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dankusner · 5 months ago

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Dallas County's Worst Judge Has Dragged a Simple Eviction Case on for Five Years

Five years ago this month, a Dallas County justice of the peace signed an order evicting Clifford Holland from the $1.2 million home he was renting on Caruth Boulevard, a block outside of University Park.

Aside from the eye-popping $6,000-per-month rent, the case was a routine tenant-landlord dispute: Landlord claims…

CC-07-10676-A | HOLMES WOODS DIGGS & EAME vs. HOLLAND CLIFFORD

Aside from the eye-popping $6,000-per-month rent, the case was a routine tenant-landlord dispute:

Landlord claims renter doesn't pay rent, landlord sues, tenant has to pay overdue rent and find somewhere else to live.

Also fairly routine was Holland's decision to appeal the judgment.

Where things started to break down, and where a simple rent dispute began to turn into the Jarndyce-esque legal morass Holland's case has become, is when the appeal wound up in Judge D'metria Benson's courtroom.

Five years and multiple appellate decisions later, the case continues to grind its way through the legal system.

"We've been to the court of appeals four times," says an exasperated Bill Wolf, a University Park attorney and owner of the Caruth Boulevard home. "It's over a $6,000 rent payment in August 2009. [These things are] supposed to be done expeditiously."

Benson was first elected in 2006 as part of the electoral wave that put Dallas County's entire judiciary in Democratic hands.

She's been consistently rated as the worst civil court judge in the county in the Dallas Bar Association's biennial judicial poll.

The results aren't even close.

Eighty-six percent of 294 lawyers surveyed in 2013 said Benson's performance "needs improvement," 25 points worse than the second-worst civil judge. This case offers a glimpse of why.

Holland, who has represented himself for most of the case, left the house sometime in 2010.

As of 2013 he was living under an alias at the Ritz-Carlton, according to the University Park police officers who tracked him there after he allegedly snatched his two kids from his ex-wife's home while she was out jogging.

That left Holland and Wolf ostensibly fighting over a missed $6,000 rent payment from August 2009.

But Benson, in her pique over Wolf's continued attempts to evict Holland as the case stalled and an appeals court that has repeatedly overturned her decisions in the case, has raised the stakes immensely.

Benson's first run-in with the appellate court in the case came in January 2010.

Wolf, tired of waiting for the trial to resume, had gone back and won an additional eviction judgment for rent due the previous month.

Benson accused Wolf of trying to "usurp the authority of this court" and tried to strike down the JP's ruling, but the Fifth Court of Appeals ruled that she didn't have the authority.

She tried to strike down a subsequent JP ruling, but the Fifth Court again intervened.

Benson wrote testily in a court filing that the appellate court's decision was "manifestly unjust" and accused Wolf of withholding evidence in his appeal.

She also signed an order preventing Wolf from selling the Caruth Boulevard house, which was then on the market through Ebby Halliday for $1.4 million.

By then, Wolf had decided that Benson was "aligned with Clifford Holland" and "biased and/or prejudiced against creditors" and filed two motions to have her recused.

She ignored both, and the case went to trial on September 20.

She ruled in Holland's favor, as Wolf had predicted, but did Holland one better and ordered Wolf to pay him nearly $30,765.62 in attorney's fees, even though Holland had represented himself for most of the case and despite the fact that the attorney who briefly represented him had asked to be removed from the case citing unpaid legal fees, and $68,400 for the "reasonable value of Holland's time."

The Fifth Court again stepped in and, in 2013, declared the trial void.

It waded into the case for a fourth time this week to invalidate another Benson ruling, again deciding that she'd interfered with JP cases outside of her authority by preventing their contempt orders from being carried out.

Holland had been arrested on one at a hearing in Benson's court the month before.

Wolf says he would have had Holland arrested elsewhere, but his court dates were the only time he could be found.

The case continues to drag on, but this time the Fifth Court of Appeals might have had enough.

Along with its most recent opinion, the appellate court sent Dallas County's presiding civil judge a note wondering "whether this case should be transferred from County Court at Law No. 1 to another court to provide for the efficient administration of justice."

A more satisfactory option might be removing Benson herself from County Court at Law No. 1. Russell Roden, the Republican she replaced in 2006, is seeking to regain his seat.

He left office with a 91 percent approval rating from the Dallas Bar.

A bittersweet deal

A former female employee who sued Sky Chefs Inc. in 1994 claiming that company supervisors failed to prevent male co-workers from sexually harassing and assaulting her on the job settled her case earlier this month. Tonjua Benge worked as a truck driver for the Arlington-based airline food company. Her allegations…

Tonjua Benge worked as a truck driver for the Arlington-based airline food company.

Her allegations and lawsuit were detailed in a January 1996 Dallas Observer story ("Lovers no more").

As part of the settlement, both sides agreed not to disclose details of the deal.

But Benge says she is not happy with the final agreement.

She accepted it at the 11th hour, she says, only because her lawyer insisted that she do so.

The settlement agreement was reached on August 8, only four days before the case was scheduled for trial in U.S. District Court in Dallas.

"By the time I pay my bills, I've really got nothing left," Benge says. "I feel I was forced into it."

Benge's lawyer, D'Metria Benson, a solo practitioner, contends that the settlement was a fair one.

But she concedes that Benge expressed some misgivings about the deal with Sky Chefs.

"[Benge] wanted her day in court," Benson says. "Sometimes it's difficult to have something that has been going on so long just stop."

Sky Chefs outside counsel, Walter Siebert, a partner at the Denver-based firm of Sherman & Howard, could not be reached for comment.

The company has a history of aggressively responding to claims of sexual harassment.

When a female worker in Oregon complained of sexual harassment and discrimination and won a $625,000 jury award, the company unsuccessfully appealed the ruling all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Since 1992, Sky Chefs has been the target of eight sexual harassment and discrimination claims in Dallas federal court.

Prior to Benge's settlement, Sky Chefs had made a deal in three of those cases.

But the conclusion of the Benge litigation must be a welcome relief for the company, which dominates the airborne-meal market at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and many other airports nationwide.

"Oh God," Siebert told the Observer last winter when discussing the Benge litigation. "This is the case from hell. It's like a soap opera."

Benge had asserted in a claim filed in federal court in May 1994 that "her male co-workers habitually tried to force or coerce Ms. Benge into gratifying their sexual desires on demand."

She alleged that when she complained to Sky Chefs management, nothing was done.

Specifically, Benge alleged that she was assaulted on the job by her co-worker and former lover--Carlos Minor Jr. Benge said she had ended her private relationship with Minor because he had turned abusive.

At the time of the previous Observer story, Minor and the other co-workers involved in the allegations denied Benge's claims.

Minor had claimed in court that when his "purely sexual" 18-month affair with Benge ended, she launched an obsessive, three-year campaign of stalking and harassment.

He said Benge barraged his home and workplace with hang-up calls, affixed cruel messages about his wife to his car, peered into his bedroom window at odd hours, and kept late-night vigils in the parking lot of his apartment complex, once leaving a pair of panties on his door knob.

Benge denied ever menacing Minor, insisting she was the victim.

With the settlement, all the claims that the two sides have filed against each other will be dropped.

Even though she is unhappy with the terms of the settlement, Benge says the rest of her life has pulled together.

She recently married a man who, she says, "could stand by me through all this," and she gave birth 10 weeks ago to her third son.

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onehollandvillage2 · 2 years ago

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petersasteria · 4 years ago

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Marriage - Tom Holland

Pairing: Doctor!Tom x Lawyer!Reader Requested? Nah 7,630 words TW; character death, very angsty as usual, an unusual ending

The one is bold is the question from the activity.

* * * *

It was 7 o’clock in the morning and everyone in your house was busy. Tom, your husband, was checking your kids’ backpacks while you made sure your kids ate breakfast. They were invited by Mr. and Mrs. Bergstein on a camping trip with their kids. Of course, you and Tom happily agreed. It’d be nice to take a break from the kids just this once. You and Tom didn’t worry too much about them because your kids are 10 and 8 years old. Both of them are boys and you wanted to try for a little girl this time. Only, there was one problem.

“Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Bergstein are here! It’s time to go!” Tom shouted from the living room after checking from the window. Your sons, Jacob and Mason, immediately got up from their seats and ran out of the house.

“You didn’t drink anything, Jacob!” You shouted from the dining area. Jacob quickly came back and finished his full glass of orange juice. You smiled at him as you wiped his mouth. You kissed the top of his head and said, “Behave, okay? Take care of your little brother, but most of all, have fun! I’ll call you guys every night.”

“Okay, mum. I love you!” Jacob smiled before leaving again. You and Tom followed behind him as you waved at them from the front door.

“Bye, kids!” Tom shouted with a smile on his face as he waved with his other arm wrapped around your shoulder. You and Tom watched as the kids waved from inside the car.

“I can’t believe you didn’t have the decency to pack their things last night. Do you know how tired I am?!” Tom quietly said while smiling at the kids.

“I can’t believe you’re complaining! You don’t even help around the house and the one time I ask you to do something, you’re pissed? How fucking dare you!” You said, the same way as Tom. You didn’t want the kids to see you fighting.

The Bergsteins drove away and as soon as they did, you shrugged off Tom’s arm around your shoulder and went inside without another word. Tom followed and slammed the door when he got in.

“You’re such a bitch, you know that?” Tom said angrily.

“You’re such an asshole, you know that?” You mimicked. “I fucking hate you! The only good things you gave me were Jacob and Mason! Other than those two, all you gave me were headaches and your whining! News flash: when you whine and complain, NOTHING CHANGES AND NOTHING GETS DONE.”

“Well, I’m sorry for making you so fucking upset! I’m sorry that I have a job that’s always stressing me out and I’m sorry that I don’t have time for everything and everyone in this house!” Tom shouted.

“Oh, please! I know how you fucking feel because I’m a lawyer and the cases I handle are so out of this fucking world and it adds to my problems! You and I aren’t so different in terms of having a busy work life, but I make time to do my part as a wife and a mother!” You hissed.

That was the problem. Both of you hated each other’s guts. You don’t know when it started and despite everything, you and Tom agreed that Mason was definitely the result of angry sex. In fact, that was the last intimate moment you had together. After having Mason, yours and Tom’s love life just went downhill. You loved your kids, but you weren’t sure if you loved each other anymore. For the first time in 14 years, you and Tom questioned your relationship.

You and Tom have been together since you were 16. You got married at 23, had Jacob at 24 and had Mason at 26. Now you and Tom are 34 years old and both of you can’t be bothered to make a third child. In Tom’s words, ‘FUCK THAT SHIT.’

“Are you saying that I’m not doing my part as a husband and as a father?!” Tom shouted.

“Yeah!”

“I provide for this family!”

“I provide for this family too and I’m so tired goddammit!” You yelled before retreating to your shared bedroom. Tom watched in anger and shouted, “I hate you!”

“The feeling’s mutual!” You shouted back before grabbing your work clothes and entering your en suite bathroom.

Tom scoffed and asked the maid to clean up in the dining room. It was his day off today and he didn’t want to do anything for the whole day. He just wanted to relax, but that was ruined when you asked him to pack the kids’ bags for a camping trip with the Bergsteins.

Half an hour later, you went down already ready for work. You were putting an earring on when you looked at Tom to find him watching golf on TV.

“I’m off to work now.” You said.

“Good riddance! At least no one’s going to boss me around.” Tom rolled his eyes as he said that without leaving his gaze from the television. What he said made your blood boil, but you didn’t say anything. You had to go to court today and you refused to let your emotions and personal problems get in the way of an important case. So you put your heels on, grabbed your things, and left without another word.

When you left, Tom looked at the door and sighed. Regardless of the constant arguing, Tom hated it when you argued. He hated all the fights, he hated the fact that you slept next to each other but turned on opposite sides, he hated not exchanging I love you’s anymore, he hated being angry all the time, but most of all, he hated not being partners in crime anymore. A few weeks ago, you told him to just leave. He didn’t because he made a vow to stay with you through thick and thin.

You hated fighting too and if you were being honest, you didn’t know what happened. It just started going downhill. There was no doubt that you loved Tom and he loved you, but sometimes things just don’t work out between two people who loved each other since they were 16.

Work was tiring as always and as if work wasn’t tiring enough, Tom texted you and said that your parents were trying to contact you, but for some reason couldn’t get a hold of you so they called Tom instead. Apparently, your parents made reservations at a restaurant for dinner and they realized that they couldn’t make it. They didn’t want to cancel because they would be asked to pay a cancellation fee. Your parents want you and Tom to take the reservation instead.

Upon reading Tom’s message, you called him and he answered immediately. “What did you tell them?” You asked Tom as soon as he answered. You were walking to your car while trying to find your car keys.

“Hello to you too, darling.” He said sarcastically and you could imagine him rolling his eyes. “I told them that we’d go. I’m already dressed and I’m literally on my way out the house.”

You found your keys and sighed before unlocking your car. “Fine. How will you go there? Do you want me to pick you up? Or will you take a cab?”

“I’ll just take a cab. I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you, Y/N. I’m sure having dinner with me is at the bottom of your list, but I love your parents too much to say no.” Tom hissed as he walked out of the house.

“I didn’t mean it that way, alright?! I’m just tired. I’ll see you at the restaurant.” You said as you put your things in the backseat of your car.

“Bye.” Tom said before hanging up. You tossed your phone on the passenger seat before getting in and driving to the restaurant. When you parked the car, you quickly fixed your appearance and practiced a smile before grabbing your phone and bag before getting out of the car and locking it.

Tom got there first and he was already munching on the free bread and sipping wine. He saw you and lazily waved you over. You walked towards him and sat across.

“Have you ordered?” You asked and he shook his head.

“I was waiting for you.” He replied with his mouthful which made you roll your eyes. “Can you stop being a pig for once?” You whispered.

Tom rolled his eyes, took a sip of wine, and swallowed his food. “Can you give me a break? Today’s the day when I don’t handle a patient’s death or sickness or check up or anything else. Let me be human and forget a few manners, alright? It’s not like I’ll die if I talk with my mouth full.”

“Yeah, but you could choke on it.” You explained.

“Oooh, kinky.” Tom said sarcastically.

The waitress came and handed your menus before leaving again. The waitress was your saving grace and you were happy that you could pay attention to the menu and not Tom. You honestly couldn’t deal with him at the moment. After five minutes of scanning the menu, both of you called for the waitress and gave her your orders. The waitress immediately left after taking your orders and you and Tom were silent.

Tom coughed awkwardly, “How was work?”

“Stressful and I have to be in court again tomorrow.” You told him.

“The pro bono case?” Tom asked.

You nodded, “The pro bono case. I genuinely feel bad for my client and I hope I win this one for him.”

“What’s his case?” Tom asked. For the first time in forever, both of you were normal, functioning human beings.

“His daughter got taken away from him simply because everyone said that he has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old and that his daughter is already becoming smarter than him. His daughter’s teacher also said that they think she’s holding back from learning all because of her father. They’re bullshitting, I swear.” You answered before grabbing a piece of bread and scarfing down on it as if you haven’t eaten in days.

“Well, do you?”

“Do I what?” You asked after swallowing the bread.

“Do you think he has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old?” Tom asked. The waitress arrived with your food and you thanked her. Tom poured you a glass of wine for you to drink and you took a sip before answering.

“No.” You shook your head. “He has autism, but I think he’s very capable of being a parent. Hell, he’s been raising the kid alone for seven years, so why do they all doubt him now? It just makes me so angry that they think that way.”

The dinner went surprisingly well and Tom even offered to pay for the bill. You were happy that both of you were functional human beings again and you didn’t fight anymore even when you arrived home. You even got to cuddle up to him when you laid in bed and he kissed the top of your head.

“Oh shit.” You said suddenly.

“What?”

“We forgot to call the kids.”

“Oh shit.” Tom sighed. “Let’s just give them a quick call now. I’m sure they’re tired.”

You grabbed your phone from the nightstand and quickly pressed Jacob’s contact to call him. His phone rang as you put it on speaker and he answered after the third ring.

“Hi, mum!” Jacob said from the other line. “Mason, come say hi to mum.”

“Hi, mum!” Mason greeted.

“Hey kids!” You smiled. “Your dad’s here too. Say hi to your dad.”

“Hi, dad!” The two said at the same time.

“Hey, boys! We miss you already.” Tom said. “What did you guys do today?”

“We went fishing!” Mason said cheerfully. “Yeah, and we had smores. It was delicious!” Jacob added with a small giggle which made your heart swell and forget your problems. You really loved your kids and you would do anything and everything for them.

You spent the rest of the night talking to your kids and it felt like nothing was wrong anymore. But of course, you knew it was temporary. You knew better than to keep your hopes up. You knew that when you wake up in the morning, Tom would already be ready for work and say the coldest ‘goodbye’ to you as if you didn’t cuddle at all the night before.

You were right. Except this time, he added a small ‘good luck in court today’ which made you smile a bit before waving goodbye to him.

You sighed to yourself as soon as he left before getting ready for the day. You wished you could go back in time to where this coldness and the arguments began because you had no clue how to fix it now. You couldn’t blame Tom and you didn’t blame yourself and you most certainly didn’t blame your kids. It’s hard to solve a case when you can’t even solve your own problems at home.

Two days later, Jacob and Mason are finally back from the camping trip and you can’t wait to spend time with them. You missed them dearly. You took a day off to be with them and as much as Tom wanted to go, he had an emergency to tend to at the hospital.

“Hi!” You greeted as soon as you saw your kids get out of the car. They ran up to you and you hugged them tightly as you kissed the top of their heads. Your sons were yours and Tom’s pride and joy. They were your angels.

You pulled away from them and thanked the Bergsteins for the camping trip before waving them goodbye as they drove away. You three went inside and helped them unpack their things as they told you stories of what happened.

Since you didn’t go to work today, you knew you had to make up for it. So after dinner and after readying the kids for bed, you went to your home office and started working. Tom came home an hour later. He took off his coat and took his shoes off as the maid reheated the dinner that was left for him. He went into the dining room and thanked her before loosening his tie and eating.

No one noticed it, but he was tired. He wished he could quit his job, but he knew that if he did that, he’d be very unhappy. Being a doctor has been his dream for so long and he wasn’t going to give that up. It was his passion and he loved it. He loved seeing happy patients getting out of the hospital, he loved seeing his fellow doctors telling patients that they’re cancer free, he loved seeing a patient’s loved ones visiting with balloons and flowers. It’s true what people say, you really see true emotions in either a hospital or airport. Mostly in a hospital.

Tom rubbed the sleep off his eyes before quickly finishing his food. He just remembered Jacob and Mason were already home and he wanted to see them. Tom loved his sons and he would do everything to make them happy and protected. He loved his little family and he wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

He got out of his seat, washed the plate and utensils he used, dried and put them back before going to his sons’ shared room. He gently knocked on the door before entering. He silently hoped that they were awake so he could hear about the things they did in their trip because he knew that he’d have to wake up at 4AM and do the same routine again. He wanted to catch up with his kids because he feels like he’s been missing out a lot and he hated that. He swore to himself that he’d become the best father for them and that included hearing them out no matter what it was they wanted to say.

He opened the door and saw them half-asleep watching something on Netflix. He smiled at the sight and said softly, “Hey, guys.”

Jacob and Mason turned to face the door and smiled brightly when they saw their father. Tom grinned as he walked in and quietly closed the door. The kids ran up to him and gave him a big hug which Tom returned. His sorrows were washed away and it hurts to admit that when his two boys will be teenagers, they wouldn’t want to hug their dad anymore. Right now, he’s cherishing it before they turn into monstrous rebels that sneak out to party. Although, he hoped his boys wouldn’t be like that.

Tom kissed their foreheads before sitting on the large beanbag as the kids sat on his lap. “Tell me all about your camping trip. Was it fun? Did you see bears?”

“I saw an eel and Eli caught a fish!” Mason exclaimed as he excitedly told the story. Eli was the Bergsteins’ youngest son. He’s the same age as Mason.

“Wow! Really? Did you catch a fish?” Tom asked him and Mason shook his head. Mason didn’t seem bothered about it, though. “I saw a butterfly and a caterpillar. They were beautiful like mum.” Mason smiled as Tom nodded and brushed the hair off of Mason’s face.

“Yes, your mum is very beautiful.” Tom smiled. Jacob watched the interaction between his little brother and his father and he was slightly jealous that Mason got his parents’ attention. He knew that the love was equal, but he just didn’t see it that way. Jacob loved his brother and he would do anything to protect him, but sometimes he wished his parents would realize that he’s their son too and he needed attention just as much as Mason.

Mason is the exact definition of a ball of sunshine. He always saw the good in people and he stopped fights in school because he hated it when people fight. It pained him to see you and Tom fighting even though you hid it from him and Jacob, he could still hear it and he could sense when something’s wrong. He was a peacemaker and he loved nature. In fact, you and Tom decided to have a small garden corner for Mason in the backyard. Mason was often teased in school for being effeminate and Jacob would always defend him. It broke Jacob’s heart to see that his precious little brother is being teased for being who he is.

Mason loved flowers. He didn’t have a favorite and if you ask him, his answer changes every time. Despite his different answers, you, Tom, and Jacob thought each thought about different flowers that suit him. To Jacob, the flower that suited Mason best is zinnia because it means goodness and to him, it definitely described Mason. To Tom, Mason suited a chrysanthemum because it means cheerfulness and positivity and it truly defined Mason. To you, he suited a baby’s breath because it means innocence, love, purity, and sincerity.

In truth, all of those flowers suited Mason. That’s why you and Tom fought when trying to decide the kind of flowers to get for Mason’s funeral.

It all happened so fast.

Knowing his love for nature, you and Tom took the kids to a nature park for Mason’s 9th birthday. You knew he would appreciate it and you knew he wanted to spend time with his family on his special day. So, you and Tom organized it, surprisingly, without fighting.

You went to the park and there was a lake there where everyone could swim. It was a little pricey, but you and Tom thought that it was okay to spend a little over the budget for the kids to swim. So, you all swam.

When it was time to get out of the water, you noticed that only Jacob got out. Mason was nowhere to be found. That made you panic.

“Jake,” You called your eldest son. Jake was his nickname. “Where’s your brother?” Upon hearing your question, Tom stopped packing your things and went over to you and Jacob.

“What’s going on?” Tom asked as he dried his hair with a towel.

“Mason’s missing.” You said in panic. You had a bad feeling and you guessed that it was your maternal instincts kicking in. “I don’t like this one bit, T. I feel like something bad just happened.”

Tom turned to Jacob and asked, “Where’s Mason?”

“I don’t know.” Jacob shrugged. “We were playing and I never saw him again. Should I go back in the wa-”

“No!” You said loudly, cutting him off. “Don’t go back in there. It’s dangerous.”

“I’ll go look for a lifeguard or something. Stay here.” Tom said sternly, going into full dad mode before running to immediately find someone who could help. Not even a minute later, he comes back with the nature park’s rescue team as they search for Mason in the lake. Tom went with them as you stayed with Jacob.

“Will Mason be okay?” Jacob asked, his eyes full of worry as they stared back at you. You gave him a small smile and said, “Yes, he’ll be okay. They’ll find him. I know they will.” Jacob nodded and you engulfed him in an embrace as he sat on your lap. In truth, you didn’t know what to do. Your mind was thinking of so many things at once and your heart was racing.

An hour later, Tom and the rescue team come back with Mason’s cold body. His lips were pale and judging by the look on Tom’s face, Mason needs to be in the hospital as soon as possible.

“They called an ambulance already and they should be here by now.” Tom told you. “I’ll go with them and you and Jacob can follow.”

“Okay.” You cried. The three of you quickly changed into dry clothing, grabbed your things and went to the front of the nature park where the ambulance was waiting. Mason was quickly brought inside the ambulance while Tom followed suit.

“Just follow the ambulance!” Tom called out to you before the paramedic got in and closed the door. Your body ran on autopilot. You hurriedly stuffed your things in the backseat of your car before getting in with Jacob. You pulled out the parking lot and quickly drove to catch up with the ambulance.

Tom arrived at the hospital first and Mason was brought to the emergency room. Tom waited outside and after a few minutes, a doctor told Tom that Mason was dead on arrival. It was heartbreaking. As a doctor himself, Tom had his fair share of telling families that their loved one has passed. He just didn’t expect that he’d be the receiving end of it and it shattered him. When you and Jacob arrived, Tom broke the news to you and you let out the most painful cry. Jacob cried too. Jacob blamed himself for Mason’s death, but you and Tom assured him that it was no one’s fault.

Today’s the funeral and you were arguing with Tom. You were in the anger stage of grieving and it broke Jacob’s heart seeing you two fight.

“I want the baby’s breath flowers for him to hold in the coffin!” You shouted.

“Well, I want the chrysanthemum!” Tom yelled. “That’s final!”

“You can’t just decide what’s final and what isn’t! I’m his parent too, in case you forgot!” You angrily shouted as you stood in front of Tom. Tom was about to yell, but Jacob beat him to it.

“Stop fighting!” Jacob cried, causing both of you to face him. “Mason would hate both of you for fighting right now! He seriously would! Can you guys just compromise? I understand that you guys are very sad and I’m sad too. But we have to go now and let’s just agree that Mason can hold all of the flowers we got him. He loves them all, anyway.”

Yours and Tom’s heart broke seeing Jacob cry and you felt so bad that you forgot all about him. You knew Tom forgot about him too. Tom looked at you and nodded, “He’s right.”

You nodded and said, “Okay. Jake, we’re sorry.”

“Let’s just go.” Jacob said as he walked out of the house.

The funeral was short and simple. You three got to see Mason one last time as you all put the flowers in Mason’s hands. They closed the coffin and lowered it down six feet under. You will never get over the pain of burying your son; your youngest. Things will never be the same again.

After the funeral, you and Tom were back to your fighting routines. Jacob didn’t have the energy to stop you guys anymore. In fact, you were so busy fighting and working that you didn’t notice Jacob anymore. You never went to his room because it hurts too much knowing that Mason stayed there too. What you didn’t realize was Jacob’s pain. It hurt him to sleep in the room he once shared with his brother. It hurt him to not hear Mason’s voice not calling his attention when he wanted a midnight snack. It hurt him to lose his number one partner in crime.

A few months later, it’s Tom’s parents’ wedding anniversary party. Things have already been downhill by that time and Jacob wasn’t talking to both of you at all and that worried you and Tom.

You arrived at Tom’s childhood home because that’s where the party was being held and after Tom parked the car, all of you got out of the car. Tom locked it and entered the house first with you and Jacob behind him.

“Tom!” Nikki smiled as she walked towards him and kissed his cheek before giving him a warm embrace. She turned to you and did the same. “How are you?” She asked.

“I’m doing better.” You smiled as you put your hands on Jacob’s shoulders. Nikki smiled and turned to Jacob, “How are you, young man?”

“Fine.” Jacob said.

“How’s football?” Nikki asked him again, hoping to get an elaborate answer. She missed the 10-year-old boy who resembled Tom.

“I quit a few weeks ago.” Jacob said as he shrugged off your hands and went to his uncles. You sighed and Tom shook his head upon seeing that.

“I’m sorry about that, Nikki.” You apologized and she waved you off saying it was nothing. She said that Jacob was probably just upset about something and that he’ll come around soon. “I hope that’s true.” You told her.

“It’ll pass. Don’t worry about it.” Nikki assured you.

The party began and everyone was having fun. You went to the kitchen to get yourself a drink and on the way there, you saw Tom and his ex talking and laughing. You knew it meant nothing and you knew it was ridiculous to be jealous of his ex especially because he chose you in the end, but you couldn’t help it.

Forgetting about your drink, you walked up to them and cleared your throat. “Tom, can you help me with the drinks in the kitchen?” You asked sweetly.

“Okay.” He said, before excusing himself from his ex. They were still friends and their breakup was mutual. Tom didn’t have feelings for her anymore and he loved you despite the hardships and fights.

You went to the kitchen and Tom trailed behind you. You turned to face him and he immediately asked, “Okay, what’s wrong? I know you don’t need help with drinks.”

He knew you too well.

“How’s your ex?” You asked with your arms crossed. Tom groaned. “No, tell me. How is she? What did she tell you that was so funny? If you find her so amusing, why don’t you just date her? Oh, no you can’t because you’re married to me!”

“I fucking knew it!” Tom raised his voice, causing the people in the house to look at both of you. “You know, you’re so jealous! I was literally catching up with her and you’re making an issue! That’s what’s wrong with you!”

“Oh, wow!” You chuckled. “So if I were to talk to my ex and laugh with him, would you be jealous?”

“Yes, I would! But I wouldn’t make a scene and I wouldn’t worry too much about it because I know that at the end of the day, you come home TO ME; your husband. I trust you, but you don’t fucking trust me and it’s insane!” Tom shrieked.

“Oh, so now I’m insane?!”

“Yeah, you are! How can you get it through your thick head? Nothing’s going on between me and her! We’re just friends and there’s nothing to worry about!”

“That’s where it all starts.” You said. “You become friends and then you hang out again and then before you know it, you’re going on secret dates and then you’re cheating.”

Tom laughed bitterly, “See what I’m talking about?! You already made some shit up! I can’t believe your spewing random stories out of your fucking mouth! God, you’re so irritating sometimes!”

“IF YOU FIND ME SO IRRITATING, WHY ARE YOU STILL WITH ME?!”

“IF YOU DON’T FUCKING TRUST ME, WHY ARE WE STILL FUCKING MARRIED?!”

At this point, you and Tom were loudly and shamelessly arguing in the kitchen. You forgot about the guests and you forgot about the party. Dom, Tom’s father, had to tell everyone the party was over, so that they could all leave and not witness your fight.

Jacob shook his head at the sight and said, “They do this all the time. I’m used to it now. I bought myself headphones to keep myself company. Those headphones are my best friends now.”

Taking pity on Jacob, Paddy said, “What music do you listen to? The speaker’s still in the garden and we can plug in your phone there, so we can listen together.”

Sam heard and nodded, “Yeah, I’ll join in too. What’re you into?”

“Count me in. Shit is heated here and I need a break.” Harry sighed before earning a nudge from Sam. “Ouch, what was that for?”

“Watch your mouth.” Sam said.

“That’s fine. I’ve heard so many curse words now. Let’s just go to the garden.” Jacob said as he led the way.

Nikki closed the backdoor after all of them went to the garden and she quickly went back to the kitchen to stop you guys from fighting.

“Hey!” She shouted, causing you and Tom to stop. “Let’s talk in the living room.”

Now, here you were in the living room with Tom, Nikki, and Dom. You never thought that you would ever receive an intervention of some kind.

“Why are you fighting?” Dom asked.

“She was jealous because I was talking to my ex and she was being super unreasonable. It’s so irritating.” Tom answered as he rolled his eyes.

“Have you ever hit each other?” nikki asked and you shook your head. “We would never hit each other.” You cleared up, earning a nod from her.

“Have you ever thought about marriage counseling?” Dom asked and you and Tom shook your heads.

“We don’t need it.” Tom said. “We’re just having a rough patch at the moment.”

Dom laughed, “That’s a funny way of saying it. Son, you’ve been fighting for YEARS. I think it’s time for both of you to get some help and sort out everything.”

“You need to fix this. If not for both of you, then do it for Jacob and Mason. We all know that Mason hates fighting. Imagine how Mason would feel about all this.” Nikki said softly.

“That’s not fair.” Tom shook his head. “You can’t just use my dead son against me.”

“I’m not using him against you. I’m just saying that he would be disappointed in both of you for fighting and for forgetting Jacob.” Nikki snapped.

“Let’s go.” You said quietly.

“What?” Tom turned to you.

“Let’s go to a marriage counselor. Tom, they’re right. We need help. I thought fighting was just in court. I don’t want to experience it at home too. We’re tired from our jobs and I think that’s the reason why we’re snapping at each other. I want us to talk about this before we do or say anything stupid.” You explained as you rubbed your temple with your left hand.

Tom looked down and nodded, “Fine. I don’t want to fight forever.”

You looked at each other and gave him a small smile as you grabbed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. With that small gesture, Tom hoped that everything would be alright.

Today’s the day for yours and Tom’s first marriage counseling session. Both of you were extremely nervous, but you both knew it had to be done. The drive there was quiet and if you were being honest, you had to admit that being quiet was strange for you and Tom.

When you arrived, you two still hadn't spoken to each other in fear that it might lead to another fight. Both of you were asked to wait in the waiting room until your names were called and when it was, both of you nervously walked in the marriage counselor’s office.

They asked you to take a seat in front of their desk and you did as you were told. They smiled at you and said, “Mr. and Mrs. Holland, am I correct?”

“Yes.” You answered at the same time.

“Alright. Tell me about your relationship. How did it start?” They asked.

You chuckled at the memory and so did Tom. “Well, I was in a relationship when I met her and she had an attitude.” Tom said with a grin.

“That’s true.” You chuckled. “I was a new student in his school and I was just mean because I hated being new and I hated starting over. You see, my family kept moving around but this time, we stayed.”

“So anyway, when my girlfriend and I broke up, I was upset. I was 15 at the time and I thought that she was the one. Of course, I was wrong because I got to know Y/N after that. Something told me that Y/N was someone special. I just didn’t know that she was the one. Of course, I found that out years later. Heck, that’s why I proposed.” Tom admitted.

“Tom was my first boyfriend and I honestly thought we wouldn’t last because we were 16 when we started dating and that’s so young. So, I really didn’t give my all in the relationship because why would I give my all if we weren’t going to last, anyway?” You said, biting your lip.

“I just knew that now.” Tom confessed and then there was silence, but you quickly broke it.

“Of course, I changed my mind.” You said.

“What made you change your mind?” The counselor asked.

“I changed my mind when I met his family. I just felt really special that time and we were already dating for about 5 months. I felt really happy and I felt as if something good is about to happen. I was right.” You smiled as you looked at Tom. “He was the best boyfriend I could ever ask for and I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else.”

The counselor nodded, “Okay and what was your marriage like before?”

“Oh, it was spectacular! We got married when we were 23 years old and we traveled from to time because at that time, we weren’t super busy.” Tom answered. “Then, we had our son, Jacob, the year after that. It was quick and definitely a surprise, but we were excited to be parents. I knew that Y/N would be an excellent mother and she is. I never doubted her, not once and not ever.”

“Everyone said we were crazy for getting married so young, but why should we wait for a long time, y’know? We already know that we’re it for each other. Love is different for everyone and people failed to think about that during those times.” You answered. “A month into our marriage, I still couldn’t get over the fact that I’m his wife. It felt so surreal and I felt like I was on cloud nine. It felt so good.”

“That was before, right?” The counselor asked and both of you nodded. “What do you think changed? What happened?”

“I think it’s because we got busier at work and we had no time for each other. Then, we still had Jacob to take care of and it was just tiring. I guess that’s why we kept snapping at each other. That’s where it all began. The snapping and then it moved to the raising of voices-”

“Then the shouting and yelling, the saying things we don’t mean, and the not talking to each other for days. I honestly thought our marriage was done, but we vowed to each other that we would be there for each other through good times and in bad. Why would I give up on Y/N after a bump on the road? So, I stayed.” Tom continued.

“Does one person feel the need to win whenever you argue?”

“I don’t feel the need to win.” You said.

“I don’t feel the need to win either. I think we argue because we think we’re right and we don’t agree with things.” Tom answered.

“That’s true. We can’t even talk to each other properly without it leading to yet another heated argument. I think this is the longest conversation we have without shouting and yelling and saying things we don’t mean.” You said.

“Why are you here? What made you come here?”

“We came here because we realized that after years of fighting, we need help. After years of fighting, we finally admitted to ourselves that we need help from a professional.” You said.

“What are you hoping to learn from counseling?”

“I want to learn how to deal with our problems without yelling and getting angry about it.” Tom said.

“Okay, and you?”

“I want to learn how to learn the same thing. I can’t go on fighting anymore. We’re supposed to be teammates and we can’t do that if we’re always arguing.” You answered.

“Where would you like to see your marriage by the end of counseling?”

“A strong and healthier marriage, definitely.” You nodded. “I want that for us.”

“By the end of counseling, I want us to still be together. I want us to be better than who we are now especially for Jacob because I feel like our fights are rubbing off on him. He barely talks to us and I hate that.” Tom said and you agreed.

“Okay, thank you for that. That’s all I need for now and I’ll see you in our next session.” The counselor said.

Counseling helped greatly and it made you learn more about yourselves. You learned about your new strengths and weaknesses. Life at home slowly changed too. There were a few fights, but they weren’t as bad as before. Jacob still wouldn’t talk to both of you, though and that scared both of you.

Today was your last day of marriage counseling and the counselor said that there will be a last activity before they can conclude anything.

“I have a set of questions here that I want you both to answer, alright?” The counselor asked and both of you nodded.

Do you trust each other?

Tom: Yes, I trust her with everything in me.

You: I do.

Is there anything you feel you can’t trust each other with?

Both: No.

Have you ever felt the need to check the other person’s phone when they leave it unattended?

Tom: No.

You: Yes, but that was before we were married.

Tom looked at you and you just shrugged, “I’m just being honest.”

Have you ever done anything to lose the trust of the other person?

Tom: No, but I’m sure she had her doubts at some point.

You: No, and he’s right.

What makes you both happy?

Tom: Seeing my family happy.

You: Same answer.

When was the happiest period of time in your marriage, and what about it did you enjoy the most?

Tom: Our wedding day because I finally got to marry the girl of my dreams. I finally had my dream come true.

You: Our one year wedding anniversary because we’ve been together for 8 years in total and married for a year. It blew my mind that we lasted so long and we’re having our first born on the way.

Is there anything the other does that brings you down?

Tom: When she accuses me of not making time for our family. I try to make time, I do. It’s just that I’m always the doctor they call whenever they need something and I can’t help it. I know I promised I’d be there, but I took an oath to be there for patients too. It’s my duty to serve the public and I don’t want to abandon that and aside from being a husband and father, I dreamt about being a doctor too. It would break my heart to not do what I’m supposed to do.

You: When he would blame me for things that aren’t my fault.

Do you feel that you care about each other’s happiness?

Tom: Yes! Last year, she got me golf clubs for my birthday.

You: Yeah and he got me tickets to a concert that I want to go to.

What can you do to share each other’s happiness?

Tom: Go golfing with me.

You: Have a relaxing day together; just me and him.

Do you stress each other out?

Tom: I guess so. We wouldn’t be fighting if we don’t stress each other out.

You: True.

What do you find the most stressful?

Tom: When she doesn’t understand me.

You: When he forgets his role at home.

Do you feel you can come home to each other after a special day and feel better?

Tom: If I was asked this before, I’d say no because I always come home late and she’d be asleep. So, we couldn’t fix our problems. But now, yes.

You: I agree with him.

What do you feel are the biggest stressors in your marriage?

Tom: My job, but I can’t quit.

You: Our schedules because they always clash.

Do you feel like you can talk to each other about everything?

Both:: Yes.

Do you feel like the other listens when you speak?

Both:: Yes.

Do you make love as often as the other would like?

The question made you and Tom giggle causing the counselor to look at both of you. “I’m guessing, you do it more often now than before?”

“No comment.” Tom said, trying to hide a grin on his face.

“Alright, moving on.” The counselor chuckled.

Do you fulfill each other’s needs physically?

Tom: Definitely.

You: Absolutely.

Have you ever thought about seeing someone else?

Tom: No.

You: Never in a million years.

Have you ever seen someone else while you’ve been together?

Both:: No.

Do you still communicate with others you’ve been with intimately?

Tom: No.

You: I’ve never been with anyone else prior to Tom.

Is there anything in the past that the other has done that still bothers you?

Tom: I don’t think so; no.

You: The way he laughed with his ex at his parents’ wedding anniversary party. This is completely on my part now; it’s not his fault.

If you could change one thing about the past, what would it be?

Tom: The thing that got us into this whole mess. I would like to completely remove that.

You: Same here.

Would you say your relationship has been mostly good, mostly bad, or something in between?

Tom: Something in between.

You: Yes. No relationship is perfect.

Are there any conflicts in the past that you feel have not been resolved?

Both:: No.

What are some fond memories you have about the past?

Tom: When we first started dating, blissfully unaware of what our future will hold.

You: When we still had Mason.

Tom looked at you with a sad smile and grabbed your hand.

Do you want to remain married?

Both: Yes.

Where would you like to see each other a year from now?

Tom: Hopefully having a daughter.

You: True. I would like that.

What about five years from now?

Tom: New and improved.

You: Better at handling our stress.

What is one thing you’ve always loved about the other?

Tom: She’s caring and loving.

You: His passion for the things he loves.

If you could take a vacation, just the two of you, where would you go?

Both: To where we had our honeymoon.

What is something the other does that makes you smile?

Tom: When I see her with Jacob

You: When I see him being in his natural element.

What is your most cherished memory of the two of you?

Tom: When we first bought our house.

You: When we officially became parents.

What is something about your marriage that you wouldn’t change for anything?

Tom: Everything despite the fighting and crying.

You: Same here.

“This is now your last day for marriage counseling. On our first meeting, I asked you where you see yourselves at the end of marriage counseling. Did it happen?” The counselor asked as they looked at the two of you seriously.

You thought about it for a while before looking at each other.

"I think so." You answered. "I'm not really sure."

Tom nodded, "Yes, I'm not sure too."

* * * *

lmao cliffhanger bc there'll be two endings

this took me DAYS to write and i hope you guys enjoyed it! feedback would be lovely x

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @blueleatherbag @cocoamoonmalfoy @thatforgottenangel @parkerpeter24 @turtoix @slutforsr @givebuckyhisplumsnow @buckys-little-hoe @runawayolives @chewymoustachio @hollandsrecs @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @yourstrulyamour @juliediggory @lharrietg @alexx-stancati @rumplebutterbaby @dummiesshort @spideyspeaches @thevelvetseries @buckymylove @quxxnxfhxll @marvelsimps @dreamy-clousds @bora-world @hunnybunimdun @supred12

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @holland-styles @trustfundparker @calltothewild @felicityparkers @hufflepuffprincess24 @tommysparker @justasmisunderstoodasloki @quaksonhehe @call-me-baby-gir1 @itstaskeen @theonly1outof-a-billion @lost-in-the-stars03 @justafangirlduh @piscesparker @speedymaximoff @miraclesoflove @lexirv @blairscott @getbywithasmile @pqrkerr @lavender-writer @blackbat2020 @hoodpankow

#tom holland #tom holland one shots #tom holland imagines #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland angst #in-a-lot-of-fandoms-tbh

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malman-law-blog · 5 years ago

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queenbeyondthewalll · 7 years ago

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In Memory of Tina Fontaine

Over three years ago, in August of 2014, a fifteen year old Indigenous girl named Tina Fontaine disappeared from the hotel room Child and Family Services (CFS, the Canadian version of the American Child Protective Services, or CPS) had placed her in. She was originally from the Sagkeeng First Nation, a Reserve in Manitoba, not that far from Winnipeg, where I live. Tina had been through tragedy; in 2011, when she was twelve, her father Eugene was diagnosed with cancer and given four months to live. He didn’t even get that- one day, he got in an argument with two supposed friends (Nicholas Abraham and Jonathan Starr) and a fight started. The two men beat Eugene Fontaine repeatedly, for hours, and then dragged him outside to a shed and left him tied up, with no shirt on a cold fall night. He died, cold and beaten. It affected Tina deeply, as you can imagine. According to her family, she was unable to cope and began drifting away.

One of many tragedies in this whole thing are the killers; Nicholas Abraham was raised by violent alcoholics, experienced abuse from young childhood, ended up in CFS care for most of his life after both his parents went to prison when he was five. Jonathan Starr is even worse: he also ended up in CFS care, and was subjected to, according to his lawyer, “horrific physical and sexual abuse”. To top it off, he had rather severe Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, to the point where, mentally, he had the mental capacity of about a ten year old. I share this information not to excuse their actions, but to paint a picture of the kind of cycles of abuse, addiction, and violence Indigenous people go through.

Tina’s mother, Valentina Duck, lived in Winnipeg (Tina had mainly been raised by her great-aunt, Thelma Favel), and in June of 2014, Tina and her sister Sarah traveled to Winnipeg to visit their mother. They were meant to stay for a week, but Sarah almost immediately left to go back home. Thelma gave Tina a long-distance call card in case she wanted to leave earlier. Tina didn’t call, but she did run away, and during the next few weeks, Tina met both Cody Mason, an eighteen year old she began dating and who offered her a place to stay- his father’s house- where she did stay for about two weeks, and the man recently ruled not guilty in her death, fifty year old Raymond Cormier.

Tina’s involvement with authorities was when her great-aunt Thelma Favel called CFS on July 17th, worried because she hadn’t heard from Tina in weeks. CFS picked her up and placed her in the Capri Motel, where she left almost immediately. This might be a good time to say that since Tina, the practice of placing children in CFS in hotels and motels has since been banned in Manitoba, but before that it was very common. This led to many children and teenagers- especially those who had just been apprehended, many of whom didn’t feel they were abused or in danger, whether that’s true or not- being unsupervised and, as you may expect, many runaways. These were children and teenagers who were predominately already at the highest risk of going missing, being murdered, or being exploited. The reason they put kids in hotels- which other provinces still do- is because they simply apprehend too many kids to have places in foster or group homes for them all. I will say I know for a fact some people who are in various types of social work have called what’s been going on with the apprehended children, especially since the Phoenix Sinclair case (that is a whole other story and honestly too sad for me to do the amount of research I’m doing on this one), the ‘new residential school system’ or a ‘second sixties scoop’. But I digress.

Tina had been reported missing on July 18th, after she went AWOL from the motel. She was picked up by a social worker and taken to the Ndinawe group home on July 23rd. On July 26th, she missed the 10:30pm curfew and was reported missing just after midnight, although she showed up again at Ndinawe a few hours later. Around this time, Tina wanted to go home, according to a family friend. He and his girlfriend had recently had a baby, and were going to Sagkeeng for a visit. Tina wanted to catch a ride with them, but by the time she messaged them on July 28th, they had already left.

She missed curfew at Ndinawe again on July 30th, and was reported missing on July 31st, although her aunt would later say she had stayed with her from August 1st to 3rd. On August 5th, Tina phoned her CFS worker and was picked up by the police and CFS. August 6th, her boyfriend, Mason, flew back to his home community, St. Theresa Point First Nation, a reserve in Northern Manitoba. Upset, Tina rode a bike to the place Cormier was with two other people she knew, Sarah Holland and Tyrell Morrison. Some time that evening, Cormier borrowed the bike Tina had to go buy weed. He apparently traded the bike for two grams, which Cormier claims is what she and him argued about that night, and the reason Tina left around 10pm. Other witnesses, however, testified she left because Cormier was being inappropriate. They also told the court Tina had threatened to call the cops about the truck full of tools Cormier had stolen that day.

She did, in fact, call 911 about the truck shortly after she left. On the call, which you can hear here, Tina tells the 911 operator her friend Sebastian- the name Cormier had been going by that summer- had stolen a truck. As this was not an emergency, the 911 operator told her she needed to call the police directly, giving her the number and instructions on talking to a person. As she was on a payphone, and may not have had the change needed to call a non-emergency number, it seems like she didn’t. Robert Sango (a man who, in full disclosure, was on parole and living at a half-way house, but doesn’t seem to have any reason to lie) testified that he was near the payphone smoking when she used it, and after she hung up asked for a smoke and sat with him. He testified that Tina told him she had been at a friend’s house, but left because an older man was making moves on her. She said she was scared someone was following her and that she had no place to go. He said when she left, she headed in the direction of “a friend’s house”.

On August 8th, around 5am, police pulled over a truck that was “driving suspiciously”. Inside were the driver, a man with a suspended license who was taken into custody, and Tina Fontaine. The man later told court he had picked her up off the street after driving around, looking for a girl to “hang out with”. It doesn’t take a genius to translate that into ‘pay for sex’. Tina gave police two fake names before giving her real one, afraid she was in trouble. One of the cops told his partner, a new recruit, to search her name. The new recruit testified he saw that she had been a missing person previously, but didn’t see a current missing persons alert on her name, although at that time she definitely was. Tina didn’t appear to be in any distress, and as the new recruit had failed to notice the missing persons alert, they let her go.

A few hours later, security footage in a parkade show Tina taking shelter from the rain, lying down between two parked cars, and falling asleep. Half an hour later, around 10am, two people walking through the parkade saw Tina and went to alert security. When the security guard was unable to wake Tina, she called 911. Paramedics showed up around 10.30am and were able to wake her, although she seemed disoriented and was “struggling with knowing where she was and who she was”, according to the security guard, who also said she had what looked like either mosquito bites or cigarette burns on her legs which looked “awful” (having lived in Winnipeg my entire life, I would not be surprised in the slightest in there were mosquito bites, but this is speculation), and a blister on her lip. Paramedics took her to the Children’s Hospital, who contacted CFS. She was looked over by a doctor, who took blood and urine samples. The doctor was worried Tina was being sexually exploited, but Tina refused a physical exam and wouldn’t answer questions. The doctor testified “I tried to counsel her, get her to open up to me. I told her about the dangers she could be in. I tried to urge her not to run away from CFS.” Not long after that, CFS worker Kimberly Chute showed up and stayed with Tina until she was discharged.

Kimberly took Tina to McDonalds to get something to eat after they left the hospital in an effort to get Tina to open up, something she says she does with many kids in her care. Tina did open up some, telling Kimberly she had lost her bike, and that she had been hanging out with a much older guy she called by the name Cormier had been using, ‘Sebastian’, who she said used meth, who was going to get her a new bike. Kimberly tried not to make a big deal about it in an effort not to scare Tina off and get her to open up some more, and told her that CFS could help her get a new bike. That evening, Kimberly dropped Tina off at a Best Western hotel in downtown Winnipeg, where CFS had placed her. Tina told her she was planning on meeting some friends at Portage Place mall, a place where drugs commonly dealt and children and teenagers are known to be exploited. Kimberly tried to convince Tina to stay at the hotel, but there was no way for her to physically prevent her from leaving, and turned her over to a respite worker, Ngozi Ikeh, who also tried to convince Tina to stay at the hotel, but was also unable to convince her. Tina left soon afterwards. She was reported missing for the fifth and final time after she hadn’t returned by midnight on August 9th. Eight days later, on August 17th, she was found dead in the Red River, wrapped in garbage bags and a duvet cover, weighed down with rocks. She is believed to have died August 10th, the day after she was reported missing.

The evidence that Cormier killed her or was even just involved somehow, whether during or after the fact, are these: to start off with, he knew her. He was a fifty year old man hanging out with a fifteen year old, who Mason says gave them a place to sleep despite being homeless himself. Mason also testified that Cormier gave him and Tina pills- gabapenton, an increasingly common drug on the streets that’s prescribed generally for nerve pain and epilepsy. Cormier had been staying in a tent in Ida Beardy’s backyard that summer, and she testified that he had a lot of blankets (unsurprisingly, for a homeless person who lives in a city where there’s often snow six months a year and the temperature drops to -40) and both she and her daughter testified that one of these blankets, a duvet cover which he used to air out on her fence, matched the one Tina’s body was found wrapped in. The duvet cover was identified as one only sold at Costco, and furthermore one of only 100 sold in Winnipeg. Ida Beardy also says she told him to leave after he smashed her BBQ after his bike was stolen, demonstrating anger problems and violent tendencies. Although no one reported this to the police, and is not on the record of any kind, at least one woman had been attacked by him before. He is recorded saying he wanted to sleep with Tina, and got angry when he found out she was only fifteen. We know Tina and him fought a few days before her death, and according to the testimony of Robert Sango, Tina had left when Cormier made moves on her and afterwards, even away from him, felt afraid and thought someone was following her.

And, of course, we have the recording of him saying Tina “got killed because we, I, found out she was fifteen”, which along with his anger about her age, his concern about people thinking he was a pedophile, and his pursuit of her, really all add up to him admitting he killed her.

But between the river washing any DNA evidence away, the lack of eyewitnesses to the murder itself, and the relentless idea that because Tina- a fifteen year old girl- might have involved in sex work, did some drugs, and was a runaway, somehow that means her death was just what is to be expected, Cormier was pronounced not guilty.

Here’s the thing: it’s not just that Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people are more likely to be killed or go missing. It’s not just the Highway of Tears, or the fact that a volunteer group was started called ‘Drag the Red’ to do exactly that: these volunteer civilians- trained by volunteer forensic anthropologists and volunteer archaeologists- search the banks of the Red River and drag fish hooks down the bottom of the muddy water Winnipeg takes it’s name from, hoping to find bodies and/or evidence- every single person who lives here knowing there are bodies down in the zero visibility water (since the group has started dragging the Red, several bodies have been found, and while it’s not by them, they note that several times the day before the body was found they had been on the river and caught a snag on something heavy. They believe they’re dislodging bodies). It’s not teenagers writing letters asking to be buried in the red dress that has become a symbol for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women if they were to be murdered. It’s not even the systematic, generational abuse and trauma Indigenous peoples have experienced in Canada for generations upon generations. Being forced onto Reserves, having their children stolen, active and passive genocide. It’s not just the huge, blaring things.

It’s the teachers I had in elementary school that called their students ‘stupid Indi**s’ to their faces. It’s my best friend in grade six not coming back from lunch, being missing all afternoon, and not a single adult questioning where she was- I learned the next day she was fine, she had found a dog running around and went along with the dog instead of going to school, meaning an eleven year old girl at a high statistical danger of becoming another name on the list of MMIW was wandering around busy streets for hours and not a single adult that was supposed to be looking after her gave a damn. It’s the flasher that stalked two of my Metis friends to school and back home for weeks when we were nine that, again, no adult thought to do anything about. It’s another girl I was friends with when I was seven who came to school with broken fingers, told the teacher her brother had slammed her hand in a door repeatedly, and was sent home (BACK TO HER BROTHER) because her hand was too busted to hold a pencil. It’s the numerous teachers who consistently put the Indigenous kids in lower level spelling and the non-Indigenous appearing kids in high level spelling, meaning while kids who could spell circles around me were being assumed to be uneducated by default and weren’t permitted to learn more than what they already knew, kids (like me) who couldn’t spell shit were assumed to be advanced.

It’s the crowdsourced taxi services for Indigenous women in Winnipeg because taxis are dangerous as fuck for women to get in here. It’s the Bear Clan Patrol, another group of volunteer civilians who act as a sort of safety patrol for the most dangerous parts of Winnipeg. It’s that the majority of Indigenous children from reservations only have two choices, when it comes to high school- drop out, or go to the city to attend school (imagine yourself, about to start high school; imagine any ninth graders you know, and imagine them leaving home for a much larger city all alone. Some have family to stay with. Some don’t). It’s that the Manitoba Museum had the body of an Inuit man displayed until someone- I believe in the 70s, or possibly the 80s- looked at that and realized it was fucked up to have a dead guy there’s no proof wanted to be an exhibit in a museum displayed like he was one and they gave him back to his family. I don’t know who the person to realize it was fucked up was. Maybe they worked at the museum. Maybe the family themselves did. It’s that Residential Schools- the schools opened with the express purpose to ‘breed out the Ind**n’ by forcibly removing children from their culture and beating them if they tried to speak their languages or practice their faiths or traditions- were open during my life time. It’s that Indigenous children in foster care sometimes get their hair forcibly cut, something very much against many Tribe’s culture and beliefs. It’s the quiet deaths of babies, children, and teenagers in CFS care. It’s the nine year olds hanging themselves, the ten year olds starting gangs for safety and the money to support families that don’t have an adult checked in enough to provide either. It’s the teenage girl that got kicked off a bus for wearing a ‘Got Land?’ shirt. It’s the addiction, and mental illness, and homelessness, and lack of support. It’s the bruises I’ve seen from police brutality. It’s the mural made for the 150th Canada Day painted over in the night with words of resistance which were immediately covered. It’s the statues of white men who led genocide being allowed, but Louis Riel still being considered a traitor by the Canadian government. It’s the small, insidious things that creep in and don’t let go, until your culture is gone, your children are gone, your land and tradition and religion and people are gone.

We don’t know the true number of MMIWG since 1980, but recent studies by the RCMP show over a thousand cases of Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirited people going missing or their bodies being found murdered.

Indigenous men make up about 3% of Canada’s population, but 25% of imprisoned men in Canada are Indigenous.

Roughly 170 Indigenous communities do not have access to clean water. Many only have running water in the too short summer. Some don’t have running water at all.

Indigenous children under fourteen make up over 52% of those in CFS care in Canada. In Manitoba alone, a province with 1.3 million people- 17% of which are Indigenous- Indigenous children make up 90% of the 10,700 in CFS care.

Indigenous people are almost six times more likely to get tuberculosis than other Canadians, and in Nunavut, they are THIRTY-EIGHT TIMES MORE LIKELY.

I don’t know what else to say. I don’t know what more one can say to convince someone there’s a problem, a deep, embedded problem, dug into the stolen land we sit on. I don’t know what to suggest to fix these problems. Fix the train bridge to Northern Manitoba, help build the Freedom Road Shoal Lake 40 is building in an attempt to have access to clean water, since the water diverted for them makes you sick, put in place better supports for Indigenous families when CFS gets involved, force the police to care. There isn’t an easy fix. Not for any of it, really, without a lot of money and a huge shift in ingrained racism. But I think we could start off by actually giving justice to the people who abuse, assault, and kill Indigenous people, Indigenous children.

#Tina Fontaine #MMIWG #missing and murdered indigenous women #missing and murdered indigenous women and girls #Canada #various writings #Winnipeg

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deniscollins · 4 years ago

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It Was Business, It Was Personal: The Redstones’ Father-Daughter Feud

What would you do if you owned the multi-billion National Amusements, your physical and mental health were deteriorating, and you had a history of conflict with your daughter, son, and multiple Boards of Trustees, and had to decide on a succession plan? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

In more than 50 years as a force in the media industry, Sumner M. Redstone clashed with his only son, his nephew, his wife, his romantic partners, his business rivals and the actor Tom Cruise.

In his most consequential battle, he took on his daughter, Shari E. Redstone.

On the surface, the two seemed unalike. Mr. Redstone, who died on Tuesday at 97, was an old-school, expletive-spraying mogul from a time when bosses asserted their power by screaming in the workplace. Ms. Redstone, 66, keeps a much lower profile.

Beneath the surface, they had a lot in common. Both were lawyers before they embarked on second careers in media, and their fine-print skills served them well as they worked out multibillion-dollar agreements on era-defining mergers and acquisitions. They also shared an iron will that helped Ms. Redstone to succeed her father as the leader of the family empire.

Their main sticking point was one that plagues many family businesses: succession. At the height of the conflict — when the patriarch was well into his 80s and still a Hollywood force — Mr. Redstone tried to buy out his daughter and publicly stated that she was not qualified to lead National Amusements, the parent company of Viacom and CBS, which he had inherited from his father and built into a giant.

The two reconciled in recent years as his health declined. In a statement on Wednesday, Ms. Redstone said, “Through it all, we shared a great love for one another and he was a wonderful father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I am so proud to be his daughter and I will miss him always.”

Before she joined the family business, Ms. Redstone went to law school at Boston University, got married, raised three children, baked cookies and worked as a criminal defense lawyer at a small Boston firm. She also pursued a degree in social work after volunteering at a trauma center for abused children.

For many years, she stayed away from National Amusements, a company that started as a string of drive-in theaters. Even when she was named its president in 1999, Mr. Redstone was unequivocally the boss.

In a prelude to the difficulties to come, the father and daughter had a disagreement over the worth of the company behind Mortal Kombat, a video game that pits opponents against each other in anything-goes combat.

Mr. Redstone had not been incorrect in perceiving, way back in 1983, that video games would be a significant part of the entertainment industry’s future. Over a 25-year period, he poured more than $500 million into Midway. But in the early 2000s, a time when National Amusements was in peril, Ms. Redstone objected to her father’s penchant for plowing money into the company; and she was not thrilled when he installed her on the Midway board in 2004.

Five years later, Midway filed for bankruptcy, leaving the headstrong mogul and his headstrong daughter with one less thing to fight about. By then, though, tensions were mounting.

Mr. Redstone, who once told a reporter that his daughter was “the love of my life,” dangled the possibility of her winning control of his empire — only to pull back when she seemed to be gaining power and influence. The two often clashed over executive compensation and board member selection.

In 2006, Ms. Redstone became nonexecutive vice chairwoman of both CBS and Viacom. The next year, the succession tussle went public when Mr. Redstone told a reporter that he wanted the CBS and Viacom boards to choose his successor. He called his daughter “a credible candidate,” while also floating the notion of buying her out.

In 2008, Mr. Redstone announced that his daughter would leave the boards of Viacom and CBS. For good measure, he said she “isn’t qualified” to fill his shoes.

Ms. Redstone did not wither. She cast the sole vote against his plan to renegotiate $800 million in debt. She refocused her attention on Advancit Capital, an investment firm she co-founded in 2011.

By then, a new combatant had entered the fray: Brent Redstone, Shari Redstone’s brother, who sued their father in 2006, seeking to break up National Amusements while claiming that he had been cast aside in favor of his sister. The case was eventually settled.

The succession issue simmered in the background during periods of estrangement between father and daughter. During a low point in 2015, Ms. Redstone wrote in an email to her son that “your grandfather says I will be chair over his dead body.”

The ups and downs were complicated by his illness and his tabloid-fodder private life. While the aging lion took his meals through a feeding tube in his Beverly Park mansion, Ms. Redstone battled Manuela Herzer, his former lover and live-in caretaker, for control of his daily care.

In 2015, Vanity Fair published an article on Ms. Herzer and another of Mr. Redstone’s late-life paramours, Sidney Holland. In the article, they both gushed about the gifts and money they had been given. Things got messier when Mr. Redstone took Ms. Herzer and Ms. Holland to court, accusing them of elder abuse, and the two women countered by suing Ms. Redstone, claiming she had turned her father against them.

Around that time, Ms. Redstone and Mr. Redstone made peace. As she cared for him in the mansion, he communicated through an iPad that was configured with three replies: yes, no and an unprintable term he used to express affection.

Mr. Redstone ceded his role as executive chairman at Viacom and CBS in early 2016. Then he gave up his board seats. Those were largely symbolic moves, since his stake in the companies gave him firm command.

Father and daughter also joined forces to fight the Viacom board, which challenged Mr. Redstone’s mental competency in court in 2016.

Mr. Redstone’s death has bolstered his daughter’s influence over National Amusements. His voting stock in the company — an 80 percent share — will transfer to a seven-member trust that includes Ms. Redstone and her son, Tyler Korff, along with Jill Krutick, a longtime family friend, and four lawyers with ties to the Redstones. Ms. Redstone holds the remaining 20 percent of National Amusements through a separate trust.

The main trust owns controlling shares in National Amusements, which in turn controls about 80 percent of the voting rights in ViacomCBS, the company that resulted from a 2019 merger led by Ms. Redstone.

The structure of the empire built by Mr. Redstone is complex — but Ms. Redstone is at the top.

Father-daughter duos are rare in the upper echelons of corporate America, and combative ones even more so, said Rita McGrath, a professor at Columbia Business School and the head of its Women in Leadership program. She noted that Hugh Hefner had a long working relationship with his daughter, Christie Hefner, who was chief executive of Playboy Enterprises for 20 years; and that Abigail Johnson took over Fidelity Investments in 2014, after her father, Edward Johnson III, ran the business for nearly four decades. The Redstones operated more like a wolf pack, Ms. McGrath said.

“You can only have so many alphas in one room,” she said.

Ms. McGrath pointed to Ms. Redstone’s skill in assembling allies under pressure, adding, “She was actually incredibly effective at pulling together a coalition of very smart people who were willing to challenge Sumner, who were basically betting their careers that she’d be able to come out on top. Forty years ago, you wouldn’t be seeing people taking that kind of bet on a woman.”

In May 2019, Ms. Redstone made an appearance at a lavish fete at the Plaza hotel thrown by CBS to court business during its annual presentation to advertisers. A receiving line of network executives and on-air stars lined up to greet her as trays of mini cheeseburgers and pinot noir circulated.

It was her party.

#Redstones #Viacom #National Amusements

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boormanlawyers · 5 years ago

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#BoormanLawyers appeared at #HollandPark #Court in #Brisbane this week. Client had an atrocious traffic record. This was his 4th #DUI offence and 2nd disqualifies driving offence. He was lucky to not have a term of imprisonment handed down but instead was given the opportunity to engage in a period of #probation which he gladly accepted. ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Follow 🔸 @BoormanLawyers 🔸 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ #DUILawyer #DrinkDriving #CriminalLaw #CriminalLawyer #CourtLawyer #LincolnLawyer #TravellingLawyer #Lawyer #LawFirm #bettercallsaul #crime #law #HelpingPeople #Brisbane #lawyersgunsandmoney #Qldlawyer #lawyerlife #lawyersofinstagram #suits #brisbanelawyer #qldlawyer #qldlaw #lawyersgunsandmoney #lawlife (at Holland Park Magistrates Court) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7t9zZHpYmX/?igshid=184puky2l0io0

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deantewilliams20 · 5 years ago

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war games violence as child play may be big business

war games violence as child play may be big business 1 and $20 after. Messier was given a suspended three year sentence for embezzlement in 2011, but not before he received a $20 million severance payout. We decided that we needed to address them directly before the theatre piece. And it wouldn't be the landlords' first time bailing out a tenant. Publish a list of mountains and there's a certain breed of "Type A" personality who will see it as an essential challenge; so to the increasingly popular sport of mountain climbing was added the super macho pursuit of "Munro bagging", as walkers and climbers raced their way around the landscape trying to conquer as many peaks as possible.. The other coach outlet clearance partial set of human remains found near Jones Beach in Nassau County, Dormer said is related to a April 20, 1996 unsolved case in which two female leg bones were found on Fire Island on the bay side just west of Davis Park Beach by beach walkers wrapped in a plastic bag. 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Thousands of miles away, nodding in agreement, is David Gillespie, a Brisbane based lawyer turned researcher whose Sweet Poison books chart his own decision to stop eating sugar, resulting in him losing six stone without dieting in a year. Office hours are Monday Saturday 9AM 5PM. Over feeding can have fatal consequences for your crop.It is important to take care with watering when growing potatoes in containers. I saw many Australians and other foreigners skiing and snowboarding. Lions quarterback Mike Reilly runs the ball under pressure from Saskatchewan Roughriders defenders during first half CFL action.. Buono, of course, is retiring at the conclusion of this season and he avoided the big picture questions about his football life and his world as the clock ticks down to zero.. 623 Main St., Agawam, Mass. Attached were several black and white pictures, including one of her mother as a young woman, and another of her aunt, as well as a tattered Social Security card and Massachusetts driver's license.. Der Film begleitet einen frheren Einzelhandelskaufmann. Cricket, on the one hand, is the romantic summer game beloved of those (like Cardus) who think of it no less as high art than as great competition. To her Facebook page, Debbie has coached softball at Santa Monica High School for more than 30 years. At 15 percent, the poverty rate is the same today as it was in 1965, a year after the so called war began.. One of the cases reaches the same result as the Maryland court, and the other reaches the opposite result. Craig Reucassel takes a critical and first hand look at household, retail and farming waste in Australia and asks, what has changed in the Australian psyche, and in our consumer culture, that has led us to become among the most wasteful nations in the developed world? We'll ask why Australians are generating millions of tonnes more waste every year in food, fashion, packaging, electronics and more.

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ourtimerpgx · 7 years ago

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Harlow Reese is seventeen [17] years old, She is in the drama club and works part time at Karen's Café. She’s the daughter of Adam Reese and Harper Banks but raised by her grandmother, Natasha Resse and the sister of Holland Reese.You might say she looks an awful lot like Zoey Deutch but in Tree Hill we don’t see it. Lucky for us she is CLOSED

Harlow found out about her twin when she heard her grandmother arguing with the lawyers about a breach of custodial agreement with “Harper Banks.”

Being perfect all the time is difficult. Moving to Tree Hill with the face of a dead girl, Harlow tries to carry through with a perfect smile on her face like her grandmother taught her. Nobody knows, that to relieve the pressure she cuts herself when no one is around.

Harlow’s middle name, Scout, was chosen by her grandmother after the main character of the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” because it was her favorite novel.

She is not your typical rich girl. Although her family had money, Harlow works after school and hangs out at the park. While everyone has their ‘cliques’ she doesn’t see the point in them and tries to befriend anyone and everyone.

She is one of the sweetest people you will ever meet, unless you mess with the people she cares about. That’s when that bitch comes out.

Secrets have the power of destroying a life, Harlow Reese discovers when she moves to Tree Hill in the beginning of her junior year of high school. Finding out you have a twin sister that your grandmother and dead-beat father hid from you is one thing. It’s a completely different story when you find out that sister committed suicide before you even got a chance to meet her. The people who wrote about survivor’s guilt hit it right on the money. Walking down the halls of Tree Hill with the face of the ‘dead girl’ definitely had the small town buzzing. Now, as Harlow discovers the secrets of her past, the sister she never knew… she is trying to make a place for herself in this small town that for some reason, feels more like home then the big city ever did.

- stubborn, impulsive, curious + creative, adventurous, passionate

Mariana Taggaro:Moving to a new place is hard, but having someone who knows exactly what you are going through, makes everything feel so much more easier. Mariana and Harlow met when the former’s best friend, Lydia was showing Harlow around the school. Mari skipped class to crash the tour and tag along, which was the beginning of a new friendship. Both technically outsiders and from New York, they don’t feel left out from not knowing the entire background of Tree Hill. Their personalities are similar and highly different which cause the two to bond. Harlow has the tendency to be very cheery and bubby, always on the move and ready to get into trouble. Mariana reels her in before she gets too crazy… but jumps into chaos when the plan is too perfect to walk away from. They push each other to be better and at the same time are there for each other in ways that the Tree Hill natives wouldn’t understand.

Raven Evans: Stumbling into a friendship with Raven happened during the most uncommon circumstances. On her first night in Tree Hill as Harlow’s grandmother was dealing with the movers, Harlow went for a walk to discover more about the town that was her new home. As she was walking, she heard a crash in the distance. Deciding to head home, Harlow came across a girl at the River court. With blood and scratches coating her skin, Harlow ran over to her and asked her if she needed to go to the hospital; she offered to take her. The word hospital had the girl shaking and saying no over and over again. Unable to get anything out of her other than her name, Raven, Harlow brought Raven the only place she could. Home. Sneaking her up into her bedroom, Harlow helped Raven settle down before going out to check out what left the girl in such a state. It wasn’t long before she stumbled upon the accident scene. A car was on the side of the road and someone was inside. Calling 911, she told the officers that she had no idea what happened, which was true. But it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened. The next day, Raven woke up unaware of anything that happened. All she knew was that she went to sleep that night and woke up in a stranger’s bed with blood. When Harlow saw Raven struggle, she decides to help her through it. The new girl helps her out and Raven helps her through her sister dying. Harlow is a cheerleader and Raven is the dark girl with a sarcastic humor. They both have dark pasts but for some reason… that’s what makes their friendship perfect.

Jude Baker: Karen’s Cafe is the best place to learn all the inns and outs of the locals, it’s why Harlow started working there. Well, that and because Lydia was determined to make Harlow feel at home. Jude on the other hand was kind of awkward with her. At first Harlow didn’t understand why until she found out his twin brother was her twin sisters boyfriend. Giving Jude space Harlow spent time with Lydia, began forming a relationship with Brooke & Haley, and gave the customers a friendly smile as she got to know the residents of Tree Hill. Although, giving him space didn’t keep Harlow from noticing how much writing Jude did in his free time. She noticed how stubborn, childish and impatient he could be and Harlow being curious, slightly demanding and adventurous decided to make him her unofficial tour guide. They go out into town and find all the cool spots. Due to her place in the drama club and him being a budding novelist, the two begin making up stories about random people they meet along the way. Harlow convinces him to write a skit for an upcoming drama production to get his writing out there and help him expand his horizons. Jude, the more comfortable he gets around her, is the one who tells her about her sister and talk about his friendship with Holland and his brother, learning just how much Davis was in love with her. Of course it takes another restless soul to help an impatient one into seeing the world through a new lens and into a new adventure.

#closed #closed female #female

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kansascityhappenings · 7 years ago

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Lamonte McIntyre, wrongly imprisoned for 23 years, to turn on KCK holiday lights

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Lamonte McIntyre, recently freed after spending more than 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, will turn on the lights Friday during the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting festival in front of Kansas City, Kansas City Hall.

Mark Holland, Mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas said McIntyre is an inspiration and model of perseverance in the face of adversity.

“I cannot begin to imagine what it was like for Mr. McIntyre to lose more than two decades of his life for a crime he did not commit,” Mayor Holland said. “Inviting him to turn on the lights is our way, however small relative to what he has endured, of welcoming Mr. McIntyre back to our community. We are very grateful and honored that he has accepted this invitation.”

Lamonte McIntyre was charged, and convicted, for a double homicide in Kansas City, Kansas in 1994.

But after 23 years of court appeals and tireless efforts in the legal community, he was freed on Friday, Oct. 13.

A little more than 72 hours after he was released from prison, he spoke with FOX 4 about adjusting to a life much different than the one he spent the last two decades living.

“It feels good, it feels bittersweet sometimes,” he said from his lawyer’s office in downtown Kansas City on Sunday. “I’m here, I’m free, I’m grateful.”

Watch: Now free, KCK man hugs woman who testified against him in murder trial that sent him to prison for 23 years

He expects April 15th will be a difficult day for him each year. That’s the day the double homicide for which he was accused happened. Donald Ewing, 34, and Doniel Quinn, 21, were shot to death as they sat inside a car.

Lamonte’s mother, Rosie, explained how her family found a card from a Kansas City Kansas police detective at their door. Sitting in the attorney’s lobby, she described how Lamonte called the detective multiple times, but never got an answer. So Rosie offered to drive him to the police station, to speak with the officers in person.

Instead, she happened to see an officer’s car in a restaurant parking lot. She pulled in, she said, and told the officer that someone wanted to speak with her son.

Within moments, she said, police inundated the parking lot. She said the officers searched her son for weapons, and then said they would take Lamonte down to police headquarters. They told her, she remembered, that she could come pick up her son in 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, she said, she drove to the police station. “As I was entering the police station, I’m passing my son,” she remembered. “We’re passing each other… he’s handcuffed, he’s crying. He says ‘Mama, they’re charging me with two counts of murder.’ Right then and there, started my nightmare.” He was 17-years-old.

Lamonte McIntyre, released

McIntyre was ultimately exonerated thanks to a lot of work from the Midwest Innocence Project which spent seven years investigating McIntyre’s case. The unusual hearing took place at the Wyandotte County Courthouse. A retired chief judge from Hays, Kan., heard the evidence.

“God is good. I always kept faith. I knew God would take me and surround me with good people and he did that,” McIntyre said.

During the hearing, witnesses recanted their testimony against McIntyre, claiming that they lied under pressure from KCK police to falsely identify him as the murderer. A relative of the victims’ testified that she had notified the prosecutor that a witness told her she was lying, but nothing was done about it.

This hearing also raised questions about the actions of a KCK police detective, who’s now retired, and the prosecutor of the case.

McIntyre is starting from scratch: he has no work history, no job experience, no social security. A fund has been established to get him on his feet, as Kansas is one of 18 states that does not compensate wrongfully convicted people for their time in prison.

Before McIntyre turns on the lights, Unified Government officials will unveil a new street sign honoring former Mayor Carol Marinovich.

It is fitting that we honor Mayor Marinovich with this sign given the breadth of her contributions,” said Holland. “Twenty years ago, she led the effort to consolidate our city and county governments, ushering in a new era of good government and unprecedented economic development.”

The unveiling will happen at 4:30 p.m. at 7th Street and Barnett Ave. The lights will be turned on at 7:15 p.m.

What: Annual lighting festival to kick off the holidays and celebrate our community with family-friendly activities, performances, snacks, and crafts.

When: Friday, Dec. 1, 4:00 to 7:30 pm

4:30 pm: Mayor Marinovich sign unveiled at 7th Street and Barnett Ave.

7:15 pm: Lamonte McIntyre turns on the lights

Where: Kansas City, Kansas City Hall Plaza, 701 N. 7th Street

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports http://fox4kc.com/2017/11/30/lamonte-mcintyre-wrongly-imprisoned-for-23-years-to-turn-on-kck-holiday-lights/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2017/11/30/lamonte-mcintyre-wrongly-imprisoned-for-23-years-to-turn-on-kck-holiday-lights/

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gossipnetwork-blog · 7 years ago

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How a 12-Year-Old Girl Could Help End Weed Prohibition

New Post has been published on http://gossip.network/how-a-12-year-old-girl-could-help-end-weed-prohibition/

How a 12-Year-Old Girl Could Help End Weed Prohibition

Twelve-year-old Alexis Bortell uses a cannabis oil called Haleigh’s Hope to prevent life-threatening epileptic seizures. She takes the oil orally by syringe twice a day, and always keeps a THC spray on hand in case she experiences an aura, or pre-seizure event. The auras happen maybe once every three to four weeks – far less often now that she moved to Colorado than when she lived in Texas. When doctors in Texas were left with no other option than to suggest an experimental lobotomy, her parents moved to Colorado. Cannabis had to be better than removing a portion of Bortell’s brain.

“I’m now over two years seizure-free because of my cannabis medicine. In Texas, our goal was three days, [and] that’s the max I ever got,” says Bortell, who’s now in the sixth grade. “It’s helped me succeed in school more, since I don’t have to go to the nurse every day because of auras and seizures. There was no medicine in Texas that would stop my seizures, and not only that, but they had horrendous side effects that would be worse than the actual seizure.”

Wise and articulate beyond her years, Bortell received an invitation from the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) to lobby her representatives in Washington D.C. this past September. But she couldn’t go, and instead could only Skype: Since Bortell can’t go anywhere without her cannabis medicine, she couldn’t travel without committing a federal felony by transporting a Schedule I narcotic across state lines. What’s more, even if she could travel to D.C. – where marijuana is medically and recreationally legal – she can’t bring her medicine onto federal land, including the Capitol, national parks, monuments and military bases. (Her father, Dean Bortell, is military vet.)

Now Bortell is one of five plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the federal government, and her attorneys argue that the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which classifies cannabis as illegal, infringes upon various constitutional rights.

“This is not just a case about the CSA. This is a civil rights case that focuses on the rights of individuals using life-saving medication to preserve their lives and health,” says Bortell’s attorney, Michael Hiller, founder of Hiller PC and former professor of constitutional law at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. “It’s not just about cannabis, it’s about people’s ability to exercise their rights to free speech, to petition the government for a redress of grievances under the First Amendment, the right to travel, the fundamental right to be left alone and the right against Congressional overreach.”

The federal cannabis lawsuit team – co-counsel Michael Hiller, Lauren Rudick, Joseph Bondy, and David Holland – filed a complaint in September to the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawyers – who are all members of the New York Cannabis Bar Association – are working on the case pro bono in hopes of winning a watershed decision descheduling marijuana under federal law.

Alexis Bortell and her father, Dean. David Zalubowski/AP

As the federal government is wont to do, the defendants — Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice, Chuck Rosenberg, acting director of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA itself and finally, the United States of America – will file a motion to dismiss on October 13th. If the judge grants the motion, the plaintiffs will file an appeal to the Second Circuit.

The case could have ramifications throughout the country. “If the court were to grant our relief, requesting a declaration that the CSA is unconstitutional as applied and enjoining the federal government from enforcing it, the case really has the potential to impact tens of millions of people,” says Hiller.

As a plaintiff, Bortell represents the thousands of children with epilepsy who stand to benefit from descheduling cannabis. But even broader applications and interests are at stake. Co-plaintiffs include six-year-old Jagger Cotte, a Georgia-based medical marijuana patient who suffers from Leigh’s Disease, which disables and kills 95 percent of its victims; Jose Belen, a disabled veteran of two tours in Iraq now living with PTSD in Florida; Marvin Washington, former pro football player, who’s now launched a line of CBD products; and the Cannabis Cultural Association, a nonprofit helping people of color enter in the cannabis industry.

The attorneys argue not only that the CSA infringes on the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights, but that the foundation of marijuana’s place under CSA itself is bunk. “The whole explanation for why it’s a Schedule I substance is predicated on lies and racism,” says Holland, executive and legal director of Empire State NORML and former counsel to High Times Magazine.

In their complaint, the attorneys allude to the past 10,000 years of history, highlighting the various ways in which mankind has used cannabis medicinally and functionally. Fast forward to the Eighteenth and Nineteenth centuries, the founding fathers wrote the Constitution on hemp paper, while pharmacists sold marijuana tinctures over the counter. (Marijuana and hemp, both different kinds of cannabis, are distinguished by their THC value.) By the 1920s and 1930s, cannabis became more closely associated with Mexican immigrants and African American jazz musicians. In 1937, Federal Bureau of Narcotics Director Harry Anslinger drafted the Marihuana Tax Act, imposing criminal penalties on the possession, production, and sale of cannabis, and commencing the modern day War on Drugs.

By the 1960s and 70s, cannabis became the common denominator between Vietnam war protestors and radical groups like the Black Panthers. Nixon’s own right-hand man John Ehrlichman came out decades later explaining that criminalizing marijuana was a means of criminalizing blacks and hippies: “Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

When the CSA was enacted in 1971, marijuana was placed in Schedule I only “temporarily,” even though by definition it didn’t fit the category. Today, blacks and Latinos are still disproportionately victimized by prohibition. Even in places like Colorado, more minority kids are arrested for weed than anyone else, while in California, police arrest blacks for weed three and a half times more than whites. “We’ve always had the federal government policing our bodies,” says Jacob Plowden, co-founder and creative director of the Cannabis Cultural Association. And even legalization hasn’t always worked, he adds. This case is the only way to turn the system on its head.

“What is deeply troubling about all of this is that the CSA makes absolutely no sense,” says Hiller. “We know for a fact that the U.S. government knows that cannabis cannot be legally classified as a Schedule I drug, the requirements for which are a high potential for abuse, no medical efficacy whatsoever, and a substance so dangerous that it can’t be tested even under strict medical supervision. And we know cannabis doesn’t meet those requirements.”

Attorney General Jeff Sessions – who has threatened to crack down on state-legal medical marijuana – is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. Andrew Harnik/AP

As Hiller points out, there is a disconnect between what the government claims legally, and how they actually operate. The government has a patent on cannabis for the treatment of diseases like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, HIV-induced dementia and autoimmune disorders. And under U.S. patent law, you can’t apply for a patent unless you can demonstrate some form of the utility of whatever you’re seeking a patent for. “The government has obtained a patent for cannabis based on the fact that it works,” says Hiller. Moreover, since 1978, the federal government has been sending joints to medical patients as part of an IND (Investigational New Drug) program, only to find that cannabis alleviated symptoms for these 15 participants without serious side effects.

Then in 2014, the Department of Treasury issued a FinCEN guidance to banks, advising them on how to work with cannabis businesses. Meanwhile, 29 states and three territories all allow some form of cannabis to be used medicinally or recreationally – meaning more than 60 percent of the population has access to this plant. “It just makes no sense for the government to classify cannabis as a drug that’s so dangerous that it can’t even be safely tested, while at the same time encouraging companies to do business with cannabis businesses,” says Hiller. “It makes no sense for the Federal Government to have a medical patent and to distribute cannabis to patients for nearly 40 years through the IND Program, while at the same time claiming that it has no medical efficacy and can cause brain damage. Ask the federal government, ‘Do you really believe it?’ and the fact of the matter is, they don’t.”

As with same-sex marriage, Hiller says, if the federal government had to defend cannabis prohibition on facts, they’d lose.

“This lawsuit represents the truth,” says Bondy, a criminal defense attorney who is an expert in federal cannabis law. “Marijuana has a recognized medical purpose. For the government to persist in the position that it doesn’t is foolish.”

No matter who wins the case, it’s a sure bet that the losing party will appeal, according to Bondy. “These issues are so important to the public interest, so important to constitutional safeguards that a full evidentiary record has to be made. We welcome this as an opportunity to demonstrate fully and fairly that we are right.”

Meanwhile, Alexis Bortell still must choose between breaking the law and preserving her own life. “Every time I look around my classroom, I think about what my classmates will be when we grow up. But there’s nothing I can be because the government thinks I’m bad,” she says. “I know they’re wrong. I do hope we can win this case. If that happens, maybe I can be a doctor, or if I need to, run for legislature.”

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courtly-j · 7 years ago

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A reflection on 5 years law talkin’

I’m sat here in my study, enjoying the wind-down of my week of R&R with a cup of tea and listening to some music (I know - just a super hip and fun guy right here), and Human, by Jon Bellion comes on. Only recently introduced to me, but it’s quickly moving its way up my list of favourite songs.

The central thread that runs through the song is the concept that regardless what we do, there will always be seeds of doubt which pervade our inner monologues.

I always fear that I’m not living right So I feel guilty when I go to church The pastor tells me I’ve been saved, I’m fine Then please explain to me why my chest still hurts I spent four thousand on the Mart McFlys Yet I’m still petrified of going broke There’s someone gorgeous in my bed tonight Yet I’m still petrified that I’ll die alone

For me, at least, the first verse (above) took inner-me straight to my career, which on Sunday chalks up 5 very long (and at the same time, very short) years. Which, in turn, inevitably took me to the sitcom-esque (dfn. of, or pertaining to, situational comedies - you’re welcome) slideshow of the last 5 years of my life. And what better place than here than to remember, ruminate and reflect.

I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer - I can’t point to any one thing, event or person which triggered it off. There aren’t any in the family (even historically), nor in any of the family friends who were around growing up. If I want to needle the grandparents, I say it’s because I watched A Few Good Men one day and thought I would look good in a uniform. Intrinsically tangled with those intangible and inexplicable beginnings, however, has been an impulse towards service - whether in the form of government work or in the general sense of a profession - to serve the community in upholding the rule of law.

It tends to take people by surprise that I, with all my trappings of sarcasm and short temper, actually am that idealistic. I do believe that a lawyer should strive to do good by all manner of men and women, not just those who have a large enough bank balance. I do believe that a strong and independent legal profession is necessary for a functioning society. I do believe that a person is innocent until they are fairly found guilty in accordance with law. I do believe that a miscarriage of justice, without being put right, harms everyone; not just those parties before the Court.

I remember my admission ceremony in the old Banco Court - it was the afternoon session on 9 July 2012. Chief Justice (now Governor) de Jersey presided (I don’t remember who sat with him - I vaguely remember Justice Mullins sitting, but not the third judge - it was a Justice of Appeal, I know that). I even remember getting a nod from the Chief Justice when my application was formally moved.

I remember, particularly, the weeks leading up to that day - I won’t go into that here, but it wasn’t the welcome to the profession that I expected or wanted.

I remember the months which followed my admission, and the gradual, sickening, sinking feeling that I had made a terrible mistake. To me, back then, I didn’t help people - I made things worse. I just came along and gave them a massive bill at the end of the day which they couldn’t afford, with little to show for it. I was tired; I was overworked; I was suffering from an existential crisis that made me question the years of planning and study which had led to that point. Not a great position for someone who easily gets into their own head.

I remember the case which turned that around for me - the case that is my yardstick every time I reflect on my time in practice.

I remember having a mention of a debt recovery matter at Holland Park Magistrates Court the next day, and being at my absolute wits end with it. Late in the day, I get a call from my boss - this important client had referred this old lady, and I was to sort it out as a priority. Being in the midst of preparation for Court, I was far from impressed.

So I gave the old bird a call to see what was so urgent that I had to divert my attention from my obviously much more important work.

Turns out, her daughter had recently been granted parole - a condition of that parole being that she wasn’t to have contact with her ex-partner. Her daughter, enjoying time with her children, had been unceremoniously hauled back to prison with her parole revoked - all because, I was instructed, the ex-partner had contacted her, and she had told him where to go, by what means he could get there and had hung up - less than 13 seconds on the mobile call log. The old lady was in a panic and had two little grandsons who were highly upset by mummy being dragged away by the policemen. Me - I was just short-tempered that this was getting in the way of me getting ready for Court.

The very important client who had referred her had experience inside himself, and him being all well intentioned, had filed an urgent application seeking review of the decision to revoke the parole on her behalf. He then, at the last second, told the old lady to arrange a lawyer for the hearing the next day. At least, that was the information I got (turns out, it was just a mention, with proforma directions to be made).

Handily, I had just finished a matter with the legal officer at Crown Law who had the matter on behalf of the Parole Board and was able to beg a favour of her to appear as unpaid agent the next day to adjourn the matter until I had come up to speed (and more significantly, in my mind, had sorted out this debt recovery matter which was clearly more important). She also asked me what our problem with the decision was, as the application (being drafted by a layperson) was as helpful in that department as may be expected. I outlined my instructions, that there was no breach of the condition because my client hadn’t contacted anyone.

If we skip to the next morning, I’m at the Holland Park Magistrates Court impatiently waiting for my matter to be called. My receptionist calls me at least 4 times in rapid succession. On the last attempt, I answer and give her an earful, that I was at Court and nothing could be that urgent - she should know that. She tells me that my opposite at Crown Law was on the line and urgently needed to talk to me. As it transpired, my opposite had dug into the matter overnight and had made some independent enquiries. I was told that the decision to revoke the parole had been made on unreliable (read: no) evidence, and she had recommended that her client withdraws its decision and reinstates the parole. That recommendation had been accepted; the old lady and her grandsons could pick up my client from Brisbane Womens at midday.

I will always remember the call to the old lady - for most lawyers, there was nothing remarkable about a call such as that. For me, it was my Damascene conversion. Five years later, I still remember her name - both hers and her daughters.

There are many more cases which have made me question whether I still want to do this. There are many cases where I find the phrase “who cares what the law says?” or “the client is always right - they pay the bills, they call the shots” gets forced down my throat. The personal offence which I take each and every time one of those phrases gets tossed out is just a series of psychological and emotional paper cuts by this point.

To bring this full circle - I’ll dip back into the lyrics to Human:

See I got GPS on my phone And I can follow it to get home If my location’s never unknown Then tell me why I still feel lost

The cases which give me a sense of drive and purpose, like the one I recalled above, are, unfortunately (and perhaps, naively), few and far between. The work I do for Caxton, on the whole, gives me my professional lifeline back to my ideals and my modus operandi. But - there are times where the balance dangerously shifts, and my inner monologue starts asking whether this is what I want to be doing.

For now, I guess it is.

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key-speaks-blog · 7 years ago

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$loane $quare

Impression:

After an hour long ride on several different tubes filled with people who had just gotten off of work, I traveled to observe the neighborhood known as Sloane Square. As I exited the tube station, I was handed a London Standard newspaper and greeted by loads of cars driving on the side walk. As I walked further into the neighborhood I was in awe at how beautiful it was. The streets were filled with luxury cars parked along both sides of the streets. The houses were made of beautiful red bricks and completely surrounded by black decorative gates. Golden plates were located just to the right of each door, showing distinction between every single one. Unlike the area right outside of the tube station, the streets of the neighborhood were quiet. As I walked through the streets, I noticed so many things. After doing some intense research and drawing my own observation, and speaking with a few residents and local workers I was able to draw some conclusions about the neighborhood known as Sloane Square.

Cars parked on the street of Sloane Square.

Beautiful red brick apartments in Sloane Square.

Golden name plates located outside each door.

Where is Sloane Square?

For those of you who do not know, Sloane Square is a small neighborhood shaped like a square located in London. That may not be obvious to everyone who is reading, but to those of you who are a little bit more familiar with London Sloane Square is located near Sloane Street, one of London’s most popular streets in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Sloane Square is the dividing line between the Grosvenor Estate and Cadogan, two of the largest aristocrat estates in London.

One of many welcome signs in Sloane Gardens.

The History of Sloane Square

The square the neighborhood is located on was previously known as “Hans Town” after Henry Holland Senior and Henry Holland Junior who strategically planned out the shaped of the landscape in 1711. However, the name of the actual neighborhood got its name from Sir Hans Sloane, who planned the construction of the neighborhood in 1712. In the early 1980s, the name was lent to the “Sloane Rangers,” the young, underemployed, well-off members of the upper class.

A quote found on a huge billboard located on Sloane Street.

Historical Monuments of Sloane Square

Peter Jones Department Store

Peter Jones is a long-standing department store that occupies a large space on the west side of Sloane Square. The store was built between the years of 1932 and 1936 after the design of William Crabtree. This store is infamous for its innovative use of the glass curtain wall in Britain and modern aesthetics. The building was restored from the years of 2003-2007, updating the designs to be more in line with the original designs by John McAslan and Partners. These designs included making the atrium full height.

Royal Court Theater

The Royal Court is a non-commercial theater, noted for its contribution to modern theater known for energetically cultivating undiscovered, emerging, and established writers (Royal Court Theater Web). The current venue was built on the east side of Sloane Square in September of 1888 originally known as the New Court Theater. Built under the designs of Walter Emden and Bertie Crewe, the building was modeled after the Italian style constructed with red, molded brick.

Demographic of Residents

Before visiting my neighborhood, I asked several people about Sloane Square. I asked a variety of questions, but my biggest question was who lives there. Ellie, an intern I met while doing my job shadow at B the Agency, said that her friend Rebecca was actually a resident of Sloan Square. She described them as “snooty, upper-class right wings.” That was my initial thought when I saw the neighborhood, but I didn’t want to assume. “The majority of the people who live in my neighborhood are pretty well off. Some of them even have more money than my family.” Rebecca said. Rebecca’s mom owns a small antique shop on Sloane Square and her father is a lawyer.

Media and Contemporary Issues

While trying to find information about Sloane Square and its residents, it was hard to find something online where residents of the neighborhood communicated. I know that sometimes in the United States, residents of the community will form a website or even a Facebook group where people can see all of the upcoming of events or even past events that have gone on in the neighborhood. But I could not anything similar to this for the neighborhood of Sloane Square. The only media I know for certain is being circulated is the London Standard because they are handed out to people at the entrance of the neighborhood. However, I found out that the people who reside in this area care mostly about is shopping, their leisure activities, and the circulation of their money. “The majority of our clients spend a large amount of their time out doing things that usually cost a fortune,” Abby, delivery girl for a local dry cleaner said. “Their garments are very expensive. Our clients usually drop off several items a week,” Liz, another worker added.

More information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloane_Square

https://www.foxtons.co.uk/local-life/sloane-square/

http://www.londontown.com/LondonStreets/sloane_square_596.html

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alexander40wong · 8 years ago

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50 Brilliant Things To Do In London In Summer

During the summer months of June, July and August, London is transformed into a whole new city.

The rooftop bars open, the parks get packed with sunbathers, and you can eat, drink and play outdoors all day, late into the evening.

So when it’s hot in London and the thermometer starts rising, here are our top ways to chill out, relax and make the most out of the warmer weather.

Outdoor entertainment

The Sound of Music at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, 2013 by David Jensen

1. Go to the open air theatre

Summer in London means watching plays, musicals and films (along with a few comedy performances) at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in their 1,250 seat outdoor auditorium.

The show goes on whatever the weather: so pack a picnic, grab a Pimm’s at the bar and enjoy.

2. See a street performance

Covent Garden’s array of jugglers, musicians, acrobats and comedians perform live in the Piazza throughout the summer.

To avoid the crowds, head up to either the Punch and Judy pub or The Print Room bar. You can then watch from above with a drink in hand.

The Rooftop Cinema at the Bussey Building in Peckham

3. Watch a film outside

The Rooftop Film Club has venues in Peckham, Shoreditch, Stratford and Kensington and comes with comfy chairs, wireless headphones and blankets in case the air gets a little nippy.

Alternatively, get your bikini or trunks out and try Hot Tub Cinema. You can book a tub with your friends, or two of you can share with others. You even get your own waiter, so no need to stand dripping in a bar queue.

4. Listen to live jazz

The Pavilion Café in Greenwich Park hosts evenings of live jazz every summer (June through August).

This cafe is next to the Royal Observatory, and has a large garden with great views. Better yet, there’s a licensed bar, as well as a barbecue and children’s activities on offer.

5. Dance at gigs in the park

British Summer Time Hyde Park has become a London summer institution, with global stars performing in front of huge crowds.

In 2017 Phil Collins, Green Day, Justin Bieber, Kings of Leon, The Killers and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers headline, with Blondie, Tears for Fears and Stevie Nicks among those lining up as the support acts to these mini-one day festivals.

Summer Series at Somerset House

6. Enjoy the music at Somerset House

Few open air gigs have a backdrop to rival the Summer Series at Somerset House.

Established artists and upcoming acts take the spotlight each night in the 18th century courtyard, which gives these series of gigs a more intimate feel. Tickets always sell out, so grab them early.

7. See a Shakespeare play at the Globe

In the open-air Globe Theatre, you’ll experience Shakespeare’s plays in the way they were first staged (April to October).

The roof is open to the elements during the evening and you can opt to stand in the yard to make it as authentic as possible.

8. See outdoor opera in Holland Park

Only staging performances in the summer, Opera Holland Park is under a canopy, but its location gives it an unstuffy feel.

They usually show six operas of different levels, so experts and novices will find something that appeals.

9. Get into the carnival spirit

Every year the August Bank Holiday heralds the return of Notting Hill Carnival.

So if you like vibrant colours, Caribbean flavours and dancing, add London’s biggest annual street party to your calendar.

10. Spend a summer day on the Southbank

Take a riverside walk, browse the book market or spend a balmy evening paddling in the fountains outside the Southbank Centre.

Two of London’s biggest festivals – Underbelly and London Wonderground – have teamed up together this year for the Underbelly Festival, where fringe-type events include circus acts, cabaret and cutting-edge comedy. The festival grounds also include one of the city’s longest outdoor bars along with street food stalls.

The Southbank Centre Market also runs every weekend during the warmer months, selling street food and farmers’ market produce from the stalls.

11. Go to a one-day festival

SW4 main stage in 2015

London’s parks have a line up of festivals catering to most musical genres – without needing to camp out.

The South West Four Weekender is usually held on the August Bank Holiday on Clapham Common and offers two days of dance music and club classics.

Victoria Park hosts the Lovebox Festival which has the biggest names in R&B, electronic dance and rap. The park is also home to Field Day, which is where to find the best alternative acts in London playing.

Wireless Festival in Finsbury Park is another established summer session, with dance, rap and R&B acts taking to the stage.

12. Take a trip to Trafalgar Square

Since it was part pedestrianised, Trafalgar Square has become the centrepoint for free open-air events in London (like the Eid festival as well as Pride in London).

Even if nothing’s on, you can still get a picture of The Fourth Plinth or listen to some live music in the square by the licensed street performers.

Eating and drinking

13. Fire up the ‘barbie in a park (where it’s allowed)

Many councils ban barbecuing in public to prevent scorched earth, so make sure you check before lighting up in a park or open space.

London Fields in Hackney have specially designated areas for you to barbecue, and Wandsworth Park has metal barbecue stations set up.

Burgess Park in Southwark also has purpose built ones – just bring charcoal.

14. Eat the best gelato in London

The summer is the time to buy Italian speciality ice cream and gelato.

We’ve put together a guide to where to find the best ice cream in London to give you the inside scoop.

15. Pick your own fruit

Head out to Cockfosters in Zone 5 and the rural retreat of Parkside Farm between June and October.

They have 20 different fruits and vegetables to choose from, including raspberries and sweetcorn. If you don’t fancy any bending or crouching, they even have special table-top strawberries to pick.

SUSHISAMBA

16. Blue Sky drinking on a rooftop bar

There are loads of rooftop bars all over London, and we’ve compiled a list of London’s Rooftop bars. That way, you can escape the heat of the pavements and get a birds eye view of the city.

17. Settle into a beer garden

Alfresco drinking options are rife in London, if you know where to look.

Head to a pub with a country garden feel like The Albion in N1, or head south and get the added bonus of riverside views at The Ship.

We’ve put together a guide to 35 London beer gardens.

If you’ve got your four-legged friend in tow – here’s some dog friendly places in London to eat, drink and sleep at.

The Albion

18. Try a pedal pub crawl

You and up to 11 others can take a Pedibus round some of London’s landmarks, and drink while you cycle.

It’ll also stop off at a pre-arranged pub – we recommend the London Bridge route.

19. Drink on the deck of a floating bar

The Tattershall Castle is one of the Thames’ permanently moored boats, and is long established as a place to go for an evening tipple near Embankment.

It’s just undergone a major refurbishment to be ready for the long summer nights.

20. Eat lunch outside

Escape your desk when the sun comes out and take your lunch to one of London’s squares and gardens.

Postman’s Park near St Pauls was originally a popular lunch spot for nearby postal workers, and is now home to the Watts memorial, commemorating those who have given their lives to save others.

Lincoln’s Inn Fields in Holborn once held duels. Nowadays, you’re more likely to see picnicking lawyers in the largest square in London.

More centrally, Soho Square is tucked in behind Oxford Street, or get respite from Covent Garden and the Strand in Victoria Embankment Gardens.

21. Do fine dining outdoors

The River Cafe in Hammersmith has a Michelin star to go with the Mediterranean style outdoor terrace and food. (booking is advised).

Alternatively, both the Rooftop at the Boundary in Shoreditch and Coq d’Argent offer outdoor fine dining roof-top style

Street Feast

22. Have street food for dinner

London’s street food scene really comes alive during the summer, with vans, caravans and food bikes congregating together for night-time residencies.

Street Feast has weekend nocturnal food festivals across London, with Dalston Yard and the Model Market at Lewisham two of its larger venues.

Elsewhere, chicken wings continue to be popular and the annual London Wing Fest pits the best against each other.

Summer sports

23. Anyone for tennis?

In smaller parks, you can play tennis for free on a first come, first served basis; at the bigger parks you might have to pay and / or book in advance.

The Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre hosted the 2012 Wheelchair Tennis, and has six outdoor courts which can be booked.

Greenwich Park have also had their six hard courts refurbished for 2015. You’ll also find courts in local parks like Hackney Downs – check the local council website for details.

24. Saddle up and go for a horse ride

You can go horse riding in Richmond Park and Hyde Park, with all levels catered for, so don’t worry if you’ve never been before.

25. Go for a swim

London has a mix of pools, ponds, and lidos to choose from, with the Serpentine Lido and Hampstead Heath Ponds being the most well-known.

The Telegraph have put together a handy list of their best outdoor swimming pools in London.

26. Paddle up the Thames

Kayaking London run both day and night paddling experiences, which is a novel way to see London Bridge and the Houses of Parliament from the water.

If the river isn’t your thing, visit some of London’s more sheltered areas, like Shadwell Basin or Surrey Docks, where you can hire canoes and kayaks.

27. Try a spot of sailing

Across from Canary Wharf, Surrey Docks Watersports Centre offers sailing for all ages and experience.

The Docklands Sailing and Watersports Centre provides Dinghy lessons, and if you visit during their Twilight sessions, you can also get involved in the barbecue and bar with views over the water.

The West Reservoir Water Sports Centre near Stoke Newington also has a very picturesque backdrop to learn the ropes.

Outdoor activities

Putt in the Park

28. Have a game of ping pong

The English Ping Pong Association has a list of outdoor table locations should you fancy an impromptu game with your mates.

29. Play a round of (mini) golf

Visit Putt In The Park for an outdoor round of mini golf in London.

Based in Wandsworth Park it also has a licensed cafe so you can celebrate your score with a beer at the end (you can get a head start with their 360 tour).

Alexandra Palace also has a ten hole pitch and putt if you want to try something a bit more expansive.

30. Get fit for free

Hot weather doesn’t make the gym very appealing, but you can still keep in shape for the summer at one of London’s outdoor gyms.

Fitness trainers Muddy Plimsolls have put together a map of the outdoor gym locations, along with some tips on how to get the most out of the equipment. Primrose Hill also has a recently refurbished Trim Trail to try.

31. Swing around in an adventure park

If you have a head for heights, book a trip to Go Ape in Trent Park.

They have zip wires, Tarzan swings and high ropes to negotiate, all in the tree tops of this country park in Zone 5.

32. Mess about on the water

Always popular with the summer dating crowd, you can hire rowing boats or pedalos at Hyde Park, Regent’s Park, Battersea Park, Finsbury Park, Victoria Park and Dulwich Park.

Ally Pally even has boats shaped like dragons, swans or cars if you want to unleash your inner child.

33. Become a chess grandmaster

Taking a hint from New York’s parks, you can find game of outdoor chess in London now, too.

Springfield Park in Hackney has three outdoor chessboards to bring put your Grünfeld Defence.

34. Ride a bike around London

Thanks to Boris Bikes you can spontaneously cycle round London whenever you want. The City is relativey traffic free at the weekend, and you cycle past sights like the Bank of England and St Paul’s Cathedral.

The majority of the Royal Parks have cycle routes, and you can pick up maps to help you navigate, or hire bikes if you don’t have one.

35. Take a summer stroll along the Thames Path.

You can walk as far as the Thames Barrier to the east, but make sure you don’t walk too far to the west – the path is 184 miles long and reaches the Cotswolds.

We’ve also put together a list of 35 of the best riverside pubs – should you wish to stop off along the way.

36. Swap ten pin bowling for the real thing

Relax as you play a game of proper bowls on a summers evening.

OpenPlay have a list of bowling greens for you to try, with Finsbury Square long being popular with city types.

Summertime in London

Columbia Road Market (c) Tower Hamlets Council

37. Buy fresh summer seasonal produce

Head to one of London’s markets and buy the best of the summer fruit and vegetables.

Blueberries, raspberries and strawberries (summer fruits) are best bought now, and green beans and peas are fresh from the fields.

38. Spend a lazy day at the park

For an urban city, London is blessed with a huge amount of parks, gardens and open spaces – so if it’s hot, grab a picnic and the suntan lotion and see them in their full glory.

39. Cruise for a while

Bag a spot on the top deck of one of London’s river boats and relax with the wind in your hair . You can pick the main cruises up from Westminster Pier, Tower Bridge and Greenwich.

40. Float down the canal on a barge

Camden, Islington and Little Venice can all be discovered on a canal cruise.

Hidden Depths will take you along Regent’s Canal and through Islington Tunnel, one of the oldest in Britain. They also hold special events during the summer.

The London Waterbus Company even has a special gate to let you into London Zoo and cruise past some of the animal enclosures.

If you want to stay on dry land, the canal towpaths make for a romantic and scenic walk.

41. Smell the roses at Kew

From the end of spring to the start of autumn, you can enjoy England’s national flower at Kew Gardens. There, you’ll find one of the finest rose gardens in London before taking a stroll under their fragrant Rose Pergola.

City sheep (c) Mudchute Park & Farm

42. Meet the animals on the farm

Charity and community-run Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs is a taste of countryside in the middle of Docklands. This inner city working farm has stables, with horses and ponies, and has more than 100 different animals, along with some British rare breeds (nb. the animals go to bed around 4pm)

Hackney City Farm is a little smaller, but still has pigs, donkeys, goats and rabbits among other furry friends to meet.

43. Get clucky over the ducklings

Wild birds rear their young in the summer over at the London Wetland Centre in West London.

Spend the day bird spotting and see if you can catch sight of Sand Martins, which migrate here during the warm season.

44. Sleep under the stars (sort of)

If you fancy pitching a tent for the night, Crystal Palace Caravan Club Site has the most accessible pitches for getting into the centre of the capital.

45. Camp out while you queue

The Wimbledon Queue has become a summer rite of passage for tennis fans.

Tickets are released on a first come, first served basis so you can join the hardy souls braving the night under canvas in the hope of seeing Andy Murray win another match.

Camden Beach (c) Stuart Leech

46. Find a beach

As London isn’t near the coast, Camden Beach at the Roundhouse might be the next best thing.

Technically the Thames has a small beach near Tower Bridge and up until the 1940s families would play there (you can still see it at low tide).

Ruislip Lido in Hillingdon has possibly the closest thing to a beach, with a sandy area next to the lake.

47. Cool down… with ice

If by random chance London happens to be hit by a heatwave, the ICEBAR London will soon have your temperature dropping.

Alexandra Palace offers ice skating all year round, so if you have a hankering for some winter sports, take a turn round the rink.

48. Go on a London summer safari

Every year ZSL London Zoo hosts Lates, where you can wander round the zoo in the evening and see the animals as the sun sets.

There’s usually a different theme, but you can expect tours, music, talks and plenty of refreshments.

Graffiti walking tour in Shoreditch

49. Find out the city’s secrets

Take a walking tour and discover more about what the people, pubs and places of London’s past got up to during the holidays.

50. Sneak a peak at where the Queen lives

When our reigning monarch escapes the capital for Sandringham or Balmoral, it’s time for the annual Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace.

After all, it’s not summer unless you’ve pretended to be a visiting dignitary in the State Rooms.

Have you got any favourite summer activities to add?

Let us know your favourite things to do in London by leaving a comment below.

And if you’re visiting London, we have plenty of places to stay in the capital to make the most out of your summer holidays.

To find out the latest London events – visit our weekly “what’s on in London” page this weekend.

Finally, if you fancy getting out of the capital and heading to the beach or somewhere new – check out our best days trips from London for further inspiration.

The post 50 Brilliant Things To Do In London In Summer appeared first on lastminute.com Blog.

from lastminute.com Blog http://www.lastminute.com/blog/50-brilliant-things-to-do-in-london-in-summer/

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studentofrhetoric-blog · 8 years ago

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Part 2, Friday, April 21st, 2017

International News:

--- "A French policeman was shot dead and two others were wounded in central Paris on Thursday night in an attack carried out days before presidential elections and quickly claimed by the Islamic State militant group. President Francois Hollande said he was convinced the "cowardly killing" on the Champs Elysees boulevard, in which the assailant was himself shot dead by police, was an act of terrorism. The wide avenue that leads away from the Arc de Triomphe had been crowded with Parisians and tourists enjoying a spring evening, but police quickly cleared the area, which remained empty well into the night of all but heavily armed security forces and police vehicles. Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins said the man had been identified, but investigators were still assessing if he had accomplices. A police arrest warrant issued earlier on Thursday, which was seen by Reuters after the attack, warned of a dangerous individual who had come into France by train from Belgium on Thursday. It was unclear if that man was the attacker or linked to the shooting. Officers searched the home of the dead attacker in a town east of Paris, a police source said. "The sense of duty of our policemen tonight averted a massacre ... they prevented a bloodbath on the Champs Elysees," Interior Minister Matthias Fekl told reporters."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-idUSKBN17M2I8?il=0

--- "The man responsible for a shootout in central Paris on Thursday was a French national, Belgian interior minister Jan Jambon told public broadcaster VRT. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the shooting, in which a French policeman was shot dead, via its Amaq news agency, naming the attacker as Abu Yousif al-Belgiki -- "the Belgian" in Arabic. "The investigation is continuing. What we can confirm, is that the perpetrator was a French national," Jambon told VRT. In November 2015, when Paris was rocked by near simultaneous gun-and-bomb attacks on entertainment sites, two of the 10 known perpetrators were Belgian citizens and others lived in Belgium."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-belgium-minister-idUSKBN17N0SV?il=0

--- "Investigators are trying to find out whether the man who shot dead a policeman in Paris had accomplices, a prosecutor said, adding that he had shown no previous signs of radicalization despite a long prison record. The gunman, identified as Karim Cheurfi, opened fire on a police vehicle parked on the Champs Elysees in Paris late on Thursday, killing one officer and injuring two others before being shot dead. The attack, which was claimed by Islamic State, overshadowed the last day of campaigning for Sunday's presidential election first round. Cheurfi, 39, a French national who lived with his mother in the eastern Paris suburb of Chelles, had spent some 14 years in prison from 2001 for crimes including gun attacks on law enforcement officers. "The investigations will now focus on determining ... the potential help that he may have benefited from," Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference on Friday. "He was not on the security watch list and had shown no signs of radicalization despite his many years in prison." But Molins confirmed police had found a note with handwritten messages defending Islamic State near his body, addresses of police establishments in his car and a Koran. Police believe he had "opened fire on the officers in the knowledge he would be killed by them", a source close to the investigation said."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-idUSKBN17N0JP?il=0

--- "U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Friday an attack in central Paris is the latest reminder that terrorism can strike anywhere and at anytime, and the United States would not relent in its efforts to end terrorism. Pence made the remarks at the start of a roundtable with businessmen in Jakarta, where he was ending a two-day visit to Southeast Asia's largest economy."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-shooting-usa-idUSKBN17N0AP?il=0

--- "Indonesia and the United States agreed on Friday to find ways to reduce barriers to U.S. companies operating in Southeast Asia's largest economy, visiting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and Jakarta's investment chief said. The Trump administration has put Indonesia on a list of 16 countries whose trade surpluses with the United States will be put under review. A series of disputes between Indonesia and American firms has also ruffled ties. "We will work with President Jokowi to reduce barriers to trade and investments and to create a truly level playing field where all our businesses have equal opportunity and market access," Pence said. Jokowi is the nickname of Indonesia's President Joko Widodo. "The president and I spoke about that very candidly and very respectfully," Pence told a roundtable discussion with business executives in Jakarta before flying to Australia on the last leg of his 10-day Asia-Pacific tour. Indonesia's investments barriers include a lack of intellectual property protection, insufficient transparency with regulations and requiring local content for manufactured goods sold in the Indonesian market, Pence said. Indonesia's Investment Coordinating Board chief Tom Lembong said Widodo agreed "we still have too many regulations, too many barriers to trade, and these are bad for local and international industries"...Neither side disclosed any discussions about the disputes Indonesia has had with American companies of late...Pence did, however, witness the signing of more than $10 billion in memoranda of understanding with U.S. companies in Indonesia on Friday."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pence-asia-indonesia-idUSKBN17N09A?il=0

--- "U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on Friday that Syria had dispersed its warplanes in recent days and that it retained chemical weapons, an issue he said would have to be taken up diplomatically. The United States launched dozens of missiles earlier this month against a Syrian air base in response to a chemical attack that killed 90 people, including 30 children. It says the Syrian government launched the attack from the Shayrat air base. The Pentagon has said that the strike had damaged or destroyed about 20 percent of the Syrian military's operational aircraft. During a press conference alongside his Israeli counterpart, Mattis was asked whether the Syrian military had moved warplanes to a Russian base in Latakia. "They have dispersed their aircraft, no doubt. They have dispersed their aircraft in recent days," Mattis said. Mattis also reiterated that the United States believed Syria had retained some chemical weapons. "The bottom line is, I can say authoritatively they have retained some (chemical weapons). It's a violation of the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and it's going to have to be taken up diplomatically," Mattis said. Israel's military said on Wednesday it believed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces still possessed several tonnes of chemical weapons."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-mattis-israel-idUSKBN17N0SN?il=0

Domestic & International News:

--- "When Raj, a Sri Lankan fisherman, sought refuge in the United States in 2005, he had precisely the kind of fear of returning home that U.S. asylum laws require. In 2004, he was kidnapped by the separatist rebel group the Tamil Tigers and had to pay $500 to secure his release, according to Raj, his lawyer and court records reviewed by Reuters. The group then demanded more money, which he could not pay after a tsunami destroyed his house and fishing boat. Raj, 42, who asked that only his first name be used because of the sensitive nature of his situation, decided to flee. He boarded a plane using a false Canadian passport and requested asylum upon arriving in the United States. There was a catch, however. U.S. laws ban immigration by anyone who has provided "material support" to terrorists, and the Tamil Tigers are designated as a terrorist group by the United States. A judge ruled that Raj's ransom payment to them constituted material support. Ultimately, Raj was granted asylum in 2011 because of rules that allow for waivers for people who provided aid to terrorists under duress...Raj said it was "a big relief" when he finally received his green card around a year after receiving asylum. "I am not a terrorist," he said. Now the Trump administration is debating whether to rescind the waivers that have allowed Raj, and tens of thousands of others, to immigrate to the United States in the past decade. Some immigration hardliners are concerned the exemptions could allow terrorists to slip into the country. U.S. President Donald Trump directed the secretaries of State and Homeland Security, in consultation with the attorney general, to consider abolishing the waivers in an executive order in March. That directive was overshadowed by the same order's temporary ban on all refugees and on travelers from six mostly Muslim nations. The bans on refugees and travel were challenged in lawsuits, and their implementation has been suspended pending full hearings in court. But the waiver review was not included in the court rulings, so that part of the order remains in effect."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-terrorism-exceptions-idUSKBN17N13C?il=0

--- "Global economic leaders on Friday continued downplaying possible friction with the Trump administration over currencies, trade and other potentially contentious issues, even while acknowledging that much about the U.S. president's plans remains unclear. On a day when Donald Trump himself seemed focused on domestic matters - promising a new U.S. tax plan next week and announcing reviews of financial regulations - world officials gathered just blocks from the White House said there was "broad consensus" with the new president's advisers over the need to keep economic borders open and coordinate on global financial regulation. "Almost everybody underscored the importance of open markets and free market access," German central bank governor Jens Weidmann said following meetings among finance ministers from the world's top 20 economic powers, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. "That was the consensus." His remarks come as finance and economic officials attending meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank took heart in an improving world economy, but also spoke of the sudden raft of political issues that could put that progress at risk. Trump's tough talk on trade and seeming suspicion of "globalist" groups like the IMF cast a shadow over the start of this week's session. Similarly, the French elections on Sunday have been frequently cited as the sort of event that could reverse the euro zone's tentative economic progress."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-imf-g-idUSKBN17N24I?il=0

Domestic News:

--- "A special federal judicial panel ruled for the second time in two months on Thursday that the Republican-led Texas Legislature deliberately redrew political boundaries so as to unfairly diminish voter clout of the state's growing Latino population. A divided three-judge panel found that the boundaries of several state legislative districts were reshaped with the intention of illegally diluting the strength of the Democratic-leaning Hispanic electorate for the benefit of the Republican Party. The panel ruled that the redrawn boundaries were designed to either fragment cohesive Latino communities among multiple districts, or to lump Hispanics into a single jurisdiction and thus limit their overall sway. Similar gerrymandering tactics of "cracking" and "packing" were found last month by the same panel in redrawn boundaries for three of the state's 36 congressional districts. It was not immediately clear whether Texas would appeal the latest decision, which pertained to state legislative districts encompassing some of the state's largest cities, including Dallas, San Antonio and Houston."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-texas-redistricting-idUSKBN17N0CI?il=0

--- "A group of 11 Republican state attorneys general are protesting an investigation into whether Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM.N) violated consumer protection laws when selling fossil fuel products, according to a court filing. Top prosecutors for Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin, all of whom are Republicans, filed a brief in U.S. District Court in Manhattan supporting a lawsuit by Exxon to halt a probe by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey. Schneiderman and Healey, both Democrats, are looking at whether the company violated consumer protection laws by selling fossil fuels while failing to reveal information about the effects of burning them on the global climate. In their brief, the attorneys general said Healey and Schneiderman were abusing their power and violating Exxon's rights to free speech by "using law enforcement authority to resolve a public policy debate" over whether carbon emissions cause climate change, a debate they claim is not settled."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-environment-lawsuit-idUSKBN17M2OY?il=0

--- "The U.S. House of Representatives Intelligence Committee said on Friday it had invited FBI, NSA and Obama administration officials to testify as it restarts its investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election. After stalling over the committee chairman's ties to President Donald Trump's White House and disagreements over who should testify, the bipartisan committee said it sent a letter inviting James Comey, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Admiral Mike Rogers, director of the National Security Agency, to appear behind closed doors on May 2. A second letter invited three officials who left the government as President Barack Obama's administration ended - former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates - to appear at a public hearing to be scheduled after May 2. The planned hearings are the first the committee has announced since its chairman, Republican Representative Devin Nunes, recused himself from the Russia investigation on April 6 after receiving information at the White House about surveillance that swept up some information about members of Trump's transition team."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-congress-idUSKBN17N23C?il=0

--- "President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans who control Congress face their first major budget test next week, with the threat of a U.S. government shutdown potentially hinging on his proposed Mexican border wall as well as Obamacare funding. With Republicans controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, keeping the federal government operating is a basic test of their ability to govern, but their task could become even more complicated if they insist on using the spending legislation to bring about contentious policy changes. Not only must Republicans overcome intraparty ideological divisions that stopped major healthcare legislation last month, but they will have to win over some opposition Democrats with provisions that could be distasteful to conservatives. With the Senate reconvening on Monday and the House of Representatives on Tuesday after a two-week recess, lawmakers will have only four days to pass a spending package to keep the government open beyond April 28, when funding expires for numerous federal programs. "I think we want to keep the government open," Trump said on Thursday, adding he thinks Congress can pass the funding legislation and perhaps also a revamped healthcare bill. Democratic support depends on what provisions Republicans demand in the bill. Democrats have signaled they would not cooperate if it contains money for one of Trump's top priorities, a southwestern border wall intended to combat illegal immigration, or if it ends federal subsidies to help low-income people buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, which Republicans want to repeal. Democrats also want federal funds maintained for Planned Parenthood, which many Republicans oppose because the women's healthcare provider performs abortions. Another obstacle would be if Trump demands large defense spending increases coupled with deep cuts to domestic programs Democrats want to protect."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-budget-idUSKBN17N1LK?il=0

--- "A massive power outage threw San Francisco into chaos for most of the work day on Friday, knocking out traffic signals, paralyzing businesses and halting the city's famed cable cars. The power outage, which was triggered by a fire in a PG&E Corp. utility substation, disrupted San Francisco's normally bustling financial district, home to banks and technology companies. The blackout started just after 9 a.m. (noon ET/1600 GMT) and at one point affected nearly 90,000 customers, according to PG&E. The cause of the fire was a circuit breaker failure at the substation, PG&E spokesman Paul Doherty said. Office workers unable to access elevators or use their keycards spilled out onto the sidewalks, some wandering the streets in search of an open cafe or sunny spot to enjoy a rare warm San Francisco day. Others simply went home, with long lines forming for ferries. For many, there was little to do but wait. "When I got here we had to shut down all the servers, all the work stations were off-line," said Bard Wood, an information technology worker in the financial district. "I'm sure we've lost millions of dollars already. There's no business down here right now." Some cable car operators snoozed after their cars stalled on the street rails. Traffic was snarled and emergency workers responded to 20 elevator rescues, according to the city's fire department, but there were no reported deaths or major injuries. But many businesses, from coffee shops to major banks, took a hit."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-sanfrancisco-power-idUSKBN17N27T

--- "The U.S. Department of Justice threatened on Friday to cut some funding to California as well as eight cities and counties across the United States, escalating a Trump administration crackdown on so-called sanctuary cities that do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities. President Donald Trump has vowed to strip federal funds from dozens of state and local governments that do not fully cooperate with U.S. immigration agents, arguing they endanger public safety when they decline to hand over for deportation illegal immigrants who are arrested for crimes. "Sanctuary cities" in general offer safe harbor to illegal immigrants and often do not use municipal funds or resources to advance the enforcement of federal immigration laws. Many of these localities say they do not have the funding or space to hold immigrants until federal agents can take custody of them. Those threatened were: the state of California; New York City; Chicago; Philadelphia; Clark County, Nevada; New Orleans; Miami-Dade County, Florida; and Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Cook County, Illinois, also received a warning, even though it did not get money from the Justice Department last year. The jurisdictions have until June 30 to provide evidence to the federal government that they are not violating any laws. At stake is roughly $29 million in law enforcement aid under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, which helps local governments pay for everything from forensics labs to drug courts. The grants in question are among the largest handed out under the program, collectively amounting to 11 percent of the $256 million distributed in the last fiscal year."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-sanctuary-idUSKBN17N2JA?il=0

--- "Social media did not take kindly to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions referring to the country's 50th state of Hawaii as just "an island in the Pacific." Using the hashtag #IslandinthePacific, many on Twitter reminded Sessions that Hawaii is in fact part of the country, the birthplace of former President Barack Obama and home to Pearl Harbor. Sessions told "The Mark Levin Show" earlier this week that he was "amazed that a judge sitting on an island in the Pacific can issue an order that stops the president of the United States from what appears to be clearly his statutory and Constitutional power." Sessions was referring to Judge Derrick Watson, a federal district court judge in Honolulu, who struck down the second version of Trump's immigration order banning immigrants from six majority-Muslim countries temporarily. He ruled the order discriminated against Muslims. The now infamous phrase from Sessions has been mentioned more than 27,000 times online, according to Brandwatch, a social media monitoring company."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-hawaii-sessions-idUSKBN17N2HG

--- "President Donald Trump's travel ban on citizens of six Muslim-majority nations faces its second challenge at a U.S. appeals court next month, and this time more Republican states are backing the measure, while one Democratic state attorney general dropped out of the legal fight this week. Some legal experts say the states' realignment could signal that the changes made last month to Trump's original executive order have strengthened the government's case. Sixteen Democratic state attorneys general and the District of Colombia on Thursday filed a "friend of the court" brief backing Hawaii in its bid to block the March 6 executive order, which two federal judges put on hold before it could be implemented. Hawaii and other states argue the ban violates the U.S. Constitution because it discriminates against Muslims. But Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, who opposed the original ban that Trump signed on Jan. 27, did not join Thursday's brief, which was filed in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. Shapiro declined to comment. On the other side, Texas, which had been alone in its support for the original January order, has gained the support of 14 Republican states urging that the ban go forward in a legal brief filed on April 10. Those states back the government's argument that the president has wide authority to implement immigration policy and that the ban is needed to prevent terrorist attacks."

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-immigration-legal-idUSKBN17O00W?il=0

#international affairs #domestic affairs #source: reuters

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