocked, they cut off everything

The North is totally under prepared for this and Southern taxes and crops and stuff wholesale stops and by the time the North raises troops and starts heading out there is no way in and the borders are well defended

-854

A few border skirmishes happen but the South repels every attack

This goes on for a while

The south becomes this confederacy of zones and houses, the government is solely for trade regulators and tax body for infrastructure

They have a very comprehensive and complex court system for dealing with interhouse disputes

They are all very independent zones and houses, and not very cohesive, as it makes it very hard to conquer as each individual zone essentially requires its own war

This also makes cooperation between the houses really hard to muster

Hot damn do they have the best courts though

-853

The border attacks stop and the split is ratified by the north

The North starts its slide towards to the single powerful executive

Southern confederacy with very limited government oversight

-852

A tense sort of peaceful coexistence happens between the two nations

Trade established new cities and such are built along the border to accommodate

It’s not nice but it is going

-833

The second generation of this agreement starts to take over, their parents’ tension carries over

Border skirmishes happen occasionally mostly the North attacking the South

Rival exploratory houses are formed

Untouched Horizons in the North

Unbroken Skies in the South

Lots of arguments about this formation and it’s legality in the North

-832

This is renewed hostilities which is a costly war that basically went nowhere

-830

This war is just over reclaiming land as the South never wavers, and there is no central government of note to really negotiate with

The North gets exhausted and gives it up

-821

The North is official a single house state, and has been marching that way for a while, but the last senator’s house is officially taken over the consolship and the senate and just about everything else

-820

The North starts a new war with the South

The whole thing starts as the northern people are too fed up with the constant war but a victory is needed to cement power, so they forcibly annex 1 zone near the border because the south is very dispersed and noncommittal so they don’t fight it collectively

-797

The previous qiin dies, a new qiin takes over

The zone that was captured tries to defect again, but the whole thing is a big mess and results in no changes happening

-766

The south has established a new series of courts and stuff to police the ongoing border situation

The north doesn’t have any real regency crisis because the ruling class is all of one house

-744

Trade is primarily between the Maya in Mexico and the native Cubans

Horizon essentially goes further afield to the Americas in a quest for metal sources

-730

The north has a civil war as a big house tries to supplant the ruling house

It’s a mess that goes on for two years

The south just sits back and watches smugly

-728

The civil war ends by a third faction sweeping in and clearing out the weakened fighters and claiming total victory

-700

The south starts making subtle colonization efforts which sets the North off

There's some minor warring with the South capitulating

[she-is-ovarit]

The devaluation of elder people in western culture absolutely breaks my heart. There are reasonable frustrations to have against individuals of the boomer generation who are misogynistic, racist, etc., but to paint this frustration in broad strokes over an entire aged population is wounding us. I look around and I see just as many individuals who are homophobic, sexist, racist, etc., in denial of it or in encouragement of it. It's all the same politics just with new terms and technology.

What the boomer generation had was being told they were going to die in a nuclear war every day, and nearly experienced it during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Can you imagine feeing so powerless to protect the people you love as wealthy men with twitchy trigger fingers are in charge of you and everybody else's lives around you?

They saw and experienced their nation force it's male citizens to be sentenced to death and to be sentenced to kill in Vietnam. Can you imagine either sitting in the room with your family and hoping that a certain set of numbers aren't called? Or, perhaps, hoping that they would be, because many men back then hurt women in severe and immeasurable ways without nearly as many laws to protect abuse victims as there are today?

They were also the generation that observed homosexuality becoming recognized as legal in 1967 (different from gay marriage being passed), and this was promptly followed by the AIDs epidemic. Can you imagine being a gay or lesbian boomer back then? Can you imagine holding your dying loved one's hand as they are essentially killed after they contracted a common cold due to a disease that destroys their immune system? Can you imagine getting this disease and understanding you're going to die slowly and painfully and are scared, and then nobody wants to touch you?

This is also the generation that received the news of a black teenager refusing to move to the back of the bus. They watched or even participated in marches on DC spearheaded from Martin Luther King Jr. and then observed their own government assassinate him years later. Many people in this generation and their protests were why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. This was also the generation that was sent to the last American Indian boarding/residential schools, and the generation of Natives who endured the events at Wounded Knee in 1973 by the bloodied hands of the feds.

When we drag down this entire generation, we're also dragging down the boomer women who were beat in the streets by their husbands because domestic violence laws were not yet passed, and even after they were men were still en masse violent in public. We're dragging down the women who were involved in the hippie movement, protesting the Vietnam war, and the women who put their lives at risk marching for their rights in the civil rights movement. We're dragging down the women who established the first rape crisis centers and domestic violence organizations.

We're dragging down the generation that looked to the stars and sent us to the moon.

And this generation also is going through the same events we are. They saw the rise of security cameras being placed into parking lots and the slow erasure of privacy. They went through the #MeToo movement. They experienced (and some died from) COVID-19. They were more resourced, but many also suffered through the two recessions with us. They want us to help them understand this confusing technology that they did their best to parent us through even though it was some new magic they didn't quite understand. They're getting cancer alongside us because of the water contamination and environmental pollution. They went through the same story we are going through: the greater population being oppressed by the rich, and the greater population being divided by politics and social issues.

My intention isn't to say that sexism, homophobia, racism, etc. needs to be accepted or given a pass when it's done by someone from the boomer population - how we handle these situations in our every day lives is nuanced and sometimes its best to cut our parents out of our lives because their unresolved trauma is now hurting us. My message is that it is heartbreaking to know that there is a relationship wound between our generations, because our elders know and have experienced so much, and they have little time left on this earth with us. Their most treasured moments with their parents were probably the exchange of intergenerational knowledge, and even this isn't happening between us because instead Millennials, Gen X, and Gen Z look to the internet for answers instead. And because of this we don't get stories straight out of human history from them.

Their generation went through so much and are now seeing their children withdraw into our screens. Yes it makes us frustrated and it makes us roll our eyes when they complain about us being materialistic or having no social skills because of social media. I don't know. Sometimes I do get offended and my 72 year old father's words hurt and come off as out of touch. But I can't blame my mom or my dad for holding that resentment when they probably feel a core part of the generational relationship - the sharing of intergenerational knowledge - being stolen away by technology.

[dipstar1489]

DHMIS Traffic Light Trio Gacha Life 2

While I will be combining both the YouTube and the TV series into one universe, I have only watched the entirety of the YouTube series, and analysis videos of the TV series since it doesn’t stream where I am. To make things less confusing, I will be referring the YouTube series as videos and the TV series as episodes.

TW, while I do not go into much detail, there is mention of an0rex!a, @bu$e, de@+h, and f0$ter c@re.

Headcanons: ⬇️

Yellow Guy

Name: David Gribbleston

Nickname: Dave

Age: 12

Ethnicity: Anglo-Celtic

Gender: Non-binary, they/he/it

Sexuality: Aroace with maybe an interest in queerplatonic relationships

Physical Disabilities: Deaf and using hearing aids

Mental Disabilities + Mental Illnesses: ADHD, Autistic, PTSD (from the later videos and majority of series), Separation Anxiety

Info: It is the only child of Roy and does not remember their mother. He naturally has brown hair, but Roy dyed both he and David’s hair blue to spite his ex and to connect with David, despite David liking his brown hair. They have been neglected and emotionally abused for a good majority of its life and believes this treatment is normal. Despite this, David has grown a distrust for Nel and Drew, Nel because they were originally a teacher (inspired by Nel’s cameo in video 6), and Drew for abandoning them.

Duck Guy

Name: Penelope Fowl (never bothered to legally change their name)

Nicknames: Penel, Pen, Nel

Age: 34

Ethnicity: Cuban, born and raised in London

Gender: FtN, Nonbinary, they/him

Sexuality: Pansexual, Aromatic

Physical Disabilities: Scoliosis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Mental Disabilities + Mental Illnesses: ADHD, Autistic, PTSD (from video 2 and video 5) developing Anorexia (caused by trauma from video 5), Separation Anxiety, OCD

Info: They grew up in the foster care system since he was a young child due to them being neglected by his parents, but kept switching house until they grew out of the system without ever being adopted. Because of this, Nel never properly developed firm relationships and is in deep denial about his desire of a family, desperate for attention. Nel was originally meant to be a teacher, but they looked at both the student and the teacher scripts, making them vulnerable to the same dangers as Drew and David, and tried to stay on the teacher’s script until video 5, when he went to get the phone. Nel has grown insecure of their looks since video 4. They are somewhat afraid of David due to Nel semi-knowing what happened to him in video 5, and stays at Drew’s hip to avoid him leaving again.

Red Guy

Name: Andrew Dreads

Nicknames: Drew, Red

Age: 34

Ethnicity: British African-Caribbean

Gender: Demi-Boy, he/they, ftm(?)

Sexuality: Asexual, Homoromantic

Physical Disabilities: Osteoporosis

Mental Disabilities + Mental Illnesses: ADHD, Autistic, Separation Anxiety, PTSD

Info: Drew grew up with rather emotionally abusive parents that would dismiss and ridicule any emotion Drew and their sibling would have while the parents would whine about their own lives. He ran-away at 16 and cut off any contact with their family, but Drew grow to wonder if he made the right choice and question if their family changed after the run-away. Drew has difficulty understanding and presenting his emotions because of this. They had a dream to create a tv show since that was one of his only coping mechanisms before running away, and so when he met Roy and offered to be a producer, Drew accepted, not realizing his dream will be corrupted. Drew tried to stay with Nel and David out of regret for leaving them behind.

[ausetkmt]

Protest observer (Walter Gadsden, 17) in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, on 3 May 1963, being attacked by police dogs during a civil rights protest.

On July 11, 2017, a video circulated throughout social media depicting the San Diego police deploying a canine against an unarmed suspect. Posted by a bystander named Angel Nunez, it revealed a large police dog lacerating a Black man’s arm while he was handcuffed and subdued on the pavement. The officers appeared to lose control of the animal, while the man screamed in agony as the dog ripped his flesh. Since the video did not reveal the events leading up to the attack, some viewers suspected the man surely antagonized the animal. Shortly after the original post, however, Nunez provided a second video depicting the preceding events. It revealed no premise for the dog’s attack. The suspect appeared to simply hold his arms in a defensive posture as the dog lunged and tackled him to the pavement.

The image triggered various reactions throughout social media. Though skeptics attempted to explain the procedure, and deny its racial overtones, many believed it manifested yet another example of police brutality. Though police shootings and violent beatings typically dominate mainstream perceptions of police violence, the use of canines to subdue people of color has a deeply racist history that not only engulfs the United States, but much of the western hemisphere.

Scholars note that European colonists brought dogs to the Americas and used them as tools for intimidation and violence against indigenous populations, but the deliberately racialized breeding of canines occurred during the expansion of Black chattel slavery. As slave rebellions erupted throughout the western hemisphere in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a breed called the “Cuban bloodhound” was diffused throughout the slaveholding colonies. Named for the island from which they hailed, they were physically imposing and extremely aggressive. Used in Cuba to confine slaves to the plantations, they were eventually exported to quell Black revolts. The British used them against the Jamaican Maroons in the late eighteenth century and the French engaged their services during the Haitian Revolution in the early nineteenth century.

A few decades later, the US government was engrossed in a lengthy conflict with the Black Seminole Indians in Florida, and military officials followed the French and British examples by importing Cuban bloodhounds to help crush the revolt. Following this event, entrepreneurial white southerners interbred the dogs with local breeds, birthing the occupation of professional slave hunting in the antebellum South.1Cuban Mastiff

The targeting of enslaved men and women was so pervasive that Black authors called them “Negro Dogs,” as the fugitive comprised the most lucrative target for the dogs’ owners. These animals held a prominent legacy in the testimonies of former slaves, as their oral histories recollected stories of pursuit, evasion, and, oftentimes violent, capture. The assault on Black people was so widespread that a reader gains a sense of its normalcy in the literature. According to one former slave from Mississippi, “Some folks treated the slaves mighty bad, put nigger dogs on ‘em” Far from a haphazard practice, the business of hunting Black bodies was ritualized throughout the South.

Emancipation brought little relief. The legal subversion of Black Americans continued after the Civil War and the backbreaking requirements of southern agricultural labor during the Jim Crow period largely mirrored its antebellum predecessor. One 1903 headline entitled, “Slavery in Alabama,” accused southern sharecroppers of developing a system of neo-slavery by preying upon impoverished African Americans who remained in perpetual debt: “Planters in want of labor…paid the fines and took the negroes into slavery, ostensibly to ‘work out’ their fines.”2 Such economic exploitation perpetuated debt bondage that mirrored antebellum slavery, and the report detailed how the workers were treated with “great severity” and received whippings for disobedience. Upon any attempt to abscond from the plantation “they were hunted down in the old slavery day’s fashion with bloodhounds.”3

Being “hunted down” with bloodhounds became a familiar experience for Black fugitives, but canine violence was also used to dismantle peaceful protests in the 1960s. Though the “Dogs of Birmingham” often dominate images of violence during the Civil Rights era, the practice spanned much of the Deep South. In 1963, the New York Times reported that police in Greenwood, Mississippi, a city notorious for its violence against Civil Rights workers, used canines to perpetuate anti-Black oppression. James Farmer, national director of the Congress of Racial Equality, condemned the attack of a Black minister by police dogs, declaring, “When that dog’s fangs sank to the ankle of the young minister…they also sank into the hearts of the Negroes of Greenwood.”4 By the time of the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, canine units had threatened and intimidated Black protestors throughout the South.“The author caught by the bloodhounds.” Illustration from Narrative William W. Brown: An American Slave

Despite the public’s outcry against southern police tactics, the violent images of dogs attacking Black victims did little to curb the persistence of this practice throughout the United States. Though police departments assumed that “many lessons were learned since Birmingham,” largely through better training approaches for handlers and their canines, modern statistics remain quite troubling when viewed through a racial context.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is one of the worst repeat offenders. Throughout the 1980s, African Americans leveled complaints that officers jokingly called Black suspects “dog biscuits” as they deployed canines against them. The issue came to a head during the 1991 class action suit Lawson v. Gates, which spotlighted the LAPD’s unlawful use of canines as vehicles of terror and intimidation against minority communities.

Evidence was especially damning, and the plaintiff’s attorneys were able to prove the LAPD deployed dogs principally in African-American and Latino communities, even though “crimes for which dogs are used occur at equal if not greater rates in communities with substantially higher Caucasian populations.”

The case was settled with a monetary payment to 54 plaintiffs, and that the LAPD would institute reform measures for how officers deployed canines. Law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles would later celebrate these reforms throughout the 1990s, claiming bite ratios were markedly down from previous years. However, recent data from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) provides a vastly different picture.

A recent study from the LASD revealed that canine bites in the Los Angeles area were leveled solely against people of color for the first six months of 2013, and the bite ratios against Blacks and Latinos remain disproportionately high. But these contemporary problems do not lie solely in southern California. Following the killing of Michael Brown in 2014, the Department of Justice (DOJ) uncovered that police units in Ferguson, Missouri, persistently used dogs to attack Black suspects, including teenagers. Ultimately, the DOJ report concluded that Ferguson police “appear to use canines not to counter a physical threat but to inflict punishment.”

Including animals in the histories of racial violence, in both colonial histories and the African American experience, contextualizes how conceptions of race are made, consolidated, and reimagined by human populations. We must realize that enactments of police brutality are not solely human-to-human phenomena, but such state-sanctioned patterns of violence are deeply rooted in American history.

[eaglesnick]

“The bedrock of our democracy is the rule of law and that means we have to have an independent judiciary, judges who can make decisions independent of the political winds that are blowing.”   Caroline Kennedy

Spot the difference.

1. “RUSSIA’S upper house of parliament has approved a plan to grant President Putin new powers over the judiciary, despite growing international outcry over the Kremlin’s efforts to re-establish central government control.”  (The Times: 01/10/04)

2. “In November 2016, The Daily Mail ran a cover story with the now infamous title “Enemies of the People” attacking the three judges of the High Court of England and Wales who had ruled that the UK Government needed Parliament’s consent to give notice of Brexit.” (Springer Link: (05/02/21)

3. “Tens of thousands of Israelis have rallied in Jerusalem in support of controversial plans by the far-right government to reform the judiciary. It was the biggest demonstration of its kind yet. Plans include curbing the Supreme Court and giving the government control over the appointment of judges.”

4. “Home Office accused of pressurising judiciary over immigration    decisions…That the Home Office has sought to pressure the immigration tribunal over its bail decisions during a global pandemic shows alarming disrespect for the right to liberty, the rule of law and the separation of powers.” (Guardian: 06/05/20)

5. According to the (Cuban) constitution, the National Assembly controls judicial appointments and suspensions, and the Council of State exercises these powers when the assembly is not in session. The Council of State is also empowered to issue “instructions of a general character” to the courts, whose rulings typically conform to the interests of the PCC in practice. Judges are tasked with enforcing laws on vaguely defined offences such as “public disorder,” “contempt,” “disrespect for authority,” “precriminal dangerousness,” and “aggression,” which are used to prosecute the regime’s political opponents.”  (Freedom House; Cuba: 2021)

6.” Erdogan criticises top court, stoking judicial crisis in Turkey Main opposition party calls it president’s ‘attempt to eliminate the constitutional order…’ The latest crisis showed that Erdogan wants “more control over what happens in Turkey, including a judicial system that does what he wants, such as prosecuting and imprisoning his critics and opponents”, according to analyst Gareth Jenkins." (Aljazeera: 10/11/23)

7. “Supreme Court Judges branded 'enemies of the people’ after blocking Rwanda plan. Philip Davies MP told the Express that the ruling had sparked a “constitutional crisis”. He said: “I think we have a constitutional crisis on our hands. It is clear that Parliament has passed all the necessary legislation for this to happen, and the job of judges is to implement the laws passed by Parliament, not to rule on whether or not they like the policy.” (Express: 15/11/23)

Did you spot the difference? No, of course not as there are no differences. Dictators,  far-right and far-left governments across the world try - and often succeed - in controlling their   judiciary in order to minimise any legal opposition to their policies. That this is now happening in our country, a country that once prided itself on its democracy and the rule of law is a worrying, dangerous and unwelcome development in UK politics and must be vigorously resisted.

[theworldcigarr]

How to Spot an Authentic Cigar Shop in Mumbai

Introduction

Mumbai, the city of dreams, is renowned for its vibrant culture, luxury markets, and fine tastes. For cigar enthusiasts, the search for the perfect cigar shop in Mumbai can feel like uncovering a hidden treasure. Whether you’re a seasoned aficionado or a curious beginner, finding an authentic cigar shop in Mumbai is key to enjoying premium cigars with confidence and satisfaction. But how can you identify a reliable store in this bustling city? This comprehensive guide will help you decode the signs of authenticity and choose the best cigar shops in Mumbai.

Key Features of an Authentic Cigar Shop in Mumbai

1. Licensed and Certified Shops

Authentic cigar shops prioritize legality and transparency. Licenses and certifications are a key indicator that the shop adheres to local regulations.

Why Licensing Matters

Licenses ensure that the cigar shop operates under the guidelines set by Indian tobacco laws. This guarantees that:

The products are genuine.

Proper storage protocols are followed.

The business adheres to ethical practices.

How to Verify Licensing

When visiting a cigar shop in Mumbai, ask to see their licensing documentation. Most reputed shops display these visibly or provide them upon request.

2. Wide Selection of Premium Brands

Authenticity reflects in the diversity of the cigar collection. Top cigar shops in Mumbai stock internationally acclaimed brands, ensuring quality and variety.

Premium Brands to Look For

Cohiba: Known for their luxurious Cuban cigars.

Montecristo: A favorite among aficionados.

Arturo Fuente: Renowned for their craftsmanship.

Ensuring Genuine Products

Always inspect the packaging and holograms for authenticity seals. Reputable shops often have direct supplier connections.

3. Proper Storage Conditions

Cigars are delicate and require specific storage conditions to retain their flavor and quality.

The Importance of Humidity Control

Authentic cigar shops maintain a humidity level between 65% and 72% using high-quality humidors. Check for:

Humidors on Display: Most premium shops have visible, well-maintained storage units.

Product Freshness: Dry or cracked cigars indicate improper storage.

4. Knowledgeable Staff

An authentic cigar shop in Mumbai employs staff who are knowledgeable and passionate about cigars.

Key Indicators of Expertise

Staff can explain the origins, strengths, and pairing options for different cigars.

They offer personalized recommendations based on your taste preferences.

Locally Focused Insights

1. Neighborhood Expertise

Mumbai is a sprawling city with diverse localities. Authentic shops often cater to the clientele of their area, reflecting the city’s cultural nuances.

Popular Locations for Cigar Shops in Mumbai

South Mumbai: Known for its luxury markets in areas like Colaba and Fort.

Bandra: A trendy hub for upscale cigar lounges and shops.

Juhu and Andheri: Emerging as new hotspots for luxury cigars.

2. Local Events and Tastings

Many authentic cigar shops in Mumbai host events to engage the community and showcase their offerings.

What to Expect at Local Cigar Events

Expert-led cigar tastings.

Workshops on cigar rolling and pairing.

Networking opportunities with fellow enthusiasts.

3. Cigar Lounges in Mumbai

Some of the best cigar shops in Mumbai also double as cigar lounges, providing a relaxing ambiance to enjoy your purchase.

Features of Premium Cigar Lounges

Comfortable seating.

Beverage pairings, such as whiskey or coffee.

Air filtration systems for a clean environment.

Generic Information

1. Global Trends in the Cigar Industry

Understanding the global trends can help identify whether a shop stays updated.

Current Trends

Increased demand for organic and sustainable cigars.

Innovative cigar packaging designs.

Rising popularity of flavored cigars among beginners.

2. How to Properly Enjoy a Cigar

Steps to Enhance Your Experience

Cut the cigar using a quality cutter.

Light it evenly with a butane lighter.

Savor the flavor by drawing slowly.

FAQs About Finding an Authentic Cigar Shop in Mumbai

Sourced from "People Also Ask" Boxes:

1. What are the best cigar shops in Mumbai?

Some top-rated cigar shops in Mumbai include Cigar Club Mumbai, The Cigar Republic, and luxury stores in high-end hotels like The Taj Mahal Palace.

2. How can I check the quality of cigars in a shop?

Inspect the packaging, look for proper humidity levels, and ask the staff about the origins and certifications of the cigars.

3. Are Cuban cigars available in Mumbai?

Yes, many authentic cigar shops in Mumbai stock Cuban cigars, but they are often limited in supply due to import restrictions.

Original FAQs:

4. Can I buy cigars online in Mumbai?

While online options exist, it’s recommended to visit a physical store to inspect the quality and authenticity personally.

5. What is the average cost of a premium cigar in Mumbai?

Prices vary, but premium cigars typically range from INR 2,000 to INR 10,000 depending on the brand and origin.

6. Do cigar shops in Mumbai offer accessories?

Yes, most authentic shops provide cutters, lighters, humidors, and other essential accessories.

Conclusion

Finding an authentic cigar shop in Mumbai requires a discerning eye and some local knowledge. By focusing on licensing, product quality, storage conditions, and the expertise of staff, you can ensure a premium experience. Additionally, leveraging Mumbai’s unique cigar culture—through local events, lounges, and brands—will elevate your cigar journey to new heights. So, the next time you’re in search of the perfect cigar, use this guide to navigate Mumbai’s rich offerings with confidence.

[atlantagaimmigrationlawyer]

Achieving Permanent Residency with the Help of Atlanta Immigration Lawyers

Permanent residency, often referred to as obtaining a green card, is a significant milestone for immigrants seeking stability and opportunity in the United States. In Atlanta, Georgia, where immigrants contribute to a vibrant and diverse community, obtaining permanent residency allows individuals and families to live and work in the U.S. without fear of losing their legal status. However, the process of becoming a permanent resident can be complex and challenging. Immigration lawyers in Atlanta play an essential role in guiding clients through the green card application process, ensuring that they meet eligibility requirements and avoid costly mistakes.

What is Permanent Residency?

Permanent residency grants immigrants the right to live and work in the U.S. indefinitely. Green card holders also enjoy several benefits, such as the ability to travel abroad and return to the U.S., sponsor certain family members for green cards, and apply for U.S. citizenship after a few years. However, the path to permanent residency involves navigating a complicated legal system, understanding eligibility categories, and submitting extensive documentation.

There are several pathways to obtaining permanent residency, including family-based petitions, employment-based visas, asylum or refugee status, and special programs such as the Diversity Visa Lottery. Each pathway has specific requirements, and an immigration lawyer can help applicants determine the best route for their circumstances.

How Atlanta Immigration Lawyers Help with Permanent Residency Applications

Determining Eligibility One of the first steps in the green card process is determining eligibility. Immigration lawyers in Atlanta assess a client’s situation and identify the most suitable category for obtaining permanent residency. Common pathways include:

Family-Based Green Cards: For spouses, children, parents, and siblings of U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents.

Employment-Based Green Cards: For individuals with job offers, extraordinary skills, or specialized work experience.

Humanitarian-Based Green Cards: For refugees, asylum seekers, or victims of trafficking or abuse.

Special Categories: For those eligible under programs like the Diversity Visa Lottery or the Cuban Adjustment Act.

Legal advice ensures that clients understand the eligibility criteria and take the correct steps to pursue their application.

Document Preparation A successful green card application requires a significant amount of documentation. Immigration lawyers assist clients in gathering and organizing the necessary materials, such as:

Proof of family relationships (birth or marriage certificates)

Employment letters and financial documents

Medical examination reports

Evidence of eligibility for specific green card categories

Lawyers ensure that applications are complete and accurate, minimizing the risk of delays or denials.

Filing Applications Immigration attorneys guide clients in preparing and filing key forms, such as:

Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative)

Form I-485 (Application to Adjust Status)

Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker)

Filing the correct forms with the necessary supporting documents is critical to avoiding errors that could jeopardize the application.

Dealing with Complex Cases Some green card applications face additional challenges, such as criminal records, prior immigration violations, or long processing times. Immigration lawyers in Atlanta are experienced in handling these complex cases, finding solutions to potential obstacles, and advocating on behalf of their clients.

Representation in Interviews and Appeals Many green card applicants are required to attend interviews with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). An immigration lawyer can help clients prepare for these interviews, ensuring they are ready to answer questions and provide additional evidence if needed. In cases where an application is denied, lawyers assist with appeals or motions to reopen the case.

The Importance of Legal Guidance in the Green Card Process

The green card process is often lengthy, with some applications taking months or even years to complete. Mistakes or omissions in paperwork can lead to significant delays or rejections. Immigration lawyers in Atlanta provide the legal expertise needed to navigate this process efficiently and with confidence.

Moreover, Atlanta's immigrant community is diverse, with individuals from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Immigration lawyers often offer services in multiple languages, ensuring that clients fully understand the requirements and steps involved in their green card applications.

Why Choose an Atlanta Immigration Lawyer?

Atlanta is home to numerous immigration law firms and attorneys dedicated to serving the needs of immigrants. These professionals understand the unique challenges faced by their clients and provide personalized support to help them achieve their immigration goals. From initial consultations to final approvals, an immigration lawyer in Atlanta can be an invaluable ally throughout the green card process.

Conclusion

For immigrants in Atlanta, achieving permanent residency is a life-changing milestone that opens the door to new opportunities and security. The process, however, can be complex and fraught with challenges. Immigration lawyers in Atlanta offer crucial support, helping clients navigate the legal system, avoid mistakes, and maximize their chances of success. With their expertise, immigrants can confidently pursue their dream of becoming lawful permanent residents in the United States.