#Free Fire Pro League

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Lina Khan’s future is the future of the Democratic Party — and America

On OCTOBER 23 at 7PM, I'll be in DECATUR, presenting my novel THE BEZZLE at EAGLE EYE BOOKS.

On the one hand, the anti-monopoly movement has a future no matter who wins the 2024 election – that's true even if Kamala Harris wins but heeds the calls from billionaire donors to fire Lina Khan and her fellow trustbusters.

In part, that's because US antitrust laws have broad "private rights of action" that allow individuals and companies to sue one another for monopolistic conduct, even if top government officials are turning a blind eye. It's true that from the Reagan era to the Biden era, these private suits were few and far between, and the cases that were brought often died in a federal courtroom. But the past four years has seen a resurgence of antitrust rage that runs from left to right, and from individuals to the C-suites of big companies, driving a wave of private cases that are prevailing in the courts, upending the pro-monopoly precedents that billionaires procured by offering free "continuing education" antitrust training to 40% of the Federal judiciary:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/08/13/post-bork-era/#manne-down

It's amazing to see the DoJ racking up huge wins against Google's monopolistic conduct, sure, but first blood went to Epic, who won a historic victory over Google in federal court six months before the DoJ's win, which led to the court ordering Google to open up its app store:

https://www.theverge.com/policy/2024/10/7/24243316/epic-google-permanent-injunction-ruling-third-party-stores

Google's 30% App Tax is a giant drag on all kinds of sectors, as is its veto over which software Android users get to see, so Epic's win is going to dramatically alter the situation for all kinds of activities, from beleaguered indie game devs:

https://antiidlereborn.com/news/

To the entire news sector:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/06/save-news-we-must-open-app-stores

Private antitrust cases have attracted some very surprising plaintiffs, like Michael Jordan, whose long policy of apoliticism crumbled once he bought a NASCAR team and lived through the monopoly abuses of sports leagues as an owner, not a player:

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/michael-jordan-anti-monopolist

A much weirder and more unlikely antitrust plaintiff than Michael Jordan is Google, the perennial antitrust defendant. Google has brought a complaint against Microsoft in the EU, based on Microsoft's extremely ugly monopolistic cloud business:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/google-files-complaint-eu-over-microsoft-cloud-practices-2024-09-25/

Google's choice of venue here highlights another reason to think that the antitrust surge will continue irrespective of US politics: antitrust is global. Antitrust fervor has seized governments from the UK to the EU to South Korea to Japan. All of those countries have extremely similar antitrust laws, because they all had their statute books overhauled by US technocrats as part of the Marshall Plan, so they have the same statutory tools as the American trustbusters who dismantled Standard Oil and AT&T, and who are making ready to shatter Google into several competing businesses:

https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/8/24265832/google-search-antitrust-remedies-framework-android-chrome-play

Antitrust fever has spread to Canada, Australia, and even China, where the Cyberspace Directive bans Chinese tech giants from breaking interoperability to freeze out Chinese startups. Anything that can't go on forever eventually stops, and the cost of 40 years of pro-monopoly can't be ignored. Monopolies make the whole world more brittle, even as the cost of that brittleness mounts. It's hard to pretend monopolies are fine when a single hurricane can wipe out the entire country's supply of IV fluid – again:

https://prospect.org/health/2024-10-11-cant-believe-im-writing-about-iv-fluid-again/

What's more, the conduct of global monopolists is the same in every country where they have taken hold, which means that trustbusters in the EU can use the UK Digital Markets Unit's report on the mobile app market as a roadmap for their enforcement actions against Apple:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

And then the South Korean and Japanese trustbusters can translate the court documents from the EU's enforcement action and use them to score victories over Apple in their own courts:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

So on the one hand, the trustbusting wave will continue erode the foundations of global monopolies, no matter what happens after this election. But on the other hand, if Harris wins and then fires Biden's top trustbusters to appease her billionaire donors, things are going to get ugly.

A new, excellent long-form Bloomberg article by Josh Eidelson and Max Chafkin gives a sense of the battle raging just below the surface of the Democratic Power, built around a superb interview with Khan herself:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-10-09/lina-khan-on-a-second-ftc-term-ai-price-gouging-data-privacy

The article begins with a litany of tech billionaires who've gone an all-out, public assault on Khan's leadership – billionaires who stand to personally lose hundreds of millions of dollars from her agency's principled, vital antitrust work, but who cloak their objection to Khan in rhetoric about defending the American economy. In public, some of these billionaires are icily polite, but many of them degenerate into frothing, toddler-grade name-calling, like IAB's Barry Diller, who called her a "dope" and Musk lickspittle Jason Calacanis, who called her an all-caps COMMUNIST and a LUNATIC.

The overall vibe from these wreckers? "How dare the FTC do things?!"

And you know, they have a point. For decades, the FTC was – in the quoted words of Tim Wu – "a very hardworking agency that did nothing." This was the period when the FTC targeted low-level scammers while turning a blind eye to the monsters that were devouring the US economy. In part, that was because the FTC had been starved of budget, trapping them in a cycle of racking up easy, largely pointless "wins" against penny-ante grifters to justify their existence, but never to the extent that Congress would apportion them the funds to tackle the really serious cases (if this sounds familiar, it's also the what happened during the long period when the IRS chased middle class taxpayers over minor filing errors, while ignoring the billionaires and giant corporations that engaged in 7- and 8-figure tax scams).

But the FTC wasn't merely underfunded: it was timid. The FTC has extremely broad enforcement and rulemaking powers, which most sat dormant during the neoliberal era:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/10/the-courage-to-govern/#whos-in-charge

The Biden administration didn't merely increase the FTC's funding: in choosing Khan to helm the organization, they brought onboard a skilled technician, who was both well-versed in the extensive but unused powers of the agency and determined to use them:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/18/administrative-competence/#i-know-stuff

But Khan's didn't just rely on technical chops and resources to begin the de-olicharchification of the US economy: she built a three-legged stool, whose third leg is narrative. Khan's signature is her in-person and remote "listening tours," where workers who've been harmed by corporate power get to tell their stories. Bloomberg recounts the story of Deborah Brantley, who was sexually harassed and threatened by her bosses at Kavasutra North Palm Beach. Brantley's bosses touched her inappropriately and "joked" about drugging her and raping her so she "won’t be such a bitch and then maybe people would like you more."

When Brantley finally quit and took a job bartending at a different business, Kavasutra sued her over her noncompete clause, alleging an "irreparable injury" sustained by having one of their former employees working at another business, seeking damages and fees.

The vast majority of the 30 million American workers who labor under noncompetes are like Brantley, low-waged service workers, especially at fast-food restaurants (so Wendy's franchisees can stop minimum wage cashiers from earning $0.25/hour more flipping burgers at a nearby McDonald's). The donor-class indenturers who defend noncompetes claim that noncompetes are necessary to protect "innovative" businesses from losing their "IP." But of course, the one state where no workers are subject to noncompetes is California, which bans them outright – the state that is also home to Silicon Valley, an IP-heave industry that the same billionaires laud for its innovations.

After that listening tour, Khan's FTC banned noncompetes nationwide:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/25/capri-v-tapestry/#aiming-at-dollars-not-men

Only to have a federal judge in Texas throw out their ban, a move that will see $300b/year transfered from workers to shareholders, and block the formation of 8,500 new US businesses every year:

https://www.npr.org/2024/08/21/g-s1-18376/federal-judge-tosses-ftc-noncompetes-ban

Notwithstanding court victories like Epic v Google and DoJ v Google, America's oligarchs have the courts on their side, thanks to decades of court-packing planned by the Federalist Society and executed by Senate Republicans and Reagan, Bush I, Bush II, and Trump. Khan understands this; she told Bloomberg that she's a "close student" of the tactics Reagan used to transform American society, admiring his effectiveness while hating his results. Like other transformative presidents, good and bad, Reagan had to fight the judiciary and entrenched institutions (as did FDR and Lincoln). Erasing Reagan's legacy is a long-term project, a battle of inches that will involve mustering broad political support for the cause of a freer, more equal America.

Neither Biden nor Khan are responsible for the groundswell of US – and global – movement to euthanize our rentier overlords. This is a moment whose time has come; a fact demonstrated by the tens of thousands of working Americans who filled the FTC's noncompete docket with outraged comments. People understand that corporate looters – not "the economy" or "the forces of history" – are the reason that the businesses where they worked and shopped were destroyed by private equity goons who amassed intergenerational, dynastic fortunes by strip-mining the real economy and leaving behind rubble.

Like the billionaires publicly demanding that Harris fire Khan, private equity bosses can't stop making tone-deaf, guillotine-conjuring pronouncements about their own virtue and the righteousness of their businesses. They don't just want to destroy the world - they want to be praised for it:/p>

"Private equity’s been a great thing for America" -Stephen Pagliuca, co-chairman of Bain Capital;

"We are taught to judge the success of a society by how it deals with the least able, most vulnerable members of that society. Shouldn’t we judge a society by how they treat the most successful? Do we vilify, tax, expropriate and condemn those who have succeeded, or do we celebrate economic success as the engine that propels our society toward greater collective well-being?" -Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo

"Achieve life-changing money and power," -Sachin Khajuria, former partner at Apollo

Meanwhile, the "buy, strip and flip" model continues to chew its way through America. When PE buys up all the treatment centers for kids with behavioral problems, they hack away at staffing and oversight, turning them into nightmares where kids are routinely abused, raped and murdered:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/they-told-me-it-was-going-be-good-place-allega-tions-n987176

When PE buys up nursing homes, the same thing happens, with elderly residents left to sit in their own excrement and then die:

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/12/24/nursing-homes-private-equity-fraud-00132001

Writing in The Guardian, Alex Blasdel lays out the case for private equity as a kind of virus that infects economies, parasitically draining them of not just the capacity to provide goods and services, but also of the ability to govern themselves, as politicians and regulators are captured by the unfathomable sums that PE flushes into the political process:

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2024/oct/10/slash-and-burn-is-private-equity-out-of-control

Now, the average worker who's just lost their job may not understand "divi recaps" or "2-and-20" or "carried interest tax loopholes," but they do understand that something is deeply rotten in the world today.

What happens to that understanding is a matter of politics. The Republicans – firmly affiliated with, and beloved of, the wreckers – have chosen an easy path to capitalizing on the rising rage. All they need to do is convince the public that the system is irredeemably corrupt and that the government can't possibly fix anything (hence Reagan's asinine "joke": "the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help'").

This is a very canny strategy. If you are the party of "governments are intrinsically corrupt and incompetent," then governing corruptly and incompetently proves your point. The GOP strategy is to create a nation of enraged nihilists who don't even imagine that the government could do something to hold their bosses to account – not for labor abuses, not for pollution, not for wage theft or bribery.

The fact that successive neoliberal governments – including Democratic administrations – acted time and again to bear out this hypothesis makes it easy for this kind of nihilism to take hold.

Far-right conspiracies about pharma bosses colluding with corrupt FDA officials to poison us with vaccines for profit owe their success to the lived experience of millions of Americans who lost loved ones to a conspiracy between pharma bosses and corrupt officials to poison us with opioids.

Unhinged beliefs that "they" caused the hurricanes tearing through Florida and Georgia and that Kamala Harris is capping compensation to people who lost their homes are only credible because of murderous Republican fumble during Katrina; and the larcenous collusion of Democrats to help banks steal Americans' homes during the foreclosure crisis, when Obama took Tim Geithner's advice to "foam the runway" with the mortgages of everyday Americans who'd been cheated by their banks:

https://www.salon.com/2014/05/14/this_man_made_millions_suffer_tim_geithners_sorry_legacy_on_housing/

If Harris gives in to billionaire donors and fires Khan and her fellow trustbusters, paving the way for more looting and scamming, the result will be more nihilism, which is to say, more electoral victories for the GOP. The "government can't do anything" party already exists. There are no votes to be gained by billing yourself as the "we also think governments can't do anything" party.

In other words, a world where Khan doesn't run the FTC is a world where antitrust continues to gain ground, but without taking Democrats with it. It's a world where nihilism wins.

There's factions of the Democratic Party who understand this. AOC warned party leaders that, "Anyone goes near Lina Khan and there will be an out and out brawl":

https://twitter.com/AOC/status/1844034727935988155

And Bernie Sanders called her "the best FTC Chair in modern history":

https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1843733298960576652

In other words: Lina Khan as a posse.

Tor Books as just published two new, free LITTLE BROTHER stories: VIGILANT, about creepy surveillance in distance education; and SPILL, about oil pipelines and indigenous landback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/10/11/democracys-antitrust-paradox/#there-will-be-an-out-and-out-brawl

[theinfiknight]

My favourite thing about the Pokemon universe is how incredibly accepting it is. Everyone has the freedom to stray however far from the norm and be however eccentric they like and it's absolutely 100% accepted over there. You want to spend all day wearing a cape and gloves and brandishing a whip? Go right ahead! You want to spend the majority of your time in darkness talking to the dead? Shit, head right up to the tower on route 209 and there are a ton of spirit mediums and hex maniacs with the same idea. You want to finish your highschool education despite being over fifty? Absolutely! There's a world famous Pokemon academy in Paldea that would be more than happy to have you! You can be the heir to a powerful clan of dragon masters and still choose to be a highschool arts teacher instead and that's absolutely alright.

One in five people is a student of the martial arts who spends all day in a gi training to get stronger, and another fifth of the population stand around in long sleeved outfits honing deadass psychic powers. Honest to gods ninjas are part of society, and it's not at all hard to find kids around training hard in their ways. Science is an exploding field and the people who conduct research are well respected and highly regarded. You can be absolutely anything, wear a godsdamned clown outfit and breathe fire on the streets for fun and no one will bat an eye.

A bunch of women in pink, flowery outfits spend their days inside of a giant dollhouse taking the places of toy dolls in toy rooms, and this arrangement is approved of by the official Pokemon league just as their leader is a respected gym leader. The Eiffel tower was designed and is maintained by a fifteen something year old boy. A large portion of the population of gym leaders, trainers who are acknowledged by the pokemon league as capable of testing others, are children under the age of 16, with a smaller number being adults over the age of 60. A member of the Paldean elite four is six years old. Capability matters far more than age in this world. Kids are taken seriously and given positions that befit their accomplishments.

Respected and looked up to members of the community go around in white fairy outfits with wings, or nothing but swim trunks, or wearing wooden masks, or Hawaiian shirts, or that gay little number Wallace wears in oras, and they're still beloved and admired by the population regardless of their quirks, and more often because of them.

The most famous, most badass rap artist in the pokemon world is a lady in possibly her seventies. The founder of the Alolan Pokemon League is a pro wrestler in his free time. The most powerful Pokemon trainer in the Hoenn region spends his time collecting rocks.

There are absolutely no requirements there other than be kind and considerate to others, and don't be an ass, and I can only hope that our society can reach that point someday.

[dstriple]

And here's Spyglass Media Group explaining why they fired Melissa Barrera: 👇

"FALSE REFERENCES TO GENOCIDE AND ETHNIC CLEANSING"

Let's be clear here... she wasn't fired for making an antisemite comment.

Mel Gibson was even more obvious with the whole "Jews control the media" narrative. And yet he has had no problem getting work in Hollywood.

No, Barrera was fired for accusing Israel of commiting genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Which Spyglass considers to be completely false.

Last October, Maha Dakhil, a prominent CAA talent agency agent, was forced to step down from leadership roles after she dared to criticize Israel's war crimes in Gaza.

Guess who was among the powerful Hollywood big-wigs leading the charge to get her to resign from CAA? Gary Barber, the CEO of Spyglass Media Group.

Even more proof that this has nothing to do with antisemitism is that Hollywood big wheels are now trying to go after writer/director Boots Riley, for voicing similar views as Melissa's. Boots Riley is Jewish.

BTW, Jenna Ortega is Pro-Palestine as well...

As a result of that Tweet, Ortega was quickly tagged as an antisemite & a HAMAS supporter by The Times of Israel.

It REALLY becomes harder to combat actual antisemitism when people who dare to criticize Israel's war crimes get quickly branded as antisemites for doing so.

So you have a ridiculous situation where celebs who openly hate Israel's government are tagged as antisemites. Placing their careers in peril.

While people who openly spread antisemitism, such as Elon Musk, they rarely face any consequences - see attached Tweets below where Musk promotes the White Supremacist "great replacement theory" that claims that Jews want to destroy the white race/Western Civilization. His dog whistles are not subtle at all.

Despite his antisemitic tweets, Musk received praise by the Anti-Defamation League because the so-called champion of "free speech" threatened to ban anyone that called for the decolonization of Palestine.

So apparently, the real antisemites are the people that dare to criticize Israel. Not the people who actually hate jews. It's f*cked up.

Anyway, Spyglass has made their move. Let's see if it pays off.

[matan4il]

On Friday, during Passover, a terrorist attack took place in Israel. The terrorist attacked an 18 years old girl on the streets of Ramla, stabbed her in the back, leaving her seriously wounded, as he ran away. The girl was in the city visiting a friend, whose father and brother heard the girl's screams and chased the terrorist. The dad, a civilian with a personal weapon, neutralized the attacker. The girl's state has since improved, but she's still hospitalized.

There is footage of the terrorist chasing the young girl down the street, stabbing her in the back without even stopping, causing her to collapse to the ground, as he continues, and flees the scene.

The anti-Israel protests on college campuses in the west are horrifying to watch. They were bad enough when they started on Oct 8, while Israel wasn't even counting its dead yet, because we were still fighting terrorists invading our country and endangering our civilians, so Israel's army was still not free to do anything in Gaza, but these protests have somehow gotten so much worse. They've become more openly antisemitic (we've seen more and more people doing the Nazi salute, and using signs calling for a "final solution," the whitewashed Nazi term for their intended annihilation of all Jews):

They are now more openly calling for blood (in the past week or so, we've seen no calls for a ceasefire, instead we've heard chants to kill Zionists, to burn Tel Aviv, for Iran to fire rockets at Israel, meaning at its civilian population, and to globalize the intifada, a wave of anti-Israel terrorist attacks. During the second intifada alone, over 1,200 people in Israel were murdered). They've also become more physically violent, with more and more Jewish and pro-Israel people being assaulted, and even requiring medical care:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jewish and Proud (@jewishpridealways)

I've been seeing so much, and it's being talked about on the news here more than you can imagine. The presidents of Israeli universities even did something unprecedented, that they've never done during any of Israel's former conflicts, no matter how bad those got. After publishing repeated calls for foreign universities to fight antisemitism and protect their Jewish students, the presidents of Israeli universities have now published an open letter, lamenting that the problem might be beyond the capacity of university presidents abroad to solve, and addressing Jewish students, stating they have a safe space here, offering them any assistance with pursuing it.

The worst protests are in the US, at Ivy League universities of all places, but I've heard horrifying things about universities in Canada, France, Australia as well... I feel like I can't really do this subject justice in just one post, so if I only share with you one last thing about it, this following vid would be it, because it's bigger than just the protests, and at the same time, partly explains how so many people have been recruited into them. It's a typical example of how in this complex conflict, real facts (such as vids filmed on the ground) are often taken out of context and manipulated to present a simplistic narrative, in which Zionists (i.e the overwhelming majority of Jews) are presented as intrinsically violent and evil, while ignoring and even lying about the anti-Jewish violence at play:

Jews and Jewish allies abroad, please take care of yourselves! And don't let all the hate get to you... Just because there's a lot of them, doesn't mean they're right. Or even that they're the majority. They just give that impression by being more vocal than anyone else, and taking over public spaces, pushing everyone else out.

(for all of my updates and ask replies regarding Israel, click here)

[grantmentis]

Women’s Hockey News and Transactions 7/1-7/30

I hope everyone is having a great summer! This will cover major news and transactions in women’s pro/proam hockey around the world, though I may miss some things due to language barrier, so feel free to add! I also try to add a little more context to overseas leagues transactions as I know that may be unfamiliar/news less readily available to some, so the PWHL ones are just lists. A few more minor may be omitted for brevity (ie a player going from a franchises u18 team to the major team)

PWHL (USA/Canada)

Retiring: Amanda Leveille

PWHL Boston has signed: Daniela Pejšová (drafted, luleå) for three years, Emma Greco (PWHL Minnesota) for one year, Hannah Bilka (drafted) for three years, and Sydney Bard (drafted) for three years

PWHL New York has signed: Noora Tulus (drafted, Luleå) for two years, Maja Nylén Persson (drafted, Brynäs) for three years,

PWHL Ottawa has signed: Kateřina Mrázová (extension) for two more years, Gwyneth Phillips (drafted) for two years

PWHL Toronto has signed; Carly Jackson (extension) for one year

PWHL Montreal has signed: Jennifer Gardiner (drafted) for two years, Catherine Dubois (extended) for one year, Claire dalton (extended) for one year,

PWHL Minnesota has no new signings to report since 7/1

Lauren Williams named as a PWHL New York assistant coach after several years working behind the bench with Mount Royal University and Stonehill college

Minnesota has fired several bench coaches and are looking into allegation of misconduct from coach Ken Klee

SDHL (Sweden)

Malia Schneider (who played for both Brynäs and PWHL Ottawa last year) joins SDE HF. Joining her is American forward Liliane Perrault, who was briefly with Froluna last year and scored at a point per game clip

Joining a strong SDE defense core is veteran Dominique Kremer, returning to the SDHL after playing for PWHL Minnesota and serving as captain to the Buffalo Beauts

HV71 adds Canadian Forward Kennedy Bobyck from Minnesota State University and Canadian defender Teghan Inglis, who captained Merrimack last year

Japanese national team forward Akane Shiga (PWHL Ottawa) joins Luleå

Finnish national team forward Kiira Yrjänen joins Leksands IF after playing for HV71 last season. Also joining her is one of USports top scorers last year, Canadian forward Lillian George

American forward Kaitlyn O’Donohoe joins Brynäs after a strong five years at Colgate

Skellefteå extends SDHL veteran Ronja Mogren. They also sign American forward Mikayla Lantto who graduated from LIU this last season.

Lisa Östman and Ellen Laurence have both left Djurgården

Djugården also added four players. Three are young Swedes who played for AIK last year: Alva Hellqvist, Tuva Kärrhage, and Isabelle Leijonhielm. Leijonhielm is the biggest name, having some success with the u18 team for Sweden last year. The other added player is 19 year old Czech national team player Tereza Pistekova who played in HPK in Finland last year and had over a point per game pace.

Alexander Hanning returns to Linköping as an assistant coach on a two year deal, having been successful with head coach Thomas Pettersen in the past

Shay Maloney, drafted by PWHL Boston, is back with Leksands IF but with a clause that she can leave to play in PWHL Boston if she earns a spot

Naisten Liiga (Finland)

Retiring: Kiekko Espoo forward Zaida Holmström, who was the long time captain of Mestis team JYP for 6 years. 19 year old Bianca Kanerva, who played for both the Finnish u18 team and Kiekko Espoo last year, has also retired to focus more on her education

Japanese defender Kokoro Ota joins KalPa, She previously played for the Japanese U18 team and for the Seibu Princess Rabbits

KalPa brings back starting goaltender Aino Laitinen and signs Salla Sivula who was one of the main goalies last year for Ilves

Oona Havana has left Kärpät to join the university of Vermont. She was a point per game in 2023 in Naisten Liiga at 17 years old and made the senior national team, but did not play last year due to injury

Written in Finnish, but i highly recommend this article about Viivi Iso-Kouvola talking about Naisten Liiga's current problem and Finnish women's hockey and the financial situation. Currently, most teams are still pay to play, with only HIFK and HPK as exceptions, leaving players to rely on family and sponsorship. As such, the majority of players do not have long term plans to stay in the league and are interested in playing in other leagues instead.

SWHL/PostFinance Women League (Switzerland)

A very active month for ZSC Lions Frauen! Their many addition include former Czech national team captain Alena Polenská (Mills), who played in Russia last year, Josefine Holmgren, a Swedish defender who played in the SDHL for a long time before joining HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls last year and becoming one of their top producers, and Sonja Inkamp, a fast riser in the Swiss leagues who had two goals for the U18 team in the u18 women's worlds last year

Rosalie Bégin-Cyr has joined Neuchâtel Hockey Academy Dames after six strong years in Usports where she won a championship with Concordia University

Some expected but still nice to see confirmed returns, from top 20 goalscorers in the league last seaso: - Sinja Leemann, Alina Marti, Sandy Heim and Lisa Rüedi for ZSC Lions Frauen -Maija Otamo, Emma Ingold, Saskia Maurer, Lara Christen, and Estelle Duvin for SC Bern Frauen -Jenna Kaila, Romy Eggimann for HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls -Cassandra Rensch for HC Fribourg-Gottéron Ladies

EWHL (Central/Eastern Europe + Others)

Speaking of teams that did a lot, MAC Budapest did a ton! This includes: Netherlands national team defender Jet Milders, 19 year old Hungarian goaltender Bianka Bogati who was on the national team but has not appeared in a game yet, university of st thomas graduate and defender Isabel Lippai, Sacred Heart Graduate and American forward Sophie Lupone

SKN Sabres St.Pölten signs Slovenian forward Gaja Pezdir, who impressed at the D1B Worlds and played for Lakers Kärnten last year. They also add Hungarian natioanl team forward Kinga Jókai Szilágyi who played for Skellefteå AIK in Sweden's second tier league and helped them earn SDHL promotion

EV Bozen Eagles sign Kristin Della Rovere from PWHL Ottawa and Italian national team forward Sara Kaneppele, who had played with them previously but spent the past two years in Germany

EC Graz Huskies sign Ukranian national team forward Daria Tsymyrenko, who played a big role on a stacked HC Ambrì-Piotta Girls team last year, and 16 year old Czech defender Hana Panešová who made her international debut with the Czech U18 team last year at worlds and played in both boys and womens leagues in Czechia last year

[here2bbtstrash]

okay SO!

i have a long-running history of coming up with chaotic bangtan prompts to bother my friends with - once dubbed ~thot exercises~ ✨ - and i'm bored and one just popped into my head - so i figure maybe we can start doing them together 🥺

i shall present the prompt and my thoughts - feel free to comment, reblog, or even make a new post and share your own opinions if you feel differently! (just be sure to tag me hehe) there are no wrong answers - you're welcome to provide explanation for your choices, or absolutely no supporting evidence, just ~vibes~ 🤍

bts as iconic mall stores

namjoon: barnes & noble (or lowkey even borders, RIP queen) - dependable, cozy, and chock full of new things to learn and old favorites to revisit again and again. a respite from the overstimulation outside its doors - curl up with your latest find and stay for hours 📚

seokjin: if i say bass pro shops am i getting disowned 🧐 okok how about instead we go with hot topic (current era not the scary hot topic of my childhood lmao) - pop culture and anime references galore! adorable tchotchkes from all your favorite shows! you're definitely not leaving without at least one plushie! all in all, an underrated fave 🌸

yoongi: williams sonoma/sur la table - well-stocked, refined, and fancy enough that you lowkey wonder why you're allowed to be in here. what the fuck is a decanter? what purpose does molding ice into a sphere even serve? and why is that slotted spoon $45?! 🔪

hoseok: auntie anne's (or cinnabon, or jamba juice) - you spy it between the passing crowds and your whole face lights up. is that - could it be?! the stop that makes even the most chaotic of mall outings worthwhile. everyone loves it - and how could they not??? 🥨

jimin: tiffany's - elegant, stunning, timeless; you can't tear your eyes away whenever you pass by, it's all just too gorgeous, you have to stop and stare. (and wow, that model on the wall is stunning too 👀) of course it's far too expensive, but... can't a person dream?! 💍

taehyung: honestly? that new designer store that you swear wasn't here the last time you went shopping. when did we get a - gucci, burberry, LV?? whatever it is, it looks like a museum in there - and why is there a velvet rope and a bouncer outside? you don't even bother going in - everything is distinctly out of your league 👜

jungkook: hollister/abercrombie - it's dark as fuck, the aroma is certainly strong, and - hold up, why is everyone naked??? why is everything low rise AND cropped??? does that model have an EIGHT pack?? you're immediately overwhelmed - but the playlist is fire 🏝

[danihawks]

Let Me Go!!

Dabi was in a shadowed alley on a dark Saturday night, he was bored so he was there to burn some shit. However he used all his fire, he was tired out, he watched the glow of the burning dumpster in front of him. He watched the bright blue flames as they consumed the dumpster garbage and the dumpster itself. After a couple minutes he decided it was about time to leave. After all, he did have to go meet a potential new league member, the number two pro hero, or so he thought, Hawks.

He had informed Hawks to bring him the dead body of a hero to prove his loyalty. But Dabi had his suspicions that the new villain might be more heroic than he thought. Just as he got up to leave the alley he felt his shirt collar tightened and hacked as he was picked up of the ground. It was the pro hero Endeavor, Enji, his father. The damned hero must have been attracted by the fire, like a moth to a flame. "I'll cremate you!!" "let me go!!!" Dabi shouted. "Cremate me villain? Seems to me as though your out of fire power for now, pathetic villain." Endeavor scoffed. "I'm warning you, you don't wanna be doing this, let me go" Dabi protested struggling against the familiar hero's grip. Endeavor only scoffed at this, "Name one reason I would let you go." It was silent for a moment as Dabi considered how he would respond. He couldn't exactly tell him he was Touya... not yet. He was going to meet Hawks, Hawks worked closely with Endeavor in hero work... Dabi blurted the first thing that came to his mind still struggling against his grip, he would get out of this, even if he had to lie his way out. "Because I'm dating your hero partner, Hawks!" Endeavor's grip faltered a bit shocked by what he had just heard from the villains mouth, Dabi was able to break free from his grip and run. He did it, he was home free, his identity a secret still... for now... and he was still on track to eventually enact revenge on his father, family, and the corrupt hero society. Endeavor just stood in the alley silently as he watched the villain get away. "Hawks?" he repeated aloud to himself. The next morning Endeavor was in his office on his lunch break from his hero agency. That's when the unsuspecting victim walked in. "Heeeeeey yooooo, Endeavor San, I got us bagels." Endeavor nodded signaling for Hawks to close the door behind him and take a seat in front of his desk. Hawks cocked his head, something didn't seem right, he was confused but he sat down anyway placing the bagel box to the side of Endeavor's desk. "Whats up?" Hawks asked. Endeavor paused for a moment considering how to phrase his question. "...Hawks," he paused, "Are you..... seeing? anyone?" Keigo smiled jokingly, "Wow there big guy, I admire you but you're not exactly my type y'know, the age difference, I just don't think it would work out," Hawks shrugged playfully, giving his mischievously playful hero smile. Endeavor looked away a bit uncomfortable as he knew that Hawks knew fully well that, that was not what he meant, he was a married man after all, he hated how his partner could be so childish sometimes. "You know that isn't what a meant," Endeavor said taking a bagel. "Well than what did you mean?" Hawks asked a bit curious now as he nibbled on his own bagel. "I almost captured the villain Dabi yesterday," Endeavor began. "Oh yeah, so what happened, was the big bad number one not able to catch him?" Hawks teased... as he always did. "No, actually, he slipped away after informing me that he was dating the number two hero," Endeavor said a bit more sternly glaring at Hawks. Hawks blushed for a minute as that was NOT what he was expecting and it was anything but the truth, why didn't the villain inform him of this lie when he met with him to show him Jeanist yesterday night, and more importantly why did his cheeks feel hot? "Well?" Endeavor asked. Hawks burst out laughing almost falling out of the chair especially with the extra wait of his wing behind him. "Hahahaha, Endeavor San, now I know where that Shoto kid gets it from, best conspiracy theory ever," Hawks laughed making Endeavor feel a bit stupid as he was left alone in his office. Hawks continued laughing as he left his office closing the door behind him. What a fun morning this had turned out to be for him.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

A sign reading “We Support Israel” outside a synagogue in Bethesda, Maryland was vandalized with antisemitic graffiti this week, according to the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington.

“The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington is deeply disturbed by the discovery yesterday of antisemitic graffiti on a ‘We Support Israel’ sign outside Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Jewish Federation noted that the incident came just two days after similar antisemitic graffiti was found near Bethesda Elementary School in Maryland this past weekend. “Israel rapes men, women, and children” was spray-painted on a school sign, and “Free Gaza” was reportedly painted onto a nearby crosswalk and sidewalk.

“We call on our community and allies to continue making it clear that antisemitism and hate speech have no place in Greater Washington,” the Jewish Federation said in its statement. “We are in close contact with local law enforcement, and we appreciate their swift responses to these incidents to ensure our community’s safety.”

The Bethesda area has a large Jewish population — about 45 percent of Maryland’s Jewish community lives in Montgomery County.

The latest incidents of vandalism came amid a troubling wave of antisemitic incidents in Maryland.

Baltimore police announced on Saturday that they arrested a man who is suspected of a hate crime for setting a fire outside the Jewish Museum of Maryland earlier this month. The museum is located between two historic synagogues on Baltimore’s Lloyd Street: the Lloyd Street Synagogue and the B’nai Israel Congregation. The fire on Aug. 4 was set outside the museum but also right next to B’nai Israel, which reportedly shares a security gate with it.

Weeks earlier, Baltimore’s mayor and police chief denounced a slew of antisemitic incidents in which the homes of Jewish families in the Glen section of the city were graffitied with swastikas. As many as 10 homes were targeted in the spree of hate, according to a local NBC affiliate, shocking locals who were dismayed that the incidents occurred in their neighborhood.

Such outrages aren’t new. In December, for example, vandals twice slashed a pro-Israel sign displayed on the lawn of the Baltimore Hebrew Congregation in Pikesville, local media reported. In a later incident in March, a gang of teenagers mugged and assaulted two Jewish men who were walking into their synagogue. The youths reportedly chased one of the men and stole a “large amount of cash” from the other. More recently, an Israeli flag was ripped and stolen from the porch of a doctor’s office earlier this summer.

Across the state of Maryland, which had the seventh most antisemitic incidents in the US in 2023, outrages targeting the Jewish community increased 211 percent compared to the prior year, according to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest data.

[timmyrx2000]

“TRY AND CATCH ME, DIPPER!”

Wendy boldly stretches her single to a double even if its a close call as she blasts past Dipper ready to catch the ball. Art by @turquoisespace35 It's part of an AU where, during their free time, Dipper, Mabel, Pacifica, and Wendy form a baseball team to try and get Dipper and Pacifica out of their shells. Wendy and Mabel try to boost Dipper's confidence by getting him to give playing baseball a shot.

Wendy is the undisputed Queen of the Diamond, even back when she played for the Gravity Falls Little League Team and it seems she's still got her fire which makes her the perfect coach (with Mabel by her side as her assistant coach) for Dipper and Pacifica. But not only is Wendy a pro in her on right, she's also the coolest person Dipper knows, so who better to push and inspire him to his best on the diamond?

Wendy never fails to take a chance as basking in her nostalgia whenever she remembers the days of playing on their Little League Baseball Team, how she'd grown so much as a player from the day she tried out as a Rookie to eventually becoming the team's captain. She'd also been the only girl to even try out for the team which made her being part of the team even more special. Girls have always been allowed to join Little League Baseball teams but it was rare they ever did but Wendy didn't let that stop her. She'd always been a risk taker and she didn't mind jumping into the deep end of joining a Baseball team no matter what anyone else said. It's one of the things that made her stand out the most during her time on the team and even now. She wasn't just a free spirit but more like a poltergeist ready to spread mayhem on the diamond the moment her cleats touched the grass. Her boldness was always her defining trait, always pushing the limits to see what she could get away with in her games, even if it meant getting thrown out at base a few times. It was what gave playing Baseball that extra thrill and spice that she always carried with her and now does so too with Dipper, Mabel, and Pacifica. Now with her cleats back on the diamond, she's itching to bring back that same flare she had and pass it on to them. Dipper, on the other hand, has always been quiet and calculating and was never much for taking risks. He'd always rather stay in his comfort zone and get lost in his interests rather than getting out there. In fact, that's what made his time adjusting to Gravity Falls more challenging. It's also why Dipper never bothered to explore playing Baseball, though he did find the scientific aspects of it appealing like how physics and statistics played a huge role in the game. Even being pushed to play Baseball by itself was already a huge risk that Dipper was unsure of taking. It wouldn't be until he realized it was his opportunity to let loose that he began to enjoy the game, even if he still refuses to admit it. In fact, Dipper's improvement as a player has been stunning with him proving to be quite a flexible player with quite a talent for strategy. He's even found his groove on the mound with some pretty impressive pitching work. However, he has never fully gotten over playing safe. He often loses himself overthinking many situations in the game: the probability of being able to steal a base, the speed he needs to outrun the attempt of the infielders defending base, even trying to figure out the scientifically and mathematically best point where he can slide. It sometimes gets to him and just adds to his frustration at himself when he's unable to pull off the optimal play he's thought off cause he was too caught up overthinking his play.

Wendy and Dipper approach baseball from 2 opposite ends of the spectrum but that's just become a way for them to build up their relationship on the team. In fact, the whole point of getting Dipper and Pacifica to play was for Wendy and Mabel to break them out of their shells. Dipper never fails to impress Wendy with his keen sense of observation and strategy, able to plot out  ways to sneak a win against their opponents. But its Wendy's guts and boldness that solidifies her as Dipper's idol on the Diamond. Even during practice and pick-up games within the team, Wendy constantly takes risks on her plays, most specially stretching her runs from singles to doubles or even triples if she could. It's a power move that always gets Dipper especially when he's playing to defend the base. Blasting past him, she'd playfully tease him "TRY AND GET ME, DIPPER!" despite knowing how close the throw to Dipper would be as she passed him. It may be amazing for Dipper, but to a pro like Wendy, its just her way of having fun.

As the season progresses, Dipper learns from Wendy not to take the game too seriously. It's Baseball! It's supposed to be fun and wild. Dipper slowly begins to learn to take risks in their games too, especially plotting how to best mess up the other team when they least expect it. But Dipper's not the only one learning new moves! Wendy's also grown to admire Dipper's skills for strategy and observation on the field and, just like in her days in Little League, Wendy's learned to be less reckless in her risks and to build on being strategic in her mischief. Together, Wendy and Dipper make one heck of a duo, dishing out unexpected and unpredictable plays that push their team through the ranks. But most importantly, they make the game worth playing: A game of wits and a game of risk, 2 parts of their personalities that they've grown so much and will carry as a life-long lesson.

[footygirl114]

Merry Christmas!! Here is my little gift to y’all as part of @nytb Christmas challenge ! Check out everyone else’s fics that have been posted and definitely @redhairedwolfwitch who’s was posted before me!! But watch out for @grapefruit-personified to post her challenge fic very soon!

Also shout out to @nytb for getting me in this and getting me back to writing again! And for everyone who has reached out or been there for me, you are amazing and I’m very happy to have you

One thing you hated was being underestimated. It started when you were in high school, your first ever football coach told you that you’d never make it to play at uni. You proved him wrong and became the starting keeper on one of the best teams in the ncaa. When your ncaa coach told you that it would be hard for you to go pro being a keeper, you proved him wrong and signed with a Spanish second division team Levante Las Planas.

You played a season with them before they were promoted back to the first division, many of your game being low scoring on both ends but you kept many clean sheets. When you started the new season in the new league you were an underdog and you loved it.

After the first 7 games of the season you and Barcelona were the only undefeated teams left in the league, they hadn’t lost where you were 2 wins and 5 draws (0-0) for all of them. It was a bit of a surprise to some but you had been proving yourself to be an amazing keeper time and time again.

There was a bit of hype leading up into the game, the 2 undefeated teams left facing off. Loving the pressure you had flicked on the pregame press conference the morning of the away game. And you immediately saw the captain of Barcelona, La reina, Alexia Putellas herself being interviewed.

Having a small crush on her you definitely perked up when you heard her talking, even more when one of the reporters mentioned your name to her.

“So Alexia, how do you feel about facing a goalie who’s so hot right now?” The reporter asks. At his wording you think you see her cheeks flush a bit but you chalk it up to the attention.

Tuning back in to the conference in time to hear her answer “oh you mean Y/N YL/n?” She casually asks.

Blushing again realizing she knows your name as you listen to the reporter “yes, she’s been on fire 5 clean sheets in a row, how do you feel facing a keeper like that?”

“Oh I am not worried, I have faced many in form keepers before and come out on top. I know how to score and I know I always get my way” she casually drops. You can feel your face flush by her suggestive undertones, but you also feel the anger set in at the way she’s underestimating your ability.

Turning off the tv you know this is your chance to once again show everyone not to

underestimate you. Your kind of a bit pissed off and kind of a bit turned on knowing this is your chance to prove your self against the best player in the world.

You use that to fuel you and when you meet up with the team and head out to Barcelona’s stadium across town you are amped up, your teammates can feel it too and it’s helping to get everyone in the zone. Walking into the stadium you catch a picture of Alexia on the wall and you can feel the blush but also the anger and you let it drive you through the pre game and warm ups.

Just before kick offs during the line up in the tunnels you are stood at the front of the line waiting for your captain and you feel eyes on you. Turning to see Alexia looking at you, you give her a wink and tell her “keep underestimating me, this will be fun.” Before she can respond your captain comes up and pats your back gesturing for you to start following her on the field. You smile to your self knowing that you really will enjoy this.

You don’t have to wait long after the kick off as Barcelona presses and you make your first save of the match. You don’t face Alexia until the 12th minute when there’s a free kick lined up just outside the 18 yard box. Hugging your post you are yelling and getting your wall sorted when you look past it and meet her eyes standing over the ball.

You hold her gaze as you tell your wall that they are set, and you move to your spot of the net. When the whistle blows she breaks eye contact and sets her self up, you immediately feel like you know where she’s aiming and adjust slightly to make the save. She sends in a rocket that would be going top corner, because if your adjustment your able to get a finger on it and push it into the cross bar and luckily it falls to your CB’s foot who clears it out of the box.

You can see the defeat on her shoulders for the save, but all you can feel is the satisfaction of once again proving someone wrong. The rest of the game goes like that, you make save after save on the whole team, but you somehow make saves you have no business saving when Alexia has the ball.

When the final whistle goes and the score remains 0-0 you can’t help but feel some pride in your self, knowing you just did the unthinkable and managed to keep her off the score sheet. After hugging your teammates you start shaking hands with the Barcelona players, when you finally get to her you can’t help but ask “so did you have fun?”

She smirks at you and says “not at all, but at least I had a hot goalie to watch.”

Immediately feeling your cheeks redden under her flirting you stutter out a “thank you?”

She laughs at your flustered state and responds with “you’re welcome, I knew you were good but I had no idea you were this in form.”

Still blushing you respond to her praise and tell her “I had a little extra motivation today.”

“Oh yeah?” She asks and takes a step closer to you.

You smile at her and tell her “oh I just had to prove someone wrong” with a shrug.

She smirks and leans in to your ear and whispers “and you definitely did, I hope you know next time it won’t be so easy” and presses a kiss to your cheek before walking away. You stand there in disbelief and watch her walk, no strut away from you.

When you get home that night you notice a new Instagram follower and can’t help but smile knowing that she definitely will not be underestimating you again.

[darkness-ren]

Shinso x Long Lost Twin Reader (1/???)

Summary: you were kidnapped as a child and become a nomu humanoid creature and raised under isolation away from the rest of the world. Kurogiri became your only friend after 12 years until now....him suddenly vanished.

There are others besides the League of Villain who knew your existences, time is running out; will you kidnap again and be used as a weapon to have mortals under your voice control?

Or will the pro heroes along with Shota Aizawa and his pupil, Hitoshi Shinso, your long lost twin brother will manage to succeed on rescuing you from LOV before they reach your location, your home.

Could you trust men again after being tortured and forcibly experiment to become an dangerous humanoid nomu?

Warning : mention horrible experimental and child abuse, named mention of Oboro and Shigaraki, depression, mourning over 'loss love one', Erasemic moments

(Y/N)'s POV

My life wasn't the most happy after story.

I have no parents.

No siblings.

Not even pets or plants but the water itself and my necklace. I was meant to be an secret weapon. I was created to be this ultimate downfall for the ones called heroes?

I never know much of the outside world of humans, except the waters however I can.

I was once an formerly test subject at the age of 4. I remember the horrible experience I went through almost everyday until my quirk developed. In this horrible way of being Gods.

When my quirk started to show along with my entire body becoming a half mutant being. I have only the tail of the sea creature all the way to my waist line. Along with my skin color changes into cyan instead of my (s/c). My hair colored remind the same.

Pastel Lavender. Except my eye colors, it was (f/c).

My entire appearance became nothing but faded memory as fire burns away a piece of paper into ashes.

I didn't remember much on how to encounter them but I remember how horrible they put me through. It was entirely disgraceful that I wished to have murdered my torturers.

When they were finished with messing up my life. I was carried away into the arms of nomu. But he was different. His appearance was all dark purple mist even the sliver neck brace.

His eyes shine as yellow.

Kurogiri became my very first friend when he transferred me into somewhere away from those men. I felt almost free but not enough since I believe I might see them again.

After 12 years, I haven't seen nor heard of them.

Only under Kurogiri's care. He didn't treat me horribly, only look after me like a normal child. He sometimes acted like a father figure and best friend as well.

Sometimes I wish he was my real father. He treated me so much kindness but a few times was a bit harsh when I accidentally used my quirk.

I know he didn't mean it like a cold person, he only acted out of instinct if I might hurt myself.

I was happy that he cared about me.

Every week, he was allowed to visit me. Never brought strangers here, not even Tomura.

The monster's adopted son. And future successor as well.

I don't dislike him. But I felt sorry for that poor guy. I believe that his so called father might have harmed him, just like me.

I wonder why I was not allowed to leave my somewhat, home and see the outside world. And experience what life could've been.

I guess I couldn't be able to remove myself from the waters and possibly change. Do I have that ability?

Transform myself back into a little girl's human body again?

I guess I feared what might happen if I do.

All For One might be waiting for me to leave this place and send me back into that hellhole.

Or, maybe I waited for Kurogiri. Since I trust him. Maybe he could let me see the outside world just for the day.

Now, all I could do.

.

.

.

I'm waiting for my dad to come back.

1st Person POV

The mist gentleman was put under straight-jacket while being placed in the interrogation room with glass in bullet-proof, on the other side where two men were seated.

The first man had long straight up blonde hair with orange-tinted shades sunglasses, while the other man had long black hair with signature wrap scarf wrapped around his neck.

Both were shouting at him while he started to glitch all over,

"You were in Class 2-A at U.A High School!"

"We were all going to become heroes!"

"You're Oboro Shirakumo!!"

"H-h-h-hospital....

A-another...in..Th-the woods..river!!"

The mists spread everywhere from the other side of the room after the supposed Oboro and Kurogiri both shut down under unconsciousness.

Both people deeply care for the girl, out there. Unprotected, worried maybe and possibly scared since he promised to return.

And now, he could only hope.....she could be given a chance. If this Oboro once trusted these friends of his.

Whoever could he trusted help this unfortunately girl....find her twin brother.

After he shut down, leaving everyone becomes shocked. For what he said. Another what? Who is this unknown thing was he referred to?

Aizawa's tears were dripping down from his face while Mic.

He hugs him into his arms, and doesn't care if people are watching them.

Back at the woods

The purple haired girl was combing the stench of long hair while sitting on the rock as her tail remained in the waters. It was natural to have part of her tail always touch the water no matter what.

She looked at the surroundings of the fresh water of the river. It was her home, it was part of the world she could travel freely, her sanctuary.

No one knows where it's located but her caregiver.

It was the only time to distract herself from worrying about her papa. He was sometimes late but still managed to keep his promise to see her. Whenever he can and tells her few stories about his day or what's new in the society world.

He tells the best stories when she feels depressed. It felt like she was there to witness almost life through his voices. Maybe someday she'll get to experience it, the city, the parks, maybe travel across the world. Those were her dream goals. As into someday.

As she continued combining her hair, thought of a silly idea. She could do a flower crown for him and herself by the time he gets here.

She smiled then stopped combing her hair. Felt it was good enough until she leaped into the water, feeling the bubbles hit her skin. Swimming around in circles as dance.

Being able to breathe underwater and the surface was a blessing. Then she swims further to the floor, continue to swim around in circles again.

Practicing her underwater dances to feel like she was a ballerina. Carry away from the troubles causes her to think sad thoughts. Then soon she started to hum as her quirk was activated. It was so delicate but enchanting, that she almost felt herself lost into the song despite her quirk.

She loves to sing it, for herself and sometimes with Kurogiri. Watching how her voice hypnotizes him into relaxation. But it wouldn't work on nomu, like himself.

It was safe enough for him to be able to hear the voice echoes around him.

Knowing it is dangerous to humans out there. Then there isn't a chance to escape from the hold of her quirk, and he disliked how this gift would be used for something far dangerous.

That's why he never brought Shigaraki nor the others. His heart speaks to him on protecting both him and the girl for as long as he is faithful.

To both important people, her and Shigaraki.

For Siren Quirk was both sides. A blessing and curse.

Time Skip

In the waters, she was sleeping on top of rocks underneath her. Nearly almost all night, she waited for Kurogiri.

But he never showed. She tried to stay up all night but couldn't. Only sleep until dawn. While holding onto his promise, was good enough to not be worried. Maybe next time, he'll come.

Meanwhile at U.A

In the locker room where a boy with lavender hair was sitting on the bench, fixing his hero suit. After when his mentor asked him to come along with this supposed mission.

He never seemed to ask but went along with it. Might experience what Hero Course was really made of. Than saving Joint Training

He lightly touched his bracelet of the single shell with a blue evil eye. It was comforting to him whenever he was about to do his first mission, it was a gift from her... His twin sister.

Kidnapped nearly 12 years ago, at the age of 4. He was sick at the time when she disappeared from their father's watch, and their mother blamed her husband.

While the young brother had observed the fight argument between his once happy parents ....into strangers at each other.

Until they receive no body found but her teddy bear covered in blood stains.

It didn't make things better, but had a funeral for his adorable twin. His mother mourned over her only daughter while her son tried to comfort his grieving mother. His father didn't talk at all, but cried slightly as tears spilled down on his face. Blaming himself for her disappearing when he was trying to not fall asleep. After a long shift at work, it kept him up all night. And wasn't able to sleep properly until he took his daughter out with him at the park.

He drank a cup of coffee to stay awake longer... until it didn't work. But force him to shut his eyes for at least minutes.

So, after the father was kicked out of the house just a few days ago. Divorce papers were officially signs.

Meanwhile the only son, felt lost and became distant from people. But somehow, he felt like his twin was still alive. Somewhere?

It was a twin connection between him and his sister. They understood each other then the rest of the world. Even their own parents.

She was the first person that believed he could become a hero. Even if he got bullied for having his quirk looked all villainous. The innocent twin always has her big brother's twin back no matter what.

Even if he was a few minutes older than her. She didn't care but loved her brother no matter what since she hasn't gotten her quirk yet. But hopefully it'll be like his.

So they both would match, and be maybe heroes too. The same quirk means stronger heroes. He brought him a smile because how determined she proved, but was glad to see her always looked up to him.

Her hero.

Sadly, it ended. His lost his half.

Himself alone, against the cruel world. But have kept the bracelet as the only thing she left for him. He couldn't wear it since the Sports Festival.

No one knew he had a twin sister. Not even his mentor. If he announced it then it would make him cry again. How this person stole everything from her.

Her life, her innocence, her future....even her dream to become a pro hero. Like him.

Now, all he could do was to move on and live for her. And become hero, and search for this bastard that kidnapped his twin.

And hopefully find closure when they are locked away and suffer the horrible experience they did with his sister when she was alive.

As much as he wanted to kill them. But what will that do? There wasn't anything else to bring her back, he needs to faced whomever was responsible for her.

See the law locked away this monster into prison. With no parole but life sentences.

Hitoshi Shinso, the future pro hero

The twin brother of (Y/N) Shinso.

"Watch over me...sister..." He mumbled softly while touching the shell charms.

He started to approach out the locker room to meet up with Aizawa, and hopefully...be able to prove that he is ready for anything.

"Tomura... There's another power that could benefit your cause."

"This young lady's quirk is more and ready for you to retrieve it. Before it goes into starvation within an hour.

Best to hurry and bring it along with you. With her dead, it's such a waste."

[lewisdeklein]

I’ve seen other people make their own MHA x MP100 aus so I thought I’d give it a try, staring with Ritsu and Shou

I made Ritsu and Shou more or less the main focus, but to be fair it just depends on what part of the story you would want to focus on. Making Mob and Teru apart of class 1A feels like it takes the focus away from Deku so they are both in the year above.

In this AU psychic powers are different from quirks. They existed much longer that quirks and don’t cause someone to have any physical differences than normal people.

Ritsu and Mob’s story is pretty much the same up till the clean up arc. They both live in an area with a low amount of quirks so their story isn’t affected by that much. When Mob finds Ritsu in the ally towards the end of the arc Ritsu agrees to stop what he’s doing but their relationship never really gets repaired in anyway. If anything I could it’s gotten worse. Mob gets into UA by recommend due to having very strong psychic powers. This would make Mob (and Teru) the first quirkless kid to get into UA, not Deku. Ritsu ends up getting into UA due to recommendations as well but has the grades to get in by himself. He becomes a Hero in hopes to be like his brother. Just like how Ritsu wanted powers to stop his brother in mp100, in this au he wants to be a hero to make sure he could stop his brother if he ever got out of control. Ritsu struggles with finding any actual reason for being a hero other than that. It was just mostly expected that he’d be a hero. Ritsu’s hero name is just his name. It’s like how Todoroki used Shoto as his hero name. They both don’t have much creativity

Shou is a bit more different in this AU. Claw still is a thing but it’s much more careful when it comes to exposing their existence. The reason Ritsu never got kidnapped by Koyama was because quirkless areas tend to have more heros. Claw and the League of Villains are friendly with one another due to them both being a potential threat to one another. Both know fighting each other would end in too much lose for both parties but both still believe they are better than the other. Shou, like most kids, wanted to be a hero. Unfortunately for him he would have gotten no quirk but his father told him that he was going to have something much more powerful, psychic powers. Shou’s mother found out that Claw was associated with the League and left. She didn’t take Shou with her because if Claw found them both they’d take Shou back anyway. She was a pro hero but retired after leaving her family since she felt so guilty for abandoning her son. Shou began to grow a resentment toward heros due to his mother leaving. His father put him through training to make sure he could become the perfect little soldier for Claw and perfect heir. Shou hated his father more than he hated heros so he began to plan to take down Claw. He didn’t trust heros so he decided to do it all by himself. Shou got into UA because his father told him to. He is a spy for Claw and the league. One of his jobs is keeping tabs on the kageyama brothers due to their strong abilities and potential. He got in by lying that his quirk was Fire to throw UA off from thinking he was his father’s son. This version of Shou has a more worn out and dark vibe to him due to how much long he’s worked for Claw. His Hero name, Pyro Mask, is actually a hint that he is a psychic. Pyro means fire so Pyro Mask is suggesting that he is using fire as a cover, or mask, for his psychic powers. Also I used pyro instead of Fire because it suggests that he has pyrokinesis, which is a form of psychic powers.

I’ve got hero outfits in the works and Teru and Mob.

I am cringe but I’m free

[hardtchill]

Perhaps I'm just naive and (tragically) American, but don't all the major league sports teams here have the ability to uproot their players via trades? I guess with the major male leagues they're all making substantially more money, which could negate some of the hardship of moving. And maybe they have more say in it? Do sports leagues outside the US function very differently?

Don't get me wrong, the way things go down in the NWSL is horrible, and the fact that so many of the players don't even see their trades coming and get blindsided is flat out cruel.

I'm not trying to defend anything, just genuinely confused. I've been a huge NHL fan my entire life and couldn't explain how trades work if my life depended on it.

Basically every other sports league outside of America banned this. The NWSL and MLS are actually going against FIFA rules with this system.

FIFA has the rule that no trade can happen without a player's consent and that contracts need to be honored. A player cannot be held by a club beyond their contract date which means once the contract ends the player is free to go. A club can offer a new contract but the player decides whether to take it or go somewhere else. If a club wants to trade a player during their contract to another club the player needs to agree to it.

In other leagues the concept of waiving also doesn't exist. If a club wants to terminate a contract they need to pay out the remaining months/years. Drafts do not happen anywhere else either. Players no matter what age who enter pro sports decide where they want to play. Most play in an academy and sign their first contract between the ages of 16-18 either with their parent club or if another offers something better they can go there.

The whole American system goes against the human right everyone should have. The right to decide where to live, love and work. Yes circumstances can change and people may move because of work but they get a choice. If you get fired by a restaurant, you do not get told you have to work for the restaurant 3 states over or never work in a restaurant again.

Money is a factor that plays a part. If you earn 5 million a year or even 500k a year being forced to move is a blow you can financially shoulder. The thing is that the most vulnerable players in the NWSL who have the least amount of certainty earn 50k a year. Those players are hardest hit when they are traded without being informed.

Also, i would bet my left boob that even the biggest earners would give some money up if that meant their life couldn't be uprooted and plenty do. The big shots get to say they want a no trade clause in their contract and they forego more money to have it. Younger and lower paid players just do not get that option.

[crimsonwolf715]

Loss of Identity

(This one's darker, so I feel like I need to put a disclaimer with the possible TWs: Mentions of torture and human experimentation [turning Denki into a Nomu process], temporary character death [again it’s Kaminari with the Nomu process], blood, injury, begging someone to kill them, mentions of panic attacks)

Shigaraki and Kurogiri walk into base and All For One is waiting for them, with the new Nomu he promised to show them when it was done. They both get a good look at the new Nomu that All For One brought in. 

“Why does it look like that student from UA?” Shigaraki asks, scrunching up his nose a bit. 

“Because it is that student from UA. Unlike Kurogiri, there wasn’t much physical change that you can’t see past if you saw him before,” All For One answers. “This student was highly underused by UA. The good doctor said that he was one of the most resilient living subjects he’s ever tested on. He was able to give him another Quirk, not just boost or alter the one he already had. He gave him power absorbance, which goes right along with his other Quirk. Finally, a piece in the game to get my revenge on All Might and UA.” 

“Did you change his name, Master?” Shigaraki asks. 

“Unfortunately, he was rather attached to his name, so I only changed part of it. I call him Takeru, but he only responds when I do it for now. You can call him that and he’ll figure out that you’re talking to him, but feel free to keep calling him Denki Kaminari if you so please.” 

Everyone’s been looking for Kaminari since the incident that occurred not long after they got their licenses, but nobody’s been able to find him. Most of the Pros have stopped actively looking for him and put it on the back burner since they’re pretty sure that he’s not gonna turn up. Jiro’s been working with Death Arms, hoping that will help her get to Kaminari faster. They’re responding to a small office fire right now. The building is easy to evacuate and the fire department gets there right on time. 

“Is there someone still in there?” one of the firemen yells at Death Arms. 

“Shouldn’t be,” Death Arms answers. “I checked myself.” 

The fireman points and the outline of a person is heading towards the exit. The guy walks out with a backpack on and starts dusting himself off. Jiro’s breath catches as she sees exactly who she’s been looking for. 

His hair is black outside of the lightning bolt, which is blonde and his eyes are purple but look darker due to his blue-tinted sunglasses. His outfit is similar, but the white and yellow are replaced by purple and blue. She immediately recognizes him despite the differences. 

“Denki?” she asks. 

He turns to look at her, but there’s no recognition in his eyes. 

“What happened to you?” 

He shoots a bolt of lightning at Jiro and she rolls behind a car to dodge. Death Arms is dealing with some thugs, but Kaminari’s getting involved and making it hard for him to deal with them. Jiro shoots a blast at him and it sends him flying into a wall. Death Arms finishes dealing with the thugs and goes behind the car with her. He grabs a walkie talkie off of his belt. 

“This is Death Arms requesting backup! The League of Villains is attacking and we don’t have the people to deal with them!” 

The walkie talkie sparks and then blows up in his face. Jiro gets cut up from the broken pieces and despite bleeding, she returns her attention to Kaminari. He’s pointing at them and electricity’s crackling around him as the objects around him are being drained of their energy. Jiro runs towards Kaminari. 

“Denki, it’s me!” she shouts as she dodges blasts of electricity. “What are you doing?” 

Once she gets close enough, she tackles Kaminari and she lands on top of him. She starts trying to take his gear so he won’t have as much control of his Quirk. She gets one of his sharpshooters off before he shoves her off. When their eyes meet again when she gets up. 

“Kill me,” Denki chokes out. 

“No!” 

“Please.” The pain in his voice makes Jiro tear up. 

“Denki, please!” Jiro cries. “Please, I can’t hurt you!” 

“Kill me, please,” Kaminari begs, tears spilling from his eyes as his hands light up with electricity. 

“I can’t!” 

“Please. I… love…” 

The electricity goes out and Kaminari falls forward. Bakugo’s fist is raised and he looks a little guilty. 

“Sorry, Kaminari,” he mumbles, then looks up at Jiro. “Sorry for being late, Jiro. The line cut off before you guys could give us your location. You alright?” 

Jiro’s knees give out and she falls. Deku catches her and she starts sobbing when she sees Kaminari again. Bakugo quickly closes the distance and takes Jiro from Deku, who then goes to get Kaminari. 

“They took him away from me,” Jiro sobs into Bakugo’s shoulder. “My love, they killed him.” 

Bakugo gently rubs her back, trying to give her some form of comfort. 

“They’ll figure out how to turn him back to normal,” Bakugo whispers. “They have to.” 

“They… They killed him.” 

The process isn’t easy, but they manage to reverse the majority of the physical damage done to Kaminari thanks to Eri’s Quirk and very carefully and humanely done testing. The mental damage is the issue. He still has frequent panic attacks and can’t sleep. They can’t even let anyone without a hero license come visit because he freaked out and tried to kill his foster parents when they showed up. 

It’s a little over two months before any of the students get to see him, and that was still a slow process. He asked to see Jiro and Shinso, so they were originally the only two that could come. Once he’s more used to company, they start letting other people see him. Jiro comes more frequently than anybody else, almost daily if her schedule allows for it. 

Kaminari enjoys her company and while she originally couldn’t even see the bright personality that used to live in Kaminari, she’s started to see small parts of it. He’s smiling a bit more whenever she or Shinso’s around. Jiro and Shinso have gotten closer during this experience, becoming each other’s support systems outside of the hospital room Kaminari stays in. 

Jiro arranges the flowers several times, trying to make them look perfect. Denki’s coming home for the first time in nine months and she wants to make sure that everything looks perfect. Luckily, most of the other members of 2-A are out doing things with their families since it’s a Saturday. The only person left in the place is Shinso, who’s holed up in his room and will probably remain there until Kaminari goes to get him. Jiro has to stop and calm down because she’s working herself up too much and she might start crying. 

The door opens and Aizawa walks in. He doesn’t look happy. 

“Is Denki okay?” Jiro asks. 

Aizawa nods, opening the door more to show Kaminari coming up the steps. Jiro smiles and when Kaminari sees her, a small smile crosses his lips. She kinda wants to cry since they weren’t able to fix his hair or eyes, but Kaminari said he doesn’t mind. So she tries not to let it bother her either. When he gets into the room, he goes over and hugs her. She wraps her arms around him and he practically melts. She’s honestly just glad that she can hug him again, since the first six months were no contact since physical contact made him have flashbacks. 

“Jeez, I think you got taller again,” Jiro says, trying to draw her mind away from the thought process. 

“It’s not likely considering it’s only been two weeks,” Kaminari says quietly. 

Jiro rubs his back. When he pulls away, the smile’s still there. 

“You sure you’re okay with this?” Kaminari asks. 

“Of course. I love you,” Jiro answers. 

“You too.” 

Aizawa nods to the duo, then heads towards Shinso’s room. Jiro and Kaminari sit down on the couch and start chatting about what Kaminari missed. After a while of catching up, Deku and Bakugo walk in. Deku’s smile widens when he spots them and Bakugo waves. 

“Hey guys,” Kaminari says. “Good to see ya.” 

Kaminari gets up and walks over. Him and Bakugo briefly bro hug and he gets a normal hug from Deku, but it’s just as brief. 

“I’m glad that you’re back,” Deku says. 

“Glad to be back,” Kaminari replies. 

Bakugo pats him on the shoulder. “We’re gonna make dinner. You want anything particular?” 

“Nah, anything will work. Thanks anyway, Bakugo.” 

Bakugo nods, then the two head into the kitchen. Kaminari sits back down next to Jiro. 

“It’s good to be home,” Kaminari says. 

“I’m glad you’re home,” Jiro replies, leaning her head against his shoulder.

[pleathewrites]

bellow the fire into my deadened lungs

chapter 3 excerpt — all might & eraserhead interrogate dabi read full story here

Meanwhile, on the other side of the interrogation window.

“Oh, wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I can see why you wanted me down here so fast.”

“Yeah,” Aizawa lamely says again.

The underground hero had told Toshinori that Pro-Hero Hawks is also present at the station but insisted on needing a ‘bathroom break’ — but Toshinori is fairly certain there are hidden feathers all over this room, no doubt eavesdropping on what he might hope is a more honest conversation than what Toshinori and Aizawa might have later with Dabi’s ‘accomplice’ — or, as Aizawa had dubbed him, ‘Dabi’s lover’.

That one was a doozy to hear. 

Toshinori coughs wetly into his worn and stained handkerchief, “So, what are you thinking? Should we give him a deal?”

“Can we even give him a deal, without the involvement of the Commission?”

“Hero-Law 73 states that licensed heroes ranked within the top fifty are allowed to conduct their own investigations, by any means necessary. It’s a horrendously long law, but in short — yes, I believe you should be able to give Dabi — err, Todoroki Touya — a deal without needing permission from anyone.”

“And keeping it secret?”

“Allowed. Seriously, Aizawa-sensei, you’re a teacher! You need to brush up, hit the books a little,” Toshinori tries to joke, a weak smile stretching across his tired face. 

Aizawa humors him a bit, “Your favorite students are quite the handful, I think they drain a gallon of life out of me with every single class.”

“Nonsense,” Toshinori chuckles, “I have no favorites.”

Aizawa gives him a knowing side-eye before turning back to the reunion scene on the other side of the interrogation window. 

They look like a family. Every member is somehow holding Todoroki Fuyumi’s hands — Dabi holds onto her right one with both of his own. They’re talking — seems mostly like they’re catching up. They haven’t said anything of importance, but the conversations they have are all the proof Toshinori needs to affirm that the League of Villains Dabi is, in fact, the eldest son of the Todoroki family. 

“Isn’t it strange how Hero-Law basically gives free rein to any hero solely based on their rank?”

From the corner of his eye, Toshinori sees Aizawa’s eyebrows furrowed together in assessment, he just isn’t sure what exactly Aizawa is trying to mull over. 

Toshinori shrugs, “It’s the way it’s always been.”

“I suppose it is,” Aizawa hums before he tips his head to the door, “Think it's time we get to business?” 

Toshinori winces, “Is it odd that I don’t want to disturb them?”

Through the window, Dabi talks animatedly, each sibling cutting in with their own commentary.

“I’m serious, some asshole really stole my clothes! I literally had to walk out of that rec center, ass out ‘n everythin’ — ”

“ — How, literally how, did you not get caught?!” 

“I mean, it was three in the morning, Nats, but still — absolutely mortifyin’!”

“Touya-nii, does that even count? If no one saw you, what are you so embarrassed over?”

“Shut up, Shou — you try walkin’ through a women’s public washroom with yer dick swingin — ”

“ — Why the women’s washroom?!” 

“It smelt better! Fuck off, Yumi, all of ya, geez.”

Todoroki Fuyumi laughs hard, hand on her belly and everything, and from the tears in her eyes, Toshinori has a feeling she hasn’t laughed like that in a very long time. 

He feels Aizawa’s hand grip his shoulder, “Believe me, I understand how you feel. It’s one thing for a top-rank villain to claim he’s a part of a hero-family, and it’s — ”

“ — A totally different thing to actually see it.”

“Yeah.”

Toshinori swallows, “But you’re right. Best thing we can do for this family is to try and sort this mess out, I suppose.”

When Toshinori and Aizawa walk through the door into the investigation rooms, the siblings quiet down and the tension in the air increases tenfold. The look on each Todoroki’s face makes Toshinori feel like he’s doing something very, very wrong. 

Especially the way Dabi’s expression steels from the relaxed one he had a minute ago into the infamous stare Toshinori has only seen on Wanted-posters. 

“I’m very sorry to interrupt,” Toshinori begins, trying to smile and mentally calm the siblings’ no-doubt racing and anxious hearts, “We would like to talk to Dabi — err, Todoroki-san — for a bit. Would you all mind waiting outside?”

The siblings slowly nod, making their way up from the table and out the door, but not before giving their eldest brother a hug across the shoulders. 

When the door bangs shut, the villain in question speaks up, “It’s still ‘Dabi’, to you guys. For printed, legal stuff, my given name is fine, but otherwise…”

Toshinori puts up his hands in apology, “Got it, Young Dabi-san.” 

He sees Dabi’s face screw up and mouths, ‘Young Dabi?’ — but the villain doesn’t comment any further. 

Aizawa rolls his eyes. 

“Anyways, Dabi,” Aizawa says, notepad out and pen in his hand, “You came here with the intention of a deal. It seems like, to me, that you want to essentially blackmail society into reform — sorry, change.”

Dabi nods with a laidback expression, “Yeah, basically.”

“Dabi, why should we offer you any kind of deal? You’ve killed people.” 

Toshinori winces at Aizawa's brashness. Maybe they should have waited, and let Aizawa take an hour to nap.

Dabi’s eyebrows furrow, “Okay?” His scarred hands flail to accentuate his words, “So, when a villain kills another villain, it’s all, ‘yeah, lock the fucker up,’ but when a hero kills a villain, kills his own fuckin’ son, everyone wants to throw a damn party!”

Toshinori tries to calm everyone from the heat that’s escalated in this room, stifling even with Dabi in quirk-restraints. 

“Let’s just take a deep breath, okay — ”

“You think you guys are better than me?” Dabi demands, “Your students aren’t even old enough to drink but, sure, give ‘em a license to kill and put their own lives on the line!” 

Aizawa breathes harshly. 

‘Oh no,’ Toshinori bemoans, he knows how Aizawa gets whenever people try to insinuate he doesn’t care about his students, that he wouldn’t give everything he has to save their very lives. 

He decides to get to the point — change tactics and avoid the blame-game. 

“What does Shigaraki Tomura want? What is the goal of the Paranormal Liberation Army?”

Dabi raises an eyebrow and leans back into his chair, “Is it really not obvious?”

“To cause mayhem, wreak havoc? Bring even more pain to even more innocents?” Aizawa questions. 

Dabi sighs, “Let me tell you a story — it’s Shiggy’s favorite, and maybe then, you’ll start to understand.”

“I am not interested in your stories — ”

“It’s about the ultimate moral dilemma.”

Silence. 

Dabi leans forward to rest his elbows on the table, “A guy asks a crowd of a hundred people this: If there was a city so close to utopia, perfect in every single sense, in the way that every single person in that city can do and have whatever they want, and not have to worry about food or money, ever, but,” He pauses, making sure the two are listening, “that city’s fortune is dependant on a child being locked away in a dungeon and tortured on a daily basis. On your eighteenth birthday, you are brought in to see the child. You are then given the option to stay in the city or leave. Which do you choose?”

“Leave,” Aizawa and Toshinori say in unison. 

Dabi smirks a little, “Calm down, wasn’t askin’ you. Let me finish.”

Toshinori feels a bit sheepish, “Go on.”

“The guy asks this question to a hundred people. Forty-nine of them choose to leave because they wouldn’t be able to handle the guilt. Fifty-one of them choose to stay. These people proclaim that leaving the city wouldn’t save the child anyways, so why should they give up their own happiness — the good of the many over the one, ends justify the means, all that crap.”

Toshinori looks at Aizawa and sees that he’s equally slightly mortified, but it looks different from how he feels. Toshinori feels sick to his stomach, whereas Aizawa looks resigned and frustrated. 

Aizawa always had guts of steel. 

“Neither choice helps the child, the question inspects individual guilt and capacity for empathy, if anything,” Aizawa says.

Dabi sighs bitterly, “Still not finished,” before a sneered smile stretches across his face, “Don’t you wanna hear the end?”

Aizawa rolls his eyes and waves his hand, ‘continue’.

“The guy says to the crowd, ‘There is a way to save this child. Does anyone know how?’ and not a single person has the answer. The man finally tells them, ‘To save this child — ’”

It hits him.

“Every single person must leave the city,” He whispers. 

Dabi smiles cadaverously, “No people, no city for a child to suffer for,” and the scarred man looks somewhat proud of Toshinori’s response.    

Aizawa nods, “But there is too much of a divide between people, for such a thing to be accomplished.” 

“What would you choose, Young Dabi-san?” Toshinori asks.

“Me?” Dabi smirks, “I’d free the kid and help ‘em burn the whole fuckin’ city to the ground.” 

Toshinori looks at Aizawa with a severe weight pulling down at his sickened skin. 

They finally understand.

Toshinori gives Aizawa a firm nod.

“We’ll give you the deal.”

read full story here

my other works

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Diana Ramirez-Simon at The Guardian:

Violent clashes broke out on the campus of the University of California in Los Angeles early on Wednesday morning when counter-demonstrators attacked a pro-Palestinian protest encampment, hours after New York City police cleared pro-Palestinian protesters out of an academic building that had been taken over at Columbia University. Aerial footage showed people wielding sticks or poles to attack wooden boards being held up as a makeshift barricade to protect pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA, some holding placards or umbrellas. At least one firework was thrown into the camp. Administrators at the university called in law enforcement officers to try to stem the violence, which is the worst since counter-protesters who support Israel set up a rival protest area near the pro-Palestinian encampment.

“Horrific acts of violence occurred at the encampment tonight and we immediately called law enforcement for mutual aid support,” Mary Osako, a vice-chancellor at the university, said. “The fire department and medical personnel are on the scene. We are sickened by this senseless violence and it must end.” Writing on X, the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, condemned the violence as “absolutely abhorrent and inexcusable”. LA police said in a post on X: “At the request of UCLA, due to multiple acts of violence within the large encampment on their campus, the LAPD is responding to assist UCLA PD, and other law enforcement agencies, to restore order and maintain public safety.”

Some of the counter-protesters began to leave the area at about 1.40am, after police in riot gear arrived and formed a line near the camp, the LA Times reported. But officers did not immediately break up the two sets of protesters, and clashes continued. Hours later, broadcast footage showed a police cordon slowly clearing a central quad beside the encampment. Ananya Roy, a geography professor at UCLA, condemned the university over its lack of response to the counter-protesters. “It gives people impunity to come to our campus as a rampaging mob,” she told the LA Times. “The word is out they can do this repeatedly and get away with it. I am ashamed of my university.” Katy Yaroslavsky, a Los Angeles councilwoman whose district includes UCLA, posted on X: “Everyone has a right to free speech and protest but the situation on UCLA’s campus is out of control and is no longer safe.” The clashes began in the early hours of Wednesday, shortly after Gene Block, the UCLA chancellor, said the campus’s pro-Palestine encampment was “unlawful”, adding that students who remained in it would face disciplinary action.

The 7 October attack on southern Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza and the ensuing Israeli offensive on the Palestinian territory have unleashed the biggest outpouring of US student activism since the anti-racism protests of 2020. Late on Tuesday, New York City police arrested dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators holed-up in an academic building on Columbia University campus in New York and removed a protest encampment that the Ivy League school had sought to dismantle for nearly two weeks. Live video images showed police in riot gear marching on the campus in upper Manhattan, the focal point of the nationwide student protests. Officers used an armoured vehicle with a bridging mechanism to gain entry to the second floor of the building.

Pro-Israel Apartheid agitators caused violence at the UCLA campus by attacking a pro-Palestinian protest encampment.