#Department for Culture Media and Sport

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[sexypinkon]

Sexypink - Cultural Manifesto.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Fifteen government departments have been monitoring the social media activity of potential critics and compiling “secret files” in order to block them from speaking at public events, the Observer can reveal. Under the guidelines issued in each department, including the departments of health, culture, media and sport, and environment, food and rural affairs, officials are advised to check experts’ Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. They are also told to conduct Google searches on those individuals, using specific terms such as “criticism of government or prime minister”. The guidelines are designed to prevent anyone who has criticised the government in the previous three to five years from speaking at government-organised conferences and other events.

[...]

These hidden checks are unlawful, running contrary to data protection laws and potentially breaching equality and human rights legislation. Dan Kaszeta, a chemical weapons expert, was disinvited in April from giving a keynote speech at a UK defence conference after officials found social media posts criticising Tory ministers and government immigration policy. He told the Observer this weekend that he knows of 12 others who have uncovered evidence of similar government blacklisting, most of whom are frightened of speaking out. But he said far more will be unaware they ever failed secret vetting. He said: “The full extent of this is shocking and probably not fully known. I was lucky enough to be given clearcut, obvious evidence. It’s truly awful.”

[noraevelineecgc]

The power struggle between the Federation and the states: A War on gender and autonomy

On February 21, 2025, a conflict recorded in the history of American politics broke out in the Oval Office of the White House - a fierce confrontation between Janet Mills, the governor of Maine, and US President Donald Trump, pushing the power game between the federal and state governments to an unprecedented climax. The core of this confrontation directly points to the executive order signed by Trump on February 5 of the same year, "prohibiting men from participating in women's sports", which requires federal agencies to reinterpret "Title IX of the Education Act Amendment" and prohibit transgender women from participating in women's sports. Maine, as one of the few states in the United States that explicitly allows transgender athletes to compete based on their gender identity, has become the frontline of this "cultural war".

Tensions: How Do Executive Orders tear Apart Legal Consensus

The executive order of the Trump administration, under the name of "protecting the fairness of women's sports", actually pressured the states through federal financial and judicial means. According to this policy, any state that allows transgender women to compete may face cuts in federal education funds or lawsuits from the Department of Justice. On February 25th, the US Department of Health and Human Services directly issued a violation notice to the state of Maine, stating that its current policy "deprives female student athletes of their rights", and demanded that the Maine Department of Education adjust the policy within 10 days, otherwise legal proceedings would be triggered.

However, Governor Mills hit back with a tough stance, accusing the federal government of "overstepping its authority to interfere in local autonomy". She publicly stated at the National Governors Association Conference: "The legislation in Maine is based on science and human rights, not political manipulation." We will not allow the federal government to deprive the citizens of this state of their dignity. This stance quickly triggered a chain reaction: civil organizations that support transgender rights, legal scholars, and even some moderate Republican lawmakers all spoke out, criticizing the Trump administration for "abusing executive power to undermine the foundation of the federal system".

The political calculations behind gender disputes

This conflict is far from being a simple dispute over sports rules. Analysts point out that Trump's executive order is one of the key strategies for consolidating the conservative base during his second term. By tying transgender issues to "traditional values", Trump attempts to continue mobilizing right-wing voters after the 2024 election while diverting public attention from controversies such as tightened immigration policies and escalating tariff wars.

However, Governor Mills' counterattack was equally full of political wisdom. As an important representative of the Democratic Party in the Northeast, she ingeniously transformed the contradiction between the federal government and the states into a "battle for the majority of state rights". At the meeting on February 21st, she cited several precedents of the Supreme Court in recent years, emphasizing that "states enjoy the autonomy granted by the Constitution in areas such as education and public health." This statement not only received support from the governors of the blue states, but even raised the vigilance of some red states regarding the expansion of federal powers - for instance, although the governor of Texas did not publicly support Maine, he privately told the media that "federal intervention needs to have a clear constitutional basis".

The survival battle of the transgender community and the broader political alliance

For the transgender community in Maine, this struggle is directly related to the right to survival. A local high school track and field athlete tearfully stated at the hearing, "Banning me from competing is tantamount to declaring that society does not recognize my female identity." The heavy blow from the federal government is more likely to destroy the gender inclusion system that the state has built over a decade - from school locker room allocation to scholarship eligibility, the rights of transgender people will be completely regressed.

But Mills' strategy goes far beyond this. In her recent speech, she called for: "All groups that have suffered losses due to the federal New Deal - whether they are farmers squeezed by immigration quotas or small business owners who have lost export orders due to the tariff war - should join this battle to defend state rights." This call directly points to the multiple policy weaknesses of the Trump administration: the immigration austerity under the pretext of "national security" has led to a shortage of agricultural labor; The retaliatory imposition of tariffs on China has dealt a heavy blow to Maine's lobster export industry. By tying transgender issues to groups whose economic interests have been undermined, Mills attempts to build an ideological "anti-federalist expansion alliance".

The struggle between the judicial battlefield and public opinion trends

Legal experts predict that this case may eventually be brought to the Supreme Court. Currently, the Maine Attorney General's Office has begun preparing litigation materials. The core arguments include "the federal executive order violates the principle of state rights reservation stipulated in the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution" and "gender identity discrimination constitutes unconstitutional". It is worth noting that in the "Hogwood v. Georgia" case of 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that each state has the right to formulate its own gender-related education policies. This precedent may provide crucial legal support for Maine.

The battlefield of public opinion is equally fierce. Conservative media have portrayed transgender athletes as a threat of "physical superiority over ordinary women", while the liberal camp has refuted this with data: statistics from the National High School Athletic Association show that the participation of transgender athletes has not led to abnormal performance distribution in women's events. More subtly, the tourism industry in Maine has begun to mobilize - operators of the state's LGBTQ-friendly resorts jointly wrote a letter to the state government, warning that "a policy setback will result in economic losses of hundreds of millions of dollars".

A storm that redefines the federal system of the United States

When Governor Mills signed her name on the court documents, she was not only opposing a certain policy of the Trump administration, but also an ultimate game about "who has the right to decide citizens' lives". Whether it's the tears of transgender teenagers on the track or the unsold cargo holds of lobster fishermen due to the tariff war, these seemingly unrelated pain points have all been strung together in the Maine struggle to form a common narrative against the expansion of federal power.

The outcome of this storm may reshape the federal balance that has persisted in the United States for over two hundred years - and every sound of breathing under the heavy pressure of policies could become a fulcrum that shakes history.

[lil-shiro]

More about Shi Wei (Tie Dou) - F1 Academy Shanghai Wild Card driver

Background Born in Baotou, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shi Wei graduated from the Journalism Department of Ocean University of China. She holds a number of professional licenses, including the National Automobile Racing License B, Helicopter License, Motorboat License, and PADI Rescue Diver. 

In 2018 and started her own business in short video platform, founding Yunshi Media Culture Co. With extreme outdoor sports as the core, she popularized outdoor extreme sports through new media platforms, and gradually accumulated rich experience in racing. She is not an academy driver and started driving when she was already an adult.

From what I've found, she's born in 1997, so ineligible for a full-time F1A seat.

Racing

F4

She made her F4 debut in 2023 during round 2 of the F4 Chinese Championship, joining Vivian Siu as the second woman in the series. She immediately made her mark, scoring a ninth place and two sixth place finishes at Ningbo International Circuit, on her first weekend.

She returned for Round 4 in Zhuhai, where she again scored points in three out of the four races, completing the season with 22 points over just the two rounds, winning the Best Rookie Award.

Shi Wei returned in 2024 for another partial campaign, racing in both the Shanghai rounds. She equalled her best finish with a sixth place at the season opener and returned to the points-paying positions with a ninth place result in Round 4 race 4. She finished 19th out of 45 drivers.

Other racing She also participated in other championships like the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR86 Cup and the China Endurance Championship.

On September 13-15, 2024, Shi Wei won the Challenge Cup at the Shanghai race.

In 2024, she also finished third in the Chinese Formula Grand Prix (CFGP).

Race suit design

Shi Wei designed her suit to incorporate cheongsam elements into the racing suit, embellished with blue and white porcelain patterns.

"I chose Zhou Guanyu's No. 24 for my car number, which is also a kind of inheritance," Shi Wei said‍

By including elements such as auspicious clouds and phoenixes, Shi aims to reflect Chinese femininity and cultural richness while adhering to the competitive requirements of motorsport.

The design team executed four revisions in just three days to achieve a final product that resonates with both heritage and performance.

Shi even humorously noted a desire to incorporate elements from the animated film ‘Ne Zha 2’, indicating her commitment to intertwining pop culture and tradition in her representation.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 Her bilili account

[sulumuns-dootah]

Celebrating Christmas w/ WHB demons

⟡ Masterlist ⟡ 

A/N: Oh hey, something other than YfoH2 :D Since tomorrow starts the NSFW part of the event, I gotta show some love to all our other boys ♥

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Satan

Piggibacking off of the prompt I wrote for him last Christmas

I think it would be actually a funny idea to make Satan dress up as Santa

Buuuut since his lap is reserved to us, his people can ask to get hit instead

It might be better also to tell the other kings that this is happening othervise they might get concerned when suddenly a large number of demons fly all the way to their country

Sitri

Meanwhile Satan is happily hitting all his people, Sitri gets swept up in the whole organising part of things

Like, he's so busy he only got to ask to be hit three times :(

Another annoying thing is that the celebrations mean Amy is around, so he doesn't even get to enjoy the time he manages to take off

Amy

Amy and his group are in the town, just to make sure that everyone is safe

But they kinda just hang out in pubs and challenge random demonst to a drinking competition

Someone call Bimet, because the liquor bussines is booming at that time of year

Paimon

Poor baby Paimon is overtaken by the sheer amount of sponsorship offers due to their social media presence

The only good thign is that they get a lot of free things, so gifts for some less important people are taken care of

To help out Sitri, they also offer to buy all the presents he'd othervise have to come up with and buy himself

Leraye

This time of year is kinda empty for Leraye :(

So he's helping out where he can

Most of the time it's helping Paimon film all their hauls and reviews

Or he's helping to oversee the decoration process

Belial

If there's any cultural event, Belial will surely be there

Jjyu has the whole holidays off, so Belial prefers to stay at home othervise

When you go to visit him, he's most likely reading while listening to some classical music

Astaroth

Astaroth is the head overseer of the decoration group

Nobody's even sure how he got this post, but he's the only one who is able to voice his visions and how to achieve them so nobody complains

Problem is, that he doesn't actually acomplish much in the decorating department himself

So throughout the whole process, he's just reading his book and occasionally looks up to steer the others the right way

Zagan

The main decorator

He's the one to organise everyone, even without words

Other tha that, Zagan is usually seen somewhere, helping other demons learn a particular sport like skiing or ice skating

Ppyong

The second main decorator

Especially for placing thigs high up where no other demon can reach

It actually helps him to take his mind off asking Sitri about when he'll get to baking all those delicious sweets he always does

       ༺☆༻

Mammon

Mammon always looks forward to this time of year beacuse of the whole auction thing

Other than that, he doesn't really do much out of the ordinary

At least until you come around introduce him to bunch of new thigns from your own culture

Those things will then get added onto the list of things the country will now do every year form now on

Bimet

Shopping? Shopping! SHOPPING!

Ofc Bimet won't be spending his own money though...

Surely Mammon won't notice if Bimet buys an extra few gifts for himself while out buying gefts for all the other nobles

Eligos

Tartaros' main and only decoration conductor

Yes, he would wrap the whole country in a giant bow if he could

Oh, and during his off time, you can definitelly find him with Paimon in one of the holiday pop up cafés or stores

Valefor

If Bimet is out shopping, he always asks Valefor tog o wiht him to help him carry all the bags

Other than that, Valefor, like Zagan, likes to dos ome winter sports with other demons

Though, for Valefor, I imagine he likes hockey and other team sports rather than the individual ones

       ༺☆༻

Leviathan

For Leviathan there's no change

He doesn't leave his chambers and refuses to interact with anyone beside his nobles and you

Though, I feel like if he likes you enough, he will go out with you (if you sweet talk him enough)

Foras

The ever so busy, our poor baby U.U

All the nother nobles are so useless in all the organising that everything falls down on Foras

Somehow, he still manages to keep his sanity tho

Barbatos

From the beginning, Barbatos wanted to be in charge of decorations

But somehow, that led to everything being wrapped in chains of lights

Which is nice, but Bael had to talk to Levi that they need to turn the lights down bc Abyssos neons were barely visible in all that light pollution at night

(Some say that even the demons of Tartaros didn't see something glow as much as Hades that night)

Glasyalabolas

Glasya's paraphilia has nothing to do with the holidays, so he can't mess up anything, right? right?

nope

The cold weather outside gives him the best opportunity to clean and sanitise the Hades castle underground where his... partners rest...forever

There isn't much space in there so he has to move them all out and since Leviathan refuses to have them inside his castle halls like that, they have to be outside the castle

So he can only take them out when it's cold outside or they might start to... decompose...

Orias

Grandpa doesn't do Christmas or anything of that sort, so like usual he's either off, looking for another delicious angel soul

Or being a menace and making sure Leviathan is on the edge of his seat at all times

       ༺☆༻

Beelzebub

The gifts this man gives are 10/10

Along his travels, he always finds some cool stuff he randomly remembers you said you'd like to have

It's all fun and games until he's hauling a giant mf statue that's almost the size of your house

Bael

If Bael's in a festive mood, he grabs a few scraps of paper and makes a star out of it to put on top of the mountain of paperwork

Other that that, he doesn't really get merry that much since Beel gets merry enough for the both of them

You'll probably have to physically lock him out of his office to get him to do something else

Stolas

Very excited for the holidays actually

Sadly, to participate in most of the stuff he wants to, he has to wade through the crowds, which is easy to set him off

And his bird form is of no use in such situations, because it's usually too cold for his wings

Naberius

Similarly to Belial, Naberius chooses to stay at home and read a good book instead of participating in the mob insanity

And don't worry that he'll run out of things to read

That's what his huge home library is for

Amon

Cold weather is perfect for hibernating, which is perfect for Amon since Beel is never around

Even if Bael commands him to go look for Beel, you'll most likely see him snoozing away in some café

Only once Beel returns, Amon will try to join in on the festivities

       ༺☆༻

Asmodeus

One of his favorite traditions is going around through the whole prison and visiting each and every cell for a round or two of his presence

And yes, it doesn take a lot of time so he'spretty much busy the whole month and then some

But nobody in hell really complains about his presence

Ronove

Actually, I imagine the Abaddon demons have an orgy just like the angels one each of them have had their own fill of Asmodeus

And Ronove uses that distraction as a way to sneak out to find some unfortunate demons outside of the prison who have gotten injured while fighting angels

His usual journey leads him to Paradise Lost where he meets Glasyalabolas who's...

... on a similar mission, but to the PL morgue

Phenix

Phenix loves this time of year!

Both because of the orgy, but also if you check them out of the prison and take them to some public event

SO many different good-looking demons in one place!

Dantalian

This time of year is Dantalian's time to shine :)

The orgy always inevitably ends up into a bloodbath given the extreme kinks of its participants

If he were to die like this, he couldn't be more happier

       ༺☆༻

Belphegor

Our resident sleeper will also try to sleep all the hubbub away

The only way he'll notice it's the season of giving is when a fully decorated tree appears in the corner of his room

And also when Beleth barges into the room while carrying a bag of gifts from him subordinates

Beleth

A concept: Santa Beleth

And if you were extra good, he'll let you sit on his lap(but beware, that it's a bumpy seat and you might have to shift around a lot)

That's it

That's what I'm thinking about for the rest of the year

Gusion

Head organiser who honestly, hates that position

"No! Stop! You're hanging that thing at a 175° and not at 180° like I told you!"

This headache is not one of those that he enjoys

Hopefully resolving one of the unsolvable equations will make him feel better

Bathin

Officially, Bathin is the one to supervise the decorating process, but Gusion always steps in anyway bc something is not to his liking

So he's just reading texts from Stolas about how much he hates all these other demons that accidentally bumped into him in the crowd

He even had to quickly jump to Abyssos a few times to stop the small demon from shooting up a very busy area

Andrealphus

Similarly to Stolas though, the crowds are a nightmare for Andrealphus

It's so hard for him navigate such busy places plus it's easier for angels to hide in them

So instead he stays at home and watches some cartoons

Agares

Agares isn't one to really celebrate, unless it becomes a competition with Belphie

His subordinates even say that during that time he's the worst

Everything has to be even more perfect than normally

Vassago

Somehow, Vassago actually manages to fullfill every demand of Agares, no matter how insane it is

And he'll still have time to spend for himself

Maybe beacuse he's so used to his kings' insane requests all the time?

Vassago's decorating skills are 10/10 too

Everything he touches ends up looking amazing, but then Agares immediatelly swoops in saying that it was his idea and Vassago only followed his vision

       ༺☆༻

Lucifer

The longer he's in Hell, the more he is open to the idea of celebrating again

Sadly though, the decorations that can be put up are limited bc anythinig living can be a potential allergy trigger and finding a good-looking fake alternative is hard

Still, you'll be able to find some sort of decoration in every room

And every demons who visits the hospital in december gets a little bag with some sweet and small gift

Morax

Poor baby Morax doesn't really like leaving the hospital during the cold months of the year because of how many of his injuries react to the sudden drop in temperature

Instead, he preffers to stay in and enjoy his hobbies while not treating patients

Safe to say, most, if not all, patients and hospital staff get something crocheted/knitted each year from him

Gamigin

Ooh, Gamigin can't wait!

Every little thing exictes him

If you give him an advent callendar, he'll be over the moon and ecstatically telling everyone what he got that day

And don't even get me started on how loud an cheery he gets when he's finally able to open his gifts

Marbas

Just like all the other tall demons, Marbas is the one to be decorating everything

Lucifer even graciously allows him to be untied so he can actually move around

But give his interest in shibari, you already know that 80% of the decorating just involves wrapping something in ribbon, tinsel or something similar

Buer

Buer is tasked with picking out some relaxing festive music that plays in the hospital halls and movie selection for the inpatients

Well that, and holding Marbas back with his decorating wich would otherwise just turn the hospital into one giant ball of ribbon and tinsel

Other than that, he's also the one responsible for creating gifts for each patient

[1americanconservative]

@Bitcoin4Freedom

I can't stand Donald Trump. He is braggy, he insults people for no reason, and he is just a brutal personality. But my mind is made up. I'm voting for him and here's why: * He puts Americans and their well-being first. Kamala will not. * He will bring

@elonmusk

into his cabinet to be the efficiency czar and get rid of waste. This alone may be the best single reason to vote for him. * He will bring

@RobertKennedyJr

into his cabinet to Make American Healthy Again. He will finally get to the bottom of why our food companies are destroying the health of our children. * I'm sick of the way the media lies continuously about

@realDonaldTrump

, starting with the incessant racism claims. They are just nonsense. The latest thing I learned? He sent his plane to fly Nelson Mandela home after he was in jail with the U.S. wouldn't do it. Racist? No. * I'm sick of the U.S. being embroiled in foreign wars. Trump will keep us out of them again. He's just crazy enough that foreign nations will stand down. They have no fear of Kamala. They will fear him. * Trump sees this country as fundamentally good. Kamala sees it as inherently evil. * Trump will end the nonsense of the open border which makes our country less secure, less financially stable, and brings in millions of people illegally who compete for Americans' jobs. * This government has to print billions to care for the illegals. That makes all of our dollars less valuable and makes prices zoom upward. * He will stockpile Bitcoin. * He will keep men out of women's bathrooms and women's sports. * He is a heavyweight personality and negotiator. Kamala is a phony personality and a lightweight negotiator. * The people who want Kamala Harris to win are the most annoying people in the country. They have pushed for pronouns, masks, endless vaccines, cancel culture, riots, blatant racism towards whites, gender confusion, undermining the U.S. constitution. * He will upset the current political system. He was nearly the victim of assassination 3x. And he keeps going. He's not the best in interviews, but he at least puts himself out there. Over and over and over. Kamala hasn't done a single press conference. * Harris and the media trying to prop her up hid Biden's cognitive decline. They accuse

@realDonaldTrump

of being a threat to democracy. Yet she was installed as the nominee with no votes. She wants to pack the Supreme Court. She wants to eliminate the filibuster. She sued

@RobertKennedyJr

to keep him off the ballot. And the threat to democracy is Trump? Nonsense. * Those who support Harris look at Trump supports as vile, stupid, ignorant, and fascists. They disown family members or disinvite them from Thanksgiving dinner of they support Trump. This is disgraceful. * Every time she talks, I try to give her a chance. But she is the most phony and condescending politician I have ever seen. Ever. I can't do it. I won't do it. * She and those who support her are resistant to Voter ID and believe requiring an ID is racist. Her Department of Justice is suing the state of Virginia for trying to purge the voter rolls of illegals. Why would we not want 1 vote per 1 U.S. citizen? Is it more racist to believe people from the inner city are perfectly capable of securing a government issued ID? Or to believe they are incapable? That's it. I'm done. Thanks for hearing me out.

[aimeedaisies]

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB appointed as Chair to the Science Museum Group

The Prime Minister has appointed Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, KCVO, CB as Chair of the Science Museum Group, for a four-year term, commencing on 1st of January 2024.

From: Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Science Museum Group

Published: 1st December 2023

Sir Tim Laurence has pursued a portfolio career centred around Built Heritage, Major Projects, Railways and Urban Regeneration since leaving the Royal Navy in 2010. He chaired English Heritage (2015-22), with over 400 historic sites and 40 small museums. Other chairmanships included the Major Projects Association and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the latter on behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence. He was a Trustee and Deputy Chair of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Current roles include: Patron of the Windsor Leadership Trust; Patron of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway; member of the Great Western Railway Advisory Board; and Senior Advisor to the engineering consultancy Tetratech Europe. He contributes to a number of other charities.

Tim’s 37 years of Naval service included four warship commands and a series of senior roles in the Ministry of Defence, culminating in CEO of the organisation which manages the Ministry of Defence’s property and infrastructure worldwide.

He graduated from University College Durham in 1976 with a BSc in Geography, with Geology and Climatology, and was a Hudson Fellow at St Antony’s College Oxford (1998/99).

Remuneration and Governance Code

The Chair of the Science Museum Group is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Sir Tim Laurence has not declared any significant political activity.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

Israel’s National Cyber Directorate (INCD) stated on Thursday that Iran is running a cyber campaign against members of the Israeli delegation arriving in Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

In its investigation, the INCD revealed that Iranian hackers have created social media channels and published personal information about the Israeli team members to send them threats. The INCD is working with the Cyber Unit of Israel’s State Attorney to shut them down. 

As part of their anti-Israeli campaign, the hackers reportedly pose as the French organization GUD. INCD authorities are continuing to coordinate both with the Israeli Olympic Committee and the Security and Emergency Department of the Culture and Sports Ministry to make sure that Israel’s athletes and other delegation members remain safe during the Paris international sports competition.

INCD Dir.-Gen. Gabi Portnoy said Iran was exploiting the Olympics to terrorize Israel.

“Iran is exploiting an apolitical international sporting competition to promote digital terrorism against Israel and its right to participate in these competitions,” he said.

Israeli Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar echoed Portnoy’s remarks. 

“We are witnessing attempts by the Iranian regime to intimidate Israeli athletes and carry out psychological terror against our amazing delegation. We are here in Paris, continuing with full force, and nothing will stop us,” he said.

“Our athletes are more prepared and determined than ever to achieve great results, and our security apparatus is ready for any scenario. We will not relent until we topple the Iranian regime,” Zohar added.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Thursday that while cyberattacks on the Paris Olympics are inevitable, France will do all it can to limit the effects of such attacks.

“We are a target. There will be cyberattacks. The key thing is to limit their impact,” Attal told reporters at the headquarters of France’s ANSSI software security agency.

In the meantime, Israeli tourists in Paris face escalating threats.

On Sunday, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) advised Israeli nationals traveling to the Olympic Games in Paris to exercise increased caution due to anti-Israel threats, warning that it believes Iranian-backed terror organizations “are seeking to carry out attacks on Israeli/Jewish targets around the Olympics.”

Earlier this week, a masked man with a Palestinian Authority flag on his shirt threatened the "Zionist regime" participating in the Olympic Games, saying, “Rivers of blood will flow through the streets of Paris.”

Despite the threats, the Israeli delegation traveled to Paris on Monday with their heads held high and the support of the entire nation.

“We feel like emissaries of the State of Israel – our athletes, every one of them are here to achieve their dreams, but there is another layer, of a national mission,” the President of the Olympic Committee of Israel Yael Arad said ahead of the flight to France.

French authorities have reportedly dispatched around 1,000 elite anti-terrorist officers to provide security and a "ring of steel" for Israel’s Olympic athletes. The first competition involving Israelis, a soccer match between Israel and Mali on Wednesday, passed without major security incidents, despite the presence of anti-Israel activists who held Palestinian Authority flags and demonstrated against the Jewish state. Some activists wore “Free Palestine” t-shirts and booed when the Israeli national anthem, "HaTikva" (The Hope) was played before the game. Israeli players were also met with initial boos when they touched the ball during the game.

On Friday, despite heightened security, France suffered attacks targeting the country's train networks in what authorities described as "coordinated sabotage," including arson. No organization has claimed responsibility. The attacks are expected to negatively impact around 250,000 travelers today and 800,000 over the weekend.

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

'Media in Brazil have yet to understand the power of the Paralympics,' says Brazilian authority

The department is part of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship and supports the Ministry of Sports

On the eve of the Paralympic Games in Paris, one expectation is whether Brazil will follow, cheer, and be moved by the athletes' participation, just as it was less than a month ago when the country took part in the Olympics.

At the last Paralympics in Japan, in 2021, Brazilian parathletes stood on the podium 72 times and won 22 gold medals. This number exceeds the total of medals the country won at the Olympic Games in the same edition and in Paris. 

However, for the National Department for the Rights of People with Disabilities, Ana Paula Feminella, the population's involvement is different. She attributes this imbalance to the Brazilian media, which “have yet to understand the power of the Paralympics," she said in an interview with the Bem Viver TV show on Tuesday (27).

The department is part of the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship and supports the Sports Ministry in developing paralympic athletes through the Living Without Limits program (Programa Viver Sem Limites, in Portuguese).

“I think there is still a very limited understanding, which is due to the ableism we live in, a culture that doesn't recognize people with disabilities as subjects of rights, as people who are also capable of doing great things,” says Feminella.

“We need the media to value [the Paralympics] even more, give more visibility to it,” said the secretary. 

Continue reading.

[thepastisalreadywritten]

[georgegraphys]

Why is George Russell important to Mercedes PR plans in entering the Chinese market? — An opinionated talk by Ari

I'm not going to over speculate/over exaggerate the recent possibility of George promoting Mercedes (car company) in the Chinese market but if that really is the thing behind the whole douyin account thing, then allow me to do this talk about the whole possibility and why he's the right person if everything came true 😌😌

Why is he important? I've said lots of times on twitter (and maybe here i forgot) that George is a very good conversationalist. People use PR63 or PRussell to insult him but I do not think of it as an insult. Not everyone has natural born PR skills like George and if you look at some of the people in the grid? Fucking PR disasters whose image are saved by the work of their PR teams.

A good conversationalist like George can be seen from a) how he speaks b) the people he mingle with. Let's talk about point A. George might sound robotic to people who aren't used to/so fond of hearing PR speech but it is actually great because he answers those things diplomatically, weighing equally on the good and bad, rights and wrongs. Good and bad, rights and wrongs are heavily subjective. It differs from person to person. Having the ability to answer such questions diplomatically is a crazy talent. You might say "oh it's common sense, Ari" lol when you get out there and start working in the HR department/PR department, you'll notice that only 1% had that natural ability to be like George. And talking about speeches, forms of speeches extends beyond what is spoken verbally. Non verbal cues also shine through in this matter as the worst betrayer of a person is themselves and their non verbal cues. George is very good at controlling his non verbal cues. His expression, body language, gestures and much more. He is very good at controlling them (controlling ≠ hiding). He is very open with his body languages but also controls them very well (or it might just be him as an honest and good person tbh 😭) which is why these aspects made him a very good conversationalist.

The second one is the people he mingles with. "Ari he talks with that fraud FIA president and Fl*vi*" Gurl... I'm VERY sad to inform you that when you're in that position, you have 0 choice. It is very easy to be idealistic when you're not in that position but when you're in that position, it is not easy. This is the harsh truth. But aside from that, look at how easily he befriends people outside and inside the sport. From the executives, engineers and staff inside his team, other drivers on the grid, media, fans and more. He mingles with just anyone. And i think that might have to do with him being very good at finding people's hot buttons, being very responsive, a good listener and a good conversationalist. Those things are REAL talents because even me, myself, have not fully established those qualities despite studying these theoretical things myself in educational institutes and from obtaining real life experiences related to that. The people he mingles with shows that he is able to handle any kinds of diversity with such grace and respect. And respect won't happen without someone knowing and acknowledging the boundaries and differences as well as the concept of diversity.

Now we move on to the part of why he is so important to Mercedes PR plans for the chinese market.

Not every part of the world revolves with the european/american progressive mindsets and cultural values. Some parts of the world value the concept of cultural significance and emphasize a lot on respect (could be age/cultures/etc) which may be a bit lacking when compared to the european/american liberal progressive ways. And China is one of the latter countries. China is a very culturally rich country and they are very strong in the concept of respecting others. Those values are a part of the reason for where they are now internationally. They are very very proud of their own culture (as they should!) and living values. They are also a very innovative and creative country that uses every single thing at their disposal to the utmost.

To appeal to a country that is culturally rich and emphasizes heavily on their values and norms, they can't just pull a whole "let's do business" kind of thing. Every company/brand obviously needs someone, no matter if the impact ended up being small or big, to represent them. That representative will then be their ambassador/muse for them to appeal to the general public. And that's where George fits the criteria. A Formula One driver, one of the most followed on instagram (Top 10), having a pretty much solid spotlight on him in the sport, and on top of that, he is a very respectful, open minded, down to earth person who is also a good conversationalist that is REALLY REALLY great at networking.

George is also very strong and dedicated to his PR duties and obligations. He interacts well with his fans and is very good at creating a positive friendly environment and vibes for everyone. He is very good at networking and he knows the boundaries, both for the people he interacts with and the boundaries with Mercedes. He knows very well how to play the game and does everything so diplomatically.

There is a thin line between being diplomatic and being a "teacher's pet", "ass licker", "dick sucker" and others. The thin line is when someone is being diplomatic, they know how to not just please someone but also assert their stance on something politely and these people are not the kind of people that are pushovers. They know very well how to stand up for themselves, tug the necessary strings and others. While the so-called "teacher's pet", "ass licker", "dick sucker", they don't know how to do those things. They don't do it very well and could easily be a manipulative and cunning person. A diplomatic person is able to take advantage of a situation without pulling on some tricks, evil strings, and others. They do it so naturally while also asserting what they want and where they stand. That's what differentiates a diplomatic person and a "teacher's pet", "ass licker", "dick sucker".

So, these are the reasons why, in my opinion, George could make a very great piece to Mercedes PR plans on their chinese ventures. It's not all about marketability, popularity and those numbers you see on social media but what is also important is the individual themselves and how they carry themselves in real life, in front of the public, to the company and everyone else.

[anniekoh]

elsewhere on the internet, the american shitshow

Feckless Dems need ‘a Navalny, not a Newsom by Will Bunch (Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar 11, 2025)

The California governor, in the first episode of his new podcast, asserted that he agrees with the political far right that transgender women competing in women’s school sports is “deeply unfair.” It was arguably as problematic, maybe more so, just who Newsom welcomed to his first podcast — in what felt like a clear effort to reveal the governor’s inner Joe Rogan to young white dude-bros who voted for Donald Trump in 2024. That guest was Charlie Kirk, the Turning Point USA founder who never met a conspiracy theory about COVID-19 or stolen elections that he didn’t like, who believes our universities are “islands of totalitarianism” and recently called the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “not a good person,” tied to the “big mistake” of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Newsom even released a picture of him smiling with Kirk, like the two men had just shot an endangered rhino or something.

...

One online comedian posted that when it comes to the fate of the republic, the Republicans might be the mass shooters but the Democrats are the hapless Uvalde cops, standing around and doing nothing. Democracy may or may not survive these next 46 months, but these sellouts on the left side of the aisle have no future, either way.

Defunded evangelical aid groups are reaping what the religious right sowed by Marci Hamilton (Religion News, Mar 10, 2025)

In a meeting at the White House on Wednesday (March 5), white evangelical Christians, who have for decades enjoyed billions in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development for their overseas missions, were told by Trump administration officials not to expect a reopening of the flow of funds, The Washington Post reported the following day. The Post said the administration officials passed the turn of events off as a positive for their faith. “’Do you want the country to get credit for foreign aid, or do you want the Creator to get the credit?’ asked Albert Gombis, a State Department political appointee,” according to the story. The leaders in the room were flabbergasted. “‘Some of us looked at each other in disbelief,’” the paper quoted one attendee saying. The fact that these groups got an audience to explain the cuts is testimony to their unflagging support for Trump in both his campaigns for the nation’s highest office.

...

The alliance with the GOP was not just about money. Yes, they wanted to allow taxpayer funds to pay for their Christian schools, but they also wanted to control the government’s treatment of LGBTQ+ people, women, and children. Unable to win the culture war by example or argument, they sought to do it by co-opting the government... Central to this campaign was destroying the U.S. Supreme Court’s establishment clause doctrine, which holds that taxpayer funds can’t be paid directly to religious institutions. This is nearly accomplished: This term, the court is set to decide whether a public charter school can be Catholic, a case that would have been unimaginable even 10 years ago. 

Competitive authoritarianism: This Is Going Even Worse Than Steven Levitsky Expected by Benjamin Hart (NY Mag, Mar 3, 2025)

Earlier this year, Levitsky and Lucan A. Way published an essay in Foreign Affairs titled “The Path to American Authoritarianism.” (They wrote almost all of the article before January 20.) Levitsky and Way focus on “competitive authoritarianism,” a concept they have explored for more than two decades. Under competitive authoritarianism, aspiring autocrats acquire power through legitimate elections, then stack the deck in their favor by rewarding corrupt allies, seeking revenge on their enemies through lawsuits and harassment, and cowing mass media. (Sound familiar?) ... When democracy is under threat, you don’t just say, “Well, the polls say … My focus groups say bread-and-butter issues are better.” You’ve got to defend the Constitution, man.

Louisiana Governor Flexes Power to Police New Orleans, Defying Local Preferences (Bolts Mag, Feb 2025) by Delaney Nolan

he heavy police presence was the result of an emergency declaration by Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry in the wake of the New Year’s Day truck attack that killed 14.  The executive order authorized Landry to bulk up the presence of Louisiana State Police (LSP) within the city of New Orleans, and to “compel the evacuation of all or part of the population,” using whatever route, mode of transport, and destination he chooses. With a signature, Landry gave himself the authority to “control the movement of persons” within a certain area, making sure to note that he might need to set up “emergency temporary housing” for unhoused people camped near the stadium.  On January 15, Landry used those powers to send LSP officers out to forcibly displace unhoused residents of New Orleans’ downtown encampments, bussing over 100 people to a then-unheated warehouse miles away, under threat of arrest. By the time the Super Bowl rolled around, the encampments were empty. Instead, swarms of officers from the LSP and other agencies roamed the Quarter, walking in clumps of five or six down Bourbon Street. At each intersection, knots of camo-clad Louisiana National Guard soldiers toted semi-automatic rifles, becoming a spectacle of their own: Some tourists posed near the officers for pictures, while others hurried past under the floodlights, clutching their cocktails.

And a bonus from 2024

How does Trump embody Latter-day Saint values? (Dec 2024)

After some thought, here are some LDS principles I think Trump follows or exhibits that make him feel so right to so many American Mormons:

Patriarchy: Trump clearly has little use for women holding positions of authority. Similarly, the LDS Church gives women very little institutional authority, having all-male leadership both at the general and local level. While Trump and the Church obviously disagree about rules around sex, they agree that women are the attractive objects who are responsible for it.

Prosperity gospel: Trump is wealthy. He may have driven many businesses to bankruptcy, but he at least has the appearance of having a lot of money. ... The Church spends a lot of money to make temples look fancy in ways that echo Trump’s love of plating things with gold.

[linuxgamenews]

Experience the Open World of Promise Mascot Agency

Promise Mascot Agency is an open world mascot management crime drama game is coming to Linux and Steam Deck via Windows PC. Thanks to the brilliant creativity of Kaizen Game Works. Due to make its way onto Steam. Kaizen Game Works, the award winning studio behind Paradise Killer, just released a gameplay deep dive video for their new release, Promise Mascot Agency. And as stated, this title is an open world mascot management crime drama – the first of its kind. Promise Mascot Agency is a unique experience, and it deserves some explanation. The new video covers the backstory of our hero Michi, the process of hiring mascots, the dangers of the job, and the mystery of a deadly curse. Plus, if you pay close attention, you might spot some new mascots and characters. Plus we also have details for Linux:

Lnux is not completely out of the question for the future... However, we do know that the game runs well via proton and we actively use the Steam Deck as a test device.

Kaizen's email mentions they're using Unreal Engine for development. This explains why Proton support works so well on Linux via Steam Deck. A native build isn't off the table either, so with good sales, we may see a native port after all. In the title, the locals of Kaso-Machi are there to help you out with Hero Cards. These cards represent different town residents who have your back. Heroes like Captain Sign (the only road sign-based superhero in Japan, as far as we know) and Mama-San (the local bar owner who's big into latex) are ready to assist you – once you befriend them, of course.

Promise Mascot Agency - Gameplay Deep Dive

The deep dive video is narrated by a voice that might sound familiar to fans. Maybe it's worth a bit of detective work to figure out who it is? Kaizen has been thrilled with the positive reaction to the April reveal trailer for Promise Mascot Agency. Many people said things like, "I don't know what I'm looking at, but it looks awesome!" So, today's video aims to clear up some confusion, but not too much. There's still plenty of strangeness and mystery to uncover when it releases. Oli Clarke Smith, the title Director, shared his excitement: "We’re so happy with the response to our announcement and we’ve been itching to show you more. Promise Mascot Agency is a unique title and there is so much to see and do. This video shows you just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more mascots to meet, people to help, and FORBIDDEN MYSTERIES to uncover. This game rocks ass." Promise Mascot Agency open world mascot management crime drama is due to release on Linux and Steam Deck via Windows in 2025. So be sure to Wishlist it on Steam. For more info, check out their official website. Developed with financial help from Kowloon Nights and the UK Global Screen Fund, financed by the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport and administered by the BFI. Kaizen is incredibly grateful to both. If you’re into unique titles with lots of characters and mysteries, keep an eye on Promise Mascot Agency. It’s shaping up to be something special!

[dhr-ao3]

The Ring of Dispel

The Ring of Dispel https://ift.tt/pfKMiJT by HisKit Post-war life isn’t exactly how Hermione Granger thought it would be. She’s stuck on her way up the Ministry ladder working as the liaison to the Department for Digital Media, Culture and Sport in Muggle England. Losing herself amongst art, artifacts, and books in the National Gallery, British Museum and British Library should be the perfect job. However, when Draco Malfoy crashes back into her life (and seems to be a completely different person than she remembers), Hermione questions everything. A rash of forgeries pours into the Gallery and Draco is tasked to sort them out. It isn’t that he has to stay with Hermione as part of a work housing exchange, or that he’s a bad house guest. It’s the stirring dreams she started having about him that are causing the most havoc. When Harry Potter is hexed with an unknown life-draining curse, it’s up to Hermione and her unlikely companion, Draco, to save him. Racing through museums, trudging through the British countryside, and seeking shelter in an abandoned cabin to find the mythical Ring of Dispel, the two skirt the line between history and legend. Will they be able to uncover the cause of Harry’s curse in time to save him? Words: 11231, Chapters: 3/19, Language: English Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: F/M Characters: Draco Malfoy, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Theodore Nott, Original Characters Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy Additional Tags: Adventure & Romance, Arthurian legend - Freeform, Art History, Slow Burn, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Smut, Dreams, Art, Libraries, Museums, Magic, Malfoy Manor (Harry Potter), Magical Artifacts, Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Draco Malfoy in the Muggle World via AO3 works tagged 'Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy' https://ift.tt/bUoIfeu February 28, 2024 at 06:51PM

[kaicrose]

How Black athletes are negatively Represented and mistreated by the media.

Black athletes both men and women, have been negatively represented and mistreated by the media for as long as people of color have been able to play sports without segregation. From Football, soccer, tennis and baseball just to name a few  black athletes have been victims from the media. My first example of this is when Jackie Robison became the first African American to play in the MLB in the modern era. This was in 1947 which was before the Civil rights movement. Robison had faced many death threats to his family and to himself and was even threatened by opposing teams just based on skin color. According to Andscape.com “Baseball writers were far more comfortable dressing up in blackface and speaking in black dialect during their skits at their annual banquet than in writing about racism. They used racial pejoratives and stereotypes in print and in conversation. Shirley Povich, who was one of the relatively few mainstream sportswriters who advocated for blacks in baseball, was asked why so few white sportswriters called for the end of the color line. “I’m afraid the sportswriters were like the club owners,” he said. “They thought separate was better.” Obviously in today's world we have moved past segregation in sports and as a country but I think this is a great example to start with to show that this has been around for a while. 

In 2018 Lebron James had a 17 minute interview alongside Kevin Durant with ESPN. According to an article from NPR.com “James discussed family, personal growth and the challenges that come with being black and a public figure in America — including his reaction to the racial slur that was graffitied on his Los Angeles home last May. He also discussed politics and President Trump”. So clearly lebron is speaking out about things that have happened to him recently that were hateful and he was also talking about how president trump had said some questionable and shocking things he had said. In the interview Lebron stated "The No. 1 job in America, the appointed person is someone who doesn't understand the people," the athlete said at one point during the interview, adding that some of the president's comments are "laughable and scary." As we see here Lebron James who is one of the biggest Black athletes on the planet and maybe of all time is practicing his 1st amendment right. Laura Ingrahm from fox news had some rude things to say about lebron like that he was barely “intelligible”, and “ungrammatical.” She then finishes the segment by saying "It's always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball," she said. "Keep the political comments to yourselves. ... Shut up and dribble." This obviously challenged Lebrons intelligence as a black man and the comment of shut up and drip in my opinion had some racist undertones. Laura Ingrahm had actually gotten called out for her comments on defending Drew Brees a couple years ago as Drew brees made his politcal commets public. Laura had nothing to say about Brees. Drew Brees is also a white man.   

Here is the link to her speaking-https://youtu.be/AlHuaOIvRLY?si=QDFA1kN4EUTbCBtW 

Respone about Drew Brees - https://youtu.be/ege-lfF-TIA?si=hUmO7Zg8mLLArvIL

Serena Williams is one of greatest Tennis players ever to play the sport. If you have watched any sports news channel the last 15 years odds are you have seen a headline of Serna dealing with racism abuse online. She has also dealt with issues involving the French Open on what she could and can’t wear. In 2012 a man named David Leonard who was the chair of the department of critical culture, gender, and race studies at Washington State University decided to record tweets and comments after she had won her 5th Wimbledon title. Some of the awful things that he found during this process where things such as “Serena Williams look like a man with tits, it's only when she wears weave she looks female tbh, what a HENCH BOLD GORILLA!,” “I don't see how in the hell men find Serena Williams attractive?! She looks like a male gorilla in a dress, just saying!”. Not only is she being called a gorilla which is already messed up and racist on its own there are comments on the way she looks saying she looks like a  “Male” . David Lenord also states “The racism that underlies the characterizations of her as hypersexual, aggressive, and animalistic also means that when she dares to express frustration, she's stamped with the infamous "angry black woman" stereotype.” If we are being honest we do not see this type of hate towards white women in the sport and this is a prime example of mistreatment from the media and sexism is also demonstrated. 

In 2020 the UEFA Euros took place. It was England Vs. Italy. This is one of the largest soccer tournaments on the planet. The Game ended up going to penalties as the result of the game ended up in a draw. 3 out of the 5 people who took the penalties were black. All 3 of them unfortunately missed their penalties. There was already a stereotype online that black soccer players are not good at penalties. The problem with online racism and hate towards black soccer players in media is so bad when was watching it live I already knew that the young men Marcus Rashford, 23, Jadon Sancho, 21, and Bukayo Saka, 19, where going to be victims of mistreatment and to be negatively represented by the media. The abuse online was getting so bad that the government was getting involved. Fans that were caught making abusive comments towards the players were facing bans from stadiums and games for the rest of their lives. Marcus Rashford had released a statement saying "I can take critique of my performance all day long... but I will never apologize for who I am and where I came from,". Comments that were made about the players stemmed from fans calling them monkeys and other racial slurs like the N word. Along with these comments there was plenty of talk about how black people are not good at penalties and this is an example of black athletes being negatively represented.  

Here is a video of the Penalty shootout- https://youtu.be/QwvV06FvXbg?si=soHNWeBsENqieMwc 

Black athletes are subjected to negative representation by the media and are often mistreated as well. I hope this Blog has informed you of moments where black athletes have been treated negatively. Things have gotten a lot better since when Jackie Robinson was around and I hope to continue to see improvements in the treatment and representation of black athletes. 

Works Cited

Desmond-Harris, Jenée. “Serena Williams Is Constantly the Target of Disgusting Racist and Sexist Attacks.” Vox, 11 Mar. 2015, www.vox.com/2015/3/11/8189679/serena-williams-indian-wells-racism. 

England’s Black Players Face Racial Abuse after Euro 2020 Defeat | Reuters, www.reuters.com/world/uk/uk-pm-johnson-condemns-racist-abuse-england-soccer-team-2021-07-12/. Accessed 1 May 2024. 

Lamb, Chris. “The White Media Missed the Significance of Jackie Robinson.” Andscape, Andscape, 22 Feb. 2021, andscape.com/features/the-white-media-missed-the-significance-of-jackie-robinson/. 

“Shut up and Dribble- (Full Video).” YouTube, 23 Feb. 2018, youtu.be/AlHuaOIvRLY?si=QDFA1kN4EUTbCBtW. Sullivan, Emily. “Laura Ingraham Told Lebron James to Shut up and Dribble; He Went to the Hoop.” NPR, NPR, 19 Feb. 2018, www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/02/19/587097707/laura-ingraham-told-lebron-james-to-shutup-and-dribble-he-went-to-the-hoop.